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Salon owners urge Budget VAT cut as staffing pressures grow

Oct 26, 2026

Marcus Perkins, who owns a hair and beauty salon in Brierley Hill, says he is scared for the future.

What is the Budget and what could be in it?

Oct 26, 2026

Healey's Budget needs to sustain the stronger economy through gathering clouds

Oct 26, 2026

Big, noisy and coming to a town near you - why the data centre backlash is growing

Oct 25, 2026

Attention, Passengers: High Airfares May Be Here to Stay

Oct 25, 2026

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Oct 25, 2026

A Fight Over Felon Voting Prompts a Free Speech Debate

A Minnesota group worried that its opposition could expose it to prosecution under the state’s deceptive-practices law. Its lawsuit could have wide implications for limiting speech around elections.

Oct 25, 2026

Noah Adams, Longtime Host of ‘All Things Considered,’ Has Died at 84

Oct 25, 2026

Business Daily

Oct 25, 2026

How to Straddle the MAGA Divide

Oct 25, 2026

C.E.O.s Say the A.I. Rollout Is Going Well. Employees Feel Differently.

Interesting Read

HK gets world-first secondary tokenised funds trading

The Securities and Futures Commission has approved the world's first secondary trading of tokenised public funds on its licensed virtual asset trading platform (VATP), with around-the-clock trading of two tokenised money market funds beginning on Monday. The approval builds on a new regulatory framework it introduced in April, which sets out requirements for secondary trading of tokenised funds on licensed VATPs. The framework covers trading channel operations, fair pricing, liquidity provision and disclosure. The first batch of products involves two existing SFC-authorised tokenised money market funds, now available for secondary trading on a 24/7 basis. Looking ahead, the SFC said tokenised public funds could further leverage tokenised deposit capabilities being developed in collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority under Project Ensemble. This would allow investors to sell tokenised assets around the clock and instantly transfer proceeds to other investment opportunities. Elisa Ng, the SFC's executive director of investment products, said the move "marks an important milestone" in the city's digital asset development, adding that it adds "24/7 trading capability" to Hong Kong's evolving tokenisation ecosystem. The SFC said it would monitor trading activities closely and consider broadening the product scope over time, taking into account market developments and experience gained. Edited by Tony Sabine

Oct 26, 2026

Full MPF portability 'can help drive down fees'

Lawmakers hailed on Monday an upcoming arrangement that allows employees to transfer not only their own mandatory provident fund contributions but also their employer’s to a scheme of their choice once every calendar year. Their remarks came as phase one of the MPF Full Portability scheme – which grants employees greater autonomy by allowing them to transfer accrued mandatory contributions by their employers to a scheme of their choice – is set to begin on December 21. Speaking on a RTHK radio programme, lawmaker Chau Siu-chung said he supported the arrangement as workers would be able to choose the MPF trustee they considered to be the best for them as well as foster more competition and help drive down administrative fees. He also said that the current eMPF platform would make the transfer process simpler and easier. Chau, also a non-executive director of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, noted that many workers remained unclear about what MPF “full portability” means and that public awareness in this regard needed to be strengthened. “I think public awareness right now is indeed not ideal – about 80 percent of people are basically not very clear about what full portability means, there is definitely a need to do more,” he said. Chau also called on the public to be alert to unfair sales practices. He urged the government to take this opportunity to summarise and simplify information about different trustees so that workers could have clear, easy-to-compare information to take reference from. Speaking on RTHK’s Backchat programme, lawmaker Lam Chun-sing also welcomed the arrangement but noted that employees should avoid changing their scheme frequently as it may cause high administrative costs and may affect their returns. “MPF investment is a long-term investment for retirement [so] that we want to achieve stable growth of the MPF contributions instead of short-term returns like share investment or other investment tools,” he said. “If you frequently change your scheme or transfer your MPF contribution to different trustees, this may cause high administrative costs and may affect your return.” Lam also encouraged workers who are not investment professionals or do not have time to manage their scheme to consider using the default investment strategy, saying it automatically reduces risks and uses a diversified investment approach to bring favourable returns. Edited by Tony Sabine

Oct 26, 2026

HK can assist green push within the Belt and Road: CE

Chief Executive John Lee on Monday said Hong Kong could help enhance connections among Belt and Road economies and combine their strengths to advance the development of green technologies and sustainable businesses. Lee made the remarks at the Belt and Road Green Innovation Conference, which is being held in the SAR for the first time. He said Hong Kong, as a leading green and sustainable finance hub, connects green projects with global capital. “For example, a solar energy project can bring together Chinese mainland equipment suppliers, a Southeast Asian developer and Middle Eastern investors,” Lee said. “Hong Kong can help these partners raise finance, structure their investments, arrange insurance and manage cross-border risks. “Our contribution, let me add, is about more than matching capital with projects. Hong Kong’s professional services also help ensure that a project is bankable and insurable.” Lee said Hong Kong is also able to connect green technologies with the markets that need them. He said the SAR would launch a Green Technology Bridgehead Programme next year, which could help mainland and overseas green enterprises spread their ideas and take their solutions to Belt and Road markets. The city, meanwhile, could also assist firms from Belt and Road countries reach out to the wider world, he added. Lee went on to say that the SAR could provide Belt and Road partners with financing, project management and risk management services for green infrastructure and sustainable development projects. Edited by Tony Sabine

Oct 26, 2026

HK rises as region slips ahead of key tech earnings

Asian stocks slipped on Monday as the dour mood that sullied last week's trading continued, with investors gearing up for a crucial run of central bank decisions and tech earnings. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index opened up 63 points, or 0.28 percent, at 23,156. The tech index was up 16 points, or 0.43 percent, to 3,888 while the China enterprises index rose 21 points, or 0.28 percent, to 7,777. Up north, the Shanghai Composite Index opened down 19 points, or 0.53 percent, at 3,671. The Shenzhen Component Index fell 113 points, or 0.97 percent, to 11,560 while the ChiNext Index was 38 points, or 1.43 percent, lower at 2,645. In Tokyo, the Nikkei opened 243 points, or 0.39 percent, lower at 62,449, peaked in morning trading at 62,856 before being 188 points down at one stage before lunch. In Seoul, the Kospi fell 51 points, or 0.92 percent, to open at 5,499 and was 54 points lower at one stage before noon. AI-linked firms continued to struggle amid worries about the sustainability of the colossal investment boom that pushed stock markets to multiple record highs in the first half of the year. Traders are growing increasingly worried about when the vast sums pumped into the sector will see returns, if any, while rising interest rates and bond yields are now calling companies' finances into question. This week sees the release of earnings from US titans and Magnificent Seven members Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet as well as South Korean chipmakers SK hynix and Samsung. Results from Tesla and Meta last week further stoked spending worries and helped drag stocks lower. "The AI complex remains under a microscope ahead of what may be the most important stretch of earnings season so far," said SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes. "Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon are about to walk on stage, and this is not one of those quarters where a company can simply beat the number, raise the guidance by a whisker and expect applause. Investors want proof now. "They want to know whether the billions going into the compute buildout are building a durable earnings machine or just a shinier version of the same old capex furnace." Also in view this week are policy decisions by the US Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan. While the Fed is expected to hold borrowing costs, traders will be keen to get an insight into its thinking following last month's hike and as inflation remains well above its two percent target. (AFP/Xinhua) Edited by Tony Sabine

Oct 26, 2026

Caryle Murphy Has Died. She Earned a Pulitzer for Reporting in Kuwait.

A Washington Post journalist, she was one of the few Western reporters in Kuwait in 1990 when Saddam Hussein’s forces invaded.

Oct 26, 2026

‘You Can See Everything’ Gives ‘Clayface’ a Run for Its Money at the Box Office

“Clayface” was No. 1 at the box office, but “You Can See Everything,” a documentary about the disgraced Theranos founder, surged in its second weekend.

Oct 25, 2026

Trump: Audi to invest US$4.2bn in its first US plant

US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that Audi will build an automobile plant in Georgia as he tries to deliver on his promise to bolster American manufacturing in the final days before the midterm elections. Speaking at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, where he sought to boost Republican candidates, Trump said Audi – the German luxury brand owned by Volkswagen – would commit US$4.2 billion in nearby Macon to begin construction on a plant that will produce 200,000 cars a year. “Think of that. 200,000 cars a year. That’s incredible,” Trump said, crediting his aggressive and unpopular tariff policies for the company's decision to build the plant. The announcement seemed timed to offer a last-minute boost to Republican candidates in the battleground state, including Representative Mike Collins, who is trying to unseat Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. Trump has spent October campaigning in reliably Republican states as the party tries to hold onto its majorities in the House and Senate. Trump won Georgia in 2024 after losing it in 2020. Trump was joined on stage by Gernot Dollner, the chairman of the board of management at Audi, who said the plant would be producing “our biggest and most premium SUVs”. “This is a long-term investment, because we believe in the American market,” he said. Audi, in a news release, said the plant – its first in Georgia – would create about 4,500 jobs and that construction was scheduled to begin in 2027, with production beginning in the early 2030s. Republicans are bracing for losses in the November 3 midterm elections as they contend with an unpopular president and an electorate that is angry over high costs and the ongoing war in Iran. (AP) Edited by Aaron Tam

Oct 25, 2026

Around 1m workers to benefit from MPF Full Portability

Around one million workers are set to benefit from an upcoming arrangement that allows employees to transfer not only their own mandatory contributions, but also their employer’s, to an MPF scheme of their choice once every calendar year, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) said on Sunday. Phase one of the MPF Full Portability scheme is set to begin on December 21. Employees who joined the workforce or changed jobs on or after May 1, 2025 – the day the MPF offsetting arrangement was officially abolished – will be eligible for the first phase. Writing in a blog post, MPFA chairman Ayesha Lau said the scheme would improve people’s control over their MPF portfolios and encourage employees to manage their retirement reserves more proactively. She expects the number of beneficiaries to continue to rise as more graduates enter the workforce and employees change jobs. As for workers who started their current jobs before May 1, 2025, Lau noted that because their employer mandatory contributions may continue to be used to offset long service payments or severance payments for employment periods prior to that date, additional legislative amendments would be required to balance operational needs and enhanced employee control. Transfers for the 2026 calendar year can be made between December 21 and 31, while transfers for 2027 will open on January 1. Lau pointed out that the new scheme would not change existing arrangements for employers, who would continue to make contributions via the MPF schemes they participate in. She also reminded workers that the MPF is a long-term investment, advising them to avoid making frequent transfers or switching schemes simply for the sake of it. Edited by Tony Sabine

Oct 25, 2026

'Strategic enterprise investments in HK hit HK$28bn'

Investments made by the first six batches of firms brought to Hong Kong through the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises reached HK$28.3 billion as of the end of September, according to Financial Secretary Paul Chan. Writing in his weekly blog, Chan noted that, including the seventh batch of 18 firms recently welcomed, a total of 142 strategic enterprises have now established or expanded their operations in Hong Kong. “They are expected to generate around HK$84 billion in investment while creating roughly 27,000 jobs over the coming years,” he said. “More importantly, these investments are materialising on the ground. As of the end of September this year, actual investments by the first six batches reached HK$28.3 billion while employing over 10,300 people – exceeding the initial phased targets by 30 percent and 34 percent respectively.” Corporate confidence in Hong Kong is gradually being reflected in real economic outcomes, Chan said. He added that among the first six batches of enterprises, around 70 percent have established global or regional headquarters in Hong Kong, while nearly 90 percent have set up R&D centres. Chan said this brings not only capital and jobs, but also research and decision-making functions – both of which are crucial to maintaining Hong Kong’s long-term competitive edge. Edited by Tony Sabine

Oct 25, 2026

Audi to Build Factory in Georgia, Trump Says

The Volkswagen division, which imports all its cars from Europe or Mexico, has been hit hard by U.S. tariffs.

Oct 25, 2026

Former ‘60 Minutes’ Boss to Join Video Journalism Start-Up

Bill Owens, who left the show after clashing with CBS executives, is joining Newpress, which publishes work from creators on YouTube.

Oct 25, 2026

Public Colleges Are Passing the $50,000-a-Year Mark. For Locals.

At the University of California campuses in Berkeley, Irvine and Santa Barbara, students get an unwitting education in navigating the housing market.

Oct 25, 2026

100 million import orders? Yiwu did it in a flash!

China's Yiwu has just hit 100 million import orders for 2026, a full 40 days earlier than the previous year. The world's wholesale market is now the world's shopping cart!

Featured News

Salon owners urge Budget VAT cut as staffing pressures grow

What is the Budget and what could be in it?

Healey's Budget needs to sustain the stronger economy through gathering clouds

Big, noisy and coming to a town near you - why the data centre backlash is growing

Attention, Passengers: High Airfares May Be Here to Stay

Latest News

A Fight Over Felon Voting Prompts a Free Speech Debate

Noah Adams, Longtime Host of ‘All Things Considered,’ Has Died at 84

Business Daily

How to Straddle the MAGA Divide

C.E.O.s Say the A.I. Rollout Is Going Well. Employees Feel Differently.

Interesting Read

Audi to Build Factory in Georgia, Trump Says

Former ‘60 Minutes’ Boss to Join Video Journalism Start-Up

Public Colleges Are Passing the $50,000-a-Year Mark. For Locals.

100 million import orders? Yiwu did it in a flash!

Business News

Stock Market News

Economy News

Global funding for nature still falling short: Paulson Institute

Budget to include £1bn for social and affordable housing

Schroders: China's capital market opening deepens two-way connectivity

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