World

By noon on Sunday, four days after the fire began, the government’s support fund had grown to HK$1.2 billion (US$153 million), with HK$900 million in public donations and HK$300 million in government grants. The total does not include donations to non-governmental organisations such as the Hong Kong Red Cross. About HK$1 billion was raised in Hong Kong in the first …

The West wants still more sanctions on Moscow because it cannot compete with the Russian weapons industry, the foreign minister has said The West is losing the arms race and now calling for sanctions on Russian military equipment in an effort to punish Moscow for its role in the Ukraine conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed. Speaking in …

Residents of an iconic Italian city have hit out at tourists, blaming them for housing issues, economic strain and the transformation of its historic streets. They claim that overtourism in recent times has seen traditional greengrocers and ironmongers replaced by carbon copy restaurants. Naples, renowned for its pizza and ancient architecture, has experienced a surge in tourism over recent years. …

Thanksgiving is traditionally a good time to start counting your blessings. And for years, hundreds of millions of people have had this to be thankful for: they live in a time that has made historic progress against the scourge of extreme poverty. Between 1990 and today, the number of people living in extreme poverty — meaning on the equivalent of …

Pakistan dismissed on Sunday a warning by the UN rights chief of potential “far-reaching consequences” for the rule of law in granting the head of the all-powerful military legal immunity. The foreign ministry said Pakistan was “fully committed to protecting … basic freedoms and the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution,” responding to criticism from UN rights chief …

Local councils reportedly fear the move could trigger a surge in homelessness applications to a system already under heavy strain Ukrainian immigrants risk losing their housing in Scotland as the government considers scrapping monthly “thank‑you” payments to hosts, the Daily Mail has reported. One Scottish host said they received a council letter asking for views on the payments ending. More …

A hotel guest in central China died after the staff held on to life-saving medicine for five hours without delivering it, sparking heated online debate over the hotel’s responsibility. The 51-year-old man, surnamed Hu, was found dead in his room at a Yeste Hotel in Wuhan, Hubei province, on November 20. Hu’s death confused his friend, Han Shun, who delivered …

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has hinted that the country’s air force has been equipped with nuclear weapons to “repulse provocations of the enemies”. The 41-year-old rotund despot has been seen in new photographs issued by the state news agency inspecting military aircraft and speaking with pilots. Speaking to state media, Kim said the fighter planes will be equipped …

Kazakhstan has condemned Kiev’s drone strike on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium near Novorossiysk, Russia Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry has condemned a recent Ukrainian strike on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) as “yet another deliberate attack” targeting critical energy infrastructure. The terminal, located near the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea, is “an exclusively civilian facility whose operation is safeguarded …

Four people have been killed and 10 wounded in a shooting at a child’s birthday party in California. The victims included both children and adults and early indications “suggest this may have been a targeted incident”, according to police. The horrific incident happened in Stockton, California, at around 6pm local time on Saturday night at a banqueting hall which is …