Hong Kong

China activates flood-control emergency as Typhoon Noul set to hit coast

China on Saturday activated its flood-control emergency response in several regions as Typhoon Noul is expected to bring heavy rainfall while more than 400 flights were cancelled in Hong Kong. The regions are Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi, covering large parts of eastern, central and southern China. Met officials in Hong Kong initiated emergency measures as Typhoon Noul approached. More than 410 flights and 150 high-speed train services were cancelled while the Home Affairs Department had opened 28 shelters in anticipation of the approaching storm, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. In Beijing, China's Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level-IV response as rivers at higher flood risk in these regions include some of the country's major waterways, such as the Pearl, Yangtze and Huaihe, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. To brace for potential flooding, the ministry has urged local water conservancy authorities to closely .

Hong Kong traders cling to lunch break as exchange seeks to scrap it

A preliminary proposal by the city's exchange to scrap the midday break and extend trading hours has drawn criticism, particularly from local firms

US partially restores Hong Kong's special status, drawing praise from China

Washington ended a five-year-old national emergency linked to Hong Kong, partially restoring the city's special legal status while leaving key sanctions under existing legislation unchanged

Gems hidden in shoes as Vietnam details $57 mn Indian-led smuggling ring

Vietnamese police say an Indian national allegedly led a network that smuggled more than 30,000 diamonds worth over $57 million into the country by concealing them in luggage, shoes and clothing

Shein wins Chinese regulatory approval to proceed with Hong Kong IPO

Shein has secured approval from China's securities regulator for its planned Hong Kong IPO after earlier listing attempts in the US and London failed

India, China among markets where top firms lose market cap share in AI lag

India, China and Hong Kong are the only major markets where the largest companies account for a smaller share of overall market capitalisation than a year ago

Chinese, Hong Kong investors banned from SpaceX IPO on security grounds

SpaceX IPO underwriters bar Hong Kong and China investors, citing US export-control rules and national security concerns over sensitive technologies

Hong Kong overtakes Switzerland as world's largest offshore wealth hub

The shift comes as global private fortunes expand at their fastest clip since 2021, defying tariffs and macroeconomic instability to reach a total of $333 trillion

Standard Chartered CEO reassures staff after 'lower-value human' backlash

Bill Winters' remarks on using artificial intelligence to replace 'lower-value human capital' triggered a sharp backlash on social media

Trump-Xi talks may determine jailed Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai's fate

Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai once hoped US President Donald Trump could help stop the imposition of a controversial national security law. The law not only took effect but was also used to sentence him to 20 years in prison. Ahead of an anticipated trip by Trump to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, Lai's son said his family is now hoping that Trump can help secure his father's release. Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing, founded a pro-democracy newspaper that was shut down during a crackdown following the city's massive anti-government protests in 2019. Observers say the former media mogul's plight symbolises a decline in freedoms Beijing promised when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sebastien Lai said he fears the clock is ticking for his 78-year-old father. Trump is expected to discuss trade, the Iran war and Taiwan with Xi. But he said he is also planning to bring up Lai, telling ..

Visiting Hong Kong? Refusing to share passwords with cops may cost ₹12 lakh

New national security rules allow Hong Kong police to access devices without court approval, with refusal carrying jail terms and fines

Probe of Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades starts evidence hearings

An independent committee investigating the cause of Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades on Thursday heard that a series of failures contributed to the blaze's burning seven buildings and killing 168 people as it opened its first hearing on the evidence. Former residents and relatives of the dead have been waiting for answers since November 2025, when the fire shattered the close-knit community of Wang Fuk Court, which housed thousands of people in the suburban district of Tai Po. In his opening remarks, the committee's lead lawyer Victor Dawes said the fire is suspected to have started at a platform in a light well outside two low-level units, noting that cigarette butts were found there and on scaffolding. Dawes said the evidence showed that multiple factors came together to produce the disaster, ranging from fire alarms and hose systems being shut off to the use of non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting and covering windows with foam boards. "On the day of the fire, nearly all

Hong Kong ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai not to appeal security conviction

Hong Kong pro-democracy ex-publisher Jimmy Lai will not appeal the national security conviction for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison last month, his legal team said Friday. Lai, an outspoken critic of China's ruling Communist Party who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily, was found guilty in December of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiring with others to publish seditious articles. His legal team told The Associated Press via a text message about the decision, which ends a yearslong legal battle. The lawyers would not comment on the reason for not appealing. Observers say his conviction reflected the decline of press and other freedoms that has changed Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China's control in 1997. The government insists the case has nothing to do with a free press, saying the defendants used news reporting as a pretext for years to commit acts that harmed China and Hong Kong. Lai was one of the first prominent figures t

Hong Kong court quashes fraud conviction of ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai

A Hong Kong appellate court on Thursday quashed fraud convictions against onetime media magnate Jimmy Lai, a rare victory in the prominent activist's legal battles. Lai, 78, an outspoken critic of China's ruling Communist Party who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily, will stay in prison because he was sentenced to 20 years weeks ago after being convicted in another case brought under a China-imposed national security law. That came more than five years after he was arrested under the law, which was used in a yearslong crackdown on many of Hong Kong's leading activists. His plight has evoked grief over the city's loss of press freedom and sparked an international outcry, though the city's authorities insist his case had nothing to do with media independence. The conviction that was overturned Thursday was from a earlier fraud case in which prosecutors alleged that a consultancy firm controlled by Lai had used office space that his media business rented for publication and printing

Meet Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong's media mogul sentenced to 20 years in prison

The 78-year-old was found guilty of colluding with foreign forces and also upheld a separate sedition case

Hong Kong court jails media tycoon Jimmy Lai for 20 yrs under security law

A Hong Kong court sentenced media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in jail for 'colluding' with foreign forces and sedition, in the most high-profile case under national security law

HCLTech to streamline aviation maintenance operations for Hong Kong's HAESL

Hong Kong Aero Engine Services Ltd (HAESL) has chosen Indian IT firm HCLTech to modernise its maintenance, repair and overhaul operations. The partnership aims to streamline HAESL's Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) processes to boost efficiency and scalability, provide real-time data visibility for quicker decision-making, improve resource utilisation and ensure compliance with global standards. HCLTech will deploy its asset management solution, iMRO/4, as HAESL's Maintenance Execution System (MES) in Hong Kong, HCLTech said in a statement. "By integrating iMRO/4 with SAP S/4HANA, we will enhance end -to- end traceability and provide a single view of the workflow from induction to release. This reduces barriers and improves execution efficiency. "Partnering with HCLTech marks a significant step in our transformation, creating a scalable digital foundation that supports operational excellence and long -term growth ," said Ravinder Bedi, General Manager of Finance & ...

National security trial opens for Hong Kong's Tiananmen vigil organisers

A trial against two pro-democracy activists behind a group that for decades organized a vigil that commemorated people killed in Beijing's Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989 opened Thursday, in another landmark case brought under a China-imposed national security law that has practically crushed protests in the semiautonomous Chinese city. Critics say their case shows that Beijing's promise to keep the city's Western-style civil liberties intact for 50 years when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 has weakened over time. But the city's government said its law enforcement actions were evidence-based and strictly in accordance with the law. Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were charged with incitement to subversion in September 2021 under the law. They are accused of inciting others to organize, plan or act through unlawful means with a view to subvert state power, .

Kung Fu Hustle star Bruce Leung Siu-lung dies at 77, Jackie Chan mourns

Hong Kong film legend Bruce Leung Siu-lung passed away on Jan 14, 2026, at the age of 77. Leung's death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from industry icons, including Jackie Chan and others

Hong Kong rings in 2026 without fireworks after deadliest blaze in decades

Fireworks are typically a celebratory centrepiece of Hong Kong's New Year celebrations. Not this year. The territory will ring in 2026 without spectacular and colourful explosions in the sky over its iconic Victoria Harbor after a massive fire in November that killed at least 161 people. The city's tourism board will instead host a music show Wednesday night featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other singers in Central, a business district that also is home to the famous nightlife hub Lan Kwai Fong. The facades of eight landmarks will turn into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight. Fireworks have long been part of the city's celebrations for the New Year, Lunar New Year and National Day. The pyrotechnic displays against Hong Kong's world-famous skyline of skyscrapers typically draw hundreds of thousands of people including many tourists to both sides of the promenade. Rosanna Law, the territory's secretary for culture, sports and tourism, ...