Thursday, July 31, 2014

Both sides must stop fighting at MH17 crash site: Malaysia PM

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak appealed Thursday for an "immediate cessation" of fighting between Ukraine government forces and rebels around th...



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Ukraine parliament agrees to armed Dutch, Australian personnel at MH17 site

Ukraine's parliament on Thursday ratified deals with the Netherlands and Australia allowing them to send some 950 "armed personnel" to secure the cra...



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Ukraine parliament rejects PM's resignation

Ukraine's parliament on Thursday voted not to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, meaning he will remain at the helm of the s...



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Ebola-hit Sierra Leone declares state of emergency

Sierra Leone leader Ernest Bai Koroma declared a state of emergency on Thursday and cancelled a planned trip to the US-Africa summit as the country st...



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Fujitsu says returns to profit on strong PC, mobile sales

Fujitsu said Thursday it had swung back to profitability in the April-June period, with the Japanese information technology giant's results driven by ...



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(Flight MH17) Malaysian prime minister in Netherlands

Malaysia's prime minister has arrived in the Netherlands ahead of a meeting with his Dutch counterpart to discuss plans for repatriating remains of Ma...



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Huawei, Lenovo smartphones surge, ZTE fades





The aggressive duo of Huawei and Lenovo (0992.HK) may be consolidating their spots on th









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Hutchison, Cheung Kong profits soar

Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) saw its net profit soared 59 percent in the first six months of the year to HK$21.35 billion from a year ago, beating mark...



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Fiscal reserves down as of June

Expenditure for the three months ended June 2014 was HK$87.1 billion, and revenue was HK$67.2 billion, leading to a deficit of HK$19.9 billion. "The ...



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HK retail sales shrink in June

The value of total retail sales in June 2014 decreased 6.9 percent to HK$37.1 billion from a year earlier, the Census and Statistics Department said. ...



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Spanish train workers kick off strike

Spanish train workers have begun a nationwide strike as one of the country's busiest holiday periods kicks off. Workers for the state train company R...



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Hang Seng extends win streak to eight

Hong Kong stocks ended higher for an eighth straight session Thursday, adding 0.10 percent, as investors welcomed data showing the US economy grew m...



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(Flight MH370) Survey ships making progress: Australia

Two ships surveying the sea floor where Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is thought to have crashed are making steady progress with a deep-water searc...



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Ukraine military announces day-long halt to offensive in east

Ukraine's military on Thursday announced a day-long pause to its brutal offensive to oust pro-Russian rebels in the east, following a plea from the ...



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(Football) Glazers to raise US$150m by selling Man U shares

Manchester United's American owners are set to raise around US$150 million by selling more of their shares in the club on the New York Stock Exchange....



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Panasonic profit dives

Panasonic on Thursday posted a US$369 million net profit for the three months to June, down 65 percent from a year ago when the Japanese electronics g...



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Death toll reaches 30 in India landslide

The death toll in Wednesday's landslide, triggered by heavy rains, in a remote village in the western state of Maharashtra has reached 30 while 150 ot...



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7 killed as boat sinks in Indonesia

Rescuers have found seven bodies and are searching for 13 missing people after a boat with 47 passengers on board capsized in Labuhan Batu Utara distr...



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Toshiba net profit soars in first quarter

Toshiba said Thursday its first-quarter net profit climbed 68.7 percent due to brisk sales in infrastructure business and PCs in Japan. In the thre...



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ANA withdraws plan to buy stake in Myanmar airline

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) has dropped its plan to buy a 49 percent stake in a Myanmar airline, blaming "intensified'' competition in the coun...



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European markets directionless

European stocks diverged at the start of trading on Thursday, amid geopolitical jitters over Ukraine, as investors digested company results on the e...



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The real future is in Chinese futures





The “through train” that will link the stock exchanges of Hong Kong and Shanghai has become a focus of financial markets in both cities since its announcement in April.


While it is clearly a significant development, several questions remain unanswered.









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Panel calls for criminal charges against former TEPCO executives

An independent legal panel on Thursday called for criminal charges to be brought against three former executives of the Fukushima nuclear plant oper...



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Lloyds bank interim net profits slump

Britain's state-rescued Lloyds Banking Group said Thursday that net profits slumped 57 percent in the first half, hit by compensation for insurance ...



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Shell triples net profits in second quarter

Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell said Thursday that net profits more than tripled in the second quarter, boosted by asset sales and higher oi...



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Nikkei ends lower

Tokyo stocks closed down 0.16 percent Thursday, giving up early gains as buying on robust US growth data and the yen's fall ran its course. The Nik...



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Japan's smoking rate drops to record low

Japan's smoking rate has dropped below 20 percent for the first time, according to a new survey, as a recent rise in cigarette prices helped to furt...



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Sony posts US$261m quarterly net profit

Sony said Thursday that it posted a US$261 million quarterly net profit thanks to brisk sales of its PlayStation 4 console and a weak yen, but it stil...



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Activists refuse bail extension

A group of activists and student leaders, who were arrested for staging an unauthorized sit-in in Central on July 1st, have reported back to the polic...



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Govt slammed over staff hiring

The Federation of Trade Unions has criticized the government's practice of hiring contract staff to fill long-term positions. It said although the nu...



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PLA, Armed Police back graft probe of Zhou

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Armed Police fully support the decision to investigate Zhou Yongkang, the latest and highest-ranking "t...



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Peak property portfolio key to HK$1.6 billion takeover tussle





Competing scions of a prominent Taiwanese family are fighting over a HK$2.4 billion property portfolio on Hong Kong’s exclusive Peak in a bitter battle for control of assets that may leave minority shareholders in its listed vehicle the big losers.









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Hang Seng dips at mid-day

Hong Kong stocks ended the morning 0.13 percent lower despite better-than-expected second-quarter US growth data, while profit-takers moved in after...



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Russia digs in its heels





The strains are showing on Vladimir Putin, Russia’s autocratic and increasingly nationalist president.









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IMF recommends lower 2015 GDP growth target for China





While China’s economy would likely grow at “around 7.5 per cent” this year, the International Monetary Fund said, a target growth rate of between 6.5 per cent and 7 per cent for 2015 “would be consistent with the goal of transitioning to a safer and more sustainable growt









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Taiwan's economy shows better growth in second quarter

Taiwan's economy grew a higher-than-expected 3.84 percent on-year in the three months to June, official data showed Thursday, thanks to increased ex...



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Tam urges more signatures overseas

DAB chairman Tam Yiu-ching is asking overseas Chinese sign the petitions against Occupy Central. He spoke in a press conference held in New York, cal...



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Lee Cheuk-yan urges political party legislation

The leader of the Labor Party, Lee Cheuk-yan, has called for political party legislation to ensure transparency over political donations. Last week, ...



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China scandal hurting sales: KFC

The owner of the KFC and Pizza Hut restaurant chains said Thursday a food safety scandal in China has hurt sales and might be severe enough to cut int...



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21 killed in India landslide

Rescuers worked in rain Thursday to dig through a remote village in western India where at least 21 people died as a landslide swept away scores of ho...



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Nikkei up by break

Tokyo stocks rose 0.35 percent Thursday morning, boosted by robust US growth data and the yen's fall to its lowest level in nearly four months again...



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IMF expects China's economy to grow 7.5pc in 2014

China's economy is expected to grow at about 7.5 percent this year with inflation kept below 3 percent, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednes...



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Fed leaves policy unchanged despite stronger growth

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday stuck to its plan of holding its base interest rate near zero while steadily trimming its stimulus, despite a surpr...



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HSBC accused of being Islamophobic

Gavin Grey what reason the bank had given for closing the accounts Banking giant HSBC has been accused of being Islamophobic after it told three Musl...



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Fund managers need some iPhone inspiration





One of my finest hours – at least at the time – was dealing with a New Zealand client investing in a French stock in Hong Kong, for a London stockbroker owned by a Swedish bank, in the corner of a Chinese shirt maker’s shop on a line that scratched and whistled, while usi









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House Republicans vote to sue Obama

The Republican-led House of Representatives voted Wednesday to sue President Barack Obama for allegedly overstepping his powers, a move swiftly denoun...



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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Ebola poses 'very serious threat' to UK: Hammond

The Ebola outbreak in west Africa poses a ''very serious threat'' to Britain, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Wednesday, as England's public h...



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SAfrica extradites German priest on sex abuse charges

A German Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse of children in his native country and in South Africa has been extradited to Germany, police said W...



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10 convicted over fire leaving 94 Indian school kids dead

A court in southern India has convicted 10 people for a fire in 2004 that raged through a thatched-roof schoolhouse and killed 94 children while most ...



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Sony to delist shares from LSE

Sony said Wednesday it would de-list its shares from the London Stock Exchange after 44 years because of thin trading volume, following a series of pu...



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Trade slumps between HK, China

The Chinese mainland's trade with Hong Kong totaled US$160.35 billion in the first half of 2014, down 22.4 percent year on year, the Ministry of Comme...



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NEC cuts net loss

Japan's NEC said Wednesday it had cut its quarterly net loss by half from a year ago owing to its exit from a money-losing smartphone business and r...



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Nintendo logs quarterly net loss on Wii U costs

Japanese videogame giant Nintendo on Wednesday posted a US$97 million quarterly net loss, with higher costs tied to sales of its Wii U console digging...



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150 feared trapped in India landslide

A major landslide on Wednesday struck a village in western India following heavy monsoon rains, leaving 150 people feared trapped, a rescue official...



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Senior political advisor of Liaoning removed from post

Chen Tiexin, a senior political advisor of northeast China's Liaoning Province, has been removed from his post for suspected serious discipline and la...



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Hang Seng extends win streak to seven days

Hong Kong stocks rose 0.37 percent Wednesday, a seventh successive gain, as investors await the release of US economic data and a meeting of the Fede...



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Flooding in UCLA

The campus of UCLA found itself suddenly steeped in water and chaos after a major water pipe burst and spewed some 8 million gallons, stranding people...



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Japan practice amphibious landing in Hawaii

Japan is practicing storming beaches with the US at the world's largest maritime exercises. Helicopters dropped a reconnaissance team of Japanese sol...



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Australia detains four Taiwanese for drug trafficking

Four Taiwanese men have been arrested and charged over the seizure of crystal methylamphetamine worth AU$130 million in Australia, police said Wednes...



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South Korean factory output jumps





South Korea’s industrial output grew at its fastest clip in nearly five years last month, but analysts say sluggish exports and weak domestic demand will likely force the central bank to cut rates for the first time in more than a year, perhaps as early as next month.









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Southwest Airlines fined over improper repairs

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Tuesday that it plans to fine Southwest Airlines US$12 million for failing to comply with FAA req...



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Barclays says first-half net profit soars

Britain's scandal-hit Barclays bank posted a 68-percent jump in first-half net profits on Wednesday, as it pushed ahead with a major restructuring th...



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Big investors shifting slowly from futures to ETFs





Institutional investors, such as endowments and sovereign wealth funds, are trading some of their stock futures contracts for exchange-traded funds, an action they say saves them money and effort while providing comparable returns.









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ANA back in profit

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) said Wednesday it had swung back to profitability in the three months to June, thanks to an expansion at a Tokyo ai...



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Civil disobedience more likely: Occupy Central

An organizer of the Occupy Central campaign Chan Kin-man said he believes the chance of launching the civil disobedience movement in August is now hig...



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Nikkei continues to seek new six-month high

Tokyo stocks closed 0.18 percent higher on Wednesday, boosted by a weak yen and largely upbeat Japanese corporate earnings, while investors shrugged...



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Lawmakers asked to clarify donations

Ip Kwok-him, chairman of the Legco committee on members' interests, said the complaints by lawmakers from the Federation of Trade Unions will not be e...



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China consumer sentiment edges up but still subdued





Consumer sentiment in mainland China ticked up this month as expectations for long-term business conditions improved thanks to Beijing’s pro-growth policies, the Westpac MNI China Consumer Sentiment survey found.









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McDonald's Japan launches 'tofu nuggets' after meat scandal

McDonald's restaurants in Japan are turning to time-honoured Asian soul food -- tofu -- as the chain scrambles to minimise the damage from an embarr...



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Protest against mainlanders crowding pools

Members of Neo Democrats staged protest at the Government Headquarters, complaining that mainlanders from Shenzhen occupy local swimming pools. A res...



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8 arrested in police raids

Police raided several locations in Sham Shui Po and arrested eight people -- seven men and a woman -- in a series of anti-crime operations. Four men ...



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(Football) Man United beat Inter in friendly

Manchester United remained undefeated under new Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal after defeating Inter Milan 5-3 on penalty kicks Tuesday following a go...



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Hainan vice governor removed from post

Tan Li, vice governor of south China's island province of Hainan, was removed from his post Wednesday, according to local government. The standing co...



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Hang Seng up at lunch

Hong Kong shares rose for a sixth straight session Wednesday, in line with a regional rally, as dealers await a Federal Reserve policy meeting later i...



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Five officials face graft probe

Five Chinese officials have been prosecuted or probed for bribe-taking, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said in a statement on Wednesday. Local pr...



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Graft-busters removed from public office

The disciplinary watchdog of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday announced the expulsion of six officials from the Party and public office f...



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4 charged with murder in death of Chinese student

Four US teens were charged Tuesday with murder in the fatal beating of a Chinese graduate student with a baseball bat and wrench as he walked to his a...



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20 killed as Israeli shelling hits UN school in Gaza

An Israeli shelling on a UN school being used as a shelter in the northern Gaza Strip killed 20 people on Wednesday, medics said. A UN official put...



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Europe launches last resupply ship to space station

An Ariane 5 ES heavy rocket lifted off from South America late Tuesday bearing Europe's fifth and final robot supply ship for the International Spac...



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Labour shortages could cost US$10 trillion if worker flows aren’t better managed





Severe and imminent shortages of labour across the Asia-Pacific will cost the global economy no less than US$10 trillion between now and 2030, a new Boston Consulting Group report* says.









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SKorea industrial output grows

South Korea's industrial output rebounded in June from two months of decline, with mobile and semiconductor products leading the way, government dat...



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China hacked into National Research Council computers: Canada

The Canadian government said "state-sponsored'' cyberattack on National Research Council (NRC) was detected by the nation's cyber espionage agency. T...



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Japan factory output drops most since tsunami disaster

Japan's factory production in June logged its sharpest fall since the 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster, hit largely by drops in cars and industrial ...



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Toyota stays at top in sales after first half

Toyota remains No. 1 in global vehicles sales after the first six months of this year, followed by Volkswagen which bumped General Motors out of secon...



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Twitter results soar in second quarter

Stronger-than-expected financial results pushed Twitter's stock sharply higher on Tuesday after the short messaging service said its revenue more than...



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Nikkei up at mid-day

Tokyo stocks gained 0.27 percent on Wednesday morning, boosted by a weak yen and largely favourable Japanese earnings. The benchmark Nikkei 225 inde...



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Japan factory output falls sharply





Japan’s industrial output fell last month at the fastest rate since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 as companies slowed production to offset a build-up in inventories, official data showed on Wednesday, clouding the outlook for the economy.









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EU, US toughen measures against Russia

The European Union agreed for the first time on Tuesday to impose broad sanctions against Russian oil companies, banks and defence firms, while the US...



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(Football) Scolari joins Gremio after World Cup flop

Former Brazil national football team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has been named coach of Gremio, only three weeks after leading Brazil to a record 7-1 d...



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(Basketball) Byron Scott's back as Lakers coach

After nearly three months without a head coach, the Los Angeles Lakers have named Byron Scott as their new bench boss. Scott was a shooting guard on...



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Foxconn employee found dead in Shenzhen

A 22-year-old male employee of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co was found dead outside the company's manufacturing campus in Shenzhen, the compa...



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Pan-African airline suspends flights to Ebola hit countries

Pan-African airline ASKY suspended all flights to and from the capitals of Liberia and Sierra Leone over the worsening Ebola health crisis, as the Lib...



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(Football) Liverpool signs Belgium striker Origi

Liverpool have completed their sixth summer signing. They picked up the Belgium striker Divock Origi from Lille for 17 million US dollars. The 19-ye...



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Nikkei opens flat

Tokyo stocks opened flat Wednesday, with Wall Street providing a negative lead on concerns over the Ukraine crisis after the West imposed stiffer san...



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Hong Kong stocks up at open

Hong Kong stocks rose 0.26 percent Wednesday morning, marking a seventh-straight gain despite a negative lead from Wall Street. The benchmark Hang ...



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Not your fault, but simply deal with it





Collateral damage is a terrifying thing, a concern accentuated because it stems from events that tend to be beyond your control.


However, as the dismal example provided by McDonald’s in Hong Kong shows, it is always possible to make a bad situation worse.









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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

NKorea offers to return body of SKorean man

North Korea offered Tuesday to return the body of a South Korean man found drifting north of the disputed Yellow Sea border, the South's unification...



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Dutch PM urges Ukraine to stop fighting near crash site

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Tuesday to ask Ukrainian forces to stop fighting around the MH17 crash s...



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EU envoys meeting on tougher Russia sanctions

The United States and the European Union are preparing a powerful one-two punch against the Russian economy, with EU ambassadors meeting Tuesday to di...



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Exchange Fund income amounts to HK$50.5b in first half

The Exchange Fund recorded an investment income of HK$50.5 billion in the first half of 2014, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said. The gains on Hong...



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Anti-Occupy Central to march on Aug. 17

Alliance for Peace and Democracy spokesman Robert Chow Yung said his organization will have a march from Victoria Park to Central on August 17, where ...



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Lawmaker slams MTR over delay

Lawmaker Gary Fan Kwok-wai has expressed frustration over another delay to train services on the MTR. The latest incident happened Tuesday morning be...



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Karzai cousin killed in suicide bomb attack

A suicide attacker killed an influential cousin of Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday, officials said, raising tensions during a dispute over el...



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Curtains, fire hoses save SKorea ferry survivors

Student survivors of South Korea's ferry disaster testified Tuesday how passengers, abandoned by the crew, improvised means of escape, using fire hose...



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Russia sanctions hit on profits: BP

Energy company BP has warned that further international sanctions on Russia could have an adverse impact on its profits because of its stake in the oi...



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CE: govt should oppose Occupy Central

The Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying says all government staff should oppose the Occupy Central movement. He made the comment in dismissing criticism ...



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Building materials sector sluggish in China

China's building materials sector remained sluggish as the property market showed no signs of warming, latest statistics from the country's top econom...



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China to put Glaxo investigators on trial

A Shanghai court says American and British investigators who worked for drug maker GlaxoSmithKline will stand trial Aug. 8 on charges of illegally obt...



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Hang Seng, Shanghai finish higher

Hong Kong stocks climbed for a sixth straight session Tuesday, adding 0.87 percent ahead of the release of key US data and a Federal Reserve policy ...



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Tighter crackdown on "naked officials"

South China's Guangdong Province has uncovered more "naked officials," or officials whose families have emigrated overseas, in a tightened crackdown c...



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(Flight MH17) Ukraine fighting stops investigators: official

Fighting between Kiev forces and pro-Russian separatists on Tuesday again prevented international investigators reaching the MH17 crash site in Ukra...



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Airbus cancels six-jet order from Japan's Skymark

Airbus on Tuesday said it has cancelled a deal with Skymark Airlines for the purchase of six A380 superjumbos, as shares in the Japanese budget carri...



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European stocks open flat

Europe's main stock markets rose at the start of trading on Tuesday, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index up 0.18 percent to 6,800.28 points. Fran...



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Group seeks penalties on pier works

The concern group Green Sense says a contractor working on a section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge of should face penalties for not complying w...



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Truck driver kills 12 pilgrims on India highway

A speeding truck driver ran over and killed at least 12 Hindu pilgrims on Tuesday who were sleeping on the side of a busy road in northeastern India...



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Deutsche Bank sees second-quarter profits down

Deutsche Bank, Germany's biggest lender, said on Tuesday its net profits in the second quarter of the year had fallen by 29 percent, due mainly to a...



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Citic Resources suing Qingdao Port over detained metals





Qingdao Port International announced it is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by Citic Resources, which is seeking US$108 million in compensation if it fails









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BP profits soar in second quarter

BP said on Tuesday that net profits surged by 65 percent in the second quarter to US$3.369 billion from a year earlier, boosted by rising production. ...



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Honda logs higher profit in April-June

Japanese automaker Honda said Tuesday its latest quarterly net profit jumped 19.6 percent to US$1.4 billion thanks to a weak yen, as it boosted its ...



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JAL profit down in second quarter

Japan Airlines (JAL) said Tuesday its net profit for the April-June quarter fell 19.4 percent to US$145 million, as a weak yen and soaring fuel costs...



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Nikkei ends higher

Tokyo stocks rose 0.57 percent to close at a new six-month high on Tuesday, boosted by upbeat expectations for Japanese corporate earnings. The bench...



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More flight delays expected

Eastern China was bracing for more flight delays on Tuesday, with reports saying Shanghai's main airports would be down to 25 percent capacity after a...



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Japan teen murder accused 'wanted to dissect' someone: report

A 16-year-old Japanese schoolgirl has confessed to decapitating a classmate, police said Tuesday, as she reportedly told investigators she "wanted to...



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Hammer Hill Road swimming pool closed as faeces found

The Hammer Hill Road Swimming Pool in Wong Tai Sin District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of ...



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15 dead in Japan heatwave

Sweltering summer heat in Japan has left at least 15 people dead over the past week, while more than 8,000 others were rushed to hospital with heats...



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Hang Seng up at lunch

Hong Kong shares rose for a sixth straight session Tuesday, adding 0.27 percent by the break, as investors await the release of key US data and a Fede...



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HKMA warns of fraudulent website

A fraudulent website with the domain name "http://ift.tt/1ryPNH8" purports to be the official website of Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (FBHK), ...



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1,000 minibuses join anti-Occupy campaign

More than a 1,000 red and green minibuses that operate 50 routes across Hong Kong have joined in the move against the Occupy Central campaign, by putt...



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(Flight MH17) EU to impose new Russia sanctions as fighting blocks probe

The EU is set to approve punishing sanctions against Russia Tuesday over its role in the Ukraine crisis, after Kiev seized control of part of the MH17...



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Two frontline soldiers commit suicide in SKorea

South Korea's military confirmed Tuesday the apparent suicides of two army privates, raising fresh questions over the deployment of young conscripts...



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Delay in MTR services

The MTR Corporation says there was a delay in services between Admiralty and Tsim Sha Tsui due to a signalling problem, shortly after 7:00am. Passeng...



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CE 'polarizing society' with signature

A policy specialist has accused Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying of causing greater divisions in society by pledging to sign a petition against the Occ...



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What the minimum wage failed to do





Concern about the ability of markets to provide income equity for the least able members of the work force has given the minimum wage its strong social appeal.









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Japan household spending down in June

Japanese household spending in June dropped a price-adjusted 3.0 percent on year to 272,791 yen (HK$about 20,747), the country's Internal Affairs Mini...



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Political advisor prosecuted for graft

A senior political advisor from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was prosecuted for taking bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate co...



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Stricter emissions control in China to drive palladium prices higher





Tight supply and stricter vehicle pollution control standards on the mainland will continue to be key drivers of higher prices of palladium this year and next year, even as the industrial metal’s price reached a 13-year peak, analysts say.









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UN sanctions NKorea operator of ship with arms

The United Nations imposed sanctions on the North Korean shipping company that operates a ship seized by Panama in July 2013 for carrying undeclared m...



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Russia has violated arms treaty: US

The United States has found that Russia violated a 1987 arms control treaty by testing a ground-launched cruise missile, a senior US official said la...



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Japan jobless rate up

Japan's jobless rate rose for the first time in almost a year in June, while the ratio of job offers to job seekers hit a 22-year high, official data ...



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SKorea current account surplus narrows in June

South Korea logged a current account surplus of nearly US$8.0 billion in June, slightly down from the May figure as import growth outpaced exports, t...



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(NBA) Clippers sale to Ballmer approved

A US judge on Monday gave the go-ahead for the $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer, ruling...



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NASA rover makes new record

The US space agency's Opportunity rover has now clocked more miles on Mars than any man-made vehicle to reach another celestial body, NASA said Mond...



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Nikkei inches up at mid-day

Tokyo stocks rose 0.39 percent Tuesday morning, boosted by upbeat expectations for Japanese corporate earnings. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index climb...



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New fears about Ebola spread after flight scare

No one knows for sure just how many people Patrick Sawyer came into contact with the day he boarded a flight in Liberia, had a stopover in Ghana, chan...



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Storage the missing link in China’s strategy for renewable energy





Beijing is making great strides to ramp up renewable energy – at least on paper – and recent weeks have been especially encouraging.









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Weibo: Huawei's loss, Smartisan's headaches





Smartphone chatter has dominated the microblogging realm among tech executives this past week, led by nonstop debate surrounding the hyperactive Xiaomi and its newly launched fourth-generation model.









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Monday, July 28, 2014

Australia approves India-backed mine

Australia has approved a massive coal mine that could ultimately provide electricity for up to 100 million Indians, angering environmentalists who w...



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(Flight MH17) Dutch, Australian cops go to crash site

Dutch and Australian police headed on Monday for the crash site of Malaysian flight MH17 in a fresh bid to reach the insurgent-held east Ukraine loc...



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European stocks open higher

Europe's main stock markets climbed at the start of trading on Monday, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index up 0.20 percent to 6,805.17 points. Fra...



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China to begin military drill on Tuesday

China has set up alternative flight routes to minimize delays related to military exercises along its southeastern coast that start Tuesday, the Defen...



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Improvement possible for reform: CS

Chief secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said it is possible to allow improvements in the formation of the nominating committee and the nomination p...



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Lawmakers meet with officials over food scandal

Legislators will meet Food and Health Bureau officials Monday afternoon to see if there are better ways to protect consumers over the import of cooked...



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Xi wins mentions in state media: report

Chinese President Xi Jinping's name has graced the pages of the Communist Party's flagship newspaper more frequently than any other leader since found...



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Nikkei reaches new six-month high

Tokyo stocks rose 0.46 percent Monday to close at a fresh six-month high as Japanese earnings season gets into full swing. The benchmark Nikkei 225 i...



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Exhibition for North Korean defector artist called off

An art exhibition in China by a North Korean defector has been cancelled, gallery staff said Monday, with reports saying the show had been dismantle...



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Cambodia factory fire leaves Chinese worker dead

A strong fire completely destroyed a garment factory and killed a Chinese national in the suburban area of capital Phnom Penh early Monday, a firefigh...



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UN Security Council urges immediate Gaza ceasefire

The UN Security Council on Monday called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza to allow for urgent aid to reach civilians as the conflict be...



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Hang Seng gains at mid-day

Hong Kong shares ended the morning session 0.91 percent higher, a fifth straight gain and in line with a regional advance, on hopes that China's econo...



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(Football) Man City dump AC Milan in friendly

English Premier League champions Manchester City cruised to a 5-1 triumph over Italy's AC Milan on Sunday in a weather-hit friendly at Heinz Field, ho...



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Cross-Strait economic talks set on August 5

The sixth regular meeting of the Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Committee (ECC) will be held on August 5 in Beijing, the Chinese mainland's Associa...



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Thailand roadside bomb kills one

Police say a 12-year-old girl was killed and seven people, including two other girls, were wounded in a roadside bomb attack in Thailand's insurgency-...



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Hong Kong doesn’t need sequels to the GEM flop





A top government think tank has suggested that Hong Kong’s stock exchange follow London’s in introducing new boards for companies with different shareholding structures.









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Police remove church's cross

A Christian evangelist in eastern China says hundreds of police have taken down a local church's cross amid a crackdown on church buildings around Zhe...



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Student survivors testify in South Korea ferry trial

Teenaged student survivors of South Korea's ferry disaster began giving video testimony under tight security Monday in the murder trial of the vessel'...



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China has yet to walk the talk on economic reform





China’s economic statistics provoke a lot of debate. This is a bit odd, since Premier Li Keqiang seems to have previously settled the matter.









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UN Security Council to hold emergency session on Gaza

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session Sunday night on the situation in Gaza, diplomats said. The session will take place at midnight...



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Pirated school books seized in raids

Customs officers say they have broken up a syndicate which supplied suspected pirated textbooks to primary schools and parents. Officers arrested thre...



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Nikkei opens down 0.2%

Tokyo stocks opened 0.20 percent lower on Monday after ending last week trade at a six-month high. The Nikkei 225 index was down 30.89 points to 15,...



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Hong Kong stocks rise at open

Hong Kong stocks rose 0.14 percent in the first few minutes of trade Monday, marking a fifth straight advance. The benchmark Hang Seng Index climbed...



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Bridging the clean air gap





In less than two years, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau superbridge should open, and we will find out whether the “build it and they will come” model works or a white elephant walks.


One simple way to think about the bridge is that it’s better than welfare.









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Asset bubbles risk deflating global economic recovery, warn analysts





In a world still struggling to shake off the worst financial crisis for a generation, many economists are worrying that new asset bubbles are already threatening to derail the tepid global recovery.









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A bet on Hengqin zone's potential comes with risks





A few minutes by ferry from Macau, the world’s biggest gambling hub, the mainland island of Hengqin is dotted with heavy machinery, trucks, and thousands of construction workers busy building infrastructure.









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ANZ Bank faces regional talent squeeze as top executives depart





ANZ Bank has lost two local chief executives in the space of two months as competition for talent heats up and the Australian-based bank pushes aggressively into the region.









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Duty-free shopping surges in popularity in China





While luxury sales growth on the mainland is slowing down, business at domestic duty-free shops is entering a golden age.









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Hong Kong needs to think out of the box on rents





Irony and cynicism are not primary elements in Cantonese humour, but they seem to have been lost entirely in recent weeks by Cheung Kong (Holdings).









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Clean water access offers flood of business opportunities





Access to clean water to quench the thirst of a growing global population is threatening to be one of the defining struggles for future generations.









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Market braces for a new credit default contract





The countdown has begun to the most substantial overhaul of the US$21 trillion credit default swap (CDS) market in over a decade.









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Banks face lawsuit for manipulating price of silver





Deutsche Bank, HSBC and Bank of Nova Scotia were accused in a lawsuit of rigging the price of billions of dollars in silver, an allegation similar to earlier suits involving the London gold fix.









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Finding a profitable way to look after Chinese pensioners





Insurers and developers have yet to find a reliable way to profit from the mainland's ageing population by providing seniors' housing and elderly care because mainlanders are not ready to pay for such premium services.









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China's Hony ready to make more overseas deals after Pizza Express buy





Hony Capital says it is ready to make more sizeable investments to feed the rapidly growing Chinese consumer market after stepping up its overseas buying spree with the purchase of British restaurant chain Pizza Express.









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Houseware retailer takes MTR route to expansion





International Housewares Retail, which runs the store chain Japan Home Centre, plans to open its first store in an MTR station, in Siu Hong, in September, with two more MTR station outlets to follow by the end of the year.









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New e-commerce service takes challenge to rival Alibaba





Shanghai Media Group and Singapore-based YuuZoo are due to launch this week a new social media and e-commerce platform to challenge Alibaba Group's online shopping market leader Tmall.com.









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Chart of the day: Shanghai index a shooting star





The Shanghai Composite’s 3.7 per cent rally in five days is impressive in its own right, but the key from a technical perspective is that Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and Taiwan’s Taiex are making, or hovering close to, new highs.









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Shanghai stock market unlikely to follow Hong Kong trading hours





Shanghai is unlikely to stretch stock exchange trading hours to match Hong Kong's, despite growing calls for combined action when the through train trading scheme takes off in October.









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Monetary authority on guard over capital outflows from Hong Kong





Hong Kong must stay alert to the possibility of large capital outflows even as its currency has had unusual strength recently due to inflows for acquisitions, share-dividends and related transactions.









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France out to build on gains as yuan hub, consul general in Hong Kong says





France wants to expand its yuan business on the back of a strong trade relationship with China, while its financial firms are keen to offer yuan investment products, French consul general Arnaud Barthelemy said.









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Tradition and training key to Swire Pacific's future profits





Four months into his new job at the helm of soft drinks to ship salvage conglomerate Swire Pacific, John Slosar is getting to grips with being a hands-off manager - and is arguably the busiest he has ever been.









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Mainland China banks embrace preferred shares but investors are left guessing





These are transformational times for the mainland banks as they line up about 310 billion yuan (HK$387 billion) of preferred share issuance, including a 20 billion yuan offer from Ping An Bank announced on July 15.









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Company directors keep up pace of share purchases for fourth week





The buying was high for the fourth straight week while the selling among directors fell based on filings on the stock exchange for last week.









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Goldman Sachs sees risk of falling stocks as bond yields rise





Global equities and bonds may retreat in the next three months, with stocks at risk of a brief sell-off, as rising inflation boosts yields, according to a quarterly strategy report by Goldman Sachs.









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Italy steps up pitch to investors from Hong Kong and China





Mainland and Hong Kong investors are interested in buying more Italian sovereign debt and investing in Italian state companies undergoing privatisation, Italian finance minister Pier Carlo Padoan told the South China Morning Post.









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China's cinemas look to smaller cities for next phase of growth





Hong Kong-listed China 3D Digital Entertainment's ambitions for the mainland market kicked off this year with the opening of its first cinema across the border, in the coastal city of Xiamen.









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Beijing's clean-energy incentives give price edge to Chinese carmakers





The latest government incentives have armed mainland car brands with competitive price advantages as they seek to win market share in the burgeoning "new-energy" car market from foreign brands.









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Swire chief eyes property, aviation shifts





Swire Pacific's core property and aviation businesses face major structural shifts, chairman John Slosar said.









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CAAC making name over flight delays





Did you know the mainland's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), has a nickname given by frustrated travellers? To them, CAAC stands for "Chinese Airlines Always Cancel". How ironic.









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Chinese investment in US falls, but big deals in the pipeline





Chinese investments in the United States fell year-on-year in the first half, but pending deals and the expected completion of the US-China Bilateral Investment Treaty mean the figure for the year as a whole may rise substantially.









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Saturday, July 26, 2014

Telecoms giants' venture set for private-sector investment





The infrastructure-sharing joint venture that was recently formed by the mainland's three telecommunications network operators will be put on track for private investment and a future public listing, according to the industry regulator.









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AIA sees big boost from new policy sales





AIA Group, the largest insurer in Hong Kong and second-largest in Asia in terms of market value, posted better-than-expected operating profit growth in the first half, thanks to strong new policy sales.









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Tencent gets official approval to create private bank in Qianhai





Tencent Holdings received formal approval from the China Banking Regulatory Commission yesterday to set up a private bank in Shenzhen's Qianhai special economic zone, putting the internet company in a position to compete head-to-head with rivals in mobile bank services.









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China Huadian Group aims for complete listing of assets





China Huadian Group, one of the big five state-backed power generators, plans to ultimately inject all of its assets into its listed companies as part of reform in state enterprises, but analysts said this would take several years.









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Mobile business boosts Baidu sales amid overseas expansion





Internet search powerhouse Baidu, which saw a 34 per cent jump in net profit in the second quarter, is stepping up the expansion of its mobile business amid efforts to sharpen its focus on international markets.









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High-yield junk bonds lead Hong Kong's dim sum market





Junk bonds are proving the best bet in Hong Kong's dim sum market for the fourth consecutive month as a pickup in the world's second-biggest economy spurs risk-taking.









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Chinese government defers another default but only for the time being





Odd as it may sound, the fact that Huatong Road & Bridge Group dodged a default on July 23 is bad news.









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Chart of the day: Go with the flow







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Evergrande puzzles with buy-back on one hand, borrowing on the other





What kind of management pays more than HK$500 million to buy back its own shares while scrambling for the same amount through an expensive seven-month loan?









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Mahjong calamity





We bring sad tidings from Strasbourg where China's national mahjong team came a dismal 37th at the 5th Open European Mahjong Championships this month. The best individual performance from the mainland was 30th.









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Friday, July 25, 2014

BSkyB to take over Italian, German pay TV networks

London-based satellite broadcaster BSkyB has agreed to take control of its sister companies in Italy and Germany, creating a European pay TV giant, by...



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Chui submits nomination for Macau CE

Macau's Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai-on has submitted his nominations to the election authority as he seeks a second term in office. Chui is wid...



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UN says 230,000 have fled homes in Ukraine crisis

A total of 230,000 people have fled their homes in the face of Ukraine's spiralling conflict, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday. UNHCR sp...



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Russia raises interest rate on geopolitical tensions

Russia's central bank unexpectedly raised its main interest rate by a half point on Friday, warning that geopolitical tensions were pushing up inflati...



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Hamas says it fired three rockets at Israel airport

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas said Friday it fired three rockets at Tel Aviv airport, a day after US and some European airlines had resumed flig...



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Third runway sparks concerns

Another group has expressed its skepticism about the Airport Authority's plan to build a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport. The think t...



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Consultation on working hours about to end

The public consultation on standard working hours will end later this month, but there appears to be no consensus on the issue. That is according to ...



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China adds 7.4m jobs in first half

China's employed population in urban areas expanded by 7.37 million in the first half of 2014, with the unemployment rate remaining low at 4.08 percen...



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Hollande says Air Algerie flight black box found

French President Francois Hollande says there are no survivors in the Air Algerie crash in Mali. Hollande announced on Friday that one black box has...



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(Football) Chelsea boss Mourinho considering Drogba return

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho revealed on Friday that he is considering a move to bring former striker Didier Drogba back to the club after he was rel...



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Ukrainian dairy products banned by Russia: reports

Russia has banned the import of Ukrainian dairy products, Russian news agencies reported Friday, amid a growing fallout in trade relations as Kiev t...



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Taiwan plane crash black box info expected next week

Taiwan's aviation safety council plans to release information from the black boxes of TransAsia Airways Flight GE 222 to the public sometime next week...



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German business confidence down in July

Germany's Ifo business confidence indicator fell sharply in July, data showed on Friday, as the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East weigh on compa...



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McDonald's Japan halts sourcing chicken from China

McDonald's said Friday it would stop importing chicken from China while its restaurants in Japan would stop selling the meat, following a food safety...



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Ukraine reports overnight rebel attacks on border

The Ukrainian army on Friday claimed that soldiers came under artillery fire from the Russian side of the border overnight and were attacked by rebels...



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Housing projects sped up

Government figures indicate that property developers have sped up the completion of existing residential projects. The number of completed units rose...



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Hang Seng finishes on positive column

Hong Kong stocks rose 0.31 percent Friday, a fourth-straight advance, following a record close on Wall Street and with confidence boosted by a stron...



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RBS reports sharp recovery

Britain's state-rescued Royal Bank of Scotland warned over future earnings despite posting a surge in profits on Friday. Net profit almost tripled...



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European markets open lower

Europe's main stock markets dropped at the start of trading on Friday, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index down 0.32 percent to 6,799.54 points. ...



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German airlines cancel more Tel Aviv flights

Germany's two largest airlines say they are not yet resuming flights to Israel even though the European Aviation Safety Agency has lifted a recommenda...



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Woman sentenced for beating son

A single mother has been placed on probation for one year for hitting her eight-year son with a hanger and forcing him out of their flat in Tuen Mun i...



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France sends troopers to protect Air Algeria wreck

French officials have dispatched a military unit to secure the site in Mali where an Air Algeria plane crashed in a heavy rainstorm with 116 people ab...



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German consumer confidence improves

Consumer confidence in Germany is edging fractionally higher, driven by rising income expectations, a new poll found on Friday. "Consumer sentimen...



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Gaza toll tops 800 as Kerry presses humanitarian truce

Israeli fire Friday pushed the Palestinian death toll in Gaza to above 800, as Washington pressed Israel and Hamas to agree a week-long humanitarian c...



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Nikkei ends at six-month high

Tokyo stocks rose 1.13 percent Friday to close at a six-month high after a sharp decline in US jobless claims boosted the dollar against the yen, se...



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Govt may beef up regulations on cooked meat

The government may consider tightening regulations on the import of cooked meat. This follows revelations that McDonald's had imported cooked chicken...



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Game fair draws crowd

There have been long queues outside the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wanchai ahead of the opening of the annual Ani-Con and Games fair which fe...



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Black boxes from Taiwan air crash investigated

Investigators are examining wreckage and flight data recorders for clues into a plane crash on a Taiwanese island that killed 48 people. Stormy we...



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Resale home price down in second quarter

Resale prices for public housing declined by 1.4 percent in the second quarter this year from the previous quarter, despite the 16 percent rise in the...



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Japan's inflation heat up in June

Japan's consumer prices in June increased 3.3 percent on yearly basis, marking the 13th straight monthly advance, Japanese Internal Affairs Ministry s...



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China confirms flight delays caused by military drills

China's civil aviation authority has confirmed military exercises are behind widespread flight delays and cancellations this month, following days of ...



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More complaints over donations to pan-dems

Twenty members of a pro-Beijing group, Caring Hong Kong Power, have filed complaints with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), demand...



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Hong Kong stocks flat at lunch

Hong Kong stocks were flat by the break Friday as early gains were wiped out by profit-taking after a three-day rally. The benchmark Hang Seng Index ...



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(Flight MH17) Obama joins other leaders to demand full access to crash site

US President Barack Obama joined with the leaders of Australia and the Netherlands on Thursday to demand full access to the crash site of flight MH1...



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Chinese firm sues Transformers film maker

The owners of a Chinese nature park have filed a lawsuit against the makers of the latest Transformers film because it failed to include the park's ...



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LVMH sales slow in Hong Kong as Chinese demand drops around the world





LVMH has seen a drop in demand from Chinese buyers in its home market and overseas, as well as a slowdown in Hong Kong due to political unrest, the French fashion, spirits and cosmetics group said after posting below-forecast second-quarter sales and profits on Thursday.









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Taiwan airline chairman apologizes

Taiwan's TransAsia Airways ran an apology on the front pages of five major newspapers Friday, pledging to shoulder the "utmost responsibility'' after...



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(Football) Olympiakos beat AC Milan in friendly

Greek champions Olympiakos defeated Italy's AC Milan 3-0 on Thursday in a friendly football match that launched the International Champions Cup. Th...



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(Flight MH17) Parents traveling to Ukraine to look for daughter

The parents of an Australian victim of the MH17 disaster are clinging to hopes their daughter may still be alive, traveling to Ukraine to find her, ...



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Nikkei gains by mid-day

Tokyo stocks rose 0.57 percent Friday morning after a sharp decline in US jobless claims sent the dollar higher against the yen, boosting exporters....



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LME rolls out electronic network to speed up trade with Asia





The London Metal Exchange has teamed up with technology firm Colt Technology Services to introduce an electronic platform called LMEnet to facilitate faster and easier trading of its products for brokers and investors in Hong Kong and the Asian region.









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Singapore's economy on track for 2 to 4 pc growth, says central bank





Singapore's economy is expected to grow by a targeted 2 to 4 per cent in 2014 despite a first-half slowdown, helped by factors such as improving global demand, the central bank said.









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New Zealand central bank puts rates on hold after run of increases





New Zealand's central bank lifted its official cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.5 per cent as expected yesterday, but then suspended its rapid-fire run of interest rate rises to study their impact on the economy.









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Japan's exports decline amid weak demand in Asia and US





Japan's exports unexpectedly fell in June for a second straight month, weighed down by a drop in shipments to Asia and the United States, signalling that weak external demand may require bolder measures from policymakers to sustain the country's economic recovery.









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South Korea embarks on big stimulus spree





South Korea yesterday announced plans for billions of dollars in stimulus spending to shore up domestic demand after Asia's fourth-largest economy grew at its weakest in more than a year in the second quarter.









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State Grid talks for stake in Italian grid at advanced stage





Italian state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) said yesterday it was in advanced talks with State Grid Corp of China for the sale of a 35 per cent stake in grid holding company CDP Reti and expects to conclude a deal soon.









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Facebook beats targets with 61pc boost in second-quarter revenue





Facebook's fast-growing mobile advertising business helped drive a 61 per cent increase in revenue during the second quarter, beating Wall Street's financial targets and sending shares to a record high.









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LG posts strong Q2 profit as mobile division turns around





LG Electronics has posted its strongest quarterly profit in more than three years, beating analyst estimates thanks to a pick-up in television sales and a turnaround in its mobile phone business.









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China regulator sees Qualcomm as having a monopoly





China's antitrust regulator has confirmed that Qualcomm, one of the world's biggest mobile chipmakers, has a monopoly, the state-run Securities Times newspaper reported yesterday, as Qualcomm's chief executive held talks in China.









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Indonesia to revise mineral export tax rules





Indonesia will revise its rules on mineral export taxes next month, a senior official said yesterday, paving the way for the country's multi-billion dollar mining industry to rebound after months of lay-offs and stalled exports.









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Australia plays catch-up in yuan business as deal with China nears





Opportunities for Australian companies to participate in the burgeoning yuan market are expected to increase as the country is close to signing a deal with China to facilitate trade and investment settled in the Chinese currency.









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Chart of the day: Aussie unbowed







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Thursday, July 24, 2014

Olympic Champion Mo Farah out of Commonwealth Games

England's double Olympic champion Mo Farah has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games due to fitness concerns, his team announced on Thursday. The 5,...



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Air Algerie loses contact with plane over Africa

Air Algerie said it lost contact with one of its aircraft nearly an hour after takeoff from Burkina Faso on Thursday bound for Algiers. "Air navig...



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Hong Kong shares end at three-year high

Shares in Hong Kong hit a more than three-year high and Shanghai also rallied Thursday after an index of manufacturing activity in China hit an 18-mo...



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FIFA head meets Emir of Qatar for labor rights talk in 2022 World Cup

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has met with the Emir of Qatar to discuss improving migrant workers' rights in the 2022 World Cup host nation. In a sta...



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Asian shares mostly up on China manufacturing data

Asian markets mostly rose Thursday as an index of Chinese manufacturing activity hit an 18-month high in July, boosting hopes for the world's number...



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60 dead in huge attack near Baghdad

Gunmen attacked a prisoner convoy north of Baghdad on Thursday, setting off a gunbattle with troops in which 52 prisoners and eight soldiers were kill...



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Lenovo expands into smart devices





PC giant Lenovo (0992.HK) has never been a company to sit still for very long, which is









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Russian airlines resume flights to Israel

Russia's second-largest airline Transaero said Thursday it was resuming flights to Israel, two days after suspending traffic along with other major ai...



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Hong Kong shares end 0.71 percent higher

Shares in Hong Kong and Shanghai rallied Thursday after an index tracking manufacturing activity in China hit an 18-month high in June, raising hopes...



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Taiwan airline suspects stormy weather caused crash

Taiwan's TransAsia Airways says stormy weather due to Typhoon Matmo was the likely cause of a plane crash Wednesday night that killed 48 people. T...



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(Flight MH17) Russia calls on US to show proof of missile claims

A senior Russian official called Thursday on the United States to prove its claims that the Malaysian passenger airliner shot down last week was hit b...



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US food supplier apologizes for China expired meat scandal

The US food supplier at the centre of an expired meat scandal in China has apologised, as KFC and Pizza Hut's parent company said it would stop using ...



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Pro-Beijing group files complaints over donation by Jimmy Lai

A pro-Beijing group has filed a complaint to the ICAC, demanding an investigation into pan-democratic lawmakers allegedly pocketing donations without ...



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Group files donation complaint to ICAC

A pro-Beijing group has filed a complaint to the ICAC, demanding an investigation into pan-democratic lawmakers allegedly pocketing donations without ...



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11 kids killed in India train crash

A passenger train rammed into a school bus in southern India on Thursday killing at least 11 children, with fears the death toll could rise further,...



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LG profit soars in second quarter

LG Electronics posted a 165 percent surge in second-quarter net profit Thursday from a year ago, on solid TV sales and a dramatic turnaround in its ...



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Cheap flats come with high management fees

The Housing Authority says future home owners of a government subsidised project in Tai O will have to pay monthly property management fee of about HK...



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Michael Suen testifies at Hui's trial

A former secretary for housing, planning and lands has told the corruption trial of former chief secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan that he doesn't recall Mr...



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Views over rent controls

Legislators have been told that reinstating rent controls wouldn't necessarily solve housing problems faced by many grassroots tenants. Some groups a...



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(Football) United dumps Galaxy in Van Gaal's debut

Manchester United made an impressive debut under coach Louis van Gaal on Wednesday night, with Wayne Rooney scoring twice late in the first half of a ...



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Nikkei reverses early gains

Tokyo stocks lost modest early gains to finish down 0.29 percent on Thursday, but a slightly stronger yen helped prop up the Japanese market. The b...



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13 children killed in train-bus crash in India

Police say 13 children have been killed when a train crashed into their school bus at an unmanned railroad crossing in southern India. Police offic...



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