A rapidly growing series of wildfires raged across sections of Los Angeles on Tuesday, destroying numerous buildings, clogging roadways as more than 30,000 people evacuated their homes, while a second blaze doubled in size some 50 kilometres inland and a third began in the San Fernando Valley. Firefighters battled the wind-whipped fires throughout …

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said officials are exploring ways to enhance the operation of the cruise terminal and optimise the use of Kai Tak Sports Park to boost tourism in Hong Kong. During the first antechamber exchange session of the year, Law said she received valuable feedback and suggestions regarding the new touris…

Professor Dennis Lo, the ninth Vice-Chancellor and President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said he will strive to enhance the institution's international status. Assuming office on Wednesday, Lo said he was honoured to take up the role, and would work hard to enhance quality in teaching, research, services, and innovation. Lo, who's also …

Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk has called for changes to cater to the city's ageing population, saying the rising number of elderly individuals offers “tremendous" market potential. Cheuk is leading a working group on promoting the silver economy to address the growing needs of the elderly population. On RTHK's Overview Policy programme, the m…

Development Secretary Bernadette Linn on Tuesday said she is reasonably optimistic that a residential site put up for tender this quarter will be successful, adding it is too early to predict whether the annual land sales income target can be met. The parcel earmarked for sale in Tung Chung, which will provide around 745 flats, was first put up for…

Various local attractions such as the giant panda will feature prominently in the upcoming Lunar New Year parade. The parade will be held on the evening of January 29, the first day of the Year of the Snake. Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and sponsored by Cathay Pacific, it will feature nine floats and 46 performing groups from 14 countri…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted during a visit to Tokyo on Tuesday that ties with Japan were stronger than ever, days after President Joe Biden blocked Nippon Steel's takeover of US Steel. Business groups say the decision could have a chilling effect on Japan's standing as the biggest foreign investor in the United States. With two we…

President Xi Jinping has ordered all out rescue efforts after at least 95 people were killed and another 130 injured when a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the Tibet Autonomous Region in western China on Tuesday. The epicentre was about 75 kilometres northeast of Mount Everest, which straddles the border with Nepal. Xi also urged efforts to prevent…

Malaysia and Singapore announced on Tuesday an agreement on a special economic zone (SEZ) in the southern Malaysian state of Johor, aiming to support investment and free up movement of goods and people between the countries. The Southeast Asian neighbours first agreed in principle to jointly develop the SEZ a year ago. Tuesday's agreement was annou…

The US Congress formally certified Republican President-elect Donald Trump's election victory on Monday during a session presided over by Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the November contest. The quadrennial ritual, clearing the way for Trump's inauguration in two weeks, went smoothly - in sharp contrast to four years ago when Tru…

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he will step down as leader of the ruling Liberals after nine years in office but will stay on in his post until the party chooses a replacement. Trudeau, under heavy pressure from Liberal legislators to quit amid polls showing the party will be crushed at the next election, said at a …

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a North Korean missile test carried out during his visit to Seoul on Monday was a reminder of the need to deepen Washington's cooperation with South Korea and Japan to deter an emboldened Pyongyang. North Korea fired what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile at around noon, which flew more…

The Department of Health has assured residents that public dental clinics will handle patients under a new online system with flexibility. The department on Monday began operating an oversubscription mechanism as well as a wait-list mechanism for online bookings. People who are allocated a spot for dental services are required to arrive at the clin…

A truck driver died on Monday morning after his vehicle smashed into a garbage truck that was apparently idle on the road. Police said the collision took place at around 7am, when the truck was travelling westbound on Lin Cheung Road near the Nam Cheong MTR Station in Cheung Sha Wan. Firefighters rescued the trapped driver who was later certified d…

Heavy snow and freezing rain brought widespread disruption across Europe on Sunday, particularly in the UK and Germany, with several major airports forced to suspend flights. The National Grid, which oversees the UK's electricity network, said it had been working to restore power after outages across the country. Power cuts were reported in the Eng…

A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central US on Sunday, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas. Snow and ice blanketed major roadways in nearly all of Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the s…