Business

Business openings, closings, and local economic news.

Hate paper straws? Asia’s new alternatives are another eco trap

For Singaporean flight attendant Chloe Tan Zi Ling, 35, the problem with paper straws is their impracticality. “It softens before we can finish the drink, so we have to gulp it down without a straw,” she said, adding that reusable metal alternatives left an unpleasant taste in her mouth. Her...

Marcus Chen

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NewBusiness•1h

Far from home, close to grief: why millions of Filipino migrants dread Undas

For over three decades, Dolores Balladares Pelaez has lived and worked in Hong Kong without once returning to the Philippines for Undas, the annual two-day observance honouring the dead. This year, she is arranging prayers from afar for her late father and four siblings, but will once again miss...

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NewBusiness•1h

3 Hong Kong Chinese-language newspapers raise retail prices by HK$3

Three Chinese-language newspapers in Hong Kong have raised their retail prices by HK$3 (40 US cents) this month, marking the first sector-wide adjustment in two years. Ming Pao’s price rise took effect on Sunday, increasing its single-copy price from HK$12 to HK$15, up 25 per cent. Two financial...

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Business•4h

Hong Kong’s art trading hub ambitions rest on more than headline sales

A Vincent van Gogh painting not shown publicly for more than 60 years recently drew hundreds of people to Sotheby’s Hong Kong. Painted in May 1890, Châtaigniers en fleurs (Chestnut Trees in Flower) is a major work from his Auvers-sur-Oise period and could set an auction record. For three days,...

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Business•4h

Pump pressure: how rising fuel costs leave Hong Kong drivers running on fumes

Van driver Wong Siu-po, 48, felt life was becoming more difficult than ever as mounting fuel prices cost him an additional HK$5,000 (US$640) a month, about a third of his monthly income. With an 11-year-old daughter and an unemployed wife to support, he feels the pressure mounting. “I need to work...

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A Toyota-backed electric truck navigating New York City streets.

Business•4h

Toyota-backed truckmaker bets on aftersales service to fend off Chinese EV rivals

As the sun sets over New York City, the hum of bustling streets is punctuated by the roar of trucks navigating through the concrete jungle. Among these vehicles, a new player is emerging in the electric vehicle (EV) market: Archion, a truckmaker backed by Toyota. With the rise of Chinese EV rivals,...

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Business•5h

Southeast Asia’s EV boom sidelines local car parts suppliers

Southeast Asia’s electric vehicle boom risks leaving the region’s smaller companies behind, as Chinese automotive giants bypass local part-makers in favour of imported components and locked-in supplier networks. Local manufacturers across Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are facing a double...

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Campaign rally in Detroit showcasing Democratic candidates

Business•5h

Michigan feud threatens Democratic unity in key Senate race

On a crisp autumn day in Detroit, the sun cast a warm glow over the bustling streets, where the sounds of campaign rallies echoed in the distance. Among the throngs of supporters, Abdul El-Sayed stood at the forefront of a gathering that promised to unite his party. However, a sudden decision to...

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Prime Minister Mateusz Tusk addressing supporters in Warsaw

Business•6h

Tusk vows to press on with overhaul of Poland’s judiciary

In the heart of Warsaw, where cobblestone streets echo with the footsteps of a nation grappling with its identity, Prime Minister Mateusz Tusk addressed a gathering of supporters, his voice steady and resolute. "We will not back down," he declared, as the crowd erupted in applause. This moment,...

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Business•7h

How the Zhuhai air show charted China’s path from catching up to flying high

When Zhuhai hosted its inaugural air show in November 1996, the event showcased the J-8IIM fighter, a second-generation fighter equipped with Russian radar and weapons, alongside a limited line-up of home-made aircraft. Imported planes were the focus and Chinese audiences curiously studied the much...

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Business•10h

G20 foreign ministers end Atlanta meeting without consensus on key issues

As Washington seeks to loosen China’s dominance over critical minerals, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged other members of the Group of 20 (G20) to strengthen supply chains and secure strategic trade routes as the group’s foreign ministers’ meeting drew to a close in Atlanta on Saturday....

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Group of friends discussing financial decisions in a Brooklyn café

Business•10h

This is where most people go wrong in their 30s and 40s

In a bustling café in Brooklyn, a group of friends gather around a table, animatedly discussing their futures. As laughter fills the air, the conversation shifts to the weighty decisions that lie ahead in their 30s and 40s. For many, these years are pivotal, shaping not just their careers, but...

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A hospital room with a frail man reflecting on his life and family.

Business•10h

‘He was heartbroken’: My husband’s kids abandoned him when he was dying. Was he right to leave everything to me?

In a dimly lit hospital room, John Miller lay frail and weak, the sounds of beeping machines a stark reminder of his declining health. Surrounded by the sterile smell of antiseptic, he reflected on his life, his legacy, and the family he had once cherished. His thoughts drifted to his two children,...

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