South China Morning Post World

A former Hong Kong lawmaker who previously headed the city’s largest, now-defunct opposition party has been released from prison after completing his sentence in a landmark subversion case. Wu Chi-wai, former chairman of the Democratic Party, which dissolved last year, was released from Stanley Prison on Tuesday morning. He boarded a seven-seater car which took him to Fung Tak Estate in Diamond Hill. Dressed in a white shirt, he alighted with two bags of belongings and did not take questions...

Hong Kong is rolling out a series of discounts, shopping perks, giveaways and countless deals to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1. To get you in the public holiday spirit, the South China Morning Post unpacks what is on offer, from deals on food and drinks to retail goods and public transport. 1. Someone mentioned food? Restaurants are taking the latest anniversary to heart with a 29 per cent discount or special deals on selected menu items...

Hongkongers have snapped up the first batch of free tickets to visit two PLA naval ships within minutes of their release for a weekend port call in the city. A South China Morning Post reporter observed that the initial batch was gone within four minutes after being released at 10am on Tuesday. On Monday, China’s Ministry of National Defence said a People’s Liberation Army naval task group would visit Hong Kong waters from Thursday to next Monday to mark the 29th anniversary of the city’s return

Like other advanced cities, Hong Kong faces a range of clearly defined challenges that must be directly addressed in the next few years. Two that stand out are the effects of climate change and the consequences of an ageing population, which, one way or another, will impact every section of society. This means concerted action and practical solutions are required from each branch of industry – and every government department. The route to real and rapid progress is through constant and...

The world’s largest buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties has set up its first Asia-Pacific base in Hong Kong, joining a string of multinational corporations in the pharmaceutical sector establishing offices in the city as out-licensing deals by mainland Chinese biotechnology firms hit record highs. Royalty financing gives drug developers an alternative way to raise capital even as US investment restrictions loom, according to an expert. “Chinese biotech firms would need royalty financing as an..

Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to connect Asean with the Greater Bay Area and build a “powerful and complementary partnership” amid a shifting geopolitical landscape, the city’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made his remarks at the South China Morning Post’s GBA-Asean Summit 2026 on Tuesday, which also saw the launch of a new chamber of commerce for the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the city. The summit brought together government officials, business..

Hong Kong has surrendered its IPO fundraising crown to Nasdaq following SpaceX’s blockbuster listing earlier this month, but it did so while seeing its IPO proceeds register a year-on-year rise of about 84 per cent in the first half of 2026 – consolidating the region’s position as a primary offshore financial hub for Chinese issuers. A total of 83 companies raised US$26.42 billion on the Hong Kong stock exchange’s main board from January to June, according to LSEG Data & Analytics. The figure,..

Nearly a year has passed since Hong Kong launched the first phase of its carer support data platform last July, linking the Social Welfare Department, Hospital Authority and the Housing Authority into a single alert system for “high-risk carers”. These include those receiving a living allowance as low-income carers of the elderly, carers of the disabled and carers of those who live in public housing estates. To date, the platform has flagged over 3,100 cases through hospital alerts. Care teams..

A Hong Kong government plan to tighten regulations on prepaid beauty and fitness contracts has sparked concern among operators, who warn that a rigid refund window and caps on administrative fees ignore operational realities. The government on Monday launched a two-month public consultation on proposed amendments to the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, aimed at strengthening consumer protection amid persistent complaints about unfair practices and high-pressure sales tactics. Key proposals include.

The recent visit of Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, carried the task of accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis. This is not another urban expansion, but a strategic test of whether Hong Kong can reinvent its role in the nation’s innovation landscape. At its core, the Northern Metropolis bears a dual mission. For Hong Kong, it must become a growth engine, creating a third curve of development, beyond finance and real estate, by nurturing original.

Hong Kong police have seized a second cache of suspected cocaine worth about HK$90 million (US$11.4 million) from a pleasure boat in Aberdeen, days after uncovering HK$180 million of the drug in another yacht at the site. Officers from the narcotics bureau on Sunday raided the six‑metre (20-foot) yacht moored near boats targeted in last week’s operation and found about 120kg of cocaine bricks on board. Together with the previous seizure of 241kg of cocaine in a yacht in Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter.

Hong Kong authorities have proposed a major overhaul of outdated sexual offences laws, including criminalising same-sex rape, introducing new offences and establishing a uniform age of consent at 16 while removing gender-specific provisions and increasing penalties. In a 59-page consultation paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Monday, the Security Bureau proposed a series of measures to strengthen protection for minors and mentally incapacitated people from sexual exploitation and...

Hong Kong police have arrested 78 people in a citywide crackdown on online shopping fraud, solving 165 cases involving more than HK$5 million (US$637,565) in losses, including one victim who was cheated out of HK$1.2 million while seeking cheaper medicine. Officers arrested 59 men and 19 women aged between 15 and 73 during the operation code-named “Blacksword”, which ran from June 15 to 26. Of them, 69 were suspected holders of mule accounts used to transfer or process illicit proceeds, with the

Two People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval vessels are set to visit Hong Kong for a five-day port call from July 2, during which residents will be able to board them and take part in cultural exchange activities. China’s Ministry of National Defence said on Monday that a PLA naval task group would visit Hong Kong waters from Thursday to next Monday to mark the 29th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty. The guided-missile destroyer Nanning and the guided-missile frigate Hengyang.

The Hong Kong government watchdog has slammed the Transport Department over systemic deficiencies that allowed “queuing gangs” to abuse public resources, along with digital shortcomings that left overseas and mainland Chinese applicants with a negative impression. An investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman, released on Monday, revealed that a group of seven agents exploited the ticketing system to submit 135 applications for the direct issue of Hong Kong full driving licences in a single...

Inadequate monitoring, lengthy repairs and poor information for hikers are among the “deficiencies” that have undermined public safety and visitors’ experience at Hong Kong’s country parks, according to the city’s ombudsman, which urged relevant authorities to overhaul how they manage and maintain facilities. In a report released on Monday, the Office of the Ombudsman said it made 42 recommendations to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), all of which had been accepted.

Hong Kong has proposed a statutory seven-day cooling-off period and a 14-day refund window for prepaid beauty and fitness contracts as part of efforts to strengthen consumer protection amid persistent complaints about unfair trade practices and high-pressure sales tactics. The measures form part of three major policy recommendations suggested by the government as it launched a two-month public consultation on Monday aimed at addressing enforcement gaps under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance in..

More than 80 per cent of owners at Wang Fuk Court have accepted the Hong Kong government’s offer to buy back their flats at the fire-ravaged estate, a day before the deadline to secure priority flat selection under a special sales plan. The Housing Bureau said on Monday that it had received 1,635 signed letters of acceptance, accounting for about 82.4 per cent of the total flats in the estate’s eight blocks. Of these, 1,429 came from Blocks A to G, accounting for roughly 82.3 per cent of flats..

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] This year’s event drew more than 60,000 visits over two days at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Around 120 shortlisted teams from primary and secondary schools presented inventions that combine AI with other technologies to tackle everyday challenges.   Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Professor Sun Dong described the Hong Kong Science Fair as an annual flagship innovation and technology.

A Hong Kong physiotherapist has been scammed out of HK$5 million (US$637,570) after falling victim to an online investment trap that involved helping a virtual “beautiful assistant” hit sales targets, police have said. The case, revealed by police on Monday via their Facebook page, was among more than 80 reports of online investment scams received in the past week, with total losses exceeding HK$86 million. Details released on police’s CyberDefender page on Monday showed that the local...