Publication
CANADA AND CHINA HIT RESET ON RELATIONS
China and Canada have agreed to remove the triple-digit tariffs imposed on each other’s imports – a major thaw in relations after years of icy diplomatic and trade ties – as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrapped up his state visit in...
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TAI PO BLAZE TOPS AGENDA AS NEW LAWMAKERS START WORK
Hong Kong’s newly elected lawmakers, many of them fresh faces on the political scene, held their first meeting yesterday, with officials pledging to address policy gaps exposed by the deadly Tai Po inferno, from tightening oversight of maintenance...
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CHINA, E.U. STEP CLOSER TO SETTLING E.V. DISPUTE
Beijing and Brussels yesterday announced a milestone in resolving their years-long trade dispute over Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), with the European Union (EU) releasing guidance set to address the countervailing tariffs it levied in 2024. The...
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CHAN CONFIRMS EARLY RETURN TO SURPLUS AS MARKET SURGES
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has confirmed the city will achieve an early operating account surplus thanks to strong financial market performance and increased stock trading stamp duty revenue, as he addressed calls for more welfare measures for...
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HANG SENG BANK INVESTORS APPROVE US$14b HSBC BUYOUT
Hong Kong’s banking sector began a new chapter yesterday as Hang Seng Bank shareholders approved HSBC Holdings’ bid to take the lender private in a deal worth nearly US$14 billion. The proposal, under which HSBC offered shareholders HK$155 a share –...
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Questions over US plans as Maduro appears in court
Abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro faced narcoterrorism and weapons charges during his first appearance in a US court on Monday, as questions swirl over Washington’s transition plans amid contradictory statements by members of US President...
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MADURO IN U.S. COURT AS TRUMP LAYS OUT PLANS
Abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was transported by helicopter yesterday morning to a New York federal court to face charges of narcoterrorism and illegal weapons possession as the world grappled with the implications of the Trump...
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NEW ERA OF BRAZEN U.S. MILITARY MIGHT
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were transported to New York by helicopter, ship and plane within hours of their capture for arraignment in a US federal court as the world woke up yesterday to a new era of brazen American...
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MADURO ‘CAPTURED’ AS U.S. STRIKES CARACAS
Military strikes targeted Venezuela’s capital before dawn yesterday, with explosions shaking Caracas as US President Donald Trump claimed the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife had been captured and flown out during the operation. The...
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LEE SPELLS OUT PRIORITIES FOR NEW INTAKE OF LAWMAKERS
Newly elected lawmakers should be “representatives of the public” rather than mere commentators, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said after their swearing-in, warning against “soft resistance” and acts that stir conflicts under the guise of...
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LEE ISSUES NEW YEAR VOW TO IMPROVE LIVELIHOODS IN 2026
Tens of thousands of residents and tourists packed Central and Tsim Sha Tsui to usher in the new year, as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged to improve livelihoods and strengthen innovation and technology-driven growth in 2026. In his new year...
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WANG YI IN CALL FOR REVAMPED U.S. LINKS
Top diplomat Wang Yi called yesterday for a new paradigm for engagement with the United States, emphasising the need for stable, cooperative ties while firmly defending what he described as China’s core interests, particularly Taiwan. During a speech...
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FIRM TO BE SET UP FOR METROPOLIS’ INDUSTRIAL PARK
The government will set up a dedicated company to run a huge industrial park in Hung Shui Kiu and launch a six-month tender for a pilot area within the zone, offering incentives to encourage bids as part of an initiative to accelerate development of...
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PAUL CHAN OPTIMISTIC ABOUT 2026 OUTLOOK
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has struck an upbeat tone about the city’s economic outlook for 2026, while forecasting that growth this year will accelerate to 3.2 per cent, surpassing earlier projections. Chan said the optimistic outlook was...
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10% RISE IN CHRISTMAS VISITORS, WHILE TRIPS OUT SURGE BY 22%
Hong Kong received 10 per cent more visitors during the Christmas period compared with last year, while residents made nearly 1.7 million outbound trips, a 22 per cent increase from 2024. Ahead of New Year’s Eve, the retail sector also expressed...
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CHARGING BOOST FOR MAINLAND CARS IN CITY
More chargers compatible with mainland electric vehicles will be made available in Hong Kong as demand grows, the transport chief has said, after the first batch of drivers from Guangdong province entering the city’s urban areas under a new scheme...
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WORK ON BRIDGE STARTS AS LEE OPENS HK SIDE OF TECH ZONE
Construction has begun on a bridge linking technology parks in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu yesterday inaugurated the city’s side of the major cross-border innovation hub. At the opening ceremony for the Hong Kong side...
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Long-awaited bypass opens to traffic
The long-awaited Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass opened yesterday and is expected to slash peak-hour travel times between West and East Kowloon by 80 per cent, with Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po saying it and other planned...
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City seeks to replace fire towers owners’ committee
Hong Kong authorities are seeking to dissolve the management committee of the Wang Fuk Court owners’ corporation and appoint a new administrator for the residential estate, in an unprecedented move following the city’s deadliest fire in...
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Cleared for take-off
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu yesterday examines the cockpit of an aircraft at the launch ceremony of the Aircraft Engineering Training Centre organised by the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy and the Elior Group at the airport. Lee said the...
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Aircraft dismantling firm calls for more support
A French aeronautical services company planning to set up Hong Kong’s first aircraft dismantling business has called on the government to support the new industry with measures such as tax breaks, as it launched its training programme for local...
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XI OFFERS ‘STRONG SUPPORT’ FOR CITY’S EFFORTS AFTER LAI TRIAL
President Xi Jinping has expressed his “strong support” for the Hong Kong government and the judiciary in exercising their duty to safeguard national security following the conviction of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in a landmark national...
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JIMMY LAI FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS
The High Court found former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying guilty on all charges in his national security trial yesterday, ruling that he had used his tabloid newspaper and international connections to push for foreign intervention and sanctions...
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WARNING AGAINST JAPANESE MILITARISM AT NANKING EVENT
A top official has warned against moves to revive Japanese militarism as China held its annual national commemoration of the Nanking massacre amid tense ties with Tokyo. Speaking at a memorial ceremony in Nanjing yesterday, Shi Taifeng, head of the...
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ELECTORAL COMMISSION HEAD TO LEAD FIRE INVESTIGATION
Judge David Lok Kai-hong, who chairs the Electoral Affairs Commission, will lead an independent review committee set up by the government to investigate the Tai Po fire that killed at least 160 people. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said yesterday...
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Strong demand as first Chinese medicine hospital opens
Hong Kong’s first Chinese medicine hospital has opened its doors to patients, with subsidised general outpatient services for the first month fully booked, prompting the facility to add extra slots to meet demand. The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong...
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Authorities, professional bodies step up fire probes
Hong Kong authorities and professional bodies have stepped up investigations into the city’s deadliest fire in decades and have started taking disciplinary action against any parties found to have breached regulations, the Post has learned. The probes...
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Lawmakers vow utmost effort to aid fire recovery
Newly elected and outgoing Hong Kong lawmakers have met the media jointly for the first time, pledging to work closely with the government in the aftermath of the deadly Tai Po fire, with the Legislative Council president urging them to communicate and...
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TAI PO TRAGEDY FIRST TEST FOR LAWMAKERS
New and younger faces who will fill nearly half of the 90 seats following the second “patriots-only” Legislative Council election now face the immediate task of tackling the aftermath of the deadly Tai Po inferno, including the policy gaps it exposed...
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SYSTEMIC REFORM THE FOCUS OF NEW LEGCO
An estimated 31.4 per cent of voters had cast their ballots by 10.30pm yesterday in the second Legislative Council election under a “patriots-only” system, beating the record low turnout of 2021 in a sombre poll held just 12 days after the tragic fire...
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‘We need more time to remove the nets’
Contractors were racing to tear down scaffolding nets used for renovations at estates to meet yesterday’s government deadline imposed in the wake of the deadly Tai Po fire, but companies handling work at 55 blocks admitted they would need more...
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China and France to cooperate on nuclear issues
China and France have vowed to expand cooperation on nuclear issues and global challenges as French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up his three-day visit yesterday. The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to “promoting the safe development of...
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SCAFFOLD NETS COME DOWN ACROSS CITY
Construction firms began removing scaffold netting from buildings across Hong Kong yesterday to meet a three-day government-imposed deadline following the city’s deadliest blaze in decades. Authorities also doubled a living allowance for households at...
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NETTING ORDERED DOWN AT 200 BUILDINGS
Authorities have ordered scaffold netting to be removed at about 200 locations by Saturday after suspected false safety certificates were found at two building sites following the Tai Po inferno that claimed 159 lives. A week after the city’s worst...
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JUDGE TO LEAD BLAZE PROBE
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has ordered the setting up of a judge-led independent review committee on the blaze that engulfed a Tai Po residential estate while formally announcing that the Legislative Council election will go ahead on Sunday as...
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Substandard netting found on blaze buildings
Investigators have found substandard protective nets that were not flame retardant, deliberately concealed by the contractors responsible for renovation work, at the high-rise blocks where Hong Kong’s worst inferno in seven decades devastated a Tai Po...
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IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN
Hong Kong began a three-day official mourning period yesterday for victims of the city’s deadliest blaze in decades as residents queued at the site of the tragedy and various halls to pay their respects, penning tributes and laying flowers. For the...
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CITY IN MOURNING
For THREE DAYS until Monday, national and Hong Kong flags at all government buildings and facilities will fly at half-mast in honour of the Tai Po fire victims as the death toll from the blaze climbs to 128 with the fate of 200 others still...
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A CITY IN GRIEF BUT UNITED
The death toll in Hong Kong’s worst fire in seven decades climbed to 83 yesterday as many remained missing and a grief-stricken city rallied as one with authorities, private companies, charities and ordinary folks donating hundreds of millions to the...
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36 DEAD, 279 MISSING
At least 36 people including a firefighter were killed and 279 are still missing after a ferocious blaze ravaged a housing estate in Tai Po yesterday, as scorching flames engulfed bamboo scaffolding and ripped through seven residential blocks. Some 29...
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BEIJING SAYS ‘POSITIVE’ XI-TRUMP CALL WAS INITIATED BY THE U.S.
The United States initiated the phone call between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Beijing said yesterday, describing the conversation on Monday as “positive”. “According to my understanding, the call was initiated by...
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HK, JAPAN TIES ‘MUST RESPECT’ THE NATION
All official exchanges between Hong Kong and Japan should respect the dignity of the Chinese nation and align with the interests of Hongkongers, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said as he questioned the effectiveness of such interactions amid a...
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GBA’s Olympics hopes given big boost
The Greater Bay Area’s hopes of one day hosting an Olympics were given a major boost by former IOC president Thomas Bach yesterday, after he told Hong Kong and the region to “go for it”. Bach, who was president of the International Olympic Committee...
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First Legco poll forums focus on livelihood issues
The first two government-run Legislative Council election forums have been held with livelihood issues emerging as a key focus, with candidates highlighting their own platforms and ideas while largely refraining from questioning one another too...
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All 161 Legco hopefuls cleared to run in election
All 161 hopefuls eyeing a seat in Hong Kong’s second “patriots-only” legislature have been cleared to contest by a vetting panel, with an unprecedented 39 election forums organised by the government set to kick off today as the city goes into full...
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GBA’S FUTURE AT HEART OF GAMES OPENING
President Xi Jinping opened the 15th National Games in Guangzhou yesterday on a night filled with symbolism and heavy on emphasising the role the Greater Bay Area will play in the country’s future. As might be expected from an opening ceremony at a...
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Co-host Hong Kong embraces pivotal Games role
The National Games officially opens in Guangzhou today, but Hong Kong is already well into its role as co-host and a pivotal centre for the action and organisation over the next two weeks. Tens of thousands of athletes, officials and tourists are...
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FUJIAN ENTERS SERVICE IN MAJOR LEAP
China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, entered into service on Wednesday at a grand ceremony in Sanya, Hainan province, according to state media reports yesterday. The Fujian is China’s most advanced warship and its first aircraft carrier to be...
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161 ENTER LEGCO CONTEST AS NOMINATIONS CLOSE
A total of 161 aspirants with a younger profile are competing for 90 seats in the second “patriots-only” Legislative Council election, marking a nearly 5 per cent increase over the last poll and leaving no slot uncontested. As the two-week nomination...
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LI PLEDGES FURTHER OPENING OF ECONOMY
Premier Li Qiang has pledged to further open the country’s vast consumer market to international businesses after Beijing and Washington reached a significant trade deal that was expected to help restore normality to global supply chains. Addressing...
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VICE-PREMIER VOWS SUPPORT FOR HK’S FINANCIAL HUB ROLE
Vice-Premier He Lifeng has vowed continued support for Hong Kong in bolstering its role as an international financial centre, while Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu promised stability and certainty for global investors seeking to diversify their assets...
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NEW MEASURES SET TO MAKE BORDER CROSSINGS QUICKER
Hongkongers will be able to use facial recognition fast lanes at more mainland checkpoints, while professionals from additional regions across the border will be granted longer stays in the city under new policies announced by immigration authorities...
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CITY ATHLETES TAKE UP TORCH IN RUN-UP TO NATIONAL GAMES
Hong Kong joined Macau and two Guangdong cities yesterday in marking the run-up to the National Games with torch relays featuring top athletes, business leaders and community members, as Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui...
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SHENZHEN PICKED AS APEC HOST ‘TO SHOW OPENNESS’
China’s decision to host next year’s Apec summit in the innovation hub of Shenzhen reflects Beijing’s “resolve to uphold openness”, according to analysts. Highlighting the city’s spectacular growth over the past few decades, President Xi Jinping...
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XI IN CALL FOR SUPPLY CHAIN STABILITY
President Xi Jinping yesterday urged world leaders to ensure the stability of supply chains, saying countries should be “joining hands” instead of “breaking chains”, as he pointed to growing uncertainty in the Asia-Pacific. According to state news...
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LEADERS AGREE TRADE WAR TRUCE
China and the United States have agreed to de-escalate their trade war, putting a pause on many thorny issues while making breakthroughs on soybean purchases and fentanyl tariffs. US President Donald Trump hailed the meeting with President Xi Jinping...
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Residents sweep graves despite virus risk
Grave sweepers at a major Hong Kong cemetery have taken preventive measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites, determined to pay their respects to ancestors for the Chung Yeung Festival despite visiting an area near the city’s first reported...
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Ancient Egyptian treasures
Reporters, photographers and videographers gather around to view and capture images of the Striding Statue of Merenptah at the Hong Kong Palace Museum yesterday, as the special exhibition opened its doors to the media. The 2.4-metre-tall statue...
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U.S. URGED TO ‘MEET HALFWAY’ TO FIX TIES
China and the United States should “meet each other halfway” to solve disputes via dialogue instead of exerting pressure, Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi told his US counterpart Marco Rubio in a phone call yesterday. “Healthy, stable and sustainable”...
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CONSENSUS PAVES WAY FOR XI-TRUMP TALKS
China and the United States yesterday agreed to a preliminary framework deal after two days of talks in Kuala Lumpur, signalling a de-escalation of tensions in the lead-up to a potential meeting between the presidents of the world’s two largest...
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IT’S TIME FOR ME TO PASS THE TORCH, REGINA IP DECLARES
Veteran politician and senior government adviser Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has announced that she will not seek another term in the coming Legislative Council election, bringing her 17-year stint as a lawmaker to a close. The 75-year-old chairwoman of the...
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CHINA TO ADDRESS RISKS AND INJECT ECONOMIC ‘CERTAINTY’
In the face of an increasingly turbulent world, China will employ “strategic proactiveness” as it addresses growing risks and challenges, senior officials said at a press conference yesterday detailing the country’s priorities under its next five-year...
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LEADERS SET COURSE FOR NEW ERA OF ECONOMIC RESILIENCE
After a meeting of China’s political leadership setting the tone for policymaking over the next five years, warnings of “raging storms” and growing uncertainties joined declarations of confidence in the nation’s economic resilience, as Beijing vowed to...
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U.S. SOFTWARE CURBS COULD CRIPPLE HK’S AVIATION SECTOR
Hong Kong’s aviation industry will suffer greatly if the United States slaps export curbs on American-made critical software to the city, experts have warned. The sector relied heavily on this technology, making it nearly impossible to find...
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NORTH RUNWAY REOPENS AS JET SALVAGE GOES ON
Hong Kong airport’s north runway has reopened but will remain on standby to support week-long efforts to salvage a crashed cargo plane that veered off its path and killed two security workers when it struck their vehicle. Monday’s incident was the...
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PROBE LAUNCHED INTO FATAL AIRPORT CRASH
Weather and runway conditions at Hong Kong airport were suitable for normal operations when a cargo plane veered off the runway early yesterday and ploughed into the sea, killing two people in a security vehicle, authorities said as they launched an...
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FIRM SEEKS LAND FOR AIRCRAFT PARTS HUB
City authorities are in talks with a leading French aeronautical services company about the allocation of land to develop Hong Kong into Asia’s first aircraft parts processing and trading centre, with the firm set to start training classes in two...
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Jockey Club hails Ka Ying Rising’s ‘phenomenal’ win
Hong Kong’s Ka Ying Rising cemented his place as racing’s best sprinter with a dominant victory in the world’s richest turf race, The Everest, in Sydney yesterday, a moment trainer David Hayes called “the biggest thrill in my life”. The five-year-old...
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Alibaba, Ant buy 13 floors of new tower
Alibaba Group Holding and Ant Group have agreed to pay HK$7.2 billion to buy the top floors of a Causeway Bay office tower that Mandarin Oriental International is building on the site of The Excelsior hotel, marking Hong Kong’s largest property...
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VITAL NEXT LEGCO KEEPS COOPERATING, LEE SAYS
The next Legislative Council should remain united and cooperate with the government to demonstrate “effective democracy” and the “perfect partnership of patriots”, while adopting both national and international perspectives to address Hong Kong’s...
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City welcomes 36m visitors in first nine months
Hong Kong received 36 million visitors in the first three quarters of this year, a 12 per cent increase year on year, with strong growth in the number of visitors coming from Japan, Taiwan and Australia. According to provisional figures announced by...
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Seeing red in fan frenzy
Hong Kong football fans, out in force, roar on their side during the Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh at Kai Tak Stadium last night. A crowd of nearly 45,500 created a pulsating atmosphere for the Group C match that ended in a 1-1 draw and the...
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CHINESE EXPORTS REBOUND IN SEPTEMBER
China’s exports rebounded in September after hitting a sixmonth low in August, supported by recovering overseas demand and front-loading ahead of the “super golden week” holiday – though the latest flare-up with the United States over the weekend has...
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U.S. URGED TO ‘CORRECT ITS WRONG ACTIONS’
China has urged the United States to “promptly correct its wrong actions” and put talks between the two countries back on track, following the White House’s threat to heap more tariffs on Chinese goods. “Since the China-US economic and trade talks in...
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