14 h. ago Hong Kong to focus on mental health support after fire, seek smoking ban at sites

Hong Kong authorities will make mental health support for people affected by the Tai Po blaze a priority in the aftermath of the tragedy, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has announced, as the government said it intended to push for a blanket ban on smoking at construction sites. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Lee said that not only the residents of Wang Fuk Court, but the entire community could move out of deep sorrow with proper mental health support. “Everyone is experiencing this...

Events

21 h. ago Hong Kong developers push for smoking ban at construction sites after deadly fire

Major Hong Kong developers are considering a blanket ban on smoking for workers at all construction sites following the deadly Tai Po blaze that killed 159, with at least two already demanding that all their contractors impose the tough rule or step up penalties. The Real Estate Developers Association (REDA) told the Post on Friday that it was gathering views on the smoking ban from its members, including major developers such as Sino Land, Swire Properties, Sun Hung Kai and New World...

Events

28 h. ago ‘Blue ocean market’: why Brazil is becoming a magnet for Chinese investment

With their domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. In early November, the chairman of one of China’s top construction machinery makers was spotted touring potential factory sites in Piracicaba, a city in...

Economics

28 h. ago Why China sees Brazil as ‘last untapped blue ocean market’ for investment boom

With their domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. In early November, the chairman of one of China’s top construction machinery makers was spotted touring potential factory sites in Piracicaba, a city in...

Economics

38 h. ago ‘Complete mayhem’: chaos after India’s largest airline cancels 1,200 flights

Chaos gripped Indian airports on Thursday after the country’s largest airline IndiGo cancelled more than 1,200 flights, stranding thousands of passengers. The company blamed the disruption on “unforeseen operational challenges” including technical glitches, adverse weather and new rules for workers. India’s aviation watchdog ordered an investigation and demanded that IndiGo respond with plans to ease the interruptions, which have persisted since Monday. Passengers vented their anger online, with...

Events

40 h. ago China Buys Nearly Two in Five Cars Sold Worldwide in October

China Buys Nearly Two in Five Cars Sold Worldwide in October  The China-Global South Project

Politics

46 h. ago Scaffolding nets removed across Hong Kong as firms seek to meet 3

Construction firms have started removing scaffold netting across Hong Kong to meet a three-day government deadline, after suspected false safety certificates for mesh were found at two building sites in the wake of the deadly Tai Po fire that has claimed at least 159 lives. The green mesh, commonly draped over bamboo scaffolding erected at buildings under construction or renovation, came under heavy scrutiny after authorities found that contractors had installed cheaper, non-fire-resistant...

Politics

57 h. ago Hong Kong orders scaffold netting to be removed at 200 sites in wake of inferno

Authorities have ordered scaffold netting to be removed at about 200 locations across Hong Kong by Saturday after suspected false safety certificates were found at two building sites following the Tai Po blaze that claimed 159 lives. A week after Hong Kong’s worst inferno in decades, police on Wednesday arrested six men from the company responsible for the fire alarm system at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, where the blaze ripped through seven towers covered in bamboo scaffolding and...

Politics

57 h. ago Digging through Hong Kong’s disaster site left them wanting to cry

Hazy air laced with a pungent odour, dark rooms filled with debris, bodies that had to be carefully extracted by hand. The discovery of a dead child. The head of the police team responsible for the search of the Hong Kong residential complex destroyed in an inferno gave an account on Wednesday of the harrowing conditions they faced inside the seven towers as work came to an end. The task of checking the more than 1,000 flats at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po was both physically and emotionally...

Events

60 h. ago This chart explains China's worldwide dominance in renewables and EVs

This chart explains China's worldwide dominance in renewables and EVs  Axios

Politics

62 h. ago China ramps up surveillance equipment at Spratly Islands bases: US think tank

China has carried out extensive upgrades to its surveillance and electronic warfare systems across its Spratly Islands outposts to improve its intelligence gathering in the South China Sea, according to an American think tank. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative under the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said in a report on Tuesday that satellite images revealed new and upgraded radar sites, antenna fields and other reinforced electronic warfare...

Events

63 h. ago Beijing testing centre warns of sham construction safety reports in Hong Kong

A testing centre in Beijing has questioned the veracity of a scaffolding net safety report for a renovation site in Hong Kong, and warned of fraudulent documents circulating in the market that falsely use the lab’s name. Early investigations by city authorities showed the nets used for renovations at Wang Fuk Court – the site of last week’s deadly fire that killed 159 – did not meet fire safety standards. But the National Quality Inspection and Testing Center for Labour Protective Equipment in...

Events

3 d. ago OpenAI CEO declares ‘code red’ to improve ChatGPT as rivals move in

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is redirecting internal resources to speed up improvements to ChatGPT, declaring a “code red” situation that will delay work on other initiatives, according to people familiar with the matter. Altman on Monday sent an internal memo calling for a “surge” to improve ChatGPT, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing nonpublic information. Altman also called for staff to delay progress on other efforts such as autonomous AI agents and advertising, the...

Politics

3 d. ago Bodies of helper, woman she cared for found in same room at Hong Kong fire site

Yayuk Setyawati tried desperately to contact her sister when she learned the Hong Kong housing estate where her sibling lived and worked had caught fire on November 26. Her messages went unanswered. It took four days before a DNA test confirmed that her sister, a foreign domestic worker, had lost her life in the blaze at Wang Fuk Court. The bodies of Sri Wahyuni and the elderly woman she cared for were found in the same room. In an interview with the Post, Yayuk, who is also a domestic worker in...

Events

3 d. ago School close to scene of Hong Kong fire to hold lessons at other campuses

A Hong Kong primary school close to the site of the city’s deadliest blaze has been allowed to hold lessons at two other campuses starting later this month, with authorities setting aside HK$5 million (US$642,000) to support transition arrangements. The Education Bureau said Tai Po Baptist Public School (TPBPS) would remain closed for a certain period of time due to the blaze at nearby Wang Fuk Court, adding that the school would conduct its lessons in different locations in the district in the...

Events

4 d. ago China’s Belt and Road Faces Wage Scandals and Stalled Projects Worldwide

China’s Belt and Road Faces Wage Scandals and Stalled Projects Worldwide  Vision Times

Politics

4 d. ago Beijing Backs EV Battery and Solar Giants for Worldwide Expansion

Beijing Backs EV Battery and Solar Giants for Worldwide Expansion  Yahoo Finance

Politics

4 d. ago 1 in 3 European firms in China hit by export controls plan to divert sourcing

Roughly one-third of European companies in China affected by Beijing’s expanding export control regime intend to diversify their supply chains, with firms concerned about supply chain disruptions, long delivery delays and rising costs, a new survey has found. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China found in a flash survey of 131 member companies that more than half expected to be hit by Chinese export controls, with the group calling for policymakers to find a long-term solution to...

Events

4 d. ago Unification Church leader denies knowing about gifts for Kim Keon

The leader of one of South Korea’s largest cultlike churches stood trial on Monday accused of bribing the country’s former first lady with gifts including a designer handbag and a diamond necklace. The arrest of leader Han Hak-ja in September rocked the Unification Church, which claims to have 10 million followers worldwide and controls a sprawling business empire. The 82-year-old defendant, known to her followers as “holy mother”, also faces corruption charges over cash payments to a lawmaker...

Politics

5 d. ago World Insights: From labs to satellites: China's scientific impact expands worldwide

World Insights: From labs to satellites: China's scientific impact expands worldwide  China Daily

Politics