EJ Insight

BUSINESS

From SimCity to smart city

Erwin Huang - Jan 18, 2019 6:10pm

SimCity, a popular city-building video game, will mark its 30th anniversary this year. In the game, players scramble to build their ideal cities, but no matter how much effort you put into designing a virtual city, chances...
What a Bollywood movie tells us about the economy

Ko Tin-yau - Jan 18, 2019 6:08pm

Some are worried that the global economic growth may run out of steam if the world’s largest growth engine, China, shifts to a lower gear. A recent Bollywood movie, Pad Man, may offer some insight as to...
Hongkongers contribute much to Japan tourism boom

Ben Kwok - Jan 18, 2019 11:05am

Who doesn’t want to go to Japan for a vacation? All the delicious sushi and sashimi you can eat, a stay in a quaint and tidy ryokan, amazing sights, great shopping bargains: just the perfect therapy...
China envoy to Canada issues warning on Huawei 5G ban

Jan 18, 2019 9:13am

China’s envoy to Canada warned Ottawa there would be repercussions if it banned technology firm Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. from supplying equipment to Canadian 5G networks, Reuters reports. Ambassador Lu Shaye, speaking at a news conference...
Facebook blocks accounts linked to Russian state-owned Sputnik

Jan 18, 2019 8:39am

Facebook Inc. said it has removed hundreds of Russia-initiated accounts, which it judged to be involved in coordinated inauthentic behavior on its platforms, including some linked to state-owned news agency Sputnik, Reuters reports. In a separate...
Netflix shares dive after revenue misses estimates

Jan 18, 2019 7:47am

Dystopian movie Bird Box helped Netflix Inc. draw a record 8.8 million new paid streaming customers in the fourth quarter, but the company fell slightly short of Wall Street’s revenue estimates and shares tumbled 3 percent...
Sears chairman wins bankruptcy auction with US$5.2 billion bid

Jan 18, 2019 7:24am

Sears Holdings Corp. chairman Eddie Lampert won a bankruptcy auction to buy the once iconic US retailer after presenting an improved offer of US$5.2 billion, but creditors quickly moved to oppose the deal, Reuters reports. Sears...
US Treasury’s Mnuchin weighs lifting tariffs on China: WSJ

Jan 18, 2019 7:15am

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin discussed lifting some or all tariffs imposed on Chinese imports and suggested offering a tariff rollback during trade discussions scheduled for Jan. 30, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people...
Improving business environment key to China economic revival

Ko Tin-yau - Jan 17, 2019 5:49pm

As downward pressure mounts on China’s economy, Beijing has announced a raft of measures to boost liquidity in the financial system. However, offering more liquidity does not necessarily guarantee that people will borrow. The People’s Bank of...
Facebook pledges US$300 mln to support local newsrooms

HKEJ - Jan 17, 2019 4:51pm

Facebook has announced that will spend US$300 million over the next three years to provide grants to various organizations across the world that are helping the cause of local journalism. The cash commitment will be used...

More >

WORLD

What HK bureaucrats can learn from Kaohsiung mayor

HKEJ Editorial - Jan 18, 2019 6:20pm

Flowing through the city of Kaohsiung in southwestern Taiwan is a body of water known as the Love River among the locals. At one time, the river was largely shunned by the people because it used...
Taiwan probing surveillance by pro-China media on island

Jan 18, 2019 3:49pm

Taiwan will step up its investigation of pro-Beijing newspapers accused by politicians on the self-ruled island of spreading fake news and surveillance activities that infringe national security, Reuters reports, citing a security official. Claimed by Beijing...
US Navy won’t rule out sending carrier through Taiwan Strait

Jan 18, 2019 1:36pm

The US Navy has not ruled out sending an aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait, despite military technology advances by China that pose a greater threat to US warships than ever before, Reuters reports, citing the...
Singapore helps firms retain workers past retirement age

Jan 18, 2019 12:38pm

Mohsin Khan is still at his job repairing aircraft hydraulics parts although the Singaporean turns 75 in a couple of months. His technical skills are prized by his employer, and as his eyesight deteriorated slightly, the...
Trump cancels WEF trip, denies Pelosi use of military plane

Jan 18, 2019 8:37am

US President Donald Trump has canceled his delegation’s trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week due to the partial US government shutdown, Reuters reports, citing a statement released by Press Secretary Sarah...

More >

Hong Kong

What HK bureaucrats can learn from Kaohsiung mayor

Flowing through the city of Kaohsiung in southwestern Taiwan is a body of water known as the Love River among the locals. At one time, the river was largely shunned by the people because...
Two women sentenced to jail for child abuse

A Hong Kong court on Thursday sentenced two women to jail after they pleaded guilty to a charge of mistreating a four-year-old girl who had been in their care. District Court judge Ho Chun-yiu handed...
Lam unveils new benefits for elderly after CSSA backlash

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor rolled out a fresh package of welfare benefits for senior citizens who will be affected by the government’s decision to raise the age requirement for eligibility under the Comprehensive...
Dead pig found on beach tests negative for African swine flu

A pig found lying dead on a Cheung Chau beach has tested negative for swine flu, Hong Kong authorities said on Thursday, helping ease worries among the public about a possible spread of the...
Govt should focus on depth of open data, not just volume

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) said last week that over 80 government bureaus and departments had published their first annual open data plans before the end of 2018. Another 650...