2026 WIC Wuzhen Summit opens with focus on open-source AI
A Hong Kong district councillor has been sentenced to two years and six months in jail for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl 15 years ago, with a judge noting he had shown no remorse towards a victim he claimed to have loved. District Court Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi on Tuesday noted that Sei Chun-hing, a 39-year-old Yuen Long District Council member, was aware of the “red line” of sex with a minor when they started dating in October 2010. At the time, she was 13 and Sei 23. Chan...
The United States has attacked an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, the latest in a series of covert, limited strikes ahead of the US midterm elections, as President Donald Trump signalled progress in talks with Tehran. Iran’s Qeshm Island was struck on Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, some of whom framed the strikes as defensive and aimed at deterring Tehran’s attacks on commercial ships in the critical chokepoint. Iranian media reported that five blasts were...
Beijing has formally removed Hong Kong’s housing chief, Winnie Ho Wing-yin, from her post, after she resigned last week to take political responsibility for the deadly Tai Po fire. According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, the State Council removed Ho from office on Tuesday on the recommendation of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu. The announcement gave no reason for the decision and did not name a successor. In a government statement, Lee said Ho had indicated she would “shoulder the...
Chinese President Xi Jinping met four foreign leaders in October – two each from Africa and Europe – with the month dominated by the Communist Party Central Committee’s fifth plenum. The pace will probably pick up in November. Xi has already met Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, and he will host an Apec summit on November 18–19. The Shenzhen event will probably feature talks with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other regional leaders.
A key document endorsed by the Communist Party proposed stronger oversight of principal leaders below the central level, barring them from demanding personal allegiance from their leadership teams – a demand that is only for the top leaders. The proposal is part of a 17,000-word resolution approved at the fifth plenum of the 20th Central Committee, the full text of which was published by state news agency Xinhua on Sunday. The four-day plenum last week emphasised internal governance, discipline...
Hong Kong’s plan to start an interbank tokenised gold transaction project marks a crucial step in its quest to make itself a key global hub for the precious metal, according to analysts. The city planned to launch a gold token representing a standard 400-ounce gold bar, referencing HAU, Hong Kong’s ticker for gold prices launched earlier this year, said Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu during the annual Fintech Week event on Monday. He said the effort...
Hong Kong is rewriting its economic playbook amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), and is pivoting towards commodity trading, fintech and green finance, the city’s leader has said, while pledging to provide stability for investors. Addressing the annual Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said the city’s first five-year plan was a long-term road map that provided market...
A 61-year-old Hong Kong man has been arrested for allegedly spiking the drink of Japanese disc jockey Mao Hamasaki at a Tsim Sha Tsui nightclub over the weekend, leaving her in intensive care. The police on Tuesday said that after investigations by the Yau Tsim crime squad, officers arrested the suspect in Central on Monday in relation to an alleged drugging attempt at PP Club on Mody Road the previous day. The man has been detained and is being investigated for allegedly administering poison...
Chinese opera singer finds his stage on Italy's streets
China's central bank to raise forex reserve requirement ratio for financial institutions
China's top legislator Zhao Leji held talks with Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Beijing on Monday.
