HONG KONG, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) — Hong Kong on Thursday reported 33 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 12,832, data from the Center for Health Protection showed. The new cases consist of 28 imported cases and five cases epidemiologically linked with an imported case. Thirty of the … Read more
HONG KONG: Asian financial hub Hong Kong banned flights from eight nations on Wednesday as part of strict new virus curbs, with Omicron outbreaks spiralling out of control from Europe to the United States. The new coronavirus variant is spreading rapidly across continents, leaving governments rushing to roll out vaccine boosters and bolster healthcare systems … Read more
HONG KONG: A Hong Kong cruise ship carrying 3,700 people was ordered back to port on Wednesday for virus testing after nine people were found to be close contacts in an Omicron variant outbreak. Like mainland China, Hong Kong pursues a zero-Covid policy and maintains some of the world’s strictest measures — including virtually closed borders, weeks-long … Read more
HONG KONG – Shares in the embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande rallied on Tuesday after a day-long suspension, as the company confirmed it has been ordered to demolish part of a resort in Hainan province. China’s property firms have struggled in the wake of Beijing’s drive to curb excessive debt in the real estate sector … Read more
HONG KONG: The New Year got off to a broadly upbeat start Monday in holiday-thinned trade as most markets rose, with some cheer provided by data suggesting regional economies improved last month. However, investors remain shackled by concerns about a range of issues including the fast-spreading Omicron variant, inflation, the removal of central bank stimulus and … Read more
HONG KONG: Journalists from Hong Kong’s CitizenNews decried plummeting press freedoms as they shut down Monday, saying they no longer felt safe to publish after a rival outlet’s staff were arrested for ‘sedition’. One of the most popular online news outlets in Hong Kong with more than 800,000 social media followers, CitizenNews is the third media outlet to shutter as … Read more
HONG KONG: A ban on selling most ivory products in Hong Kong came into effect on Friday, the culmination of a three-year process to eliminate the once rampant trade in the city. Hong Kong lawmakers in 2018 backed a bill opting for a gradual phasing out of the trade, a move some conservationists at the time … Read more
SYDNEY: The world prepared to usher in 2022 on Friday after another tumultuous and pandemic-ridden year capped by new restrictions, soaring case numbers, and a slight glimmer of hope for better times ahead. The past 12 months saw a new US president and a new Adele album, the first spectator-free Olympics, and dreams of democracy … Read more
PARIS: A record number of companies made their market debut on the Euronext index in 2021 as the pan-European exchange benefitted from Brexit and added Milan to the group, the operator said on Thursday. Euronext said 212 companies were newly listed this year for a total market capitalisation of €123 billion ($139 billion), but it … Read more
Chinese artificial intelligence startup SenseTime said on Monday it will press ahead with its Hong Kong listing, a week after it was blacklisted by the United States over accusations of genocide in Xinjiang. An initial listing earlier this month was pulled when the US Treasury announced new sanctions, saying SenseTime’s facial recognition programmes were designed … Read more
Hong Kong’s leader hailed the outcome of a “patriots only” legislature election that saw a record low voter turnout and government loyalists sweep every seat. The financial hub selected new lawmakers on December 19 under fresh rules imposed by Beijing that dramatically cut directly elected seats and controlled who could stand for office after huge … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 25 new imported cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, taking the total tally of confirmed cases to 12,580. The patients comprise 14 males and 11 females, aged 21 to 80. A total of 73 cases have been reported in the past 14 days. One of them … Read more
HONG KONG: Chinese artificial intelligence startup SenseTime said on Monday it will press ahead with its Hong Kong listing, a week after it was blacklisted by the United States over accusations of genocide in Xinjiang. An initial listing earlier this month was pulled when the US Treasury announced new sanctions, saying SenseTime’s facial recognition programmes were … Read more
HONG KONG: The Hong Kong’s strict adherence to a zero-Covid strategy is damaging the hub’s aviation industry and “killing” Cathay Pacific, a major shareholder in the city’s home carrier told local media. Following Beijing’s lead, Hong Kong has maintained some of the world’s strictest quarantine measures and travel curbs, which has kept the city coronavirus-free … Read more
KARACHI: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) will participate in the Intersec 2022 with the Pakistan Pavilion, a statement said on Friday. TDAP will provide subsidised stalls to increase the exports of personal protection equipment (PPE), corporate wear and uniform protecting clothing, gloves, workwear, foot protection, hand and arm protection, it added. These subsidised stalls … Read more
SHANGHAI, Dec 17, 2021 (AFP) – Chinese drone-maker DJI is easily the highest-profile company targeted in a new round of US economic sanctions against companies over China’s treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority. Following are key facts about Shenzhen DJI Sciences and Technologies Ltd, better known around the world by drone users simply as DJI. Born … Read more
HONG KONG, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection (CHP) confirmed one additional case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Wednesday. In an update on the latest investigations on an imported case announced on Tuesday, the CHP said the Omicron case involved a 21-year-old female patient who arrived in Hong Kong … Read more
HONG KONG, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) — Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported two additional cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Monday. The cases involved a 62-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman arriving in Hong Kong from Britain together on Dec. 10 and tested positive upon arrival at the Hong Kong International … Read more
HONG KONG: Chinese artificial intelligence start-up SenseTime said Monday it was postponing a planned $767 million initial public offering in Hong Kong after it was blacklisted by the US over human rights concerns in Xinjiang. The US Treasury announced the ban on Friday, saying SenseTime’s facial recognition programmes were designed in part to be used against … Read more
HONG KONG: Chinese artificial intelligence start-up SenseTime said Monday it was postponing a planned $767 million initial public offering in Hong Kong after it was blacklisted by the US over human rights concerns in Xinjiang. The US Treasury announced the ban on Friday, saying SenseTime’s facial recognition programmes were designed in part to be used … Read more
HONG KONG: The Hong Kong government made its check-in app mandatory for most adults in bars and restaurants on Thursday, the latest expansion of coronavirus tracing tech at a time of heightened privacy concerns in the city. The international finance hub has kept infections at bay thanks to mostly closed borders, some of the world’s … Read more
RIYADH: The US-based investment bank Citigroup has chosen favourable bidders for its consumer assets in Asian markets. The investment banking company chose Bangkok’s Bank of Ayudhya to buy its retail assets in Thailand, with an expected potential $2 billion deal to be negotiated in the coming weeks, Bloomberg reported. Citigroup has picked Singapore-based United Overseas Bank in … Read more
HONG KONG: Chinese property firm Kaisa suspended shares trading in Hong Kong on Wednesday, as questions swirl over its ability to make repayments and contagion spreads within the country’s debt-ridden real estate sector. The Chinese government sparked a crisis within the property industry when it launched a drive last year to curb excessive debt among real … Read more
RIYADH: Major US stock exchanges delisted 179 companies between 2020 and 2021, according to a report carried by Finbold.com. Citing data the report said in 2021, the number of companies on Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange stands at 6,000, dropping 2.89 per cent from last year’s figure of 6,179. In 2019, the listed … Read more
BEIJING: From human rights to coronavirus and tennis star Peng Shuai, February’s Beijing Olympics have been overshadowed by several controversies. With under two months, until the Games begin, the United States on Monday reacted by announcing a diplomatic boycott. AFP Sports looks at the issues hanging over the Olympics: Peng Shuai There was a grave international concern … Read more
BEIJING: Embattled property giant Evergrande plans what could become China’s biggest ever debt restructuring, wrapping in all its offshore obligations, reports said, as it established a risk committee before looming payment deadlines. The company’s struggles to meet its commitments have fanned concerns about China’s property sector, which forms a substantial part of the world’s second-biggest economy. … Read more
BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) — A special lecture will begin at 3:40 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Thursday, given by the three Shenzhou-13 crew members aboard China’s space station, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Monday. The three astronauts, namely Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, will interact with students on Earth. The … Read more
BEIJING: China’s largest e-commerce group Alibaba said on Monday it is appointing a new chief financial officer and reorganising its e-commerce businesses, amid a regulatory crackdown in the technology industry, Arab News reported. The company said in a statement that Toby Xu will succeed Maggie Wu as its new CFO from April 1, 2022. Xu joined Alibaba … Read more
