‘Little Warren Buffetts’: Chinese parents pay top dollar to send kids to financial literacy camps

Every summer, mainland Chinese parents send their children to join a variety of costly physical training camps or even travel to Africa to observe animal migrations.

Over the past two years, new financial quotient (FQ) training classes aiming to cultivate “little Warren Buffetts” have gained significant popularity among parents concerned about their children’s futures, as reported by Phoenix Weekly.

“Poverty is not a status, but a mindset.” “You are a liability to your parents when you’re young, but you will become

A student presents a financial plan at one of these immersive FQ training camps, which typically span a week to 10 days and charge a minimum fee of 12,800 yuan (US$1,900) per participant. Photo: QQ.com

What Hong Kong’s districts can learn from Sham Shui Po’s governance

People out and about on a hot June day in Sham Shui Po. Photo: Sam Tsang

Ray Gai is a member of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and vice-chairman of Sham Shui Po West District Committee

Old, dense and diverse, Sham Shui Po exemplifies many practical challenges associated with grass-roots governance in Hong Kong: ageing buildings , narrow alleys, low-income households, elderly residents living alone and routine issues that demand constant attention. As an ancient maxim states: “Government means rectitude

Shady lip service: experts warn against illicit beauty treatments in Hong Kong

Beauticians from outside Hong Kong are performing illegal cosmetic procedures such as botulinum toxin and filler injections in the city, with middlemen setting up online “secret societies” or chat groups for customers to share information, industry experts have revealed.

A beauty industry expert and a plastic surgeon said they had seen or received reports of botched procedures by beauty practitioners allegedly from mainland China or overseas.

The industry insider said these beauticians did not proactively seek clients, but were instead approached by self-organised groups of customers brought together by word of


New Zealand seals trio of Pacific defence pacts to counter China’s reach

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka (left) meets with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, in 2025. Photo: AFP

New Zealand ’s defence diplomacy has shifted into overdrive this year, with Wellington sealing three major Pacific security agreements in less than four months.

Analysts say the common thread is China and concerns about its expanding security and policing links in the Pacific.

“Security agreements and treaties in the Pacific are attempts to ensure that China is unable to establish security agreements with Pacific states,” said Estelle Denton-Townshend, a teaching fellow in international security at the


Gunman among several dead in shooting at Idaho In-N-Out Burger restaurant

A shooting at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in southern Idaho on Saturday afternoon left multiple people dead and others injured, police said.

The shooter was among the dead, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said in a news conference.

“We believe the threat to the community is over,” Hicks said, adding that he did not yet know exactly how many were killed or wounded, and officials were still in the process of notifying next of kin. “It was a very chaotic scene.”

Before


What Negeri Sembilan loss means for Malaysian PM Anwar’s political strategy

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: AFP
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Iran’s foreign minister warns of any ‘adventurous action’ by US

Iran warned this weekend against any “adventurous action” by the US and said it would retaliate decisively if American forces follow through on US President Donald Trump’s threats of fresh attacks on Iranian targets.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s comments in separate phone calls on Saturday with senior Turkish, Pakistani and Saudi officials came just ‌hours after Kuwait’s army said it destroyed hostile drones launched by Iran against several vital facilities.

Speaking to Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish Foreign Minister


Sopranos actor Vincent Pastore, known for playing mobsters and tough guys, dies at 80

Vincent Pastore, a veteran actor who played mobsters and tough guys, and was best known for playing Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on The Sopranos , has died. He was 80.

Bob McGowan, who had managed Pastore since his run on The Sopranos , told Associated Press that he learned of his death on Saturday from another client and actor on the show, Vincent Curatola.

He said Pastore had been found in his home on New York’s City Island after not being heard from for a few days.


From Mao to now: why China’s Communist Party is intent on control over the military

Illustration: Henry Wong

Yuanyue Dang in Beijing and William Zheng in Hong Kong

Having marked its 99th anniversary on August 1, the People’s Liberation Army is now just one year away from its centenary goals, with its evolution highlighting the past, present and future of China’s military strategy. In the third part of a series , Yuanyue Dang and William Zheng examine how Beijing leans
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China’s next export is the world’s factory itself

Robots work at Xiaomi’s car factory in Beijing, China, on June 16, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Howard Yu is professor of strategy and innovation at IMD Business School with campuses in Switzerland and Singapore.

China’s export boom is reaching its limits. The country’s next phase of growth will come not from shipping more goods abroad, but from exporting its factories, technologies and brands.

China is running up against the limits of its old model. It is obvious as the economy looks increasingly K-shaped . Weak consumer confidence and a prolonged