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Business

Construction clampdown needed after fire but industry must act too: experts

Systemic failings around supervision of building maintenance in Hong Kong, and a lack of coordination between departments charged with ensuring it is done properly, both needed to be addressed to prevent tragedies such as the Tai Po fire happening again, experts and sector representatives have said. The regulation of polystyrene foam boards was particularly important, they added, with the preliminary investigation into the deadly blaze at Wang Fuk Court finding that the fire started on… Source link

Stock Market

People deriving income solely from state pension won’t be taxed, says chancellor

Clarification creates prospect of two-tier system for retirees solely on new state pension and those on private schemes People who rely only on their state pension for their income will not have to pay tax on it, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said, creating the prospect of a two-tier system for those in retirement. The new state pension is poised to rise to £241.30 a week next April, putting the annual income for someone receiving the standard payment at £12,547 – just below the personal tax allowance of £12,570 a year. Continue reading… Source link

World

Trump to pardon ex-Honduras leader serving drug trafficking sentence in US

Hernández was convicted in 2024 of accepting millions in bribes to protect cocaine shipments Donald Trump has said he will grand a pardon to Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the US on drug trafficking and weapons charges. “I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly,” Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social. Continue reading… Source link

Technology

The 30+ Best Black Friday Apple Deals Still Available on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More

Black Friday is over, but you can still find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices this weekend. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically, we’re sharing all of the Apple products that currently have all-time low prices, or discounts that are at least very close to their record-low prices. Now that…

Top Stories

The week Europe realised it stands alone against Russian expansionism

Washington’s Putin-appeasing plan for peace in Ukraine has failed, but many heard death knell sounded for European reliance on US protection Kaja Kallas, the European Union foreign policy chief, asked her officials this week to dig up the number of times Russia had – in its various guises – invaded other states in the 20th and 21st centuries. The answer that came back was 19 states, on 33 occasions. Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister, was not just indulging in some form of historical mathematics. She was seeking to make a point that lies at the heart of the…

Business

Hong Kong reaps the fruits of fintech seeds sown nearly 10 years ago

When Alvin Kwock, co-founder of digital insurer OneDegree, took part in the inaugural Hong Kong FinTech Week in November 2016, it was held at a venue suitable for only a few hundred people. “As it was the first ever fintech event in Hong Kong, only fintech start-ups were interested, no big financial institutions paid attention,” Kwock said. “People did not have a clear idea of fintech as it was still in an exploratory stage.” In the years since, fintech in Hong Kong has gone through a sea… Source link

China

China’s first own passenger jet Comac ARJ21 debuts in 2015 – SCMP archive

This article was first published on November 30, 2015. By Sijia Jiang After 13 years, China’s own passenger jet enters service China’s ambition of an indigenous plane took wings on Sunday (November 29, 2015) as its first home-grown passenger jet, the Comac ARJ21 (later rebranded as the C909), entered commercial service after 13 years in the making. Configured with 90 economy-class seats, the jet was delivered to its launch customer, Chengdu Airlines, from Comac’s Shanghai factory and flown to… Source link

Science

Scientists uncover the brain’s hidden learning blocks

Princeton researchers found that the brain excels at learning because it reuses modular “cognitive blocks” across many tasks. Monkeys switching between visual categorization challenges revealed that the prefrontal cortex assembles these blocks like Legos to create new behaviors. This flexibility explains why humans learn quickly while AI models often forget old skills. The insights may help build better AI and new clinical treatments for impaired cognitive adaptability. Source link

Entertainment India

Celebrity makeup artist Namrata Soni exposes harsh realities of bridal makeup industry: “I have to create five to six mood boards”

Renowned celebrity makeup artist Namrata Soni pulled back the curtain on the bridal makeup world during an ANI Podcast discussion on makeup and skincare, revealing the mounting pressures and unrealistic demands brides place on artists today.​ Soni detailed the exhaustive preparation required for modern brides, emphasizing how expectations have evolved. “When I do brides today, I’m not exaggerating. Oh my god, I have to create a mood board and not one mood board. I have to create five to six mood boards for every outfit because they are first of all not willing to tell us what their personality…