Hong Kong sees rising value in finance, trade: FS
Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Sunday said Hong Kong’s finance and trade sector are moving from the accumulation of quantity towards enhancement of value, as the city looks ahead to the launch of the Offshore RMB Bond Index. Writing in his weekly blog, Chan said the SAR had seen the rapid growth of offshore renminbi bonds, known as dim sum bonds, this year. In the first three quarters of 2026, dim sum bonds accounted for 38 percent of the total issuance of bonds listed in Hong Kong, surpassing US dollar bonds for the first time and making the renminbi the largest issuance currency in the city’s listed bond market, he said. Chan added that issuers of the bonds had also become increasingly diverse – from mainland technology firms to overseas authorities and financial institutions – as they consider dim sum bonds an important financing channel. He said around 75 percent of offshore renminbi payments are processed through Hong Kong. “Once the market has grown large enough, it needs a reference benchmark suited to itself,” Chan said. He added the Offshore RMB Bond Index would provide a Hong Kong benchmark for the growing dim sum bond market, enabling global investors to have a clear reference for...
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N. Korea-linked hackers target 30 S. Korean servers: report
Hackers suspected of having ties to North Korea's Lazarus Group identified 30 servers in South Korea as potential targets for cyberattacks in October, a report released by a cybersecurity firm showed Sunday. Cyfirma said it obtained a list of 216 servers across 10 countries compiled by Korean-speaking hackers, covering government agencies, banks, telecommunications companies and infrastructure providers. Of the total, 30 servers were located in South Korea. The original 216-server list was completed on Oct. 24, the report showed. By region, the Asia-Pacific accounted for 148 targeted servers, followed by North America with 49 and the Middle East with 19. The United States and Japan together accounted for 44.4 percent of the total, Cyfirma added. The cybersecurity firm assessed with "high confidence" that the hackers were linked to the Lazarus Group ecosystem, with their apparent objectives including financial gain and espionage. Cyfirma stressed that inclusion on the target list did not necessarily mean the servers had been successfully breached. The company warned that simply updating webs
N. Korean leader's close aide visits Russia amid deepening bilateral ties
A North Korean official considered to be one of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's closest aides has arrived in Russia, the North's state media said Sunday, amid deepening relations between the two countries following North Korea's deployment of troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Jo Yong-won, secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, arrived in Moscow by private plane on Saturday, leading a party and government delegation, the Korean Central News Agency said. The visit comes at "a time when the militant friendship, friendship and relations of alliance between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation with independence and justice as their common ideal are being further cemented with each passing day," it said in an English dispatch. The delegation was invited by Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of Russia's ruling United Russia party. They were greeted at the airport by Andrei Klimov, a member of the party's Supreme Council and first vice chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's p
Fresh coat, lighter load: Hong Kong airport puts runway-painting robots to work
Hong Kong International Airport has become the world’s first to deploy robots to repaint runway markings, cutting the time needed to refresh centre lines by about 67 per cent compared with manual painting, its managing authority has said. According to the Airport Authority, the AI-powered robots, called “Brushman”, also improve painting accuracy and worker safety, reducing the need for physically demanding overnight work and allowing staff to take on supervisory roles. Steven Yiu Siu-chung, the...
Could Beijing’s HQ-17 air-defence system defend PLA amphibious forces from Taiwan strikes?
Before mainland Chinese troops could attempt a landing on Taiwan, they would first have to assemble vehicles, weapons and supplies along the coast – potentially exposing them to Taiwanese drone, rocket and missile attacks. A nighttime drill reported by state broadcaster CCTV on June 11 offered a glimpse of how the People’s Liberation Army could shield those amphibious forces as they prepared to cross the Taiwan Strait. As soldiers headed into open water aboard amphibious armoured vehicles, a...
Two planes collide at Miami airport as audio reveals moment pilot tells air traffic control they'd been hit
According to audio published on ATC, a UPS flight collided with a Copa Airlines flight that had just touched down in the Florida city on Saturday night.
Hoobastank and Simple Plan singers perform on grounded Southwest flight to delight of Warped Tour-goers
A flight passenger wrote on social media: 'Every plane was grounded today, but the emo gods made sure this one flew.'
Wall Street’s wild Nvidia ride delivers big paydays and even bigger bruises
Investors are doubling down on speculative wagers that have delivered both spectacular gains and crushing losses this year.
Bayeux Royal Appointment! As thousands flock to the tapestry, Kate and kids are set for private viewing
The invitation is the latest attempt by the museum to lure the Duchess of Cambridge into becoming its next royal patron.
Juvenile in custody after gunfire at Ontario mall sent customers fleeing in panic
A male juvenile was arrested after gunshots were fired at the Ontario Mills mall. No one was injured. Police are investigating the cause of the incident.
'Once you notice, it will ruin your life': Calls for a change in the law after four states banned highway billboards
'Billboard blight' has surprisingly far-reaching consequences, campaigners say.
'I was sexually humiliated by David Walliams': 'Deeply uncomfortable' TV star Jeremy Edwards says he's suffered years of shame after 'predatory' comic pulled down his pants and mounted him on stage in degrading game of hide the sausage
The actor has told how he is still angry with Walliams over the embarrassing incident when he was naked from the waist down in front of 3,500 people for the Comic Relief sketch.
Man struck by lightning while swimming at Central Coast beach
The man was swimming at Umina Beach when he was struck by lightning on Saturday afternoon.
