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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. ‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire
A well-intentioned US embassy post featuring a satellite image of Malaysia has sparked a distinctly local burst of self-deprecating humour, with social media users quipping in response to the picture: “Sorry, we don’t have oil.”
2. Japan’s next-generation fighter jet project gets boost as European rival stalls
Japan’s Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), its next-generation fighter project in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Italy, may be given a boost now that the development of a similar aircraft has been put on hold.
3. Singapore’s PM Lawrence Wong removes Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has stripped the Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh of his role as the city state’s first Leader of the Opposition following Singh’s conviction for lying under oath to a parliamentary committee.
4. In Japan, fears of China’s antibiotics dominance spur calls for self-sufficiency
Medical professionals in Japan are concerned that China could dramatically ramp up trade pressure on Tokyo by adding antibiotics and ingredients for medicines to its list of exports subject to restrictions.
5. Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

Pakistan is increasingly confident of making billion-dollar arms sales, headlined by the JF-17 fighters its co-produces with China, as up to six Muslim-majority countries look to upgrade their air forces amid growing geopolitical turbulence and civil wars.
6. Visa suspension tests US priorities in Southeast Asia
The inclusion of four Southeast Asian nations in the United States’ 75-country visa suspension has thrown up questions over Washington’s foreign policy approach, including its interest in the region.
7. Fast and furious: Malaysian streetwear boss suspended after road rage video

Malaysian police are investigating after a viral road-rage video showing a Ferrari driver aggressively chasing another driver triggered a wave of online fury in the country.


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SCMP Highlights

Malaysians’ foreign-policy satire, Japan’s fighter jet project boost: 7 Asia highlights

This screengrab from a dashcam video shows the moment the Stoned & Co co-founder is honked at to get out of the way. Photo: Instagram/sensual.96s

A worker carries a bunch of oil palm fruit at a plantation in Slim River, Malaysia. Malaysians repeatedly referenced palm oil in online jokes responding to a recent US embassy space photo, stressing the country has palm oil rather than crude petroleum. Photo: Reuters

Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh leaves the Supreme Court in Singapore after his appeal was dismissed in December. Photo: Reuters

A JF-17 takes part in a flying display at the 2015 Paris Air Show. Photo: Reuters

India overtakes Japan, Bali mulls bank check requirement: 7 Asia highlights

Screenshot from Philippine Airlines’ new soap opera-styled safety video. Photo: Philippine Airlines

Shoppers walk along a street illuminated with decorative lights ahead of New Year celebrations in Bengaluru, India, last month. Photo: AFP

A view from Singapore towards Johor Bahru in southern Malaysia, a key crossing point for Malaysians working in the city state. Photo: AFP

Tourists walk through a shopping area in Seminyak, Bali, on August 1, 2025. The island has seen a surge in foreign arrivals as officials push for “quality tourism” measures. Photo: EPA

China’s daring engineering feat, Malaysia border chaos: 5 weekend reads you missed

China and the US should work together to thwart any plot to revive the spectre of militarism in Japan, according to a Chinese embassy official in Washington. Photo: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

The 6.4km Jiangyin-Jingjiang Yangtze River Tunnel is a major infrastructure project in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: Handout

The team of engineers deployed a second shield tunnelling machine to excavate from the opposite direction underneath the Yangtze for a mid-river docking. Photo: Handout

An image circulated on social media on Saturday shows a crowd of travellers waiting to pass through automated immigration gates at the Malaysia-Singapore border. Photo: Facebook

Illustration: Brian Wang

A US farmer uses a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm in Hickory, North Carolina. The Trump administration has dropped a plan to impose restrictions on Chinese-made drones. Photo: AP

Singapore’s elite schools spark debate; concern for domestic helpers: 7 Asia highlights

Mikio (right) with his family and mother (second from right) shortly before the murders. Photo: Handout

Tourists take pictures with Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers in the background in Kuala Lumpur. The country aims to attract 47 million international visitors during the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Photo: AFP

Shoplifting has grown steadily worse in Japan in recent years, with police recently dismantling a Vietnamese crime ring who had targeted Uniqlo stores across the country. Photo: AFP

Sunrise in Singapore with the iconic Merlion statue in the background. A viral video on elite schools has sparked a debate on whether such schools may lead to wider social stratification. Photo: Shutterstock

A Netflix sign atop a building in Los Angeles, with the Hollywood sign in the distance. Photo: AP

Filipino domestic workers gather on a street in Hong Kong. Indonesia and the Philippines have provided millions of helpers to the rest of Asia over the decades. Photo: Dickson Lee

On the night of December 30, 2000, an assailant managed to get into the home of the Miyazawa family, in Tokyo’s upmarket Setagaya ward and strangled or knifed all of them to death. Photo: Handout

A woman shops at a wet market in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 13, 2023. Photo: Reuters

News

Asia

From visa suspensions to Pakistan’s arms deal, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting


From visa suspensions to Pakistan’s arms deal, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.


Malaysians’ foreign-policy satire, Japan’s fighter jet project boost: 7 Asia highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From visa suspensions to Pakistan’s arms deal, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting

1. ‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

From visa suspensions to Pakistan’s arms deal, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting