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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. Chinese tourists flock to Singapore for ‘da ka’ moments, despite the high prices

Melody Liu had been in Singapore for just three days when she blew past her 5,000 yuan (HK$5,450) travel budget – and reached for her long-sleeved hooded shirt with attached visor to brave another day in the sweltering heat.
2. Iris Hsieh’s death in Malaysia: publicist mourns ‘gentle yet strong’ friend
The publicist of Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh, who was found dead in a Kuala Lumpur hotel room shared with Malaysian rapper Namewee, has paid tribute to his friend, hitting back at a cascade of “outrageous” rumours about the former nurse that have filled the information gap left by Kuala Lumpur police.
3. US singer unknowingly marries Malaysian sultan: ‘I deserve a proper divorce’

When American recording artist Brittany Porter met Sultan Muhammad V, ruler of the Malaysian state of Kelantan, she thought their fairy tale romance led to an engagement. A year later, she discovered that the Islamic nikah ceremony was in fact a religious marriage, a revelation that came only after the country’s former monarch had cut off contact.
4. Outrage in India over Vance’s wish for his Hindu wife to become a Christian

A remark by US Vice-President J.D. Vance expressing hope that his Hindu wife might convert to Christianity has drawn sharp criticism in India, where commentators see it as a troubling signal of his expected bid for the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
5. Fun or nuisance? Singapore’s pickleball fever leaves neighbours on edge
As pickleball’s popularity soars across age groups, its rapid spread is straining Singapore’s limited urban space – and residents’ patience. With demand far outstripping the supply of courts, players are turning to improvised venues in housing estates, prompting a surge in noise complaints.
6. ‘Professor Kangkung’: Malaysian academic mocked for Roman shipbuilding theory
An associate professor from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) has raised eyebrows – and hackles – after a video of her suggesting that the Romans learned their shipbuilding techniques from the Malays went viral.
7. Uproar at Miss Universe event in Thailand over local organiser’s ‘dumb’ insult

A ceremony meant to welcome this year’s Miss Universe delegates descended into turmoil after a Thai pageant organiser publicly berated Miss Mexico, prompting a walkout led by the competition’s reigning title-holder from Denmark and a last-minute postponement of the event.


Trump urged Xi to help end Ukraine war; China’s tech sanctions list: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Sharla Cheung’s film career, rise and fall of Hong Kong comics: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Chip prodigy returns to China, coal waste used for critical minerals: 7 science highlights

Japan’s Russia concern, businesses choose Malaysia over Singapore: 7 Asia highlights

SCMP Highlights

Uproar at Miss Universe event in Thailand, ‘da ka’ moments in Singapore: 7 Asia highlights

Chinese tourists take pictures near the Merlion statue in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Brittany Porter poses with Sultan Muhammad V. Photo: Instagram/its.brook.lynn

US Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance attend a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington on January 20. Photo: AFP

Miss Universe Thailand’s host organiser Nawat Itsaragrisil has come under criticism for his “malicious” comments targeting several of the competition’s delegates at an event in Bangkok on Tuesday. Photo: YouTube/YouSawClipz

What Europe sees in Philippines, Malaysia’s Bukit Bintang upgrade: 7 Asia highlights

A screenshot shows a Philippine navy vessel anchored at Oyster Bay naval facility in Palawan province, West of Manila in June. Photo: AFP

People crowd the Bukit Bintang shopping area in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July. Photo: Getty Images

A street vendor pushes his cart through floodwaters following heavy rains in Jakarta. Photo: Reuters

US singer unknowingly marries Malaysian sultan, HKU regains top spot: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Namewee outside Dang Wangi police station and Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh. Photo: Instagram/namewee, Facebook/iriss0810

Bai Suocheng (centre) was sentenced to death on Tuesday, as were his son Bai Yingcang and three close associates. Photo: CCTV

Hong Kong Olympic gold medallist Vivian Kong (centre) has declared her bid to run for the tourism constituency in the Legislative Council election. Photo: Karma Lo

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has regained its position as Asia’s best in a global ranking after 15 years. Photo: Elson Li

China ‘breeding’ uranium; PLA’s hypersonic ‘morphing’ missile: 7 science highlights

An example of the hypersonic morphing missile prototype. Photo: NUDT


Researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics are working on a thorium-based molten salt reactor that could transform nuclear energy in the Gobi Desert. Photo: Xinhua

Illustration: Henry Wong

As the Donald Trump administration slashes research funding and brings institutes under broader political control, some Chinese-American scientists are drawing parallels with China’s Cultural Revolution. Photo: AFP

News

Asia

From Chinese tourists flocking to Singapore to Miss Universe turmoil in Thailand, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting


From Chinese tourists flocking to Singapore to Miss Universe turmoil in Thailand, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.


Uproar at Miss Universe event in Thailand, ‘da ka’ moments in Singapore: 7 Asia highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From Chinese tourists flocking to Singapore to Miss Universe turmoil in Thailand, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting

1. Chinese tourists flock to Singapore for ‘da ka’ moments, despite the high prices

From Chinese tourists flocking to Singapore to Miss Universe turmoil in Thailand, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting