Business — 429 insights
Hong Kong residential property upturn drives recovery in office, retail: Morgan Stanley
Business

Hong Kong residential property upturn drives recovery in office, retail: Morgan Stanley

Hong Kong’s property market is poised for a broad-based recovery as a strong upturn in the residential segment spills over to the struggling office and retail sectors, according to analysts. Morgan Stanley upgraded its forecast for the city’s home pr…

India PM Modi’s party takes control of West Bengal in key state election
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India PM Modi’s party takes control of West Bengal in key state election

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party on Monday wrested control of the state of West Bengal, an opposition stronghold, in a key election. The Election Commission of India released partial results showing the Bharatiya J…

Beautician convicted of blackmailing ‘cash machine’ ex-lover for HK$2.6 million
Business

Beautician convicted of blackmailing ‘cash machine’ ex-lover for HK$2.6 million

A Hong Kong court has convicted a beautician of exposing her former boyfriend’s identity by uploading the couple’s photos online as part of a blackmail plot, threatening the married man she was having an affair with to pay her HK$2.6 million (US$331…

China says to ignore US sanctions even as Trump visit nears
Business

China says to ignore US sanctions even as Trump visit nears

China ordered companies to ignore US sanctions against five oil refiners accused of buying Iranian crude, an unprecedented pushback against American financial measures less than two weeks before a presidential summit. The US action “violates internat…

US Supreme Court restores access to abortion pill mifepristone
Business

US Supreme Court restores access to abortion pill mifepristone

The Supreme Court on Monday restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a ruling that had threatened to upend one of the main ways abortion is provided across the nation. The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito temporarily allo…

Singapore, New Zealand sign world’s first bilateral treaty to protect essential trade
Business

Singapore, New Zealand sign world’s first bilateral treaty to protect essential trade

Singapore and New Zealand on Monday signed the world’s first legally binding bilateral agreement to keep essential supplies – including food, fuel, healthcare products and chemical and construction materials – flowing even during crises. The Agreemen…

Can Malaysia’s Umno reclaim role as pillar of Malay political power with solo election bid?
Business

Can Malaysia’s Umno reclaim role as pillar of Malay political power with solo election bid?

Malaysia’s Umno is making a heady gamble by planning to strike out on its own, experts say, as the former ruling party looks to rally support from among the country’s Malay-Muslim majority in preparation for national polls that must be called in less…

Iran war could give Xi the upper hand in meeting with Trump: US experts
Business

Iran war could give Xi the upper hand in meeting with Trump: US experts

The US-Israel war on Iran could bolster Beijing’s leverage on issues such as hi-tech supply chains and Taiwan during the coming Trump-Xi summit, according to American experts. US President Donald Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi…

Hong Kong tax revenue rises 22% to HK$458 billion
Business

Hong Kong tax revenue rises 22% to HK$458 billion

Hong Kong’s overall tax revenue rose 22 per cent to HK$458.3 billion (US$58.5 billion) last year, driven by a buoyant stock market and increased property transactions. Commissioner of Inland Revenue Benjamin Chan Sze-wai, on Monday announced the prov…

China, Indonesia launch cross-border QR payments – a boost for the global yuan?
Business

China, Indonesia launch cross-border QR payments – a boost for the global yuan?

China and Indonesia have launched a new cross-border QR payment system, marking the latest step in Beijing’s drive to build a regional digital payments network as it pushes to internationalise the yuan and reduce dependence on the US dollar. Users ca…

Seoul says ‘explosion and fire’ on South Korean ship in Hormuz strait
Business

Seoul says ‘explosion and fire’ on South Korean ship in Hormuz strait

Seoul said on Monday that an “explosion and fire” had struck a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial Middle Eastern waterway effectively blocked following US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The foreign ministry said that, at around 8.40pm i…

Driver arrested after wife killed in crash at Hong Kong border checkpoint
Business

Driver arrested after wife killed in crash at Hong Kong border checkpoint

A 67-year-old driver has been arrested after his vehicle reportedly lost control at a border checkpoint in a traffic accident that killed his 62-year-old wife. Police received a report at 4.41am on Monday that a private car had rammed into multiple t…