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AdvertisementHong Kong courtsHong KongLaw and CrimeHong Kong bookstore owner pleads not guilty to using shop as unregistered schoolPong Yat-ming to be tried for violating Education Ordinance by hosting a Spanish class at his bookstore, Book Punch, in April last year
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPFiona ChowPublished: 1:34pm, 8 Jan 2026Updated: 1:36pm, 8 Jan 2026A Hong Kong independent bookstore owner will stand trial after he pleaded not guilty to managing an unregistered school by holding a Spanish class in his shop.
Pong Yat-ming was accused of violating the Education Ordinance by allowing a Spanish class to be held on April 23 last year at Book Punch, a bookstore he founded in 2020.
The bookshop located in Sham Shui Po occasionally hosts workshops and talks on various subjects, including social issues, travel and mental health.
AdvertisementPong had mentioned in previous media interviews that he wished to create a local community space.
In Thursday’s hearing at Kowloon C..

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyEx-Bar head Victor Dawes named lead counsel in deadly Hong Kong fire inquiryDawes topped list of five lawyers appointed as counsel for Independent Committee probing Tai Po fire, according to document seen by the Post
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPConnor MycroftPublished: 1:30pm, 8 Jan 2026Victor Dawes, former chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, has been appointed lead counsel to an independent committee investigating the city’s deadliest fire in decades, with the inquiry expected to begin in the first quarter, the Post has learned.“Preparation work [for the hearing] has been under way at full force. The target is to start the hearing within the first quarter of this year,” a source said on Thursday.
According to a document seen by the Post, Dawes topped the list of the five lawyers appointed as counsel for the Independent Committee probing the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.
AdvertisementThe letter, dated January 6, w..

. Indian American physician Dr Tina Shah has entered the race for the Democratic nomination in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, becoming the only Indian American among several Democrats seeking the party ticket.“I am so proud of the support our campaign has earned,” Shah said in a statement quoted by New Jersey Globe. “New Jerseyans want leaders who put patients over industry profits. Our campaign is about serving working families, not special interests,” she said. 'Listen Guys, I told Ya': Obama’s Election Warning Just Came True for Trump After Big Defeat In NYC? If elected, Shah would be the first Indian American to represent New Jersey in the US Congress. Indian Americans currently hold only a few seats in the House of Representatives, a number that does not reflect the size of the community. New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, which includes several suburban areas with a large Indian American population, is expected to be a closely watched race with national ..

. Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez on Tuesday firmly rejected claims by the United States that it is now in control of the country, and also announced a week of national mourning for those killed during the US military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.Speaking on state television, Rodriguez said Venezuela remained sovereign and was being governed by its own people. She pushed back against statements by US President Donald Trump, who has said Washington is now “in charge” and that Venezuela will hand over millions of barrels of oil to the United States. Post-Maduro Venezuela: Foreign Reporters TARGETED, Gunfire & Armed Patrols Under Delcy Rodriguez “The government of Venezuela is in charge in our country, and no-one else,” Rodriguez said, three days after US special forces carried out a raid in the Venezuelan capital and detained Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who have since been taken to the United States to face trial. At the same time, Rodri..