Hikers should not underestimate the risks of climbing in Japan during the volatile spring transition in May, a mountaineering expert has warned after two Hong Kong men became stranded in the Northern Alps, one of whom later died. Veteran mountaineer Chung Kin-man said on Wednesday that climbers might develop a false sense of safety due…
A Hong Kong police chief superintendent turned public relations adviser will lead the government’s Information Services Department, becoming the first non-administrative officer to take up the post. John Tse Chun-chung, who has served as the government’s information coordinator since 2024, is expected to take up the post on a three-year contract on Tuesday. Tse, 49,…
HSBC, Hong Kong’s largest lender, reported broadly flat first-quarter profit as lower interest rates and provisions linked to the Middle East conflict offset solid growth in its wealth management business. Net profit for the first three months of 2026 rose 0.14 per cent year on year to US$6.94 billion, or 41 US cents per share,…
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 bracing for a sharp change in weather as a cold front and upper-air disturbances are set to bring heavy showers on Wednesday, followed by a sharp drop in temperature to as…
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong will face squally thunderstorms and a nine-degree plunge in temperature later this week as a cold front sweeps across the South China coast, with the mercury expected to dip to 21 degrees…
A Hong Kong barrister faces additional charges after a second person accused him of indecent assault, joining a former pupil who levelled similar accusations over events that took place nine years ago. Prosecutors on Tuesday told Eastern Court that a second victim had come forward to file a complaint against Simon So Shun-yan, who was…
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 set for a hot and damp week ahead, with the city’s forecaster predicting relative humidity to reach as high as 95 per cent from Wednesday as seasonal coastal mist moves in….
A suspected wartime mortar round has been safely detonated by bomb disposal officers at a Hong Kong construction site, with no evacuations needed. A source familiar with the matter confirmed to the South China Morning Post that the suspicious object workers discovered at 9.32am on Tuesday at a construction site at Kwu Tung North Multi-Welfare…
Hong Kong authorities will set up a collaborative mechanism with the legislature to craft the city’s first five-year plan to align with national development, according to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who says the blueprint will be released by the end of this year. Lee also stressed on Tuesday that the new platform would reflect…
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong faces a damp week ahead as humidity is expected to peak at 95 per cent with the arrival of a seasonal coastal mist from Wednesday, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The…