Hong Kong votes in election as city mourns deadly fire

The government has mounted a huge campaign to encourage Hongkongers to choose members of the Legislative Council. All of the candidates have been vetted to ensure they are loyal to China. In recent days, authorities have distributed aid to survivors, arrested suspects and sought to improve building safety, as some Hongkongers raise questions about last month's Tai Po fire, which killed nearly 160 people.

Also on the programme: We hear from two Syrians, one of whom has returned to the country, almost 1 year on from the fall of Bashal al-Assad; and we ask why some high ranking officials in the United States are talking about the possibility of UFOs in our skies in a new documentary.

Joining presenter Owen Bennett-Jones to discuss these stories and more are Sophie Lambin, the founder and chief executive of Kite Insights, an sustainable economy consultancy, and Phil Cox, a British journalist and filmmaker.

(Photo: A Ballot box is seen at a polling station during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on the 7th of December 2025. Credit: MAY JAMES/EPA/Shutterstock)