Author: admin

HONG KONG (AP) — Donations for victims of a Hong Kong fire that killed at least 146 people and left thousands homeless reached 900 million Hong Kong dollars (US$115 million), authorities said Monday, in a massive outpouring of sympathy and support. But as questions grew over who to blame for the deadly blaze, the government appeared to be moving swiftly to stifle criticism. A steady stream of people placed flowers, cards and other tributes at a makeshift memorial near the burned out block of buildings, after long lines of mourners during the weekend.“When something happens, we come out to help…

Chinese-made automobiles and construction machinery are assembled and shipped for export at Yantai Port in Yantai City, Shandong Province, China, on October 21, 2025. Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesChina’s factory activity unexpectedly contracted in November, according to a private survey released Monday, as soft domestic demand continued to cast a pall over the world’s second-largest economy. The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI, conducted by S&P Global, dropped to 49.9 in November, missing analysts’ expectations of 50.5 in a Reuters poll. A reading above the 50 benchmark level suggests an expansion, while one below that indicates contraction. The private survey,…

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Four Sydney men have been charged with criminal offenses over their alleged involvement in the distribution of child sexual abuse material linked to an international child sex abuse ring, police said Monday.A New South Wales state police task force identified the Sydney-based network while investigating the online distribution of encrypted child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic and satanic themes, Det. Supt. Jayne Doherty said.“There’s no run-of-the mill child abuse, it’s all abhorrent child abuse,” Doherty told reporters.“But these ones were particularly devastating in that they use symbols and rituals around … their discussions that they were…

PADANG SIDEMPUAN, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s president told survivors of last week’s devastating floods that help was arriving to those in need Monday as Asian governments scaled up their responses to a disaster that has left more than 1,000 dead in three countries.Hundreds more are missing following flooding and landslides in the past week, which killed at least 502 people in Indonesia, 334 in Sri Lanka and 170 in Thailand, authorities said.Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto pledged to rebuild infrastructure while visiting areas impacted by floods and landslides on Sumatra island that left thousands homeless and 508 people missing as of…

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A court in Bangladesh’s capital sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to five years in prison and her niece, British Labour Party lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, to two years in prison Monday for corruption involving a government land project.Rabiul Alam, the judge of Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court, said Hasina misused her power as prime minister while Siddiq was guilty of corruptly influencing her aunt in helping her mother and two siblings get a land plot in a government project. Siddiq’s mother, Sheikh Rehana, was given seven years in prison and was considered the prime participant in the…

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — As Missouri launches sports betting Monday, people will be able to wager on how many points a particular athlete will score in a game — so long as it doesn’t involve a Missouri college or university.The restriction on ” proposition bets,” though less sweeping than in some states, highlights an area of rising concern as legal sports betting spreads to its 39th state in a steady expansion since the Supreme Court cleared the way for it in 2018. In the weeks leading up to Missouri’s betting debut, one scandal after another has rocked the sports…

Regent Street in London celebrates the Christmas season on November 13, 2025 in London, England. Ben Montgomery | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images December tends to sneak up on us, asking the perennial question: where did the year go? The final month often seems like both a finish line and a mirror, reflecting the year’s highs, lows, and everything between. Markets, meanwhile, are hoping for an early Christmas gift from the U.S. Federal Reserve as policymakers gather for their final meeting of the year next week.Traders are largely expecting a 25-basis-point cut according to the CME Fedwatch tool, a move…

Aerial view of vehicles being driven on the road through the central business district on October 5, 2020 in Beijing, China.Zhang Qiao | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets opened December mixed Monday as traders parsed fresh manufacturing data from China and rising expectations of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut this month.Traders are pricing in an 87.4% chance of a quarter-point rate cut for the upcoming Fed meeting on Dec. 10, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.81%, while the mainland CSI 300 was up 0.75%.China’s factory activity unexpectedly contracted in November, according…

Xabi Alonso backed his Real Madrid team to turn their season around — saying “it’s a long season” — after they were held 1-1 at Girona on Sunday, in their third consecutive draw in LaLiga.Madrid went behind to Azzedine Ounahi’s 45th minute strike at Montilivi, before Kylian Mbappé levelled from the penalty spot, but the visitors were unable to complete a comeback.Editor’s Picks1 RelatedThe result leaves Madrid a point behind rivals Barcelona at the top of the table, with Barça set to host fourth-placed Atlético Madrid on Tuesday.”In the second half we improved, we had more chances,” Alonso said in…

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., Nov. 25, 2025. Brendan McDermid | ReutersStock futures were little changed on Sunday night following a winning week, as traders get set to wrap up a strong 2025.Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped 18 points. Futures tied to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 hovered around the flatline. Monday marks the first day of December, and investors have some momentum at their backs. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite last week ripped higher by 3.7% and 4.9%, respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average…