Yuen Chan

Price of Crude Oil WTI (USD/Bbl) over a five-year period, spanning from 2021 to early 2026. The chart shows a significant price peak in 2022 reaching over $120, followed by a general downward trend with various fluctuations, eventually hitting a low near $55 in late 2025 before a sharp vertical spike to the current price of 90.900. This recent surge represents an increase of +23.880 (+35.63%), highlighted in green text above the blue line graph.

The real insanity isn’t how much oil prices have spiked, it’s that we’re still burning oil for energy.

This would be comical if it were not so cynical.

Media must stop normalizing the far right Every uncritical mention of far-right rhetoric is an editorial decision with political consequences.

I published a new op-ed in @politico.com on how the media is mainstreaming the far right. It blurs ideology, sanitises extremist actors and quietly shifts the centre of gravity of public debate onto far-right terrain. It’s free sanitisation. www.politico.eu/article/medi...

A glass bowl with round, white glutinous rice balls. Two are visible in the foreground, one on a white and blue china spoon.

And it's a wrap for another New Year. May you find peace, equilibrium and the comfort of loved ones in the year ahead 🌸🌱

Twenty-year sentence for Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai is a further blow for journalists feeling the heat of Beijing’s crackdown on press freedom Journalists are self-censoring and negotiating shifting ‘red lines’ to avoid falling foul of the territory’s draconian national security law.

I wasn't sure there was anything to add when @uk.theconversation.com asked me to write a piece about the Jimmy Lai ruling. Then I came across a curious Ming Pao editorial that said the ruling made journalistic red lines clearer. Here's why it doesn't.
theconversation.com/twenty-year-...

The current argument of the British right is that Muslims turned out in "blocs" with "family voting" to cast their ballots for a party led by a gay Jewish man, and this shows that multiculturalism has failed, voting is "sectarian" and we are in a crisis.

Hmmmmmm.

This couldn't be more timely.
Hope to see you at @journalismatcity.bsky.social next week!

"He says the federation will work with the Chinese Society for Science and Technology Journalism to obtain assurances for the independence of conference planners and participants."
These societies and organisations are GONGOs, funded and run through a system of state-led patronage.

Hope the anger can be channeled to create an unstoppable movement.

The strawberries in Hong Kong supermarkets are pretty dire. But freshly picked, sun ripened strawbs from the garden (or a farm) are divine.

So, I got this book last week and today I come across rice cooker discourse on Bluesky.

Good lord. The people in the audience chuckling and nodding ...

馬小玲 (yes, in honour of THE 馬小玲)

Picture of a red horse plushie with a downturned mouth, standing behind a round box of candies.

What should I name him?

Hahaha, I'm glad that was noted.

Now is the season of ... a new Regina Ip qipao post every day 🙈

新年流流，好唔老嚟！

人在異鄉冇得收爐， 但在此預祝大家喺新嘅一年身心健康，快樂， 盡可能活在真理， 指馬為馬！🐎✅🦌🚫

Ah, I remember her from Sussex days ...

Re: Why covid-19 is “a vascular disease masquerading as a respiratory one”

🎯🎯🎯 short response article from Dr Nicola Boyd (formerly on Twitter as @DrNick4126)

Rapid response to: Why covid-19 is a vascular disease masquerading as a respiratory one
www.bmj.com/content/392/...

No, they're not. It's just the dregs that are left, if anything at all. Harumph.

Today I finally found time to go get New Year flowers and sweets, then realised it was totally the wrong day to get flower and sweets. Sigh, and bah humbug!

Expelled CUHK student tells Green Bean Media that he's not surprised by the decision but is disgusted by the actions of the decision-making panel: "they're quite disgusting, these people are supposed to be scholars, supposed to uphold truth, knowledge and rigour."

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7
Ws rfa bm.*
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Thank you @ericyhlai.bsky.social for a fascinating talk about the struggle for the rule of law in Hong Kong at @cityjournalism.bsky.social today.

A Chinese University of Hong Kong student who launched a now-removed petition calling for government accountability following November’s deadly Tai Po fire has said he has been expelled.

hongkongfp.com/2026/02/13/s... @hongkongfp.com

There was a guy on my train the other morning reeking of alcohol and lurching all over the carriage, talking to nobody in particular

These people are so predictable, so 🥱 and so dangerous

UK ban on Palestine Action unlawful, high court judges rule Protest group’s co-founder wins legal challenge against decision to proscribe it under anti-terrorism laws

UK ban on Palestine Action unlawful, high court judges rule www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Wow, what a photo.