The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Algernon Yau, said it's important for the city's retail, catering and hotel sectors to be adaptable and innovative - to attract a broader consumer base. Speaking on an RTHK programme on Saturday, he said the total number of visitors to Hong Kong last year surpassed 44 million, marking a 30 percen…

Chief Executive John Lee on Saturday wrapped up a visit to the harbourfront boardwalk in North Point to talk to Hongkongers – and managed to fit in an impromptu jog. The walkway – built under the Island Eastern Corridor – spans 2.2 kilometres in total. The section from Fortress Hill to North Point will open to the public on January 26. The boardwal…

A paediatrician has urged parents planning Lunar New Year travels with their kids to ensure their children get their flu jabs immediately, citing an increased risk of influenza-related complications following the pandemic. Speaking to reporters after appearing on a radio programme on Saturday, Dr Patrick Ip, from the University of Hong Kong's depar…

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho on Saturday said the government is confident of passing a law change this legislative session making serious misuse of public housing a crime. Under the proposed amendments to the Housing Ordinance, people who break the rules - such as subletting units or using them for business without living there - can face fines …

Three lawyers who once represented the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were jailed on Friday in Russia. Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin and Alexei Liptser were jailed from 3.5 to five years by a court in the town of Petushki, about 100 kilometres east of Moscow. They were arrested in October 2023 on charges of involvement with extremist g…

Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Friday said Hong Kong would see more opportunities than challenges this year. Speaking at a forum organised by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Chan said the city's economy saw improvements in the past year in areas like innovation and technology, while attracting enterprises and investment. The finance chie…

A concern group representing scaffolding workers on Friday said they opposed the idea of stopping the use of bamboo scaffolding in construction. A scaffolding collapse at a construction site in Kai Tak injured 11 workers earlier this week, sparking conversations about completely replacing bamboo with metal scaffolding. At a press conference on Frid…

Amad Diallo scored a sensational 12-minute hat-trick as Manchester United roared back to beat Premier League basement club Southampton 3-1, narrowly avoiding a humiliating fourth straight home defeat. The Ivory Coast international – United's standout player this season – levelled in the 82nd minute before putting the hosts ahead in the dying second…

Police on Thursday said a Hongkonger who was rescued after being trapped in Southeast Asia was forced to work 17 hours a day and beaten for not meeting targets. Officers said the victim, 25, was lured by a social media job advertisement offering HK$120,000 to transport diamonds from Thailand to Taiwan. After arriving in Bangkok last October, he was…

Hong Kong Disneyland said on Thursday that it’s pleased with the theme park’s performance last year in terms of visitor numbers and revenue, and expects it to continue doing very well this year. The theme park’s vice president for communications and public affairs, Anita Lai, said the new 'World of Frozen' attraction, which opened in November 2023,…

Israel on Thursday accused Hamas of backtracking on parts of the Gaza ceasefire deal announced a day earlier, and said the cabinet will not meet on the deal until Hamas's agreement is confirmed. "Hamas has reneged on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions," Prime Minister Benjamin…

Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Thursday said Hong Kong is the most preferred platform for mainland enterprises to expand their business overseas, as Tencent-backed digital lender WeBank opened a Hong Kong headquarters for its new tech arm. Speaking at the inauguration and signing ceremony for WeBank Technology, Chan said the city's financial tech…

China on Thursday said it welcomed a ceasefire agreement in Gaza between Israel and the Hamas militant group, vowing "unremitting efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East". "We also sincerely hope that relevant parties will take the ceasefire in Gaza as an opportunity to promote the easing of regional tensions," Foreign Ministry sp…

Police say they believe they have caught one of four people who raided a jewellery store in Sheung Shui on Wednesday evening and the man, 23, will be charged with robbery. Jewellery worth HK$1.5 million was stolen from a shop on San Fung Avenue by a group of people wielding knives and hammers who escaped in a private car, officers said. Weapons bel…

Blue Origin, the space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, launched its massive New Glenn rocket for the first time early on Thursday. The rocket, whose inaugural mission had been delayed by several years, blasted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. The mission is seen as critical to Blue Origin's efforts to compete with…

A charity concert is set to take place on Saturday at Kai Tak Sports Park, marking the main stadium's inaugural non-sporting event, with authorities saying it will serve as a test to simulate the logistics for future large-scale performances at the venue. Authorities said approximately 18,000 spectators will attend, with about 4,000 gathering on th…

South Korea's arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol does not intend to take part in a second day of questioning on Thursday, his lawyer said, further stonewalling a criminal probe into whether he committed insurrection with his martial law bid. Yoon, the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested, was taken to the Seoul Detention Centre on Wedn…

President Joe Biden urged Americans on Wednesday to "stand guard" against threats from oligarchs, disinformation and AI in a future under Donald Trump as he delivered a dark farewell address ahead of stepping down next week. Biden, who will be succeeded by Trump on Monday, touted his achievements in steering the US economy out of the deep crisis in…

Crowds of Gazans chanted and embraced on Wednesday as news spread that a ceasefire and hostage release deal had been reached between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in the Palestinian territory. After a US official and a source close to the negotiations first revealed the agreement, Israel cautioned that several points "…