Nepal's anti-corruption commission has indicted 55 former politicians and officials and the state-owned China CAMC Engineering of inflating the costs of Pokhara International Airport, built with a Chinese loan as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, but currently without regular international flights. The investigation is testing the new caretaker government, which does not want to jeopardise ties with Beijing.
Visitors from China will be able to use payment apps, making transactions easier. Soon, Thai nationals will also benefit from this technology in China. The system, increasingly used across ASEAN, serves not only to exchange money but also to strengthen trust, convenience, and a shared commitment to a more seamless financial future.
After two attacks that left five dead and five wounded, the Chinese embassy in Dushanbe ordered evacuations from the border areas. The Tajik government and the Taliban have said they will cooperate with China amid growing fears that fighters from the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) are behind the attacks (which have not yet been claimed). Instability threatens regional cooperation and China's Belt and Road Initiative projects.
During the devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court complex, 28-year-old Filipina Rhodora Alcaraz protected a three-month-old baby with her own body. The tragedy, with more than 150 deaths so far, highlights the role of Southeast Asian domestic workers in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, outrage is growing as expressions of condolence are offered, but Beijing has warned that any protest will be repressed.
The devastating fire that destroyed much of a public housing complex in Tai Po has exposed the fragility of Hong Kong's housing system, characterised by overcrowding, negligently managed construction sites, and thousands of senior citizens and domestic workers trapped in hard-to-evacuate high-rise buildings. PIME missionary Fr Franco Mella slams the authorities for the way they manage the real needs of the population. Meanwhile, fears are growing that the tragedy could reignite tensions with Beijing on the eve of the 7 December local elections.
The fire that broke out in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po affected buildings surrounded by bamboo scaffolding, which is still used in many construction sites in Hong Kong. The buildings, which reach up to 31 storeys, house many families and elderly couples. Rescuers continue to search for those trapped.
