91 m. ago Japan weighs tightening rules on visa popular among Chinese nationals

Japan is considering increasing the minimum investment threshold for its business manager visa in a bid to make it harder for foreigners to obtain residence status and launch commercial operations in the country, as the scheme becomes increasingly popular with Chinese nationals. The visa, which offers relatively accessible entry for foreign entrepreneurs, permits stays of up to five years for those who either invest 5 million yen (US$34,711) or hire two full-time employees while maintaining an...

Politics

2 h. ago The case of Hong Kong vs Singapore: unlimited potential for collaboration

From Hong Kong Disneyland and Universal Studios Singapore to Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, there is this never-ending comparison between Hong Kong and Singapore. Insofar as our legal systems and the legal markets are concerned, there are also interesting similarities and differences. Both Hong Kong and Singapore are common law jurisdictions with developed and efficient legal systems. We are both in strategic locations with world-class legal infrastructure and vibrant legal communities....

Politics

2 h. ago With early stablecoin law, Hong Kong looks to keep edge as finance hub

With the passage of one of the world’s most comprehensive stablecoin laws two weeks ago, Hong Kong is looking to stay at the forefront of global finance while addressing lessons from past industry setbacks, according to analysts. Being a “first mover” in stablecoin legislation “reflects the determination” of the city’s government to “unlock value that they see in this sector, given the number of hurdles from past incidents”, said Melvin Deng, CEO of digital asset trading firm QCP Capital. Hong...

Politics

3 h. ago Hong Kong police chief vows vigilance against lingering national security threats

Hong Kong’s police chief has pledged vigilance against lingering threats of external interference, home-grown terrorism and “soft resistance”, five years after the Beijing-imposed national security law was promulgated. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said that while Hong Kong had returned to a state of stability in recent years, “undercurrents” remained that required the force to boost its intelligence-gathering and law enforcement efforts. “Now we are talking about how to advance from...

Events

11 h. ago Struggling Hong Kong taxi driver ‘accidentally’ put into chokehold, inquest told

A Hong Kong police officer seen putting a taxi driver who later died into a chokehold has told an inquest that he came into contact with the man’s neck “accidentally” during a struggle. Constable Lam Wai-wing was part of a police team handling a report made by taxi driver Chan Fai-wong on November 11, 2012, and his subsequent arrest for assault. Lam told the Coroner’s Court on Wednesday that his initial attempt to move Chan into a police vehicle was unsuccessful, with surveillance footage...

Politics

14 h. ago Hong Kong lawmakers back criminalising of subletting public rental flats

Hong Kong lawmakers have approved the government’s proposal to criminalise the subletting of public rental flats or the use of such properties for business purposes, with the offence to carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a HK$500,000 (US$63,700) fine. Lawmakers on Wednesday voted on the Housing (Amendment) Bill, which introduces new offences under the Housing Ordinance to combat serious abuse of public flats. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin stressed that the amended law...

Society

16 h. ago Japan eyes 80% cut in 298,000 death toll for potential Nankai monster quake

Japan is seeking to reduce by 80 per cent in the next decade its estimated 298,000 death toll from a potential megaquake in the Nankai Trough. Authorities also intend to halve the maximum number of buildings expected to be completely destroyed in such a disaster from the current projection of 2.35 million. The targets align with a 2104 basic blueprint but will also take into account the latest damage estimates released in March, according to the Kyodo news agency. A revised plan for emergency...

Events

16 h. ago China ‘respects Panama Canal neutrality’ amid warning over CK Hutchison deal

China’s foreign ministry has said it respects Panama’s sovereignty and recognises its canal as a neutral international waterway, after the head of the strategic channel warned that the CK Hutchison ports deal could jeopardise its impartiality. Panama Canal Authority administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said in an interview published on Tuesday that CK Hutchison Holdings’ US$23 billion deal to sell its overseas ports to a consortium led by US investment giant BlackRock and shipping firm MSC could...

Events

17 h. ago ‘Panda fever’ created 19% attendance boost at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park: official

“Panda fever” has translated into a significant boost in business for Hong Kong’s Ocean Park, with the debut of several new bears leading to a 19 per cent surge in attendance year on year since their debut, according to the city’s tourism minister. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui also said in a written reply on Wednesday to lawmakers’ questions that an additional HK$121 million (US$15.4 million) had been secured from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to...

Politics

17 h. ago China’s military says Japan ‘breaching pacifist constitution’ with missile tests

China’s military has accused Japan of undermining regional security after it tested new long-range anti-ship and hypersonic missiles. A commentary published by the military mouthpiece People’s Liberation Army Daily on Wednesday said that the extended range of missiles would be “a real deterrent to multiple surrounding areas”. It also argued that the increased ability to strike long-range targets was “breaking the restrictions of the pacifist constitution that the Japanese Self-Defence Forces...

Events

18 h. ago Hong Kong policeman gets community service order for defrauding credit union

A Hong Kong policeman has been sentenced to 220 hours of community service for defrauding the force’s credit union to secure HK$280,000 (US$35,675) in loans. Traffic officer Shum Sze-long, 45, returned to Fanling Court on Wednesday to receive sentencing for one count of fraud and another of attempted fraud for providing inaccurate and incomplete information to the Hong Kong Police Credit Union during two loan applications. The now-suspended officer, who pleaded guilty last month, understated his...

Events

18 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

19 h. ago Beijing slams Washington for supporting jailed Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong

China’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong on Wednesday voiced its disapproval of the United States’ “blatant support” of jailed activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, while accusing Washington of smearing police’s enforcement actions. Last Friday, Hong Kong national security police levelled a fresh charge against Joshua Wong Chi-fung, accusing him of conspiring with fugitive ex-lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung to collude with foreign forces five years ago. A US Department of State spokesman strongly...

Events

19 h. ago Hong Kong’s top court dismisses domestic helper’s forced labour challenge

Hong Kong’s top court has dismissed a judicial review of a foreign domestic helper who argued police had failed to properly investigate her complaint against her employer due to the absence of specific legislation against forced labour. The Court of Final Appeal on Wednesday, in upholding a ruling last year by the Court of Appeal, found that the city’s lack of bespoke legislation for forced labour was not necessary to provide “practical and effective” protection of the Filipina helper’s...

Events

19 h. ago Hong Kong student spared jail for faking exam results via beauty app Meitu

A Hong Kong student has been spared prison time over her attempt to secure a university placement with bogus entrance exam results edited by Chinese beauty filter app Meitu, with the presiding magistrate accepting the crime was a lapse in judgment. Ng Tsz-ying, 22, was sentenced to a 12-month probation order at Fanling Court on Wednesday for submitting a fake copy of her certificate in the Diploma of Secondary Education examination to the Education University of Hong Kong last year. Last month,...

Events

20 h. ago China and Japan must beat mutual hostility while also handling tariffs: envoy

China and Japan must work hard to improve public opinion towards each other, Japan’s top envoy in Beijing said, as the Asian neighbours move to stabilise ties amid shared concerns about tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. “The most difficult aspect of current Japan-China relations is the sentiment between the two peoples and, very unfortunately, there are still some negative perceptions that linger in Japan regarding China, and vice versa in the Chinese society regarding Japan,” said...

Politics

20 h. ago Japan’s Osaka Expo water shows suspended as Legionella levels top safety limit

Legionella bacteria 50 times above safe levels have been detected at Japan’s Expo 2025 in Osaka, the latest in a string of problems plaguing the event since its opening in mid-April. On Monday, the expo organisers announced that the popular daily fountain shows and a shallow pool area had been temporarily cancelled for deep cleaning due to bacterial contamination. The aquatic show at the Water Plaza has been suspended since June 4, when Legionella bacteria of up to 20 times the legal limit were...

Politics

20 h. ago How Indonesian fintech firm is bridging funding gaps for women entrepreneurs

Across Indonesia’s vast archipelago, millions of women running small businesses in rural areas remain locked out of traditional banking – a gap increasingly filled by fintech firms offering microloans as economic pressures mount. One of the most prominent players in this space is Amartha, a Jakarta-based lending platform that connects borrowers in remote communities with financial institutions. Founded in 2010, it now counts about 3 million active borrowers – 99 per cent of them women operating...

Economics

20 h. ago Hong Kong court jails couple for life over abuse, murder of newborn son

A couple has been jailed for life in Hong Kong over what a judge called the “completely disgraceful” abuse and murder of their newborn son six years ago. The High Court on Wednesday sentenced Hong Kong residents Imran Hossain, 32, and Farzana Akter, 29, over the father and mother’s mistreatment and killing of their seven-week-old baby, Iyman Hossain, in 2019. A day earlier, a seven-member jury returned a unanimous verdict to convict the pair of murder and child cruelty in a case that hinged on...

Events

20 h. ago Hong Kong court jails couple for life for murdering, abusing newborn son

A couple has been jailed for life in Hong Kong over what a judge called the “completely disgraceful” abuse and murder of their newborn son six years ago. The High Court on Wednesday sentenced Hong Kong residents Imran Hossain, 32, and Farzana Akter, 29, for mistreating and killing their seven-week-old baby, Iyman Hossain, in 2019. A day earlier, a seven-member jury returned a unanimous verdict to convict the pair of murder and child cruelty in a case that hinged on circumstantial evidence due to...

Events