At least 44 dead and hundreds missing after fire engulfs Hong Kong tower blocks

At least 44 dead and hundreds missing after fire engulfs Hong Kong tower blocks3 hours agoShareSaveHafsa KhalilandKathryn ArmstrongShareSaveWatch: Deadly fire engulfs Hong Kong apartment blocksAt least 44 people have been killed in a huge fire that has engulfed multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong's Tai Po district.
There are reports that some residents were trapped in the building, and police say 279 people are still missing.
More than 760 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze on Wednesday afternoon, with pictures showing flames and thick clouds of grey smoke billowing from the towers, dominating the city's skyline.
Three men have since been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to the fire, according to local media reports, and an investigation has been launched.
The blaze broke out at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex at 14:51 local time (06:51 GMT) and was classified as a level five – the highest in severity – by the fire department at 18:22.
..

Continue Reading

What we know about the Hong Kong apartment fires

What we know about the Hong Kong apartment fires3 hours agoShareSaveTiffany WertheimerShareSaveWatch: Daybreak aerial vision shows fire still burning in Hong Kong apartment blocksA devastating fire has ripped through several high-rise tower blocks in Hong Kong, killing at least 44 people. More than 270 have been reported missing and thousands of residents are in evacuation shelters.
Pictures show several buildings ablaze, and thick smoke billowing into the air, dominating the Chinese territory's skyline.
As night fell, the fire was still burning hours after it was first reported, with more than 760 firefighters deployed to the scene.
Three men have since been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to the fire, according to local media reports, and an investigation has been launched.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed condolences to victims, including a “firefighter who died in the line of duty”, state media report.
What caused the blaze is still unclear, but here..

Continue Reading

Four new arrests in Louvre heist: Two men, two women aged 31–40; $102 mn jewels still missing

. Paris prosecutor on Tuesday announced four more arrests linked to the major jewellery heist at the Louvre Museum in October, where a gang escaped with jewels worth $102 million. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the two men and two women arrested are from the Paris region and are between 31 and 40 years old. Her statement did not specify their suspected roles in the 19 October theft. Police can question them for up to 96 hours. French media reported that one of the arrested individuals, a 39-year-old already known to police, is believed to be the fourth member of the group that carried out the daytime robbery. He is said to be from Aubervilliers, a suburb north of Paris, where other suspects also have links. The other three suspected gang members had been arrested earlier. They face preliminary charges of theft by an organised group and criminal conspiracy. Investigators say their DNA was found at the scene or on items connected to the robbery. A woman arrested in October is accused of h..

Continue Reading

WH dismisses reports of Kash Patel’s firing; Trump poses with FBI director to shut down rumour

. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday denied a report that president Donald Trump was considering firing FBI Director Kash Patel. Leavitt shared a photo of Trump smiling beside Patel in the Oval Office to counter the report. She wrote on X that she was in the room when the story was published. “This story is completely made up. I was in the Oval office, where president Trump was meeting his law enforcement team, including FBI director Kash Patel,” she said. Leavitt added that she read the headline aloud and Trump laughed. According to her, Trump said, “That’s totally false. Come on, Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job.” She ended her post saying, “Do not believe the fake news.” Earlier, MS NOW had reported that Trump was considering removing Patel as FBI director. The outlet, citing three unnamed people, said Trump and his senior aides were unhappy with negative headlines involving Patel. The report further said Trump was weighing Patel’..

Continue Reading

Simulation hypothesis is really a proof for the existence of God

AdvertisementScienceOpinionWorld OpinionAlex LoOpinion | Simulation hypothesis is really a proof for the existence of GodWhile science still disagrees on whether humanity lives in a simulation, philosophy has yet to rule out a ‘cosmic host’
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAlex Loin TorontoPublished: 9:30am, 26 Nov 2025Well, thank God we don’t live in a computer simulation after all. At least that’s according to a new paper by University of British Columbia physicist Mir Faizal and his team of international researchers, including cosmologist and science writer Lawrence Krauss.
AdvertisementOr rather, there is no God to thank because if our universe is not a computer simulation, there is no supreme programmer in the first place.
The team targets an influential simulation argument proposed by Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom, who believes there is a very good chance we’re all like Neo, the hacker played by Keanu Reeves and trapped inside The Matrix.But after their paper was pu..

Continue Reading

FEMA agents couldn’t survey Chicago storm damage because ICE had swarmed the area for raids: report

A multi-agency team of about 50 people surveying storm-damaged Chicago was reportedly told to stand down earlier this month over concerns their operations would overlap with an unexpected contingent of ICE agents conducting patrols in the area.
On November 6, about ten groups of disaster workers, including those from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, were told to stand down for the day, as FEMA agents worried the presence of ICE agents and vehicles in the area could spark chaos or conflict that would put citizens and government employees at risk, The Washington Post reported.
The overlap came despite an alleged warning in October that a FEMA regional administrator gave to the Department of Homeland Security about the planned surveying operations. Disaster personnel were in the area because state officials requested assistance mapping damage after the Trump administration denied an initial appeal for a disaster declaration to respond to the summer flooding.
The alleged decisio..

Continue Reading

Marjorie Taylor Greene will sit out the race to find her replacement refusing to endorse any candidate

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene will sit out of the race to find her replacement, refusing to endorse any candidate ahead of Georgia’s special election.
Greene announced last Friday that she will resign from Congress early next year following her public feud with President Donald Trump.
The congresswoman was once a fervent supporter of Trump until recent weeks, when she broke away from him on issues including foreign policy and affordability. Greene was also one of the few House Republicans who initially pushed to release government files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before Trump gave his party his blessing to support the effort.
“I have too much self respect and dignity, love my family way too much, and do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms,” she wrote in a statement. “I refuse to..

Continue Reading

‘Don’t sell loneliness’: Korean eatery refuses to serve solo diners, sparks debate

AdvertisementViral storiesPeople & Culture‘Don’t sell loneliness’: Korean restaurant refuses service to solo diners, sparks debateNoodle outlet advertises sarcastic ‘options’ for people who want to dine alone as country faces rising number of single households
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAlice Yanin ShanghaiPublished: 9:00am, 26 Nov 2025A restaurant in South Korea has caused controversy by refusing to serve solo diners as the country experiences an increase in the number of people staying single.
AdvertisementA sign outside the noodle restaurant in Yeosu City, South Jeolla Province in the south of South Korea, went viral on social media after an internet user who visited the eatery posted it online on November 17, according to a report by the Korea Times.
The notice said the restaurant provides four “options” for customers eating alone: pay for two servings, eat two servings, call a friend and come back with your wife next time.
This relatively quiet fast food restauran..

Continue Reading

Italian parliament unanimously votes to make femicide a crime

Italian parliament unanimously votes to make femicide a crime38 minutes agoShareSaveSarah RainsfordSouthern and Eastern Europe correspondent , RomeShareSaveGetty ImagesA Naples protest following the death of fourteen year-old Martina Carbonaro who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in May 2025Deputies in the Italian parliament have voted unanimously to introduce the crime of femicide – the murder of a woman, motivated by gender – as a distinct law to be punished with a life sentence.
In a symbolic move, the bill was approved on the day dedicated to the elimination of violence against women worldwide.
The idea of a law on femicide had been discussed in Italy before but the murder of Giulia Cecchettin by her ex-boyfriend was a tragedy that shocked the country into action.
In late November 2022, the 22-year-old was stabbed to death by Filippo Turetta, who then wrapped her body in bags and dumped it by a lakeside.
AFP via Getty ImagesThousands gathered outside the church where Giulia Cecchett..

Continue Reading

Ukraine says ‘understanding’ reached with US on peace plan, as Trump says his envoy will meet Putin

Ukraine says 'understanding' reached with US on peace plan, as Trump says his envoy will meet Putin2 hours agoShareSaveLaura GozziShareSaveReutersPresident Zelensky's team are hoping to arrange a meeting with President Trump in November (file picture)Ukraine has said a “common understanding” has been reached with the US on a peace deal aimed at ending the war with Russia.
The proposal is based on a 28-point plan presented to Kyiv by the US last week, which American and Ukrainian officials worked on during weekend talks in Geneva.
In a post on social media, US President Donald Trump said the original plan “has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides”.
He added: “I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians.”
President Zelensky's chief of staff said he expects Driscoll to visit Kyiv this week.
The Kremlin previously said..

Continue Reading