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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. Japan on alert as Hokkaido tremors reignite megaquake fears
A string of moderate earthquakes off the coast of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido has reignited concerns among experts and residents about the risk of a catastrophic seismic event – though scientists stress the tremors do not necessarily signal an impending disaster.
2. Malaysia’s Anwar faces more woes as sexual harassment case against him proceeds

A crisis of credibility hangs over Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as he prepares to face a sexual harassment suit later this month, the latest in a series of controversies that has rocked his administration and cast doubts over his reformist agenda.
3. ‘Can’t allow this to continue’: Japan’s tax-free tourist shopping under fire

A group of lawmakers has proposed scrapping Japan’s decades-long tax-free shopping system designed to lure foreign tourists to the country, arguing the benefit has been plagued by fraud and has deprived the government of a significant source of revenue.
4. Former Singapore minister freed after serving time for graft-related offences
Singapore’s former transport minister S. Iswaran has been released from custody for accepting gifts as a public servant and obstructing justice. The Singapore Prison Service confirmed on Friday that the 63-year-old, who had been on home detention, is no longer in its custody after completing his term.
5. South Korea’s Lee pledges warmer ties, but past tensions leave Japan ‘worried’

South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung vowed on Wednesday to restart dormant talks with North Korea and bolster a trilateral partnership with the United States and Japan, as he laid out key policy goals for his single, five-year term.
6. Philippines boosts air power with 12 FA-50 jets amid South China Sea tensions
Manila’s deal to acquire 12 upgraded FA-50 fighter jets from South Korea could significantly strengthen the Philippines’ air defence and power projection in the contested South China Sea – but analysts say the light combat aircraft still fall short of the multirole fighters the country ultimately seeks.
7. Ex-girlfriend who blackmailed K-pop idol with sex video gets suspended sentence
The former girlfriend of a 26-year-old South Korean pop star has been given a one-year suspended sentence for threatening to release a sex video of them together in a bid to end his career. The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced the woman to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for her threats to the K-pop singer, who is still active in the scene.


US, Iran sign peace deal; China’s C919 jets grounded for safety checks: SCMP’s 7 highlights

TCM for a new generation, Dragon Boat Festival top picks: 7 Lifestyle highlights

PLA’s plan to destroy US carriers; world’s largest whale graveyard: 7 science highlights

Korean’s racist World Cup experience, India’s military revamp: 7 Asia highlights

SCMP Highlights

Megaquake scare in Japan, Philippines boosts air power: 7 Asia highlights

A damaged port in Anamizu, Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture, after a strong earthquake on January 1 last year. Photo: Kyodo

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is facing a sexual harassment suit filed by his former aide, Muhammed Yusoff Rawther. Photo: AFP

People walk along Nakamise shopping street in Tokyo’s Asakusa area. Photo: Kyodo

South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung takes the oath of office in the National Assembly building in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

US-China trade talks begin in London, Egypt’s new capital project: SCMP daily highlights

Egypt’s new capital city, known as the New Administrative Capital or New Cairo, is being built by a Chinese construction giant. Photo: Shutterstock

Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in China’s Jiangsu province. Photo: Reuters

A demonstrator waves a Mexican flag as smoke and flames rise from a burning vehicle during protests against federal immigration sweeps, near Los Angeles City Hall in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

The discovery of mountains of rubbish in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China’s central Hunan province has prompted officials to investigate officials and launch protocols to clean the refuse out of ancient caves. Photo: Xinhua

US-China trade call’s impact on manufacturers, Trump and Musk feud: SCMP daily highlights

An employee works on a tractor assembly line at a factory in Qingzhou, Shandong province on May 27. Photo: AFP

Before their public feud this week, US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk attended a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30. Photo: Reuters

A Mediterranean Shipping Company container ship passes through the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea in December 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE

Chinese student’s Harvard speech, Hokkaido tremors spark quake worry: SCMP’s 7 highlights

The Customs and Excise Department confirmed it has received complaints and is investigating the abrupt closure of the club. Photo: 1880 Hong Kong

A speech by Yurong “Luanna” Jiang, the first Chinese woman chosen as Harvard University’s student commencement speaker, has raised questions about a lack of access to elite schools for many ordinary students. Photo: AP

Beijing has carried out at least three rounds of large-scale military drills near Taiwan since May 2024, and PLA warplanes continue to fly near the island on a daily basis. Photo: Weibo/PLA Eastern Theatre Command

DF-5 missiles pictured during a parade in Beijing in 1984. Photo: Handout

Growing numbers of men in Japan are adopting strict lifestyle routines in a bid to stay forever young. Photo: SCMP composite/QQ.com

New Chinese students barred from Harvard, how birds conquered skies: SCMP daily highlights

US President Donald Trump has ordered an end to international student enrolments at Harvard University, citing national security concerns. Photo: AFP


Fossils preserved in amber offer a unique opportunity to study soft structures, as objects stuck in the hardened tree resin remain trapped in time. Photo: AP/Science

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, in 2023. Photo: AP

The AES100 is China’s first home-grown 1,000-kilowatt turboshaft engine to receive approval for mass production. Photo: Xinhua

Harvard speech sparks privilege debate, China GDP growth outlook: SCMP daily highlights

A rendering of a Tiandu test satellite. Photo: Deep Space Exploration Laboratory

Hi-tech decoys like those dramatised in Chinese blockbuster “Operation Leviathan” will be central to future submarine warfare. Photo: Bona Film Group

News

Asia

From fears of a megaquake in Japan to South Korea’s new president, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting


From fears of a megaquake in Japan to South Korea’s new president, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.


Megaquake scare in Japan, Philippines boosts air power: 7 Asia highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From fears of a megaquake in Japan to South Korea’s new president, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting

1. Japan on alert as Hokkaido tremors reignite megaquake fears

From fears of a megaquake in Japan to South Korea’s new president, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting