3 h. ago Hong Kong shouldn’t let lack of space hold up Guangdong driver scheme: minister

Hong Kong should not be held back by a lack of land or parking spaces in pushing ahead with a plan to let Guangdong province residents drive to the city, the transport minister has said, as she reiterated that the scheme would be rolled out with strict controls. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan told lawmakers on Wednesday that the government was working with mainland Chinese authorities to implement the scheme and had ruled out the need to establish separate restricted zones or...

Politics

9 h. ago Hong Kong girl, 17, rescued from fire likely caused by power bank

A 17-year-old Hong Kong girl was rescued on Wednesday after a fire, believed to have been caused by a power bank, broke out in a flat in Tsuen Wan. Fire Services received a report at 7.59am that smoke had been seen coming out from the flat at Hoi Kwai Mansion of Riviera Gardens. Firefighters then broke into the flat and saved the girl, who was sent to Yan Chai Hospital in Tsuen Wan for smoke inhalation. The Fire Services Department said the fire, suspected to have been triggered by a power bank,...

Events

23 h. ago Apple’s most sweeping software redesign disappoints mainland Chinese consumers

Mainland Chinese consumers were left unimpressed by Apple’s most sweeping software redesign in its history, according to domestic social media posts on Tuesday, at a time when the US technology giant faces growing headwinds in the world’s largest smartphone market. Apple on Monday previewed a new software interface design, called Liquid Glass, during the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference held at its US headquarters in Cupertino, California. For the very first time, the new design...

Events

23 h. ago China’s film distributors pledge more imports to diversify market

China’s film distributors have called for diversifying the country’s cinematic offerings with more and better titles from overseas, at a time when domestic productions have seized the lion’s share of the market from their imported competitors. At a work conference held by the state-owned China Film Group Corporation, as well as Huaxia Film Distribution, companies vowed to bring in “good titles from multiple countries” to improve the number, quality and market share of foreign films, state media...

Politics

24 h. ago India expected to maintain robust growth despite Pakistan tensions, trade woes

India is poised to remain the world’s fastest-growing major economy this year, analysts have said, with a recent jumbo rate cut by its central bank expected to boost consumption and investment, even as the country contends with fresh military tensions with Pakistan and an uncertain global trade environment. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last week delivered a larger-than-expected interest rate cut of 50 basis points and reduced the cash reserve ratio – the minimum amount of capital banks must...

Events

25 h. ago Hongkongers warned not to download mobile game ‘promoting secessionist agenda’

Hong Kong police have warned residents against downloading a mobile game application advocating Hong Kong and Taiwanese independence or risk breaking national security laws. The force also said on Tuesday that action had been taken under the Beijing-imposed national security law to allow police to require the relevant electronic platforms to remove access to the game Reversed Front: Bonfire, which was developed by ESC Taiwan and released in April. Individuals who downloaded the app could be...

Events

25 h. ago What are Hong Kong’s best deals, discounts for this year’s July 1 celebrations?

Hong Kong residents and tourists will be able to enjoy plenty of discounts, giveaways and other deals when the city celebrates the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1. From Star Ferry fares to must-see museums, the Post gives a rundown of what the city has to offer for the occasion. Free transport Commuters will have a chance to win one of the 71,000 MTR tickets available in a raffle being held on July 1 via the rail operator’s mobile app. The tickets are valid until January...

Politics

27 h. ago Hong Kong National Security Law: Forum held in Beijing on Law's implementation in Special Administration Region since 2020

Hong Kong National Security Law: Forum held in Beijing on Law's implementation in Special Administration Region since 2020  news.cgtn.com

Events

27 h. ago Labubu becomes bait for China’s Ping An Bank to lure young customers

Hoping the world’s trendiest monster will scare up some new customers, China’s Ping An Bank is rewarding those who open new accounts with a Pop Mart Lababu doll amid fierce competition for young customers among Chinese retail banks. New clients who open a savings account and deposit more than 50,000 yuan (US$6,954) for at least three months could receive a blind box from the first or second series of the Chinese toy retailer’s popular collectibles, according to media reports. Customers who also...

Economics

30 h. ago Former residence of South Korea’s Yoon under scrutiny over ‘pet pool’

A shallow pool inside South Korea’s presidential residence has sparked a debate among lawmakers over whether it was used by former president Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife for their pets. There has been increasing speculation that the pool was used for pets and not humans, said Representative Kim Byoung-joo at a meeting held on Monday by the Democratic Party, which became the country’s ruling party following President Lee Jae-myung’s election win last week. “I’ve looked around the space inside the...

Politics

44 h. ago Academic symposium on "one country, two systems" held in Beijing

Academic symposium on "one country, two systems" held in Beijing  Xinhua

Politics

44 h. ago Hong Kong tourism sector urged to provide packages, discounts for National Games

Hong Kong’s tourism sector should consider offering promotional packages including hotel discounts to spectators at the coming National Games, which the city will co-host in November, authorities have said. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said on Monday that a unified ticket sales platform would be used for all Games events to be held in Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau, with more details to be announced soon. She said once the Guangdong Provincial Executive...

Politics

45 h. ago Blink and you’re in. Macau launching iris scan immigration for Hongkongers this week

Hongkongers travelling to Macau can speed up immigration clearance using an eye scan starting this week. Authorities in the gaming hub said on Monday eligibility for its iris recognition immigration clearance had been extended to Hong Kong permanent residents who had registered for its automated passenger clearance service. Eligible Hongkongers can begin using the service from noon on Wednesday. Eighty-one iris recognition channels have been installed at six Macau border checkpoints: the Border...

Politics

47 h. ago Study shows how robots replaced master workers in Chinese military drone factory

In a Beijing defence drone facility, a black carbon-fibre body frame sits on a workstation ready for drilling. The material is light and strong, but a fractional error in angle or positioning could affect stealth performance and lead to the scrapping of the entire part. Master technicians once performed this task – breath held, hands steady – relying on years of muscle memory. Despite their skill, human limitations capped the speed of production and kept costs high. That changed with a...

Events

48 h. ago Hongkongers warned to be vigilant when travelling to US amid protests in country

Hong Kong authorities have called on residents to be vigilant and prioritise safety when travelling to the United States amid protests in the country. Los Angeles has been rocked by ongoing immigration-related protests, which escalated after 300 California National Guard troops were deployed on Sunday as part of a larger force mobilised to support federal law enforcement amid escalating clashes between protesters and immigration agents. “The government reminds Hong Kong residents who are...

Events

48 h. ago Hongkongers warned to be vigilant in US as protests rock Los Angeles

Hong Kong authorities have called on residents to be vigilant and prioritise safety when travelling to the United States amid ongoing immigration-related protests in Los Angeles. Some Hongkongers based in California’s largest city on Monday slammed US President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in the city, saying it would only further heighten the situation. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s operation against illegal immigrants in Los Angeles on Friday triggered...

Events

58 h. ago Hongkongers to swelter in coming days as mercury to hit 34 degrees Celsius

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 will experience very hot weather over the next few days under the influence of a high-pressure area, with temperatures expected to hit 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, according to the forecaster. “An anticyclone aloft [area of high pressure] is bringing generally...

Events

58 h. ago Hong Kong to issue No 1 typhoon warning signal as early as Tuesday 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. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal as early as Tuesday night, as an area of low pressure is expected to develop into a tropical cyclone and move towards the city amid sweltering heat. The Observatory said on Monday the tropical cyclone was expected to...

Events

61 h. ago HSBC to grow investment bank to serve rising demand for IPOs

HSBC will expand its investment banking business to serve the rising demand of companies from Asia and the Middle East for initial public offerings (IPOs), said the co-CEOs of the bank’s biggest profit centre. The plan aligns with the bank’s restructuring to focus on high-return areas like Hong Kong and India, as well as exit low-profitability markets like Europe and the US. Hong Kong sits atop the world’s IPO league table, after 27 companies raised US$9.96 billion this year as of last week,...

Economics

2 d. ago China’s 4 core principles show way to peace in South China Sea, think tank says

A state-backed think tank has put forward China’s “four core principles” as a constructive framework for addressing disputes in the South China Sea, while blaming regional tensions on external actors who fuel rival claimants’ actions and weaken the “willingness for maritime cooperation”. “China has long been committed to managing tensions and differences with disputing parties, and exercising great restraint in disputes”, Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with state news agency Xinhua,...

Politics