The Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) on Friday urged the government to step up efforts to promote Hong Kong’s tourist spots and nurture more talent in the sector. At a press conference, the party called for more religious and architectural tours to showcase the city's beauty beyond Victoria Harbour. "Apart from the traditional shopping theme that w…

A federal judge blocked Donald Trump's attempt to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States on Thursday as liberal states scored their first victory against the new president's hardline agenda. The ruling imposes a 14-day stay on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed in the hours after he was swor…

DAB lawmakers on Friday said each district should have panda-themed events and decorations to encourage tourists to explore different places across Hong Kong. The party said it has submitted various suggestions to the government's Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots, which was established last year to come up with ways to revitalise the to…

The Consumer Council has called on travel agencies to be flexible in refunding passengers affected by the cancellation of flights at Greater Bay Airlines. The low-cost carrier earlier announced the cancellation of 128 flights in February and March, while stressing that Lunar New Year services won't be affected. The consumer watchdog had received si…

Victor Wembanyama delighted his home crowd in Paris by scoring 30 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as he led the San Antonio Spurs to a 140-110 rout of the Indiana Pacers. The 21-year-old centre took control of the game in a third-quarter performance when the Spurs roared into a 23-point lead. Wembanyama was playing in the French league a year and a…

Lunar New Year fairs kicked off at 15 sites across Hong Kong on Thursday, with many a panda-themed product among the array of goods, flowers and fast food on offer. Snakes were also spotted rearing their heads among the goodies, what with the Year of the Snake about to get underway. Students were running some of the stalls at Victoria Park – home t…

More than 50,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings on Wednesday as a huge and fast-moving wildfire swept through the rugged mountains north of Los Angeles. But fire officials said a rapid ground and air assault was giving them the upper hand. The Hughes Fire broke out in the late morning and within six hours charred about 15 square mi…

Hundreds of LGBT couples in Thailand are expected to make their wedded status legal on Thursday, the first day a law took effect granting them the same rights as heterosexual couples. The enactment of the Marriage Equality Act makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. Marriage registration is customarily done…

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on Thursday said there's room for improvement in the performance of Greater Bay Airlines which has announced the cancellation of 128 flights in February and March. Speaking at a media gathering, Chan said the airline could have done better with flight arrangements. The transport minister also said th…

Financial Secretary Paul Chan has met with his counterparts from Qatar and Switzerland in Davos as he continued to promote Hong Kong's competitive edge on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Chan on Wednesday held talks with Ali bin Ahmed Al-Kuwari, the Qatari finance minister, and Daniela Stoffel, state secretary for international finance of…

Anger was growing in Turkey on Wednesday as allegations piled up that negligence played a role in the deaths of 79 people who perished when a huge fire swept through a luxury ski resort hotel in northern Turkey. With the nation observing a day of mourning, grieving families began burying their dead as questions multiplied about fire safety measures…

Paris Saint-Germain pushed Manchester City to the brink of Champions League elimination after coming from two goals down to win 4-2, while Arsenal all but secured their place in the last 16. Holders Real Madrid remain in contention for a top-eight spot after sweeping aside Red Bull Salzburg 5-1, but Bayern Munich's hopes of automatic qualification …

Prince Harry settled on Wednesday his long-running lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's UK tabloid publisher, which agreed to pay him "substantial damages" after admitting intruding into his private life, including by hacking his phone. Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) issued a wide-ranging apology and admission of wrongdoing, in what Harry's lawy…

Officials in Thailand on Wednesday stressed that the country remains "a safe destination for all international visitors", following reports of Hong Kong residents being lured to Southeast Asia for illegal work. The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Hong Kong also expressed its deep regret, saying it understands what happened had raised concern about …

Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung on Wednesday said fire service installation and equipment inspections at new buildings will be dealt with quicker once a new office opens in March. At a press briefing, he said the One-stop Coordination Office for New Fire Protection Facilities Acceptance is expected to cut the certification process down, from a…

The government says it will look at how big the fines should be for companies that breach data protection laws to make sure they are acceptable to firms, while still having a deterrent effect. Plans are in place to empower the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to fine those involved in data leaks, but some firms have expressed worries about being …

China on Wednesday vowed to defend its national interests after US President Donald Trump said that a 10 percent duty on Chinese imports could come as soon as February 1. "We have always believed that there are no winners in a trade war or a tariff war," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, adding China was "firmly committed to safeguarding …

Transport minister Mable Chan said officials met the senior management of Greater Bay Airlines on Wednesday morning over its cancellation of 128 flights between February and March. Chan said authorities want a detailed report from the firm in around a week. The day before, the airline cited a delay in new aircraft deliveries and statutory safety in…

Ombudsman Jack Chan has recommended the Housing Authority (HKHA) and the Housing Society (HKHS) conduct thorough land searches for public rental housing (PRH) applicants before determining their eligibility for allocation. The recommendation was part of a comprehensive set of 31 improvements proposed by the office following its investigation into t…

Motorists are being advised to give Kai Tak a swerve on Friday evening as tens of thousands of people head there for the biggest test event yet at the nearly completed sports park in the area. About 63,000 people are expected to pack the main stadium, the arena and the youth sports ground to capacity. The crowd, most of them civil servants, will be…

The United States, Australia, India and Japan recommitted to working together on Tuesday, after the first meeting of the Quad grouping's top diplomats since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. In a joint statement after the talks in Washington, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his first day in the job, the four nations…

Secretary for Security Chris Tang said a set of guidelines will be introduced in the first quarter of this year, allowing public officers to better understand their responsibilities on safeguarding national security. Last year's Policy Address stated that all government bureaux and departments must review guidelines to ensure compliance with provis…

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would be open to tech billionaire Elon Musk - the owner of social media platform X - buying Chinese-owned app TikTok. "I would be if he wanted to buy it," Trump told reporters when asked if he was open to Musk, the world's richest man and the head of a budget-cutting initiative in the new administra…

Shares in Japanese tech behemoth SoftBank Group soared more than eight per cent on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump announced a major investment to build AI infrastructure. Trump said that ChatGPT's creator OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle are planning a joint venture called Stargate, which he said would build data centres and create more than …