SCMP Hong Kong·Sunday, December 14, 2025

SCMP Hong Kong - Sunday, December 14, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

We want to stay in Hong Kong, say Filipino helpers who survived deadly blaze

Filipino domestic helpers who survived Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades say they have no intention of leaving the city, even though they were traumatised by the tragedy. Some of the 35 survivors attending a full-day fair at St John’s Cathedral in Central on Sunday told the Post about their ordeals after losing all their personal belongings in the inferno last month. Some continued to work for their employers and had moved with them into transitional housing, but at least one had been laid..

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Woman, 26, arrested in Hong Kong over military-style drills

Hong Kong’s national security police have arrested a woman on suspicion of taking part in illegal drills as officers continue operations against a group accused of conducting military‑style combat training aimed at subverting the government. A police spokesman said on Sunday the 26‑year‑old woman was taken into custody on Friday night on suspicion of committing the offence of “unlawful drilling” under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. She was later released on bail and is required to

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HKIR ‘one of the greatest days of Hong Kong racing’ despite scary incident with track invader

A protester calling for a deeper investigation into the Tai Po fire almost cancelled Hong Kong’s richest horse race on Sunday, but even that could not stop Jockey Club boss Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges calling it one of the city’s “greatest days”. With a record number of tourists making the trip to Sha Tin, and two of the city’s stars cementing their places among the world’s greatest racehorses, not even a drop in turnover could dim the CEO’s delight at the climax of the Hong Kong International.

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‘I cried for an hour’: Hong Kong preachers offer support to Tai Po fire survivors

Two Tai Po-based preachers offering emotional support to survivors of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in seven decades have said their work has forced them to confront their own traumas from the tragedy. Jessie Fu Kam-wah and Ron Cheng King-on, both members of the Chinese Rhenish Church in Tai Po, said they had met elderly people displaced by the fire and struggling with the shock of losing loved ones. Cheng also said he knew someone who had died in the blaze, while Fu described coming across an...

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What Hongkongers need to know about US plan to vet visitors’ social media history

Hong Kong-based travellers seeking to visit the US without a visa were left in a state of disarray last week when the country’s government proposed requiring tourists to hand over up to five years of social media information as part of strengthened entry requirements. The proposal, a continuation of US President Donald Trump’s expanded scrutiny of immigrants and foreign travellers, would affect nationals from the 42 jurisdictions covered by the country’s visa-waiver programme. The Post breaks...

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End of an era as Hong Kong’s Democratic Party disbands after 31 years

Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, once the city’s largest opposition force, will dissolve following 31 years in operation after most members present at a meeting voted in favour of disbanding, marking the end of an era. Chairman Lo Kin-hei urged Hongkongers to live with “kindness, honesty, integrity” and expressed faith in the city’s democracy movement. “If Hong Kong people believe that democracy is the way to go, I believe that they will keep on striving for democracy,” Lo said after Sunday’s...

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MONSTERS BY MONSTERS: NOW AND THEN

THE MONSTERS 10TH ANNIVERSARY GLOBAL TOUR - HONG KONG To celebrate a decade of ‘THE MONSTERS’, the beloved Nordic forest-dwelling spirit ensemble, the 10th Anniversary Tour, ‘MONSTERS BY MONSTERS: NOW AND THEN’ will open at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre from 15 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. With HSBC Hong Kong as the lead sponsor, the Hong Kong chapter continues the tour’s momentum from Shanghai and Taipei, oﬀering an immersive artistic experience for fans of these little spirits. Ten...

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Transparency, accountability essential after Tai Po fire as Hong Kong heals

One way or another, the aftermath of the tragic Tai Po fire is going to dominate Hong Kong’s political life throughout the coming year, possibly for the whole of the new Legislative Council term. In the closing stages of the recently completed election, candidates pledged their support for recovery efforts. There is no reason to doubt them as every politician knows that the campaign for the next election effectively begins as soon as votes have been counted in the last one. The whole community..

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New section of Hong Kong’s Central Kowloon Bypass undergoing final checks

Hong Kong’s much-awaited Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass is undergoing final testing before its debut on December 21, authorities have said, adding that a core challenge has been tunnelling beneath 240 structures in the area. The new 4.7km (7.56-mile) transport corridor in Kowloon, which includes a 3.9km three-lane, two-way tunnel linking the Kai Tak Development Area and Kowloon Bay with Yau Ma Tei, is set to slash the peak-hour journey time from about 30 minutes to five. “We...

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K-pop star Rain gets Hong Kong races off to electric start, thousands pack into Sha Tin

Tens of thousands of racing fans packed into Sha Tin on Sunday for the climax of the Longines Hong Kong International Races week, hoping to see stars like Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising add to their storied reputations. Visitors from South Africa, Japan, Australia and mainland China mixed with celebrities such as Chinese actor Yu Shi and local dignitaries, in the largest gathering in the city for a sporting occasion since the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po claimed the lives of at least...

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