27 m. ago Welfare chief can not rule out deaths of 13 missing households in Hong Kong blaze

Thirteen households from the Hong Kong estate devastated by the inferno in Tai Po remain uncontactable more than 10 days on from the blaze, with the city’s labour and welfare chief not ruling out that all may have died in the fire. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the Wang Fuk Court blaze had prompted the government to consider expediting legal amendments to ban smoking at construction sites within around two months and to introduce a fixed penalty ticket system for the...

Events

4 h. ago Why Chinese believe morally, ‘It’s better to marry a widow than a divorced woman’

A harsh folk saying from ancient China goes, “it is better to marry a widow than a divorced woman,” or Ning qu gua fu, bu qu sheng qi in Chinese. The expression reflects the rigid and often brutal moral standards that historically governed women’s lives. Literally, the phrase suggests that a man would rather marry a widow than a woman who had been cast off by her husband. The term sheng qi referred to a wife who was still alive but had been dismissed, implying that she was at fault or carried...

Politics

7 h. ago China's role in global ocean governance gains wide recognition

China's role in global ocean governance gains wide recognition  China Daily

Politics

8 h. ago First ‘home cat’ reached China 1,400 years ago via Tang dynasty Silk Road

From temple courtyards to trendy cafes, cats have long captivated hearts in China. Now, scientists have shed light on the pet’s origin in the country, suggesting its earliest presence dates back to the Tang dynasty (618-907), with its arrival via the Silk Road. A Tang dynasty provincial governor was recorded as the first person in Chinese history to name his dozens of cats. The avid cat lover also set aside a large area at home to play with them. Wu Zetian, China’s first and only woman emperor,...

Politics

20 h. ago The great slowdown: Germany at a standstill as ‘China shock’ hits

It is not unusual for Berlin to be cloaked in a blanket of grey on the brink of winter. What hangs over the city this year, however, feels heavier. This new shade of gloom cuts through conversations about everything. Germany’s coalition government is just six months old, but already some are wondering how long it can last. The economy is no larger now than it was five years ago and is being pummelled by a heady brew of structural problems and external threats. The German foreign minister warned...

Events

21 h. ago Beijing warns foreign media in Hong Kong over crossing ‘red lines’ during meeting

Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong has met representatives from foreign media outlets in the city and warned them against crossing “red lines”, following reports it said smeared the government’s fire relief efforts and attacked the Legislative Council election. According to sources, foreign media outlets that were requested to attend the meeting included Agence France-Presse, the Financial Times, The New York Times and Associated Press. Bloomberg News reported it also attended. The...

Events

23 h. ago India caps airfares as IndiGo crisis hits 5th day, stranding hundreds

India capped airfares on Saturday as hundreds of passengers gathered outside Bengaluru and Mumbai airports after IndiGo cancelled 385 flights on the fifth day of a crisis at the country’s biggest airline that has crippled air travel. IndiGo has cancelled thousands of flights this week due to a shortage of pilots after it failed to plan adequately for new rules limiting pilots’ work hours. The government responded on Friday, announcing special relief for the carrier and the operation of...

Events

26 h. ago Hong Kong contractors race to remove scaffolding nets after Tai Po fire

Contractors in Hong Kong are racing to tear down scaffolding nets used for estate renovation works to meet the government’s end-Saturday deadline, but some admit they will need more time. An industry representative on Saturday estimated that work at all sites across the city would only be completed by early next week, given the lengthy processes and a limited number of trained workers in the city. The development authority announced the removal order for all construction sites in Hong Kong on...

Events

26 h. ago 55 blocks in Hong Kong can’t meet deadline to take down scaffolding nets

Contractors in Hong Kong were racing to tear down scaffolding nets used for renovations at estates and meet the government’s Saturday deadline, but 55 blocks admitted they would need more time. An industry representative estimated that work at all sites across the city would only be completed by early next week, given the lengthy processes and a limited number of trained workers in the city. The development authority announced the removal order for all construction sites in Hong Kong on...

Events

26 h. ago How China’s solopreneurs are using AI to crack a tough job market

China’s artificial intelligence boom is giving rise to a new cohort of “solopreneurs”, who are turning their business dreams into reality with the help of technology, offering a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak job market. While there is no government data tracking this group, the proliferation of affordable AI models suggests that the number of AI-powered solopreneurs in China is on the rise. Recent data from the US Census Bureau showed that the US had about 30 million solopreneurs, who...

Politics

26 h. ago Jakarta vs the internet: Indonesia’s gamble with digital freedom

What happens when a democracy begins to fear its own internet? In Indonesia, that question is no longer hypothetical, as the government threatens to pull the plug on major online platforms many of its people rely upon. When Jakarta warned last month that it could block major platforms like Cloudflare and Wikipedia, the move was justified as a crackdown on online gambling – a vice officially outlawed in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. But for tech industry players and free-speech...

Politics

28 h. ago ‘We all knew’: is your job safe from the AI you are helping train?

For Malaysian tech worker Sam, there were three short steps to being replaced by robots at a global social media company’s Kuala Lumpur office. First came weeks spent training the company’s artificial intelligence systems. Then came the ominous warnings of “restructuring”. Finally, the inevitable: redundancy. “One day, out of nowhere, we had to attend a town hall,” said the 29-year-old, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect his job prospects. “They never explicitly said it was due to AI, but...

Politics

28 h. ago ‘We all knew’: is your job safe from the AI you are helping to train?

For Malaysian tech worker Sam, there were three short steps to being replaced by robots at a global social media company’s Kuala Lumpur office. First came weeks spent training the company’s artificial intelligence systems. Then came the ominous warnings of “restructuring”. Finally, the inevitable: redundancy. “One day, out of nowhere, we had to attend a town hall,” said the 29-year-old, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect his job prospects. “They never explicitly said it was due to AI, but...

Politics

30 h. ago From shoes to scholarships: Hongkongers unite for Tai Po fire victims

From shoes, apparel and daily necessities to food, logistics services and even university sponsorships for two orphans, donors from all walks of life have come together to support survivors of the Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s deadliest in decades. Beyond the HK$2.8 billion (US$360 million) raised from the private sector and the government so far, many compassionate people contributed what they could in a show of solidarity. The fire has so far claimed 159 lives, including that of a firefighter, and...

Events

30 h. ago Australian TikTokker gives widowed US cashier, 88, gift of retirement

A young man from Australia with a huge social media following has given an 88-year-old US supermarket worker the gift of retirement. Ed Bambas from Michigan was presented with an oversized cheque for US$1.7 million on Friday – the result of an extraordinary online fundraising drive. “No, no,” Bambas said, wiping away tears in front of reporters. “Thank you. Oh, my God.” Sam Weidenhofer, 22, from Melbourne, is using his online influence to spread kindness – and financial support – during a visit...

Politics

35 h. ago Chinese EV maker Li Auto unveils industry’s cheapest AI glasses at US$282

Chinese electric vehicle maker Li Auto has launched its first wearable product, the Livis artificial intelligence glasses, marking a bold foray into the rapidly expanding market already crowded by tech giants like Alibaba Group Holding, Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi. The device is priced at 1,999 yuan (US$282), but buyers who place an order before December 31 qualify for a 15 per cent rebate via the government-backed subsidy programme, bringing down the price to 1,699 yuan. That effectively...

Politics

37 h. ago US judge orders release of grand jury transcripts in Epstein case

A US federal judge on Friday ordered the release of the grand jury transcripts from the investigation in Florida of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Justice Department requested the unsealing of the transcripts after US President Donald Trump signed a bill last month requiring the public release of all government records regarding Epstein. Grand jury proceedings are generally kept secret and a previous Justice Department request to unseal the transcripts from Epstein’s Florida case...

Events

41 h. ago China’s Beating America to the Moon. Witnesses Tell House Space Committee Needs More Government Action.

China’s Beating America to the Moon. Witnesses Tell House Space Committee Needs More Government Action.  Coalition For A Prosperous America

Politics

41 h. ago Hong Kong government hits out at US politicians’ ‘absurd’ resolution on Jimmy Lai

Hong Kong authorities have hit back at US politicians’ “absurd and fact-twisting” allegations over the health of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and their call for his unconditional release from prison. A spokesman for the Hong Kong government described the resolution introduced in the United States House of Representatives as an attempt to pressure the city’s courts over Lai’s ongoing trial, accusing the body of “blatant hypocrisy and double standards” given the country’s own suspected...

Politics

41 h. ago Hong Kong government hits out at US politicians’ ‘absurd’ Jimmy Lai resolution

Hong Kong authorities have hit back at US politicians’ “absurd and fact-twisting” allegations over the health of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and their call for his unconditional release from prison. A spokesman for the Hong Kong government described the resolution introduced in the United States House of Representatives as an attempt to pressure the city’s courts over Lai’s ongoing trial, accusing the body of “blatant hypocrisy and double standards” given the country’s own suspected...

Politics