https://www.scmp.com/rss/3/feed Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's Asia edition. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan’s defence minister pledged to deepen military cooperation with the Philippines during a visit Tuesday to Manila, aiming for the “early transfer” of Abukuma-class destroyers to the archipelago nation. The two countries’ shared grievances over Chinese territorial claims have seen them draw increasingly close in recent years, including the signing of a reciprocal access agreement allowing for the deployment of troops on each other’s territory. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s visit came as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352529/japan-philippines-fast-track-transfer-navy-destroyers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352529/japan-philippines-fast-track-transfer-navy-destroyers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 13:38:30 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and successive US presidents have spent the better part of the past three decades warning that a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten the whole world. Now, thanks to the illegal US-Israeli war, Iran may have to go nuclear by claiming self-defence. After all, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Israel would justify its clandestine nuclear weapon programme, which dates back to the 1950s, by claiming Arab states wanted to exterminate it. Well,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352328/thanks-trump-and-netanyahu-everyone-now-wants-go-nuclear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352328/thanks-trump-and-netanyahu-everyone-now-wants-go-nuclear?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippine House of Representatives has moved Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment closer to a decisive vote, the first step in a week-long process that will test whether allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr have enough support to send the case to a Senate trial. The House placed the impeachment on its plenary agenda on Tuesday, a day after its justice committee endorsed the case, setting up a possible vote by all lawmakers on whether Duterte-Carpio should stand trial in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352525/philippine-vp-sara-dutertes-impeachment-case-heads-plenary-vote-amid-coercion-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352525/philippine-vp-sara-dutertes-impeachment-case-heads-plenary-vote-amid-coercion-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 12:25:33 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is moving to reshape its ride-hailing industry from the inside, with officials saying the state has acquired stakes in app companies as President Prabowo Subianto seeks to raise drivers’ earnings and rein in commission fees. The move could mark a significant shift in one of Southeast Asia’s biggest on-demand economies, where millions of drivers for platforms such as Gojek and Grab have become a highly visible labour force and, analysts say, a potent political bloc. Last week, Prabowo... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352510/indonesia-caps-ride-hailing-commission-fees-8-radical-correction-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352510/indonesia-caps-ride-hailing-commission-fees-8-radical-correction-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 10:20:24 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A Japanese infantry unit has withdrawn a new patch designed by artificial intelligence after it was criticised for being immature, “aggressive” and out of step with the public image of the country’s Self-Defence Forces (SDF). The 1st Infantry Regiment’s patch was unveiled on April 29 and features an elephant in a helmet and other combat gear, holding a machine gun across its chest. The elephant has chains across its shoulders and a human skull apparently attached to its chest, with blue flames... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352488/japan-army-units-gun-toting-ai-generated-elephant-logo-gets-trampled-critics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352488/japan-army-units-gun-toting-ai-generated-elephant-logo-gets-trampled-critics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 08:38:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thailand on ⁠Tuesday cancelled a long-standing agreement ⁠with Cambodia to work towards joint offshore ⁠energy exploration, Thailand’s prime minister said, defying calls from its neighbour to stay the course on the 25-year-old pact. The Thai cabinet’s cancellation of the 2001 agreement, which seeks to develop a framework to jointly explore hydrocarbons in parts of the Gulf of Thailand ‌where the claims of Thailand and Cambodia overlap, had long been expected and follows two rounds of armed... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352487/thailand-scraps-25-year-old-agreement-cambodia-joint-energy-exploration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352487/thailand-scraps-25-year-old-agreement-cambodia-joint-energy-exploration?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 08:32:49 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Four men slipped aboard in the darkness. Armed with knives and moving fast, they descended into the engine room of the Taipan as the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker threaded its way through the Singapore Strait on the night of April 22. The crew managed to raise the alarm in time and thankfully no one was hurt. But by the time the vessel was searched the intruders were gone, vanished back into the water with a clutch of spare engine parts in tow. It was a modest haul. It was also the 16th such... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352482/sea-robbery-fears-stalk-singapore-and-malaysias-busiest-waterways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352482/sea-robbery-fears-stalk-singapore-and-malaysias-busiest-waterways?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 08:00:54 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A Malaysian minister urged the country’s police chief to clarify the status of investigations into allegations that a network of businessmen was colluding with anti-corruption agency officials to oust executives. The government has ordered law enforcement agencies, including the Malaysian Anti‑Corruption Commission (MACC), to look into the allegations involving the businessmen, nicknamed the “corporate mafia”. So far, the police say they have found no evidence of the MACC’s involvement. “It is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352472/whats-happening-malaysias-corporate-mafia-probe-minister-wants-updates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352472/whats-happening-malaysias-corporate-mafia-probe-minister-wants-updates?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 07:13:51 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The death of a runner from heatstroke after a Penang hill run event has put a spotlight on the rising risks of soaring temperatures in Malaysia, as authorities report a spike in heat-related illnesses and are seeding clouds to trigger rains in the country’s drought-hit northern region. The death of the 41-year-old, the island’s first-ever confirmed heatstroke fatality linked to a sporting event, comes as temperatures in Malaysia soar to the mid-30s degrees Celsius. The man from Tampin, Negeri... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352468/malaysia-warns-health-risks-heatwave-2-related-deaths-recorded-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352468/malaysia-warns-health-risks-heatwave-2-related-deaths-recorded-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 07:06:03 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong When a South Korean cargo ship exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, Donald Trump wasted no time declaring what he thought it meant. “Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!” the US president wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, invoking the incident as fresh justification for Seoul to send naval forces to the embattled waterway. Seoul’s answer, for now, has been a polite but firm no – or at least, not yet. The explosion occurred... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352462/south-korea-rebuffs-trumps-project-freedom-call-after-hormuz-ship-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352462/south-korea-rebuffs-trumps-project-freedom-call-after-hormuz-ship-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 06:30:46 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore schools used caning as a disciplinary measure only when all other options were inadequate, given the gravity of the misconduct, Minister for Education Desmond Lee said on Tuesday. Responding to more than 20 parliamentary questions on the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) updated efforts to tackle bullying, Lee acknowledged that studies linked poorly administered and frequent corporal punishment – particularly in unregulated settings such as the home – with negative outcomes. “We recognise... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352461/caning-singapore-school-bullies-only-last-resort-education-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352461/caning-singapore-school-bullies-only-last-resort-education-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 06:28:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Philippine annual inflation accelerated to a ⁠three-year high in April, ⁠as a surge in fuel prices ⁠triggered by the Middle East conflict raises the chance of more policy tightening. Consumer prices rose 7.2 per cent last month, the statistics agency said on Tuesday, the highest since March 2023. That was above the 5.5 per cent median forecast in a poll of economists. The April print also breached the central bank’s forecast range of 5.6 to 6.4 per cent for the month. Emilio Neri, lead economist... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352449/philippine-inflation-hits-3-year-high-amid-middle-east-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352449/philippine-inflation-hits-3-year-high-amid-middle-east-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 05:09:22 +0000 SCMP SCMP 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. More Singaporeans are choosing jobs below their qualifications. Here’s why A new survey shows 19.4 per cent of Singapore’s resident workforce had academic qualifications beyond what was required for their job in 2025. 2. Why UAE’s exit from Opec is good news for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3352436/uaes-opec-exit-why-japan-shared-mogami-warship-design-india-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3352436/uaes-opec-exit-why-japan-shared-mogami-warship-design-india-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 04:30:06 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan’s defence minister is touring Southeast Asia this week with what analysts describe as a clear, if diplomatically understated, mission: turning Indonesia and the Philippines into harder targets for Chinese maritime ambition. Shinjiro Koizumi landed in Jakarta on Monday to sign a defence cooperation pact with his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, coming hot on the heels of Tokyo’s landmark decision to lift a decades-old ban on the export of lethal weapons last month. He heads next... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352442/japan-offers-indonesia-and-philippines-lethal-muscle-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352442/japan-offers-indonesia-and-philippines-lethal-muscle-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 04:29:00 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Fuminori Arita once farmed iyokan, a Japanese citrus variety, but about 10 years ago he switched to growing avocados, revelling in the challenge of producing crops of what he describes as a “sensitive and difficult to grow” fruit. The 67-year-old is symbolic of efforts by the western Japanese city of Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture, long known primarily for citrus cultivation, to shift more to avocados, partly as a strategy to adapt to rising temperatures amid climate change. Given the challenge... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352441/japanese-citrus-farmers-switch-avocados-climate-change-warms-soil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352441/japanese-citrus-farmers-switch-avocados-climate-change-warms-soil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 04:20:44 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Authorities in Thailand are unravelling a “phantom birth’’ racket involving possibly hundreds of babies – mainly Chinese – falsely registered as Thais by corrupt officials so that their parents can gain land and company ownership rights. Scores of birth certificates have come under scrutiny, with several officials arrested for suspected bribery in a scam that first came to light in northern Chiang Mai but has since clustered around a Bangkok suburb and northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352440/phantom-birth-scam-spooks-thailand-hundreds-babies-get-fake-citizenship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352440/phantom-birth-scam-spooks-thailand-hundreds-babies-get-fake-citizenship?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 04:07:50 +0000 dpa dpa Two marine rescue volunteers died after their boat capsized while attempting to help a yacht in distress off the east coast of Australia, according to New South Wales police. On Monday evening, a member of the public reported that a yacht appeared to be struggling at a breakwall in Ballina in northern New South Wales, police said. A vessel of volunteer service Marine Rescue NSW with six crew on board was responding to the call when “their vessel capsized while crossing the Ballina Bar in heavy... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352433/2-marine-rescue-volunteers-die-after-boat-capsizes-australias-new-south-wales-coast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352433/2-marine-rescue-volunteers-die-after-boat-capsizes-australias-new-south-wales-coast?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 02:29:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters Singapore’s Grab reported first-quarter profit that exceeded analysts’ estimates, helped by resilient demand for ride hailing and delivery in a market rattled by economic and political challenges. Southeast Asia’s biggest ride-hailing and delivery firm has been trying to boost spending on its platform by incorporating artificial-intelligence features into its superapp and bundling its core ride-hailing, delivery and financial services. With oil and gas prices soaring due to the war in the Middle... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352424/ai-helps-singapores-grab-woo-tough-southeast-asian-crowd-exceed-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352424/ai-helps-singapores-grab-woo-tough-southeast-asian-crowd-exceed-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 01:11:06 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Chinese multinational company Landbridge Group’s legal claim regarding Darwin Port – the first case ever brought against Australia at the international tribunal – is likely to yield a multi-year proceeding, which could serve as a buffer to provide some positive impacts for the Australia-China relationship, analysts said. The owner of Landbridge, Ye Cheng, filed a case with the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investor Disputes (ICSID) requesting “arbitration proceedings” over... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The sounds of passing cars and birds chirping broke the morning stillness at Penang’s Northam Road Protestant Cemetery as visitors began filtering in after 8am. Tour guide Zul Harris arrived in a purple shirt, grey trousers and a black flat cap to greet seven tourists waiting at the gate. Inside, a narrow laterite path ran through the cemetery beneath old frangipani trees, whose dense canopy cast a muted green light over weathered headstones tilting at uneven angles. Zul was leading a cemetery... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352393/penangs-cemetery-tours-spur-interest-pioneers-colonial-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352393/penangs-cemetery-tours-spur-interest-pioneers-colonial-history?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party on Monday wrested control of the state of West Bengal, an opposition stronghold, in a key election. The Election Commission of India released partial results showing the Bharatiya Janata Party won at least 124 seats in the 294-member West Bengal assembly, and was leading in 83 others. Final results are expected on Monday evening. It would be a significant breakthrough for Modi’s party, which had tried for years to dislodge the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3352407/india-pm-modis-party-takes-control-west-bengal-key-state-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3352407/india-pm-modis-party-takes-control-west-bengal-key-state-election?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 15:22:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Seoul said on Monday that an “explosion and fire” had struck a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial Middle Eastern waterway effectively blocked following US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The foreign ministry said that, at around 8.40pm in Seoul, “an explosion and fire occurred on a vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company … anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates inside the Strait of Hormuz”. There had been “no casualties to date” among the 24 crew members on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352405/seoul-says-explosion-and-fire-south-korean-ship-hormuz-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352405/seoul-says-explosion-and-fire-south-korean-ship-hormuz-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:55:30 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A Bangladeshi man who jumped onto the train tracks to shield his baby with his body as a train ran over them has gained kudos but also criticism from social media users after a video went viral. The family had been travelling on the Dhaka-bound Titas commuter train at Bhairab Railway Station, according to a report by Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Sun. When the train, which was delayed by about 1½ hours, pulled into the station at about 3.30pm on Tuesday, the family reportedly failed to get... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352377/viral-video-bangladeshi-father-saving-baby-under-moving-train-raises-safety-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352377/viral-video-bangladeshi-father-saving-baby-under-moving-train-raises-safety-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 10:22:55 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean athletes are set to step onto South Korean soil for the first time in eight years, raising hopes that sports could again help ease bilateral tensions even as Pyongyang continues to define Seoul as a hostile state. Naegohyang Women’s FC of North Korea have confirmed their participation in the 2025–2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League (AWCL). “We have been informed by the AFC that Naegohyang Women’s FC have expressed their intention to participate in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352375/why-north-korean-women-footballers-rare-match-south-keenly-watched?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352375/why-north-korean-women-footballers-rare-match-south-keenly-watched?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 10:14:32 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s Umno is making a heady gamble by planning to strike out on its own, experts say, as the former ruling party looks to rally support from among the country’s Malay-Muslim majority in preparation for national polls that must be called in less than two years from now. Umno President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Sunday said the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that the party led was “almost certain” of standing alone in the coming general election, after more than three years as a junior partner... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352362/can-malaysias-umno-reclaim-role-pillar-malay-political-power-solo-election-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352362/can-malaysias-umno-reclaim-role-pillar-malay-political-power-solo-election-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 09:00:45 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore and New Zealand on Monday signed the world’s first legally binding bilateral agreement to keep essential supplies – including food, fuel, healthcare products and chemical and construction materials – flowing even during crises. The Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies was signed by Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy, Science and Technology Tan See Leng and New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay at the Singapore-New Zealand Annual Leaders’ Meeting in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352337/singapore-nz-sign-worlds-first-bilateral-treaty-protect-essential-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352337/singapore-nz-sign-worlds-first-bilateral-treaty-protect-essential-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 06:59:47 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean scientists have identified a potentially promising new pathway for treating ischemic stroke, long considered one of the most difficult challenges in modern medicine. According to the South Korean team, doctors in China are interested in a partnership and learning more about an experimental drug that it has developed to combat the disease. The team’s study, titled “Oxidative stress-induced astrocytic collagen biosynthesis drives glial barrier formation and neuronal death in ischemic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352323/south-korean-team-behind-promising-stroke-research-treatment-cites-chinese-interest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352323/south-korean-team-behind-promising-stroke-research-treatment-cites-chinese-interest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 05:16:45 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press More than 300 families have been evacuated after massive amounts of ash billowed from the Mayon volcano over the weekend due to the collapse of lava deposits from its slopes, Philippine officials said on Monday. There was no explosive eruption from Mayon, which has been erupting mildly on and off since January, but huge deposits of lava on its southwestern slope suddenly cascaded down in a pyroclastic flow – an avalanche of hot rocks, ash and gas – before nightfall on Saturday, said Teresito... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352320/panic-philippines-mayon-volcano-ashfall-blankets-towns-total-darkness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352320/panic-philippines-mayon-volcano-ashfall-blankets-towns-total-darkness?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 05:00:47 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Select FamilyMart convenience stores in Japan have installed boxes to collect used clothing and household goods for reuse, joining similar initiatives taken by retailers, as a step to reduce waste and attract more customers. In a trial launched jointly with Bookoff Group Holdings, which buys and sells used goods, boxes were installed in around 30 FamilyMart stores in residential areas of Tokyo. Bookoff plans to sell some of the collected items overseas, including to Malaysia. FamilyMart said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352314/japans-familymart-gives-old-clothes-new-lease-life-reduce-textile-waste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352314/japans-familymart-gives-old-clothes-new-lease-life-reduce-textile-waste?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 04:05:28 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency on Monday questioned former economy minister Rafizi Ramli over a billion-ringgit semiconductor deal with British chip designer Arm Holdings, escalating a politically sensitive inquiry that has swept up ministers, senior officials and one of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s most outspoken former allies. Rafizi, the Pandan MP and a former senior figure in Anwar’s reformist People’s Justice Party, arrived at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352310/malaysia-anwars-former-ally-rafizi-ramli-grilled-over-us278-million-arm-chip-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352310/malaysia-anwars-former-ally-rafizi-ramli-grilled-over-us278-million-arm-chip-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 03:23:53 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times On a quiet March morning at Incheon International Airport, the head of a government agency responsible for administering industrial accident insurance stood before a memorial adorned with flowers and a photo of Nguyen Van Tuan. The 23-year-old Vietnamese worker had died 10 days earlier in a conveyor belt accident at a gravel factory in Icheon, Gyeonggi province. Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (K-Comwel) President Park Jong-kil bowed deeply, offered flowers and placed his hand on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352303/how-south-korea-transforming-way-it-bids-farewell-migrants-killed-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352303/how-south-korea-transforming-way-it-bids-farewell-migrants-killed-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 01:53:41 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang AI skills are becoming a clear salary advantage for Singapore’s software engineers, with those who have such capabilities earning up to 25 per cent more than their peers, according to a new salary report by NodeFlair. The Singapore-based tech talent platform said its findings came from more than 230,000 verified data points and showed software engineers with AI expertise commanded a 13 to 25 per cent pay premium across experience levels. That marks a shift from 2024, when rising demand for AI... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352246/singapore-software-engineers-ai-skills-earn-25-more-no-longer-nice-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352246/singapore-software-engineers-ai-skills-earn-25-more-no-longer-nice-have?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Japan’s prime minister is set to arrive in Australia to strengthen ties with one of her country’s strongest allies as she seeks to build on an updated regional strategy laid out in Vietnam. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to touch down late on Sunday local time in Canberra for the three-day visit, which will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security. The two countries have grown increasingly concerned about the changing security and economic environment in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352272/takaichi-bound-australia-strengthen-economic-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352272/takaichi-bound-australia-strengthen-economic-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 10:11:29 +0000 The Star The Star A woman carrying a knife has been arrested after being tackled by the crowd during the Rain Rave Water Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night. In a viral video, a man can be seen attempting to disarm the woman. Several others from the crowd, along with security personnel, then joined in to restrain her until the police arrived. She was seen being arrested shortly after. Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus reportedly confirmed the arrest of the 28-year-old woman for possession of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352261/crowd-disarms-knife-wielding-woman-malaysia-water-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352261/crowd-disarms-knife-wielding-woman-malaysia-water-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 08:00:20 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Astronomers in Japan have recently launched what they say is the country’s first organisation dedicated to the search for alien life, with radio observations planned in the summer next year. “They must exist somewhere in the universe. I’m excited to be putting this into action,” said Shinya Narusawa, an astrophysical expert at the University of Hyogo and head of the Japanese Society for SETI – the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Narusawa, a 61-year-old leading expert in the SETI field,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352259/japan-joins-hunt-aliens-can-it-solve-wow-signal-mystery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352259/japan-joins-hunt-aliens-can-it-solve-wow-signal-mystery?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 07:07:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Across Bangkok, aromas of garlic, chilli and grilled meat drift from roadside stalls and carts, but tighter controls on vendors threaten livelihoods and the street food culture that defines the Thai capital. Convenient, full of flavour and popular among locals and tourists alike, Bangkok’s street food is one of the city’s signatures, where sizzling woks and smoky charcoal grills turn boulevards and pavements into open-air kitchens from morning until late at night. But many street sellers in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352255/bangkoks-beloved-street-food-culture-risk-vendor-crackdown-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352255/bangkoks-beloved-street-food-culture-risk-vendor-crackdown-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 05:57:06 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Rising youth suicides in Manila, fuelled by emotional distress and digital triggers, have spurred calls to expand support for vulnerable Filipinos, as the deeply religious country begins to confront mental health more openly. In 2018, Macy Castaneda Lee, a 16-year-old Manila high school student, thought about ending it all after grappling with past trauma, including childhood molestation. Now a journalist and founder of the mental health advocacy group Talang Dalisay, Lee has turned that ordeal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352252/philippines-youth-suicide-crisis-exposes-struggle-mental-health-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352252/philippines-youth-suicide-crisis-exposes-struggle-mental-health-support?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones In India, cuddly and colourful animals are paraded across Instagram, Facebook and YouTube channels, where free advice is shared on how to raise a lemur – or what to feed an iguana – in congested megacities far from forest habitats. Cuteness has become a commodity in Asia’s social media world, with Thailand’s main airport emerging as a reluctant hub for wild animal smuggling. On Wednesday, a 19-year-old passenger bound for Taipei tried to evade security at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352169/how-thailand-transit-hub-feeds-indias-exotic-pet-craze-its-organised-crime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352169/how-thailand-transit-hub-feeds-indias-exotic-pet-craze-its-organised-crime?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Akio Takahara Akio Takahara Japan and China are Asian powerhouses that should collaborate responsibly for the peace and prosperity of the region. However, bilateral relations have experienced ups and downs since the start of the century and are now at their lowest point after normalisation in 1972. A major cause of this is the widening perception and information gap between the two nations that needs to be addressed through direct people-to-people contact. Some, perhaps many, misunderstand that Japan and China are always... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352140/why-japan-china-ties-can-benefit-promoting-people-people-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352140/why-japan-china-ties-can-benefit-promoting-people-people-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 01:00:22 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar When Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto recently visited Seoul for a state visit, one of the most memorable moments was a photo that he took with a 19-year-old Indonesian K-pop idol. Nyoman Ayu Carmenita, better known as Carmen of the girl group Hearts2Hearts, symbolises Indonesia’s ascendancy in the K-pop universe: no longer just a vast market for the genre’s stars, with the country increasingly playing a part in the industry’s global growth. Foreign Minister Sugiono said on April 22 that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352158/indonesias-aim-lure-more-k-pop-concerts-spurs-chorus-doubts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352158/indonesias-aim-lure-more-k-pop-concerts-spurs-chorus-doubts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan and South Korea are closing ranks as they prepare for high-level meetings aimed at steadying ties amid growing regional volatility, with analysts saying the diplomatic push reflects shared concern over China, North Korea and the reliability of US commitments under President Donald Trump. Both countries appear willing to put past differences aside, at least for now, as they confront an assertive China and an unpredictable US administration that has unsettled long-standing allies and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352211/how-trump-inadvertently-bringing-japan-south-korea-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352211/how-trump-inadvertently-bringing-japan-south-korea-together?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 07:55:15 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A pact between India and Russia on reciprocal access to military facilities is expected to boost Moscow’s influence in the Indian Ocean and increase New Delhi’s presence in the Arctic. However, it does not mean the two countries’ bases will be opened to each other’s armed forces as they step up defence cooperation, according to analysts. India and Russia signed the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) covering military exercises, training and humanitarian missions in Moscow in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352147/why-indias-logistics-pact-russia-signals-its-arctic-footprint-ambition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352147/why-indias-logistics-pact-russia-signals-its-arctic-footprint-ambition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Panarat Anamwathana Panarat Anamwathana An old Thai proverb says, “If you love your cow, tie it up; if you love your child, beat them”. It is meant to convey that a loving and responsible guardian should discipline their child and that corporal punishment is an act of care as sensible as tethering one’s cattle so that it does not wander off. For many generations, this proverb and traditional practices have normalised corporal punishment. This attitude is also displayed by teachers in schools. One year after Thailand legally banned... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352136/year-after-corporal-punishment-ban-thailand-needs-curb-resurgence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352136/year-after-corporal-punishment-ban-thailand-needs-curb-resurgence?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 04:00:16 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan and Vietnam are set to agree to boost their partnership in economic security in leaders’ talks on Saturday, as Japan seeks to strengthen supply chains for critical resources amid its diplomatic spat with China and the Middle East crisis. As Tokyo looks to deepen ties with Southeast Asian nations with an eye to China’s increasing economic engagement with the region, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will also give a speech on Japan’s updated vision for its free and open Indo-Pacific policy... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352202/japans-takaichi-hold-talks-vietnam-economic-security-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352202/japans-takaichi-hold-talks-vietnam-economic-security-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 03:24:10 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Southeast Asian growers can now ship durians to China faster than before using a new cold-storage rail service linking Thailand, Laos and southwest China’s Yunnan province, slashing prices for the pungent fruit. The first goods train laden with durians from Thailand – China’s biggest source of the fruit – began winding its way north through Laos to China over the weekend, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. More than 90 per cent of the world’s durian exports – worth about US$7.5 billion... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352017/durian-express-new-southeast-asia-rail-service-cuts-fruit-prices-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352017/durian-express-new-southeast-asia-rail-service-cuts-fruit-prices-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 02:00:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall With his broad smile, Tatsumi Hokuto helps an elderly woman in a Japanese care home almost effortlessly to her feet and makes sure she is steady. At first glance, Hokuto cuts an unlikely figure for a carer role: a powerfully built 27-year-old in tight leggings and a black singlet, with the physique of a dedicated bodybuilder. But for Nagoya-based Visionary, a company that operates nursing and care facilities across Japan, that contrast is precisely the point. Visionary’s “macho carers” like... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352178/rapidly-ageing-japans-macho-carers-lend-muscles-benefit-elderly-disabled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352178/rapidly-ageing-japans-macho-carers-lend-muscles-benefit-elderly-disabled?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 01:30:13 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof When Malaysia’s government announced a ban on two books in mid-April, the move raised eyebrows, with some questioning the intent of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration and his reformist credentials. The home affairs ministry on April 16 declared that the books – one of which was a memoir of the grandmother to an ally of Anwar – were a danger to national security for containing communist elements and ideologies. The decision triggered immediate pushback, predictably from civil society... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352174/malaysias-book-bans-iran-war-anwars-reform-agenda-faces-sternest-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352174/malaysias-book-bans-iran-war-anwars-reform-agenda-faces-sternest-test?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Japan’s relaxation of its weapons-export rules opens a path for talks that could one day lead to Tokyo supplying military equipment to help Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion, Kyiv’s ambassador to Japan said. “This allows us to talk,” Yurii Lutovinov said in an interview at Ukraine’s embassy. “Theoretically, it’s a very big step forward.” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s move last week to ease export rules – Japan’s latest shift away from a strict post-war pacifist stance – has sparked broad... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352184/ukraine-sees-path-getting-japanese-arms-after-tokyo-eases-export-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352184/ukraine-sees-path-getting-japanese-arms-after-tokyo-eases-export-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 13:40:48 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Singapore and Thailand ranked among the world’s “least miserable” economies in an annual index compiled by a Johns Hopkins University economist, who said Southeast Asia was one of the “healthiest economic neighbourhoods” in the world. The 2025 Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI), compiled by applied economics professor Steve Hanke, measures the “economic temperature” of a country and seeks to approximate how its average citizen experiences the economy. This year’s HAMI found that several... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352182/why-singapore-thailand-are-among-worlds-happiest-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352182/why-singapore-thailand-are-among-worlds-happiest-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 12:58:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A train hit a car in Indonesia on Friday, killing four people including two children, police said, days after another deadly train crash outside the capital Jakarta. The driver of the car involved in the collision in Central Java province did not see the oncoming train on a level crossing due to thick fog, local traffic officer Eko Ari Kisworo said in a statement issued by the police. The train then collided with the car, which carried nine people and was flung about 20m (66ft) before hitting a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352180/4-killed-second-indonesia-train-crash-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352180/4-killed-second-indonesia-train-crash-days?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 12:55:39 +0000