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AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyTowering traditions: Hong Kong’s centuries-old Kam Tin Jiao Festival returnsMassive bamboo structure takes centre stage as indigenous Tang clan hosts five-day festival honouring heritage, faith and family
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPJess MaPublished: 10:30am, 13 Dec 2025Once every decade, villagers in Kam Tin build a nearly 30-metre (100-foot) tall bamboo structure – large enough to hold almost half the capacity of the Hong Kong Coliseum – to stage rituals and Cantonese opera performances for an audience of residents, deities and spirits alike.
The colossal structure, adorned with vibrant plaques and a flag, is the largest of its kind in Hong Kong and serves as the centrepiece of the HK$20 million (US$2.6 million) Jiao Festival organised by the indigenous Tang clan of Kam Tin. The five-day, six-night celebration will begin on Saturday evening.
“Throughout the generations, [this festival] reminds us that we must repay our gra..

A gas explosion triggered a major fire in the unincorporated community of Ashland near Hayward on Thursday after an underground line was damaged by a construction crew, fire officials said. At least one home was destroyed, windows were blown out and nearby houses shook.Six people were taken to hospital for treatment, Alameda County Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Nishimoto said. Three were sent immediately with serious injuries and three others had more minor injuries, AP news agency reported.Three structures on two separate lots were severely damaged, Nishimoto said. Some of the 75 firefighters on the scene were forced to back off momentarily after feeling electric shocks from fallen power lines.The video, which came from doorbell camera footage, showed a large building engulfed in flames and debris scattered across the area.“We were sitting in the house and it just … everything shook. Stuff fell off the walls and when we looked at the camera it was like you were watching a war video,” said ..

Candace Owens fires warning at Erika Kirk after new clip on Charlie Kirk conspiracy fight goes viral (Image via Getty) Candace Owens is very upset after a new clip showed Erika Kirk speaking about her in an interview with Bari Weiss of CBS News. The clip talked about the conspiracy stories that spread after Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on September 10 at an event at Utah Valley University. After his death, Candace Owens shared many theories online. She spoke about the Israeli government, TPUSA leaders, and even the US military. But she did not show any proof for these claims. Because of this, many people questioned her posts. So when Erika Kirk spoke about these ideas in her interview, Owens did not like the comments.Candace Owens later said she was “in a bad mood” after watching the clip. She added, “Bari Weiss refers to me as a liar and Erika Kirk does not rebut.” Owens felt Erika Kirk stayed quiet when Weiss talked about the conspiracy theories.What Erika Kirk and Bari Weiss said t..

AdvertisementUnited StatesWorldUnited States & CanadaDirector convicted of scamming millions from Netflix for unfinished sci-fi showCarl Erik Rinsch, best known for ‘47 Ronin’, was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering and other charges
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAssociated PressPublished: 10:44am, 12 Dec 2025A Hollywood director was convicted on Thursday on charges that he scammed Netflix out of US$11 million for a show that never materialised, while he instead used the cash for lavish purchases that included several Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari and about US$1 million in mattresses and luxury bedding.
Carl Erik Rinsch, best known for directing the film 47 Ronin, was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering and other charges, according to court records and a spokesperson for federal prosecutors in New York.
In a statement, Rinsch’s lawyer Benjamin Zeman, said he thought the verdict was wrong and “could set a dangerous precedent for artists who become embroiled in contr..

AdvertisementUS-China relationsChinaMilitaryJapan, US defence chiefs cover radar row and other China tensions in phone callWashington and Tokyo share ‘serious concerns’ about regional security, reaffirm commitment to alliance
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMP2Seong Hyeon ChoiPublished: 10:22am, 12 Dec 2025Updated: 10:24am, 12 Dec 2025US and Japanese defence chiefs spoke on the phone on Friday about the recent confrontation between Chinese and Japan Self-Defence Force fighter jets, as Tokyo said it did not seek to escalate the tensions.
During the call, Japan’s defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth engaged in a “candid exchange” of views on the “rapidly deteriorating” security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a Japanese defence ministry release.
“The two sides stated serious concerns about any actions that heighten tensions in the region, expressing that China’s actions do not contribute to peace and stability in the region,” t..

A parent of a Kentucky State University student was charged with murder and first-degree assault after an on-campus shooting at the school’s Frankfort campus on Tuesday that killed one student and critically injured another.Jacob Lee Bard, 48, was at the campus and fired shots at victims in Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall, police said in a statement. The shooting killed 19-year-old De’Jon Fox of Indianapolis. A second student remains in critical condition; his name was not released, CNN reported.Police said Bard is from Evansville, Indiana, which is about 150 miles west of Frankfort. He was booked into the Franklin County Jail on charges of murder and first-degree assault. Bard is represented by a public defender at the Franklin County Department of Public Advocacy, which declined to comment on the case.University police officers who were near the scene of the altercation arrested Bard immediately, investigators said. Surveillance footage and videos taken by others at the scene have been rev..

US President Donald Trump unveiled the long-awaited Gold Card visa at the White House on Wednesday, billing it as a million-dollar fast track to US citizenship and a tool for companies to retain foreign graduates. He said it was “somewhat like a green card, but with big advantages,” adding that firms could “go to any school, buy a card, and keep that person in the United States.” The White House began accepting applications from Wednesday afternoon. The card costs $1 million for individuals and $2 million for corporate sponsors.Also Read: 'Direct path to citizenship': Donald Trump launches Gold Card, cites corporate demand — what it meansWhat is the Gold Card?
The Gold Card is a new US visa pathway based on an applicant’s ability to deliver substantial benefit to the United States. It carried a $15,000 DHS processing fee and a $1 million gift after vetting. Successful applicants received lawful permanent residence under an EB-1 or EB-2 classification.What does it cost? – $15..

AdvertisementDonald TrumpWorldUnited States & CanadaTrump calls media reports on his health ‘seditious, perhaps even treasonous’Trump outburst comes as 79-year-old US president’s health and appearance come under public scrutiny
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 10:38am, 11 Dec 2025US President Donald Trump has blasted media reports questioning his state of health as “seditious, perhaps even treasonous”, sparking pushback on Wednesday by one of the major outlets behind the stories.
In a long, late-night social media post, the oldest elected president in US history raged about stories in The New York Times and elsewhere suggesting that at the age of 79 he is slowing down.
“There has never been a President that has worked as hard as me! My hours are the longest, and my results are among the best,” Trump said in the nearly 500-word screed on his Truth Social network.
Advertisement“I actually believe it’s seditious, perhaps even treasonous, for The N..

AdvertisementEducation in Hong KongHong KongEducationPupils of school closed after Hong Kong fire inspired by new university homesAbout 600 pupils at Tai Po Baptist Public School near Wang Fuk Court have adjusted well to classes held at CityU and EdU, educators say
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPWilliam YiuPublished: 10:30am, 11 Dec 2025Hundreds of children whose school near the scene of Hong Kong’s deadly blaze that has been temporarily closed are finding their classes at two university campuses to be an eye-opening experience, educators have said, with some pupils planning on becoming vets or teachers.
Tai Po Baptist Public School, located opposite Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the scene of the November 26 inferno that claimed at least 160 lives, remains sealed off, with about 300 senior form pupils taking lessons at City University in Kowloon Tong and an equal number from junior forms going to the Education University of Hong Kong (EdU) in Tai Po.
Senior form pupils will al..

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reobserved interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS Nov. 30, with its Wide Field Camera 3 instrument Ever since 3I/ATLAS was first spotted in July, it’s been the space object everyone argues about. It’s only the third interstellar visitor ever found passing through our Solar System, it refused to sit neatly in the “just another comet” box.…its strange colour shifts, abrupt changes in speed, and the appearance of both a tail and an anti-tail have kept astronomers on alert for months. And, more recently, the comet has added yet another oddity to the list: a now-famous 16.16-hour “heartbeat,” a rhythmic brightening and dimming that scientists are still trying to explain.NASA’s line has stayed consistent: 3I/ATLAS is a comet, it poses no threat to Earth, and it will stay far away. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, meanwhile, has spent months saying we shouldn’t rush to that conclusion. He’s suggested there is a 30–40% chance the object is not naturally formed, has talked ab..