https://www.scmp.com/rss/519142/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse King Charles III will visit the United States in late April, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday, despite some calls for the trip to be cancelled or delayed amid the Iran war. Confirmation of the monarch’s first state visit to the US comes at a rocky time for the so-called US-UK “special relationship”, with US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s reticence over the US-Israel war against Tehran. The trip by the king and Queen Camilla would “celebrate the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348570/king-charles-pay-state-visit-us-late-april-amid-iran-war-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348570/king-charles-pay-state-visit-us-late-april-amid-iran-war-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:55:02 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu French insurer AXA’s Hong Kong unit, one of the city’s largest life and general insurers, has become the second insurance company to move its domicile to Hong Kong from Bermuda, according to a statement on Monday. At least three other local insurers, including the local unit of Canada’s Sun Life, were planning the same move after a law change in May simplified the process, according to industry players. AXA was the first to begin the process after the rule change, but Manulife International was... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3341152/axas-local-unit-becomes-second-insurer-redomicile-bermuda-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3341152/axas-local-unit-becomes-second-insurer-redomicile-bermuda-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 01:15:10 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong’s corporate landscape expanded to unprecedented levels last year, with the total number of local registered companies reaching a record of nearly 1.56 million by the end of 2025. “By the end of 2025, the total number of local companies and redomiciled companies registered under the Companies Ordinance increased by 96,609 compared with 2024, reaching 1,557,103,” the Companies Registry said on Friday, noting that it was “an all-time high figure”. Among the total in 2025, 195,343 were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3340175/number-registered-companies-hong-kong-reaches-record-156-million-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3340175/number-registered-companies-hong-kong-reaches-record-156-million-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:56:13 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Manulife (International), one of the biggest life insurers and pension providers in Hong Kong and Macau, has finished moving its domicile to Hong Kong from Bermuda, making it the first insurer to successfully complete the process under a new regime, according to a statement on Friday. The insurer said the redomiciling was a “strategic milestone” that underscored its confidence in Hong Kong’s role as a leading international financial centre and reinforced the company’s long-standing commitment to... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3336273/manulife-becomes-first-insurer-redomicile-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3336273/manulife-becomes-first-insurer-redomicile-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:50:36 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press People across the northern Caribbean were digging out from the destruction of Hurricane Melissa on Thursday as deaths from the catastrophic storm climbed. The rumble of large machinery, the whine of chainsaws and the chopping of machetes echoed throughout southeast Jamaica as government workers and residents began clearing roads in a push to reach isolated communities that sustained a direct hit from one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record. Emergency relief flights began landing at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3330821/hurricane-melissa-leaves-dozens-dead-rampage-across-cuba-haiti-and-jamaica?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3330821/hurricane-melissa-leaves-dozens-dead-rampage-across-cuba-haiti-and-jamaica?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 17:10:52 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Two listed firms under China Resources Group are planning to redomicile from the Cayman Islands to Hong Kong. They will follow similar actions by the Hong Kong units of French insurer AXA and Canadian insurer Manulife, both from Bermuda. Thanks to new changes in local law, such redomiciling is becoming a trend and can only be good for corporate business and professional employment in the city. Business 101 usually explains the difference between the domicile of a company and its headquarters.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3327783/firms-redomiciling-hong-kong-can-only-be-good-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3327783/firms-redomiciling-hong-kong-can-only-be-good-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu FWD Group, a regional insurer founded by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li Tzar-kai, said its first-half net profit jumped 15 times on strong sales growth and one-off cost reductions. In the first results since FWD’s HK$3.61 billion (US$466 million) initial public offering (IPO) in July, net profit soared to US$47 million from US$3 million a year earlier, the company said on Friday. The insurer said it would not pay an interim dividend. Driving the profit increase, annualised premiums from new... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3323649/fwd-profit-jumps-15-times-life-policies-spike-costs-drop-following-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3323649/fwd-profit-jumps-15-times-life-policies-spike-costs-drop-following-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:08:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hurricane Erin exploded in strength to a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm in the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day, the National Hurricane Centre said. While the compact hurricane’s centre was not expected to hit land, it threatened to dump flooding rains as it continued to grow larger. The first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, Erin ramped up from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in a mere 24 hours. By late Saturday morning, its... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3322101/erin-strengthens-become-first-hurricane-atlantic-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3322101/erin-strengthens-become-first-hurricane-atlantic-season?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The scam began with a message, then a friendly exchange. A stranger directed the victim to a cryptocurrency investment site that appeared professional – slick design, charts, even customer support. The first deposit showed a modest profit. So did the next. Encouraged, the victim sent more, even borrowing money to keep up. Then, without warning, the platform stopped responding. The account balance disappeared. “That’s how they do it,” Jamie Lam, an investigative analyst with the US Secret... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3317133/secret-service-known-protecting-us-presidents-now-hunts-cryptocurrency-scammers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3317133/secret-service-known-protecting-us-presidents-now-hunts-cryptocurrency-scammers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 07:20:49 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Christopher Hui Ching-yu has recently been on a world tour, conducting roadshows in Canada, the UK and Norway, in an effort to urge global businesses to redomicile in Hong Kong. The main talking point for Hui, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, has been a new law, enacted in May, that sought to make it easier for overseas companies to reincorporate in the city. Just a few days after the law came into force, Hui flew to Canada to meet senior executives from insurers Manulife... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3316957/hong-kong-wants-be-dominant-domicile-worlds-biggest-companies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3316957/hong-kong-wants-be-dominant-domicile-worlds-biggest-companies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 02:00:14 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Manulife (International), the biggest pension provider in the city, plans to redomicile to Hong Kong from Bermuda in November, indicating its confidence in the city as an international financial centre, according to a notice it sent to customers on Friday. This makes Manulife (International), the Hong Kong and Macau unit of Toronto-headquartered Manulife Financial, the second insurer to incorporate in Hong Kong after a new “game changer” law easing the redomiciliation process came into effect on... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3313337/manulifes-hong-kong-unit-redomicile-bermuda-thanks-new-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3313337/manulifes-hong-kong-unit-redomicile-bermuda-thanks-new-law?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2025 07:18:20 +0000 Cao Li,Enoch Yiu Cao Li,Enoch Yiu AXA, one of Hong Kong’s largest insurers, announced on Friday that it plans to move the legal domicile of its Hong Kong-serving entity from Bermuda to Hong Kong, following a new law introduced by the government that allows companies to return to the city while retaining their legal identity and business continuity. “We are excited to be among the first to redomicile to Hong Kong,” Sally Wan, CEO of AXA Greater China, said in a statement. “This move is not merely administrative; it is a... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3311503/axa-takes-lead-among-insurers-moving-legal-domicile-hong-kong-under-relaxed-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3311503/axa-takes-lead-among-insurers-moving-legal-domicile-hong-kong-under-relaxed-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 May 2025 06:02:39 +0000 A pair of stout, bald men dressed in knee-length navy blue Bermuda shorts, long black socks and black custodian helmets are surveying the scene as we enter the arrivals terminal, having just arrived on a flight from London. I assume we’ve stumbled across a bachelor party – before realising they are real policemen, albeit adorned in the type of headwear rarely seen on the streets of Britain any longer. The encounter sets the scene for a long weekend in Bermuda. The British territory is a mix of... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3297579/bermuda-offers-much-beyond-cruise-highlights-and-beaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3297579/bermuda-offers-much-beyond-cruise-highlights-and-beaches?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:15:08 +0000 Hurricane Ernesto lashed Bermuda with heavy rains and strong winds on Saturday, leaving much of the British Atlantic Ocean territory without power, with meteorologists warning of a dangerous storm surge and floods. The hurricane, which hit Puerto Rico earlier this week, made landfall at 5:30am local time (0830 GMT) packing maximum sustained winds of 85 miles (137 kilometres) per hour, according to the US-based National Hurricane Center. “A dangerous storm surge is expected to produce significant... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3274898/hurricane-ernesto-makes-landfall-bermuda-leaving-thousands-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3274898/hurricane-ernesto-makes-landfall-bermuda-leaving-thousands-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Aug 2024 15:47:16 +0000 While playing European club football remains a pipe dream for Hong Kong’s players, a man from tiny Bermuda has been carving out a career on the continent. Nathan Trott was 13 when he chose joining Spanish club Valencia over staying on his home island – whose population of 63,500 people is less than 1 per cent of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million. The goalkeeper recently signed a two-year contract extension with West Ham United of the English Premier League, following two successful seasons on loan at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3266745/if-bermuda-can-produce-english-premier-league-footballers-why-cant-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3266745/if-bermuda-can-produce-english-premier-league-footballers-why-cant-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jun 2024 00:00:08 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal,Salina Li Cheryl Arcibal,Salina Li A mansion at one of Hong Kong’s most exclusive neighbourhoods found its buyer after a fire sale and 15 months on the auction block, offering a minor victory for China Evergrande Group’s liquidators as they grapple to sell the defunct developer’s assets. The 5,171-sq ft mansion at 10B Black’s Link, previously held by an Evergrande executive, sold last month for HK$448 million (US$57.35 million), according to the Land Registry. The price was 44 per cent less than the HK$800 million that valuers... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3266307/evergrande-founders-blacks-link-mansion-finds-buyer-after-year-long-fire-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3266307/evergrande-founders-blacks-link-mansion-finds-buyer-after-year-long-fire-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 09:00:10 +0000 China’s overseas vehicle shipments are set to grow at a clip this year, bolstered by surging sales in markets like Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as the country’s heft in developing and manufacturing electric cars goes from strength to strength. Curbs on exports of Chinese-made cars in the US and European Union will not deter major assemblers from BYD to Chery Automobile from pursuing their global ambitions as they look to localise their production facilities outside mainland China,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3261312/chinas-ev-makers-unfazed-us-european-export-curbs-will-push-overseas-vehicle-shipments-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3261312/chinas-ev-makers-unfazed-us-european-export-curbs-will-push-overseas-vehicle-shipments-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 May 2024 00:00:16 +0000 Tony Cruz has slammed the condition of the Happy Valley track, saying Wednesday’s night surface was “one of the worst I have seen in a long time”. While Hong Kong has been hit with persistent rain for over a week, Cruz is adamant the Valley track is far more worn than it should be. “I must say, this is one of the worst tracks I have seen in a long time. We all know the weather is bad and everything, but it’s never been this bad before. The grass seems to be dying off, maybe because there’s no... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3261224/tony-cruz-slams-happy-valley-track-its-never-been-bad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3261224/tony-cruz-slams-happy-valley-track-its-never-been-bad?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 May 2024 11:40:42 +0000 Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest entertainment moguls out there, boasting a net worth of US$3 billion in 2024, according to Forbes. From her gigantic property portfolio and savvy investments, to her highly successful media empire, Winfrey hardly needs an introduction, being a household name in the US and in many parts of the globe. Yet less is known about her love life. Despite dating the same man for nearly four decades, Winfrey rarely talks about her long-time partner, Stedman Graham.... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260293/who-oprah-winfreys-spiritual-partner-nearly-four-decades-stedman-graham-media-billionaire-met-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260293/who-oprah-winfreys-spiritual-partner-nearly-four-decades-stedman-graham-media-billionaire-met-her?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:00:28 +0000 Indian-American golfers Akshay Bhatia, coming off a PGA Texas Open triumph, and Sahith Theegala, who won his first PGA title last September, hope their Masters starts can boost Indian golf. The 20-something Californians, whose families both emigrated to the United States from India, are among 89 players set to begin play on Thursday at Augusta National. “I don’t know if I quite realise what Sahith and I can do for the golf in India,” Bhatia said. “I know it’s really special when I have a bunch... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3258384/us-masters-indian-americans-akshay-bhatia-sahith-theegala-hope-their-starts-augusta-helps-boost-golf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3258384/us-masters-indian-americans-akshay-bhatia-sahith-theegala-hope-their-starts-augusta-helps-boost-golf?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Apr 2024 12:30:32 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Hong Kong’s biggest licensed cryptocurrency exchange operator, HashKey Group, has launched a new global trading platform that it hopes will help the company overtake US-based crypto giant Coinbase in trading volume within five years. The new cryptocurrency exchange, HashKey Global, operates with a Digital Asset Business licence issued in Bermuda. It is now available globally with one big caveat: for regulatory reasons, certain markets like the US, mainland China and Hong Kong cannot use it,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3258196/hong-kongs-hashkey-crypto-exchange-launches-global-platform-aim-overtaking-coinbase-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3258196/hong-kongs-hashkey-crypto-exchange-launches-global-platform-aim-overtaking-coinbase-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Apr 2024 06:29:16 +0000 The Hong Kong Sevens returned to something approaching normal for the first time since the pandemic, as overseas visitors flocked to the city and supporters packed out the stadium for the opening day of the tournament on Friday. More than 30,000 fans filed through the gates at the event’s iconic home in Causeway Bay, with organisers estimating that some 42 per cent of those had travelled from abroad to witness the last time it would take place at its home for the past 42 years. Those who did... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3258040/vibrant-hong-kong-sevens-gets-great-start-businesses-already-concerned-over-kai-tak-switch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3258040/vibrant-hong-kong-sevens-gets-great-start-businesses-already-concerned-over-kai-tak-switch?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Apr 2024 15:08:24 +0000 Hong Kong’s insurance market has added a unique feather to its cap after HSBC Life made history with the sale of a world record US$250 million life policy. The policy, which was sold this year, was certified by Guinness World Records this week, overtaking a US$201 million coverage bought by a tech billionaire in California in March 2014. While the insurer did not disclose the policyholder’s name, Edward Moncreiffe, CEO for Hong Kong and Macau at HSBC Life, said the client was an ultra-high-net... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3253495/guinness-world-records-hsbc-life-clinches-title-us250-million-insurance-policy-sale-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3253495/guinness-world-records-hsbc-life-clinches-title-us250-million-insurance-policy-sale-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2024 23:30:07 +0000 Luxury sports car maker Ferrari said is taking its technological know-how to the waves, teaming up with Italian ocean racing yachtsman Giovanni Soldini to enter the world of sailing. An icon of motor racing with its uninterrupted presence in Formula One since the start of that world championship in 1950, Ferrari last year also returned to the Hypercar top flight of endurance racing and Le Mans. Ferrari chairman John Elkann said the new project would expand Ferrari’s “racing soul”. “In addition... https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3249679/ferrari-taking-f1-technology-waves-soldini-new-ocean-racing-sailing-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3249679/ferrari-taking-f1-technology-waves-soldini-new-ocean-racing-sailing-team?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jan 2024 02:27:25 +0000 Among Bravo TV’s most popular franchises is The Real Housewives, famous for its wealthy cast members with mega mansions in Beverly Hills, Miami, New York and even Dubai. But that all changed when the network added Monica Garcia to the fourth season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Garcia wasn’t introduced to the cast as another rich newcomer or a “friend” – she actually entered the scene as the former assistant of ex-Housewife Jen Shah, now convicted and serving time in federal prison... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3249023/monica-garcia-most-controversial-reality-tv-star-2024-after-reality-von-tease-instagram-reveal-real?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3249023/monica-garcia-most-controversial-reality-tv-star-2024-after-reality-von-tease-instagram-reveal-real?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jan 2024 11:00:14 +0000 In the race for full sustainability, Singapore’s Tortoise Island has beaten many a hare. “Kusu Island, home to the popular Da Bo Gong Temple and three Malay keramat [shrines], is now completely self-reliant in using solar power to produce its own water and electricity, setting a precedent for other southern islands like Pulau Hantu,” reports The Straits Times. The newspaper’s reporter was taken on a recce this month and discovered that, “The island’s solar photovoltaic and desalination systems... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3245018/singapores-tortoise-island-becomes-fully-sustainable-using-solar-power-showing-its-no-slowcoach-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3245018/singapores-tortoise-island-becomes-fully-sustainable-using-solar-power-showing-its-no-slowcoach-now?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2023 03:48:47 +0000 A revered icon in the Chanel universe, the camellia is one of the French luxury house’s most enduring and recognisable symbols. The precious flower first appeared on Mademoiselle Chanel’s early designs after she pinned one of the blooms on a dress in 1923, and it quickly became the style icon’s signature motif. As a celebrated house code, it has been reinterpreted season after season, making it an enduring part of the brand’s creative legacy. For the autumn/winter 2023 collection, the camellia... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3236868/style-edit-coco-chanel-chose-camellia-her-signature-symbol-100-years-ago-and-now-creative-director?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3236868/style-edit-coco-chanel-chose-camellia-her-signature-symbol-100-years-ago-and-now-creative-director?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Oct 2023 02:00:13 +0000 The spring/summer 2024 shows at Paris Fashion Week just ended. Pantless outfits were everywhere – both on and off the runway – in a trend that started at a blockbuster Miu Miu autumn show last season and shows no signs of abating. Besides that, many shows this season offered their share of stand-out moments – from Gabriela Hearst’s cheerful swansong at Chloé to Stella McCartney’s wonderful sustainable market and yet another stunning collection from hot brand du jour Schiaparelli. Here are our... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3236719/paris-fashion-week-best-womenswear-ready-wear-spring/summer-2024-shows-including-highlights-dior?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3236719/paris-fashion-week-best-womenswear-ready-wear-spring/summer-2024-shows-including-highlights-dior?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Oct 2023 04:07:33 +0000 Major Chinese commercial banks have cut rates for outstanding home loans as part of a series of state-directed stimulus measures aimed at easing homebuyers’ debt burdens and reviving the country’s troubled property sector. But the cut might not provide a sufficient boost to demand, analysts said. A total of 20 state-owned banks, joint-stock lenders and commercial banks said earlier this month that they would begin to cut payments on outstanding first-home loans starting on Monday. Borrowers who... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3235748/china-housing-market-major-banks-begin-cutting-outstanding-mortgage-rates-impact-may-not-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3235748/china-housing-market-major-banks-begin-cutting-outstanding-mortgage-rates-impact-may-not-be?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2023 22:00:20 +0000 A Chinese property investor that has struggled with several US projects faces court-ordered liquidation as a Bermuda court issued a winding-up order against the firm. China Oceanwide Holdings disclosed the order in a filing on Monday with Hong Kong’s stock exchange. Liquidators have been appointed and the company’s shares listed in the city have been suspended. The winding-up petition was filed in June 2022 and involved US$175 million of loan principal that the petitioner said was not paid,... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3235689/chinese-property-firm-oceanwide-gets-liquidation-order-bermuda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3235689/chinese-property-firm-oceanwide-gets-liquidation-order-bermuda?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2023 05:11:16 +0000 Manulife, Canada’s biggest insurance company, will open its second prestige customer centre in Hong Kong and invest more on digital tools to support its sales agents targeting growing business from returning mainland Chinese customers, its newly appointed Asia CEO said. The insurer will open the centre in tourist hotspot of Tsim Sha Tsui this quarter to cater to high-net-worth individuals. The new, more than 5,000 sq ft facility will be close to its first, 10,000-plus sq ft centre at... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3232341/manulife-doubling-down-rich-mainland-chinese-customers-open-new-hong-kong-prestige-centre-and-invest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3232341/manulife-doubling-down-rich-mainland-chinese-customers-open-new-hong-kong-prestige-centre-and-invest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Aug 2023 00:00:22 +0000 Marine mammal experts have said clear guidelines on whale watching and law enforcement were needed in Hong Kong as the city waited for the results of a necropsy performed on an animal which died soon after being spotted in local waters last month. Researcher Lindsay Porter told the Post that while it was necessary to have a mandatory whale- and dolphin-watching code of conduct in Hong Kong, the crux of the problem would be getting the vessel captains and members of the public to understand and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3230130/hong-kong-marine-animal-experts-call-clear-guidelines-whale-watching-city-waits-necropsy-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3230130/hong-kong-marine-animal-experts-call-clear-guidelines-whale-watching-city-waits-necropsy-results?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Aug 2023 04:00:23 +0000 Conservation officials asked marine experts for help after a whale which later died was first spotted in local waters, Hong Kong’s environment chief said on Wednesday, as a lawmaker accused authorities of doing “too little, too late” to protect the animal. The death of the Bryde’s whale off Sai Kung on Monday sparked discussions over the effectiveness of government strategies to protect the mammal, which attracted hordes of sightseers on boats over the last few weeks. Lawmaker Doreen Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3229705/hong-kong-authorities-criticised-doing-too-little-too-late-protect-brydes-whale-overzealous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3229705/hong-kong-authorities-criticised-doing-too-little-too-late-protect-brydes-whale-overzealous?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Aug 2023 06:31:05 +0000 Lisa Lim Lisa Lim “[A]mongst all the rest there growes a kinde of tree called Mangrowes, they grow very strangely, & would make a man wonder to see the manner of their growing.” This 1615 account from Bermuda was one of the earliest descriptions in English of the ecosystem once unfamiliar to Europeans – mangroves. Inter-tidal forests, found on sheltered coastlines in the tropics and subtropics, mangroves comprise salt-tolerant trees bearing characteristic partially exposed networks of roots. Mangrove forests –... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3228743/how-word-mangrove-has-contested-etymological-roots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3228743/how-word-mangrove-has-contested-etymological-roots?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jul 2023 02:45:10 +0000 Among the myriad of talented Hong Kong artists, one name often shines louder and brighter than the rest – none other than Tyson Yoshi. The multifaceted artist has mesmerised us since his debut song “To My Queen” in 2018, followed a year later by the remarkable success of “Christy”, which surpassed 1 million views on YouTube and has clocked 11 million Spotify plays. His debut album, fittingly named 1st solidified his status as one of Hong Kong’s hottest hip-hop sensations, accumulating over 2... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3227397/tyson-yoshis-10-most-stylish-luxury-looks-hong-kong-hip-hop-talent-shows-his-impeccable-sense?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3227397/tyson-yoshis-10-most-stylish-luxury-looks-hong-kong-hip-hop-talent-shows-his-impeccable-sense?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jul 2023 04:30:26 +0000 Hong Kong’s third richest family, led by billionaire Henry Cheng Kar-shun, is seeking full control of its infrastructure unit NWS Holdings in a takeover offer that values the target at HK$35.8 billion (US$4.6 billion). The offer will help lighten the debt load at New World Development (NWD). The family, through Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, offered HK$9.15 per share for NWS it does not already own, a 14.5 per cent premium to the stock’s last traded price before trading was halted last week for the... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3225482/hong-kongs-third-richest-family-makes-us46-billion-takeover-offer-nws-help-ease-debt-burden-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3225482/hong-kongs-third-richest-family-makes-us46-billion-takeover-offer-nws-help-ease-debt-burden-new?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jun 2023 01:21:57 +0000 Hong Kong can overtake London, Tokyo and Singapore and become an international insurance centre leveraging its underserved economic hinterland as well as the fast-growing opportunities in the Greater Bay Area, speakers at a conference observed on Tuesday. “The fundamentals are extremely solid as the city has rule of law, low taxation, proximity to mainland China as well as world class infrastructure and skilled and hard workers,” said Patrick Graham, CEO of Manulife for Hong Kong and Macau, at... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3224770/hong-kong-can-overtake-london-tokyo-and-singapore-international-insurance-hub-due-its-connector-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3224770/hong-kong-can-overtake-london-tokyo-and-singapore-international-insurance-hub-due-its-connector-role?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jun 2023 10:32:52 +0000 Roger Payne, the scientist who spurred a worldwide environmental conservation movement with his discovery that whales could sing, has died. He was 88. Payne made the discovery in 1967 during a research trip to Bermuda in which a Navy engineer provided him with a recording of curious underwater sounds documented while listening for Russian submarines. Payne identified the haunting tones as songs whales sing to one another. He saw the discovery of whale song as a chance to spur interest in saving... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3224112/roger-payne-scientist-who-discovered-whales-can-sing-dies-88?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3224112/roger-payne-scientist-who-discovered-whales-can-sing-dies-88?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jun 2023 19:55:23 +0000 The Cannes Film Festival’s red carpet this year welcomed not one, not two, but three members of the Zeta-Jones-Douglas household – and the dynamic trio was a sight to behold as they arrived together in impeccable style for the event. Hollywood bigwigs Catherine Zeta-Jones and husband Michael Douglas attended Johnny Depp’s Jeanne du Barry screening on May 16, with their 20-year-old daughter Carys Zeta Douglas. Going all-out glam for the big day, they left onlookers mesmerised by their entrance... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3223363/who-carys-zeta-douglas-catherine-zeta-jones-mini-me-daughter-gen-z-model-just-made-her-cannes-red?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3223363/who-carys-zeta-douglas-catherine-zeta-jones-mini-me-daughter-gen-z-model-just-made-her-cannes-red?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jun 2023 16:10:16 +0000 Life insurance sales in Hong Kong to mainland Chinese visitors surged 28-fold in the first quarter, as the reopening of the border unleashed a wave of pent-up demand, according to data from the Insurance Authority on Wednesday. Sales of policies to mainland visitors stood at HK$9.61 billion (US$1.23 billion) in the three months to March, compared with HK$345 million a year earlier, representing 20.5 per cent of overall sales in Hong Kong during the period. However, this fell short of the... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3222437/hong-kong-insurers-aia-hsbc-life-manulife-and-prudential-cash-first-quarter-sales-chinese-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3222437/hong-kong-insurers-aia-hsbc-life-manulife-and-prudential-cash-first-quarter-sales-chinese-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 May 2023 09:04:07 +0000 Credit Suisse owes former Georgia Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili hundreds of millions of dollars for failing to protect the billionaire’s money in a trust pilfered by a manager, a Singapore court ruled, the latest scandal for the Swiss bank whose years-long problems forced its takeover by a rival. Ivanishvili in 2004 put more than US$1.1 billion into a trust overseen by the bank’s Singapore subsidiary, Credit Suisse Trust Limited, and the employee managing the trust “misappropriated many... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3222048/singapore-court-rules-credit-suisse-owes-millions-billionaire-ex-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3222048/singapore-court-rules-credit-suisse-owes-millions-billionaire-ex-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2023 12:40:45 +0000 HSBC Life, the insurance arm of HSBC, has invested US$20 million to upgrade its technology and introduce a range of new medical insurance services for clients, with sales to mainland Chinese clients back to pre-pandemic levels, according to a senior executive. One of these improvements include slashing the time required for reimbursing online medical insurance claims from five days to just five minutes, starting from May 1, said Edward Moncreiffe, the insurer’s Hong Kong CEO. “It has taken away... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3220506/hsbc-lifes-us20-million-ai-investment-helps-shorten-insurance-claims-payment-time-5-minutes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3220506/hsbc-lifes-us20-million-ai-investment-helps-shorten-insurance-claims-payment-time-5-minutes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 May 2023 01:00:25 +0000 Marty Dou Zecheng takes a share of the lead into the final round AT&T Byron Nelson on Sunday, and said he was no more nervous than if he was playing on the Korn Ferry Tour. The Chinese golfer is at the top of a PGA Tour leader board after 54 holes for the first time in his career, having shot a seven-under-par 64 to sit at 16 under alongside Austin Eckroat and Ryan Palmer. There is plenty of work for the leading trio left to do, with world No 2 Scottie Scheffler among a group of four players two... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3220503/att-byron-nelson-chinas-dou-shares-pga-tour-lead-first-time-tied-top-palmer-eckroat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3220503/att-byron-nelson-chinas-dou-shares-pga-tour-lead-first-time-tied-top-palmer-eckroat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 May 2023 06:03:14 +0000 Chinese insurance stocks have emerged as new bets for traders, with the sector posting its best first-quarter result since 2018 amid increased demand for insurance products and better investment returns. A gauge of five insurers trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange has risen 22 per cent since the start of April, according to data compiler Shanghai DZH. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index has gained about 2 per cent in the same time span. The outperformance came after the five listed... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3219494/chinese-insurance-stocks-back-favour-after-sector-delivers-best-first-quarter-result-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3219494/chinese-insurance-stocks-back-favour-after-sector-delivers-best-first-quarter-result-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 08:00:09 +0000 Canadian insurer Manulife (International) wants to redomicile its Hong Kong unit in the city from Bermuda as it has big plans for expansion in the Greater Bay Area, according to its Hong Kong and Macau CEO, Patrick Graham. Manulife, which started its business in Hong Kong 126 years ago, is the city’s second-largest life insurer and largest pension provider. It also uses the city as its Asian headquarters, overseeing 13 markets with about 13 million customers in the region. The insurer and Hong... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3218033/insurer-manulife-wants-redomicile-hong-kong-unit-bermuda-back-city-tap-greater-bay-area-growth-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3218033/insurer-manulife-wants-redomicile-hong-kong-unit-bermuda-back-city-tap-greater-bay-area-growth-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Apr 2023 00:30:20 +0000 Hong Kong needs to follow Singapore’s example and offer more incentives to international insurers if it wants them to set up their regional headquarters in the city, according to proposals released by industry body Hong Kong Federation of Insurers (HKFI) on Friday. Currently, major insurers such as Munich Re, Swiss Re and Allianz have their regional headquarters in Singapore. “Singapore has been doing this for a number of years, with special tax treatments and a suite of incentives for insurers... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3216972/hong-kong-needs-offer-incentives-compete-singapore-bermuda-international-insurance-hub-hkfi-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3216972/hong-kong-needs-offer-incentives-compete-singapore-bermuda-international-insurance-hub-hkfi-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Apr 2023 23:30:17 +0000 The Aramco Team Series opened up for its third season last week in Singapore, with world No 1 Lydia Ko headlining the field. A tournament that places amateurs alongside professionals for two rounds, before the professionals battle it out on Saturday for the individual title, it has a prize fund of US$1 million on each of its five stops, making it one of the most lucrative competitions on the Ladies European Tour. A total of 26 amateurs, men and women, are invited to take part and the Post’s Josh... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3214044/teeing-professionals-aramco-team-series-highlights-gap-between-best-and-rest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3214044/teeing-professionals-aramco-team-series-highlights-gap-between-best-and-rest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Mar 2023 01:00:14 +0000 Resorts World Cruises, the new company set up by Malaysian billionaire Lim Kok Thay, believes the cruise passenger business in Hong Kong has a better chance of a quick recovery than its business hub rival Singapore. Resorts World launched the maiden voyage of the 13-deck Resorts World One from its home port of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong on Friday, following a glitzy event earlier in the day attended by the company’s top executives, local tourism officials and other partners. “In terms... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3213249/resorts-world-sees-quick-recovery-hong-kongs-passenger-cruise-market-it-eyes-local-mainland-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3213249/resorts-world-sees-quick-recovery-hong-kongs-passenger-cruise-market-it-eyes-local-mainland-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Mar 2023 07:58:51 +0000 Paris Fashion Week 2023 returned in February with brands debuting new womenswear collections. So far, celebrities have brought their style A-game to attend shows put on by Off-White and Loewe. Naomi Campbell rocked shoes decorated with balloons and Emily Ratajkowski wore a leaf-shaped top. Read on for a wrap of our favourite celebrity looks off the runways … 1. Noah Cyrus Noah Cyrus seemingly channelled Morticia Addams on the second day of Paris Fashion Week in a black gown with a lace peplum... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3212664/paris-fashion-week-2023-9-must-see-runway-celebrity-looks-marvel-star-jared-letos-monochrome-outfit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3212664/paris-fashion-week-2023-9-must-see-runway-celebrity-looks-marvel-star-jared-letos-monochrome-outfit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Mar 2023 16:10:11 +0000 People have been trying to dodge paying taxes since time immemorial, but globalisation has turned tax avoidance and evasion, as well as money laundering, into a lucrative business model. In the past few decades, offshore tax havens such as the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Cyprus and Ireland have enabled corporations and wealthy individuals to conceal profits and private wealth on an unprecedented scale. While quantifying how much wealth is stored in offshore tax havens is notoriously difficult, a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3210524/end-russia-enabling-global-tax-havens-save-western-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3210524/end-russia-enabling-global-tax-havens-save-western-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Feb 2023 06:00:08 +0000