Hong Kong

Small chains sell iPhones cheaper thanks to schemes with sole proprietorships and smuggling. This allows them to evade taxes.

The US and China are fighting for rare earth metals, affecting economic stability. Ukraine and the US are working on an agreement to jointly protect minerals.

Singapore Changi Airport has once again topped the Skytrax ranking. It features a shopping mall, gardens, waterfall, resorts, hotels, exhibitions, a museum, cinema and theme park.

Due to Trump's tariffs and the trade war, the situation in the markets is deteriorating. US stocks are falling, and Asian markets are suffering from their worst week since the pandemic.

Paul Chan said that Trump's tariffs crashed the US stock market. Hong Kong will not introduce countermeasures, but opposes US actions, maintaining a free and open economy.

Global stock markets fell after Trump announced new tariffs. Nike, Apple, H&M and other companies that depend on imports were the most affected.

The US government has banned its employees in China from having romantic relationships with Chinese citizens due to the threat of espionage. Violators face immediate expulsion from the country.

The US has imposed sanctions against Chinese officials over the security law. Their assets in the US will be frozen and financial transactions blocked.

Trump proposed a deal to Ukraine under which the US would receive half of the revenue from mineral extraction. This should compensate the US for its support of Ukraine, but limits its economic independence.

Hong Kong's aviation regulator has banned charging devices from power banks and storing them in overhead luggage compartments on airplanes. The reason is cases of lithium battery ignition.

In 2024, Russia transported more than 60% of its seaborne oil exports thanks to a shadow fleet of tankers. Total seaborne oil exports are estimated at over €80 billion.

In the Hong Kong Zoo, panda cubs, twins, met visitors for the first time together with their mother, Ying Ying. Visiting hours have been extended for panda fans.

Chinese scientists have discovered a new coronavirus, HKU5, in bats that uses the ACE2 receptor, similar to COVID-19. The virus is capable of infecting human cells and can be transmitted through intermediate hosts.

Donald Trump announced that he expects Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit the United States. The President also announced the possibility of concluding a new trade agreement between the two countries and discussing TikTok.

In Italy, fraudsters used artificial intelligence to imitate the voice of the Minister of Defense to lure money from billionaires. The criminals asked to transfer about a million euros, allegedly for the ransom of Italian journalists.

The European Union plans to blacklist 25 Chinese companies for circumventing sanctions against Russia. Companies from China and Hong Kong will be banned from supplying goods from the EU because of their assistance to the Russian military.

The US Postal Service has temporarily stopped accepting parcels from China and Hong Kong due to the intensification of the trade war. The decision is related to Trump's new customs restrictions on low-value goods.

U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that China has a plan to close the Panama Canal in the event of a conflict with the United States. Panama categorically denies the transfer of control over the canal to China.

The President of Panama has declared that negotiations on the return of the Panama Canal to US control are impossible. He hopes to discuss other issues of cooperation with the US Secretary of State during his upcoming visit.

An Air Busan passenger plane catches fire at Gimhae International Airport before departing for Hong Kong. All 176 passengers and crew members were evacuated, and three were injured during the evacuation.

American companies have increased imports of goods from China due to the threat of new tariffs from Trump. In December, the volume of shipments increased by 14.5%, reaching 451 thousand containers.

A Chinese vessel flying the flag of Cameroon is suspected of damaging an undersea communications cable off the coast of Taiwan. Taipei has asked South Korea for help in investigating the incident as the vessel is heading to the port of Busan.

The Cameroon-flagged cargo ship Shunxing 39, owned by a Chinese company, damaged a communication cable near the port of Keelung. Taiwan asked South Korea for help in investigating the incident.

Russian distributors use the Texas Instruments API to order chips through third countries. During the year, orders were made for 6 6 million, of which 4 4 million was for military companies.

Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun bought an art object "comedian" at Sotheby's auction-a banana taped to the wall. During a press conference in Hong Kong, he ate the fruit, comparing it to NFT.

In September 2024, India reduced imports of Russian diamonds from $112 million to $1. 5 million due to G7 sanctions. Belgium, Hong Kong and the UAE became the main suppliers of diamonds to India.

Hong Kong's High Court sentenced 45 opposition leaders to prison terms of up to 10 years. The verdict is related to charges of “undermining state security” by participating in protests against Chinese influence.

A new study has revealed a slowdown in life expectancy growth in countries with the longest-lived populations. It also states that the increase in the number of centenarians does not lead to a significant increase in overall life expectancy.

The US Secretary of State accused China of supporting the Russian defense industry. Blinken said that this contradicts Beijing's statements about its desire for peace in Ukraine.

A US military intelligence analyst has pleaded guilty to selling military secrets to China. He was arrested at a base in Kentucky for passing information about US defense and weapons to a person from Hong Kong.