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Civil servants' pay rise indicator hot off the press, showing up to 4.12pc rise

Civil servants could see salaries rise from 1.17 to 4.12 percent this year, according to the latest net pay trend indicators (PTI) released by the government on Thursday.

First patient transferred from HK to mainland under cross-border ambulance scheme

A mainland resident was transferred from Tuen Mun Hospital to Zhuhai People's Hospital, the first Hong Kong-to-mainland case under a cross-border ambulance scheme that began two-way transfers in March.

HKUST professor jailed 20 weeks for taking $40,000 bribe over student admission

A former chair professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has been jailed for 20 weeks for accepting a HK$40,000 bribe to help an underqualified student gain admission to the university’s master’s program.

Scorching Friday of 37-degree expected for HK

Hong Kong residents are reminded to be aware of the heat on Friday, as temperatures will reach 35 degrees in urban areas and 36 to 37 degrees in the New Territories, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

Tseung Kwan O landfill solar farm begins operation for carbon neutrailty

The city’s largest landfill-based solar farm officially commenced operations on Thursday at the South East New Territories Landfill, marking a significant milestone in Hong Kong's mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Business Today

HK's April exports, imports blow past estimates with over 40 percent gain on AI demand

Hong Kong’s exports and imports both surged over 40 percent in April, blowing past estimates, official data showed, as ongoing robust global demand for AI-related electronics products outweighed external uncertainties.

US charges Google engineer with insider trading on Polymarket

The U.S. Justice Department has charged a Google software engineer with using insider information to rig bets tied to Google’s most-searched list on prediction market Polymarket, earning US$1.2 million (HK$9.36 million) in profits, according to a complaint unsealed on Wednesday.

Hong Kong's export performance likely to maintain growth momentum for rest of 2026: HKTDC

Hong Kong’s export performance is likely to maintain solid growth momentum for the rest of the year, supported by the ongoing AI-driven technology upcycle, said the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Link REIT's distribution dips 6.4pc for the year ended March, eyes disposals, buybacks

Link Real Estate Investment Trust (0823) said its total distributable amount declined 6.4 percent to HK$6.6 billion in the year ended March, and that it intends to buy back units with proceeds from non-core properties disposals. 

China's auto industry is unlikely to return to 'golden era', NIO CEO says

China's auto industry has likely moved past its "golden era", NIO Chief Executive William Li said on Thursday, as a downturn in domestic car sales extended into May.

World/China

Sandoz files EU anti-dumping complaint over Chinese antibiotics

Swiss pharmaceutical group Sandoz said Thursday it had filed an anti-dumping complaint with the European Union over imports of Chinese ingredients to make amoxicillin, a widely used antibiotic.

China vows to support Cuba against 'power politics and bullying'

China's foreign minister Wang Yi vowed to support Havana and confront "power politics and bullying" during talks with his Cuban counterpart in New York, state media reported Wednesday, as the Caribbean island faces mounting pressure from the United States.

China works on AI token futures market, sources say, in race with US

China is designing a futures market for AI tokens, sources familiar with the matter said, as the country potentially takes a different tack to US exchanges developing compute power futures to tap the rapidly growing appetite to hedge AI costs.

Iran and US trade air strikes after Trump dismisses report of Hormuz deal

Iran's Revolutionary Guard targeted a U.S. airbase on Thursday after the U.S. military carried out what a Washington official said were strikes on an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz, hours after President Donald Trump rejected a report he was close to a compromise deal with Tehran.

New Taiwan-Japan ferry service debuts on ship that has war evacuation role

A new ferry service to serve booming tourism between Taiwan and Japan began on Thursday on a ship that could be pressed into service to evacuate people on southern Japanese islands in the event of a war in the region.