Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised Captain Smit Machchhar as a “hero” for his actions during a cockpit emergency aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, saying his courage helped avert a major tragedy. Modi said on Thursday that Machchhar showed “immense courage” and an unwavering determination to protect others despite suffering serious injuries. “India is proud of Captain Machchhar,” he […]
PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited secured 12 awards across international, industry and consumer sectors in 2026, reflecting broad recognition of its vision to link business growth with opportunity, quality of life and a sustainable future for all stakeholders.
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 October 2026 – PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (OR), the retail and lifestyle arm of Thailand’s PTT Group, has received 12 awards in 2026 spanning three sectors of recognition: international capital markets, domestic industry and consumers. These include six awards from the 16th Asian Excellence Awards organised by Hong Kong-based financial magazine Corporate Governance Asia, the Thailand Top CEO of the Year 2026 by BUSINESS+ magazine and the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Thammasat University, and five brand awards from Marketeer No.1 Brand Thailand 2026, each affirming a different dimension of the company’s vision: “Empowering All Toward Inclusive Growth.”
At the heart of OR’s vision is a commitment to ensure that business growth creates tangible value beyond financial returns, expanding opportunity, raising quality of life and building a sustainable future for investors, communities, partners and consumers alike. This vision is executed through four core missions: Seamless Mobility, All Lifestyles, Global Market and OR Innovation, each underpinned by three sustainability pillars: Economic Prosperity, Living Community and Healthy Environment. Also, OR’s Sustainability concept “OR Term Okad Dee Dee Dee” empowering opportunity for three Good Dimension, Good Community, Good Environment and Good Growth.
Under the leadership of M.L. Peekthong Thongyai, Chief Executive Officer, OR has expanded its operations across 10 countries, delivered 2025 EBITDA of 20,357 million baht (approximately USD 623 million), up 15.2% year-on-year, with net profit rising 47.8% to 11,304 million baht (approximately USD 346 million), and grown blueplus+, its lifestyle and membership application, to 9.3 million registered members. These results underpinned both the Thailand Top CEO of the Year 2026 in the retail and wholesale category and Asia’s Best CEO at the Asian Excellence Awards.
The remaining five Asian Excellence Awards reflect the financial and social dimensions of OR’s vision. Asia’s Best CFO, Best Investor Relations Company and Best Investor Relations Professional recognise OR’s structured stakeholder communication, including quarterly analyst meetings, non-deal roadshows and bilingual disclosure for domestic and international investors. The Sustainable Asia Award and Asia’s Best CSR reflect OR’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than one third against a 2022 baseline by 2030, progressing towards Net Zero by 2050, alongside programmes such as Thaidet, which supports over 500 local entrepreneurs through OR’s retail network, and Café Amazon for Chance, which creates employment for people with disabilities, senior workers including underprivileged people. OR is also a constituent of the Dow Jones Sustainability Best in Class Indices in the Emerging Markets category for 2026.
At the consumer level, five brands — PTT Station, EV Station PluZ, Café Amazon, PTT LPG and PTT Lubricants — claimed top positions at the Marketeer No.1 Brand Thailand 2026, affirming the All Lifestyles mission through a network serving 3.9 million users daily, EV charging infrastructure covering all 77 provinces, and a Café Amazon footprint of 4,830 domestic outlets and 256 international locations.
“These awards reflect recognition from the people and institutions that matter most to OR — our investors, our industry peers and our customers,” said M.L. Peekthong Thongyai, Chief Executive Officer of PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited. “Each one affirms that our vision of building an integrated ecosystem, one that creates opportunity, improves quality of life and drives sustainable growth, is delivering results across every dimension of our business.”
Across all 12 awards, each recognition maps to OR’s four missions in action: Seamless Mobility and Global Market through network expansion and digital platform growth; All Lifestyles through consumer brand leadership across energy, food and beverage, and services; and OR Innovation through the digital infrastructure connecting it all. Together, they confirm that OR’s “Empowering All Toward Inclusive Growth” vision is producing measurable, multi-dimensional results across every stakeholder group the company serves.
Hashtag: #OR
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
US President Donald Trump has secured a voluntary safety accord with six major artificial intelligence companies, committing them to layered internal controls, independent audits and board oversight of their most powerful systems. The agreement, signed after a White House meeting on Tuesday, covers OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Nvidia and Elon Musk’s xAI. Trump described the commitment as “morally binding”, while the document itself leaves compliance to the […]
Attacks targeting artificial intelligence systems have become the biggest cybersecurity preparedness gap for organisations, PwC said on Thursday, as its global survey exposed weaknesses in skills, accountability and data protection. Half of security leaders placed attacks on AI systems among the threats they were least prepared to address, ahead of cloud threats at 40%, third-party breaches at 34% and ransomware at 33%. The findings were published on […]
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan travelled by Etihad Rail from Abu Dhabi to Dubai on Monday as the national railway network prepared to add Dubai to scheduled passenger operations. The presidential journey preceded the inauguration of Etihad Rail’s Dubai Station at Al Yalayis by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and […]
Media Business Network has introduced a redesigned website aimed at simplifying access to its projects, services, news and business opportunities as the Dubai-based company sharpens its focus on content, public relations and hospitality-focused marketing distribution. The refreshed platform presents MBN’s activities around three principal business areas and provides a more structured route for clients, advertisers and media partners seeking information about the company’s operations. MBN said the […]
Dubai-based flydubai has temporarily halted flights to and from Israel while authorities investigate the flight-deck altercation that forced its FZ1073 service to divert to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. The carrier announced the suspension after passengers from the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight were taken onward following the emergency landing at Tabuk Airport. Flydubai said the measure was being taken in coordination with relevant authorities and would remain under review […]
SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 October 2026 – Huawei today officially launched its next-generation flagship HUAWEI Mate 90 Series, featuring the powerful LogicFolding Tau Chip, the Kirin 9050 Pro. Packed with breakthrough innovations, including the XMAGE True-to-Color Portrait Camera, the Second-generation Linglong Display, full-body Kunlun Xuanwu architecture, and the HUAWEI XMAGE Z10 Modular Camera, the series sets a new benchmark for mobile technology.
Richard Yu, Executive Director of Huawei, Director of the Investment Review Board, and Chairman of the Huawei Consumer BG, stated: “The HUAWEI Mate 90 Series is equipped with the flagship Tau chipset across the entire series. Through vertical integration of hardware, software, chips, and cloud, we have achieved a comprehensive evolution in design, performance, imaging, reliability, and smart user experience. Today, we step into a new era of brilliance.”
Between 2007 and the end of 2025, Huawei invested a total of CNY1.8 trillion into R&D. Today’s product breakthroughs are the direct result of long-term R&D investment and a foundation of core technology. Huawei is turning foundational advancements in Kirin, HarmonyOS, and beyond into tangible product experiences that consumers can truly feel.
Meticulously Crafted, Radiant at First Sight
The HUAWEI Mate 90 Series introduces a refined, seamless design, pairing a glossy mid-frame with a matte metal rear cover.
In terms of durability, the Mate 90 Pro and higher models are built on the full-body Kunlun Xuanwu architecture. The camera cover introduces the industry’s first Optical Kunlun Glass, delivering 20x better drop resistance, while the front display is protected by 3rd-gen Kunlun Glass, offering a 50% improvement in impact resistance. The Pro Max Premium Edition and RS ULTIMATE DESIGN go further with upgraded Xuanwu Kunlun Glass, cutting reflections by 70% and boosting scratch resistance by 16x. The entire lineup supports IP68 dust and water resistance up to 6 meters alongside IP69 resistance against high-temperature, high-pressure water jets.
Powered by LogicFolding Tau Chip: A Massive Leap in Performance
At the heart of the HUAWEI Mate 90 Pro Max is the LogicFolding Tau Chip, built on an innovative architecture that drastically compresses critical path latency to enable 5 million signal transmission bonds and an impressive 125 TB/s inter-die bandwidth. The Pro Max Premium Edition and RS ULTIMATE DESIGN are powered by the Kirin 9050 Pro chip, delivering a 31% increase in overall performance. Meanwhile, the Pro model’s Kirin 9035 chip brings a 20% performance boost, and the standard edition’s Kirin 9030 chip offers a 27% gain in performance.
Vertically integrated with HarmonyOS 7 across hardware, software, chips, and the cloud, the Kirin 9050 Pro CPU supports hyper-threading technology for effortless, ultra-smooth operations. Mobile gaming also reaches new heights with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, capable of rendering up to 55 million rays per second.
Second-Generation Linglong Display: A Screen That Truly Stands Out
The HUAWEI Mate 90 Pro introduces the second-generation Linglong Display, reaching an unprecedented peak brightness of 12,000 nits at 1% APL. Built on an enhanced Tandem OLED Architecture, panel lifespan is extended by 138%. The HUAWEI Mate 90 Pro Max and RS ULTIMATE DESIGN debut the Full-color Linglong Display. Leveraging its 12,000-nit ultra-high brightness and full BT.2020 end-to-end color management, over 60 mainstream apps can now upsample P3 content to vibrant, full-color BT.2020 quality. Eye care technology also receives a major upgrade, featuring industry-first ambient light detection and a 1-nit ultra-low brightness eye-comfort mode for a seamless, strain-free viewing experience.
Connectivity gets a total overhaul. The industry-first Wi-Fi and cellular converged antenna architecture boosts signal gain by 2 dB. The entire lineup supports eSIM, with the Pro Max pioneering four-SIM, three-standby functionality. With multi-device communication sharing, photo and video upload speeds are boosted by up to 40% in congested environments like crowded concerts or remote outdoor areas.
XMAGE True-to-Color Portrait
The entire series comes equipped with True-to-Color Camera 3.0, featuring full-focal-length infrared optical coating for the first time, which advances overall color accuracy by 37% and skin-tone accuracy by 62%. The updated XMAGE True-to-Color Portrait engine introduces four versatile shooting modes: Portrait original, Soft light portrait, Dazzling fireworks, and Starburst, delivering striking, authentic portraits that speak directly to the heart.
The Pro Max features a powerful 18 EV ultra-HDR main camera, a large-sensor 200 MP RYYB telephoto camera, and CIPA 7.5-rated hardware image stabilization, guaranteeing crisp, steady shots even beyond 20x zoom. The lineup also introduces a dedicated live-streaming optimization mode, making it an ideal companion for content creators.
Additionally, the HUAWEI XMAGE Z10 Modular Camera features a 1-inch large sensor, 24–240 mm continuous optical zoom, and a maximum aperture of f/2.0 to f/4.5, providing pristine, studio-quality imagery across every focal length.
HarmonyOS AI: Smarter, Proactive, and Seamless
Powered by the 30B MoE full-modal on-device foundation model on the Pro Max and higher models, next-generation AI features come to life. Celia Memories seamlessly syncs and organizes content from over 50 mainstream apps, while the Celia navigation bar proactively suggests over 30 context-aware actions based on on-screen content. For everyday tasks, Celia Call 2.0 handles automated call answering, call summaries, and real-time translation, while the Celia Gallery Assistant enables intuitive voice- or text-driven photo editing and instant video generation. Furthermore, HarmonyOS Interconnect brings distance-free remote Huawei Share and allows one-tap sharing to multiple HarmonyOS devices simultaneously.
Committed to taking the harder but right path, Huawei provides users and developers with a powerful alternative in HarmonyOS. Today, HarmonyOS 6 and HarmonyOS 7 power over 90 million devices, including smartphones, PCs, and tablets, and are on track to pass the 100 million mark by the end of this year. At the same time, Huawei’s global registered developer community has grown to over 11 million.
ULTIMATE DESIGN: See the Extraordinary
The HUAWEI Mate 90 RS ULTIMATE DESIGN evolves the iconic Star Diamond camera module aesthetic and debuts Dynamic Lenticular Kunlun Glass, elevating high-durability materials into an expression of premium design. The rear cover showcases an all-new Ascending Texture available in Red, White, and Black. Under the hood, it packs the Kirin 9050 Pro chip, Full-color Linglong Display, Tiantong Satellite Communications, BeiDou Satellite Messaging, four-SIM three-standby, and the advanced True-to-Color Camera 3.0 with an 18 EV ultra-HDR main camera, delivering ultimate design, technology, imaging, and experience.
The series starts at CNY5,999 for the HUAWEI Mate 90, CNY6,999 for the HUAWEI Mate 90 Pro, CNY9,499 for the HUAWEI Mate 90 Pro Max, and CNY12,999 for the HUAWEI Mate 90 RS ULTIMATE DESIGN.
Hashtag: #Huawei
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
By Dr. Gyan Pathak The new political narrative brought forward by the opposition INDIA bloc is that CEC Gyanesh Kumar is PM Narendra Modi’s tool through whom electoral democracy of India has been hijacked. No wonder, BJP is trying their best to defend CEC Gyanesh Kumar, to defend PM Modi, who is now in the […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Global air passenger demand fell 0.8 per cent year-on-year in August, as a renewed contraction in Middle Eastern traffic outweighed growth across several other regions, the International Air Transport Association said. Demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, declined from August 2025 even as airlines increased total capacity by 0.3 per cent, measured in available seat kilometres. The global passenger load factor consequently slipped […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai UAE-based technology company AIQ has signed an agreement to enter India’s oil and gas sector, extending its international expansion with a deployment covering an unnamed conglomerate’s refineries, fuel stations and digital stores. Chief Executive Officer Dennis Jol disclosed the agreement at a media briefing on Wednesday but declined to identify the customer or give financial terms. The contract marks AIQ’s entry into one […]
Singapore’s Temasek plans to open offices in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in the first half of 2027, establishing its first physical presence in the Middle East as it steps up investment and partnerships across the region.
The Singapore state-owned investment company said on Wednesday that the two offices, subject to statutory approvals, would operate as strategic hubs for Temasek and its portfolio companies. Some portfolio companies are expected to co-locate at the new sites, giving them a base from which to develop business and partnerships in Gulf markets.
Temasek said it sees broad opportunities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. It intends to increase engagement with institutions in Qatar and other Middle Eastern markets while using the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi bases to improve access to investment opportunities across Central Asia and Africa.
“The Middle East is an important part of Temasek’s global network,” chief executive Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara said. He cited the pace of economic transformation across the region and said its long-term fundamentals remained attractive, with strong alignment between regional priorities and Temasek’s investment focus.
Pillay said Temasek had built relationships in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar over several years through partnerships, co-investments and the activities of its portfolio companies. The planned offices represent a shift from managing those relationships remotely towards maintaining permanent teams in two of the Gulf’s principal financial and investment centres.
The expansion comes as Gulf governments continue programmes intended to diversify their economies, develop infrastructure and attract international capital. Temasek said its investment experience, global networks and partnership-led approach, together with the sector expertise of companies in its portfolio, could support opportunities created by that transformation.
Temasek said the new hubs would also give portfolio companies closer access to local partners and markets, allowing them to collaborate alongside the investor while pursuing opportunities generated by economic diversification and infrastructure spending.
Chia Song Hwee, chief executive of Temasek Global Investments, was appointed chairman for the Middle East and Africa with effect from September 1. Temasek said he would provide senior leadership and oversight for its engagement and long-term growth in the two regions.
Chia said having teams on the ground would strengthen engagement with partners and improve access to investment opportunities for Temasek and its portfolio companies. He added that the offices would allow the group to bring expertise from across its wider ecosystem into regional markets.
Ankit Khemka will remain managing director for the region and continue to lead Temasek’s strategy and expansion. The leadership arrangements put the Middle East and Africa under dedicated senior oversight as the investor increases its institutional presence beyond its established Asian, European and American locations.
The two offices will increase Temasek’s global network to 15 offices across 11 countries in 2027, from 13 offices in nine countries. Its existing locations include Singapore, Beijing, Hanoi, Mumbai, Shanghai and Shenzhen in Asia, alongside Brussels, London, Mexico City, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Washington.
Temasek’s net portfolio value reached S$518 billion for the financial year ended March 31, 2026, up from S$469 billion a year earlier. Its one-year total shareholder return was 10.5 per cent, while its 10-year and 20-year returns were 7.1 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively.
The investor’s portfolio remains anchored in Singapore while spanning major global markets. Singapore-based portfolio companies accounted for 43 per cent of the portfolio at the end of the financial year, while direct investments in companies globally represented 38 per cent. The remaining 19 per cent was held through partnerships, funds and asset-management businesses.
Temasek has also been increasing investment activity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Earlier this week, it acquired a 9 per cent minority stake in the management company of Milan-based private equity group FSI and committed capital to future FSI investment vehicles targeting growing Italian companies.
Foreign investors are taking a growing role in financing North America’s artificial intelligence infrastructure build-out as technology companies tap global pools of capital to meet spending approaching $1 trillion, according to JPMorgan Asset Management. Charles Wu, head of Asia-Pacific alternatives institutional client strategy at JPMorgan Asset Management, told the SuperReturn Asia conference in Singapore on Wednesday that banks and institutional investors from Asia, the Gulf and other […]
Open USD, a dollar-backed stablecoin supported by major payments, technology and cryptocurrency companies, has gone live with a model that distributes reserve income and ownership to businesses that help expand its use. The stablecoin began operating on Wednesday across Ethereum, Solana, Base and Tempo, according to Open Standard, the independent company behind the project. Coinbase, Mastercard, Shopify, Stripe and Visa are its founding partners and investors, and […]
HONG KONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 September 2026 – Lee Kum Kee Sauce (“Lee Kum Kee”), the century-old sauce brand, has been honoured with the Gold Award in the inaugural Packaging Reduction Charter by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Recognised for outstanding performance in driving packaging reduction and sustainable development, Lee Kum Kee was among the first signatories to the Charter and is one of the first cohort of food manufacturers to receive the award. The honour reflects its role as a responsible corporate citizen committed to advancing sustainable packaging.
Lee Kum Kee receives the Gold Award in the Packaging Reduction Charter.
Launched by the EPD on 31 March 2025, the Packaging Reduction Charter encourages businesses to reassess and reduce packaging usage, foster a waste-reduction culture in the commercial sector, and support Hong Kong’s long-term goal of carbon neutrality. To date, over 140 companies across sectors including retail, logistics, electronics, and food & beverage have joined, with Lee Kum Kee being one of the first. Participating companies undergo an annual professional assessment for packaging reduction, recyclability, reuse/recycling, sustainability, and promotion of packaging reduction. Lee Kum Kee demonstrated multiple packaging optimisation achievements during the assessment process, ultimately earning the Gold Award.
Jan Ling (right), Vice President – Technical Business Development at Lee Kum Kee Sauce receives the award presented by Dr. Chui Ho Kwong, Samuel (left), JP, Director of Environmental Protection Department.
Dodie Hung, Executive Vice President – Corporate Affairs at Lee Kum Kee Sauce, said, “This award is a significant recognition of Lee Kum Kee’s long-standing commitment to sustainable packaging transformation. Guided by our value of ‘Si Li Ji Ren’ (Considering Others’ Interests), we are committed to integrating sustainable development into every aspect of our business operations. Through innovative thinking, we continuously optimise packaging design for greater efficiency and recyclability, delivering high quality, delicious and environmentally responsible products to consumers. Moving forward, we remain dedicated to collaborating with the industry to support Hong Kong’s vision of achieving carbon neutrality.”
Lee Kum Kee continuously refines its packaging with reference to the Practical Guides on Packaging Reduction and Management published by EPD and the Golden Design Rules developed by the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), driving packaging weight reduction while enhancing recyclability and circular value. Since 2002, Lee Kum Kee has consistently reduced the weight of its glass bottles; for example, in 2025, it cut the weight of its 32-ounce oyster sauce bottles from 410 to 390 grams, saving 10 tonnes of glass throughout the year. Additionally, the company has saved more than 200 tonnes of carton material annually through improved carton designs. Over 95% of packaging materials, by weight, are recyclable.
Lee Kum Kee’s sustainable packaging was featured in the 2026 Golden Design Rules Case Study Booklet during the CGF China Day in early September, confirming that its initiatives align with both local policy directions and international best practices.
For details on Lee Kum Kee and sustainability, please refer to the Lee Kum Kee Global Sustainability Highlights 2025: https://corporate.lkk.com/en/csr Hashtag: #LeeKumKee #LKK
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Lee Kum Kee Sauce
Lee Kum Kee Sauce is the global gateway to Asian culinary culture, dedicated to promoting Chinese culinary culture worldwide. Since 1888, it has brought people together over joyful reunions, shared traditions and memorable meals. Beloved by consumers and chefs alike, Lee Kum Kee Sauce’s range of more than 300 sauces and condiments sparks creativity in kitchens everywhere, inspiring professional and home chefs to experiment, create, and delight. Headquartered in Hong Kong, China and serving over 100 countries and regions, Lee Kum Kee Sauce’s rich heritage, unwavering commitment to quality, sustainable practices and “Constant Entrepreneurship” combine to enable superior experiences through Asian cuisine for people worldwide. For more information, please visit www.LKK.com.
About the Packaging Reduction Charter
The Packaging Reduction Charter was launched by the Environmental Protection Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in 2025. The Charter aims to bring together enterprises and organisations to advance sustainable packaging solutions through collaborations, reduce packaging waste, and contribute to Hong Kong’s long-term goal of carbon neutrality. The Charter assesses signatories against five key areas, packaging reduction, packaging recyclability, packaging reuse, sustainable packaging, and promotion of packaging reduction, to recognise companies with outstanding performance. For more information, please visit: www.lesspackaging.hk
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Israel’s Transport Minister Miri Regev has called for all Flydubai flights to Israel to be suspended after a Dubai-Tel Aviv service made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia following a serious cockpit incident on Wednesday. Regev asked Israel’s Shin Bet security service to halt the Dubai-based carrier’s operations pending an investigation into the episode and compliance with security arrangements governing its services to […]
By Dr. Gyan Pathak On the morning of September 30, 2026, Delhi witnessed display of a series of hoardings, unclaimed by any organization but believed to have been put on behalf of the BJP, that targeted leaders of opposition before INDIA bloc meeting, and claiming rift among their leaders. BJP separately criticised Leader of Opposition […]
OpenAI is seeking at least $30 billion in fresh capital at a valuation of about $1.4 trillion before the new investment, as the ChatGPT maker turns again to private markets after delaying plans for an initial public offering. Discussions with prospective investors remain at an early stage and terms could change, people familiar with the fundraising have said. Investor demand is driving the potential transaction as OpenAI […]
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 September 2026 – Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee announced the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (2026-2030) and his fifth Policy Address on September 16, rolling out measures to further sharpen Hong Kong’s edge amid global competition, consolidate development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and promote green transformation.
Initiatives aim to support high-quality development of the GBA, align rules and mechanisms within the region, and promote cross-boundary collaboration.
“The HKSAR Government will continue its efforts in fostering synergistic development of the GBA,” said Mr Lee. “We will strengthen co‑operation in technological innovation, promote ‘hard connectivity’ in infrastructure, foster ‘soft connectivity’ by deepening the alignment of rules and mechanisms, and achieve ‘connectivity of hearts’ among residents of the three places.”
The HKSAR Government will continue to actively participate in the development of the various major co-operation platforms, including Qianhai of Shenzhen, Nansha of Guangzhou, Hengqin of Zhuhai and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Co-operation Zone, to promote mutual benefits.
In terms of “hard connectivity” the HKSAR Government will support Nansha in its role as a high‑standard gateway for opening up, including encouraging the trade to participate in Nansha’s infrastructure development.
“To promote the co‑ordinated development of rail transit in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, we are pressing ahead with the Northern Link Project and the Hong Kong‑Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu‑Qianhai), with target commissioning in 2034 and 2035 respectively, to fully connect the rail transit networks of Hong Kong and Shenzhen,” Mr Lee said.
Regarding “soft connectivity”, Mr Lee said the HKSAR Government will set up a Task Force to explore ways to advance the alignment of rules and mechanisms within the GBA.
To achieve “Connectivity of Hearts” among residents across the GBA, Hong Kong will strengthen co-operation between its higher education institutions and those in other GBA cities by establishing cross‑disciplinary partnerships, facilitating scientific research, knowledge transfer, and commercialisation, with a view to promoting high‑level research.
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Janice Tse, noted that the First Five-Year Plan clearly states that Hong Kong will participate in the development of the GBA into an international first‑class bay area and a world‑class city cluster with global influence.
“Hong Kong will forge closer alignment and synergy with the nine GBA cities in Guangdong Province and Macao, making full use of our respective advantages to jointly promote the high-quality development of the GBA,” Miss Tse said.
To foster financial development in the GBA, Hong Kong will continue to capitalise on institutional innovation, financial infrastructure upgrading and enhanced regulatory alignment to encourage the orderly flow of financial elements among GBA cities.
The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited’s Core Climate, in collaboration with the Guangzhou Power Exchange Centre, is working towards the pilot trading of national renewable‑energy, green electricity certificates in Hong Kong in 2026.
“On connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world, the HKSAR Government will continue to support green technology development through the HK$400 million (aboutUS$51 million) Green Tech Fund, leveraging Hong Kong’s function as a springboard for green technology and assisting national green technologies and products in going global,” said Hong Kong’sSecretary for Environment and Ecology, Tse Chin-wan. “On the development of hydrogen energy, we have participated in drafting national hydrogen energy standards with a view to helping these standards align with international practice.”
To meet the country’s “dual carbon” targets and fulfil Hong Kong’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality before 2050, the HKSAR Government steered the establishment of a production base for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Dongguan, leveraging the leading position of Hong Kong enterprises in the international SAF industry.
“By combining technology strengths with industrial foundation, Hong Kong and Guangdong will jointly develop a globally influential green industry,” Mr Lee said.
The HKSAR Government will take forward the construction of an SAF blending facility in Hong Kong to build an end‑to‑end SAF value chain and reduce logistics costs to make SAF prices more competitive. The target is to achieve an SAF consumption ratio of 1% to 3% for flights departing from Hong Kong International Airport in 2030.
Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan promotes the integrated development of culture, sports, and tourism, to develop the GBA into a cultured bay area.
Under the strategic framework of the Agreement on Strengthening of Sports Cooperation and Promotion of Integrated Development, Hong Kong will deepen co-operation, and strive to co‑organise important regional and international single‑sport events. It will also strengthen cultural exchanges, pass on Cantonese opera and the characteristics of Lingnan culture, and promote the sales and cross‑boundary exhibition of Hong Kong publications.
Oman plans to more than double onshore crude storage at Duqm to 10 million barrels within three years while considering two supertankers for floating storage, strengthening capacity outside the Strait of Hormuz as Gulf producers seek alternatives to the contested waterway. State-owned energy group OQ is evaluating the purchase of two very large crude carriers, each capable of holding about 2 million barrels, Group Chief Executive Ashraf […]
Japan’s two-year government bond auction drew stronger-than-average demand on Wednesday as yields near three-decade highs encouraged investors to buy short-dated sovereign debt despite expectations that the Bank of Japan could tighten monetary policy further.
The sale of about ¥2.8 trillion of two-year Japanese government bonds attracted demand above its 12-month average, improving markedly from the weak August auction. The result suggested that higher yields are beginning to compensate investors for the risk of additional increases in official interest rates.
The two-year JGB yield was around 1.95% before the auction, close to 2% and its highest region since 1995. Short-dated bonds had gained earlier in the session, tracking an overnight advance in comparable US Treasuries, with the two-year yield edging lower as prices rose.
Demand at the auction was closely watched because two-year debt is particularly sensitive to expectations for Bank of Japan policy. The central bank raised its policy rate to 1.25% in September, the highest level in 31 years, as policymakers confronted persistent inflation pressures, elevated energy costs and the effects of a weaker yen on import prices.
Minutes of the Bank of Japan’s July meeting, released this week, showed policymakers had discussed whether interest rates might need to rise faster if inflation risks intensified. Several board members stressed the importance of anchoring inflation around the central bank’s 2% target, reinforcing market expectations that policy normalisation has further to run.
Those expectations have driven yields sharply higher across Japan’s government bond curve. The benchmark 10-year yield was around 3.09% on Tuesday, near the 30-year high of 3.115% touched last week. Five-year yields have also reached record levels, while yields on super-long bonds remain elevated as investors weigh inflation, fiscal spending and the outlook for government issuance.
Wednesday’s auction nevertheless indicated that the repricing is creating buying opportunities at the shorter end of the curve. Investors receive greater income from newly issued bonds than they did earlier in the year, providing a cushion against the possibility of further price declines if the central bank raises rates again.
The result followed a strong sale of 40-year government bonds on Tuesday. The Ministry of Finance received ¥928 billion of competitive bids for ¥299.7 billion accepted at that auction, producing a bid-to-cover ratio of about 3.1. The highest accepted yield was 4.125%, according to ministry data. Demand for the longest maturity was the strongest in several years.
The two auctions offered evidence that elevated yields can draw buyers back even as Japan’s bond market adjusts to a markedly different interest-rate environment. The Bank of Japan has been reducing the scale of its government bond purchases, leaving private investors to play a larger role in determining prices after years of exceptionally heavy central-bank intervention in the market.
The adjustment has been accompanied by unusually large moves in yields. Japan’s 10-year yield crossed 3% this month for the first time since 1996, while the two-year yield has climbed substantially during 2026 as traders repeatedly brought forward expectations for monetary tightening.
Inflation remains central to those calculations. Higher oil and other commodity costs linked to the Middle East conflict have added pressure to import prices, while the yen’s weakness has increased the local-currency cost of goods purchased overseas. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda has said currency movements can have a significant impact on the economy and prices.
Global bond markets have also been under pressure from persistent inflation concerns, heavy government borrowing and expectations that major central banks may keep interest rates higher for longer. Rising US Treasury yields have at times amplified moves in JGBs, particularly as investors reassess relative returns between Japanese and overseas debt.
Japan’s Finance Ministry had announced the two-year auction for Wednesday as part of its regular issuance programme. The previous two-year sale in August produced substantially weaker demand, with its bid-to-cover ratio falling below the preceding 12-month average as investors positioned for a September Bank of Japan rate increase.
Paramount Skydance Corp has told prospective lenders it expects to deliver more than $6 billion of annual cost savings within three years of completing its Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition, placing the synergy target at the centre of efforts to contain the combined company’s heavy debt burden. The company expects to capture about 30% of the projected savings during the first year after closing, rising to roughly 70% […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have moved to activate military coordination under their new joint defence pact after Houthi attacks on the kingdom, with Pakistan pledging to defend Saudi Arabia by “whatever means” are required. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Islamabad stood unequivocally behind the kingdom under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, though he did not say whether Pakistan had joined […]
Oil prices steadied on Wednesday as Middle East crude exports approached pre-war levels, with restored Saudi pipeline flows easing immediate supply concerns despite continuing geopolitical risks around the Strait of Hormuz. The more-active December Brent contract traded near $96 a barrel after falling 1.7% in the previous session, while US West Texas Intermediate hovered around $90. Prices later edged higher after US President Donald Trump rejected reports […]