#hong-kong

#hong-kong

HONG KONG The father of a U.S.-based activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities was convicted of attempting to deal with an absconder's financial assets on Wednesday, in the first court case of its kind brought under a homegrown national security law. Kwok Yin-sang's daughter Anna is the executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council. Authorities in 2023 offered 1 million Hong Kong dollars (about $127,900) for information leading to her arrest.

Chief executive Eddie Yue introduced them in late 2024 in a letter [PDF] that stated they're needed due to "the surge in fraud and scam cases in recent years with customer losses typically involving payments from customers' bank accounts." Yue observed that scammers sometimes establish internet banking accounts without customers' permission. The Monetary Authority therefore required all local banks to establish Money Safe accounts that allow customers to set aside funds which they can only access by visiting a brick-and-mortar bank.

The Chinese Communist party's practice is to try and destroy history and truth, the 46-year-old director says from his home in the region. It's ridiculous that I can still live in Hong Kong without being in jail. In a society where someone can be jailed for wearing a seditious T-shirt, his surprise is understandable. Chow is best known for co-directing the 2015 dystopian anthology film Ten Years, which imagined a future Hong Kong under the increasing influence of the CCP.

But so many of us travel for the distinct pleasure of eating: to visit hallowed dining rooms led by innovative chefs; to plop onto stools at markets for cheap, inimitable thrills; to forage, or harvest, or watch others wrest precious goods from the earth and turn them into beautiful dishes we can close our eyes and savour. For these travellers, we offer our list of the Best Places to Eat in 2026.

Hong Kong saw a near-record low turnout in Sunday's patriots only Legislative Council elections, with fewer than 32% of voters turning out, as the number of registered voters fell for the fourth consecutive year. At 31.9%, Sunday's turnout is marginally higher than 2021's record low of 30.2%. But fewer people overall voted this year: 1.3 million compared to 1.4 million in 2021. Hong Kong's population is about 7.5 million.

The death toll in Hong Kong's apartment complex fire has risen to 159 as officials ordered all scaffolding mesh in the city to be removed by Saturday. The blaze that last week engulfed Wang Fuk Court in the city's northern Tai Po district has become the world's deadliest residential building fire since 1980. Police said the number of dead may still be revised as officers had found suspected human bones that required forensic testing.

Tensions are running high in Hong Kong over last week's massive apartment fire in the city's Tai Po district. The blaze killed at least 156 people, with the death toll expected to grow as authorities continue to comb through the burned-out buildings. The fireat the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex broke out as buildings were being renovated. It eventually spread to seven out of eight apartment towers in the complex.

Analysis from GlobalData is forecasting that fixed wireless access (FWA) service revenue in Hong Kong is expected to increase at a "healthy" compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6% between 2025 and 2030. The latest Hong Kong Total Fixed Communications Forecast set out to quantify current and future demand and spending on mobile services for the special administrative region of China.

Nathan Law, a former Hong Kong politician who arrived in the UK in 2020 and has a bounty on his head, said that the government should reflect on its moral obligations when enacting its increase of the standard qualifying period for permanent residence to a decade. He said the proposed change in asylum laws was creating fresh anxiety and uncertainty for Hongkongers forced to flee their homes.

Colonial architecture sits alongside cutting-edge design, traditional markets share blocks with high-end boutiques, and quiet temples carve out a peaceful space among the urban chaos. The city's hotel scene has all the big names you'd expect - the Peninsula, Shangri-La and Mondrian all take up space throughout the smartest neighbourhoods - but for a truly authentic experience, look to the city's Airbnb offering.

Convenience store chain Circle K said a "network disruption" has paralyzed its Hong Kong operations for several days, forcing nearly 400 outlets across the city to suspend most electronic payment and loyalty services.

A lake burst caused by Super Typhoon Ragasa killed at least 14 people and left 124 others missing in eastern Taiwan, officials said on Wednesday. Taiwan has been hit hard by Ragasa, one of the strongest storms in years, which has already caused deaths in the Philippines and is now lashing Hong Kong. The lake in Hualien County overflowed on Tuesday and sent torrents of mud and water through Guangfu township, inundating villages and sweeping away a major bridge.

One of the greatestcompliments I've received about my personal style came last summer at an Hermès fragrance party in Manhattan. A woman admired my soft-shouldered, moss-green linen suit trimmed with blond horn buttons-and asked where I had bought it. This suit, a workhorse by day and show pony at night, was custom-made for me for $1,200 while I was living in Hong Kong, one of the last places on earth where a man can still acquire a quality wardrobe without risking personal bankruptcy.

Two public hospital doctors have been granted bail after being arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of leaking a cancer patient's medical data to highlight alleged professional shortcomings by her operating surgeon. Observers, meanwhile, said that although the incident did not align with the principles of "whistle-blowing", it underscored the need for a stronger "speak-up" culture within the Hospital Authority. The 35-year-old associate consultant and the 57-year-old consultant from Tseung Kwan O Hospital were released on bail on Tuesday and are required to report to police in late September.

The momentum continues after Bitcoin Asia 2025 saw over 20,000 sold passes, building on the success of Bitcoin Asia 2024, which featured some of the industry's most influential voices. This year edition lineups have included notable speakers such as Eric Trump, CZ, Belaji Srinivasan, Adam Back, Bilal Bin Saquib and Dr. Xiao Feng, underscoring the event's reputation as a stage where global leaders, innovators, and policymakers come together to shape the future of Bitcoin.

China has been expanding use of digital currencies as it promotes wider use of its yuan, or renminbi, to reflect its status as the world's second-largest economy and challenge the overwhelming sway of the U.S. dollar in international trade and finance. However, restrictions on access to Chinese financial markets and limits on convertibility of the yuan, or "people's money," are big obstacles blocking its global use.

Hui announced on Facebook that he and his family have been granted protection visas. He expresses gratitude to the Government of Australia for recognizing their need for asylum.

The past week has seen four incidences of black rain in Hong Kong, with increased rainfall and intensity noted in weather patterns, prompting questions about climate change.