Finance news

Are HSBC shares set for a turnover bump owing to Hong Kong’s board-lot reform?

Brokers expect HSBC Holdings, a staple in the portfolios of Hongkongers, to see a large increase in interest from both local and international investors, as the stock’s minimum trading unit is set to change as part of the stock exchange’s board-lot reform process. Investors have long sought the change for the stock – known as a “widow and orphan” stock, as it pays a high dividend while bearing low risk – because its 400-share lot put it out of reach for many. At that level, retail investors had.

UK deal to serve as testing ground for India’s Western trade ambitions

India’s free-trade agreement with the United Kingdom will take effect on Wednesday, offering businesses on both sides immediate tariff relief while giving New Delhi an early test of the concessions, compliance demands and implementation challenges it may face in future deals with other Western powers. UK exports in sectors such as luxury vehicles and spirits are expected to benefit, while Indian textiles and leather products will gain as the agreement eliminates tariffs on 99 per cent of exports

Oil prices rise, stock futures dip after latest flare-up of strikes between U.S. and Iran

Oil prices rose and U.S. stock-index futures slipped on Sunday, after the U.S. and Iran continued their tit-for-tat attacks around the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.

US military says it has launched more strikes against Iran

The US military said it has launched another round of strikes against Iran “to degrade their ability to attack commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz”. The strikes, which took place overnight on Sunday into Monday, came after attacks by the US military on Sunday morning in response to an Iranian strike on a container ship in the critical waterway the day before. Iran responded to those strikes by attacking Gulf Arab states in an escalating cycle of violence that left the...

McConnell breaks silence on his health, says a fall led to hospitalisation

US Senator Mitch McConnell on Sunday revealed for the first time that a fall led to his hospitalisation, breaking the silence about his condition after weeks of mounting speculation about the Kentucky Republican’s health. McConnell, 84, said in a statement that he has undergone a battery of tests as doctors try to determine what led to his fall. He explained the long silence about his condition by saying that “folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with...

Hong Kong developers ready new home launches amid forecasts of muted price increases

Some of Hong Kong’s largest developers, including Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) and Wheelock Properties, are set to release new units in residential projects this month amid an expected cooling of price increases. SHKP, the city’s largest developer in terms of market capitalisation, released the price list for 120 units at its Garden Regency project in Kam Tin North in the New Territories on Tuesday. With maximum discounts of 16 per cent, the flats, ranging between 289 sq ft and 412 sq ft in...

Big Oil’s War-Related Profits Anger Governments

Supermajors are set to report bumper profits for the second quarter thanks to the surge in oil and gas prices, driven higher by the hostilities between the United States, Israel, and Iran. This is a problem for governments—notably the Trump administration, but politicians in Europe are angry at Big Oil’s good fortune again. Oil prices soared fourfold earlier this year after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran prompted the latter to shut traffic via the Strait of Hormuz—something Tehran had been thr

McConnell provides health update after long unexplained absence; says he suffered fall, pneumonia

McConnell is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history.

Wu Shicun on why Beijing will not rule out Scarborough Shoal construction

Wu Shicun is the founding president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies and chairman of the Huayang Centre for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance. In this interview, the first in a series about the South China Sea dispute, he discusses ways Beijing can respond to rival claimants. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. With Manila intensifying its “transparency” campaign, how does China view the...

How Hong Kong can draw line under the 2019-20 protests and move forward

Hong Kong needs to give some serious and creative thought as to how best we, as a community, are going to draw a line under the events of the 2019-20 protest movement. That this was a serious and sad episode in our history cannot be denied or avoided. Thousands of well-meaning ordinary individuals joined public demonstrations, many for the first time in their lives. Whatever the flaws of the government’s extradition legislation and undoubted missteps in its political execution, and however...

+++ Iran War +++: USA launches further attacks on Iran

According to the USA, the Strait of Hormuz remains open - US forces should ensure passage +++ Iran reports new explosions on the southern coast +++ Talks about the Strait of Hormuz end without a breakthrough +++ The news blog.

+++ Football World Cup 2026 +++: Klopp will apparently meet Mintzlaff at the end of the week

England and Argentina reach the second semi-final +++ English beat Norway in the quarter-finals, Argentinians defeat Switzerland +++ The World Cup blog.

Cambodia's democracy died slowly after Kem Ley's murder

Japan's smaller businesses exit China on economic, political risks

Thailand's oldest bank turns to virtual banking for growth

Uruguay’s Offshore Oil Province Could Be Bigger Than Vaca Muerta

Companies are gearing up for exploration drilling in deepwater blocks offshore Uruguay in the hope that the South Atlantic margin offshore South America could hold a lot of oil, similar to the recent discoveries offshore Namibia in Africa. Uruguay, with a limited exploration drilling history of three wells spudded, all dry, has attracted the interest of many international companies that look to find the next billion-barrel oil province. Companies including Shell, Chevron, Eni, APA, QatarEnergy,

German man charged with kidnapping after supermarket hostage incident in Berlin

German authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a 29-year-old man who is accused of holding a woman hostage in a Berlin supermarket for more than 11 hours over the weekend. The man was charged on Sunday with kidnapping for ransom, in conjunction with attempted aggravated extortion and dangerous bodily harm. The man allegedly took the female supermarket employee hostage and threatened her inside a shop in Berlin’s southern Marienfelde neighbourhood on Friday evening shortly after 10pm local.

Who will replace Lindsey Graham in the Senate?

South Carolina GOP Rep. Nancy Mace and Gov. Henry McMaster are among the first to be floated for the Senate seat vacated by Lindsey Graham.

At least 27 dead after fire breaks out at Bangkok pub

A huge fire engulfed a pub in Bangkok early on Monday morning, killing at least 27 people before firefighters brought the blaze under control, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told local media. Footage shared online by first responders shows a huge blaze raging at the pub in the northern part of the Thai capital. Local media identified ⁠the venue as Rong Beer ⁠Na Lat Phrao in the Chatuchak district, described by Sky News as ‌a popular ‌local venue. People are seen trying to flee the building..

You don’t have to be rich to be financially independent. Here’s how to take control of your money.

Relying on a high salary or a hot stock is a dangerous trap. Why the most secure people plan for sudden crisis.

Parts of UK at ‘exceptional’ risk of wildfires as heatwave goes on

Parts of the United Kingdom are at “exceptional” risk of wildfires as the heatwave continues, experts have warned. Areas in southern England and the Midlands are highlighted as being at highest risk, according to Natural England. Its fire severity index shows the area of “exceptional” risk is set to increase and spread to the South East and east of England by the middle of the week while most of the rest of England and Wales is deemed to be of “very high” risk over the coming days. The Met...

starting invest - opinion about etfs

Hello, I recently sold my apartment for a good profit, so I now have around €200,000 in cash that I'm planning to invest for the long term. My goal is to retire a few years earlier than expected and build enough wealth for both myself and my kids, so that by around 2045–2050 I can live at least partly from my investments. After doing some research, I've become quite interested in ETFs. My current plan is to make Amundi Prime All Country World (WEBN) (IE0003XJA0J9) my core holding, allocating aro

The dilema of investing vs saving for a house in your 20s

I am a 24 soon to be 25M based in Germany, earning currently around 3K net per month. I am quite lucky in many ways that i can spare almost 50% of that every month (so around 1.5K). Over the last 6 months, I have finally begun my ETF-investment journey and have been putting all of these savings into a world index fund for my future. However, I still see perhaps psychological stability with owning a place one day, but since I have no clue when or even if I will be trying to buy one, I began fully

Is the AI Bubble About to Burst?

Artificial Intelligence has grown in popularity over the past five years, from something consumers only knew from sci-fi movies to a widely used technology. Many companies are now using AI in some form, and it has become part of everyday life for many consumers, with AI services integrated into internet search engines, phone applications, and other daily interactions. However, as AI is deployed at a faster pace, it is becoming clear that the technology cannot be used as extensively as tech compa

Graham’s death complicates myriad GOP goals in Congress

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly at 71.

Financial planning: Now the fact that there is no climate money is taking its toll

The finance minister is tapping into the climate fund for his budget. This postponement damages trust in politics.

Japan's Mitsui Fudosan to build $1.4bn rental lab complex in central London

More people in Japan to skip summer travel as rising costs pinch budgets

EU consumer law — paid €7,500 for a "guaranteed internship + Master" programme; provider now admits in writing it's neither. Refund refused. What are my options?

I'm an EU-based consumer. I enrolled in an online programme run by an Italian company (private company, not a university) marketed as a professional fellowship. Key facts, all documented: What was advertised (brochure + website + contract): A "guaranteed paid internship within a UN specialized agency" (stated 4+ times) Referred to as a "Master" in the official Terms & Conditions ("Challenge of the Master") "Cutting-edge", "interactive modules", "specialized training", "goes beyond theory" What w

2 dead in shooting at Toronto music festival, police searching for suspects

Police in Canada were searching on Sunday for the suspect or suspects involved in a shooting at a Latino music festival in Toronto that left two people dead and four others seriously injured. “Police are continuing their investigation at the scene,” City Councillor Josh Matlow said on social media, alluding to the attack on Saturday night. The final day of the Salsa on St Clair festival, Sunday, was cancelled, he added. According to initial reports gathered on Saturday evening, “there was an...