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

Mainland woman jailed 4 months for using forged UCLA degree to gain HKU master’s program admission

A 24-year-old mainland woman was sentenced to four months in prison for using a forged bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to secure a student visa and admission to a master’s program at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). 

HK govt to form cross-departmental team to monitor oil prices, sources say

The Hong Kong government is planning to establish a cross-departmental response team to dynamically monitor oil price fluctuations, according to a Ta Kung Pao report.

Wang Fuk Court residents call for owners’ meeting amid petition validity dispute

Residents of Wang Fuk Court have petitioned for an owners’ meeting to address issues arising from the recent fire, including insurance compensation, but concerns over the validity of signatures have led authorities to refer the matter to law enforcement agencies.

ONE OK ROCK cancels Hong Kong shows citing ‘unforeseen circumstances’

Japanese rock band ONE OK ROCK has canceled its upcoming Hong Kong concerts scheduled for early May, citing “unforeseen circumstances” beyond the control of both the artist and the organizer.

Govt defends over $46m official travel bill amid scrutiny

Hong Kong's top officials have spent more than HK$46 million on overseas visits over the past three years, with the government defending the expenditure against lawmaker inquiries about its value for public money. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po was the top spender, with his 35 trips costing HK$11.95 million, accounting for a quarter of the total bill.

Business Today

Two Chinese firms including Manycore Tech kicks off Hong Kong IPOs to raise up to $3.8b

Two Chinese companies, including Manycore Tech, one of the Six Little Dragons of Hangzhou, have kicked off their Hong Kong initial public offerings on Thursday, aiming to raise up to over HK$3.8 billion combined.

HK pension fund members each loses over $21,000 in March, wiping out Q1 gains

Hong Kong’s pension fund members each lost more than HK$21,000 on average in March due to the Middle East conflict, wiping out all the gains in the first quarter, consultancy GUM said. 

Fed minutes show growing openness to rate hikes at March meeting

A growing group of Federal Reserve policymakers felt last month that interest rate hikes might be ​needed to counter inflation that continued to exceed the central bank's 2 percent target, particularly given the inflationary impact of the US-Israeli war with Iran, according ‌to the minutes of their March 17-18 meeting.

China, HK stocks end lower on market concerns over US-Iran ceasefire

China and Hong Kong stocks closed lower on Thursday, as markets reassessed the prospects for a short-term ceasefire following renewed violence in the Middle East.

OpenAI will reserve portion of IPO shares for retail investors, CFO tells CNBC

OpenAI plans to reserve a portion of its shares from an initial public offering for individual investors, CFO Sarah Friar told CNBC on Wednesday, as the ChatGPT maker gears up for a highly anticipated U.S. stock market listing.

World/China

Taiwan opposition leader talks peace with China as her party skips defence talks in Taipei

Birds not missiles should fly in the skies, Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun said on Thursday in Shanghai in a plea for peace, as government lawmakers in Taipei expressed anger at her party for skipping crucial defence budget talks.

BTS to kick off world tour after landmark Seoul comeback

South Korean K-pop megastars BTS will kick off their world tour on Thursday, riding the momentum of a chart-topping comeback album and a landmark performance in the heart of Seoul.

NASA Artemis II astronauts to speak from deep space after record-setting flyby

Four astronauts traveling back from the far side of the moon on NASA's Artemis II mission will speak with reporters in their first press conference from space on Wednesday.

Iran's economy was weak before the war, now it's worse

Even before the war in sanctions-hit Iran, inflation was running at nearly 50 percent and anger over the economy had fuelled massive anti-government protests. After more than five weeks of conflict, problems have only mounted.

As ties warm, Vietnam's top leader schedules China visit

Vietnam's top leader To Lam will visit China next week, Chinese state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday, as ties between the two nations continue to warm.