Hong Kong, China stocks tumble as Iran war knocks Asian markets

Hong Kong urged to extend stock trading hours to keep up with rivals

Hong Kong has been urged to extend its stock trading hours to maintain its status as an international financial hub, as competitors move towards near 24-hour operations to capture global liquidity. Speaking at the “Redefining Hong Kong 2026 Budget Edition” forum organised by the South China Morning Post on Monday, Kenny Shui Chi-wai, vice-president of

9 March 2026

Hong Kong couple’s HK$50,000 exit from Dubai after ‘biggest blunder’

As hundreds of Hongkongers stranded in the Middle East scramble for air tickets home with the US-Israel war on Iran entering its 10th day, a local couple spent nearly HK$50,000 on a direct flight back after repeated failed booking attempts and a cancellation blunder caused by mental exhaustion. Yen Kwok, 35, a construction consultant, began

9 March 2026

Hong Kong wetland records 40 times more petroleum after oil spill: Greenpeace

A protected Hong Kong wetland on southern Lantau Island has recorded a high concentration of petroleum following an oil spill in September, with levels up to 40 times higher than those in unaffected areas, according to an environmental group’s study. Greenpeace in Hong Kong said the high concentration could threaten local ecology. It urged authorities

9 March 2026

Proposed 33% rise in MPF payments ‘may deepen business pressures, hit jobs’

Proposals by Hong Kong’s pension regulator to increase Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions for higher-paid workers by up to 33 per cent could worsen business challenges and hurt the jobs market, a lawmaker and human resources expert have warned. A labour representative, however, urged the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) to pursue even bolder

9 March 2026

Immigration Department worker who repeatedly assaulted wife, son spared jail

A Hong Kong Immigration Department senior assistant who repeatedly grabbed his wife and young son by their throats during disputes has been ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, with the magistrate telling the defendant he had already received significant leniency while pleading for probation. While the defence had pleaded for probation as any

9 March 2026

Woman flees Hong Kong flat blaze after alleged knife attack by husband

A woman fled a burning flat in Hong Kong’s Yuen Long on Saturday, claiming her husband had attacked her with a knife before he was found to have fallen from a height nearby. Senior Inspector Chan Man-hei of Yuen Long’s district investigation team said a 31-year-old woman had called for help at 9.43am, saying she

9 March 2026

Man robbed of HK$6.1 million in crypto and silver in Hong Kong, probe under way

Hong Kong police are investigating a blackmail and false imprisonment case in which a man lost about HK$6.1 million (US$779,900) in cryptocurrency and silver. The force said it received a report at 3.52am on Saturday that a 25-year-old mainland Chinese man was attacked by three men and a woman at a hotel on Tak Fung

9 March 2026

Chan has been charged with possessing laser pointers and spray paint for illegal use during the anti-government protests in 2019. Photo: Felix Wong

Hong Kong woman faces 2019 protest charges after returning from Australia

A Hong Kong woman who returned from Australia has been charged with carrying two laser pointers and three bottles of spray paint for illegal purposes during the 2019 anti-government protests. Ami Chan Hui-ching, 21, was escorted to Eastern Court on Monday to face charges of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and possessing

9 March 2026

Hong Kong police recover credit card amid theft fears at fire-hit Tai Po estate

Hong Kong police have recovered a credit card suspected of misuse from a sealed flat damaged in the deadly blaze in Tai Po, as residents voiced growing concerns about the safety of their properties following a recent burglary. The latest development came days after the force arrested three construction workers on suspicion of stealing gold

9 March 2026

Hong Kong lawmaker Judy Chan fined HK$2,000 for driving against traffic

A Hong Kong lawmaker has been fined HK$2,000 (US$256) for driving on the wrong side of a road in Wan Chai earlier this year. Eastern Court on Monday also suspended Judy Chan Kapui, 45, from driving for one month after she pleaded guilty to a count of careless driving. “I deeply regret that my careless

9 March 2026

CMB International Securities (Hong Kong) maintains a Buy rating on Yanzhou Coal Mining Company (Australia).

Cailian Press will regularly compile ratings and target prices from various institutions for Hong Kong stocks. Cailian Press reported on March 9 (Editor: Tong Gu) The following are the latest ratings and target prices for Hong Kong stocks from various institutions: China Merchants Securities (Hong Kong): Maintain Yancoal Australia’s Buy rating with a target price

9 March 2026

5 Hong Kong illustrators to put on your radar

From serious watercolours to quirky comic book designs, we highlight five distinctive voices making big waves in the local art scene Hello Wong Picture: Instagram @hello.wong As a post-90s Hong Kong digital illustrator, Hello Wong centres his work on the everyday rhythms and quirks of the city. His style is grounded and straightforward, often spotlighting

9 March 2026

(Left to Right) SCMP deputy Hong Kong editor Olga Wong, AIA CEO Alger Fung, finance chief Paul Chan, Hong Kong McKinsey managing partner Arthur Shek and SCMP news editor Denise Tsang. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hong Kong ‘more than China’s financial sandbox’, Paul Chan says

Hong Kong is not just China’s economic sandbox but also a driver of the country’s development, the finance chief has said, calling the city the nation’s international financial centre. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Monday that Hong Kong must move swiftly to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and “get empowered” in its use, as

9 March 2026

Hong Kong police arrest man over alleged indecent assault and fight

A man has been arrested in Hong Kong for allegedly indecently assaulting a woman in a stairwell before fighting with her husband. Police said the incident occurred at about 12.54am on Monday in a stairwell outside a building on Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po. A 30-year-old woman surnamed Lai reported that she was indecently

9 March 2026

Surcharges considered as Hong Kong fuel prices set to rise amid Iran war

Hong Kong’s transport sector is considering a temporary fuel surcharge for deliveries as pump prices are expected to climb further this week amid rising Middle East tensions, industry representatives have said. Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, governor and honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, said on Monday that fuel prices in the city

9 March 2026

The 56-year-old is the second defendant to seek a reduced sentence after Fung Wai-kong, managing editor of Apple Daily’s English edition, submitted a similar application last week. Photo: Sam Tsang

Former Apple Daily executive editor appeals 10-year sentence in Hong Kong

The former executive editor-in-chief of Hong Kong’s defunct Apple Daily newspaper, founded by Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, has lodged an appeal against his 10-year sentence imposed under the national security law. Lam Man-chung’s lawyer filed the application at the Court of Appeal on Friday, ahead of the statutory 28-day deadline for criminal appeals expiring on Monday.

9 March 2026

Hong Kong Stock Movement | Hong Kong banking stocks continue to decline, with Standard Chartered Group (02888) dropping nearly 6%. Geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East remain a short-term driver for Hong Kong banking stock prices.

Hong Kong banking stocks continued to decline. As of the time of writing, Standard Chartered Group (02888) fell 5.55%, trading at HKD 168.4; Bank of China (Hong Kong) (02388) dropped 4.59%, trading at HKD 40.34; HSBC Holdings (0005) declined 4.44%, trading at HKD 129.2; and Bank of East Asia (00023) decreased 3.44%, trading at HKD

9 March 2026

China’s State Council Information Office holds a press briefing on the draft outline of the 15th five-year plan (2026-2030) in Beijing on March 7. The plan is set to be finalised at the “two sessions”. Photo: Xinhua

Opinion | Beijing’s message is clear: Hong Kong must shape up and speed up

The annual “two sessions” in Beijing are under way, and this year the annual ritual of reading tea leaves in this city has been made easier for politics watchers. That is because Beijing has been blunt about the problems it thinks our city faces. There is the usual praise for the Hong Kong government and

9 March 2026

Hong Kong developers test home-market recovery by raising prices, trimming discounts

Developers in Hong Kong are testing the housing market’s recovery by nudging prices up or paring discounts as improving sentiment and a rebound in transactions boost confidence in the city’s property sector. But analysts said the moves remained uneven, with many newly launched projects still offering sizeable concessions as developers continued to prioritise clearing unsold

9 March 2026

Agility and adaptability are in Hong Kong’s DNA, former leader CY Leung says

Escalating geopolitical tensions will not derail Hong Kong’s goal set out in the country’s 15th five-year plan and its efforts to implement the blueprint, former leader Leung Chun-ying has said, describing agility and adaptability as in the city’s DNA. The vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body, also

9 March 2026

Delayed Hong Kong S.E.			5-day change	1st Jan Change
7.360 ^HKD	-2.00%		-2.65%	+4.99%