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BUSINESSSep 30Singapore beefs up rivalry with Hong Kong by picking 5 firms to boost equity marketSingapore’s central bank has selected five international asset managers to handle S$1.45 billion (US$1.3 billion) in locally focused equity strategies, making its latest effort to revive the city state’s stock market amid sharpening rivalry with regional financial hub Hong Kong. Amundi, Franklin Templeton, HSBC Asset Management, M&G Investments and Natixis Investment Managers were named on Tuesday as part of the third batch of mandates awarded under the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS)...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 30Tai O rope-ferry in Hong Kong ends service after 100 years – SCMP archiveThis article was first published on September 30, 1996. New footbridge ends 100 years of rope-ferry service by Shirley Kwok The century-old rope-ferry between Lantau and Tai O saw its years of service come to an end yesterday (September 29, 1996) with the opening of a new $15 million pedestrian bridge between the islands. Until yesterday, the ferry was the only means of crossing the 15-metre Tai O creek, and passengers had to pay 50 cents for each trip. Director of Territory Development Lee...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 30Hong Kong’s IPO haul in first 9 months smashes record despite Nasdaq’s fundraising leadFunds raised through Hong Kong initial public offerings (IPOs) doubled in the first nine months of 2026, reaching the highest level for the period since records began in 1980. A total of 112 companies raised US$48.4 billion on Hong Kong’s main board during the first nine months, according to data released by LSEG Data & Analytics on Wednesday. A further two companies listed on the city’s Growth Enterprise Market (GEM). By deal count, the combined total of 114 new listings on the main board and...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 30Hong Kong to expand IP financing sandbox after 7 firms secure cheaper loansThe Hong Kong government has pledged to expand its intellectual property (IP) financing sandbox scheme by adding more banks and enterprises, after seven corporate users found that a nine-month trial helped lower their borrowing costs. “This will help refine the IP ecosystem, including valuation practices, professional service costs, supporting measures and market awareness,” Carmen Chu Lap-kiu, executive director of banking supervision at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), said on...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 30Hong Kong urged to boost private housing supply as student demand jumps 45%Hong Kong authorities are facing calls to increase the proportion of private housing in selected districts and work more closely with developers to expand accommodation for non-local students. The government forecasts annual demand for non-local student housing at 2,310 flats over the next decade, 45 per cent higher than last year’s estimate, according to the latest Long-Term Housing Strategy progress report, released on Monday. The Housing Bureau attributed the projection to an average annual...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 30HSBC unveils RedCoin as name of its Hong Kong stablecoin for 3.3 million PayMe usersHSBC on Wednesday named its stablecoin offering HSBC RedCoin, paving the way for Hong Kong’s biggest lender to make the coin available to the more than 3.3 million users of its PayMe app for money transfers, shopping and dining. When launched before the end of the year, the stablecoin would be offered only through PayMe and HSBC’s Hong Kong mobile banking app, HSBC said. The bank said it was optimistic about retail usage of HSBC RedCoin, as 74 per cent of respondents to a survey of more than...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 30Boom News founder Tang Ho-wing arrested by Hong Kong national security policeSouth China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 30Raising Hong Kong’s birth rate is an economic imperativeHong Kong’s first five-year plan and latest policy address have put demographic sustainability on the public agenda. Among the measures announced are an extension of the newborn bonus scheme and increased financial support for the second and subsequent children. These are welcome steps. But the fertility debate should not be reduced to whether a bonus is large enough to change family decisions. The bigger challenge is whether Hong Kong can remain dynamic and competitive while its younger...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 30Cheap and illegal: mainlanders post social media adverts for services in Hong KongHong Kong’s crackdown on visitors abusing visas to illegally offer tour guide, photography and other services has failed to deter adverts for such unlicensed work on mainland Chinese social media ahead of the National Day “golden week” break, the South China Morning Post has found. A search of RedNote by the SCMP turned up accounts listing themselves as Shenzhen-based photographers offering their services in Hong Kong. Many of them also asked clients to reimburse their travel expenses between...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 30Hong Kong’s executives are ‘ill prepared’ for AI era, report findsExecutives at Hong Kong’s largest listed companies have a severe lack of technological expertise, with fewer than 1 per cent of directors possessing dedicated artificial intelligence or cybersecurity skills, according to a new report by Grant Thornton Hong Kong. The firm’s 15th annual Corporate Governance Review – which surveyed 100 major listed firms on Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Composite Index – found that 59 per cent of companies view cybersecurity or AI as principal business risks. Yet only 11...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 295 universities in Hong Kong rank in top 100 in ‘historic’ shift from West to EastFive public universities in Hong Kong have ranked in the top 100 of a renowned British publication’s latest global league table, as part of a trend described as a “historic realignment” of academic prowess from West to East. The University of Hong Kong remained the city’s highest-ranked tertiary institution, holding onto 33rd place from the previous year, in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, released on Wednesday. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) ranked 42nd,...South China Morning Post
CYBERSep 29Hong Kong police receive 1,503 reports of suspicious iPhone charges worth HK$30mHong Kong police have received more than 1,500 reports of suspicious credit card transactions involving Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro series, totalling more than HK$30 million (US$3.82 million). In an update on the case, which has drawn public attention, the force said the number of reports had risen to 1,503 as of Tuesday, from about 1,200 two weeks earlier. It added that all the transactions had been cancelled. Speaking at a Kowloon City district council meeting, Commissioner of Police Joe Chow...South China Morning Post
CYBERSep 29Retired Hong Kong woman loses HK$2.9 million in online romance, fake app scamA retired woman in Hong Kong lost nearly HK$2.9 million (US$369,670) in a romance scam after a fraudster posing as a power company employee won her trust and lured her into a bogus investment scheme. Police said the case was among at least 18 online romance scams reported in the past week, with total losses nearing HK$7.8 million, according to the force’s CyberDefender social media page. The 71-year-old retiree met a man on Facebook who claimed to work for a power company. The pair gradually...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 29Hong Kong firms lag mainland China on AI adoption amid legacy-system burden: AccentureHong Kong businesses are lagging behind their mainland Chinese peers in adopting artificial intelligence, as entrenched legacy systems and a risk-averse corporate mindset slow the city’s digital transition, according to a senior executive at consultancy Accenture. Only 10 per cent of Hong Kong firms surveyed by Accenture had integrated generative AI across multiple business functions, compared with about 21 per cent of mainland enterprises, said Robert Hah, Hong Kong office lead at Accenture...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Hong Kong turns Halloween into month-long event with street parties, free ridesA new month-long campaign to transform Hong Kong into Asia’s premier Halloween destination will feature street parties across five neighbourhoods along with free rides on decorated buses and trams. The Tourism Board’s inaugural “Hong Kong Halloween Month” will bring street celebrations to Central, Kai Tak, Lan Kwai Fong, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui East on three consecutive Saturdays from October 17, culminating on Halloween night. The events will run alongside promotional events at Disneyland...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Hong Kong man returns to city after 26 years in Philippine prison for drug offencesA Hong Kong man imprisoned in the Philippines for 26 years while fighting against convictions for drug possession has been released and returned home on Tuesday evening. Tang Lung-wai, 55, was seen hugging with his elder brother, Billy Tang Lung-piu, as he arrived from Manila at the Hong Kong International Airport. Asked how he felt after arriving in his home city, he said: “After spending 26 years in hell, I am unflappable.” Tang Lung-wai was arrested in Manila in July 2000 for possession of...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Hong Kong man jailed 3 years for hammer attack on associate who later diedHong Kong’s High Court has sentenced a man with a triad background to three years and two months in prison after he attacked an associate with a hammer, leaving the victim bleeding on the street before he died of an overdose hours later. The court heard on Tuesday that Mo Tai-fung, 42, was initially charged with murdering the 33-year-old, having struck him on the head 11 times at about 2am on July 28, 2024, outside a building on Pilkem Street in Yau Ma Tei. Prosecutors amended the charge at an...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 290.5% of nurses trained outside Hong Kong, authorities say amid hiring rowLess than 0.5 per cent of registered Hong Kong nurses received their training outside the city, while 99.8 per cent of those working in public hospitals are locally trained, health authorities have said amid a growing row with a trade union over employment concerns. The latest figures were released on Tuesday after the city’s health minister repeatedly rejected claims that authorities had favoured mainland Chinese nurses over local candidates. On Saturday, the Association of Hong Kong Nursing...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 29Hong Kong’s IPO revival faces test as three new stocks stumble on debutHong Kong welcomed four companies to start trading on Tuesday after they raised a combined HK$14.4 billion (US$1.83 billion) – but three opened below their offer prices, adding pressure to an already sluggish month for initial public offerings (IPOs). Automated equipment manufacturer RoboTechnik Intelligent Technology was the largest company to make its debut, having raised HK$5.18 billion, but its shares traded nearly 10 per cent below the offer price in morning trading. Shenzhen Kinwong...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 29‘Safeguard the truth and strengthen global reach,’ John Lee urges Hong Kong mediaHong Kong’s media should eliminate falsehoods and expand their global reach, the chief executive has said, urging news workers to serve as “spokespeople” for good stories about mainland China and Hong Kong. Speaking on Tuesday at an event marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, city leader John Lee Ka-chiu outlined his two expectations for the industry. He first directed media workers to safeguard the truth, dispel falsehoods and exalt the good, invoking a...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Man who allegedly hid 3 pinhole cameras in Hong Kong gym changing rooms out on bailA Hong Kong man who allegedly installed pinhole cameras in the changing rooms of a popular gym chain has been released on bail pending the identification of victims. Construction site foreman Fung Kwok-wang, 34, was not required to answer a count of voyeurism in his first appearance at Sha Tin Court on Tuesday, as prosecutors sought an eight-week adjournment for further police inquiries. Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong granted the defendant HK$2,000 (US$255) bail on condition that he...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 295 things to do over the National Day ‘golden week’ holiday in Hong KongHong Kong is set to welcome 1.29 million mainland Chinese visitors over the National Day “golden week” break, fuelling questions online about what locals and tourists can do during the celebrations. On popular mainland social media platform RedNote, many users have recommended a range of activities, such as visiting the countryside, exploring the Unesco Global Geopark in Sai Kung, cycling and watching fireworks. To help tourists and locals alike, the South China Morning Post shares some of the...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 29Hong Kong mustn’t miss the boat on the Pinglu Canal and Asean tradeThe official opening of the Pinglu Canal on September 16 is a milestone in modern Chinese history. More than an infrastructural feat, it signals a strategic recalibration of how China’s inland economies connect with the sea and Southeast Asia, and augurs the next phase of regional growth. Designed for vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes, the 134.2km (83.4 mile) waterway stretches from the Xijin reservoir in Hengzhou, an emerging city in Guangxi, to the Gulf of Tonkin (known as the Beibu Gulf in...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Can Hong Kong protect its eco-sensitive sites amid ‘golden week’ overtourism fears?Hong Kong is bracing for a surge of mainland Chinese visitors to its eco-sensitive areas during the National Day “golden week” holiday, as strong interest in countryside attractions raises questions over whether the city can absorb crowds without overwhelming popular sites. A review of discussions on Chinese social media platform RedNote on Monday by the South China Morning Post found Po Pin Chau, famed for its dramatic volcanic rock columns, among the most talked-about sightseeing spots,...South China Morning Post