a year is a long time in politics

Lunar New Year 2026 live: Year of the Fire Horse The Year of the Fire Horse is here - and millions are celebrating with prayer, family and food.

Horse Year Day One…
Click on link:

www.bbc.com/news/live/cg...

Obviously not the big story from the incredible show last night, but this is getting scrubbed from China's internet

This billionaire tested China's limits. It cost him his freedom www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Hong Kongers demand accountability after deadly building fire Hong Kong's chief executive has created an independent committee to investigate the causes of a deadly apartment blaze, as political pressure and popular frustration mount.

"t the back of the minds of many people who asked this question is the result of the passing of the Hong Kong national security law of 2020. And the way how government in Hong Kong seems to be approaching the issue appears to have changed."
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...

After Deadly Fire, Hong Kong Ominously Warns Grieving Citizens to Stay in Line

Hong Kong has adopted Beijing’s crisis-management playbook that it has used since the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, says @liyuan6.bsky.social

🎁
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/b...

Anndddddd I was sent this piece which places blame solely on cites bamboo scaffolding as the reason for the rapid spread of the fire

Pro-democracy parties existed to be thorns in the government’s side — true enough. But the official story, that they “politicised” everything while the establishment camp championed livelihood issues, does not match the reality.

See below for an example of how they also pushed back on local issues.

Any overseas HKers out there who want to help and feeling helpless watching the tragedy from afar can make a donation to the HK Red Cross

www.redcross.org.hk/en/index.htm...

This 2024 post from the DAB’s Peggy Wong is quickly becoming infamous.

In it, the pro-Beijing district councillor dismisses fire safety concerns about the Wang Fuk work as malicious rumours misleading the public, and accuses the Democratic Party of “provocatively live-streaming “ from the scene.

Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 44 with 279 still missing, authorities say Hundreds of firefighters have spent hours tackling the blaze, which began in apartment blocks surrounded by mesh netting.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2...

Composition of the 90 seats of LegCo: 20 from geographical constituencies, 30 from functional constituencies, and 40 from the Election Committee (CGTN)

So you'd like to run in Hong Kong's 2025 Legislative Council elections? Here's a primer:
• 90 seats are available:
- 20 belong to geographical constituencies/GC
- 30 are functional constituencies/FC (representing different business sectors)
- 40 are Election Committee constituencies/ECC

Encourage employees to vote in Hong Kong’s coming Legco election: John Lee At ceremony to launch December 7 polls, city leader says it is part of employers’ social responsibility to support and encourage residents to vote.

CE John Lee is asking companies and the public sector to encourage its employees to vote in the upcoming LegCo election.
• The last LegCo election in 2021 had the lowest turnover ever, at 30.20%, despite GovHK offering free MTR and bus rides for the day

www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...

Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC

Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time.

31% of responses showed serious sourcing problems.

20% contained major accuracy issues, including hallucinated details and outdated information.

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...

Britain Must Keep Its Promise to Hong Kongers The UK has a moral obligation and an economic interest in safeguarding the path to citizenship for migrants from the territory it formerly ruled.

Hong Kong migrants must not become collateral damage in the UK government’s attempts to appear tough on immigration and beat back the threat of the populist right

RIP Jumbo, immortalised in delicious gingerbread

Insane HK gingerbread house/time capsule on the Bake Off

I tuned out because the show started getting ridiculous and I missed it when they just asked people to make a Victoria sponge instead of a 3D cake (the judges’ confusion over what pandan is one time made me uneasy). Still a watchable show otherwise

HK represent on the Great British Bake Off! 🇭🇰🇭🇰🇭🇰

Inside the World of “The Great British Bake Off” The show captures disastrous custard-making, quintessentially British faux-modesty, and the blistering hubris of bakers—including me.

What makes “The Great British Bake Off” so beloved is that it’s one of the most successful unscripted shows of the century and still feels like an underdog. Ruby Tandoh, a former contestant, shares stories from inside the tent.

It's coming up to 2 years since Hong Kong-based journalist Minnie Chan was last seen by her colleagues or her family. Last seen attending an event in Beijing. We will never give up hope for her safe return. #journalismisnotacrime www.scmp.com/author/minni...

Saving China's finless porpoise from the brink of extinction Scientists are racing to protect what some view as "the most important animal" in the Yangtze.

In case you missed this yesterday from me on saving the last big animal surviving by itself wild in the Yangtze River. #China CLICK ON LINK to read

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Visa denial for Rebecca Choong Wilkins underscores press freedom concerns The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is deeply concerned by the confirmation that Bloomberg journalist Rebecca Choong Wilkins has had her visa renewal application denied. Choong Wilki...

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is deeply concerned by the confirmation that @bloomberg.com journalist Rebecca Choong Wilkins has had her visa renewal application denied.

Full statement: www.fcchk.org/visa-denial-...

Cannot overstate how honored I was to have 閭丘露薇 @roseluqiu.bsky.social and 方可成 @fangkc.bsky.social on Ep.2 of 开门见山|Gateway to Global China, a podcast
@madeinchinajournal.com, to discuss the state of journalism in China. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!
madeinchinajournal.com/2025/07/25/e...

Yeah they were there to film a Christmas special. Will be interesting to see how they film it because I think they’re in the early to mid-70s at this point of the show

An attempt at Cantonese on Call the Midwife, no idea what half this sentence was.

I only got 「咁大個女啊」 (such a big girl now) and have no idea what the rest of this sentence was

Adopt A Station - Rescue Public Media Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a public media station. Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding.

This is a great resource

adoptastation.org?fbclid=PAQ0x...

“Since AFP was founded in 1944, we have lost journalists in conflicts, some have been injured, others taken prisoner.

But none of us remember witnessing colleagues die of hunger"

🌀➕10 It's been a while since Hong Kong's TVB live reporters have earned their raincoat and helmet

Facial recognition and crowdsourced social media investigations are constantly being used not just on cringe CEOs, but on random people who are simply existing in public.

🔗 www.404media.co/the-astronom...