China

Hong Kong authorities have issued nine fixed-penalty tickets and 110 warnings to contractors since launching a citywide construction site smoking ban last Friday, according to the labour commissioner. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said on Monday that authorities had inspected more than 200 construction sites since the ban took effect, adding […]

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Cyberport has launched the city’s first hub designed specifically for one-person companies (OPCs), offering entrepreneurs a combination of trust, compliance support and preferential access to essential services that are difficult to secure elsewhere.  Announced on July 13 at the […]

Some restaurant operators and residents have expressed disappointment after the fresh water supply in Hong Kong’s Eastern district was not restored as promised by 6am on Monday after more than a day of disruption, with many forced to fetch water from wagons amid heavy rain. The Water Supplies Department said supply had gradually resumed at 11am and noted […]

Hong Kong football fans swapped their living rooms for shopping centres to watch the World Cup final, enjoying dim sum, snacks and milk tea as vendors set up pop-up stands beside giant screens. At around 3am on Monday, crowds filled all three floors of Tuen Mun Town Plaza for the match between Spain and Argentina. Cheers erupted as Lionel Messi and Lamine […]

Hong Kong has come out on top again, but not in a good way. After earning the distinction of having the highest petrol prices in the world, we have again been named the world’s priciest residential property market in the “Mapping the World’s Prices” report released by Deutsche Bank. We managed to keep our top spot despite a 10 per cent drop in […]

Hong Kong authorities are set to roll out sweeping reforms following the conclusion of the investigation into the city’s deadliest fire in decades, including criminalising bid-rigging and overhauling fire safety and property management laws. Political observers also expected senior officials, including ministers, to take accountability for the blaze once […]

Hong Kong’s forecaster has cancelled the amber rainstorm warning but warned that unsettled weather will continue to affect the city over the next day. The Hong Kong Observatory cancelled the warning at 2.10pm. It was reissued at 9.30am, nearly 1½ hours after raising the red signal at 8.05am Authorities earlier urged schools to implement contingency […]

Hong Kong’s decision to introduce its first five-year plan has prompted familiar questions. Does this signal greater government intervention at the expense of the free market? Will it make Hong Kong’s development model more similar to that of the mainland? Could it overlap with the annual policy address and budget? And without detailed key performance […]

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has begun to realise tangible results from its merger with the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI), completed in April 2026, with new combinations of AI and advanced materials appearing among the […]

An elderly Hong Kong tourist has been left in a coma after falling off a quad bike in Japan. The Immigration Department said on Sunday that it had been in contact with the Chinese foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong and the Chinese consulate in Fukuoka to understand the situation after receiving a request for help from the woman’s family. It added that […]

Washington’s decision to end sanctions on nine Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials, including Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok and two national security staffers, is an olive branch from the US to China to improve relations after their two presidents met in May, political observers have said. They and legal experts said the lifting of […]

Hong Kong police have arrested a 37-year-old man after a photo circulating online showed him riding a motorcycle with a young child and another passenger. The traffic investigation unit of New Territories North arrested the man on Sunday morning on suspicion of carrying more than one passenger and a child aged below eight. The suspect remained in police […]

Around 10,000 homes in Hong Kong’s Eastern district face a 24-hour fresh water supply disruption following a sudden pipe burst, with authorities expecting service to resume on Monday morning. The Water Supplies Department received reports of the disruption in Shau Kei Wan at around 6am on Sunday and immediately deployed staff to investigate. According to […]

Hong Kong’s development minister has vowed to tighten monitoring of contractors and explore harsher penalties for industry misconduct following criticisms that the government’s reliance on their self-supervision was partly to blame for the deadly Tai Po blaze. But Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also defended the current regulatory system, stressing that […]

Hong Kong should serve as a hub for the commercialisation of artificial intelligence and as a strategic base for mainland Chinese AI companies expanding overseas, the city’s finance chief has said, while noting the risks and challenges of the technology. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s comments followed a speech on Friday by Chinese President Xi […]

In the second of a five-part Health Matters wellness series on ageing in Hong Kong, Lo Hoi-ying examines rising social isolation among the elderly, its serious health risks and how activities and community support are helping seniors stay socially engaged. For Lee Chor-kwan, an 89-year-old living alone in Hong Kong, mealtimes are often lonely. But the […]

Hong Kong is seeking to promote itself as a city that visitors “feel” rather than merely see under a new global tourism campaign highlighting experiences ranging from mahjong games and tram rides to hidden beaches and Kai Tak Stadium. Tourism Board executive director Anthony Lau Chun-hon told the South China Morning Post on Sunday that the “Only in […]

A Hong Kong student who falsely claimed to have planted explosives in the exams authority’s office has been charged and granted bail. Liu Yuet-lam, 19, appeared before West Kowloon Court on Monday to face one count of bomb hoaxes. She allegedly spread the false information last Friday by claiming that a bomb had been planted at the Hong Kong Examinations […]

Hong Kong will press ahead with its new dog-friendly dining scheme despite a public backlash and the withdrawal of 11 participating restaurants, the environment minister has said, describing the situation as part of an initial adjustment period. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said on Sunday that authorities would step up inspections and […]

An intergovernmental mediation body headquartered in Hong Kong has resolved at least one more dispute since settling a case involving parties from Singapore and mainland China, as the number of signatory states grew to 46 and contracting nations reached 16. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, secretary general of the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), […]

Homeowners of a fire-hit Hong Kong estate have demanded greater clarity on the condition of their flats after a six-hour extraordinary general meeting on Sunday, during which they rejected an audit report but supported holding another session within two months. Hop On Management Company, the government-appointed administrator of Wang Fuk Court, reportedly […]

Hong Kong’s lawmakers have embarked on an unprecedented week-long study visit to Beijing, with the Legislative Council’s president saying the trip would help their work of ensuring the city better aligns with national development. Starry Lee Wai-king on Sunday highlighted the significance of the trip, which marks the first time the entire legislature […]

Smaller, family-run businesses in mainland China are embracing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) more readily than large enterprises, while market agility and steady power supplies will determine the winners of the global AI race, industry leaders have said at a forum in Indonesia. Panel speakers at the inaugural Nusa Dua Forum in Bali, organised on […]

Hong Kong students can benefit from taking a gap year after taking the university entrance exam but should set clear goals for their future, education sector experts have said, pointing to the increasing value of applicants with experience outside the classroom. NGOs and experts said that setting aside a year for internships, volunteer work or exchange […]

SHANGHAI, China: On July 17, Chinese President Xi Jinping presented China as a leader of a new global system for artificial intelligence (AI). He used the country's top technology conference to promote open-source AI and challenge the United States' influence over how rules for this fast-growing sector are set. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World […]

Official support and collaboration with private capital are critical for sovereign wealth funds to succeed, the head of Hong Kong’s government-owned investment vehicle has said, as she spelled out strategies needed to deliver high returns. At the inaugural Nusa Dua Forum organised by the South China Morning Post and Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund […]

Hong Kong has embarked on the path of drawing up its first five-year plan – a significant moment in its history. Hong Kong’s first five-year plan should be more than a local economic blueprint. Properly conceived, it should define how the city contributes to China’s national development while preserving the global connections that make Hong Kong […]

Tears, anger and exhaustion marked the conclusion of an inquiry into the deadly fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court, as survivors condemned government departments for passing the buck and demanded accountability. An independent committee investigating the Tai Po fire, which killed 168 people and displaced about 5,000 residents last November, wrapped up its […]

The recent resignation of Keir Starmer as Britain’s prime minister has reignited a debate over the United Kingdom’s post-Brexit identity – and talk of rejoining the European Union. Over the past decade, has Britain’s decision to exit the EU returned the UK to its splendid isolation – or merely a splendid squalor? It may seem a far-fetched idea but […]

WASHINGTON, D.C./BRASILIA: The United States has imposed 25 percent tariffs on many imports from Brazil while granting a broader-than-expected list of exemptions, marking the first use of the Trump administration's new trade strategy that could eventually be extended to other major trading partners. The tariffs, announced by the Office of the U.S. Trade […]

Tokyo [Japan], July 18 (ANI): Indian badminton star PV Sindhu advanced to the women's singles final of the Japan Open 2026 after her semi-final opponent Chen Yufei of the People's Republic of China retired hurt midway through the second game on Saturday.The Olympic medallist, ranked 12th in the world, was leading the match 21-19, 15-10 at the Tokyo […]

An independent committee examining the causes of Hong Kong’s deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze will delay submitting its final report to late October, a month later than expected, as more time is needed to review documents, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source confirmed to the SCMP on Saturday that the judge-led panel’s final report was likely […]

Washington DC [US], July 18 (ANI): Two senior Republican lawmakers have urged the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to consider restricting Chinese companies listed on American stock exchanges from accessing US capital markets, arguing that such measures are necessary to safeguard the country's economy, investors and national security.According to […]

SHANGHAI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- With the morning sun shining on shrimp ponds in Cambodia's Takeo Province, drones could be seen taking off one after another to begin their daily feeding rounds. Meanwhile, a real-time monitoring system operates around the clock at this spot, transmitting water-quality data to operators to help them make quick, precise […]

Hong Kong customs officers have arrested three men in connection with the seizure of 131kg (289lbs) of suspected ketamine worth about HK$51 million (US$6.5 million), disguised as sugar cubes and found in air cargo transported to the city. Chiu Kai-wing, a senior investigator with the Customs and Excise Department’s drug investigation bureau, said on […]

Some residents left homeless by Hong Kong’s deadliest inferno in decades have called for merging the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU) with the Buildings Department after a public inquiry revealed communication failures between them. In recommendations submitted to the independent committee investigating the Wang Fuk Court fire, which […]

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), Hong Kong’s largest developer by market capitalisation, has sold out the first batch of units at its Garden Regency project in the New Territories on Saturday, according to agents. By 3.30pm, all 138 flats the developer had launched in the Kam Tin North project in Yuen Long had found buyers, the agents said. The launch of […]

An independent inquiry into Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po fire has concluded after examining more than 1 million files and hearing from 80 witnesses across 30 public sessions, uncovering the causes of the blaze that killed 168 people. The panel, chaired by Justice David Lok Kai-hong, wrapped up its hearings on Friday after proceedings that began on March 19. […]

The Hong Kong government has indicated that it is unlikely to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy left by former lawmaker William Wong Kam-fai’s resignation over his drink-driving and hit-and-run case, citing time constraints and concerns about cost-effectiveness. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa also said on Saturday […]

(260718) -- YANGON, July 18, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People visit the Myanmar International Auto Expo 2026 in Yangon, Myanmar, July 17, 2026. TO GO WITH "Feature: Chinese brands take center stage at Myanmar int'l auto expo" (Xinhua/Myo Kyaw Soe)

SHANGHAI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes economies and societies, global attention is shifting beyond technological breakthroughs to how AI can be developed responsibly and inclusively.For many, the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), being held in Shanghai on July 17-20, represents an important […]

The number of phone scams recorded in Hong Kong in the first five months of 2026 has surged by 46 per cent compared with the same period last year, with a recent police operation leading to the arrest of 61 suspects in cases involving more than HK$31 million (US$3.95 million). The suspects, aged 17 to 82, were arrested this month in a police operation […]

Some 43,347 day-school candidates sat Hong Kong’s Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam this year, but there are only about 12,000 subsidised undergraduate places at the city’s eight public universities. So what options do the tens of thousands of remaining students have? According to a survey by education authorities, 85 per cent of Form Six […]

BERLIN, Germany: Uber has agreed to acquire Germany's Delivery Hero in a deal valuing the food-delivery company at about US$14.8 billion, creating the world's largest food-delivery platform outside China as the industry continues to consolidate. The acquisition strengthens Uber's global food-delivery business as it seeks to compete more effectively with […]

Hong Kong delivery company Lalamove and professional services firm EY have joined forces and jumped on the “low-altitude economy” bandwagon in the hopes of expanding their reach in the Greater Bay Area and transforming conventional business. The companies told the South China Morning Post that the collaboration would leverage Lalamove’s logistics […]