Shows / Asia - South China Morning Post
Asia - South China Morning Post
Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's Asia edition.
Episodes
- Asia - South China Morning Post
‘Aloof’ but engaged: what India’s SCO comeback reveals
Two years ago, Narendra Modi skipped the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) summit in Astana entirely, sending his foreign minister instead. That…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Japan relaxes overtime rules under workaholic Takaichi: ‘unacceptable shift’
Japan eased overtime regulation starting on Tuesday in a move meant to help spur economic growth but criticised as a relapse into the country’s ingrained…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Japan bear project aims to show coexistence, not culling, can prevent attacks
As a sensor sounded, scientist Akiko Takii hurried to a bear trap deep in the forests of Nagano in Japan, where rising nationwide attacks have brought fear and…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South Korea sets record US$600 billion budget, backed by chip windfall
South Korea on Tuesday unveiled its most aggressive financial spending plan on record, setting total government expenditure for 2027 at 821 trillion won…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Australia’s biggest property downturn since pandemic threatens economic growth
Australian home prices fell for a fifth month in August in the biggest downturn since the pandemic, and there is further pain ahead as stubborn inflation puts…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South Korea’s top presidential aide resigns following cabinet reshuffle
South Korea’s chief presidential policy adviser has resigned, the presidential Blue House said on Tuesday, after President Lee Jae Myung reshuffled his…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Thailand’s Pattaya pins hopes on arrival of 5,000 US sailors to boost tourism
After more than 250 days at sea, much of it fighting the war on Iran – and amid reports of dire conditions on board – the USS Abraham Lincoln is finally set to…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Nepal floods: meet the principal whose quick thinking saved 900 students
Rajendra Dawadi was inside his classroom when a colleague rushed in with a warning: floodwaters were racing through Nepal’s Trishuli Valley, tearing apart…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
US Treasury’s Bessent calls on Japan to boost yen through rate increases
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Monday she met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and agreed that orderly yen movement is critical for…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Bullying mayor ousted as Japan’s voters reject political abuse
Yokohama’s mayor has become the latest local official in Japan to be forced from office by scandal, as analysts say voters are no longer willing to look the…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
India needs to make up its mind about economic ties with China
As India prepares for the Brics summit less than two weeks away, relations with China are warming up. On July 22, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
In flood-hit Philippines, ‘out of touch’ Marcos slammed for private birthday serenade
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s birthday serenade for his wife might have been a private gesture, but as floodwaters overwhelmed much of Luzon –…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
India rejects ruling on water-sharing treaty with Pakistan by international court
India must uphold a water-sharing treaty with Pakistan it suspended amid bilateral tensions and must limit work on a hydroelectric plant it is building in the…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
How a tree in Hanoi points to flowering of dissent among Vietnam’s Gen Z
A tree in Hanoi has become a symbol of how Vietnam’s Gen Z views its country – but it is not the enviable growth story sold by the government. Tree 55 on…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Singapore to invest US$173m over 3 years to boost fintech innovation
Singapore will commit S$220 million (US$173 million) over three years to boost its fintech sector, including co-funding at least 1,000 internships in a strong…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Singapore may require social media firms to set daily time limits for teens
Singapore plans to introduce legislation early next year requiring social media platforms to roll out stronger safeguards for teens, including possibly setting…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Hong Kong and Singapore property shrug off fund tax breaks
The long-standing rivalry between Asia’s two leading financial centres is heating up. As Hong Kong and Singapore compete harder for investment talent, tax…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South Korea’s Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja jailed 2 years for bribing officials
A South Korean court sentenced the leader of the secretive and powerful Unification Church on Monday to two years in prison on charges of bribing officials…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Malaysia’s air quality turns hazardous as Indonesian wildfires burn
Air pollution in Malaysia’s Bornean state of Sarawak has surged into hazardous territory, with the air pollutant index (API) topping 400 in the worst-hit…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Indonesia-US joint military drills with allies kick off with 4,700 soldiers
Indonesia, the United States and more than a dozen allies launched annual joint military exercises on Monday to boost defence capabilities and “deter…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Thai schools hold active shooter drills after deadly attack
Schools in Thailand conducted active shooter drills on Wednesday, as authorities moved to strengthen security measures two weeks after a 14-year-old opened…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Bangladesh launches women-only Pink Bus service in Dhaka
Read more: https://sc.mp/841640 Bangladesh has launched a women-only “Pink Bus” service in Dhaka staffed entirely by female drivers and conductors. Created to…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Thailand seeks new path to end deadly southern insurgency: top negotiator
Thailand is ready to shift its approach to a slow-burn insurgency in its Muslim-majority deep south and revitalise a peace process, Bangkok’s chief negotiator…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Indonesia seizes 2.6 tonnes of liquid meth from Tanzanian-flagged ship in record drug bust
Indonesia has seized 2.6 tonnes of liquid methamphetamine hidden on a Tanzanian-flagged vessel in one of the country’s biggest drug busts, with 10 crew members…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
In Singapore’s battle of casinos, Marina Bay Sands holds winning hand against Sentosa
At Singapore casino Resorts World Sentosa’s Lunar New Year lucky draw for high rollers earlier this year, the biggest prize was a bottle of Martell Cognac…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Will Putin’s Kuril Islands visit push Japan closer to Ukraine?
Japan is weighing how far to push back after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a disputed island last week, as analysts debate whether tougher measures…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
9 killed in Indian budget hotel fire after suspected air-con explosion
At least nine people were killed and several others injured in a fire at a hotel in the Indian city of Kolkata on Wednesday, a senior fire department official…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Southeast Asia’s landmine clearers face closure as global aid shifts to new wars
En Poy was minding cattle in a former Khmer Rouge stronghold in Cambodia when he set off his first landmine. The blast from the rusty relic he picked up cost…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
US defence chiefs tour Asia to calm fears as Trump’s drill remarks sow doubts
Senior US defence officials have fanned out across Asia in recent weeks to reassure allies of Washington’s commitment to the region, even as the war with Iran…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Father and 2 daughters killed in Malaysian immigration truck crash
A father and his two daughters died after an Immigration Department truck allegedly ran a red light and triggered a series of crashes in the Malaysian capital…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Vietnam police confirm ex-politician spared charges over crash that killed teen in Hanoi
A former Vietnamese politician unintentionally killed a teenager in a traffic accident in central Hanoi last year but was exempted from criminal prosecution…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
New Zealand passes law blocking climate action against companies: ‘dark day for democracy’
New Zealand has passed hotly contested legislation to block lawsuits that seek to hold companies liable for climate change harm. The right-wing coalition…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Greyest village in Japan turns to Peru sister city to plug severe worker shortage
Japan’s most greying municipality has turned to its Peruvian sister city in search of a way to reverse its population decline and address the labour shortage…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
US, South Korea slash joint military drills by half as Trump eyes Kim summit
The South Korean and US militaries have agreed to shorten their drills at the US’ request, South Korean officials said on Wednesday, days after President…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South Korea accelerates military self-reliance over Trump’s ‘unpredictability’
US President Donald Trump’s abrupt move to scale back annual military drills with South Korea has handed President Lee Jae Myung a fresh impetus for greater…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Russia’s Putin hosts Myanmar leader, talks up energy projects
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in Moscow on Tuesday with Myanmar’s junta chief-turned-president, Min Aung Hlaing, discussing a wide range of…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
What Reliance and Rolls-Royce mean for India’s fighter jet ambitions
A proposed partnership between Indian industrial giant Reliance Industries and British aerospace engine maker Rolls-Royce could mark a breakthrough in India’s…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Philippines’ Marcos slammed over US$3b family estate tax, says ‘very busy’ with government
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has put his anti-corruption drive at the centre of his presidency, but questions over his late father’s estate taxes…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Pakistan Supreme Court orders jailed ex-PM Imran Khan to be moved to hospital
Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan be moved to hospital for medical checks, after a petition by his…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Myanmar’s president heads to Moscow seeking Russian arms and oil
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing on Tuesday, as the Southeast Asian leader seeks an economic reboot for his…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Singapore’s universities race to embrace AI as job demands transform
After years of concern over students using artificial intelligence to cut corners, Singapore’s universities are embracing the technology, driven not just by…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Fake troops loot earthquake-hit homes in Japan’s Kumamoto
Men in military fatigues identical to those worn by Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Forces (SDF) are reportedly prowling evacuated communities in Kumamoto…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Thailand to review pardon rules after release of 85-year-old drug lord brings backlash
Thailand’s justice minister pledged on Tuesday to review pardon criteria following backlash over the release of an 85-year-old drug trafficker who served less…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Cook Islands PM re-elected despite row over China ties with New Zealand
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown’s securing of another term, despite a dispute with New Zealand over his government’s deals with China, suggests voters…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Malaysia holds off on pilot extradition request pending Indonesian drug probe
A decision has yet to be made on whether Malaysian authorities will file an extradition request for a local pilot arrested in Indonesia, according to Home…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
How monarchies stay relevant; Pakistan’s new defence pact: 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…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Malaysian preacher faces backlash over Chinese festival remarks
A preacher and prominent conservative commentator has drawn backlash in Malaysia after questioning why a banner for a traditional Chinese festival was not…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
US transshipment ‘scam’ claims put Asean exporters in a bind
Southeast Asian exporters may soon face a heavier burden of proof to show they are not helping Chinese goods dodge US tariffs after the White House named nine…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Japan’s hotels embrace sleep tourism with brain scans, tea and custom beds
An increasing number of hotels in Japan are offering “sleep tourism” experiences – stays designed to promote high-quality and restful sleep. The trend, which…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Filipino student kills schoolmate, then himself, in live-streamed shooting
A high school student carrying two pistols shot dead a fellow student before killing himself on Tuesday in an attack in a southern Philippine campus that he…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Bangkok gun shop trades bullets for baguettes as Thai firearm ban bites
Loaves of sourdough bread now fill the display window of Suchart and Friends Gun, a firearms shop-turned-bakery in Bangkok’s old quarter where pistols and…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Trump’s decision to scale back South Korea drills unsettles Asian allies: ‘makes no sense’
President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea does not just slight a long-time ally but raises broader concerns…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Can Indonesia build on rising EV demand to become a production powerhouse?
Indonesia’s next electric-vehicle push will test whether President Prabowo Subianto can turn rising demand, nickel wealth and consumer subsidies into an…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Russia summons Japan ambassador over disputed Kuril Islands row after Putin visit
Moscow said on Monday it had summoned the Japanese ambassador after Tokyo condemned President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Russia’s far-eastern Kuril…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Why the Arctic sea route has become so important for China and Russia
Since Chinese container ships began plying the Northern Sea Route three years ago, the Arctic shipping lane has gained global importance. Houthi attacks on…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Will Russia’s plan for overland oil route be ‘game changer’ for India’s energy security?
Russia is looking into a solution for a problem that has become hard for India to ignore: how to keep oil and other strategic goods moving when sanctions, war…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South Korea on edge over Trump’s call to cut military drills, goodwill for Kim
US President Donald Trump’s call to “substantially” reduce US-South Korea military drills has revived speculation that he is trying to persuade North Korea’s…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Malaysia to scrap 55-year-old university law, but will campus reform follow?
Malaysia may finally scrap the university law that generations of students have blamed for stifling campus dissent, but activists and academics say the harder…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
China’s property recovery is fragile, but ignoring it is a mistake
Global commercial real estate investment markets are roaring back to life. In the first half of this year, direct investment in commercial property rose 27 per…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Singaporeans urge forest protection at rally as housing plans spur concerns
Thousands of people have rallied in Singapore against plans to build homes on two forested sites in a large public display of concern over how the land-scarce…