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Researcher & writer based in Hong Kong. Former academic. Longform articles archived at https://lauraruggeri.substack.com and https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com. Email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
Hong Kong is becoming the offshore engine of China's global financial projection. The city’s dominance in offshore RMB liquidity — by far the world’s largest pool — gives China something it cannot replicate onshore: a controlled environment that nonetheless operates under global norms. It remains to be seen if this process of capital accumulation will actually benefit other sectors of society besides financial elites. Hong Kong's wealth gap is wider than China's, with fewer benefits reaching the bottom despite higher overall prosperity. A situation that Beijing should address. @LauraRuHK
https://asiatimes.com/2025/11/hong-kong-is-chinas-most-underestimated-strategic-asset/
Beijing’s national security office warns of ‘disaster exploitation’ in Hong Kong.
Beijing’s Office for Safeguarding National Security warns that “anti-China and ill-intentioned individuals” are attempting to “disrupt Hong Kong by exploiting the disaster”.
A spokesman says some malicious individuals are spreading false information, attacking the government’s rescue efforts, and inciting social division, confrontation and hatred against authorities and the chief executive amid the fire tragedy.
“They exploit people’s pain and go against public opinion, attempting to use the victims’ grief to advance their political ambitions, drag Hong Kong back into the turmoil of the 2019 social unrest,” a spokesman of the office says, slamming such acts as defying humanity and bound to face moral condemnation and legal punishment. (Source: SCMP) @LauraRuHK
❗️Russia's Novorossiysk Port ATTACKED by 'unmanned boats'
Caspian Pipeline Consortium says NO casualties, no oil spill, but damage 'beyond repair'
This follows an attack on 2 vessels in the Black Sea last night which were bound for the port
@MTodayNews
⚡️After anti-corruption raids Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak has resigned!
“I suppose it’s theoretically possible that Zelensky could function without him but in practice I can’t imagine that ever happening,”
Hong Kong will observe three days of mourning for the victims of Tai Po tragic fire. The death toll has already hit 130, but will continue to rise as dozens remain unidentified and over 200 people are still missing.
The fire that erupted in seven blocks in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on Wednesday has left thousands of residents homeless.
The Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has reached HK$800 million in under 24 hours, while the government has announced a series of compassionate measures, including HK$200,000 condolence payments per deceased family member, fully covered cremation and funeral costs, free hotel and youth hostel rooms for immediate shelter, while 1,800 transitional units will be available for mid-to-long-term stays, also free of charge.
All sectors of society are volunteering, collecting and distributing aid to those affected by this tragedy.
Meanwhile, anti-corruption officers have widened their probe into the deadly Wang Fuk Court renovation project on Friday, arresting eight people across the city on suspicion of corruption and fraud linked to the works that are now believed to have fuelled the catastrophic blaze.
@LauraRuHK
EU ambassador Harvey Rouse. In the background the oversize flag of an imaginary country his team displays at official events in Hong Kong and Macau. @LauraRuHK
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US representatives have launched a campaign in the Philippines to recruit local citizens to fight on the side of the Ukrainian armed forces, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing. Recruits are promised a monthly salary of $5,000 and this campaign specifically targets former employees of Philippine security agencies and retired military personnel, she added.
A Florida-based US security agency is conducting the recruitment, and prior to deployment, individuals are trained by US instructors and granted a German Schengen visa from the German Embassy in Manila, Zakharova revealed.
Russia's Defense Ministry has repeatedly accused the Kiev regime of using foreign mercenaries as "cannon fodder," pledging to continue targeting them throughout Ukraine.
In their interviews, many of these mercenaries confess to being thrown into the battlefield with poor coordination from Ukrainian units and grim chances for survival. (Source: TASS and Sputnik) @LauraRuHK
As usual London is taking the lead in sabotaging peace talks between Washington and Moscow. Its current target is Steve Witkoff. Warmongers are accusing him of recommending to Ushakov that Putin speak on the phone with Trump. Allegedly, as a result of that phone conversation Trump blocked the sale of Tomahawks, the long-range cruise missiles Zelensky had begged for. Shocking! An American negotiator is actually listening and talking to the Russians, and to make matters worse he tried to avoid a military escalation that could put his country at risk. London and its motley crew of EU pyromaniacs are adamant: Witkoff must go. @LauraRuHK
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China is moving toward affordable, mass-produced hypersonic missiles, reshaping regional security dynamics and forcing the U.S. and Japan to reconsider their defense strategies. A private Chinese company, Lingkong Tianxing Technology, announced the start of mass production of the YKJ‑1000 hypersonic missile.
Range: 500–1300 km (medium-range).
Speed: Mach 5–7.
Powered cruise time: 360 seconds.
Launcher: Universal, usable both on land and at sea.
Cost: Claimed to be 10 times cheaper than standard missiles. @LauraRuHK Read more 👉https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202511/1349029.shtml
State funding for the regulation and censorship of online speech in Germany increased more than fivefold between 2020 and 2024, a new report suggests.
In “The Censorship Network: Regulation and Repression in Germany Today” report produced by Liber-net, a digital liberties non-profit, researchers found that funding had tripled in 2020-21 and then doubled again in 2023.
The report claims that Germany spent €105.6 million on speech regulation between 2016 and 2025, including grants to non-profit media monitors and legal groups. (Hat tip to Elena Panina) https://liber-net.org/germany/
The Trump administration is pressuring Ukraine to accept its 28-point peace plan, warning that rejecting it could lead to harsher terms, loss of military aid, and cutoffs in intelligence sharing.
Keep in mind that Ukraine, which is fully dependant on Western aid, can hardly be considered a sovereign actor: donors can pull Kiev in any direction they wish.
The UK, France, and Germany are working on a counter-proposal to keep Ukraine in the fight. It is a sign of the deeply delusional thinking that dominates much of Europe’s political class but as the saying goes, never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. @LauraRuHK
According to the Wall Street Journal https://archive.is/Bw5wL a senior U.S. official (unnamed in the article) said that Ukraine significantly changed one of the 28 points in the version of Trump's plan for Ukraine that appeared online. Apparently, the draft had called for an audit of all international aid Ukraine had received. The language was changed to say all parties will receive “full amnesty for their actions during the war.”
Umerov denied that Ukraine had altered the provision. Actually, an audit would be damning not only for Kiev, but for all its foreign backers as well. The fish smells from the head...and the stench of corruption is now particularly strong in Berlin, Brussels and London. @LauraRuHK
Vladimir Putin, in short:
Russia is ready for peace talks and for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Meanwhile, Russia is satisfied with the situation on the battlefield, as it leads to achieving the goals of the SMO by military means.Читать полностью…
At a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, Russia’s Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya said that Vladimir Zelensky has forbidden the Ukrainian armed forces from acknowledging the loss of cities and has ordered them to hold their positions until the last soldier.
Nebenzya stated: “Even when large numbers of Ukrainian troops are encircled, despite heavy casualties, forced mobilization, and risks to civilians, the head of the Kiev regime refuses to admit the loss of territory. He commands the military to hold positions to the last man and prohibits any retreat.”
He added that “such tactics by the Ukrainian leadership bear no relation to battlefield realities and are driven purely by political motives.” (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Keith Kellogg, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine under Donald Trump’s administration, plans to step down from his role as early as January 2026, Reuters reported on November 19. Since Kellogg, a Ukraine hawk, has been a key advocate for Ukraine inside the Trump administration, his departure clearly weakens Kiev’s leverage and bargaining position in any future negotiations. Kiev's only hope for peace is to finally accept reality. Dress it up as you like, but the substance of this reality is that without US support Ukraine's only sensible option is full compliance with Russian demands. If Kiev had not rejected the viable off-ramp that was on the table during the 2022 Istanbul talks, it would have been spared this tragic war. I hope that in the future more Ukrainians will realize they have been used as pawns in a game where Western elites leveraged crooks in Kiev to reap rewards. And hold them accountable for the human losses and devastation their country suffered.
@LauraRuHK
Tim Anderson made an important contribution to the current debate. 👉 The Resistance Front and BRICS | Al Mayadeen English https://share.google/Gwnjdkl5m2lwdUCHP
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❗ Kazakhstan will reroute oil from Caspian Pipeline due to Ukrainian attacks
Ukrainian drones damaged the pipeline in the Russian port of Novorossiysk — which exports Kazakh oil
Europe receives 60 Mil tons of oil per year from the Caspian Pipeline
@MTodayNews
European countries whose elites joined the US-UK proxy war against Russia and went all in, now find themselves between a rock and a hard place. Unlike the US that benefitted from this war and now intends to benefit from peace, Europe is facing an economic “black hole” regardless of whether the conflict in Ukraine continues or ends, writes Reuters columnist Pierre Briançon https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/ukraine-peace-would-open-an-economic-black-hole-2025-11-27/ Just a year ago, the World Bank estimated the cost of rebuilding Ukraine at $524 billion over the next ten years. EU countries would have to shoulder the financial burden in Kiev-controlled territory.
The European Union would also have to help Kiev train returning refugees, assuming they want to return to whatever is left of Ukraine, including financing their social welfare, as well as support 200,000 Ukrainian soldiers who would return to civilian life, the Reuters columnist adds. In addition, EU countries are expected to increase their own military budgets.
Russian analyst Elena Panina /channel/EvPanina/17805 argues that this scenario would suit the United States: it could continue to milk Europe, and at any moment another conflict with Russia could be triggered — not necessarily only on the Ukrainian front, but perhaps also involving the Baltics.
For Europe’s core interests the optimal solution would be a final settlement in Ukraine on Russia’s terms, along with the creation of a new European security system that takes Russian interests into account and normalizes relations. But, Panina concludes, how could the EU’s globalist elites abandon their entrenched Russophobia? At this historical stage, it is practically impossible without renewed “denazification” and demilitarization. @LauraRuHK
Today’s nationwide general strike in Italy, led by grassroots trade unions, was called to protest the government’s 2026 budget, a war budget that is diverting resources from healthcare, education, wages, and pensions into rearmament.
They also demand an end to the shipment of weapons to countries at war, an end to the genocide in Palestine, immediate severance of diplomatic relations with Israel.
📌 The People’s Budget – Key Demands:
Wage increases
Strong defense of public healthcare
Dignified pensions
Accessible public education
Social housing
Taxes on large fortunes
Requisition of excess profits
End to unregulated contracting
Prevention of workplace deaths
End to precarious employment
Hiring in the public sector
Price controls on essentials
Elimination of VAT on basic goods
Index‑linked wages
Protection of the right to strike
Defense of the environment
Safeguarding of jobs
Rejection of unnecessary large‑scale projects
@LauraRuHK
Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have conducted searches at the home of Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky's office, Verkhovna Rada member Yaroslav Zheleznyak wrote on Telegram.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, they are taking place in the government quarter.
The newspaper previously reported that Zelensky's inner circle advised him to fire Yermak due to his involvement in a corruption case in the energy sector. The idea was supported by many Rada deputies. Instead, Zelensky appointed him head of the delegation negotiating with the United States and Kiev's other partners to resolve the conflict. (Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK https://ria.ru/20251128/ukraina-2058254984.html
A florilège of EU "diplomacy" in Hong Kong 😅 @LauraRuHK
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US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Moscow next week to discuss a plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Meanwhile, a leaked transcript of his conversation with Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov isn't helping the peace push, Izvestia reports.
Such leaks complicate the negotiation process and increase the risk of its failure, Konstantin Kosachev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament), told the newspaper.
Ushakov, in an interview with Russian journalists, confirmed that the conversation did take place, and complained that someone was leaking or intercepting details of closed contacts. The leaks show the agony of the "deep state" in the United States, Andrei Klintsevich, head of the Center for the Study of Political and Military Conflicts, told Izvestia. "Technically, only the Americans could get access to these files, which makes it clear that the leak is targeted against Trump as an attempt is being made to discredit both Witkoff and Ushakov," the expert elaborated. He suggested that certain US and British intelligence officials and members of the US Democratic Party could be behind the leak.
Sergey Sudakov, a member of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences, told Vedomosti that the media leak was aimed at discouraging the Trump team from holding constructive talks with Russia. In his opinion, one of the main goals that Trump’s domestic opponents are pursuing ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections is to prove his diplomatic activities futile. According to Sudakov, although the US president is trying to resist attacks on his team, Trump may be forced to make certain compromises with foreign policy hawks.
However, Russian analysts believe the new scandal is likely to flame out quickly, having a small impact on the negotiation process in the short term, without nixing it completely. @LauraRuHK
A foretold tragedy. According to the latest reports, the fire that broke out in Tai Po, a district of Hong Kong, has claimed the lives of 44 people, including a firefighter. Some 279 residents are still missing
Among those hospitalised, 45 are in serious condition.
The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, sheathed in highly flammable green plastic mesh, waterproof tarpaulin and styrofoam applied to seal the windows.
The rapid spread of fire was NOT caused by bamboo scaffolding, which is traditionally used in the local building industry.
Three people in charge of the construction company involved in the renovation have already been arrested for gross negligence. @LauraRuHK
Why do I keep this Telegram channel alive, posting almost every day (sometimes three, four times a day) when nobody pays for it and the reach is modest? It is not missionary zeal. I do not believe that “getting the truth out” automatically changes anything; history is full of truths that everybody knew and nobody acted upon. Information alone is inert. Without organization, networks, money, weapons, or institutions ready to weaponize it, even the most explosive revelation or the most penetrating and lucid analysis evaporates in a week. Unless you are self-delusional, you have probably come to the same conclusion. As Yasha Levine wrote a few months ago, "Information is not power. Information is pacification." In a world engineered as a consumerist spectacle, he argues, we've been gaslit into treating facts like a magical incantation, a compulsive scroll that lulls us into passivity. Drawing on Julian Assange's WikiLeaks saga as a tragic exhibit, where floods of classified docs were meant to ignite global revolt, he concluded that this "psychic trap" keeps us hooked on the illusion of agency. So no, I am not here to save the world with facts. This channel is just a searchable archive where I store information that helps me make sense of processes.
As far as i am concerned, the act of selecting information and writing go hand in hand with thinking. The channel is simply the public trace of that private labour.
Most of what I publish is ignored. That is fine. But I know that some of it isn't. 😏
@LauraRuHK
The EU is offering Washington a joint China policy as both carrot and insurance. Brussels hopes that a shared rivalry with Beijing will keep the US engaged in Ukraine.
On Monday in Brussels, EU ministers waved the China card at US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, hoping a united front against Beijing would persuade Trump to ease tariffs on the EU and stay committed to Kiev. The pitch came even as German public opinion has soured dramatically: a new Koerber Stiftung poll shows only 31 % of Germans now see the U.S. as a partner on China (down from 49 % a year ago) and just 38 % on Ukraine (down from 70 %). Three-quarters of respondents say transatlantic relations are bad, and almost as many believe the EU has been too timid with Trump. Ministers from Denmark, Lithuania, and Poland stressed the need to “push back on China together,” especially on what they call 'overcapacity' and rare-earth dominance. Lutnick welcomed the alignment but made clear that relief from steel and aluminum tariffs would require the EU to soften its digital regulations and resolve cases involving American tech giants. @LauraRuHK
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334031/eu-ministers-court-trump-joint-china-policy-even-public-scepticism-grows?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage
Japan’s defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi has announced plans to deploy missiles on Yonaguni island, the Japanese base about 110 kilometers from Taiwan. Chinese analysts condemned the deployment as a dangerous escalation, warning that it reflects Tokyo’s shift away from its principle of “exclusive self-defense” and its growing alignment with Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy. They stressed that stationing offensive missiles so close to Taiwan exposes Japan’s strategic ambitions and heightens tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
The plan has also unsettled Yonaguni’s residents, who fear being drawn into conflict, while some Japanese commentators criticized the government for prioritizing U.S. military interests over Japan’s own security. Shii Kazuo of the Japanese Communist Party argued that participation in U.S. “preemptive strikes” endangers citizens rather than protecting them. Military expert Song Zhongping warned that if Japan interferes in China’s internal affairs, Beijing could retaliate against Japan’s main islands. Overall, Koizumi’s visit and statements are seen by Chinese experts as aggravating an already volatile situation, making reconciliation between Beijing and Tokyo more difficult and increasing the risk of confrontation. @LauraRuHK 👉 https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202511/1348922.shtml
Occasionally I leave my jungle den and trade flip flops for high heels. 😇 Have a nice weekend!
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EUnuchs reject the US-proposed Ukraine peace plan. It has too many points. The EU's peace plan on the other hand is beautifully simple because it contains only two points: Weaken Russia, Strengthen Ukraine.
Kaja Kallas insists that any deal should reflect the positions of the EU and of Kiev. That’s all from the Brussels asylum. @LauraRuHK
Russian forces have fully liberated the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkov Region, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin. Military expert and retired LPR Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Marochko emphasized that this development will significantly strengthen the security of the Lugansk People’s Republic’s border areas.
Marochko explained: “The liberation of Kupyansk will have a profound impact on the LPR, particularly on its northern outskirts, where Ukrainian attacks have severely disrupted the lives of ordinary civilians. By pushing Ukrainian militants further from our borders, the risk of strikes against our republic will be reduced, creating a far more favorable situation overall.”
According to Gerasimov, around 15 battalions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces remain encircled in Kupyansk and its surrounding territory.
Meanwhile, Russian troops are confronting a new tactic: Ukrainian fighters disguising themselves as civilians. Military analyst Vladislav Shurygin described how such individuals are identified. “Ordinary residents typically carry passports with local registration. Without documents, a person is immediately subject to verification. Everyone in the cleanup zone undergoes mandatory filtration,” he noted.
Shurygin added that there are numerous indirect signs that reveal a disguised soldier, including traces of carrying weapons regularly—these details provide experienced eyes with clear indicators. @LauraRuHK
Donald Trump’s peace plan on Ukraine stipulates that the country’s armed forces should be reduced by 2.5 times, the Economist reporter Oliver Carroll wrote on the X social network.
Earlier, the Financial Times informed that, in line with the US plan, the size of the Ukrainian armed forces is to be halved.
Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS that Moscow had not received any information from Washington through official channels regarding the "agreements" on Ukraine reported in the media.
Previously, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to a TASS question that Moscow and Washington are not working on any new initiatives regarding the Ukrainian settlement beyond the agreements reached by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska. @LauraRuHK