NHB will assess how the site can be developed even as Lee Hsien Yang says ‘no amount of sophistry’ can disguise his father’s demolition wish
2 -MIN READ 2 -MIN
Hong Kong economy grows 4.3% on strong external trade, resilient domestic demand
Hong Kong’s economy expanded by 4.3 per cent year on year in the second quarter of 2026, with the government expecting “solid growth” to continue for the remainder of the year.
A government spokesman attributed the robust momentum to buoyant external trade and resilient domestic demand.
“Looking ahead, the Hong Kong economy should continue to post solid growth in the second half of 2026,” the spokesman said on Friday.
“Vibrant global demand for artificial intelligence-related products should
HSBC to sell US$25b of Australian home loans to Blackstone at a loss of less than US$100m
HSBC Holdings has agreed to sell its US$25 billion Australian home loan portfolio to a unit of Blackstone , which is expected to result in an immaterial pre-tax loss of less than US$100 million for the group by the first half of 2027, according to a stock exchange filing on Friday.
The sale price was based on the portfolio’s value of A$36 billion (US$25 billion) as of the end of January, plus a premium related
China’s export success is a by-product of self-reliance
David Dodwell is CEO of the trade policy and international relations consultancy Strategic Access.
Not a day passes without someone in Europe or the United States complaining about China’s “overproduction” and “China shock 2.0” . The narrative is of a deliberate, subversive Chinese strategy, underpinned by subsidies, to undermine the manufacturing economies of the West and exert economic hegemony worldwide.
Inaccurate as the narrative may be, it is widely accepted and
Candidates taking DSE exams on mainland face 220% entry fee jump to HK$8,000
Students sitting Hong Kong’s university entrance exam in mainland China next year will pay a registration fee of HK$8,000 (US$1,020), a 220 per cent increase from the current HK$2,500 as a pilot scheme has ended.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) announced the fee adjustments for various exams on Friday, adding that local students would face a 4 per cent increase to sit each subject, with charges ranging
Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, July 2026
Chinese President Xi Jinping held discussions with the leaders of Slovakia and Namibia in Beijing during July, as well as meeting the heads of Cambodia, Thailand and Kazakhstan in Shanghai on the sidelines of the World AI Conference.Xi also hosted North Korean Premier Pak Thae‑song in Beijing following his state visit and meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June.So far this year, Xi has met with 26 national leaders, including US President Donald Trump. There may be three more...
Quake in Japan’s ‘Silicon Valley’ disrupts car, chip supply chains
The Kumamoto quake, which has killed at least 34 people, has stopped work in an area critical to Japan’s car and semiconductor industries
3 -MIN READ 3 -MIN
Hong Kong backtracks on requiring hotels to put fire escape hoods in rooms
Home Affairs Department says it will only encourage hotels to ensure supply of fire escape hoods in guest rooms, other spaces
2 -MIN READ 2 -MIN
Hong Kong authorities have backtracked on plans to require hotels to provide fire escape hoods in guest rooms and other spaces after industry leaders expressed concerns, and have said they will only encourage the equipment’s usage at this stage.
The Home Affairs Department said on Thursday evening that it would only encourage
Malaysian pilot arrested in Indonesia with 70,000 Ecstasy pills after drug-fuelled flight
A Malaysian pilot who tested positive for meth, MDMA, and cocaine after flying a passenger plane to Indonesia risked the death penalty for allegedly smuggling more than 70,000 Ecstasy tablets in his suitcase, officials said on Friday.
The 39-year-old pilot, identified only by his initials, MSO, was arrested on Wednesday at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport shortly after arriving from Kuala Lumpur.
The airport