1 hour ago ‘Like a ghost town’: Hong Kong neighbourhood struggles to adjust after fatal fire

Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has been put out, but the sight of the charred remains of Wang Fuk Court’s housing blocks still conjures up painful emotions and all too vivid memories for many people in the surrounding neighbourhood. The fire started on Wednesday last week, raging for 43 hours and engulfing seven of the estate’s eight towers before it was extinguished. At least 159 people died in the inferno. On Friday, residents from the nearby Kwong Fuk Estate public housing complex were...

Events

4 h. ago Why China may be better placed than US in tussle for rare earths

During his Southeast Asia trip in October, US President Donald Trump sealed deals with Malaysia and Thailand on the same day – both aimed at securing and diversifying America’s supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to step up cooperation on building and expanding critical minerals supply chains, according to a White House statement. They also agreed to strengthen the security of critical minerals and rare earths supplies in...

Politics

4 h. ago US Supreme Court to weigh Trump bid to limit birthright citizenship

The US Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide the legality of President Donald Trump’s directive to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, a contentious part of his efforts to curb immigration and a step that would alter how a 19th century constitutional provision has long been understood. The justices took up a Justice Department appeal of a lower court’s ruling that blocked Trump’s executive order telling US agencies not to recognise the citizenship of children born in the US...

Politics

12 h. ago Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung accuses former agent of HK$8.8 million fraud

Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi has accused her former agent of exerting undue pressure on her and defrauding her out of 8 million yuan (US$1.13 million) by making false representations. Cheung, 45, took the witness box at the High Court on Friday to counter allegations that she reneged on a promise to Asia Entertainment Group (AEG) president Samuel Yu Yuk-hing to appear in four films produced by the now liquidated company between 2011 and 2019. “Throughout my life, I, Cecilia Cheung,...

Economics

13 h. ago Beijing court launches a groundbreaking initiative by appointing 21 retired judges as mediators

Beijing court launches a groundbreaking initiative by appointing 21 retired judges as mediators  China Daily

Events

14 h. ago Some Hong Kong fire survivors reluctant to relive horror for judge

Some survivors of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades have voiced concerns over reliving the tragedy and sharing personal information if they take part in an investigation ordered by the city’s leader, with psychologists calling for a balance between justice and compassion. A number of residents from Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, which was engulfed in flames last week, told the Post they wanted a fair, just and open investigation that took the feelings and privacy of the survivors into...

Events

15 h. ago Hong Kong steps up mental health support for Tai Po fire victims

Hong Kong authorities will step up mental health support for people affected by the Tai Po fire, the city’s deadliest blaze in several decades, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has announced, with about two-thirds of patients having been discharged from hospitals. Ten days since the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court, Secretary of Health Lo Chung-mau said on Friday that all 79 patients admitted to hospital due to the fire were considered no longer at risk, but noted some expressed feelings of guilt...

Events

15 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

15 h. ago Hong Kong’s religious communities unite in prayer to mourn Tai Po fire victims

About 4,000 Muslims from Hong Kong gathered on Friday to pray for and offer condolences to the victims of the Tai Po fire, while other religious groups held prayer meetings to show spiritual support. The Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong held a special prayer session at 1.30pm at Kowloon Mosque in Tsim Sha Tsui to pay respect to the victims. The blaze at Wang Fuk Court killed at least 159 people. Among them were nine Indonesian domestic helpers and one Filipino...

Events

17 h. ago Hong Kong fire: dead Indonesian helper found huddled with ward hailed as selfless

The last time Sugeng Widodo spoke to his wife, Indonesian domestic worker Sri Wahyuni, something did not feel right for him. It was around 1pm Hong Kong time on November 26, just a few hours before a devastating fire would rip through Wang Fuk Court in the city’s Tai Po district, killing at least 159 people. Wahyuni, 42, would be among the dead – her body found in a room on a fourth-floor flat at the estate, hugging her employer, a 93-year-old woman, according to Widodo, citing information...

Events

17 h. ago Lisa Su Says AMD Ready to Pay 15% Fee to Resume China Shipments as Uncertainty Prevails

Lisa Su Says AMD Ready to Pay 15% Fee to Resume China Shipments as Uncertainty Prevails  TipRanks

Politics

18 h. ago Hong Kong Baptist University suspends student union amid fire

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has suspended the operation of its student union after removing messages from campus that mourned victims of the deadly Tai Po blaze and demanded justice. According to the union, they were informed by the university on Thursday night that their operations had been halted until further notice. The university did not specify whether the suspension was linked to the union’s recent posts about the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court on the campus bulletin board it...

Events

19 h. ago Bali mulls Airbnb ban to put a lid on revenue leak, overtourism

Bali is considering a ban on Airbnb’s accommodation, its latest attempt to impose order on a resort island struggling to cope with a record surge in tourism. Use of Airbnb-style rentals has exploded in recent years, eroding tax revenue from hotels even as foreign arrivals boom, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster told state news agency Antara. The proliferation of unregistered villas and guest houses in turn hampers the government’s ability to raise revenue to fund public services, he was quoted as...

Society

26 h. ago Residents of Hong Kong estates told to suspend renovation work wonder what next

Hundreds of property owners in Hong Kong are grappling with uncertainties after 29 private buildings and estates were ordered to suspend renovation work carried out by a contractor linked to the deadly blaze at Wang Fuk Court and two other firms. Residents at three of the estates told the Post they had already spent millions of Hong Kong dollars on the projects and were now uncertain whether the work was proper or how long the delay would last, with some struggling to choose a new...

Economics

26 h. ago ‘I’m worried’: residents of Hong Kong estates in limbo after renovation suspended

Hundreds of property owners in Hong Kong are grappling with uncertainties after 29 private buildings and estates were ordered to suspend renovation work carried out by a contractor linked to the deadly blaze at Wang Fuk Court and two other firms. Residents at three of the estates told the Post they had already spent millions of Hong Kong dollars on the projects and were now uncertain whether the work was proper or how long the delay would last, with some struggling to choose a new...

Economics

26 h. ago Japan weighs plan to punish sex buyers, but will it be enough?

A campaigner who has been calling for changes in the law in Japan to allow the prosecution of men who pay for sex has welcomed reports that the government is finally considering the proposal. Experts warn, however, that an industry known as “the world’s oldest profession” will always find a way to circumvent new regulations and that the problem needs to be tackled from a number of angles simultaneously. In response to a question from independent Diet member Rintaro Ogata on November 11, Prime...

Politics

29 h. ago Chinese Climate Group Led by CCP Insiders Gave More Than $1M to Harvard and University of California in 2024, Tax Filings Show

Chinese Climate Group Led by CCP Insiders Gave More Than $1M to Harvard and University of California in 2024, Tax Filings Show  freebeacon.com

Economics

32 h. ago AMD chief says company ready to pay 15% tax on AI chip shipments to China

AMD chief says company ready to pay 15% tax on AI chip shipments to China  Reuters

Economics

36 h. ago Despite Starmer’s ‘China threat’ rhetoric, Britain seeks tighter Beijing ties

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called China a security threat this week, but analysts said the statement was motivated by domestic politics and did not negate London’s goal of deepening economic ties with Beijing. Meanwhile, disputes around a new Chinese embassy will continue to test this desire for stronger relations as the British leader plans a state visit. Starmer said on Monday that his government would focus on the relationship with China, which would help protect national interests,...

Events

39 h. ago Hong Kong scaffold nets come down after deadly fire as residents get more help

Construction firms began removing scaffold netting from buildings across Hong Kong on Thursday to meet a three-day government-imposed deadline following the city’s deadliest blaze in decades. Authorities also doubled a living allowance for households at fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po and promised to help its residents with long-term housing issues. To meet Saturday’s deadline, contractors at more than 200 buildings under renovation started taking down scaffolding mesh to allay public...

Events