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Hong Kong urged to adopt trait-based dog tiers, DNA checks after fatal attacks

2026-08-23T21:30:01+00:00

Hong Kong should introduce a tiered risk framework and carry out DNA testing and physical assessments to identify dogs with aggressive breed traits, a veterinary surgeon and a lawmaker have said following three fatal canine attacks within a week.

The calls made on Monday come after the latest fatal mauling at a pet training centre, where a 33-year-old woman was attacked by a dog suspected of being a mixed-breed fighting dog and was later found dead last week.

Preliminary inspections by authorities revealed the dog shared genetic traits with the pit bull terrier, a banned fighting breed in the city. Yet, the dog’s microchip indicated it was a mongrel.

Speaking on a radio show, veterinarian Lai Cheong-sang said Hong Kong should replace the city’s breed-specific categorisation system with a trait-based, tiered system to classify dogs’ danger levels and assign corresponding control measures.

“If a dog is suspected of having the potential to cause danger after a risk assessment, it can be required to undergo mandatory training, be leashed or otherwise constrained, and receive regular assessments,” he said.

He also called for a certification system for people who keep or train high-risk breeds.

New Zealand plans social media ban for under-16s backed by big fines

2026-08-23T21:30:07+00:00

By Reuters

New ⁠Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday his party would introduce a bill in parliament that seeks to ban children under 16 from using social media, proposing fines of up to 10 per cent of a ‌platform’s global revenue for non-compliance.

The bill would require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users’ ages, including by using existing account information, facial technology and digital identity documents.

“We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children,” Luxon said in a statement.

“Social media is ⁠exposing them to harmful content, addictive technology and pressures they are not equipped to ‌deal with and it’s affecting their family life, mental health, sleep and education.”

It was not immediately clear if the bill would garner sufficient ‌support to pass through parliament, with one of Luxon’s coalition partners, the ⁠New Zealand First ⁠party, saying it would not support it.

New ⁠Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s proposed bill follows several other countries that have introduced similar measures, including Australia, which became the first country to ban social media for children. Photo: AP.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

John Lee urges start-ups to seize opportunities through ‘golden gateway’ of Hong Kong

2026-08-23T21:30:12+00:00

By Matthew Cheng

Hong Kong’s leader has called on scientists, leading enterprises and investment institutions from around the world to seize opportunities in the city, describing it as a “golden gateway” for overseas companies to enter the mainland Chinese market and mainland unicorn firms to expand globally.

Speaking at the first Global Unicorn Summit on Monday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made a familiar pitch to attendees and entrepreneurs, citing the city’s unique advantages as a “superconnector and super value-adder” between mainland China and the world.

“On the journey of innovation and entrepreneurship, Hong Kong not only serves as a testing ground for technological breakthroughs, but it will also become an accelerator for the transformation of research outcomes and a new world for global expansion.”

Lee highlighted Hong Kong’s strengths, including its world-leading capital market, common-law system, low-tax business environment, global trade network and pool of top-tier international professional talent.

These advantages, he said, made Hong Kong the premier springboard for mainland start-ups and unicorns – companies valued at over US$1 billion – to enter international markets and build global supply chains, as well as the primary hub for top-tier overseas innovation and technology (I&T) companies to tap into the mainland market.

According to Lee, a record high of more than 11,000 mainland and overseas companies and over 5,200 start-ups were operating in Hong Kong as of last year. The city has also incubated 20 unicorns over the past decade.

Lee said the development of the Greater Bay Area would draw on Hong Kong’s high-calibre talent and research strengths, together with the robust advanced manufacturing base in mainland cities, providing a solid foundation for I&T growth.

Thai teen rocker Nene Royal talks America’s Got Talent and dreaming big

2026-08-23T21:30:17+00:00

By Aidan Jones

A twist of fate put a guitar in Nene Royal’s hands. Aged seven, she wanted to join the computer science club at her school in Phuket, Thailand, but it was already full.

“The only place left was in the music club, and the teacher handed me a guitar,” she told This Week in Asia. “The moment I started playing, something clicked.”

Now just 16, the self-taught rocker has a shot at global stardom on the world’s most watched talent show, America’s Got Talent.

“I learned by watching YouTube videos, studying musicians and performers I admired and practising for hours every day,” said Nene, whose real name is Rattikan Amloy, in an email.

Thailand has a long affinity with rock and guitar music, although the scene is dominated by men. Nene said that was never part of her story.

Expat retirees fuel luxury home demand; Wang Yi’s trip to Seoul: 5 weekend reads you missed

2026-08-23T21:00:01+00:00

By SCMP

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung welcomes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Seoul. Photo: AFP.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

Can China’s flash memory giant YMTC smash Shanghai Star Market IPO records?

2026-08-23T21:00:06+00:00

By Howard Liu

China is gearing up for what could become its next record-breaking semiconductor stock listing as the parent company of chip giant Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC) prepares to go public on Shanghai’s Star Market.

CCSH Corporation, parent of China’s top NAND flash maker, planned to sell between 1.98 billion and 2.43 billion shares, equivalent to 10 to 12 per cent of its enlarged share capital, according to a prospectus made public on Friday. An overallotment option of up to 15 per cent could also be exercised.

While the final offer price and total proceeds have yet to be set, the planned size signals a massive fundraising push.

CCSH has earmarked 33 billion yuan (US$4.9 billion) specifically for investment projects – 20.8 billion yuan to upgrade mass-production lines and 12.2 billion yuan for research and development.

That target already surpasses the 29.5 billion yuan that ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China’s leading DRAM maker, originally set aside ahead of its float in July.

CXMT ultimately raised 66.6 billion yuan, nearly double its baseline plan, in what became the largest Star Market initial public offering on record. YMTC’s final tally could similarly eclipse its baseline 33 billion yuan target depending on final market demand.

Philippines stakes claim as Latin America’s Asean gateway

2026-08-23T20:30:01+00:00

By Sam Beltran

The Philippines is positioning itself as Latin America’s bridge to Southeast Asia, testing whether shared history and culture can translate into hard trade figures as Asean and the Mercosur bloc look beyond their traditional partners.

Manila’s Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro made the pitch during visits to Brazil and Chile from August 10-13.

“Upon this human foundation, commercial bridges thrive: the Philippines stands as the premier strategic gateway for Latin American firms expanding into Asean’s US$4-trillion market,” she told an audience in Chile, referring to the two regions’ shared Spanish colonial history, Catholic faith and people-to-people ties.

Lazaro also floated the idea of expanding logistics links – citing the regional presence of Philippine port operator International Container Terminal Services – as a way to cut costs and shield supply chains from global shocks via direct trans-Pacific shipping routes.

The pitch lands in a crowded field, however: Singapore remains Southeast Asia’s dominant commercial, financial and logistics hub, while Vietnam and Indonesia have attracted growing interest from companies looking to diversify supply chains.

It also comes as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Mercosur – a South American trade bloc whose members include Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay – look for new partners amid US tariffs, energy insecurity and wider geopolitical uncertainty.

A container ship enters the Panama Canal from the Pacific Ocean earlier this year. Photo: AFP.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

China team brings X-ray vision to life with a compact high-speed ghost video cam

2026-08-23T20:30:06+00:00

By Victoria Bela

Chinese scientists have developed a new tabletop X-ray ghost imaging method that allows them to capture real-time “see-through” video of fast-moving objects.

The team’s system could be used to capture dynamic objects such as rotating aircraft engines or biological movements like a beating heart.

Importantly, this could all be accomplished with a lower radiation dose and simpler set-up than traditional X-ray methods.

“In contrast to other available X-ray imaging techniques for moving objects, our method can be implemented with a conventional tabletop X-ray source,” the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Communications Physics on August 15.

“The set-up is simple, relatively inexpensive and easy to operate.”

The researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University said their method had “great potential” for medical imaging as well as non-destructive imaging of moving mechanical components.

Murder-suicide suspected as woman, 66, found dead after husband jumped from building

2026-08-23T20:00:03+00:00

By Edith Lin

Hong Kong police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide after an 80-year-old man allegedly jumped to his death from a residential building, shortly before officers found his 66-year-old wife dead inside their flat.

The force said on Monday that a security guard from Kwai Chung Estate, a public housing estate in Kwai Tsing, reported that the man had fallen from a height at Chun Kwai House at about 11.30pm on Sunday.

His wife was subsequently found collapsed inside their flat at the same block.

The pair were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said their deaths were suspicious and classified the case as a murder-suicide.

More to follow …

Australia see spike in near-misses amid air traffic controller shortage

2026-08-23T19:30:01+00:00

By Bloomberg

Australia’s shortage of air traffic controllers is showing signs of nearing a breaking point after the country’s busiest airport recorded at least four near misses in the past month.

Since late July, incidents at Sydney Airport included a passenger jet aborting its take-off because there was a plane in its path. In a separate close call, an aircraft that was taxiing had to slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with another jet.

Short-staffed control towers have long been a problem globally, but nowhere is the urgency of the matter more on display recently than in Australia. The growing number of incidents is pressing the need for authorities worldwide to crank up hiring and adopt new tools like artificial intelligence.

“Air traffic control staffing levels are not at the level required,” said Andrew Marshall, president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, which represents the flight crew at the nation’s flag carrier, Qantas Airways. “Whilst pilots are the last line of defence in aviation safety, it isn’t an appropriate long-term solution.”

The problem is there is no quick way to fill the shortfall of air traffic controllers in Australia, largely because it takes years for a new recruit to be fully trained. Meanwhile, flight demand continues to grow.

That is becoming the case worldwide as the lack of controllers has turned into one of the aviation industry’s biggest frustrations. More than 70,000 new controllers will be needed globally by 2034, according to forecasts by aviation training provider CAE.

Jetstar and Virgin Australia aircraft on a runway at Sydney Airport in Australia on Friday. Photo: Reuters.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

Investment market volatility is ‘here to stay’ unless global recession strikes: analyst

2026-08-23T19:30:06+00:00

By Themis Qi

Wealthy investors should be ready for higher volatility “for years” as uncertainties around artificial intelligence (AI) development and geopolitical risks are set to persist, according to a major private bank.

In the past few years, asset prices underwent several roller coaster rides, from US Liberation Day last year to the sell-off of semiconductor shares and US Treasury in recent months.

But volatility came after changes to the market’s structure “over the decades” and was expected to be “here to stay”, said Julia Wang, North Asia chief investment officer of Nomura International Wealth Management, in an interview with the South China Morning Post.

“(Periodic high volatility) is already a result of structure changes to the market, so it’s unlikely to change, unless we have a global recession,” said Wang, who joined the international wealth management arm of Japan’s largest investment banking and brokerage firm in November last year, to advise the offshore investments of clients with at least US$20 million of potential investable surplus.

While Wang reaffirmed Nomura’s positive outlook on AI and the global economy, AI was one of the key pushes behind the ups and downs.

She explained that expectations for outperforming gains from the future productivity driver resulted in crowded trading and leverage, which usually would be followed by market sell-offs.

Semiconductor shares could be a good example. After hitting a record high in late June, the memory chip-heavy Korea Composite Stock Price Index plunged 22 per cent last month, sending a Hong Kong-listed SK Hynix-leveraged exchange-traded fund to dive 71 per cent over the month.

‘Hang in there’: Chinese boys offer US$1.5 to struggling store owner, sparking wave of support

2026-08-23T18:30:01+00:00

By Zoey Zhang

Three boys from southeastern China offered 10.5 yuan (US$1.5) to a convenience store owner on the brink of closing, igniting a wave of public support.

Five years after borrowing money to establish his convenience store in Guangzhou, Chen decided to shut down the shop as business continued to decline.

On August 12, three primary school boys visited the store, as they often did, to buy drinks. During a casual conversation, they learned that Chen was preparing to close the establishment.

One boy suggested that Chen take his business online, while another proposed they combine their pocket money to support him.

The trio then counted their savings and placed 10.5 yuan on Chen’s counter, despite his persistent refusals, before running off with a message of encouragement: “Hang in there!”

The sight of the crumpled banknotes brought Chen to tears.

The trio seen discussing how to help struggling store owner Chen before pooling their limited resources on his counter. Photo: Baidu.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

Homes crack as London heatwaves trigger record subsidence claims

2026-08-23T18:30:06+00:00

By Bloomberg

Londoners are facing historic levels of subsidence risk after five successive heatwaves dried out the clay soil on which much of the British capital is built.

Insurance claims tied to subsidence – a phenomenon associated with bouts of hot, dry weather that shrink the soil and destabilise the foundations on which buildings stand – hit a record last quarter, according to data provided by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). On average, households claimed £20,000 (US$27,200) for the risk, more than in any previous quarter and a 15 per cent jump from the same period in 2025, the ABI said.

Laura Hughes, head of general insurance at the ABI, said the upwards trend is likely to continue. “We expect to see more subsidence cases because of the hot weather,” she said in an interview.

Londoners have taken to social media to express their dismay. On Reddit, people offered personal accounts telling of “horrendous cracking” in their homes, and “doors sticking” due to subsidence. One said it was “genuinely scary” to discover that their kitchen had moved as the foundations of the home shifted.

Another Reddit user described the response of a structural engineer they contacted for help. “Before I could finish explaining he laughed and said, ‘You and 20,000 other people in southeast London’,” the person wrote.

“It’s crazy, what’s happening now,” said Otso Lahtinen, chief executive of Geobear, an engineering firm that is regularly called in to repair damage caused by subsidence. “It’s the new norm, and it seems it will happen more often in the next 20 to 30 years.”

Half of Hong Kong’s public bodies omit emissions data, green group finds

2026-08-23T18:30:11+00:00

By Theodora Yu

Half of Hong Kong’s government departments and public bodies have not disclosed their greenhouse gas emissions data and some calculations have been based on outdated information, a green group has found.

The findings from The Green Earth have prompted calls for stronger carbon reporting and the setting of reduction targets across the public sector to align with the city’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality before 2050.

The non-profit group’s study of 82 public entities found that while 41 published emissions data, about eight entities relied on an outdated emission factor.

An emission factor is a standard multiplier used to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas generated from an activity.

The city’s two utility providers, CLP Power and HK Electric, each publish their own emission factors, which are adjusted with changes in the energy mix.

Using outdated factors could lead to overestimated emission reductions, said Steven Chan Wing-kit, the green group’s assistant environmental affairs manager.

Alibaba’s US$10 billion share sale three times oversubscribed in Hong Kong

2026-08-23T21:30:22+00:00

By Xinmei Shen

Alibaba Group Holding has sold 710 million new shares at HK$112.70 each to raise HK$80 billion (US$10.2 billion) in one of the largest artificial intelligence-dedicated fundraising efforts by a Chinese technology firm.

The offer price represented an 8.4 per cent discount to the stock’s closing price in Hong Kong on Friday and a 3.6 per cent discount to the Friday closing price of its New York-listed shares, the company said in a stock exchange filing on Monday.

The 710 million newly issued shares represented around 3.7 per cent of the company’s 19.17 billion total outstanding shares. Alibaba is the owner of the South China Morning Post.

The placement, Alibaba’s first primary share issuance since its 2019 secondary listing in Hong Kong, drew fierce investor demand.

The order book exceeded the US$10 billion target shortly after launch, attracting US$28 billion in demand to leave the deal nearly three times oversubscribed, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Anchor demand came from leading sovereign wealth funds across the Middle East, Europe and Asia, they said.

Remembering Zhu Rongji and understanding his legacy

2026-08-23T18:00:01+00:00

By Tammy Tam

“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.” This famous quote, widely attributed to Mark Twain, keeps playing in my mind as China mourns the death of former premier Zhu Rongji and reflects on his legacy.

It was early afternoon on August 12 when I received a message from a friend on the mainland that made my heart sink: “Our much-respected Premier Zhu left us this morning!”

As we anxiously waited for the official confirmation that would launch us into a frantically busy news day, my mind went back to those years when I, as a journalist, had multiple opportunities to encounter Zhu up close. I was as impressed by his statesmanship, wisdom and wit on the international stage as I was touched by the genuine love he showed Hong Kong.

Zhu became the fifth premier of China in March 1998 as the country was undergoing a tremendous transformation from decades of a planned economy to a “market economy with Chinese characteristics” under then-president Jiang Zemin. It was only about nine months after Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty following more than a century of British colonial rule.

It was an uncertain but exciting time, when the “one country, two systems” governing principle for Hong Kong was being rolled out. The implementation of the special formula designed by paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and officially recognised in China’s constitution – which empowered the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the legislation of the Basic Law – was well received but still a work in progress.

Back then there were plenty of concerns, doubts and political narratives about it being “over” for Hong Kong, and some of that remains to this day, although the facts speak louder about the progress the city has made and its transformation for the better after its return to the motherland. Zhu and Jiang kept one country, two systems dear to their hearts, and China’s current leadership has neither changed that approach nor intends to.

Malaysian villages shaken as blasts rock southern Thailand

2026-08-23T17:30:01+00:00

By Agencies

Residents of Malaysian villages near the Thailand border were left shaken this weekend after hearing loud booms and seeing flashes of light across the frontier, as Thai authorities confirmed more than 50 coordinated attacks on Saturday night.

The blasts, heard in Kampung Lubok Gong and Kampung Tersang in Malaysia’s Kelantan state, coincided with a wave of near-simultaneous attacks across 21 districts in Thailand’s Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces beginning around 8pm local time on Saturday, according to Thailand’s Internal Security Operations Command.

Preliminary reports indicated three civilians were injured and they were reported to be recovering on Sunday, though authorities said they were still compiling a full casualty count given the scale of the incidents.

On the Malaysian side of the border, Ismail Abdul Rahman, 50, of Kampung Lubok Gong, and Malik Zulkarnain, 35, of Kampung Tersang, told national news agency Bernama that the booms were unmistakable.

“They were very loud, like booms in the sky during a lightning storm. The house felt as though it was shaking, and we immediately stayed alert,” Ismail said, adding that he kept his family indoors until the noise abated.

Kazakhstan election: pro-Tokayev party set for landslide as president hints at staying on

2026-08-23T17:00:01+00:00

By Bloomberg

A party led by allies of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won a landslide in parliamentary elections on Sunday, hours after he hinted that he may stay in power beyond his current term.

The Adilet party won 71.8 per cent of votes in the election to a new single-chamber parliament, according to an exit poll released on state television. The Auyl party representing agrarian interests was second with 6.4 per cent.

“I have the right to be re‑elected in accordance with the law,” Tokayev told reporters earlier, after casting his vote, in response to a question on whether he would seek another term. “Perhaps next year I’ll be able to give you a more specific answer.”

Adilet, which means Justice, is led by one of Tokayev’s former top aides with backing from business leaders who have gained influence during his presidency. It was founded only in May, and the former ruling Amanat party, which won the 2023 parliamentary elections, announced in June that it was merging with Adilet.

Seven parties contested 145 seats allocated by party list for a five-year term in the new parliament. Five had cleared the 5 per cent threshold, according to the exit poll conducted by the Institute of Eurasian Integration, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point. Voter turnout was 74.19 per cent, according to the country’s central election commission.

The new chamber is the latest element of a constitutional overhaul initiated by Tokayev following deadly 2022 riots that he called an attempted coup in the giant former Soviet republic of about 20 million people. It replaces the previous bicameral parliament, following a referendum in March that also established the post of vice-president, who would succeed the head of state in the event of an early departure from office.

Tokayev poses for a picture with voters at a polling station during a snap parliamentary election in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

Record non-DSE admissions to Hong Kong’s universities spark calls for quotas

2026-08-23T17:00:06+00:00

By William Yiu

Hong Kong public universities have admitted a record number of students applying outside the local exam system, with the intake surging by 63 per cent over seven years to account for nearly 30 per cent of the 15,000 government-funded places, the South China Morning Post has found.

Meanwhile, the intake of home-grown students taking the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam has dropped by 7 per cent, causing its proportion to fall from 82 per cent to 72 per cent, sparking calls for a cap on admissions through alternative qualifications to safeguard local interests.

“The decrease in places for DSE students results in driving up admission scores,” said Ng Po-shing, a student guidance consultant at Hok Yau Club and vice-principal of a secondary school. “More students are complaining that they failed to get into certain programmes though they met the median score in the previous cohort.”

The Diploma of Secondary Education is the city’s main university entrance examination.

The SCMP isolated the trends after analysing data sets from the University Grants Committee (UGC) on first-year-first-degree students admitted with DSE and non-DSE qualifications across all eight government-funded universities from 2019-20 to 2025-26.

According to the data, non-DSE admissions to government-funded Year One university places have shown an upward trend in both overall numbers and proportions over six years.

Indonesia takes on Malaysia in battle over palm oil pricing

2026-08-23T16:30:01+00:00

By Vincent Tan

Indonesia produces and exports more palm oil than any other country, but when it comes to setting the price, it still plays second fiddle to Malaysia.

President Prabowo Subianto wants to change that. On August 14, he announced a new exchange for commodities including palm oil, nickel and coal, targeted to begin operations on January 1.

But analysts say dominance in physical supply does not automatically translate into pricing power. Jakarta’s move to set new benchmarks may not be enough to persuade international traders to ditch Bursa Malaysia’s crude palm oil futures contract (FCPO), the industry’s principal reference for pricing and hedging.

The new bourse is part of a broader push by Prabowo for greater state oversight of export prices, volumes and revenue.

“We do not merely want to be a producer of global commodities. We must become a setter for prices of global commodities,” Prabowo told lawmakers during his annual budget speech before Indonesia’s House of Representatives.

The Strategic Mineral and Commodity Exchange (BMKS) will be supervised by the Financial Services Authority, which said on August 19 that it had appointed Henry Rialdi as deputy commissioner responsible for the exchange’s regulation and oversight.