For decades, Hong Kong’s tourism success rested on a clear formula: shopping, dining and urban experiences. That model is losing momentum. Overnight visitor spending has fallen from around HK$193 billion (US$24.6 billion) in 2015 to HK$128 billion last year. Shopping has declined sharply as spending shifts to sightseeing and experiences. Travellers are no longer coming only to consume – they seek ...
For decades, Hong Kong’s tourism success rested on a clear formula: shopping, dining and urban experiences. That model is losing momentum. Overnight visitor spending has fallen from around HK$193 billion (US$24.6 billion) in 2015 to HK$128 billion last year. Shopping has declined sharply as spending shifts to sightseeing and experiences. Travellers are no longer coming only to consume – they seek a connection to nature, culture and place. This transition presents a clear opportunity. Hong Kong’s...
David McNew/Getty Images News Representatives from U.S. oil companies including Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) and ConocoPhillips ( COP ) have begun visiting Venezuela to meet with government officials and assess potential projects in the country, attracted by high oil prices and new investor-friendly laws. In recent weeks, a team from Exxon ( XOM ) inspected the Cerro Negro heavy oil project that it operate...
David McNew/Getty Images News Representatives from U.S. oil companies including Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) and ConocoPhillips ( COP ) have begun visiting Venezuela to meet with government officials and assess potential projects in the country, attracted by high oil prices and new investor-friendly laws. In recent weeks, a team from Exxon ( XOM ) inspected the Cerro Negro heavy oil project that it operated before 2007 when the Venezuelan government nationalized much of the country's energy infrastructure, and Conoco ( COP ) is also trying to assess oil and gas opportunities, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. Neither company has committed capital to projects in Venezuela, but the fact that they appear more open to the idea is a considerable shift from their position just three months ago, when Exxon ( XOM ) CEO Darren Woods told President Trump in the White House that the country was " uninvestable " without significant changes. Woods expressed a changed view during F riday's earnings conference call , saying "Venezuela is a huge resource that has now opened up more freely to the world... I feel positive about what's happening," as new energy regulations and contract terms could create "attractive investment opportunities." Chevron ( CVX ) is Venezuela's biggest foreign oil producer after deciding to remain in the country despite the government's nationalizations nearly 20 years ago; it currently produces ~250K bbl/day in the country. "I think in any scenario, we remain the advantaged incumbent," Chevron ( CVX ) CEO Mike Wirth said on his company's earnings conference call . Meanwhile, Venezuela's oil exports rose 14% to 1.23M bbl/day in April, the highest monthly volume since late 2018, Reuters reported this week, citing shipping data and documents from state company PDVSA. In April, a total of 66 vessels departed from Venezuelan waters, compared with 61 ships that carried 1.08M bbl/day of crude and refined products in March, according to the report. More on Exx...
The Strait of Hormuz is a major artery in the global energy trade. The closure of this vital waterway is choking the supply of oil and natural gas. When supply is constrained in a commodity market, prices rise. In fact, Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) just updated its oil model, saying oil prices will likely remain higher for longer. Integrated energy giant BP 's (NYSE: BP) first-quarter earnings hint at...
The Strait of Hormuz is a major artery in the global energy trade. The closure of this vital waterway is choking the supply of oil and natural gas. When supply is constrained in a commodity market, prices rise. In fact, Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) just updated its oil model, saying oil prices will likely remain higher for longer. Integrated energy giant BP 's (NYSE: BP) first-quarter earnings hint at what is to come. The company's profit more than doubled year over year, as rising oil prices more than offset the impact of supply disruptions. The stock is up more than 30% so far in 2026, as of this writing. It isn't the only company that will benefit. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Shares of Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ: SFM) rallied this past week after the supermarket chain lifted its full-year profit outlook. Image source: The Motley Fool. Sprouts' net sales rose 4% year over year to $2.3 billion in its fiscal first quarter, which ended on March 29. The organic grocer opened 6 new locations during the quarter, bringing its total to 483 stores across 25 states. Continue ...
Shares of Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ: SFM) rallied this past week after the supermarket chain lifted its full-year profit outlook. Image source: The Motley Fool. Sprouts' net sales rose 4% year over year to $2.3 billion in its fiscal first quarter, which ended on March 29. The organic grocer opened 6 new locations during the quarter, bringing its total to 483 stores across 25 states. Continue reading
Members of unlicensed hiking tours were among the hundreds of visitors who packed into Hong Kong’s Ham Tin Wan campsite on the second of mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” break. The sink at the scenic Sai Kung hotspot’s only public bathroom was left clogged by food scraps after some visitors opted for hotpot, among other options. On Saturday evening, a South China Morning Post reporter est...
Members of unlicensed hiking tours were among the hundreds of visitors who packed into Hong Kong’s Ham Tin Wan campsite on the second of mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” break. The sink at the scenic Sai Kung hotspot’s only public bathroom was left clogged by food scraps after some visitors opted for hotpot, among other options. On Saturday evening, a South China Morning Post reporter estimated there were about 500 tents at the campsite. According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and...
Japan and China are Asian powerhouses that should collaborate responsibly for the peace and prosperity of the region. However, bilateral relations have experienced ups and downs since the start of the century and are now at their lowest point after normalisation in 1972. A major cause of this is the widening perception and information gap between the two nations that needs to be addressed through ...
Japan and China are Asian powerhouses that should collaborate responsibly for the peace and prosperity of the region. However, bilateral relations have experienced ups and downs since the start of the century and are now at their lowest point after normalisation in 1972. A major cause of this is the widening perception and information gap between the two nations that needs to be addressed through direct people-to-people contact. Some, perhaps many, misunderstand that Japan and China are always...
More than 40 years ago, he became the first person from his rural family to study at a university in China. Four decades on he was appointed chancellor of UC Riverside, a prestigious school in the United States. The story of S. Jack Hu, a Chinese-American who is the first individual with a bachelor’s education from mainland China to head a top US institution, has trended on social media, inspiring...
More than 40 years ago, he became the first person from his rural family to study at a university in China. Four decades on he was appointed chancellor of UC Riverside, a prestigious school in the United States. The story of S. Jack Hu, a Chinese-American who is the first individual with a bachelor’s education from mainland China to head a top US institution, has trended on social media, inspiring millions of internet users. The 62-year-old Hu, whose Chinese name is Hu Shixin, hails from a...
Alaska Governor Vetoes Election Reform Bill Due To 'Significant Operational Burdens' Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a major election reform bill on April 30, arguing it would place “significant operational burdens” on the state’s Division of Elections months before high-stakes statewide and federal contests. Alaska Gov. Michael Dunl...
Alaska Governor Vetoes Election Reform Bill Due To 'Significant Operational Burdens' Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a major election reform bill on April 30, arguing it would place “significant operational burdens” on the state’s Division of Elections months before high-stakes statewide and federal contests. Alaska Gov. Michael Dunleavy in Washington on Oct. 29, 2019. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times The bill, at least a decade in the making, sought to allow absentee and other voters track their ballots and see when they had been received and counted. Dunleavy announced the veto of Senate Bill 64 after the measure arrived following its passage in both chambers of the legislature. The legislation, which had won bipartisan support in the state’s House of Representatives and Senate, also sought to expand acceptable voter identification, modify voter roll maintenance, change the absentee ballot timeline, and create a rural community liaison position. “Going forward, I encourage those who wish to continue this work to use this bill as a starting point to ensure that any proposed changes comply with state and federal law and pass any election legislation on a timeline that allows the Division of Elections to develop, test, and implement the necessary systems properly,” Dunleavy said in an April 30 statement. “ While the Alaska gasline bill is the most important bill this session, I am open to a conversation with lawmakers on how we can address the legal and operational issues this session .” In his veto letter, the Republican governor noted his misgivings about provisions requiring expanded ballot tracking and the curing of minor errors on mail-in ballots. He said such changes would be particularly difficult to implement securely and reliably ahead of the November elections. “ Taken as a whole, the bill would impose significant operational burdens on the administration of Alaska’s elections during an electi...
Germany's defense minister is playing down the impact of the Pentagon's decision to pull 5,000 troops from the country, but the move has rattled NATO allies and added to growing fears that Europe can no longer rely on Washington. (Image credit: Markus Schreiber)
Germany's defense minister is playing down the impact of the Pentagon's decision to pull 5,000 troops from the country, but the move has rattled NATO allies and added to growing fears that Europe can no longer rely on Washington. (Image credit: Markus Schreiber)