Nearly 670 Hongkongers have been granted settlement in the United Kingdom under its bespoke BN(O) visa pathway, although the total number of applicants has fallen short of the British government’s lowest “core” estimate five years after its launch. While tens of thousands of Hongkongers are set to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain, or settled…
After consecutive operating deficits, the operating account has returned to profit. Simultaneously, the consolidated account records a HK$2.9 billion (US$370.6 million) surplus for 2025/26, signalling stability. This turnaround is driven largely by a buoyant stock market and a stabilising property sector, reviving stamp duty revenues and investment income. This provides fiscal space for the government…
After being sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for national security offences on February 9, Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying will decide if he wishes to appeal. He may challenge his convictions and/or sentences and has about two weeks to make up his mind. Given the length of his trial (156 days), the mountain of…
As a long-time observer of Hong Kong affairs – and someone who cares deeply about the city – I have often felt that external debates about Hong Kong have been louder than careful assessments of how the city is actually evolving. Since the implementation of the national security law, discussion of Hong Kong has often…
There are some cracking coffee spots across the UK (Picture: Getty Images) For caffeine drinkers, coffee is serious business, and while you’ll likely take your fix wherever you can get it, you’ll still have your favourite places to grab a flat white or latte. Not all coffee shops are made equally, and as a new…
Hong Kong is stepping up its game as an international arbitration hub while pushing forward to help mainland Chinese companies go global with its professional services, the city’s deputy justice secretary has said. Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan on Tuesday described Hong Kong as an “indispensable bridge” between the rest of the country…
The Chinese embassy in Britain has slammed London’s “malicious” plan to expand an immigration pathway for Hongkongers after the sentencing of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to 20 years in prison, accusing the UK of “manipulating” the issue. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy on Tuesday urged the UK government to stop interfering in…
Hongkongers who were minors at the time of the 1997 handover to China will be eligible to apply for the British National (Overseas) pathway to UK citizenship independently of their parents, with 26,000 arrivals expected under the expanded scheme in the next five years. The move was a response to the 20-year prison sentence handed…
Hong Kong has struck a deal with the Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE) to deepen cross-border connectivity in bullion trading, as the city steps up efforts to build a broader gold ecosystem spanning trading, clearing and storage. The agreement comes as gold prices hit a record high of US$5,110 per ounce on Tuesday morning, buoyed by…
London – Despite fears of Chinese spying and hacking, the British government gave the go-ahead Tuesday for China to build a massive new embassy in the heart of London. The mega-embassy’s designs will see it occupy an entire city block with a view of The Shard, Britain’s tallest building on the banks of the Thames….