Hong Kong arrests 13 on suspicion of manslaughter over apartment fires

Authorities face growing criticism for detaining at least two civilians who have called for accountability

Helen Davidson in Taipei

Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to last week’s devastating fire, as they face growing criticism from residents over the arrests under national security laws of at least two civilians calling for accountability.

Emergency services continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on Monday, days after the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The death toll rose to 151 and is expected to rise further as the search continues. About 40 people are still missing.

The estate, home to almost 5,000 people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has grown over alleged past safety violations by the construction company working at the site and lax enforcement of standards, fuelled by revelations that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

On Monday afternoon, officials said anti-corruption authorities had arrested 13 people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of manslaughter”.

Mainland China public donations for Hong Kong fire relief top HK$80 million

Numerous posts on RedNote offer guidance on how to donate to local charities, as mainland businesses pledge more than 800 million yuan in aid

Ada Li

Hong Kong has received a wave of compassion from mainland China over the deadly fire in Tai Po, the city’s worst in decades, with public donations from across the border exceeding HK$80 million (US$10.27 million).

The China Social Welfare Foundation announced that donations from 1.7 million residents on the mainland had exceeded 76 million yuan (US$10.74 million) or about HK$83.5 million, as of Sunday.

Many donors also contributed to the Hong Kong government’s relief fund and local charities, including Yan Chai Hospital.

On RedNote, numerous posts offered guidance on how to donate to local charities to support the thousands of families displaced by the 43-hour inferno at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which killed at least 151 people.

In Rongjiang county, Guizhou province – home to the Village Super League, a grass-roots football tournament known locally as Cun Chao – thousands of residents lined up on a football field to donate to those affected.

UK's Starmer says he is proud of budget and public was not misled

By Alistair Smout and Elizabeth Piper

LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he was proud of last week's budget, defending not only what he described as the "fair choices" in it but also his finance minister, accused of misleading the public before the release of her fiscal plans.

At a press conference at a neighbourhood centre in London, Starmer sought to convince the public that the budget - which ducked an increase in income tax but raised taxes in other areas - would help tackle child poverty, protect public services and offer a larger fiscal buffer to secure stability.

But while he tried to move the focus onto future welfare reform and cutting business regulation, he was repeatedly questioned on whether finance minister Rachel Reeves had misled the public by presenting a fiscal black hole as being larger than that suggested by independent forecasts.

"I am proud ... I am proud that our public finances and our public services are moving in the right direction because we confronted reality, we took control of our future and

Britain is now back on track," Starmer said to applause.

REEVES STILL THE FOCUS OVER ALLEGATIONS SHE MISLED PUBLIC

He said voters would start to feel the benefits of his Labour government's approach in the year ahead and "see a country that no longer feels the burden of decline".

Netanyahu requests a pardon to end his ongoing corruption trial in Israel

By SAM MEDNICK

TEL AVIV (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday asked the country’s president to grant him a pardon from corruption charges, seeking to end a long-running trial that has bitterly divided the nation.

Netanyahu, who has been at war against Israel’s legal system over the charges, said the request would help unify the country at a time of momentous change in the region. But it immediately triggered denunciations from opponents, who said a pardon would weaken democratic institutions and send a dangerous message that he’s above the rule of law.

Netanyahu had submitted a request for a pardon to the legal department of the Office of the President, the prime minister’s office said in a statement. The president’s office called it an “extraordinary request,” carrying with it “significant implications.”

Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to stand trial, after being charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters. He hasn’t been convicted of anything.

Netanyahu rejects the allegations and has described the case as a witch hunt orchestrated by the media, police and judiciary.

Trump’s request

His request comes weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged Israel to pardon Netanyahu, turning to President Isaac Herzog during his speech to Israel’s parliament last month. Earlier this month, Trump also sent a letter to Herzog calling the corruption case “political, unjustified prosecution.”

Herzog is a former political rival of Netanyahu, but the men have a good working relationship. Later Sunday, Israeli media reported a small protest outside Herzog’s home, including a pile of bananas with a sign saying a pardon equals a banana republic.

In a videotaped statement, Netanyahu said the trial has divided the country. He also said the requirement that he appear in court three times a week is a distraction that makes it difficult for him to lead.

These 15 Big Stories Are Dominating Europe Right Now — And Almost None Of Them Are Reaching US Newsfeeds

Story by Victoria Vouloumanos

With so many US headlines competing for attention, it's easy to miss how quickly the ground is shifting abroad. Across Europe, governments are rewriting asylum rules, tightening speech laws, reviving conscription, expanding nuclear power, and testing the limits of AI regulation — all while navigating rising extremism, economic pressure, and a security environment more volatile than at any point since the Cold War. This roundup pulls together 15 major European stories you likely didn't see in your feed, along with the context behind them:

1. António Costa, the former prime minister of Portugal and newly appointed president of the European Council — one of the EU's most powerful roles — was wiretapped without proper judicial authorization during a corruption probe. Portuguese media report that Costa appears in 22 intercepted conversations, but prosecutors failed to submit them to the Supreme Court within the required 48-hour deadline. Some recordings were withheld for five years for "undisclosed reasons." As a result, the wiretaps can no longer be used as evidence. The investigation, known as Operation Influencer, centers on alleged corruption related to lithium mining concessions, a data center project, and a hydrogen power plant during Costa's tenure as Prime Minister. He resigned in November 2023 after police raided government offices and his official residence, prompting snap elections. Though never charged, Costa was unanimously elected president of the European Council just seven months later.

Colombian fisherman's family files formal murder complaint against Pete Hegseth

Story by Travis Gettys

The family of a Colombian fisherman has filed a formal complaint accusing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of murder.

Alejandro Andres Carranza Medina was killed Sept. 15 in a U.S. military strike on a boat in the Caribbean, and the 42-year-old fisherman's wife and four children filed the complaint Tuesday with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) alleging the United States committed human rights violations in an “extra-judicial killing," reported The Guardian.

“From numerous news reports, we know that Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense, was responsible for ordering the bombing of boats like those of Alejandro Carranza Medina and the murder of all those on such boats," reads the filing. "Secretary Hegseth has admitted that he gave such orders despite the fact that he did not know the identity of those being targeted for these bombings and extra-judicial killings."

"U.S. President Donald Trump has ratified the conduct of Secretary Hegseth described herein," the filing adds.

20 Russian agents caught planning 'mass casualties' on US-bound flights in scale unseen since September 11

Story by Elle de Bruin

Three unexplained fires broke out at European shipping hubs within a two-day period in July 2024. On July 20, a container caught fire at Leipzig Airport in Germany at 5:45 a.m.

The next day, a truck near Warsaw burned for two hours. On July 22, another package ignited at a Birmingham warehouse in England.

Investigators from three countries launched investigations, but the cause remained a mystery for months.

Lucky Escape

Thomas Haldenwang, Germany's intelligence chief, revealed how close Europe came to disaster. "It was just luck that the package caught fire on the ground," he told parliament.

The delay of a Leipzig flight prevented the device from exploding in the air.

The packages held what looked like electric massagers filled with magnesium powder—extremely hard to put out, especially on planes. If timing had been different, a major plane crash could have happened.

Trail to Lithuania

Investigators traced all three packages to Vilnius, Lithuania. Officials discovered the devices shipped through delivery services on July 19, disguised as consumer items headed to the United Kingdom.

Arvydas Pocius, Lithuania's parliament security chairman, called the incidents part of a "sustained campaign of hybrid attacks aimed at creating chaos, panic, and distrust" across Europe.

The packages contained timers, ignition systems, and nitromethane—a flammable liquid used in explosives. Polish prosecutors found and stopped a fourth device.

African countries ban Americans in revenge for Trump crackdown

Story by US Staff

Two countries in Africa have announced travel restrictions on American nationals in a tit-for-tat move after Donald Trump placed them on a no-entry list.

The US president, who launched a crackdown on immigration on day one of his second term, expanded a travel ban on Dec 19, barring people from seven more countries including Mali and Burkina Faso.

The list included Syrian citizens, as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders, and nationals of some of Africa’s poorest countries, also including Niger, Sierra Leone and South Sudan.

The White House said it was banning foreigners who “intend to threaten” Americans.

The move brought the number of countries whose citizens face restrictions in coming to the United States because of their nationality to nearly 40.

Burkina Faso and Mali, which are both led by military juntas, responded in statements issued separately by their foreign ministries.

They said they were imposing “equivalent measures” on US citizens.

Massive protests sweep Iran from Tehran to Mashhad as citizens demand change

Massive protests are rocking Iran as citizens take to the streets from Tehran to Mashhad, chanting slogans against the regime. Amid soaring inflation, a collapsing economy, and the resignation of Iran’s Central Bank chief, ordinary Iranians are demanding change. What began as economic frustration has turned political, with parallels drawn to historic uprisings. Experts warn this could be the most significant challenge to Khamenei’s regime in years, intensified by U.S. sanctions and pressure.