17 h. ago New Zealand's Auckland kicks off 2026 celebrations with fireworks

Auckland has become the first major city to ring in 2026 with fireworks from Sky Tower

Events

17 h. ago Hong Kong to ring in new year without fireworks after deadly apartment blaze

A massive Hong Kong apartment fire in November killed at least 161 people

Events

17 h. ago New Year’s Eve live: world prepares to ring in 2026, as Kiribati becomes the first country to see in the new year

Join our live coverage as we start the 26 hours for the entire globe to enter the new yearAn atoll in the remote Pacific Island nation of Kiribati – Kiritimati – has become the first to usher in the new year (at 10:00 GMT). We will bring you pictures as soon as we get them in.Other parts of Kiribati will be welcoming in the new year over the next few hours.Kiribati -10:00 GMTNew Zealand – 11:00 GMTMost of Australia’s east coast – 13:00 GMTNorth Korea, South Korea and Japan- 15:00 GMTTaiwan, Hong Kong and China – 16:00 GMTThailand – 17:00 GMTIndia and Sri Lanka – 18:30 GMTRussia (Moscow) – 21:00 GMTUkraine – 22:00 GMTGermany, France, Spain, Switzerland and Italy – 23:00 GMTThe UK , Ghana and Portugal– 00:00 GMT Brazil and Argentina – 03:00 GMTThe east coast of the US – 05:00 GMT Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago Hong Kong rings in 2026 without fireworks after deadliest blaze in decades

Hong Kong will ring in 2026 without fireworks over Victoria Harbor after a massive fire in November killed at least 161 people

Events

32 h. ago Full list of New Year's Eve events cancelled in major cities over safety fears

New Year's Eve celebrations are being scrapped around the world due to various safety concerns, from crowd crushes to natural disasters, with major cities including Sydney, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong affected.

Politics

42 h. ago What drove gen Z protests that brought down governments and called out corruption? Five activists explain

We spoke to protesters in Togo, Kenya, Nepal, Madagascar and Morocco about how their actions helped shape the world in 2025Mass protests in Nepal and Madagascar toppled both governments this year, even when the young people at the forefront of the demonstrations were faced with heavily armed police and the threat of arrest.Many called 2025 the year of the protest although the revolution in Bangladesh in 2024 that unseated the authoritarian leader Sheikh Hasina is often credited with inspiring young people to take to the streets across parts of Asia and Africa. Although not all achieved the change they wanted, from Sri Lanka to Timor-Leste they shared a common factor: gen Z was the driving force. Continue reading...

Politics

45 h. ago No Time for Goodbye review – well intentioned drama about the loneliness of the asylum

Journalist Don Ng’s debut feature raises interesting questions about the asylum experience – but his film is too sentimental and superficial to truly answer themThis is a film made with the best of intentions – and it has some good insights into the loneliness and isolation of seeking asylum in the UK. But there are a few too many sentimental moments to properly work as social-realism, or anything close to convincing drama, which is disappointing given its creator, Don Ng, is a journalist-turned-director making his feature debut. It’s set in London, where Bosco (a sensitive performance by Yiu-Sing Lam) has arrived from Hong Kong fleeing the government’s crackdown on political freedom, though he doesn’t really talk much about the situation back home.Bosco is sent to live with other asylum seekers on a military base while his application is processed. Some of the best scenes turn out to be gentle observations of his sense of dislocation: walking around the local corner shop, for examp...

Events

61 h. ago Why China continues to hold military drills around Taiwan amid high tension

Currently, only 11 of the 193 United Nations member states maintain full diplomatic relations with Taiwan

Events

2 d. ago ‘They want to destroy my career’: Kiwi Chow on life as a dissenting director in Hong Kong

With his new film rejected by official censors, the award-winning film-maker says he is being punished for his outspoken viewsIn Hong Kong, where dissent is now characterised by silence, few dare openly criticise the government or the Chinese Communist party (CCP) that controls it. Film-maker Kiwi Chow is one of the few.“The Chinese Communist party’s practice is to try and destroy history and truth,” the 46-year-old director says from his home in the region. “It’s ridiculous that I can still live in Hong Kong without being in jail.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 d. ago The photographs that defined 2025 – and the stories behind them

As wars in Ukraine and Gaza continued, anti-government protests erupted around the world. Amid the violence, there were moments of humanity, sporting glory and stunning natural beauty. Photographers reflect on the moments behind the picturesA man cries out in distress as a fire spreads across multiple buildings on a housing estate in Hong Kong Tyrone Siu/ReutersA massive fire broke out around 3pm at Wang Fuk Court, a densely packed housing estate in Tai Po, and I arrived about an hour later. By then, the flames were raging across multiple blocks, with thick black smoke. Unsafe bamboo scaffolding and foam may have led to what became Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades. Residents were streaming out in panic, while emergency crews fought a losing battle against the inferno spreading from one tower to the next. Continue reading...

Culture

4 d. ago A quarter of Sydney to Hobart fleet retire amid ‘nasty’ seas as new leader emerges

Scallywag passes Lock Comanche and LawConnect to take lead on Sunday morningOf the starting fleet, 95 still racing and 33 had pulled out outTough seas have forced further retirements in a gruelling Sydney to Hobart, with crews reporting broken ribs, lost life rafts and yacht damage.The race entered its third day on Sunday and a new leader emerged about 8am, as the Hong Kong-owned Scallywag took over Master Lock Comanche and LawConnect to lead a tight three-way tussle off Tasmania’s east coast. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Aston Martin and PUMA Introduce a Limited Selection in London

Aston Martin and PUMA Introduce a Limited Selection in London  Prestige Hong Kong

Politics

6 d. ago Call the Midwife fan favourite makes surprise return in Christmas Special after years away

A CALL the Midwife fan favourite made a surprise return during this year's Christmas Special after years away. The popular BBC period drama aired the first of two festive episodes this evening. It saw a group of Poplar residents head to Hong Kong to help the sisters of Branch House after the building collapsed and...

Politics

6 d. ago Man, 59, dies in crash between tractor and car as cops arrest 3 and appeal for witnesses who saw JCB with blue trailer

A MAN has tragically been killed in a horror crash between a tractor and a car as cops arrest three people. Police were called to the scene, in Blankney, Lincolnshire, at around 1.39pm on Tuesday December 16. Officers discovered a tractor had collided with a green Ford Kuga outside the entrance to local Barff Farm on...

Events

6 d. ago Police confirm arrest after woman in her 80s dies following serious assault

The woman in her 80s was declared dead at the scene after police and paramedics arrived on the morning of Christmas Day

Events

6 d. ago Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2025: this quietly radical show continues to surprise

A tragedy in Hong Kong overshadows a festive episode of sidequests and subplots

Politics

6 d. ago Israeli police arrest Palestinian man dressed as Santa Claus at Christmas party

Officers closed Christmas event in Haifa, confiscating equipment and also arresting a DJ and a street vendorIsraeli police arrested a Palestinian man dressed as Santa Claus during a raid on a Christmas party in Haifa, a civil rights monitor has said.Israeli officers closed an event celebrating Christmas on Sunday, confiscating equipment, and arresting the Palestinian Santa Claus, as well as a DJ and a street vendor. In a video, police can be seen pushing the men to the ground and handcuffing them as bystanders watched. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago Boy, 14, arrested on suspicion of harassment after death of ‘remarkable’ teenage girl

Madison Richardson died in hospital after emergency services were called to an address in Manchester

Events

7 d. ago Girl, 13, with 'heart of gold' dies as police arrest boy, 14, on suspicion of harassment

A tribute has been issued to Manchester teenager Madison Richardson

Events

7 d. ago Greta Thunberg arrested in London under Terrorism Act due to, London Police yet to confirm arrest

Greta Thunberg arrested in London under Terrorism Act due to, London Police yet to confirm arrest  MSN

Events