The Year of the Horse is set to bring volatility for the investments of Hong Kong’s 4.8 million Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) members, following a record-breaking Year of the Snake that ended on Monday, according to analysts. The next zodiac year, which begins on Tuesday, is the seventh in the Chinese lunar calendar’s 12-year cycle,
Hong Kong customs has arrested four people and seized HK$140 million (US$18 million) worth of slimming and cosmetic injections, along with erectile dysfunction pills, in a crackdown on smuggled illicit medicines. The suspects, aged between 26 and 61, comprise two mainland Chinese men and two local women, the Customs and Excise Department said on Monday.
Perfumes from Italian fashion brand Gucci and two other luxury products have been found to contain 10 types of fragrance allergens that could worsen skin conditions for eczema patients, Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has said. The Consumer Council said on Monday that it tested 40 perfume products, including Gucci’s “The Alchemist’s Garden Tears from the
A woman was arrested following a bloody dispute at Lamma Island’s Yung Shue Wan ferry pier on Monday afternoon. Police arrested a woman following a bloody dispute in Yung Shue Wan on February 16, 2026. Photo: Supplied. Witnesses told HKFP that they saw a couple arguing in the paid area of the Yung Shue Wan
Parts of Hong Kong Island were heavily congested on Monday afternoon as the final day of the Lunar New Year flower market at Victoria Park drew shopping crowds, leaving commuters stranded and bringing public transport to a standstill. A row of trams bound for Hong Kong Island East was seen sitting bumper-to-bumper on Yee Wo
Hong Kong will “move with agility and steadiness” in the Year of the Horse to seize opportunities and overcome challenges, the city’s leader has said in a message to residents. The one-minute Lunar New Year video, broadcast on Monday, showed Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu dressed in a traditional red Chinese suit and admiring paintings
The regulator will ask companies to provide an updated schedule of their current IPO projects. Credit: mapo_japan/Shutterstock.com. The Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC) has issued an open letter to all public interest entity (PIE) auditors that serve as reporting accountants for companies preparing to list on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. The regulator
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (left) and his wife Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim walk with a horse in this photo released with their Chinese New Year messages on Feb 16, 2026. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT) HONG KONG – Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his wife Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim have
Hong Kong-based Kerry Properties has won a tender for a residential plot in Shau Kei Wan for HK$1.38 billion (US$177 million), which drew heavy bidding interest from both mainland Chinese and local developers. Kerry beat seven other bidders for a 50-year grant for the 1,349-square-metre (14,523 sq ft) parcel in the Eastern district, the Lands
A Hong Kong appellate court will announce its verdict next Monday on the appeals of 12 activists convicted of conspiring to subvert state power in an unofficial election, and also rule on an acquitted defendant in the city’s largest national security trial. Eleven of the 12 found guilty over a scheme during the 2020 Legislative
A Hong Kong court has ordered the liquidation of a scandal-plagued Christian charity for failing to repay HK$61 million (US$6.8 million) granted by the government to renovate a defunct boarding school for drug addicts. In a written judgment on Monday, the High Court granted the Department of Justice’s petition to wind up Christian Zheng Sheng
Hong Kong will kick off the Year of the Horse on Tuesday with its annual night parade, featuring floats and performers from more than 60 countries and regions. The Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade will feature a street party at 6pm before the procession begins at 8pm in Tsim Sha Tsui. The South
Hongkongers made close to 1.4 million outbound trips in the three days leading up to Lunar New Year’s Eve, a 21.6 per cent increase from the same period last year, while inbound journeys rose slightly by five per cent to more than 550,000. In this year and the last, city residents were able to take
John Lee believes that if Hong Kong can become a gold trading hub, with more trading, settlement, and even physical delivery taking place in Hong Kong, it will bring significant multiplier effects to the city. This policy is expected to not only drive the development of financial products but also create more opportunities for professional
In the corridors of MixC Shenzhen Bay, one storefront stops passersby mid-stride. Washed in earthy reds and raw wood textures, the space feels less like a cosmetics counter and more like a fragment of South America transplanted into southern China. The air carries a dense blend of herbs and fruit, an aroma that is at
Risk-based capital amendments ‘credit neutral’ for Hong Kong insurers: Fitch February 16 2026 by Aidan Gregory The Hong Kong Insurance Authority’s (IA) proposed amendments to the territory’s risk-based capital (RBC) regime are likely to be credit neutral for insurers, according to Fitch Ratings.Fitch said tha… To continue reading the full article and get full access
Gold, mahjong sets, fancy lai see packets and dinners with fireworks views are among the incentives Hong Kong banks are using to lure wealthy customers from the city and the mainland during the Lunar New Year, which kicks off on Tuesday. Hong Kong authorities estimated that as many as 1.43 million mainland visitors would cross
Some shopping centres in Hong Kong display unclear parking discount terms that often lead to disputes, the consumer watchdog has said, citing a case where a driver was billed HK$1,210 (US$155) for a full day, more than seven times the advertised rate. The Consumer Council said on Monday that complaints about car-park services had remained
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong could experience its warmest Lunar New Year’s Eve since records began in 1884, with temperatures expected to reach 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 Fahrenheit) on Monday. The Hong Kong Observatory said temperatures on
A man who paid HK$88,000 (US$11,300) for a hair growth treatment that promised “visible effect after one session” has been denied a refund after experiencing persistent scalp bleeding and no improvement in density, according to Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog. The Consumer Council on Monday warned against exaggerated claims of effectiveness, after continuously receiving complaints about
