TOKYO (AP) — Business sentiment among major Japanese manufacturers has improved for a fifth straight quarter, the Bank of Japan said in its quarterly “tankan” survey released Wednesday. The survey’s so-called diffusion index rose to 22 from 17 in the previous quarter, the BOJ said. The index for large non-manufacturers, such as services, edged up…
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong is marking the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty this Wednesday, with businesses and authorities rolling out a range of promotions for the big day. A flag-raising ceremony at Wan…
As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. Hong Kong and mainland China are expected to begin sharing cross-border data within the year, when more…
By Jana Choukeir BEIRUT, June 30 (Reuters) – Some 400,000 Lebanese uprooted by war have returned to southern Lebanon, with more expected to follow in the coming week, a government minister said on Tuesday, encouraged by a lull in the four-month-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Yet many remain unable to go back. Since March,…
Asean countries are looking to deepen supply chain integration with the Greater Bay Area to tap expertise in the region’s advanced technologies and manufacturing, with Hong Kong also poised to benefit, industry leaders and officials have said. Panellists at the South China Morning Post’s GBA-Asean Summit 2026 highlighted artificial intelligence (AI) and green technology as…
Mainland Chinese immigration authorities are standardising their assessment regime for approving residents to settle in Hong Kong and Macau by replacing the previous points-based system with unified criteria, offering applicants more certainty. The National Immigration Administration announced the new criteria on Tuesday and said it would take effect the following day. The current system calculates…
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Kellett, the British International School in Hong Kong, turns 50 this year and they have much to celebrate. Half a century from their humble beginnings as two primary classes in Wan Chai, they are now a through school across three campuses, with over…
A former senior Hong Kong prosecutor has lost a judicial challenge against his dismissal over remarks made in two emails questioning the integrity of police and inviting colleagues to attend a June 4 Tiananmen Square vigil. In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, the High Court ruled that the civil service had sufficient basis to sack…
WhatsApp, one of Hong Kong’s most popular messaging apps, will soon no longer require users to share their phone numbers before they start texting. Starting this week, users can reserve a unique username, which allows them to text without swapping numbers, for use later this year when the Meta-owned service launches the feature. Users will…
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…