Hong Kong’s worst fire in generations fuels scrutiny of safety lapses

Flammable netting and foam boards may have fuelled the city’s deadliest blaze in nearly 80 years.

Ring-a-ding-ding! A Fallout: New Vegas beta full of cut content has been unearthed

"Truth is, the game was rigged from the start."

Johnson on life amid Speakership: ‘We’re kind of in survival mode right now’

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) opened up in a revealing Wednesday interview alongside his wife Kelly, sharing some of the challenges he has faced since taking the reins of the lower chamber amid Republicans' razor-thin majority. Johnson in an interview on The Katie Miller

Indonesia races to evacuate stranded residents as flood death toll hits 61

Heavy duty help for stranded Malaysians in Hat Yai

Containers carried groups of Malaysians through the flooded areas, allowing authorities to bring them out of danger.

Hong Kong nears end of search and rescue mission as tower fire death toll rises to 94

Police have arrested three construction company officials on suspicion of manslaughter for using unsafe materials, including flammable foam boards blocking windows.

At least 40 dead as severe floods hit Sri Lanka

The extreme weather is likely to persist as a cyclonic storm moves along the country's eastern coast.

Apple Runs Secret iPad Air Sale on Amazon, Best Apple Tablet Now Going for All-Time Low

Best value for money iPad. The post Apple Runs Secret iPad Air Sale on Amazon, Best Apple Tablet Now Going for All-Time Low appeared first on Kotaku .

China turns to France for support during its feud with Japan

China has also tried to rally diplomatic support with a letter to the UN.

‘Stranger Things 5’ Star Cara Buono on Karen’s Big Action Scene and Her Private Backstory for the Character: ‘She’s a Functioning Alcoholic!’

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from Season 5, Volume 1 of “Stranger Things.” Not even on the fantastical “Stranger Things” can Karen Wheeler kill a Demogorgon while armed only with her super-charged maternal protectiveness and a broken wine bottle. But she sure did

Amazon Gave Up on Fire 10-Inch HD Tablet, Own Hardware Burned With Zero Margin

Displays Full HD properly, lasts 13 hours per charge and survives drops reliably. The post Amazon Gave Up on Fire 10-Inch HD Tablet, Own Hardware Burned With Zero Margin appeared first on Kotaku .

Bob Iger Has a Cameo in Disney’s ‘Zootopia 2’

The veteran executive, set to exit the company next year, plays a tiger weatherman named "Bob Tiger" in what is credited as his first acting role.

Standardizing Professional Development for Polar Guides, AECO/IAATO conference

Cruise Industry News is reporting that The Polar Tourism Guides Association (PGTA), is looking forward to an upcoming inaugural AECO/IAATO Field Staff Conference (FSC), designed for guides and expedition leaders (ELs) in Arctic and Antarctic expedition tourism.

Falkland Islands Holding losses narrow but weakness persists in Falklands

The Financial highlights of the Falkland Islands Holding Group, (FIH) indicate, despite a 4% increase in revenues to £18.9 million on the six months ending September 2025, that overall revenue was below prior year at £40.9 million (2024: £52.5 million).

National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom dies after DC shooting

U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard soldiers shot in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, has died. President Trump first made the announcement on Thursday night, describing Beckstrom, 20, as a “highly respected, young, magnificent person" who was

The kidnap gangs, jihadists and separatists wreaking havoc in Nigeria

The country faces many deadly security challenges, leaving the army and police severely overstretched.

Apple Stuck With Too Many AirPods Pro 3, Now Selling Newest Earbuds at All-Time Low to Clear Stock

Simply the best earbuds on the market in 2025. The post Apple Stuck With Too Many AirPods Pro 3, Now Selling Newest Earbuds at All-Time Low to Clear Stock appeared first on Kotaku .

Hong Kong nears end of search and rescue mission as tower fire toll rises to 94

HONG KONG - Hong Kong fire authorities said they expected to wrap up search and rescue operations after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex on Friday, killing at least 94 people and leaving scores more missing.

Will boats be a breakthrough for 3D printing tech?

Dutch firms are betting that hulls made with 3D printing machines will mean cheaper boats.

Amazon Goes Zero-Profit on AirPods Max, Price So Low It Makes You Forget Bose and Sony Exist

Cancels twice the noise and personalizes audio to your ears. The post Amazon Goes Zero-Profit on AirPods Max, Price So Low It Makes You Forget Bose and Sony Exist appeared first on Kotaku .

China warns against Taiwan ‘trouble’ after NZ ship made rare strait transit

Chinese ships and aircraft monitored the Aotearoa, with Chinese jets carrying out simulated attacks.

Reform or rights rollback? India's sweeping labour law overhaul sparks debate

Companies have given the changes a thumbs-up but trade unions say the laws further weaken worker rights.

UFC’s First Paramount+ Fight Card to Feature Paddy Pimblett, vs. Justin Gaethje, Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes

The UFC has unveiled the fight card for their first ever event on Paramount+. UFC 324, scheduled for Jan. 24, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will be headlined by a fight between lightweight powerhouses Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett (23-3-0) and former UFC interim

Trump admin reexamining green cards linked to 19 countries after DC shooting

The Trump administration on Thursday said it would reexamine green cards linked to 19 countries after two National Guard members were shot outside of a metro station blocks from the White House. “At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination

Post Malone Electrifies Cowboys-Chiefs Thanksgiving Game With Halftime Show

The star brought a touch of his Big Ass Stadium Tour back to Dallas for the performance

HP Forgot How Math Works, 15.6″ 512GB Laptop Drops 72% From $2K to Almost Nothing

Powers six cores efficiently, touches intuitively, stores everything on fast SSD. The post HP Forgot How Math Works, 15.6″ 512GB Laptop Drops 72% From $2K to Almost Nothing appeared first on Kotaku .

Meet the New Holly Wheeler: ‘Stranger Things 5’ Star Nell Fisher Spills All About Filming That Crazy [SPOILER!] and Working With [SPOILER!] to Fight Vecna

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from Season 5, Volume I of “Stranger Things.” Nell Fisher, who turned 14 earlier this month, takes center stage as Holly Wheeler in the new (and final) season of “Stranger Things.” Through its first four seasons, the role of Holly —

OpenAI blames ‘misuse’ of ChatGPT after 16-year-old kills himself following ‘months of encouragement’

OpenAI blames Adam Raine's suicide on a misuse of technology in new court documents filed in the California lawsuit brought by his parents on November 25.

Australia overhauls decades-old environmental laws

Previous environmental laws were passed 25 years ago and were widely acknowledged as no longer fit for purpose

Philips Skipped Profit on Hue Smart Bulbs, 3-Pack Color Lights Now Cost What Basic Bulbs Do

Our favorite smart bulbs on the market. The post Philips Skipped Profit on Hue Smart Bulbs, 3-Pack Color Lights Now Cost What Basic Bulbs Do appeared first on Kotaku .

Israeli forces shoot dead two Palestinians apparently surrendering in West Bank

The Israeli army and police said Thursday they were investigating the circumstances in which two Palestinians were shot dead in the occupied West Bank while seemingly surrendering to Israeli forces. The incident in Jenin in the northern West Bank, a stronghold of Palestinian

Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just an Accident’ Wins Top Honors at Asia Pacific Screen Awards

Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi claimed dual honors at the 18th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with his Cannes Palme d’Or winner “It Was Just an Accident” (Un simple accident) taking home best film and best director. Japanese filmmaker Fujimoto Akio’s “Lost Land” (Harà Watan) received

Nikki DeLoach Shares Her Personal, Emotional Connection to ‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas’ and Why She Said Yes Without Seeing a Script

Hallmark is bringing in country music royalty for their upcoming holiday film, “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas,” their first collaboration with the Opry as it celebrates its 100th year. But the cameos — by Pam Tillis, Megan Moroney and Brad Paisley, just to name a few — were only

Father of National Guard member shot in DC says 'she has a mortal wound'

The father of 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who was shot near the White House the day before Thanksgiving, said that she has a “mortal wound." Beckstrom, along with fellow National Guard member 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, were shot near the Farragut Square

‘No alarm went off’: Hong Kong fire survivor recounts harrowing escape

He said most of the windows in his apartment were covered with thin foam as part of renovations to his building.

Amazon Quietly Dumps Thousands of iRobot Vacuums, Roomba 105 Now Going for All-Time Low

Empties itself for 75 days, maps with LiDAR precision, vacuums in organized rows. The post Amazon Quietly Dumps Thousands of iRobot Vacuums, Roomba 105 Now Going for All-Time Low appeared first on Kotaku .

Clair Obscur creative director says he knew the game was going to be 'cool,' but he really didn't expect it to be so 'big'

Nobody on the team saw this coming.

JPMorgan to build 3 million-square-foot, multibillion dollar tower in London’s Canary Wharf

The new London tower would also cover more space than JPMorgan's recently-completed 2.5 million-square-foot global headquarters on Park Avenue in Manhattan.

Australia finally acknowledges environment underpins all else. That’s no small thing | Ken Henry

In what are dangerous times for democracies around the world, parliament’s overhaul of nature laws in the EPBC Act shows ambitious reform remains possible Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here Get our breaking news email , free

Samsung 65″ OLED S90F TV Hits All-Time Low, 2025 Model Now Cheaper Than Last Year’s Version

The best OLED TV you can get is now a lot more affordable. The post Samsung 65″ OLED S90F TV Hits All-Time Low, 2025 Model Now Cheaper Than Last Year’s Version appeared first on Kotaku .

Thailand's ancient cat breeds get official national status, but will it improve animal welfare?

Five native Thai cat breeds have been crowned national pet symbols, a move celebrated by breeders but met with both optimism and caution by rescuers confronting a growing stray-cat problem.

Commentary: Southeast Asia can’t afford to sit out the ‘killer robots’ debate

How lethal autonomous weapon systems are defined could determine whether existing weapons will be regulated or prohibited, says Liu Mei Ching from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Commentary: Hong Kong high-rise fire shows how difficult it is to evacuate in an emergency

Once a fire takes hold, getting thousands of people safely down dozens of storeys becomes a race against time, say academics.

Commentary: China's UK mega-embassy plan was bulletproof after all

The London super embassy has become the biggest obstacle to the UK's hopes of a reset in relations with China, says Matthew Brooker for Bloomberg Opinion.

US-South Korea military drills aim to deter North Korea, KCNA says

KCNA said it is the US that is “threatening the peace and stability and destroying the strategic security balance”.

France's National Assembly stones EU-Mercosur FTA

The French National Assembly voted unanimously on Thursday to reject the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), sending a strong, non-binding message to President Emmanuel Macron to withhold his approval.

Judge seeks protections for Epstein victims exposed in file disclosures

A federal judge late Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to provide a description of the materials it intends to publicly release about the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman in his order requested “a detailed description of

Venezuela revokes licenses from foreign airlines abiding by FAA warning

Venezuela's Chavista regime has revoked the operating concessions from the foreign carriers Iberia, Air Europa, TAP, Avianca, LATAM, Turkish, and GOL after they abided by the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) not to serve the South American country, given the