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POLITICS5h agoLula’s win aids China ties; Hong Kong official quits over Tai Po fire: SCMP’s 7 highlightsWe have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Win for Lula boosts China’s foothold and gives Brazil rare earths leverage Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s re-election preserves Beijing’s most critical foothold in Latin America, while positioning Brasilia to leverage...South China Morning Post
WORLD6h agoHong Kong’s M+ forges new alliance with MoMA and Centre Pompidou to redefine museum loansHong Kong’s M+ museum, New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Centre Pompidou in Paris signed an agreement on October 30 to establish a three-way cultural alliance, aiming to redefine how visual culture is collected, exhibited and shared globally. The framework agreement, signed at M+ in the West Kowloon Cultural District, departs from conventional short-term blockbuster touring exhibitions and fee-based satellite franchises. With no money changing hands, the institutions will focus on...South China Morning Post
POLITICS8h agoFrance’s protests, like Hong Kong’s in 2019, risk being defined by violenceNo protester sets out expecting a friend to be arrested, injured or caught in a confrontation with the police. Yet when that happens, the reasons for returning to the streets can change. People may return not only because of the cause that first brought them out, but because they believe a friend has been treated unjustly. That is how anger becomes personal, and how a protest can move towards a dangerous cycle of action and reaction. This is the risk confronting France. The student protests...South China Morning Post
POLITICS8h agoWill Tai Po fire reforms wipe out collusion in Hong Kong’s building maintenance industry?A raft of reforms to overhaul Hong Kong’s building maintenance sector has been hailed as a bold first step in tackling bid-rigging and other deep-rooted problems, but observers said its success would depend on the determination and persistence to implement them to restore public trust. They said the reforms signalled a departure from the government’s long-standing reliance on the self-discipline of industry professionals, but highlighted a notable absence of measures to tackle falsified...South China Morning Post
POLITICS9h agoHong Kong national security judge Alex Lee promoted to the Court of AppealA Hong Kong judge who has overseen high-profile national security trials, including the collusion case of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, has been promoted to the Court of Appeal. A Judiciary statement on Thursday said the chief executive had accepted the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission to appoint Court of First Instance judge Alex Lee Wan-tang to his new role, with his appointment taking effect on the day. Handpicked by the city leader to adjudicate...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS11h agoHong Kong’s wider yuan push: a gateway to the world?In September, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled the city’s first five-year plan along with his policy address, highlighting Hong Kong’s strategic role in promoting the greater use of the yuan outside mainland China as a key priority. In the last of a four-part series on the internationalisation of the yuan, Lam Ka-sing examines Hong Kong’s push to make the currency part of everyday life – from vending machines and retail payments to government spending and cross-border trade. At Hong...South China Morning Post
POLITICS17h agoHong Kong’s John Lee apologises for Tai Po fire, unveils reforms as housing chief resignsHong Kong’s leader has apologised for last year’s deadly Tai Po fire, vowing extensive civil service and legislative reforms and an overhaul of government departments as his housing chief Winnie Ho Wing-yin resigned to offer political accountability. A grim-faced Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and seven other top officials bowed their heads in apology on Thursday at the start of a press briefing, the first time his administration had directly expressed regret since the blaze on November 26 at...South China Morning Post
WORLD18h agoIndia vs Pakistan Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Live Streaming: How to Watch IND vs PAK in India, Pakistan And WorldIndia vs Pakistan Hong Kong Sixes 2026 live streaming details, including match date, start time, TV channel and online viewing options in India. Find out where to watch India vs Pakistan live on FanCode, how to access the streaming platform, whether a TV telecast is available, and everything cricket fans need to know before the six-a-side clash. The post India vs Pakistan Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Live Streaming: How to Watch IND vs PAK in India, Pakistan And World appeared first on The Sunday Guardian.thesundayguardian · india
DISASTER19h agoHong Kong leader apologizes for deadly fire that tested Beijing’s grip on cityNBC News
POLITICS19h agoHong Kong housing chief quits over Tai Po fire, accepts political responsibilityHong Kong’s housing chief has resigned to take political responsibility for the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court, offering condolences to the families of the victims and expressing hope that those who perished may rest in peace. Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Thursday that she submitted her resignation to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu the previous day, becoming the only minister-level official so far to resign over the fire. “As the secretary for housing, I’m willing to bear political...South China Morning Post
POLITICS19h agoHong Kong to set up new body to oversee building renovations in regulatory overhaulHong Kong will establish a dedicated body to oversee building renovations as part of a wide-ranging overhaul that includes restructuring the Buildings Department and tightening regulation of contractors. The move was revealed on Thursday as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his ministers offered a formal apology over the deadly blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last November. His administration was establishing a Building Maintenance Support and Services Council as part of the reforms, the...South China Morning Post
POLITICS20h agoHong Kong to replace disgraced housing unit over deadly Tai Po fireHong Kong’s disgraced Independent Checking Unit (ICU) will be disbanded as part of reforms in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, after a judge-led inquiry identified it as the government arm with the greatest responsibility for the Wang Fuk Court inferno. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Thursday that the Housing Bureau would undergo internal restructuring, under which the ICU would be replaced by a new Public Housing Building Control Section. Deputy Financial Secretary...South China Morning Post
POLITICS20h agoHong Kong leader apologises for deadly Tai Po fireJohn Lee pledges reform as report holds four government departments partly responsible for blaze that killed 168 people last yearIrish Times World
WORLD21h agoHong Kong police probe HK$40 million jewellery theft from Southern district flatHong Kong police launched an investigation into the disappearance of jewellery worth nearly HK$40 million (US$5.1 million) from a woman’s home in the upscale Southern district neighbourhood of Chung Hom Kok. The woman, 56, called police at about 1pm on Thursday, two days after returning to her four-storey, stand-alone block at Bauhinia Garden on Chung Hom Kok Road to discover that a pearl necklace worth about HK$39 million and a diamond necklace worth HK$700,000 had disappeared. She had placed...South China Morning Post
WORLD21h agoHong Kong scraps lighting attraction at The Peak after public outcryHong Kong authorities have scrapped a controversial plan to install decorative lights along a scenic trail on The Peak to increase the city’s nighttime tourism appeal following a public outcry, promising to restore the natural landscape as soon as possible. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and Tourism Board concluded there was no urgent need to roll out the project after assessing the effectiveness of a watered-down version of the attraction, according to a document they submitted to the...South China Morning Post
DISASTER22h agoLit cigarette, combustibles and ‘human fault’ led to deadly Hong Kong fire: reportA combination of a lit cigarette and an “abundant fuel” of combustible materials caused Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, according to a long-awaited report which found the blaze would not have killed so many people, or happened at all, without “human fault”. Eleven months after the deadly fire tore through Wang Fuk Court, killing 168 and displacing thousands, an independent committee’s report released on Thursday assigned blame to the main contractor for renovations at the housing estate,...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS22h agoLater hours unlikely to boost bottle sales at Hong Kong wine festival, exhibitors sayLater opening times are unlikely to boost wine sales by the bottle, exhibitors returning to Hong Kong’s annual Wine and Dine Festival have said, with new overseas participants believing that the city serves as an indicator for broader trends in Asian markets. The festival returned to the Central Harbourfront on Thursday with over 340 booths, an increase of more than 10 per cent from last year, with over 30 countries and regions represented. Operating hours are from 1pm to 1am on Friday and...South China Morning Post
DISASTER22h agoHong Kong Leader Apologizes for Deadly Apartment Building FireJohn Lee, the city’s chief executive, said his housing secretary would step down, but he vehemently defended the government.NYT World
BUSINESS1d agoCK Asset pauses Hong Kong sales launch at Yuen Long’s Montage developmentCK Asset Holdings has suspended sales at its Yuen Long residential project Montage, days before it planned to begin marketing the development’s first homes. The developer confirmed the suspension to the South China Morning Post but declined to explain the abrupt decision, saying only that it reserved the right to pause or commence sales at any time. It dismissed market speculation that the government had revoked the project’s presale consent as baseless. The move followed Moni Yeung, deputy...South China Morning Post
WORLD1d agoHong Kong police officer denies mishandling DNA samples in Abby Choi murder caseA police officer has denied failing to properly label DNA samples taken from slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung’s ex-husband after his arrest more than three years ago. Testifying in the High Court on Thursday, Sergeant Lam Chun also denied using excessive force to subdue Alex Kwong Kong-chi as he was about to flee Hong Kong from Tung Chung Development Ferry Pier on February 25, 2023. Lam, who was a detective constable at the time, said Kwong sustained a 2cm-by-2cm abrasion on his...South China Morning Post
WORLD1d agoHong Kong teen jailed for 8 years for acid attack on Singaporean touristA Hong Kong court has sentenced a teenager with triad links to eight years in prison for splashing corrosive liquid on a Singaporean tourist last year in return for a promised payment of HK$10,000 (US$1,280). Mr Justice Andrew Chan Hing-wai of the High Court said on Thursday that defendant Anson Kew, 19, had caused a “lifelong impact” on Jiang Wen, 36, who suffered second-degree burns in the attack on June 9, 2025. Kew, who was aged 17 at the time, threw a corrosive solution on the victim as she...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS1d agoSamsung Electronics reportedly ending home appliance sales in Hong KongSamsung Electronics is reportedly ending home appliance sales in Hong Kong, months after withdrawing from the mainland Chinese market. Samsung’s Hong Kong office told the South China Morning Post on Thursday that it would focus on televisions, monitors, audio products, business-to-business display solutions and mobile devices in the city. It did not explicitly confirm that it was ending sales of major home appliances. However, a check by the SCMP on Thursday morning found that major home...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS1d agoRegulatory tightening in Hong Kong sees delistings outnumber resumptions: reportThe tightening of Hong Kong’s securities regulations – in the wake of property developer Evergrande’s liquidation and unrelated IPO frauds – has resulted in more delistings than resumptions for the first time in three years, according to a report by accountants Grant Thornton. Hong Kong saw 35 delistings in the 12 months to August this year but only 21 resumptions, the report said. “Regulators have comprehensively tightened resumption requirements,” said Barry Tong, national leader of forensic...South China Morning Post
POLITICS1d agoBeijing wants Hong Kong to sow the seeds for the digital yuan. Will its plans bear fruit?In September, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled the city’s first five-year plan along with his policy address, highlighting Hong Kong’s strategic role in promoting the greater use of the yuan outside mainland China as a key priority. In the third part of a four-part series on the globalisation of the yuan, Xinmei Shen explores how Hong Kong is testing the interoperability of the e-CNY and other digital assets in an effort to broaden the currency’s international appeal. In a US Senate...South China Morning Post