
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu reveals names of three new university towns and confirms completion of Loop Academy One by year-end
AI-generated summary
The Northern Metropolis is a large-scale development project in Hong Kong. The three university towns were proposed in 2024 to integrate education, technology, and talent.
The first building in the 1,000-hectare (2,472-acre) university town project in the Northern Metropolis will be completed by the end of this year, Hong Kong’s leader has said, revealing that the flagship tower is called Loop Academy One.
Announcing Hong Kong’s first five-year plan on Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also revealed the official names of the three Northern Metropolis developments: San Tin University Town, Hung Shui Kiu University Town and Ta Kwu Ling University Town.
The three towns, proposed in 2024, are intended to drive synergy among industries, academia and research to achieve the integrated development of education, technology and talent.
According to the five-year plan, authorities will step up efforts to attract world-famous institutions or first-class scientific research institutes to establish a presence in the towns.

KMT Chairman Zheng Liwen said at the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China that the 2026 local elections will be cold and young votes may be lost. She emphasized that even leading constituencies should not be careless, reminded party members that the DPP may take tough measures, and called on the entire party to go all out to strive for the 2028 party rotation.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced the first Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), declaring that it will be fully aligned with China's "15th Five-Year Plan". The content covers national security governance, the development of new productive forces, financial system integration and the construction of the northern metropolitan area. It aims to deepen the integration of Hong Kong and Chinese systems and set a number of quantitative economic goals.

DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Boyang swept the streets at Gongguan Night Market and was warmly received by Sun Peixia, the owner of the Michelin-recommended scallion pancake stall. Sun Peixia's identity has been exposed. She was a key informant in the cross-strait spy war "Liu Liankun case" 20 years ago. She publicly stated that Shen Boyang was sincere and believed that the situation in the Taipei election might change.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed Canada as a potential first associate member of the EU. The move signals a shift in focus for the bloc as it seeks to reinvent itself post-Brexit, while British officials remain skeptical.

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation issued a statement on the 16th, expressing concern over the recent announcement by the United States to impose visa restrictions on South African officials. South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola criticized the United States for misinterpreting South Africa's domestic policies and denied that South African crimes were racially targeted.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has introduced a five-year development blueprint targeting innovation, manufacturing, and social welfare. The plan, aligned with China's national strategy, aims to boost R&D spending and housing availability by 2030.