Hong Kong family offices jump 25% as the wealthy shift focus from US: Deloitte Hong Kong housed nearly 3,400 single-family offices by the end of last year, a 25 per cent rise in two years, as the affluent refocused on the city amid US-centred trade tensions and the rise of China’s tech sector, according to a report by Deloitte on Tuesday. The global auditing firm made the estimates after surveying 136 market participants across Hong Kong’s family office sector, including 85 single-family offices, whose wealth originated across all major regions, and 36 multi-family offices...

South China Morning Post

Hong Kong adds 681 family offices as wealthy shift focus from US: Deloitte

The auditing firm’s survey shows a 25 per cent increase in the city’s single-family offices over two years, with the affluent wary of US volati...

Hong Kong’s national security work ‘an ongoing process’, Beijing says in white paper Beijing has issued a white paper on Hong Kong’s role in safeguarding national security under the “one country, two systems” principle, stressing that the city’s struggles on this front “have never stopped” and will remain an “ongoing process”. The State Council issued the white paper on Tuesday, a day after a Hong Kong court sentenced former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to 20 years in prison for offences under the national security law, which authorities described as a severe...

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Struggle for national security an ‘enduring task’ for Hong Kong, Beijing says

John Lee says white paper issued by State Council serves as a stern warning to ‘traitors who betrayed the country and Hong Kong’.

China accused of secret nuclear tests, Eileen Gu’s big comeback: 5 weekend reads you missed We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US accuses China of secret nuclear testing after offering Beijing arms treaty 2. As Beijing and Moscow tout ties, China’s companies keep Ukraine’s lights on 3. Call for tougher animal welfare laws after invasive turtle found in Hong Kong 4. Mum urges China star Eileen Gu to ‘wake up’, sparks...

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China accused of secret nuclear tests, Eileen Gu’s wake up call: 5 weekend reads

From China’s companies keeping Ukraine’s lights on to pushing endurance limits, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Woman, 65, with trolley fatally hit by goods truck in Hong Kong A 65-year-old woman has died after being hit by a truck in Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong district. Police received a report at 5.55am on Monday that a medium goods vehicle was travelling along Kwun Tong Road towards Lam Tin when it struck a woman pushing a trolley stacked with cardboard near the Tsui Ping Road junction. The force of the collision caused the 65-year-old woman to hurtle through the air before she landed on the ground, unconscious. The scene was marked by a pool of blood, cardboard debris...

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Hong Kong police arrest truck driver over fatal collision

Police say victim, 65, was pushing trolley loaded with cardboard when she was struck by vehicle on Kwun Tong Road.

How the US can actually benefit from China’s ‘overcapacity’ Western media and policymakers enjoy wagging their fingers at China’s industrial “overcapacity”, which in reality is simply the ability to produce solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles, steel and other goods more cheaply and efficiently than others can. Yes, some industries are subsidised, but they also benefit immensely from rapid growth in technical know-how and economies of scale. China hasn’t really built too much; it’s just built too efficiently for the comfort of its competitors. The...

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Opinion | Why the US really fears Chinese ‘overcapacity’

China doesn’t have a problem with ‘overcapacity’; rather, the United States lacks an economic strategy that can generate abundance.

Mandelson Epstein scandal: demands grow for ex-envoy to repay US$75,000 severance The former British ambassador to the United States and former government minister Peter Mandelson is facing demands to hand back the payoff he received after being sacked as US envoy. The senior Labour Party figure was sacked over his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, but anger in Westminster has intensified after the latest release of documents which indicated he leaked information to his friend while he was a government minister. Allies of Prime Minister Keir Starmer said...

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UK’s Mandelson faces demands to repay US$75,000 severance after Epstein link

Government allies urge ex-ambassador to return controversial UK taxpayer-funded buyout as probe into his Epstein connections deepens.

What is Hong Kong’s headquarters economy – and how it drives a commercial property upswing Hong Kong’s so-called headquarters economy, in which the city serves as a regional and global base for corporate headquarters, is spurring recovery in the commercial real estate sector as analysts forecast an improved investment environment this year. The city’s battered office market showed signs of stability in 2025, with 2.1 million sq ft (195,000 square metres) of net absorption for the full year, the largest annual total since 2018, according to CBRE. Central recorded the biggest...

South China Morning Post

How Hong Kong’s headquarters economy fuels rebound in commercial property

The headquarters economy is powering office and retail recovery, with rising demand, stabilising rents and renewed investor confidence.

Hong Kong ‘will deepen technology, industry links under nation’s blueprint’ Hong Kong will promote the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation through opportunities brought by the nation’s blueprint to drive economic growth, the finance chief has pledged, two weeks ahead of the annual budget. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday also said that Hong Kong must better utilise its strengths as an international financial centre to empower and speed up industrial development as the city enters the first year of the national 15th five-year...

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Hong Kong ‘will deepen technology, industry links under nation’s blueprint’

Finance chief Paul Chan says Hong Kong must make better use of strengths as global financial hub to speed up industrial development.

Woman ejected from Malaysia biker event over ‘too revealing’ dress A woman was told to leave after turning up in a skirt and a low-cut top at the RXZ Forever Legend motorcycling gathering in Kota Baru, Malaysia’s Kelantan state. At the same time, another 30 women were given headscarves to wear after they were found not to be properly covered under the organiser’s dress code guidelines, Sinar Harian reported. RXZ Forever Legend programme director Muhamad Huzaifah Abdul Halim said personnel had been stationed at the entrance to monitor visitors. “The woman that...

South China Morning Post

Woman ejected from Malaysia biker event over ‘too revealing’ dress

Some 30 women were also given headscarves at the RXZ Forever Legend motorcycling rally in Kelantan.

Warm temperatures expected over Lunar New Year holiday in Hong Kong This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hongkongers can expect a warm Lunar New Year with maximum temperatures climbing to 23 degrees Celsius when the three-day holiday begins on February 17. According to the Hong Kong Observatory’s nine-day weather forecast, the temperature on the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday will range between 19 and 23 degrees, with mostly cloudy skies and sunny...

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Warm temperatures expected over Lunar New Year holiday in Hong Kong

Observatory says residents can expect temperatures to rise to 23 degrees when holiday begins on February 17.

Indonesia’s 68,000-year-old handprint: the birth of human art? The faint outline of a hand in a cave in Indonesia’s Sulawesi has been recognised as the world’s oldest known rock art, shattering a long-held scientific theory that human artistic expression first flourished in Ice Age Europe. Dating back at least 67,800 years, the faded stencil was found hiding beneath a more recent chicken sketch in Metanduno cave on Muna Island. Researchers say the finding, which was published in the scientific journal Nature on January 21, proves that ancient humans in...

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Indonesia’s 68,000-year-old handprint: the birth of human art?

Found hiding beneath a chicken sketch, the faded outline proves ancient humans were capable of reflecting on their existence, scientists say.

China executed a series of Myanmese crime bosses. What does it say about its regional influence? In less than a week, China conducted a series of executions on a scale rarely seen in recent decades. In all, 16 core members of mafia-like crime syndicates were put to death for a range of crimes, from murder to fraud and human trafficking. While all of the victims in the cases were Chinese nationals, many of the condemned were citizens of Myanmar, a largely Buddhist country not known for executing crime bosses. Yet, China was able to convince authorities in Myanmar to hand over...

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China executed a series of Myanmese kingpins. What does it say about its sway?

The condemned headed family syndicates that trapped Chinese abroad in massive scam centres.

China’s Year of the Horse shoppers let emotional satisfaction take the reins As the Year of the Horse approaches, Chinese consumers are hunting online for mascots, dolls and charms themed after the zodiac animal – a pursuit industry observers say favours soft, round and playful designs over formal styles and places more weight on emotional fulfilment than material possessions or brand prestige. This craze is boosting retail sales for plush toys and gold accessories, as is evident in toymaker Pop Mart’s sold-out Have a Good Run series of plush pendants, as well as brisk...

South China Morning Post

China’s Year of the Horse shoppers let emotional satisfaction take the reins

Brand prestige fades in importance as consumers favour festival-themed toys, playful designs and pet items.

Thailand votes as reformists challenge conservatives amid political turmoil Thais began voting on Sunday in an election pitting the reformist People’s Party against the conservative Bhumjaithai Party, with expectations of a tight race among a divided public craving an end to the country’s long economic drift and political instability. Around 53 million Thais are eligible to vote for 500 lower house lawmakers, 400 directly from their constituencies and the remaining 100 decided on a proportional basis from the number of votes each party gets. Barring a shock landslide...

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Conservatives storm to victory in Thailand’s election

The Bhumjaithai Party is forecast to win nearly 200 seats as People’s Party concedes election.

Hong Kong’s budget should move the city towards ‘inspirational’ development At this time of year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s top priority is finalising the Hong Kong government’s budget for 2026-27, balancing requests for incentives and welfare against calls for a return to fiscal prudence. For decades, budget speeches have followed a familiar structure: a review of past performance, near- and medium-term forecasts, support measures for industries and social services, a report on the government’s fiscal position and financial estimates for the coming year....

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Opinion | Hong Kong’s budget should move the city towards ‘inspirational’ development

The 2026-27 budget speech should explain how the city’s economic direction aligns with global and national trends, defining its place in the indu...

Sanae Takaichi poised for big win as snow-hit Japan votes Japanese voters ‌began casting ballots on Sunday in an election expected to hand Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a resounding win, although record snowfall in parts of ‍the country could keep many voters at home. The conservative coalition of Takaichi, the nation’s first female leader, could win more than 300 of the 465 seats in the lower house of parliament, according to multiple opinion polls, a large gain from the 233 it is defending. If the coalition of Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party with...

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Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ Takaichi sweeps election with historic win

Sanae Takaichi’s coalition secures 352 seats in parliament’s lower house, handing the prime minister a supermajority.

CK Hutchison set for hard fight to secure Panama port deal compensation: experts Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison could find it hard to secure compensation from Panamanian authorities over their decision to nullify its port operation, legal experts have said, noting that the arbitral tribunal it engaged lacks enforcement power and the issuance of damages may depend on the country’s own courts. The conglomerate, led by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing’s family, said on Wednesday that its subsidiary, the Panama Ports Company (PPC), commenced arbitration against Panamanian authorities a...

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CK Hutchison set for hard fight to secure Panama port deal compensation: experts

Subsidiary has requested arbitration after Panamanian authorities voided concession contract but securing damages may be difficult, they warn.

Southeast Asian refugees cast out of Trump’s US face exile in unknown lands The tattoo on his arm reads “buc Lao” (Laos boy) but Kham Paneboun is not a Laotian citizen. In fact, he’s not really from anywhere. In February last year, US Homeland Security detained him for a felony committed as a teenager, revoked his work permit and – after decades of legal residence – deported him to Laos, a country he had never set foot in. Kham, 43, was torn from his wife and four children, aged three to 12, who remain in Texas – a family now paying for a “bad mistake” he made in his...

South China Morning Post

‘Deported but not defeated’: the Southeast Asians cast out of Trump’s US

Born in a Thai refugee camp and raised in Texas, Kham Paneboun is now stateless in Laos, one of thousands punished again for old crimes.

Washington Post CEO steps down amid outcry over massive job cuts Washington Post publisher and CEO Will Lewis said on Saturday that he was stepping down, three days after the troubled newspaper said that it was laying off a third of its staff. Lewis sent an email to staff at The Washington Post’s staff saying that “difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post”. Lewis and the newspaper’s billionaire owner Jeff Bezos did not take part in a meeting with staff announcing the lay-offs this week. The paper’s chief...

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Washington Post CEO steps down amid outcry over massive job cuts

Will Lewis was replaced by Jeff D’Onofrio, a former CEO of Tumblr who had joined the paper as chief financial officer last year.

Alo Yoga takes over waterfront commercial space in Hong Kong as Asia play heats up American athleisure brand Alo Yoga has taken over a large waterfront commercial space in Hong Kong after it was vacated by a British luxury food retailer, with analysts saying “experience-led” wellness brands are emerging as rare bright spots in an otherwise uneven retail recovery. The local debut of the brand at the 7,000 sq ft, two-storey space at K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui follows the exit of food retailer Fortnum & Mason on January 25. The move comes amid a prolonged retail downturn and a...

South China Morning Post

Alo Yoga takes over waterfront store space in Hong Kong as its Asia play heats up

Company moves into 7,000 sq ft, two-storey space at K11 Musea in latest example of success of ‘experience-led’ brands.