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Boy, 7, dies in Hong Kong’s first fatal paediatric flu case of 2026
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Boy, 7, dies in Hong Kong’s first fatal paediatric flu case of 2026

Child was inoculated and had not travelled but household contact had earlier tested positive for influenza and recovered Hong Kong recorded the first fatal paediatric case of influenza this year after a seven-year-old boy died on Tuesday, nine days after displaying symptoms. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said that the boy, who had been in good health, developed a cough and runny nose on July 27 and a fever on Saturday, before his condition deteriorated on Monday when he became less responsive. He was admitted in critical condition to the paediatric intensive care unit at Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung on Monday, where a respiratory specimen tested positive for influenza A (H3) virus. The boy was diagnosed with influenza A infection complicated by shock and encephalopathy, a group of conditions that can cause brain dysfunction. He died on Tuesday. The child had received a seasonal influenza vaccination under the 2025-26 scheme. While the boy had not travelled during the incubation period, a household contact had earlier tested positive for influenza and recovered after a mild illness.

August 4, 2026
Is tech the main battleground as EU and US drift apart? One Chinese prediction says so
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Is tech the main battleground as EU and US drift apart? One Chinese prediction says so

Washington’s fury over a US$1 billion fine for Google was cited as the latest sign of a ‘profound shift’ in the nature of the relationship Clashes between the United States and European Union are becoming the “new normal” with competition over tech regulations at the “core”, according to an analysis published by a leading Chinese think tank. “The transatlantic alliance, once rooted in shared values, is increasingly yielding to hard calculations of interest,” Guo wrote in an analysis published on the think tank’s official social media account on Monday. “When the unified values holding the bloc together are torn apart and double standards prevail, empty narratives can no longer restrain self-interest. Once real-world demands collide head-on, the alliance will ultimately fall apart.” Last month, Brussels hit Google with an €890 million (US$1 billion) fine for illegally favouring its own services over rivals in search results and restricting app developers.

August 4, 2026
As US and China compete over AI, middle powers can craft a third path
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As US and China compete over AI, middle powers can craft a third path

Between American-secured diffusion and Chinese developmental multilateralism, middle powers have space to make their presence felt The global AI race is becoming a contest over the international order. In June, the US convened the second summit under the 24-economy Pax Silica around secure supply chains, AI infrastructure and trusted technology partnerships. In July, all 193 UN member states met in Geneva for the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance. The American pathway is built around control of the technological frontier. US companies dominate advanced chip design, cloud platforms, proprietary models and much of the software used to train and deploy AI. Washington is organising these assets through Pax Silica, full-stack export packages, public finance, semiconductor partnerships and cybersecurity networks. Access is widened among trusted partners while the most consequential capabilities remain subject to restrictions. This system offers partners high-performance technology, mature firms and deep capital markets. It also creates dependence on American licences, cloud services, model updates and policy continuity. American influence therefore rests as much on the conditions of access as on the technologies themselves.

August 4, 2026
Japan sounds alarm over China’s expanding Pacific footprint, vows defence boost
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Japan sounds alarm over China’s expanding Pacific footprint, vows defence boost

Beijing is strengthening its aircraft carrier force as it improves capacity to operate in more distant seas and airspace, white paper warns Japan’s latest defence white paper warns of China’s growing ability to sustain military operations farther into the western Pacific Ocean, while pledging to bolster its own monitoring systems, strike capabilities and ammunition production. Released on Tuesday, the 610-page document cautions that Beijing is strengthening its aircraft carrier force as it steadily improves its capacity to operate in more distant seas and airspace. In Beijing, defence ministry spokesman Chen Xi said the white paper was “replete with false narratives” and “hyped up the so-called China threat”. Chen said the Japanese government’s defence build-up was a “vain attempt to deeply embed arms expansion and war preparations into national institutions, economic industries and public opinion”. Warning against what he called Japan’s growing “neo-militarism”, Chen added: “It has become a severe challenge to the post-war international order and a real threat to regional peace and stability.” He also urged Tokyo “not to go further down the wrong path of re-militarisation”.

August 4, 2026
China’s MiniMax curbs overseas access to new AI video model over copyright disputes
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China’s MiniMax curbs overseas access to new AI video model over copyright disputes

H3 model enters the generative video battleground, but licensing carve-outs restrict use in US, EU, UK and South Korea After the Shanghai-based company released the model’s weights to developers on Monday, users found that the licence restricted free access in the US, EU, UK and South Korea. The weights – the underlying parameters that encode its intelligence – allow developers to use, copy, modify and distribute the software without paying MiniMax. To ensure compliance, developers in major markets must “apply for a formal licence”, the company said. Access via application programming interface – a paid subscription through the firm’s website or authorised third parties – remained globally available, it said. MiniMax said the regional carve-out was due to regulatory uncertainties and ongoing copyright-related legal proceedings.

August 4, 2026
Hong Kong, Macau police arrest 8 over HK$100m Vietnam coffee investment scam
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Hong Kong, Macau police arrest 8 over HK$100m Vietnam coffee investment scam

Fun Coffee established presence in Hong Kong last year, claiming to be a coffee investment enterprise with assets of more than US$1 billion Hong Kong and Macau police have arrested eight people in a crackdown on an investment scam syndicate that cheated more than 200 people out of nearly HK$100 million (US$12.75 million) by promoting itself as a pioneer of “kinetic coffee philosophy”. The syndicate, operating under the name Fun Coffee, established a presence in Hong Kong last year. Fun Coffee says on its website that it is a coffee investment enterprise based in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, with assets of more than US$1 billion and a team of more than 5,000. On the English-language website, which remained live on Tuesday, Fun Coffee describes itself as a pioneer of “kinetic coffee philosophy” and promotes what it called the world’s first “sports-coffee-value ecosystem”, offering customised coffee-based nutritional support to runners. As of Monday, Hong Kong police said they had received 225 complaints from potential victims since last month, involving investments ranging from HK$3,000 to HK$9.63 million, totalling HK$94 million.

August 4, 2026
Over 1,000 sign up for Hong Kong’s new taxi, ride-hailing test
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Over 1,000 sign up for Hong Kong’s new taxi, ride-hailing test

Lawmakers say interest is likely to grow as the city prepares to fully launch its ride-hailing regulatory regime next year More than 1,000 applicants have registered for a new combined test for taxi and ride-hailing services in Hong Kong, with lawmakers expecting more people to sign up to meet demand for drivers once the city’s ride-hailing regulatory regime takes effect next year. The initial response came after the Transport Department replaced the stand-alone taxi driver exam with the new combined test, which allows successful candidates to apply for a taxi driving licence or a ride-hailing vehicle permit after attending relevant courses. The department said the response had been “positive”, with more than 1,000 online applications as of 6pm on Monday, the first day of registration. It said it would organise additional examination sessions depending on demand. Ben Chan Han-pan, chairman of the Legislative Council’s transport panel, said on Tuesday that he believed more people would sign up for the written test to meet the requirement for applying for a ride-hailing vehicle permit. “This test will allow them to drive taxi and ride-hailing vehicles legally ... I believe the number of candidates will gradually increase,” he said.

August 4, 2026
Security at reservoir ramped up after trespassers enter spillway during discharge
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Security at reservoir ramped up after trespassers enter spillway during discharge

Authorities warn of legal action against trespassers, after viral footage shows group entering Ho Pui Reservoir to pose for photos Hong Kong authorities have set up fences and surveillance cameras at a reservoir and warned they could take legal action against trespassers, after a group was filmed entering a spillway to take photos while the facility was discharging water. A South China Morning Post reporter observed on Tuesday that two barriers and a surveillance camera had been set up at Ho Pui Reservoir in Tai Lam. After footage of the trespassers went viral over the weekend, the Water Supplies Department said it was highly concerned about the alleged incident and warned it would prosecute offenders if there was sufficient evidence. “The department will seriously follow up on the video showing rule violations that is circulated on social media, and launch an investigation. If there is sufficient evidence, we will consult the Department of Justice and press charges,” a spokesman said. He added that the department had erected warning signs in the catchment area and other locations near the reservoir to remind hikers and other visitors not to enter the facility, and would boost law enforcement operations at the site.

August 4, 2026
KMT accuses Taiwan’s government of failing to uphold South China Sea claims
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KMT accuses Taiwan’s government of failing to uphold South China Sea claims

Opposition figure calls on DPP administration to protest to Manila over Philippine attempt to chart a boundary around Scarborough Shoal “The government speaks loudly when confronting mainland China, but falls silent when Japan or the Philippines challenges Taiwan’s claims,” Kuomintang culture and communications committee director Chen I-hsin said on Sunday. The shoal is called Huangyan Island in mainland China, Minzhu Reef in Taiwan and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines – and claimed by all. Last week, Manila filed its official nautical chart for Scarborough Shoal with the United Nations. In the chart, the Philippines defines its claims to the shoal’s “territorial sea baseline”, along with the outer limits of its 12-nautical-mile (22km) territorial sea and 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone.

August 4, 2026
North Korea advises citizens to eat dog meat to beat the summer heat
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North Korea advises citizens to eat dog meat to beat the summer heat

North Korea is promoting the consumption of dog meat as a patriotic way to beat the summer heat North Korea’s state media has recommended dog meat soup as protection against summer heat, reviving Pyongyang’s long-running effort to promote the controversial dish as record high temperatures grip both sides of the Korean peninsula. Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers’ Party newspaper, published health advice on Sunday offering tips for coping with the heatwave and first aid guidance for heat-related illnesses. In an interview with a senior doctor at Pyongyang General Hospital, the newspaper warned that “cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism can worsen due to heat exhaustion and heatstroke”. The paper recommended cooling foods such as watermelon, mung beans and cucumbers, along with “highly nutritious foods” including dog meat soup, fish porridge and red bean porridge. Dog meat soup, known locally as dangogi guk (sweet meat soup), has long been promoted by the North Korean government as a traditional health tonic, although it remains an expensive dish beyond the reach of many ordinary citizens.

August 4, 2026
Why global migration data should recognise subgroups like the Teochew
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Why global migration data should recognise subgroups like the Teochew

Until our data systems see past broad labels like Asian or Chinese, and recognise subgroups, our picture of global migration is incomplete In countries like France and Norway, the government census strictly avoids asking about race and ethnicity. Governed by a desire for national unity, these states operate on a firm premise: categorising citizens by skin colour risks creating divisions and reinforcing prejudice. Across the Atlantic and in the Commonwealth, you find a different philosophy. The United States, United Kingdom and Canada measure race and ethnicity. In these societies, data collection isn’t seen as a wedge to divide people, but as an essential tool to spot discrimination, design better social safety nets and address health disparities. Yet both models are falling short. As global migration accelerates and people move fluidly between countries, our basic data buckets are failing to keep up. By lumping vast, highly diverse populations into monolithic labels like “Asian”, “Chinese” or “Indian”, standard census forms miss the rich subgroup dynamics that drive business, culture and community life. A single checkbox erases a complex identity, a deep history of migration and an economic network that spans the globe.

August 4, 2026
Chinese woman, 20, survives 18th floor ‘impulsive’ jump after argument with boyfriend
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Chinese woman, 20, survives 18th floor ‘impulsive’ jump after argument with boyfriend

Faced with overwhelming medical bills, Xiaoyi’s family has turned to the media for help as they navigate the aftermath of her life-altering decision A 20-year-old woman in eastern China miraculously survived after jumping from the balcony of her 18th-floor flat following a heated argument with her boyfriend. The woman, known by the alias Xiaoyi, had been quarrelling with her boyfriend for hours in their rented flat in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, before she impulsively jumped from the balcony at 4am on July 12. Miraculously, she survived the fall, thanks to a tree that broke her descent before landing on nearby brushwood, according to the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald. Her boyfriend quickly rushed her to the hospital and paid 20,000 yuan (US$3,000) upfront for her medical treatment. Doctors discovered that Xiaoyi had suffered injuries to her head, lungs, liver, and spleen, along with fractures in her pelvis, pubis, and both legs. After undergoing two surgeries, she was scheduled for a third operation in late July.

August 4, 2026