The number of secondary school students diagnosed with mental illness in Hong Kong has doubled over the last five academic years, with the increase potentially under-reported due to reluctance among some pupils and parents to disclose health information, education authorities have said. The data aligns with a trend recorded by the Health Bureau showing a growing number of people...

Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has urged businesspeople to serve as the “main force” driving the city’s economic development by investing in innovation and the Northern Metropolis project, calling on them to demonstrate their patriotism through “concrete actions”. Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, also argued that people with “ulterior mo...

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. A judge-led panel investigating the causes of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, which killed 168 people in Tai Po, will begin its 12th day of evidential hearings on Wednesday. Representatives from the Fire Services Department and police ...

Hong Kong authorities should consider the impact of technological developments when drafting policies, observers have said, noting the government’s decision to halt plans for basketball betting reflected a lack of thorough discussion. Their remarks on Tuesday followed the government announcing the suspension over concerns about new “prediction market” gambling while warning that...

For Hong Kong’s 3.3 million PayMe users, everyday transactions such as buying coffee or splitting bills with friends could soon involve stablecoins, with HSBC preparing to introduce the digital currency in the second half of this year. That comes after HSBC Holdings, together with a Standard Chartered-led joint venture, became the first to obtain a stablecoin issuer licence from...