Six Hong Kong universities have made it into the top 50 in the latest rankings of Asian tertiary institutions by Britain's Times Higher Education magazine for the first time since 2017. The city's two oldest universities were both in the top 10, with the University of Hong Kong maintaining its sixth place and the Chinese University moving up to nin…

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Canada would “cease to exist” if it weren’t for the United States - comments that came just days before Canadians are set to vote in an election dominated by Trump’s remarks on the country’s economy and sovereignty. Trump re-inserted himself into Canada’s election during a signing ceremony inside the…

Boeing's Chinese customers are refusing delivery of new planes built for them due to tariffs, the planemaker has confirmed, as a third Boeing jet started returning to the United States on Thursday. "Due to the tariffs, many of our customers in China have indicated that they will not take delivery," CEO Kelly Ortberg said during a first-quarter earn…

US President Donald Trump played up prospects of a "fair deal" on trade with China overnight but his top officials offered few details of how Washington might de-escalate its damaging tariff war with Beijing. Trump said his country would have a "fair deal with China," adding that "everything's active" when asked if Washington was talking to Beijing…

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas urged the militant group Hamas on Wednesday to release the hostages still being held in Gaza, calling it the main factor fuelling Israeli attacks on the territory. "Hamas has given the criminal occupation excuses to commit its crimes in the Gaza Strip, the most prominent being the holding of hostages," Abbas said…

Chief Executive John Lee said on Wednesday he had exchanges with six Hangzhou start-ups and welcomed them to expand in Hong Kong. On the second day of his visit to Zhejiang province, Lee went to the Hangzhou Future Sci-Tech City Urban Exhibition Hall in the morning. In a social media post, the chief executive said the exhibition hall showcased the …

President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday tariffs hurt the multilateral trading system as he hosted his Azerbaijani counterpart for talks in Beijing. Xi told Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that trade wars "undermine the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, hurt the multilateral trading system, and impact the world economic order". The…

The body of Pope Francis, laid out in an open coffin, was carried in a solemn procession on Wednesday from his residence within the walls of the Vatican City to St. Peter's Basilica. Red-hatted cardinals, priests, candle-carrying friars and helmeted Swiss Guards walked slowly into the vast, sunlit esplanade as a male choir chanted psalms and prayer…

China announced on Wednesday that a veteran astronaut will lead two crew members on their first flight to the Tiangong space station, the latest milestone in the country's race to send a manned mission to the moon by 2030. The Shenzhou-20 mission is scheduled to blast off at 5.17pm on Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest C…

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau said he thinks people in business are smart over where opportunities lie and Hong Kong's being a tariff-free economy makes it operationally convenient for them. Speaking on RTHK's Overview Policy programme on Wednesday, he said the government will step up promotion as Hong Kong seeks to e…

The national space agency said on Wednesday astronauts from Hong Kong and Macau are on track to make their inaugural space flight as early as next year in a first for the two special administrative regions. The update came close to a year after the China Manned Space Agency selected two payload specialists from Hong Kong and Macau to join its fourt…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday he would cut back significantly the time he devotes to the Trump administration from next month and spend more time running his many companies. The move comes as Musk's involvement in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency - where he has led efforts to cut federal jobs - has become a political lightnin…

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to take threats to fire Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell off the table after days of intensifying criticisms of the central bank chief over not cutting interest rates. "I have no intention of firing him," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. "I would like to see him be a little more ac…

At least 20 people were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir when gunmen opened fire on tourists on Tuesday, a senior police officer said, with authorities calling it the worst attack on civilians in years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi decried the "heinous act" in the summer retreat of Pahalgam, pledging the attackers "will be brought to justice."…

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said on Tuesday Hong Kong will continue to serve as a platform for arts and cultural exchanges. Speaking at the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ 2025, Law said continuous technological advancements are bringing uncertainties to cultural development but that opting for a "people-oriented approac…

Hong Kong's religious and political figures, especially Catholics, have paid tribute to the late Pope Francis, describing him as a compassionate leader who guided the global Catholic community in turbulent times while promoting relations between China and the Vatican. The remarks came as the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong set up a condolence book at…

The success of an SAR wakesurfer on the world stage has helped the water sport become more popular in Hong Kong. Dawnee Kanjanapas won the open women surf category at the inaugural World Wakesurf Championships last year, and was crowned the Wakesurf Rider of the year by the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation. Enthusiasts like her are t…

The Fire Services Department is investigating a case involving the discovery of a burnt corpse at a village house in Yuen Long. Police found the body inside the village house at Tai Tao Tsuen on Sunday. The burning of what is believed to be a 59-year-old non-Chinese male is suspected to have occurred during a fire at the house on January 29, or the…

Hong Kong, China cyclist Ng Pak-hang on Monday claimed gold on the closing day of the Hong Kong International Track Cup, as fellow SAR athlete Ceci Lee claimed silver in the all-around competition despite a crash. Ng's victory in the men's competition was the SAR's only senior gold of the three-day meet at the Hong Kong Velodrome, which doubled as …