A boy in central China who donated 10 yuan (US$1.5) to the Three Gorges Dam project in the 1990s now works for the power grid, helping transmit the electricity it generates across the country. Wang Yu, 47, works for the State Grid Corporation of China in his hometown of Zigui county, Hubei province, according to Hubei Daily. In 1991, 12-year-old Wang received a daily allowance of just one yuan – barely enough to buy breakfast – at a time when his parents earned a combined monthly salary of less...

A former CIA official has called for Washington to spy on foreign companies to help US firms stay ahead in the technology race, in what would represent a break from long-standing US policy amid intensifying competition with China. “The US lead in many crucial advanced technologies is being contested or even erased by China,” wrote David Cohen, who served as deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, in an article published by Foreign Affairs...

Immigration rules are discouraging a growing number of air travellers from visiting certain destinations, a global aviation survey has found, while geopolitical tensions are also influencing travel decisions, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline industry body, said its annual Global Passenger Survey found that 43 per cent of respondents had been put off from visiting certain destinations by immigration requirements, up from 33...

On a hillside in Anji, in Zhejiang province, a cluster of umbrella-like canopies steps gently down the slope, following the rows of tea bushes. There is no grand entrance, no plinth, no monumental block of stone. On October 22, at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, this project, Anji Hood by RoarcRenew Architects, was named Cultural Space of the Year at the Frame Awards 2026, chosen from more than 1,000 submissions by 100 jurors across 10 panels. I served on the Frame Awards 2026 grand jury for the...

The Security Bureau held a launch ceremony for its Andy and Security Bear: Young Citizens Safeguarding National Security educational picture books on Tuesday. The Security Bureau held a launch ceremony on October 28, 2026 for their “Andy and Security Bear: Young Citizens Safeguarding National Security” educational picture books. Photo: GovHK. The three-volume set of titles includes new stories and national security-themed children’s songs. They will be distributed to 900 kindergartens and public libraries by the end of the year. According to a Tuesday press release, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said the “engaging storyline enables children to discover and learn the meaning of following rules and thinking critically, so that they can understand the importance of safeguarding national security from an early age.” Schoolchildren interact with “Security Bear,” a mascot of the Security Bureau, during the premiere of a national security-themed interactive drama at City Hall on November 11, 2025. Photo: GovHK. The Security Bear series was launched by the bureau in 2024. A theatre show toured schools shortly after, with the Security Bear mascot telling children that their homeland must “remain free from disruption, allowing everyone to live in peace.” See also: From interactive drama to election forums: Politics turns to pageantry in Hong Kong All eight University Grants Committee-funded local universities have national education and national security courses which students must pass in order to graduate. Children’s books In September 2022, five members of the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists were sentenced to 19 months in prison for publishing children’s books that were deemed seditious. The books involved an allegory of sheep facing off against wolves, with the sheep representing pro-democracy protesters and the wolves representing the police. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.

South Korean tech giant Samsung is reportedly withdrawing from Hong Kong’s large home appliance sector, months after exiting the mainland Chinese market. Samsung home appliances. Photo: Samsung. Korea Economic TV reported on Wednesday that Samsung’s smartphone, TV and computer monitor operations in Hong Kong will be unaffected. However, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners and fridges are among the products already marked as sold out – or removed from – Samsung’s official website and local retailers, according to HKFP’s checks on Thursday. The home appliance section of Samsung’s Hong Kong website on Thursday, October 29, 2026. Photo: HKFP screenshot. The local home appliance sector is reportedly worth 2.7 trillion won (HK$15 billion), but has seen intensifying competition. US and Japanese brands compete at the premium end, with Chinese manufacturers serving the lower and mid-range segments. Samsung’s operations in Taiwan remain unaffected by its withdrawal from mainland China. HKFP has reached out to Samsung for comment.

The Villa Vie Odyssey suspended its voyage and is working with passengers on "temporary living arrangements".

Kyaw Moe Tun - Myanmar's representative to the UN - makes an emotional appeal after saying the international community had failed the country's people.

A deadly train crash fuelled anger in Spain as far-right demonstrators clashed with police

Israelis rallied for a Jewish-Arab gov’t after parties representing Israel’s Arab citizens made gains in the election.