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August 24th - The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced today that in the first half of this year, various regions have continuously improved the service level of urban parks and green spaces, continued to promote the construction of pocket parks and urban greenways, and upgraded the quality of parks and green spaces to better meet the needs of citizens for nearby recreation and fitness. Latest data shows that in the first half of this year, more than 2,800 pocket parks and 2,450 kilometers of urban greenways were newly started, and approximately 7,500 hectares of urban parks and green spaces were upgraded. The level of openness and sharing of parks and green spaces has continued to improve, with approximately 24,800 hectares of lawns being rotated for open use.

August 24 - According to the website of the China Maritime Safety Administration, the Qinglan Maritime Safety Administration issued a navigation warning that military training will be conducted in parts of the South China Sea from 12:00 on August 24 to 18:00 on August 26, and entry is prohibited.

August 24th - At 11:50 AM on August 24th, after comprehensive assessment and emergency consultation, the China Meteorological Administration upgraded its emergency response to major meteorological disasters (typhoons and rainstorms) from Level IV to Level III (typhoons, rainstorms, and severe convective weather). The National Meteorological Center forecasts that, affected by the typhoon and the southwest monsoon, from August 24th to 26th, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan will experience heavy rainfall, with strong winds in the Beibu Gulf, Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, and coastal areas. Furthermore, on the 24th, Liaoning and Jilin provinces will experience localized heavy rainfall, and from the 25th, eastern Northwest China, North China, and Northeast China will experience significant rainfall from west to east, accompanied by severe convective weather. The National Meteorological Center continued to issue a blue typhoon warning, a yellow rainstorm warning, and a blue severe convective weather warning at 10:00 AM on the 24th.

August 24th - According to the Financial Times, sources familiar with the matter revealed that Saudi Arabia has begun discussions with London insurance brokers regarding a state-backed war and political risk insurance scheme that could provide insurance coverage for ships in the region, as the conflict threatens Saudi trade. The Saudi Ministry of Finance is studying a plan that would allow ships and maritime cargo assets to obtain insurance at a lower cost through a so-called "insurance pool." This pool could provide up to 700 million Saudi riyals ($186 million) in commercial coverage for each insured event. Insurance and reinsurance companies would provide the first layer of insurance coverage, while each insured entity could receive hundreds of millions of dollars in additional coverage through backup support provided by the state-owned Saudi Export-Import Bank. In one version of the proposal under discussion, Saudi Reinsurance and Riyadh Reinsurance would lead a group of participating reinsurance companies, which could potentially include international companies.

August 24 (Reuters) - Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) and Qatar Energy are selling crude oil through a rare tender, requiring buyers to load cargoes in the Strait of Hormuz. SOMO is selling Basra Medium and Basra Heavy crude for September loading, with loading locations at Iraq's Basra oil terminal or single-point mooring facilities and related equipment. Sources say Qatar Energy is selling Al-Shaheen crude, Qatar Marine crude, and Qatar Onshore crude for September and October loading, with loading locations at their respective Qatari loading ports. The tender is valid until August 25.

On August 24th, it was reported that on August 20th, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) convened a meeting to promote the 6G future industry among central enterprises. The meeting emphasized that promoting the development of the 6G future industry is an inevitable requirement for central enterprises to implement national strategic plans and fulfill their strategic missions. Central enterprises should proactively align with national, local, and industry plans to accelerate the achievement of industrial development goals. They must address technological shortcomings, strengthen fundamental theoretical innovation, promote breakthroughs in key technologies and components, and build a secure and stable 6G industrial and supply chains. They must solidify the industrial foundation by strengthening innovation platform construction, cultivating market entities, and developing a talent pool to solidify the foundation for high-quality 6G development. They must accelerate international cooperation, build a diversified cooperation system, and comprehensively enhance their international influence. They must incubate application scenarios and actively promote the integration of 6G technology with the real economy, comprehensively build a first-mover advantage in the application ecosystem, and accelerate the realization of a 6G commercial closed loop. Prior to the meeting, attendees visited an exhibition showcasing the achievements of central enterprises in the 6G future industry. At the meeting, a task for the co-creation of 6G future industry scenarios among central enterprises was released.

Thailand's Ministry of Finance: No intention to impose a high gold tax.

Q Technology (01478.HK): Gross profit for the first half of 2026 was approximately RMB 652 million, a slight decrease of 0.4% year-on-year.

August 24 - According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the southern waters of the Philippines at approximately 11:59 a.m. on August 24. The epicenter was at a depth of 10 kilometers, and tremors were felt in nearby areas. No damage is expected. PHIVOLCS stated that this earthquake was an aftershock of several strong earthquakes that struck the southern Philippines in June.

Q Technology (01478.HK): Revenue for the first half of 2026 was RMB 9.923 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 12.4%.

August 24th - According to the Financial Times, British oil giant Shell (SHEL.N) is seeking to sell underperforming businesses, and its multi-billion dollar U.S. chemical assets have attracted potential bidders including ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell. Shell's U.S. chemical plants produce a wide range of chemicals used in the plastics, detergents, and pharmaceutical industries. These assets include a massive chemical complex in Monaca, Pennsylvania, which began production in 2022, with Shell having invested $14 billion in capital. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that bidders including ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, private equity group Apollo, and the chemical division of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation have all expressed interest in these assets. The total sale price for the assets could reach $8 billion, significantly lower than the amount of capital Shell has invested.

The South Korean won rose to 1376.50 against the US dollar, its highest level since mid-September 2025.

On August 24th, Reuters reported that a U.S. sailor serving on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln posted on social media that his father had been detained by U.S. federal immigration authorities. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated on Sunday that U.S. Border Patrol arrested Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, from Nicaragua. His son, Joshua Aviles, stated, “I have been deployed for over nine months on the USS Lincoln, sailing to the Middle East. I just received a call saying my father has been taken away by ICE.” He added that his father possessed a driver's license, Social Security card, and work permit. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that Luis Manuel Aviles Roa entered the United States illegally and will remain in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings. The department stated, “Having a family member serving in the military is not a license to violate U.S. law.”

On August 24th, major Hong Kong stock indices fluctuated and declined in the morning session, with the Hang Seng Tech Index once falling by more than 4%. By midday close, the Hang Seng Index was down 2.09%, and the Hang Seng Tech Index was down 3.84%. In terms of sectors and individual stocks, tech stocks generally suffered heavy losses in the morning session. Alibaba (09988.HK) fell nearly 10% in the morning session, Baidu (09888.HK) and Xiaomi Group (01810.HK) fell 4%, Tencent Holdings (00700.HK) fell nearly 3%, and Meituan (03690.HK) and JD.com (09618.HK) also declined. In addition, memory semiconductor, optical communication, and PCB concept stocks also performed poorly, with MINIMAX-W (00100.HK) falling more than 9% and Zhipu (02513.HK) falling more than 8%.

According to the Financial Times, the UK Office for National Statistics is using artificial intelligence to cut costs and improve data.

According to the Financial Times, Shell (SHEL.N) has attracted interest from potential buyers for the sale of its U.S. chemical assets, a deal that could reach $8 billion. Shell has already attracted interest from potential bidders including ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell.

Russian online retailer Ozon said its logistics center in Dagestan caught fire after a drone attack.

August 24th - According to the Fujian Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, affected by the monsoon trough and Typhoon Chanlavy, coastal and southern Fujian experienced heavy rain today (August 24th), with 24-hour cumulative rainfall of 60-130 mm, locally reaching 250 mm, and a maximum hourly rainfall of 90 mm. At 10:30 AM on the 24th, the Fujian Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters upgraded its flood control emergency response to Level III while maintaining its typhoon emergency response at Level IV.

August 24th - According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck Changning County, Yibin City, Sichuan Province (28.33°N, 104.98°E) at 8:26 AM on August 24, 2026, with a focal depth of 5 kilometers. Following the earthquake, the China Earthquake Administration activated a Level IV emergency response, coordinating with the China Earthquake Networks Center and the Sichuan Provincial Earthquake Administration to conduct emergency response, requiring relevant units to hold joint consultations, strengthen seismic monitoring and analysis, and promptly report relevant information.