It’s not yet the winter holiday season, but Christmas trees are back in the spotlight, caught in the geopolitical tug of war between Washington and Beijing. As the United States and China work to stabilise ties through a newly proposed bilateral trade mechanism, one of the most vocal groups weighing in is not the technology industry or manufacturers, but American Christmas tree growers determined to keep tariffs on Chinese-made artificial trees. Dozens of growers from across the country flooded...

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington had agreed to resume discussions with Iran despite declaring an end to the fragile truce that had halted months of conflict between the two countries. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks’. We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The remarks underscored the increasingly contradictory state of...

Hong Kong’s role as the exclusive Asian host of the Middle East’s flagship LEAP East exhibition affirms its status as a global hub for innovation and technology (I&T), the Tourism Board has said. The Asian debut of the expo wrapped up in Hong Kong on Friday, drawing more than 25,000 visitors over three days. The city will serve as the event’s sole Asian host for the next three years. “This significant partnership not only demonstrates the global industry’s confidence in Hong Kong, but also...

An infusion tube delivering medicine to a premature baby at a Hong Kong public hospital was closed for unknown reasons shortly before her death three years ago, an inquest has heard. Two nurses testified at the Coroner’s Court on Friday about the circumstances of what Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin acknowledged as a “serious untoward event” on June 13, 2023. Both witnesses said they had no idea why a three-way valve controlling the flow of medicine to the baby was closed, even though it had...

Hong Kong authorities have relaxed a recent proposal requiring mandatory annual medical check-ups for commercial vehicle drivers aged 65 to 69, reducing the frequency to twice in five years following an industry backlash. The proposal, set to take effect in mid-2027, will reduce the age threshold for mandatory medical certification for commercial vehicle drivers from 70 to 65. In a policy paper submitted to the legislature on Friday, the Transport and Logistics Bureau said the move was aimed at...

US President ⁠Donald Trump said ⁠on Friday he would ⁠not sign a bipartisan housing affordability bill that he had called “a big yawn”, but the measure can become law without his signature. Trump said in a social ‌media post that he was withholding his signature “in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT”. The housing bill was a rare instance of bipartisan agreement on major ⁠legislation in the deeply divided Congress. Among its main...

Prominent economist Jeffrey Sachs says he chose Hong Kong and Shenzhen as the final stop on an overland journey retracing the footsteps of Marco Polo because of their significant role in powering the world’s green and digital age. The Columbia University professor set off from Rome on June 13 for a 43-day, 15,000km (9,300-mile) journey, the Marco Polo Drive of Peace, Culture and Sustainable Development. The former adviser to the UN secretary general said the journey was designed to send a...