HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's provisional estimate of total retail sales value for June stood at 31.5 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 4.01 billion U.S. dollars), up 4.6 percent year on year, official data showed Tuesday.
In June, online sales came in at 3 billion Hong Kong dollars, rising 11.6 percent year on year and accounting for 9.4 percent of the total retail sales value, while the value of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts recorded an increase of 20.1 percent year on year, data from the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government showed. (Hong Kong-Retail-Growth)
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TOKYO -- Japan's Defense Ministry released Tuesday its "Defense of Japan 2026," which continued to portray an "increasingly severe" regional security environment, in an effort to pave the way for revising the country's three key security documents by the end of this year and accelerating its military buildup.
The white paper, presented to the cabinet on the day by Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, retained the wording of the 2025 edition, claiming that the international community is facing its greatest challenge since World War II and has entered a "new era of crisis." (Japan-Defense-White Paper)
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WELLINGTON -- New Zealand businesses will soon have additional powers to detain suspected offenders under changes to the country's Crimes Act, a senior official said on Tuesday.
The Crimes Act Amendment Bill is scheduled for its final reading in parliament this week. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said in a statement that the government is committed to ensuring retailers are effectively protected, empowered to stop offending, and that offenders are caught and deterred from reoffending. (New Zealand-Law-Amendment)
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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak on Tuesday outlined several critical challenges driving a sharp decline in international tourist arrivals to the Southeast Asian nation.
Speaking to approximately 150 tourism business representatives, Hak revealed that international arrivals plunged 47.9 percent in the first half of 2026. (Cambodia-Tourism-Drop) ■
