SCMP News Digest
Monday, 26 January 2026
Thai comeback kid Pita urges ‘decisive’ People’s Party win to break establishment’s grip
Thailand’s most popular political figure Pita Limjaroenrat has exhorted the public to fight apathy and vote in droves at a February 8 election for his reformist party, which remains the biggest threat to the power of the country’s entrenched elite.
Pita led the reformist People’s Party – then called Move Forward – to win the last election in 2023 on a record 76 per cent voter turnout, stunning the establishment as it gobbled up seats from political dynasties and surged into the heartlands of…
Ex-PLA soldier jailed for 8 months for offering illegal ride-hailing trips in Hong Kong
A former People’s Liberation Army soldier has been sentenced to eight months in prison for illegally carrying passengers in his Tesla Model S luxury sedan using a ride-hailing platform while in Hong Kong as a tourist.
Fanling Court on Monday heard that Zeng Yulin, 39, travelled to Hong Kong from Shenzhen between June and August last year to offer paid rides using online mapping service Amap, earning more than HK$73,000 (US$9,400) in two months.
He told Acting Principal Magistrate Veronica Heung…
China’s central bank to support HKMA in doubling of yuan liquidity for Hong Kong lenders
China’s central bank will support Hong Kong’s monetary authority to double the amount of yuan liquidity available to local banks, helping them increase yuan lending and enhancing the city’s role as an international offshore centre for the mainland currency.
People’s Bank of China (PBOC) deputy governor Zou Lan said at the Asian Financial Forum (AFF) in Hong Kong on Monday that the central bank would provide more funding to allow the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) to double the yuan…
Iran unveils bloody anti-US billboard as carrier force nears
Iranian authorities unveiled a new mural on a giant billboard in a central Tehran square on Sunday with a direct warning to the United States to not attempt a military strike on the country, as US warships head to the region.
The image shows a bird’s-eye view of an aircraft carrier with damaged and exploding fighter planes on its flight deck. The deck is strewn with bodies and streaked with blood that trails into the water behind the ship to form a pattern reminiscent of the stripes of the…
Gold surge has analysts eyeing new highs after US$5,000 record amid Trump-era geopolitics
Gold surged to an all-time high of US$5,000 an ounce on Monday, with analysts forecasting further gains as the precious metal is increasingly viewed as a strategic hedge amid heightened geopolitical risks linked to the current US administration’s foreign policy shifts and a growing push for de-dollarisation.
“We see the recent move as justifiable, given the rise in geopolitical risks and [the] macro environment,” said Alexandra Symeonidi, a senior corporate credit and sustainability analyst with…
Chinese military leaders under probe, Blackpink in Hong Kong: 5 weekend reads you missed
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.
1. China’s top uniformed officer Zhang Youxia is among 2 generals under investigation
Top Chinese military leaders Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are under investigation for suspected “serious” disciplinary violations, according to the Ministry of National Defence.
2. Chinese scientists shrink…
Cyclist fatally hit by car in Hong Kong, the second in a week
A cyclist has died in hospital after being knocked down by a car in Tai Po, a week after another fatal accident involving a bicycle in Hong Kong.
Police received a report of the accident at 7.25am on Monday.
The victim, a man in his sixties, was struck by the car on Ting Kok Road near Tai Po Industrial Estate.
He was rushed to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital in Tai Po for treatment but was later pronounced dead.
The force subsequently arrested the driver for dangerous driving.
Last week,…
Flying blind at Mach 1: how China is bringing world’s first supersonic rail to life
A rail system that accelerates heavy objects faster than the speed of sound using pure electromagnetic force has been operating in the eastern Chinese city of Jinan for more than two years.
But one of the biggest mysteries remains: how does it stay in control?
The sonic boom the system generates at ground level could blind or wreck traditional sensors, while the slightest miscalculation due to missing data could mean disaster at supersonic speeds.
The system, known as the electromagnetic sledge,…
South Korea mourns ‘kingmaker’ Lee Hae-chan after fatal heart attack in Vietnam
South Korean former prime minister Lee Hae-chan, a veteran politician and influential fixture on the country’s road to democracy, died during an official visit to Vietnam’s southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City, both governments said.
Lee died on Sunday, after emergency medical aid for a heart attack, a South Korean presidential advisory panel said in a statement.
The 73-year-old reportedly complained of flu-like symptoms before his departure to Vietnam and decided to return home one day after his…
How lower US interest rates will help Hongkongers even if local prime rates don’t drop
Hong Kong banks may not cut their prime rates this year, but local interbank rates will still follow US rates lower, benefiting a majority of borrowers, according to a senior executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).
Analysts widely expect the US Federal Reserve to cut its key rate by three-quarters of a point this year, but Hong Kong commercial banks are unlikely to cut their prime lending rates more than they already have.
“It would be hard for banks to cut their prime rate any…
Thailand releases first aquarium-bred leopard sharks to rewild endangered species
After a brief countdown by conservationists, a young Indo-Pacific leopard shark glided into the blue waters off Maiton Island in southern Thailand, released in the country’s first efforts to “rewild” the endangered species.
Once a familiar sight for snorkellers and divers, the spotted sharks have sharply declined in the wild over the past decade due to overfishing and habitat loss, even as they flourished in private aquariums.
“Why not take the breeding population that is doing well in the…
Philippine ferry carrying over 350 people sinks, at least 15 dead
A ferry with more than 350 people on board sank early Monday morning near an island in the southern Philippines, and rescuers have saved at least 316 passengers and retrieved 15 bodies, according to officials.
The MV Trisha Kerstin 3, an inter-island cargo and passenger ferry, was sailing to southern Jolo island in Sulu province from the port city of Zamboanga with 332 passengers and 27 crew members when it apparently encountered technical problems and sank after midnight, coastguard officials…
Chinese tech listings shine in Hong Kong, fuelled by Beijing’s self-reliance push
New share listings by Chinese technology firms in Hong Kong have delivered above-average returns on their debuts so far in 2026, as investors faced with a challenging macro environment bet on Beijing’s push for technology self-reliance.
Graphics processing unit (GPU) maker Shanghai Biren Technology, semiconductor maker OmniVision Integrated Circuit Group and three others rose by an average of 30 per cent on their debuts, beating the 24 per cent return of the 11 total initial public offerings…
South Korea becomes second largest AI market for Google after Gemini 3 launch
Google’s Gemini is rapidly gaining traction in South Korea, which has become the second largest paid subscription market for the generative artificial intelligence service.
South Korea generated 11.4 per cent of Gemini’s global cumulative revenue on Apple’s app store – about US$21 million – ranking second only to the United States at 23.7 per cent, according to digital analytics firm Sensor Tower on Sunday.
While South Korea ranked only 17th in downloads, its revenue per download was the highest…
Hong Kong’s unclassified landfill waste data gaps ‘undermine green efforts’
About 75 per cent of paper waste and 40 per cent of plastic items sent to landfills are unclassified, according to official statistics, with environmentalists warning that such unclear records will undermine Hong Kong’s green efforts.
However, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said it was “unnecessary” to change its waste-tracking system, arguing that the government already “has an idea” of what fell under the “others” category and had taken steps to address it.
The lack of detail…
The Hong Kong charity helping neurodivergent people eat better, exercise more and belong
A balanced diet benefits everyone, but it is especially important for the neurodiverse community, according to Love 21 Foundation, a Hong Kong charity dedicated to improving their physical and mental health.
The foundation is one of 13 NGOs selected to receive funding from this year’s Operation Santa Claus (OSC) charity campaign.
With its second consecutive year of support for a three-year funded project, the charity will be able to continue offering personalised nutrition plans and tailored…
To be an education hub, Hong Kong must first do better by its children
Hong Kong has ambitious plans to become an international higher education hub. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced as much in his policy address. We are home to top-ranked universities, and the plan seems on track. But are we really preparing our children for these education ambitions? Are we equipping them to join our top-ranked universities?
If you ask those running our secondary schools – more specifically, subsidised schools – they would probably say we aren’t doing enough. The…
Maker of China’s C919 jet set to pick up production pace after delay: sources
China’s leading planemaker is poised for a moderate ramping up of production and deliveries of its C919 narrowbody jet this year, aiming for 28 units or more, with two having already rolled off the production line just three weeks into the new year, according to sources and an industry analyst.
While setbacks forced Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) to cut back on its delivery targets last year, a manager briefed on the state-owned giant’s plans said it expected supply chain…
Hong Kong, Shanghai sign deal to set up gold trading ecosystem
The number of foreign and mainland Chinese companies and start-ups in Hong Kong surged by 11 per cent year on year to record highs, the city’s leader has said.
At the 19th Asian Financial Forum on Monday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu highlighted Hong Kong’s “unprecedented achievements” as he announced a cooperation agreement to establish a gold trading ecosystem.
He said the number of foreign and mainland-affiliated firms with parent companies based outside Hong Kong reached 11,070 in 2025,…
AXA’s local unit becomes second insurer to redomicile from Bermuda to Hong Kong
French insurer AXA’s Hong Kong unit, one of the city’s largest life and general insurers, has become the second insurance company to move its domicile to Hong Kong from Bermuda, according to a statement on Monday.
At least three other local insurers, including the local unit of Canada’s Sun Life, were planning the same move after a law change in May simplified the process, according to industry players.
AXA was the first to begin the process after the rule change, but Manulife International was…