5 key takeaways from government release of report on Tai Po blaze

🔮 1. Who will be held accountable for the tragedy?

🔮 He noted that while the IMF expected global growth to slow from 3.5 per cent last year to 3.1 per cent this year, Asia’s economy would continue to expand at a faster pace. The IMF recently upgraded its 2026 real GDP growth forecast for Hong Kong to 3.8 per cent, while the local government maintained its full-year forecast at 3.5 to 4.5 per cent.

🔮 The South China Morning Post examines who is running, what to watch for and how the committee will choose the city’s next leader The nomination period opened on Wednesday for elections to the 1,500-member body responsible for choosing Hong Kong’s next chief executive and 40 lawmakers. Hopefuls from at least four subsectors submitted their nomination forms on the first day. The South China Morning Post explains the significance of the Election Committee polls, who signed up on the first day and what to watch for. What is the Election Committee and why is it important? Wednesday marked the start of a two-week nomination period for the 2026 Election Committee Subsector (ECSS) Ordinary Elections, scheduled for November 22. Up to 982 subsector representatives will be elected to the city’s top electoral college.

🔮 The two documents would go hand in hand, Lee said, promising to take the city’s economic development to the next level by creating a new innovation engine in the Northern Metropolis megaproject, while building on Hong Kong’s strengths in finance, aviation, maritime services, trade and technology.