Jarrod Watt
@jaywatt.bsky.social
Australian journo in Hong Kong; podcast editor/producer; Aus news correspondent RTHK3; journalism lecturer HKBU; ex SCMP, ABC, PBSFM, RRR; reformed music journo and bartender - https://jarrodwatt.com/
Pinned
Harry Harrison’s cartoon for Hong Kong: there’s a lot to ponder
Really interesting analysis from journalist @yaling.bsky.social on how disasters in mainland China and Hong Kong differ in fundamental levels of institutional response: open.substack.com/pub/chinesec...
November 30, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Really interesting analysis from journalist @yaling.bsky.social on how disasters in mainland China and Hong Kong differ in fundamental levels of institutional response: open.substack.com/pub/chinesec...
As to be expected from the multi-award winning infographics team at the SCMP - an excellent multimedia report on how the Hong Kong tower complex fire spread catastrophically multimedia.scmp.com/infographics...
November 30, 2025 at 3:48 AM
As to be expected from the multi-award winning infographics team at the SCMP - an excellent multimedia report on how the Hong Kong tower complex fire spread catastrophically multimedia.scmp.com/infographics...
Might just be missing an important question here: apart from the structural issues, who wants to move into a building where so many died horribly? Such a fascinating test for the Hong Kong government
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Difficult to say if fire-ravaged Hong Kong buildings can be fixed: experts
Government should take lead in assessing structural safety of Wang Fuk Court buildings to help flat owners decide, experts say.
www.scmp.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Might just be missing an important question here: apart from the structural issues, who wants to move into a building where so many died horribly? Such a fascinating test for the Hong Kong government
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
“I don’t know what will happen to us after 14 days.”
In a city where housing is at a premium and public housing waiting lists are many years long, what next for the now homeless victims of Hong Kong’s tower fire disaster?
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
In a city where housing is at a premium and public housing waiting lists are many years long, what next for the now homeless victims of Hong Kong’s tower fire disaster?
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
‘What will happen to us’: fire-displaced Hong Kong residents facing uncertainty
After losing their homes in the devastating Tai Po inferno, families stress that temporary housing offers little relief or assurance.
www.scmp.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:04 AM
“I don’t know what will happen to us after 14 days.”
In a city where housing is at a premium and public housing waiting lists are many years long, what next for the now homeless victims of Hong Kong’s tower fire disaster?
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
In a city where housing is at a premium and public housing waiting lists are many years long, what next for the now homeless victims of Hong Kong’s tower fire disaster?
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Harry Harrison’s cartoon for Hong Kong: there’s a lot to ponder
November 29, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Harry Harrison’s cartoon for Hong Kong: there’s a lot to ponder
Is it herd mentality? The dregs of Orientalism? Lazy journalism? Why do western media orgs just blindly publish ‘the fire started because of the bamboo’ stories? If Hong Kong has bamboo scaffolding for 100 years surely there is a history of fires every other week? www.instagram.com/reel/DRlhAjG...
November 28, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Is it herd mentality? The dregs of Orientalism? Lazy journalism? Why do western media orgs just blindly publish ‘the fire started because of the bamboo’ stories? If Hong Kong has bamboo scaffolding for 100 years surely there is a history of fires every other week? www.instagram.com/reel/DRlhAjG...
Work continues in Hong Kong to extinguish the Tai Po tower fires and locate the dead. 24 hour live blog running into day 3 of coverage. "As of 7am, flames are still burning on an upper floor at one block. An aerial ladder is deployed to extinguish the remaining fire." www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 94 as rescue work continues into day 3
More bodies pulled from the site as firefighters use aerial ladder to extinguish lingering flames on upper floor of a block at Wang Fuk Court.
www.scmp.com
November 28, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Work continues in Hong Kong to extinguish the Tai Po tower fires and locate the dead. 24 hour live blog running into day 3 of coverage. "As of 7am, flames are still burning on an upper floor at one block. An aerial ladder is deployed to extinguish the remaining fire." www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
For Hong Kong: today’s Harry Harrison cartoon
November 27, 2025 at 11:41 PM
For Hong Kong: today’s Harry Harrison cartoon
There is a huge story breaking from folks I produce podcasts with - were the Tai Po housing estate buildings in Hong Kong under-insured? Are the victims about to get more bad news - about the value of their homes and the payouts they may/may not receive? insuranceasianews.com/hong-kong-ho...
November 27, 2025 at 9:24 AM
There is a huge story breaking from folks I produce podcasts with - were the Tai Po housing estate buildings in Hong Kong under-insured? Are the victims about to get more bad news - about the value of their homes and the payouts they may/may not receive? insuranceasianews.com/hong-kong-ho...
New taxis in Hong Kong: yay!
Electronic payments in Hong Kong taxis? Yeah nah.
Electronic payments in Hong Kong taxis? Yeah nah.
November 27, 2025 at 8:40 AM
New taxis in Hong Kong: yay!
Electronic payments in Hong Kong taxis? Yeah nah.
Electronic payments in Hong Kong taxis? Yeah nah.
Yes we do celebrate #ausmusictshirtday in Hong Kong - rock on!
November 27, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Yes we do celebrate #ausmusictshirtday in Hong Kong - rock on!
Images from the Tai Po fire earlier this morning from reporter Gigi Ho-wing chi for Hong Kong’s oldest student newspaper, The Young Reporter
November 27, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Images from the Tai Po fire earlier this morning from reporter Gigi Ho-wing chi for Hong Kong’s oldest student newspaper, The Young Reporter
Morning in Hong Kong: SCMP live blog still going since 4pm yesterday, at least four high aerial ladders are still fighting the fires at the scene. 44 dead, 279 missing, 3 arrested for alleged manslaughter
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
44 dead, 279 missing in huge Hong Kong fire; 3 arrested for alleged manslaughter
Among scores hospitalised, 45 are in serious condition; four of the 7 blocks now under control, with search for survivors starting on lower floors.
www.scmp.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Morning in Hong Kong: SCMP live blog still going since 4pm yesterday, at least four high aerial ladders are still fighting the fires at the scene. 44 dead, 279 missing, 3 arrested for alleged manslaughter
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Eight hours in, dozens of flats still blazing and another fire has broken out near Wong Shiu Chi Secondary School, located about eight minutes’ walk from Wang Fuk Court and across the Tai Po River. sc.mp/9nemc?utm_so...
November 26, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Eight hours in, dozens of flats still blazing and another fire has broken out near Wong Shiu Chi Secondary School, located about eight minutes’ walk from Wang Fuk Court and across the Tai Po River. sc.mp/9nemc?utm_so...
This will be the third scaffolding fire in Hong Kong in as many months - the previous two were a building site and a CBD tower and on a Saturday. There are 12 dead so far in this fire in Tai Po.
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
November 26, 2025 at 12:07 PM
This will be the third scaffolding fire in Hong Kong in as many months - the previous two were a building site and a CBD tower and on a Saturday. There are 12 dead so far in this fire in Tai Po.
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Seeing some quality ex-SCMP staff leading the live blog on the Hong Kong apartment tower fire. This is a shocking event.
November 26, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Seeing some quality ex-SCMP staff leading the live blog on the Hong Kong apartment tower fire. This is a shocking event.
Reposted by Jarrod Watt
📷: Tyrone Siu / Reuters
November 26, 2025 at 10:30 AM
📷: Tyrone Siu / Reuters
Reposted by Jarrod Watt
(19:07) 30-second snippet of TVB live coverage of the Tai Po fire
November 26, 2025 at 11:13 AM
(19:07) 30-second snippet of TVB live coverage of the Tai Po fire
"Since The Stringer presents a one-sided case with virtually no counter-arguments throughout the film, the vast Netflix audience will likely come away from the movie believing its version of events. Therefore, it is important to scrutinize the evidence put forward.." petapixel.com/2025/11/25/t...
November 26, 2025 at 9:25 AM
"Since The Stringer presents a one-sided case with virtually no counter-arguments throughout the film, the vast Netflix audience will likely come away from the movie believing its version of events. Therefore, it is important to scrutinize the evidence put forward.." petapixel.com/2025/11/25/t...
It’s such a cute quote. Didn’t see any mention of how many seats in the Legco the public actually is allowed to vote for.. “providing benefits to encourage residents to vote aligned with civic rights and duties, which helped promote a more representative legislature…”
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Hong Kong aims to boost Legco voters with HK$5 million worth of offers and perks
‘We want everyone to enjoy a happy and festive mood. The purpose of these government offers is to encourage people to vote,’ Eric Chan says.
www.scmp.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:02 AM
It’s such a cute quote. Didn’t see any mention of how many seats in the Legco the public actually is allowed to vote for.. “providing benefits to encourage residents to vote aligned with civic rights and duties, which helped promote a more representative legislature…”
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Same same but different: it’s the major label/Spotify deal all over again. And gosh didn’t that go well for artists… “The deal marks a decisive shift from litigation to structured cooperation and may serve as a template for how major record labels engage with AI music platforms in the future.”
Warner Music Drops Lawsuit Against Suno, Only to Cut Deal With Same AI Tech It Tried to Shut Down
www.ibtimes.co.uk/warner-music...
www.ibtimes.co.uk/warner-music...
Warner Music Drops Lawsuit Against Suno, Only to Cut Deal With the Same AI Tech It Tried to Shut Down
Warner Music Group has dropped its lawsuit against Suno and instead struck a partnership that gives artists full control over how their work is used in the AI platform's new licensed models launching ...
www.ibtimes.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Same same but different: it’s the major label/Spotify deal all over again. And gosh didn’t that go well for artists… “The deal marks a decisive shift from litigation to structured cooperation and may serve as a template for how major record labels engage with AI music platforms in the future.”
"Everybody knows that the war is over/
Everybody knows the good guys lost/
Everybody knows the fight was fixed/
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich/
That's how it goes/
Everybody knows..."
Everybody knows the good guys lost/
Everybody knows the fight was fixed/
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich/
That's how it goes/
Everybody knows..."
EXCLUSIVE: US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russia on how to pitch Ukraine plans to Trump, in audio files reviewed by Bloomberg
Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Vladimir Putin should raise it with Donald Trump.
bloom.bg
November 26, 2025 at 2:49 AM
"Everybody knows that the war is over/
Everybody knows the good guys lost/
Everybody knows the fight was fixed/
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich/
That's how it goes/
Everybody knows..."
Everybody knows the good guys lost/
Everybody knows the fight was fixed/
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich/
That's how it goes/
Everybody knows..."
Haven’t seen this angle picked up in Hong Kong…
“China's behaviour toward Japan lands at the worst possible moment for its CPTPP ambitions… China's approach… approving exports one month and threatening to shut them down the next - undermines all of those principles” www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
“China's behaviour toward Japan lands at the worst possible moment for its CPTPP ambitions… China's approach… approving exports one month and threatening to shut them down the next - undermines all of those principles” www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
China's CPTPP bid runs into an old problem — Japan
China's escalating confrontation with Japan is colliding directly with its attempt to join one of the world's most demanding trade agreements.
www.abc.net.au
November 26, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Haven’t seen this angle picked up in Hong Kong…
“China's behaviour toward Japan lands at the worst possible moment for its CPTPP ambitions… China's approach… approving exports one month and threatening to shut them down the next - undermines all of those principles” www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
“China's behaviour toward Japan lands at the worst possible moment for its CPTPP ambitions… China's approach… approving exports one month and threatening to shut them down the next - undermines all of those principles” www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Harry Harrison checks in on the new Bruce Lee monument in Hong Kong: today’s cartoon
November 25, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Harry Harrison checks in on the new Bruce Lee monument in Hong Kong: today’s cartoon
Reposted by Jarrod Watt
"Vietnam has been hit by 14 typhoons this year. Five was the average a few decades ago. The rain from the past few days did not even come from a cyclone — but to add inundation on top of injury, a 15th major storm has just formed off the country’s south central coast."
Vietnam’s Year of Floods, Mud and Death
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:20 PM
"Vietnam has been hit by 14 typhoons this year. Five was the average a few decades ago. The rain from the past few days did not even come from a cyclone — but to add inundation on top of injury, a 15th major storm has just formed off the country’s south central coast."