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Rains fail to deter Chiikawa fans and big spenders after roundabout cancellation
Business

Rains fail to deter Chiikawa fans and big spenders after roundabout cancellation

Chiikawa Artiverse, organised by local design studio, AllRightsReserved, is in its second year and will run until September 6 The return of an exhibition featuring popular Japanese manga series Chiikawa to Hong Kong drew crowds and big spenders on a rainy Sunday afternoon, even though the organiser cancelled a much-anticipated roundabout for safety reasons. While some fans expressed disappointment over the halted rides at the K11 Musea promenade on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, others welcomed the alternative arrangement, which allowed them to take photos with several characters on the stationary roundabout. “It is a bit disappointing, as my son was looking forward to hopping on the roundabout,” said Joey Chan, a corporate secretary in her thirties. She was visiting with her son and her husband, who is also a corporate secretary. The show, Chiikawa Artiverse, organised by local design studio AllRightsReserved, is in its second year and will run until September 6. A premium exhibition ticket, which includes the roundabout experience, costs HK$590 (US$75), while a general ticket costs HK$200, with fewer freebies.

How can retirees win against rising healthcare cost in Hong Kong
Business

How can retirees win against rising healthcare cost in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has long relied on both public and private hospitals and clinics, but medical inflation is pricing out elderly patients Retiree Philip Kong says he realised Hong Kong’s healthcare system needed a wake-up call when he discovered that receiving treatment for his prostate condition in neighbouring Shenzhen could potentially cut his medical bill by nearly 90 per cent. The 75-year-old was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate earlier this year and set to pay HK$210,000 (US$26,780) for a scheduled surgery at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital – until a family friend, who is a urologist, suggested another option. The alternative? The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital – a 2,000-bed clinical, teaching and research facility in Futian that opened in 2012 – offered a full examination, including blood and urine tests, for about HK$300 and an extra HK$20,000 for the standard inpatient procedure. In the end, Kong opted not to go for the larger discount and paid for the “deluxe” HK$60,000 package. It included a private room with a sea view and meant the operation was performed by three “professor-grade” specialists.

7 face arrest after Inner Mongolia fatal blast report exposes string of failings
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7 face arrest after Inner Mongolia fatal blast report exposes string of failings

A report into the explosion that killed 10 people said poor maintenance and a lack of proper oversight had contributed to the accident Debris from the blast was scattered over a 5km (3-mile) radius and disrupted local rail services after falling on the tracks, according to Shanghai-based news outlet ThePaper.cn. “The accident exposed deficiencies and manufacturing defects in the vessel’s design, inadequate daily maintenance at the plant, chaotic safety management and improper on-site emergency response,” the report said. It also criticised authorities in the city of Baotou and Kundulun district for failing to carry out their regulatory duties properly and recommended disciplinary action against 62 people, including local officials. The report said prosecutors in Kundulun had approved the arrest of seven employees from the plant and recommended that the judicial authorities carry out further investigations into six other people. It also said Baotou Steel Group and other firms involved in the project had been penalised, while the local authorities had submitted a written self-criticism to higher levels of government.

Climate crisis: Hungary closes nuclear power plant, Greece wildfires spread
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Climate crisis: Hungary closes nuclear power plant, Greece wildfires spread

Sustained drought is affecting the lives of many, with so-called megafires among multiple consequences of the extreme weather Hungary is fully shutting down its sole nuclear power plant for the first time due to the record low levels of the Danube River, straining energy supplies and posing a major test for the economy and new Prime Minister Péter Magyar. One of the two reactors still operating at the Paks plant was shut down early on Sunday, with the final one powering down later in the day, according to Magyar. He cited the progressively lower water levels, which are causing a shortage of water for cooling at the facility, which is operating at a little over a tenth of its 2,000 megawatt capacity. The nation is heading into uncharted territory by shutting the nuclear plant for the first time in its 44-year history, a result of sustained drought across much of central Europe. The plant, about 120 km (75 miles) south of Budapest, accounts for 40 per cent of the country’s electricity generation. Neighbouring Romania on Friday ordered a state of alert in the energy sector after reducing output at its own nuclear plant.

Beijing warns Manila of ‘powerful’ South China Sea toolbox ready for ‘head-on blow’
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Beijing warns Manila of ‘powerful’ South China Sea toolbox ready for ‘head-on blow’

Strongly worded PLA Daily article is latest in a series of countermeasures as Scarborough Shoal row flares, including military drills “We also issue a stern warning to forces seeking to stir up trouble and make waves in the South China Sea: when it comes to safeguarding peace and stability there, the options in China’s toolbox are rich and powerful,” said the article published under the pen name Jun Sheng, or “Voice of the Military”. “Any malicious attempt to the detriment of China’s sovereignty, security and development interests will be met with a resolute response and a head-on blow.” The article did not say what other options were in Beijing’s toolbox, but the drills were just part of a range of countermeasures Beijing took at the weekend.

Mainland transit gives Hongkongers option for Europe trips amid Middle East war
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Mainland transit gives Hongkongers option for Europe trips amid Middle East war

Industry leaders expect more Hongkongers to choose Europe via mainland transit, but warn cheaper fares may be offset by higher fuel charges Transiting through mainland China for long-haul destinations from Hong Kong has become an alternative to stopping off in the Middle East amid safety concerns brought about by the US-Israel war on Iran, the city’s travel agents have said. Alex Lee Chun-ting, general manager of Miramar Travel, told the South China Morning Post that the war in the Middle East had initially reduced interest in long-haul tours to Europe in summer, but he now expected a 3 per cent increase year on year. Lee said safety concerns over flying through the Middle East and pricier airfares had made residents hesitant to travel, with many forgoing routes via the Gulf region and opting for direct long-haul flights, pushing up demand and prices. “[Some mainland airlines] noticed this trend, too, and offered us group discounts for tours departing from Hong Kong, with stopovers in Shanghai or Beijing before heading to Europe,” Lee said, adding that this had absorbed some of the demand for Middle Eastern airlines.

Kowloon Walled City action film sequel’s gritty, nostalgic set draws residents
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Kowloon Walled City action film sequel’s gritty, nostalgic set draws residents

Production for sequel to 2024 blockbuster coincides with Hong Kong authorities’ recent bid to convert film sets and props into tourist attractions Tucked in a corner of a hi-tech industrial estate in Yuen Long, a cluster of cluttered flats has been designed to evoke a gritty Hong Kong slum. It is the main set for the sequel to the nostalgic blockbuster film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. The set, constructed on an empty factory site at Yuen Long InnoPark, recreates the iconic Kowloon Walled City, featuring details such as a banner hanging outside the building that reads: “Pleading to give our home a way to survive”. Set in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the sequel, Twilight of the Warriors: The Final Chapter, captures the era leading up to the demolition of the historic enclave. The film is directed by Soi Cheang and stars returning actors Raymond Lam Fung, Terrance Lau Chun-him, Louis Koo Tin-lok and German Cheung Man-kit, alongside new addition Daniel Wu. The original film, released in 2024, was a revenge drama that centred on brotherhood among the triad gangs that ruled the crime-ridden estate during the 1980s.

Rosewood Hotel Group to press on with clubhouse takeover as opposition escalates
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Rosewood Hotel Group to press on with clubhouse takeover as opposition escalates

A group of HKGTA patrons has written to the Legco Secretariat to oppose change of Town Club operator after filing complaints with authorities Rosewood Hotel Group in Hong Kong will press ahead with a controversial plan to change the operator at a clubhouse in Central on August 8, despite escalating opposition from a group of members, the South China Morning Post has learned. Sources said the hotelier’s Carlyle & Co private club would take over the operation of the Town Club in Central from the Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy (HKGTA) as planned. However, a group of HKGTA patrons is still pursuing ways to oppose the takeover, including writing to the Legislative Council Secretariat after filing complaints with the Consumer Council and the Customs and Excise Department under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. “The transitional changes will proceed as planned on 8 August,” an insider familiar with the situation said. Rosewood had delayed the change of operator by two months from June. In what Rosewood called a rebranding of the Town Club, the planned takeover of operations emerged several months ago and angered a group of HKGTA members especially those with perpetual memberships.

Why Hong Kong’s elites must become risk-takers again
Business

Why Hong Kong’s elites must become risk-takers again

Hong Kong is drafting its first‑ever five‑year plan, a historic blueprint to chart long‑term development. Much has been said about reforms and paradigm shifts, but far less attention has been paid to the true architects of this journey: Hong Kong’s elites. Their choices will determine whether the city reinvents itself as an innovation hub or slides into stagnation. For decades, Hong Kong’s movers and shakers maximised returns from finance, trade and real estate. But as the global economy pivots...

Trump faces ethics storm for ‘pimping’ fast access to his Truth Social posts
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Trump faces ethics storm for ‘pimping’ fast access to his Truth Social posts

The move raises questions about insider trading and using public office for private gain Similar fast speed feeds are sold by other social media firms and media providers, but Truth Social does not just distribute the news; it makes it, regularly rattling markets as Trump posts policy changes on everything from war to central bank leadership to tariffs. “If this was the CEO of a public company, this would be jail time,” said Irene Aldridge, head of Able Alpha Trading, which does not plan to buy the service. “We have a president of the United States who has the front seat to all the action, who makes all the decisions, and he’s disclosing this ahead of time to a select group.” Asked about the propriety of the new service and whether White House lawyers had vetted it, Trump’s press office declined to comment, referring questions to Truth Social’s publicly traded parent. That company, Trump Media & Technology, issued a statement blasting Democratic critics for mischaracterising the service “out of ideological opposition to free markets or a failure to grasp the distinction between public and non-public information – or, quite possibly, both”.

As more South Koreans shun drinking, Seoul nightlife reinvents to stay relevant
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As more South Koreans shun drinking, Seoul nightlife reinvents to stay relevant

Nightlife operators are transforming their entertainment offerings to focus more on music genres and healthier options to draw customers On a midsummer Thursday night, the entertainment district of Hongdae in Seoul is slowly coming alive. Short for Hongik University, Hongdae neighbours several university campuses and typically attracts thousands of young people to its flashy streets. Just a few blocks away from the main clubbing area, the atmosphere is quieter with hardly any patrons at a row of pubs and restaurants. “Hongdae is not what it used to be like,” said Chris Kim, a 27-year-old who works in the fashion industry. “My friends and I used to go clubbing a lot and the places were always packed. There’d be fights all the time, and you’d constantly see police cars showing up.” The pandemic was a turning point as Hongdae’s reputation as an entertainment hotspot took a hit, Kim said. “In the past, the whole point of getting together was often to drink until you got drunk. But drinking isn’t the main reason for meeting up any more,” he said, referring to a discernible decline in young drinkers in Hongdae. “It feels like the divide is really clear today.”

Chinese police AI algorithm tracks bitcoin money laundering with 90% accuracy
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Chinese police AI algorithm tracks bitcoin money laundering with 90% accuracy

AI framework uses a memory module and large language model to detect pseudonymous cross-border illegal trading practices in crypto crackdown Cryptocurrency transactions are growing rapidly, but their pseudonymous and cross-border nature can provide channels for money laundering and other illegal activities. It also “provides an innovative technological pathway for regulatory authorities to combat illicit cryptocurrency transactions and economic crimes”, Sun, a researcher specialising in criminal investigation and cybersecurity, wrote. The May study, conducted by researchers from the People’s Public Security University of China, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Public Security, comes as authorities continue to focus on cryptocurrency-linked financial crime. In March, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate reported that prosecutors indicted 3,259 people in 2025 for money laundering involving virtual currencies and underground banks.