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Society

Extreme heat grips Hong Kong as labour groups urge district-level index

Parts of northern Hong Kong including Yuen Long and Ta Kwu Ling surpass 35 degrees before noon.

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A construction worker shelters under an umbrella in Central. Photo: Karma Lo

Banking & Finance

China’s quant funds have edge on foreign rivals, as Beijing curbs trading speed

Top US quant teams unable to beat native competitors in mainland China unlike in Japan or India, despite regulatory clampdown on trading.

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China’s quantitative funds have built trading strategies so closely tailored to the market that foreign rivals cannot replicate them, a prominent economist has said. Photo: Shutterstock

Food & Drink

How Hong Kong chef Vicky Lau is taking her Tate restaurant to a new level

For Tate’s third incarnation, Lau has forged a new sanctuary that reflects her creative maturity and evolving embrace of Chinese flavours.

Tate chef and founder Vicky Lau is pictured at her new restaurant in Tai Ping Shan Street, Sheung Wan. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Science

Beijing’s tree die-off shows hidden risks of rapid underground water recovery

Thousands of trees die in Jinzhandian Park, a lush flood-storage wetland, amid exceptionally wet and rainy summer.

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In Jinzhandian Park wetland, thousands of trees have reportedly died across four wooded areas near the water. Photo: Handout

Asia

Video | Days of heavy rain clogs Manila’s waterways

Some areas in the northern Philippines saw a month’s worth of rain in only nine days.

A worker on a plastic boat collects rubbish washed up on a river at the height of heavy rains enhanced by the Southwest monsoon days before, near a shopping complex in Paranaque City, suburban Manila on August 11, 2026. Floods, landslides and accidents driven by a nine-day downpour equivalent to more than a month’s worth of rain in some areas have killed at least 16 people in the northern Philippines, rescuers said on August 10. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
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Americas

Colombian woman pulled alive from rubble as quake death toll tops 200

The quake also strained parts of the healthcare system, turning the rescue effort into one of Colombia’s largest disaster responses in years.

Firefighters and rescuers carry survivor Daniela Largo out of the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Travel & Hotels

Review | Upper House Chengdu blends Qing dynasty heritage with modern luxury

Formerly known as The Temple House, Swire’s urban sanctuary in Tai Koo Li pairs historic architecture with Michelin-starred teahouse dining.

Upper House Chengdu, formerly The Temple House, is the Chinese city’s go-to luxury hotel. Photo: Handout

Politics

China prepares to mark Jiang Zemin centenary with full commemorative honours

A 12-part documentary on the former leader is screening nightly, with President Xi Jinping expected to lead a grand ceremony on Monday.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) shakes hands with former leader Jiang Zemin at the 19th party congress in 2017. Photo: Simon Song

Banking & Finance

Exclusive | HKEX to launch debate over extending trading hours despite pushback, sources say

The discussion paper could pave the way for Hong Kong’s bourse operator to introduce longer opening times, helping it attract global investors.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) is considering extending trading hours to sharpen the city’s competitiveness as a financial centre. Photo: Jelly Tse

Health & Wellness

He lost 10kg in 10 months: 66-year-old Singaporean’s inspiring fitness journey

Attan bin Talib’s shift work and eating habits saw him hit 90kg and feel constantly fatigued. He realised he needed to transform his life.

Attan bin Talib weighed 90kg before he started training in April 2025. He lost 10kg in 44 weeks to weigh 80kg in February 2026. Photos: Ultimate Performance
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United States & Canada

Trump says Secret Service, military insisted on Air Force One decoy in Turkey

The US president confirmed he covertly switched planes upon his departure from Ankara, saying ‘I guess there was a threat out there’.

US President Donald Trump switches planes at an airbase in Suffolk, eastern England, on his way back to Washington from the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, last month. Photo: AP

Big Tech

Why does SK Hynix want to sell its chip facility in southwest China?

The South Korean chipmaker wants to pivot towards the high-margin AI memory sector, but analysts warn any sale would face valuation hurdles.

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The SK Hynix logo is displayed at a trade expo in South Korea. The company is reportedly looking to sell one of its Chinese facilities. Photo: AP

Politics

Showdown in Solo: the new front in Indonesia’s Jokowi-Megawati feud

Analysts say the 2029 parliamentary bid will test whether Widodo can convert his personal popularity into lasting family influence.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo (right) and Megawati Sukarnoputri in April 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE

China Economy

China reformed its tax rules in 2018. Why is it now pushing stricter enforcement?

Declining fiscal revenue is prompting tax authorities to scrutinize offshore trusts and equity gains.

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Employees work in an electronics factory in Chongqing on September 13. Photo: AFP

Dining

Interview: Nick and Henry Burch on Butter Baby’s mad, whimsical universe

Founded by the American fashion designer’s twin sons, the Jakarta doughnut phenomenon counts Jackson Wang and North West among its fans.

Henry (left) and Nick Burch attend the opening of Butter Baby’s store at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, in June 2026. Photo: Handout
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Trending in China

‘White Rabbit’ candy: China’s beloved classic wrapper draws global acclaim

Brand’s pure milk flavour and iconic wrapper ensure it remains a beloved icon in consumer memories, says expert.

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Shanghai’s iconic White Rabbit creamy candy, a cherished childhood treat since 1959, is celebrating newfound international admiration for its timeless graphic design. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

Hong Kong Opinion

As I see it | Hong Kong is no longer a Western playground – and it’s not looking back

Stephen Roach and his like-minded critics should let go of their fantasy of a bygone era. The city has already moved on.

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Pedestrians walk in view of the city skyline at Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront on June 30. As mainland China emerges as a superpower, Hong Kong must change with the rest of the nation, and for the better. Photo: Jelly Tse

Banking & Finance

What are China’s quantitative trading funds, and why are they so controversial?

China’s quant funds face scrutiny from retail traders and regulators, driven by their large returns and use of AI.

Critics argue that AI-driven strategies exacerbate volatility in a market still dominated by more than 250 million retail investors Photo: Getty Images

Politics

Taiwan arrests 2 mainland Chinese after boat slips past defences

Mainland Chinese men in rubber dinghy dismissed as ‘sea clutter’ by coastguard radar operator, raising fresh concerns over island’s security.

A Taiwanese fisherman says this inflatable boat from mainland China sat abandoned on Bali Beach near the Port of Taipei for two days before he alerted police. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong Economy

In Focus | Why does Hong Kong need a 5-year plan – and will it curb its free-market economy?

As Hong Kong embraces long-term planning for the first time, economists and officials debate whether strategic state guidance can coexist with its open, market-led economy.

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
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Politics

Vietnam’s To Lam eyes trade, defence boost during trip to Australia, New Zealand

China’s actions in the South China Sea will be discussed but unlikely to be explicitly condemned, observers say.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) greets Vietnamese President To Lam at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday. Photo: AAP/dpa

Hong Kong

Profile | Call of the ocean: Hong Kong freediver relishes testing human limits with one breath

‘It is a sport that requires both mental and physical strength: a well‑toned body with a tranquil mindset,’ Michael Sung says.

Michael Sung eventually turned freediving into a career at the Blue Sea in Egypt in late 2021. Photo: Michael Sung

Travel

Three-wheeling through Sri Lanka on a family tuk-tuk adventure

Cheap, naturally air-conditioned and undoubtedly a ‘fun-mobile’, a self-driven tuk-tuk provides the ultimate transport for travellers too young to appreciate the spiritual side of the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.

David Burden’s family climbs aboard Abu the tuk-tuk. Photo: David Burden

Business

Hong Kong property recovery faces new risk as Beijing widens offshore tax net

Potential taxation of offshore property income could curb mainland demand, while weaker insurance activity hits decentralised office markets.

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Testing times could lie ahead for Hong Kong’s property market if Beijing’s crackdown on offshore wealth extends to offshore rental income and capital gains tax, affecting investors. Photo: Sam Tsang

Opinion

Editorial | Hong Kong must act fast to protect workers from heat distress

The government needs to deliver on its pledge to address the shortfalls of the city’s heat stress warning system.

A construction worker at a site in Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin district takes a drink on a day of scorching heat on August 10. Photo: Sam Tsang
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Food & Drink

She’s both a baker and a psychologist, creating recipes to make your life better

Helen Goh talks about combining the two sides of her life in her cookbook ‘Baking and the Meaning of Life’, which won a James Beard award.

Baker and psychologst Helen Goh’s pandan chiffon cake infuses flavour memories from her Malaysian upbringing. Photo: John Davis

East Asia

Japan slams North Korea’s ballistic missile firing ahead of US-Seoul drills

Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the launch a ‘threat to peace and security in our region’.

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News coverage showing footage of a North Korean missile launch on a screen at a railway station in Seoul. On Wednesday, Japan’s defence ministry said North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile towards the sea outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Photo: AFP

Military

In Focus | Beyond the numbers: why China’s carrier force won’t copy the US model

Defence experts say PLA carrier fleet is expected to complement land-based forces and extend reach into the western Pacific and beyond.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US

US lifts TikTok ban on government devices after ByteDance restructuring

Justice Department says the app’s new US joint venture is no longer covered by the 2022 prohibition targeting app’s Chinese parent company.

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The restructuring saved TikTok from a US ban imposed over concerns about American user data and its ties to China. Photo: AFP

Asia Opinion

The View | If India wants an edge on China, it must study education reform

While recent protests were triggered by irregularities in the national medical entrance exam, the quality of education more broadly warrants attention.

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Indian Youth Congress party workers hold placards featuring India’s education minister Dharmendra Pradhan during a protest over the alleged national medical school entrance exam irregularities, in Mumbai on June 2. In July, Pradhan announced his resignation after countrywide protests. Photo: AFP