Top Stories at a Glance | View the latest top news today

Easter and Ching Ming holiday rush: HK travelers defy surging airfares to Japan and beyond

A massive wave of holidaymakers descended on Hong Kong International Airport on Friday morning as the combined Easter and Ching Ming long weekend began, with check-in counters seeing extensive queues despite a recent spike in fuel surcharges and seasonal ticket prices.

Debate ignites as new '$2 or 80pc discount' scheme takes effect

Hong Kong’s long-standing elderly transport subsidy underwent a significant structural change on Friday, shifting from a flat rate to a new tiered discount system that has sparked concerns regarding its impact on social mobility and the financial burden on residents in remote areas.

Most seniors navigate new transport discounts smoothly on first day of implementation: Chris Sun

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han expressed confidence on Friday that the majority of Hong Kong’s 2.67 million seniors already understand and can navigate the city's new "two-dollar or 80 percent discount" transport scheme.

Record-breaking crowds throng West Kowloon Station as five-day holiday begins

The Easter and Ching Ming Festival long weekend kicked off on Friday with massive crowds as authorities anticipate over six million people moving through Hong Kong’s borders over the next five days.

Hong Kong climbs to world’s fifth-largest trading hub as resilience defies global challenges

Hong Kong has reclaimed its position as a top-tier global trade powerhouse, jumping two spots to become the world’s fifth-largest merchandise trading entity in 2025, according to the latest "Global Trade Outlook and Statistics" report from the World Trade Organization.

World/China

Microsoft to invest $10 bn for Japan AI data centres

Microsoft said Friday it will invest $10 billion in Japan over the next four years to build artificial intelligence data centres and related infrastructure.

Japanese airlines mull fuel surcharge hikes due to Mideast war

Japanese airlines are considering raising fuel surcharges to reflect surging energy costs due to the Middle East war, though officials from major carriers stressed on Friday that no decisions had yet been made.

Braving high fuel costs, Filipinos flock to crucifixion spectacle

Hundreds of Filipinos and tourists flocked to a sun-bleached field north of Manila on Good Friday to witness one of the country's most blood-soaked displays of religious fervour, undeterred by rising fuel prices driven by the Middle East war.

Trump's anger over Iran thrusts NATO into fresh crisis

The NATO alliance has in recent years survived existential challenges - ranging from the war in Ukraine to multiple bouts of pressure and insults from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has questioned its core mission and threatened to seize Greenland.

South Korea, France to upgrade ties as Macron trip overshadowed by Middle East crisis

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to upgrade relations between the countries to a "global strategic partnership," Korea's Blue House said in a statement on Friday.