59 m. ago Hong Kong father suspected of murdering his 2 children has depression: court

A Hong Kong father who allegedly killed his two young children before a failed suicide attempt last month is suffering from depression, a court has heard. Salesman Chen Guocheng, 40, appeared in Kowloon City Court for the first time on Friday to face two counts of murder, as prosecutors asked for a 12-week adjournment for police to conduct further inquiries. A psychiatric report issued by Queen Elizabeth Hospital found Chen to be suicidal but fit to attend hearings, the court heard. Deputy...

Events

2 h. ago Hong Kong Observatory could issue T1 warning on Friday night

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory has said it may issue the typhoon standby signal No 1 on Friday night at the earliest, as the forecaster warned of unstable weather from Sunday onwards. An area of low pressure near Luzon, which is currently about 800km (497 miles) away from Hong Kong, is expected to...

Events

3 h. ago Starbucks China valued at about US$5 billion by bidders, sources say

Most of the bidders seeking to buy a portion of Starbucks’ China operations have submitted offers valuing the business at as much as US$5 billion, said two people with knowledge of the discussions. That would make a potential deal one of the most valuable China unit divestments by a global consumer company in recent years. The offers, which have not been reported previously, would let Starbucks push ahead with the sale in a market where it faces sluggish growth and stiff competition from local...

Economics

5 h. ago Hong Kong consumer watchdog receives 9 complaints after balloon festival fiasco

Hong Kong’s hot-air balloon festival has been forced to deflate all its balloons on display due to the scorching weather, a day after failing to secure a licence for a tethered ride and suspending the attraction, which led to at least nine complaints to the city’s consumer watchdog. The Consumer Council said it had received nine complaints totalling HK$16,933 (US$2,171) regarding the AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest Hong Kong as of noon on Friday, with one case involving HK$4,956. The...

Politics

6 h. ago Hong Kong’s top talent scheme succeeds if people are really staying

Since its launch late in 2022, the Top Talent Pass Scheme has become a central component of Hong Kong’s global competitiveness strategy. By July this year, the scheme had attracted close to 140,000 applications. Of these, around 110,000 were approved, resulting in more than 90,000 new arrivals to the city. This influx of skilled residents is a sign that Hong Kong remains a strong magnet for talent. However, as former chief executive Leung Chun-ying and other commentators have warned, the real...

Politics

6 h. ago Success of Hong Kong’s top talent scheme must go deeper than numbers

Since its launch late in 2022, the Top Talent Pass Scheme has become a central component of Hong Kong’s global competitiveness strategy. By July this year, the scheme had attracted close to 140,000 applications. Of these, around 110,000 were approved, resulting in more than 90,000 new arrivals to the city. This influx of skilled residents is a sign that Hong Kong remains a strong magnet for talent. However, as former chief executive Leung Chun-ying and other commentators have warned, the real...

Politics

8 h. ago Citi’s Asia private bank ramps up hiring as capital inflows drive regional rally

Citigroup’s Asia private bank has hired 10 per cent more advisers this year as strong capital inflows have sparked rallies in Hong Kong and other markets in the region, its Hong Kong head said. In an interview on Wednesday, Horace Yip Chi-ho said a growing number of wealthy clients wanted to take advantage of the rallies and were interested in alternative investments like hedge funds and private equity. “We needed to hire more people as we have seen a growing business this year in Asia,...

Economics

9 h. ago China’s stablecoin bind: why US dollar tokens matter – and how Beijing may respond

Once a niche corner of the cryptocurrency world, stablecoins have surged into the global spotlight this year, prompting analysts and industry insiders to declare that the digital asset’s time has come. In July, US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, establishing the first federal regulatory regime for stablecoins – a move many believe could pave the way for mass-market adoption. Shortly after, Hong Kong introduced its own ordinance, which took effect on August 1, requiring...

Politics

9 h. ago ‘Summer of stablecoins’: how will China respond to US dollar’s crypto surge?

Once a niche corner of the cryptocurrency world, stablecoins have surged into the global spotlight this year, prompting analysts and industry insiders to declare that the digital asset’s time has come. In July, US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, establishing the first federal regulatory regime for stablecoins – a move many believe could pave the way for mass-market adoption. Shortly after, Hong Kong introduced its own ordinance, which took effect on August 1, requiring...

Politics

15 h. ago Hong Kong legal sector eyes film business role using smart contracts, blockchain

Hong Kong’s legal sector is taking an unprecedented leap into the world of Web3 and digital assets to revolutionise the city’s film and television industry in a bid to better track investments, with some massive losses incurred as a result of a lack of transparency. The bold new strategy, unveiled at a seminar on Thursday, enables the use of blockchain and smart contracts to fundamentally transform the industry and offer a new channel for financing creative content, according to lawmaker Johnny...

Politics

20 h. ago Hong Kong police deploy drones to enhance road safety in accident

Hong Kong police will, for the first time, deploy drones to detect traffic violations starting on Sunday, with the aim of enhancing road safety in accident-prone areas. The initiative was announced during a briefing in which the force also revealed that the number of fatal crashes in the first seven months of this year had dropped by 47 per cent compared to last year, totalling 288 cases. Similarly, the number of people seriously injured in these accidents fell by 45 per cent, from 587 to...

Events

21 h. ago A rising stock tide lifts sales of all financial products in Hong Kong

Sales of non-listed investment products soared to a record last year in Hong Kong, as capital poured into mutual funds, debt and equity-lined financial products amid improving market sentiments, underscoring the city’s growth as a financial hub. Sales increased by 40 per cent from 2023 to a record HK$6.07 trillion (US$778.3 billion), according to a survey released on Thursday by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). As many as 1.2 million...

Economics

22 h. ago Hong Kong could face windy, wet weekend as potential tropical cyclone forms

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong could experience windy and wet weather from the coming weekend under the influence of a low-pressure area that may become a tropical cyclone, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Thursday that the low-pressure area might turn into a tropical...

Politics

23 h. ago Viral video of skateboarders on Hong Kong highway sparks debate over road safety

A video of two young people skateboarding on a highway in Shek Tong Tsui has gone viral online, raising safety concerns and prompting an expert to warn that they may have violated Hong Kong laws. On the popular social media platform Threads, a video showing two young people skateboarding on the Hill Road flyover has gained 312,000 views. The pair wore helmets and gloves while travelling at high speed on the flyover. In the video, the pair are seen sometimes spreading their arms and leaning down...

Transport

23 h. ago Worker, 26, dies after falling 7 floors at Hong Kong housing construction site

A 26-year-old man has died in a fatal industrial incident in Hong Kong after falling seven storeys at a public housing construction site in the north of the city. Police said on Thursday that they received a report at around 10.30am about an industrial incident on Castle Peak Road near Chau Tau in Lok Ma Chau. The worker was believed to be fastening screws at the site when he fell from a height of about seven storeys onto the podium on the second floor, the force said. He was unconscious and...

Events

25 h. ago Hong Kong father pleads for public help to find daughter missing overseas

A Hong Kong father is appealing to the public for help in locating his 23-year-old daughter, whom he lost contact with in July after she reportedly left the city for Germany, despite claiming that she was going to university in the United Kingdom. Wilfred Lam Chi-wing told the Post that he last spoke to his daughter, Joan Lam Nga Yau, on July 28, after which he lost all contact with her. “I’ve contacted her friends, classmates ... no one can contact her,” the father said. “I just want to know...

Events

26 h. ago 8 visitors arrested in Hong Kong for providing illegal photo, make

Hong Kong immigration authorities have arrested eight mainland Chinese visitors for allegedly providing illegal make-up and photography services at popular tourist attractions. The Immigration Department on Thursday said enforcement officers arrested one man and seven women, aged between 19 and 39, in the last two weeks. Four of them worked illegally as photographers and four as make-up artists. According to Deputy Commander Chun Yuk-tung, another two local women, aged 20 and 27, who partnered...

Events

26 h. ago Adrian Cheng exits as CTFE director, ending role in Hong Kong family empire

Adrian Cheng Chi-kong is no longer a director of New World Development parent company Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE), cutting the last tie that connected the former heir apparent to one of the city’s most powerful business empires. His name is no longer listed as a director, according to the Hong Kong Companies Registry, the government body responsible for the incorporation and regulation of companies. It did not indicate when he stepped down from the post. CTFE did not respond to requests for...

Politics

29 h. ago Hong Kong stocks drop for third day as Chinese equities lose glow

Hong Kong stocks drop for third day as Chinese equities lose glow  South China Morning Post

Politics

29 h. ago Hong Kong stocks record biggest drop in a week as Chinese equities stumble

Hong Kong stocks record biggest drop in a week as Chinese equities stumble  South China Morning Post

Politics