22 h. ago Man found guilty of involuntary manslaughter of San Francisco Thai grandfather

A man has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of an older Thai man whose 2021 killing in San Francisco helped spark a national movement against anti-Asian-American violence. A jury did not find Antoine Watson, 24, guilty of murder when it returned a verdict on Thursday for the January 2021 attack on Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84. Jurors found Watson guilty on the lesser charges of involuntary manslaughter and assault. The office of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins...

Politics

46 h. ago Banks and brokerages’ growing demand for space buoys Hong Kong’s retail property sector

Hong Kong’s banking and finance sector is tipped to lead retail property leasing activity, with massive uptake by firms like Forthright Securities, Futu Holdings and HSBC providing support to landlords struggling through a multi-year real estate slump. Forthright Securities leased three storeys totalling 14,000 sq ft at Golden Centre in Sheung Wan for its first flagship branch in the city, according to CBRE, which facilitated the transaction. “This transaction not only demonstrates Forthright...

Politics

3 d. ago Mainland Chinese money to drive 10% rise in Hong Kong commercial property deals: Colliers

Surging mainland Chinese investment in Hong Kong’s commercial real estate sector has helped set the stage for a “measured recovery” in 2026, according to Colliers. In the luxury residential segment, mainland capital accounted for about 80 per cent of transactions exceeding HK$100 million on The Peak and in Southern district, according to Centaline Property Agency. Investment from the mainland rose to the highest level in five years in the last quarter of 2025, and deal value in 2026 was set to...

Economics

4 d. ago Singapore jails helper who slapped, hit and kicked elderly dementia patient

A domestic helper in Singapore abused a 90-year-old woman she was supposed to care for, including slapping her face and hitting her with a diaper. Some of the mistreatment occurred while the victim, who has moderate vascular dementia, was partially unclothed, as her helper, Nwe Nwe San, attempted to help her put on a diaper. Nwe Nwe San, a 49-year-old Myanmar national, was jailed for 52 weeks on Monday. She pleaded guilty through an interpreter to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt to a...

Events

5 d. ago Financial firm Ares doubles Hong Kong office footprint as real estate outlook improves

Ares Management, one of Asia’s largest alternative investment managers, is doubling its real estate footprint in Hong Kong, a move that aligns with a broader expansion by financial firms and demand for office space in the core Central business district. The Los Angeles-based asset manager would add about 12,500 sq ft of space in Gloucester Tower, where it has been a tenant since 2017, according to a statement from the landlord Hongkong Land on Monday. The new lease will be effective in...

Economics

5 d. ago China’s daring engineering feat, Malaysia border chaos: 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 turns mega-project failure into defining moment in modern engineering China has pulled off a daring underground feat, using a multimillion-dollar tunnel boring machine (TBM) to recover its stranded twin beneath the country’s largest river. 2. System failure at Malaysia-Singapore border...

Events

8 d. ago Southeast Asia reels in buyers stung by Seoul’s housing crisis

Southeast Asian real estate firms are seeking to attract South Koreans to buy property, as soaring flat prices in Seoul make premium homes abroad comparatively more affordable, industry officials said on Friday. PropEasy, a Malaysian developer, recently invited Seoul-based real estate brokers to Kuala Lumpur as part of a promotional campaign for residential projects currently under construction. “The campaign was organised as a three-night, four-day tour,” an industry official said, noting that...

Events

8 d. ago Repeat buyer tucks into another McDonald’s Hong Kong shop for US$15.2 million

McDonald’s has sold another Hong Kong retail property for HK$118.7 million (US$15.2 million), bringing the proceeds from its ongoing asset disposal programme to about HK$490 million, as well-capitalised investors continue to snap up prime real estate. The 10,000 sq ft-plus property at 46-47 Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay was sold to Evergreen Capital Partners. Ng Yin was listed as director of the firm, according to the Companies Registry. The deal, which was signed on December 10, included the...

Economics

9 d. ago Gaopeng Lawyers received a letter of thanks from Beijing Cultural Real Estate Co., Ltd_Firm Dynamics_News

Gaopeng Lawyers received a letter of thanks from Beijing Cultural Real Estate Co., Ltd_Firm Dynamics_News  gaopenglaw.com

Politics

1 week ago China’s developers diminish further amid unending property downturn

China’s top real estate developers continue to shrink, according to industry data. The number of mainland property developers achieving annual contracted sales of at least 100 billion yuan (US$14 billion) dropped to just 10 in 2025 from a peak of 43 in 2020, research firm China Real Estate Information Corporation (CRIC) said in a report on Sunday. Among the top 10 developers, only one, China Jinmao Holdings, reported year-on-year growth in sales, according to CRIC. The ranks of developers in the...

Politics

1 week ago Singapore’s elite schools spark debate; concern for domestic helpers: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Malaysia’s tourism minister urges warmer welcomes after ‘less than friendly’ complaints 2. Japan’s shoplifters hate a simple ‘hello’ more than cameras 3. Debate on Singapore’s elite schools flares as ex-student recalls ‘privileged’ years 4. Netflix-Warner deal sparks...

Politics

1 week ago Vietnam overtakes Thailand as Chinese tourists' top choice for travel

Vietnam welcomed a record number of foreign tourists in 2025, as a resurgence of Chinese visitors and relaxed visa policies helped lure travellers. The Southeast Asian nation received around 21.2 million international visitors last year, up 20 per cent, according to the National Statistics Office. Its previous peak was 18 million, recorded in 2019 before the pandemic. Vietnam’s surge is part of a broader realignment in Southeast Asia’s multibillion-dollar tourism industry, largely at the expense...

Politics

1 week ago AI scientist leaves US for China; domestic helpers in Asia: 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. ‘Stop subverting Venezuelan regime’: China urges US to release Maduro China has expressed “serious concern” over the US capture and forcible removal of the Venezuelan leader, calling on Washington to ensure the personal safety of Nicolas Maduro and his wife and “release them immediately”. 2. Why...

Politics

1 week ago AI scientist leaves US for China; domestic helpers in Asia: 5 weekend reads

AI scientist leaves US for China; domestic helpers in Asia: 5 weekend reads  South China Morning Post

Politics

1 week ago Sanctioned Chen Zhi’s Hong Kong firms rocked by resignations and frozen assets

Recently sanctioned Chinese-Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi has been linked to a network of entities in Hong Kong, with the move triggering regulatory measures and prompting auditors and directors to quit his firms. Company documents reviewed by the Post reveal an interconnected group of firms sharing directors and addresses tied to Chen, luxury real estate and previously appointed international business figures, raising questions about the depth of his operations in Hong Kong and the potential...

Politics

1 week ago Why Singapore is betting on international partnerships to help its film industry scale up

A decade ago, Samantha Ong would go to the cinemas in Singapore twice a week. She now goes about once a month, opting instead to watch films on Netflix at home. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel worth it to spend three hours on a movie, so it’s better to watch it at home where there is an option to fast-forward,” said Ong, 26. “I have to juggle working out and meeting up with friends in my free time, so I’ll go [to the cinema] only if I really want the full experience.” Such shifts in viewing habits...

Politics

1 week ago China’s wealthy swap real estate for insurance, gold as retirement looms

Since 2020, Li Jiang, a veteran manufacturing entrepreneur from Guangdong, has been selling off his properties one by one – a move that once puzzled many of his friends. For decades, real estate had been the ultimate “anchor” for retirement planning and wealth transfer among China’s high-net-worth families. At his peak, Li concentrated much of his wealth in property, owning seven assets ranging from CBD apartments to high-end suburban villas. These were intended partly for retirement and partly...

Politics

2 w. ago Ageing Asia needs domestic helpers, but can it keep them safe?

In March last year, Erica Cheong and her husband, Harris Zainol, welcomed their firstborn son, Isaac. Like many new Malaysian parents living and working in Kuala Lumpur, the couple found the transition to parenthood overwhelming. “We needed someone to help care for the baby, given that my parents are elderly and my in-laws work full time,” Cheong told This Week in Asia. After speaking to friends who have employed domestic helpers, the couple, both 35, decided that doing the same was their best...

Politics

2 w. ago How AI helped Asia’s real estate sector pass the tariff stress test

When US President Donald Trump stood outside the White House on April 2 and unveiled his punitive “Liberation Day” tariffs on most US trading partners, Asia was singled out for particularly harsh punishment. With the region accounting for seven of the 10 economies with the largest trade surpluses with the US, Asia was bound to be hit hard. However, as 2025 draws to a close, Asia’s economies have shown remarkable resilience. While several factors are at play, the most important one is the boom in...

Politics

2 w. ago Japan as a nuclear power, China’s first female C919 captain: 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. Chinese nuclear experts believe Japan could build nukes in less than 3 years The late US statesman Henry Kissinger’s dire warning about Tokyo aiming to become a nuclear power by 2028 is being re-examined by Beijing. 2. A year after near total blackout, China builds world’s largest smart...

Events