Bloomberg Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is taking additional steps to cool the world’s costliest property market, where prices have rebounded after a short-lived dip. The government raised the stamp duty to 15 percent for all residential purchases except for first-time buyers who are permanent residents. Until now, the highest levy for residents was 8.5 percent, while foreigners …

  Bloomberg Egyptian stocks rallied a seventh day on bets an unprecedented decision to float the pound will help cement a $12 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. The currency weakened. The EGX 30 Index surged 6.1 percent, extending the longest winning streak since March. Members of the benchmark gauge traded at the most expensive in almost 17 months …

  ANICK JESDANUN / AP Google’s new smart speaker is at once a secretary, a librarian and a radio. Ask about your day, and the Home speaker will give you the time, weather, estimated commute, the news and upcoming calendar appointments. It will convert miles into feet, and dollars into euros. Want to hear Adele or Coldplay? Home will fetch …

  SEOUL / AP Samsung Electronics said on Sunday it will offer an artificial intelligence assistant service in the upcoming flagship smartphone, as the South Korean firm seeks recovery from its global smartphone recalls. The Galaxy S8 will let users order food or perform other tasks without going through a third-party application but by simply asking the phone’s virtual assistant, …

  Relaxnews Google’s Android operating system captured a record-high 87.5 percent of the global smartphone market in the third quarter, a research firm said. The survey by Strategy Analytics found Android’s share increase from 84.1 percent in the same period a year ago, while Apple’s iOS saw its share slip to 12.1 percent from 13.6 percent. “Android’s leadership of the …

  Relaxnews Before piloting competition-level kit in immersive flight mode with specially designed glasses, newcomers to the world of drones can have fun trying out their flight skills with an affordable model designed with beginners in mind. They also make great gifts for this season. Syma X5SC Explorers 2 Chinese manufacturer Syma makes a veritable clone of what drone market …

  Sapa / AFP At the top of Vietnam’s Fansipan Mountain, throngs of giddy tourists wielding selfie sticks jostle for a photo op on the once-remote peak in the Sapa region, famed for its breathtaking views across undulating rice terraces. Getting to the top traditionally takes a two-day trek but these days most visitors opt for a 20-minute ride by …

  Ariha / AFP With the deftness of decades of experience, Abu Mohammad wove thick green thread with a wooden loom in northwest Syria, creating a vibrant geometric pattern renowned among Arabic textiles. It was the last day before the weaver in his 50s would be forced to close the workshop, leaving the last five remaining looms in his hometown …

  Abu Dhabi / EMIRATES BUSINESS Twenty of the world’s leading oil industry chief executives gather in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to discuss the new energy landscape and different models for partnerships across the industry. The senior executives, representing the world’s biggest oil companies from across the globe, have been invited to the Abu Dhabi CEO Roundtable by HE Dr …

  LONDON / WAM Ten of the world’s biggest oil companies plan to invest an average of $100 million annually over the next 10 years in low-carbon technologies, the companies. The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), which also includes Saudi Aramco, Total , BP , Eni , Repsol , Statoil , CNPC, Pemex [PEMX.UL] and Reliance Industries , launched the …