14 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

15 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

15 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

17 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

30 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

43 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

59 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

68 h. 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

69 h. ago Hawaii hopes stricter laws will quiet illegal fireworks after deadly New Year's Eve blast

Hawaii authorities are cracking down on illegal fireworks after a tragic explosion last New Year's Eve killed six people

Events

69 h. 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 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

7 d. ago Asian markets mostly advance after the S&P 500 hits record high

Asian markets are mostly higher after the U.S. benchmark S&P 500 closed at another record high following a report that the U.S. economy grew at a 4.3% annual rate in July to September

Events

7 d. ago One of the world’s hottest IPO markets shows signs of weakness

Series of disappointing debuts in Hong Kong has come in the last quarter of a record year

Economics

8 d. ago Our comprehensive guide to Christmas TV: From Amandaland to Bake Off, Strictly to Gladiators, our top picks will keep you merry through to 2026

An Ab Fab reunion in Amandaland, Helen Mirren popping into the Repair Shop and the Call The Midwifegang heading off to Hong Kong it's all in our comprehensive guide to Christmas telly.

Politics

9 d. ago China to impose up to 42.7% provisional tariffs on EU dairy products

China has announced provisional tariffs of up to 42.7% on dairy products imported from the European Union

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong police arrest 15 suspects over daylight heist where £5m cash was stolen in 30 seconds

Stolen clash from four suitcases yet to be recovered four days after the heist

Economics

1 week ago China has set a bear trap for Keir Starmer – and our naive PM is walking straight into it | Simon Tisdall

The conviction of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong is another hostile act. How can Britain ignore Beijing’s provocations and human rights abuses?The UK pushed hard to secure the release of Jimmy Lai, the newspaper publisher and British citizen who was a leading light in Hong Kong’s brutally suppressed pro-democracy movement. So, too, did press freedom and human rights campaigners. But the Beijing-appointed high court judges in the former colony convicted him anyway, finding Lai guilty last week on fake charges of trying to “destabilise” the Chinese Communist party (CCP). For Xi Jinping, China’s dictator-emperor, there is no greater crime.Protesting to China’s ambassador, the UK’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, condemned the trial as “politically motivated”. She’s right, of course – but her angry words will make no difference. Beijing’s contempt for Britain’s views is as painfully obvious as the UK’s weakness and indecision in the face of Chinese hubris. The breaking of its solemn promise t...

Politics