While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Nov 28, 2025
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Residences still burning in the Wang Fuk Court complex, in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, on Nov 27.
PHOTO: LAM YIK FEI/NYTIMES
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HK fire death toll hits 83 with scores still missing
Hong Kong police arrested the bosses of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter on Nov 27 over the city’s worst fire in nearly 80 years, which killed at least 83 people with scores more listed as missing.
By the early hours of Nov 28, firefighters had mostly contained the blaze raging for more than 24 hours, ripping through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northern district of Tai Po. The estate had been undergoing renovations and was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh.
Most of the victims were found in two high-rise blocks in the eight-tower complex, deputy director of fire services Derek Armstrong Chan said.
He said firefighters found residents who were alive in several of the buildings, but gave no further details.
Putin says Russia will fight on unless Ukraine cedes land
PHOTO: REUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Nov 27 that he would end his Ukraine offensive if Kyiv withdrew from territory Moscow claims at its own – otherwise his army would take it by force.
The Russian army has been slowly but steadily grinding through eastern Ukraine in costly battles against outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian forces.
“If Ukrainian forces leave the territories they hold, then we will stop combat operations,” the Russian leader said during a visit to Kyrgyzstan. “If they don’t, then we will achieve it by military means.”
Jordan tells Russia to stop recruiting its citizens for war
PHOTO: REUTERS
Jordan on Nov 27 asked Russia to stop recruiting its citizens for its armed forces after two of them were killed fighting for Moscow.
In a statement, the foreign ministry called the recruitment “a violation of Jordanian law and international law” that “exposes citizens to serious danger”.
Spokesman for the ministry, Mr Fuad al-Majali, called on Jordanians “to report any attempts to recruit them into the Russian army” and warned of both legal risks and the danger of death.
Israeli forces kill surrendering Palestinians in West Bank
SCREENSHOTS: X/@HZOMLOT
Israeli security forces shot two Palestinian men on Nov 27 who appeared to be surrendering and unarmed during a raid in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestine TV news footage showed.
In the footage, the men are seen exiting a building surrounded by armed Israeli forces in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, lifting their shirts and lying on the ground in an apparent surrender.
The forces then appeared to direct the men back inside the building before opening fire at close range.
Most non-EU visitors will pay 45% more to visit Louvre
PHOTO: AFP
Paris’ Louvre museum said on Nov 27 it would raise ticket prices for most non-EU visitors, meaning US, British and Chinese tourists, among others, will have to pay US$37 (S$47) to get in.
The museum told AFP the 45-per cent price hike aims to boost annual revenues by up to US$23 million to fund structural improvements at the world’s most-visited art museum, which is reeling from the daylight theft of priceless treasures in October.
In 2026, visitors from outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will have to pay €32 – an extra €10 – from Jan 14, the museum and staff unions said, after the measure was approved at a museum board meeting.
