Development chief hails ‘diversified’ consortium in Northern Metropolis pilot bid
Hong Kong’s development chief has welcomed collaboration between property developers and industry operators in bids for the Northern Metropolis pilot project, saying the consortium reflected diversity and the government’s aim of pairing the two sectors.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho made the remarks on Saturday despite the government only receiving two bids for the flagship Hung Shui Kiu project when the tender closed a day earlier.
Henderson Land Development submitted a stand-alone bid, while Sino Land partnered with five companies: China Merchants Land, China Resources
Boy, 16, in a critical condition after fall through school classroom window
A 16-year-old boy remains in a critical condition with a suspected brain haemorrhage after he was believed to have been knocked from behind by a classmate while climbing through a classroom window at his school, the South China Morning Post has learned.
The Education Bureau said on Saturday that it was “deeply concerned” about the incident, which occurred the previous day, and that the school involved would provide support for the boy’s parents and other students.
Police said they received a report shortly before 3pm
Pope visits Africa-Europe crossing as anti-migrant policies rise in US, EU
Pope Leo on Saturday visited Italy’s Lampedusa island, a major port of call for migrants risking the perilous crossing from Africa, in a stark message to US and EU leaders.
The Catholic Church’s first US pope, who has clashed with the administration of President Donald Trump over its treatment of migrants, is marking July 4, the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, on a migration frontline.
Leo’s visit also comes just two weeks after the European Union’s approval of new
Wang Fuk Court administrator to hold crucial owners’ meeting on July 19
The government-appointed administrator of Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court will hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) with owners of the flats on July 19, ending months of delays.
In a notice issued on Saturday, Hop On Management Company said it would host the meeting simultaneously via live broadcast across four locations for owners of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po – the site of Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades, which killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000
Blaming China won’t bring jobs back to ‘post-industrial’ economies
Anthony Rowley is a veteran journalist specialising in Asian economic and financial affairs.
Top Chinese influencer sells pricey courses after government live-streaming ban
A top social media agency in mainland China, suspended from business operations two years ago for selling fake Hong Kong brand mooncakes, is back in the spotlight for selling live-streaming courses.
Three Sheep Network, based in eastern Anhui province, boasts top influencers Zhang Qingyan and Zhang Kaiyang, who are twin brothers.
The former, better known as Crazy Younger Brother Yang, has 95 million followers, a big drop from his more than 10
Currency advantages, K-beauty fuel Chinese shopping trips, spending in Korea
When Chelsea Wang travelled to Seoul with two friends in late April, they barely visited any of the city’s palaces or tourist attractions.
Wang arrived with a shopping list of her own: a backpack she estimated would cost at least 500 yuan ($70) less than in China, and a bottle of perfume at a similar discount.
One of her friends, Wu, a 28-year-old white-collar
‘We won’t tolerate this’: thousands in Germany protest against far-right AfD
Thousands of opponents of Germany’s far-right AfD took to the streets of Erfurt on Saturday and blocked roads to the party’s annual conference ahead of regional elections that could see it take power at state level for the first time.
Protesters from unions, civil society groups and left-wing parties gathered as large numbers of police, including reinforcements from across Germany, were deployed ahead of the AfD’s two-day annual conference. AfD stands for Alternative for Germany.
Watched by police in riot gear
2 wet lab buildings at Hong Kong Hetao innovation hub fully leased in first phase
The first phase of Hong Kong’s Hetao innovation hub, a key cross-border initiative under the Northern Metropolis megaproject, has been well received, with two of its wet laboratory buildings fully leased, its chairman has revealed.
Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi Kit-ming, who also chairs the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, said on Saturday that more than half of the tenant companies were from mainland China.
“As of the end of May
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef avoids ‘in danger’ listing by Unesco
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a major tourism drawcard, has avoided being listed as endangered despite the United Nations reporting “utmost concern” about mass coral bleaching and the impact of climate change.
Canberra welcomed on Saturday the draft decision by Unesco to maintain the World Heritage status of the 2,300km-long (1,426-mile) reef stretching along the coast of Queensland state.
Unesco has been monitoring the reef annually since 2021, when it warned it was at