January retail sales jump 23pc to HK$25.7b
Retail sales in January increased by 23.3 per cent to HK$25.7 billion from a year ago, the Census and Statistics Department said. Sales volume showed a 17.4 per cent increase on January last year, with sales of footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories increasing the most, by 35.6 per cent in volume. Sales of electrical goods and photographic equipment rose 34.3 per cent. A government spokesman said January saw the eighth consecutive month of double-digit year-on-year growth in retail sales volume, partly due to strong sales before the Lunar New Year.
Illegal-broadcast trial adjourned
The prosecution of veteran democrat Szeto Wah and five others over an illegal Citizens' Radio broadcast last year was adjourned until July, pending a High Court appeal over the telecommunication laws which a magistrate had ruled unconstitutional. Magistrate Douglas Yau Tak-hong granted an adjournment until July 8. About 50 activists demonstrated outside Eastern Court, saying the defendants had been subjected to selective prosecution. Chandra Wong
Mainlanders bulk of 2.5m visitors
Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in January reached 2,518,566, up 16.2 per cent year on year, the Tourism Board said. Nearly 60 per cent were from the mainland, an increase of 19.1 per cent. About half were same-day visitors and more arrived under the Individual Visit Scheme. The second-largest group was from South Korea and Japan.