By Associated Press
A fire broke out at a hotel near Bangkok’s Khao San Road, a popular tourist destination, killing three foreigners and injuring several other people, Thai police said on Monday.
The three who died in the fire on Sunday night were all foreign tourists, said Police Colonel Sanong Saengmanee. One was found dead at the scene, and the other two died after being transported to the hospital.
The fire erupted on the 5th floor of the six-storey Ember Hotel, police said. Khao San Road is a popular backpacker street in the Thai capital that’s also known for its lively nightlife.
The flames were eventually contained and the cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Seventy-five people were staying at the hotel at the time of the fire. Seven people were injured, including two Thai nationals and five foreigners.A tourist watches the scene after a blaze at The Ember Hotel in Bangkok. Photo: EPA-EFE
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Hong Kong logs 98,000 mainland Chinese visitors during pre-New Year’s Eve travel
By Lo Hoi-ying
Hong Kong welcomed more than 98,000 visitors from mainland China on Sunday, a 16 per cent increase year on year, while one bus operator expected a spike in demand for overnight cross-border services on New Year’s Eve.
On Sunday, 98,912 mainland residents arrived in the city, up from the 84,821 on the same day last year, according to official data released on Monday. The border crossing at the Lok Ma Chau spur line recorded the biggest increase in visitors, accounting for 6,000 out of the more than 14,000.
Paul Tse Wai-chun, deputy chief operating officer of Eternal East Cross-Border Coach Management, estimated on Monday that demand for cross-border bus services on January 1 would increase by about 10 to 15 per cent after the multi-entry scheme was revived earlier this month.
The resumption of the multi-entry scheme allows Shenzhen residents to make unlimited trips to Hong Kong within a year, with each stay capped at seven days.
Tse’s company operates direct cross-border bus services from the West Kowloon Cultural District to Shenzhen Bay.
He expected between 30 and 40 trips from midnight to 6am on Wednesday, with the peak hour for border-crossing by bus to be between 1.30am and 2.30am after MTR services had ended.
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By Lo Hoi-ying
Hong Kong welcomed more than 98,000 visitors from mainland China on Sunday, a 16 per cent increase year on year, while one bus operator expected a spike in demand for overnight cross-border services on New Year’s Eve.
On Sunday, 98,912 mainland residents arrived in the city, up from the 84,821 on the same day last year, according to official data released on Monday. The border crossing at the Lok Ma Chau spur line recorded the biggest increase in visitors, accounting for 6,000 out of the more than 14,000.
Paul Tse Wai-chun, deputy chief operating officer of Eternal East Cross-Border Coach Management, estimated on Monday that demand for cross-border bus services on January 1 would increase by about 10 to 15 per cent after the multi-entry scheme was revived earlier this month.
The resumption of the multi-entry scheme allows Shenzhen residents to make unlimited trips to Hong Kong within a year, with each stay capped at seven days.
Tse’s company operates direct cross-border bus services from the West Kowloon Cultural District to Shenzhen Bay.
He expected between 30 and 40 trips from midnight to 6am on Wednesday, with the peak hour for border-crossing by bus to be between 1.30am and 2.30am after MTR services had ended.
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Malaysia’s Pas and Umno to press for Najib’s release into house arrest
By Hadi Azmi
Najib Razak’s house arrest saga has pulled political rivals Umno and main opposition party Pas closer, after the parties vowed to rally next week in solidarity with the jailed former prime minister, whose quickest route to release into house arrest appears to have been blocked.
Najib, 71, has taken the Malaysian government to court accusing it of hiding a decree by Sultan Abdullah, Malaysia’s former king, granting him the right to serve the remainder of his prison sentence for corruption linked to the 1MDB scandal at home.
But rumours of an early release for Najib, whose 12-year jail term has already been halved, have outraged his critics, who say Malaysians are still picking up the bill caused by the multibillion-dollar fraud at the sovereign fund, established by the former prime minister.
On Saturday, Malaysia’s current king, Sultan Ibrahim, said Najib’s purported house arrest order was not correctly executed.
In a statement issued on behalf of Sultan Ibrahim, the Attorney General’s Chamber said while the power to pardon was the sole discretion of the monarch, it must be done through the Pardons Board “and not through any other channels”.
But Najib’s power base within Umno, a member of the government coalition, has refused to give up on its bid to release its former party president.
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By Hadi Azmi
Najib Razak’s house arrest saga has pulled political rivals Umno and main opposition party Pas closer, after the parties vowed to rally next week in solidarity with the jailed former prime minister, whose quickest route to release into house arrest appears to have been blocked.
Najib, 71, has taken the Malaysian government to court accusing it of hiding a decree by Sultan Abdullah, Malaysia’s former king, granting him the right to serve the remainder of his prison sentence for corruption linked to the 1MDB scandal at home.
But rumours of an early release for Najib, whose 12-year jail term has already been halved, have outraged his critics, who say Malaysians are still picking up the bill caused by the multibillion-dollar fraud at the sovereign fund, established by the former prime minister.
On Saturday, Malaysia’s current king, Sultan Ibrahim, said Najib’s purported house arrest order was not correctly executed.
In a statement issued on behalf of Sultan Ibrahim, the Attorney General’s Chamber said while the power to pardon was the sole discretion of the monarch, it must be done through the Pardons Board “and not through any other channels”.
But Najib’s power base within Umno, a member of the government coalition, has refused to give up on its bid to release its former party president.
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Hong Kong’s stock market marks busiest trading day in 6 months with three IPO debuts
By Aileen Chuang
Hong Kong saw its busiest day for initial public offerings (IPO) in nearly six months, with three companies making their trading debuts and three other firms building books.
After the noon break on Monday, InnoScience Technology, a producer of semiconductor materials, rose 2.1 per cent to HK$31.50 from its listing price of HK$30.86. It raised HK$1.4 billion (US$180.4 million) via its IPO.
Xunfei Healthcare Technology, which operates medical information platforms, advanced 6.9 per cent to HK$88.55 from its listing price; it raised HK$582.54 million from its IPO. HealthyWay, a digital health and medical services platform, surged 30.8 per cent to HK$10.20 after raising HK$195 million.
Baidu-backed HealthyWay was the best performer among Hong Kong retail investors for Monday’s listings. It attracted 34.42 times the number of shares allocated to retail investors, while Xunfei Healthcare garnered 3.66 times and InnoScience 2.87 times.
The last time the Hong Kong exchange had three listings on the same day was on July 10.
Among the book builders, Chinese lender Yibin City Commercial Bank seeks to raise up to HK$1.87 billion with its global offering, which was unveiled on Monday. BrainAurora Medical Technology, a provider of medical diagnostics and digital therapies, is seeking HK$583.18 million, while Numans Health Food Holdings is looking to raise HK$272.50 million.
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By Aileen Chuang
Hong Kong saw its busiest day for initial public offerings (IPO) in nearly six months, with three companies making their trading debuts and three other firms building books.
After the noon break on Monday, InnoScience Technology, a producer of semiconductor materials, rose 2.1 per cent to HK$31.50 from its listing price of HK$30.86. It raised HK$1.4 billion (US$180.4 million) via its IPO.
Xunfei Healthcare Technology, which operates medical information platforms, advanced 6.9 per cent to HK$88.55 from its listing price; it raised HK$582.54 million from its IPO. HealthyWay, a digital health and medical services platform, surged 30.8 per cent to HK$10.20 after raising HK$195 million.
Baidu-backed HealthyWay was the best performer among Hong Kong retail investors for Monday’s listings. It attracted 34.42 times the number of shares allocated to retail investors, while Xunfei Healthcare garnered 3.66 times and InnoScience 2.87 times.
The last time the Hong Kong exchange had three listings on the same day was on July 10.
Among the book builders, Chinese lender Yibin City Commercial Bank seeks to raise up to HK$1.87 billion with its global offering, which was unveiled on Monday. BrainAurora Medical Technology, a provider of medical diagnostics and digital therapies, is seeking HK$583.18 million, while Numans Health Food Holdings is looking to raise HK$272.50 million.
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Cambricon, China’s AI chip star, soars 383% amid push for self-sufficiency
By Bloomberg
China’s top-performing stock of 2024 is expected to see additional tailwinds into next year from the nation’s drive for greater self-sufficiency in artificial intelligence (AI).
Shares of AI chip designer Cambricon Technologies have climbed 383 per cent this year, topping the benchmark CSI 300 Index and driving its market value to US$37 billion. The Shanghai-listed stock has even outpaced global AI chip leaders Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.
Cambricon has climbed on investor enthusiasm over China’s stepped up support for the local tech industry in the face of US trade restrictions. The stock may also benefit from its addition this month to the Shanghai Stock Exchange 50 Index, as funds tracking the large-cap gauge add shares.
“The localisation of AI chips has become a big trend,” according to Minsheng Securities. Top domestic manufacturers like Huawei Technologies and Cambricon “continue to catch up with overseas leaders” in terms of product capabilities, the firm’s analysts wrote in a note.
Beijing-based Cambricon was founded in 2016 and is still making losses. Demand has surged, however, with sales jumping more than 280 per cent in the third quarter compared with the year-ago period. Growth looks poised to continue.
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By Bloomberg
China’s top-performing stock of 2024 is expected to see additional tailwinds into next year from the nation’s drive for greater self-sufficiency in artificial intelligence (AI).
Shares of AI chip designer Cambricon Technologies have climbed 383 per cent this year, topping the benchmark CSI 300 Index and driving its market value to US$37 billion. The Shanghai-listed stock has even outpaced global AI chip leaders Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.
Cambricon has climbed on investor enthusiasm over China’s stepped up support for the local tech industry in the face of US trade restrictions. The stock may also benefit from its addition this month to the Shanghai Stock Exchange 50 Index, as funds tracking the large-cap gauge add shares.
“The localisation of AI chips has become a big trend,” according to Minsheng Securities. Top domestic manufacturers like Huawei Technologies and Cambricon “continue to catch up with overseas leaders” in terms of product capabilities, the firm’s analysts wrote in a note.
Beijing-based Cambricon was founded in 2016 and is still making losses. Demand has surged, however, with sales jumping more than 280 per cent in the third quarter compared with the year-ago period. Growth looks poised to continue.
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Japan’s Mount Fuji loses a month of winter days as global warming accelerates
By Kyodo
A central Japan city at the foot of Mount Fuji has lost more than a month’s worth of winter days per year in the past decade due to global warming, a recent study by a US-based climate research organisation showed.
The city of Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture added 35 winter days above zero degrees Celsius annually on average between 2014 and 2023, the most among 901 Northern Hemisphere cities analysed, according to a December report by Climate Central.
The findings come as Mount Fuji received its first snowcap of the season on November 7 this year, the latest date since records began in 1894.
More than half of 57 Japanese cities analysed saw climate change add at least two weeks’ worth of winter days above freezing each year, including Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture and Kyoto, which saw an additional 23 days and 21 days, respectively.
As warmer winters could lead to water shortages due to reduced mountain snowpack, as well as increase the population of disease-carrying pests like mosquitoes and ticks, the organisation has stressed the importance of ending reliance on fossil fuels such as oil and coal as soon as possible.
“This warming trend, which is driven by human-caused climate change, not only disrupts the season itself but also erodes the benefits it provides year round,” the group noted.
The report, which compared observed December-February temperatures in the past 10 years with projected temperatures without human-induced climate change, found that around 44 per cent of the 901 cities analysed lost an average of a week or more of winter days annually due to global warming.
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By Kyodo
A central Japan city at the foot of Mount Fuji has lost more than a month’s worth of winter days per year in the past decade due to global warming, a recent study by a US-based climate research organisation showed.
The city of Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture added 35 winter days above zero degrees Celsius annually on average between 2014 and 2023, the most among 901 Northern Hemisphere cities analysed, according to a December report by Climate Central.
The findings come as Mount Fuji received its first snowcap of the season on November 7 this year, the latest date since records began in 1894.
More than half of 57 Japanese cities analysed saw climate change add at least two weeks’ worth of winter days above freezing each year, including Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture and Kyoto, which saw an additional 23 days and 21 days, respectively.
As warmer winters could lead to water shortages due to reduced mountain snowpack, as well as increase the population of disease-carrying pests like mosquitoes and ticks, the organisation has stressed the importance of ending reliance on fossil fuels such as oil and coal as soon as possible.
“This warming trend, which is driven by human-caused climate change, not only disrupts the season itself but also erodes the benefits it provides year round,” the group noted.
The report, which compared observed December-February temperatures in the past 10 years with projected temperatures without human-induced climate change, found that around 44 per cent of the 901 cities analysed lost an average of a week or more of winter days annually due to global warming.
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Witnesses say Jeju Air jet ‘flew through flocks of birds’ before South Korea crash
By Park Chan-kyong
The ill-fated Jeju Air flight encountered serious issues after reportedly flying through flocks of migrating birds, witnesses claim, which is thought to have led to the engine problems experienced during the flight.
Experts suggest the pilots had little time to perform standard emergency landing procedures due to a sudden loss of power in both engines.
Two flight attendants were the only survivors among the 181 people aboard Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which was travelling from Bangkok when it crash-landed without landing gear at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on Sunday.
Investigators sifting through the charred remains of the Boeing 737-800 recovered both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.
The aircraft had struck the airport’s wall before exploding into a massive ball of flames and black smoke, leaving only its tail section intact.
South Korea’s acting President, Choi Sang-mok, ordered an emergency safety inspection of the entire airline operating system on Monday as investigators worked to identify victims and determine the cause of South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster.
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By Park Chan-kyong
The ill-fated Jeju Air flight encountered serious issues after reportedly flying through flocks of migrating birds, witnesses claim, which is thought to have led to the engine problems experienced during the flight.
Experts suggest the pilots had little time to perform standard emergency landing procedures due to a sudden loss of power in both engines.
Two flight attendants were the only survivors among the 181 people aboard Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which was travelling from Bangkok when it crash-landed without landing gear at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on Sunday.
Investigators sifting through the charred remains of the Boeing 737-800 recovered both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.
The aircraft had struck the airport’s wall before exploding into a massive ball of flames and black smoke, leaving only its tail section intact.
South Korea’s acting President, Choi Sang-mok, ordered an emergency safety inspection of the entire airline operating system on Monday as investigators worked to identify victims and determine the cause of South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster.
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Hongkonger dead, 2 injured after car mounts pavement in Jordan
By Willa Wu
A Hong Kong pedestrian has died and two others have been injured after a car driver allegedly lost control, mounted a pavement and hit them.
Police received a report at around 10am on Monday that the black private car mounted the walkway near Luen Tak Building on Jordan Road in Jordan, knocking down the three pedestrians.
An elderly man was declared dead in Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The other two – a man and a woman- suffered head and leg injuries, respectively.
After the crash, the car bounced back onto the main road and hit a flower trough before it stopped.
The driver, reportedly feeling unwell, was sent to Kwong Wah Hospital.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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By Willa Wu
A Hong Kong pedestrian has died and two others have been injured after a car driver allegedly lost control, mounted a pavement and hit them.
Police received a report at around 10am on Monday that the black private car mounted the walkway near Luen Tak Building on Jordan Road in Jordan, knocking down the three pedestrians.
An elderly man was declared dead in Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The other two – a man and a woman- suffered head and leg injuries, respectively.
After the crash, the car bounced back onto the main road and hit a flower trough before it stopped.
The driver, reportedly feeling unwell, was sent to Kwong Wah Hospital.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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Hong Kong police searching for trio who assaulted, robbed man of HK$20,000
By Edith Lin
Hong Kong police are on the hunt for three people who assaulted and robbed a car driver of HK$20,000 (US$2,576) after they asked him for directions.
The victim was transported to Caritas Hospital on Monday after he sustained injuries to his head and right hand. Blood stains were spotted on the private car’s steering wheel and door.
The incident took place at around 8am. The victim said three men approached him to ask for directions after he parked his car on Kowloon Road in Sham Shui Po to have breakfast. He then lowered his window.
Police said the trio opened the car door and threatened the man with knives and sticks. The man tried to escape, but in vain.
The trio hit the victim’s head and hand before they fled the scene.
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By Edith Lin
Hong Kong police are on the hunt for three people who assaulted and robbed a car driver of HK$20,000 (US$2,576) after they asked him for directions.
The victim was transported to Caritas Hospital on Monday after he sustained injuries to his head and right hand. Blood stains were spotted on the private car’s steering wheel and door.
The incident took place at around 8am. The victim said three men approached him to ask for directions after he parked his car on Kowloon Road in Sham Shui Po to have breakfast. He then lowered his window.
Police said the trio opened the car door and threatened the man with knives and sticks. The man tried to escape, but in vain.
The trio hit the victim’s head and hand before they fled the scene.
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A Trump defence pick points to focus shift from North Korea to China for US Forces Korea
By Seong Hyeon Choi
US president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for senior defence official may signal his incoming administration’s move to adjust the role of US troops in South Korea to focus more on containing China, analysts said.
On December 22, Elbridge Colby, who was the deputy assistant secretary of defence for strategy and force development during Trump’s first term, was announced as the next under secretary of defence for policy, the No. 3 rank in the Pentagon responsible for the formation of national security and defence policy.
On his Truth Social account, Trump wrote that Colby would work closely with the secretary of defence nominee Pete Hegseth to “restore” Washington’s military power and achieve a policy of “peace through strength”.
Colby has been calling for US military resources to be concentrated on a denial strategy against China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific, instead of dispersing US defence resources to other regions such as Europe, aligning with Trump’s campaign pledge to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
A major contrast between traditional US strategies in the Indo-Pacific region and Colby’s overall policy agenda appears in the roles played by the US Forces Korea (USFK) stationed in South Korea, a contingent that primarily focuses on responding to North Korean threats.
Traditional defence officials in Trump’s previous administration advocated for the USFK’s role in responding to North Korean threats with a more hawkish stance against its nuclear and missile development.
However, Colby is sceptical that Pyongyang will give up its nuclear weapons and believes that US troops in South Korea must instead be used to contain China’s military threat, leaving Seoul to defend itself against North Korea.
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By Seong Hyeon Choi
US president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for senior defence official may signal his incoming administration’s move to adjust the role of US troops in South Korea to focus more on containing China, analysts said.
On December 22, Elbridge Colby, who was the deputy assistant secretary of defence for strategy and force development during Trump’s first term, was announced as the next under secretary of defence for policy, the No. 3 rank in the Pentagon responsible for the formation of national security and defence policy.
On his Truth Social account, Trump wrote that Colby would work closely with the secretary of defence nominee Pete Hegseth to “restore” Washington’s military power and achieve a policy of “peace through strength”.
Colby has been calling for US military resources to be concentrated on a denial strategy against China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific, instead of dispersing US defence resources to other regions such as Europe, aligning with Trump’s campaign pledge to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
A major contrast between traditional US strategies in the Indo-Pacific region and Colby’s overall policy agenda appears in the roles played by the US Forces Korea (USFK) stationed in South Korea, a contingent that primarily focuses on responding to North Korean threats.
Traditional defence officials in Trump’s previous administration advocated for the USFK’s role in responding to North Korean threats with a more hawkish stance against its nuclear and missile development.
However, Colby is sceptical that Pyongyang will give up its nuclear weapons and believes that US troops in South Korea must instead be used to contain China’s military threat, leaving Seoul to defend itself against North Korea.
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13 Filipino women and 3 babies freed from Cambodian prison after surrogacy conviction
By Agence France-Presse
Cambodia has pardoned and sent home 13 Philippine women who were jailed over a scheme to become surrogate mothers, an outlawed practice, the Philippine government said on Sunday.
They were among 24 foreign women detained by Cambodian police in September and convicted and sentenced to four years in prison on December 2 for attempted cross-border human trafficking.
The women “and three of their babies” were sent home to Manila early Sunday and taken to a government shelter for trafficking victims, the Social Welfare Department said in a statement.
Ten of the repatriated women are still pregnant, said Irene Dumlao, the Social Welfare Department’s Assistant Secretary.
“All 13 [women] departed Phnom Penh and arrived safely in Manila following the grant of royal pardon by His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni,” the Philippine foreign ministry said in a separate statement.
The Cambodian court ruling had said it had strong evidence showing that the 13 had “the intention … to have babies to sell to a third person in exchange for money, which is an act of human trafficking”.
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By Agence France-Presse
Cambodia has pardoned and sent home 13 Philippine women who were jailed over a scheme to become surrogate mothers, an outlawed practice, the Philippine government said on Sunday.
They were among 24 foreign women detained by Cambodian police in September and convicted and sentenced to four years in prison on December 2 for attempted cross-border human trafficking.
The women “and three of their babies” were sent home to Manila early Sunday and taken to a government shelter for trafficking victims, the Social Welfare Department said in a statement.
Ten of the repatriated women are still pregnant, said Irene Dumlao, the Social Welfare Department’s Assistant Secretary.
“All 13 [women] departed Phnom Penh and arrived safely in Manila following the grant of royal pardon by His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni,” the Philippine foreign ministry said in a separate statement.
The Cambodian court ruling had said it had strong evidence showing that the 13 had “the intention … to have babies to sell to a third person in exchange for money, which is an act of human trafficking”.
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A year of giant pandas, mega-events and new minister for Hong Kong tourism
By Wynna Wong
Hong Kong’s tourism sector underwent major shifts in 2024, with a surprise bumper sloth of giant pandas, a push for mega-events and the sacking of a minister grabbing some of the year’s biggest headlines.
Authorities announced a HK$1.09 billion (US$139 million) package in February to boost the local tourism trade and diversify the industry to adapt to changing visitor trends in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government also rolled out a slew of measures to boost spending and encourage longer stays in response to calls by Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong affairs to treat every corner of the city as a tourist hotspot.
The Post looks back on the year’s tourism highlights.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu sacked his tourism and transport ministers late in the year amid growing dissatisfaction with their handling of critical issues under their portfolios.
Kevin Yeung Yun-hung and Lam Sai-hung were replaced by Rosanna Law Shuk-pui and Mable Chan respectively in December, with Lee citing a need for “reform mindsets” and effective leadership as key qualities to revitalise the two sectors.
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By Wynna Wong
Hong Kong’s tourism sector underwent major shifts in 2024, with a surprise bumper sloth of giant pandas, a push for mega-events and the sacking of a minister grabbing some of the year’s biggest headlines.
Authorities announced a HK$1.09 billion (US$139 million) package in February to boost the local tourism trade and diversify the industry to adapt to changing visitor trends in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government also rolled out a slew of measures to boost spending and encourage longer stays in response to calls by Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong affairs to treat every corner of the city as a tourist hotspot.
The Post looks back on the year’s tourism highlights.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu sacked his tourism and transport ministers late in the year amid growing dissatisfaction with their handling of critical issues under their portfolios.
Kevin Yeung Yun-hung and Lam Sai-hung were replaced by Rosanna Law Shuk-pui and Mable Chan respectively in December, with Lee citing a need for “reform mindsets” and effective leadership as key qualities to revitalise the two sectors.
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