appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

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. ‘Foreigner won’: Filipinos divided over pageant winner’s US roots
The Philippines has crowned its newest Miss Universe candidate, Bea Millan-Windorski, as the country – known for its penchant for beauty pageants – prepares to send its latest representative to the global competition in November.
2. Chinese J-35 stealth jets set to give Pakistan a strategic edge over India
A year after fending off a massive Indian air assault with the help of Chinese warplanes and missiles, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Thursday unveiled plans to upgrade its fleet through further acquisitions of Chengdu J-10C fighters and substantial upgrades to the JF-17s co-produced by the two allies.
3. Lawrence Wong warned of ‘storm clouds’ for Singapore. Was it an understatement?

With Singapore facing a global energy crisis due to the conflict in the Middle East, the “storm clouds” that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned of at an election rally last year now appear to be an understatement.
4. South Korean judge in Kim Keon-hee’s appeals trial found dead days after verdict
A South Korean appellate court judge who presided over a high-profile case involving former first lady Kim Keon-hee was found dead early Wednesday morning, police said.
5. Malaysia’s EV import curbs to protect local sector criticised for inconsistency
Malaysia’s nascent electric vehicle market may be decimated before it gets up to speed, as business experts warn of a sharp drop in demand and delay in the renewable energy transition if the government imposes strict price curbs on imported units from July, in a move to protect the country’s vehicle makers.
6. Japan’s hikikomori recluses are growing old. So are their carers

Japan has long grappled with what to do about hikikomori – the social hermits who seal themselves off from the world, sometimes for years, retreating from all human contact.
7. South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire

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.


Philippine pageant debate, Chinese stealth jets in Pakistan: 7 Asia highlights

Xi’s leverage ahead of Trump meet, Hong Kong schools: 5 weekend reads you missed

Shanghai’s changing expats, Hong Kong trail sign fallout: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Exhibition on gardens of China, Europe; art director’s top spots: 7 Lifestyle highlights

SCMP Highlights

Bea Millan-Windorski will represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe pageant in November. Photo: Facebook/Miss Universe Philippines

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the general election in May last year. Photo: Reuters

A Japanese government survey estimated that 1.46 million people were living as shut-ins as of 2023. Photo: Shutterstock

South Koreans protest in Seoul last month against an earlier request by US President Donald Trump to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP

Illustration: Huy Truong

Many older adults are accustomed to taking omega-3 supplements to help protect cognitive function. Photo: Shutterstock

The net gain in students for the current school year stood at 7,229 compared with the previous one. Photo Dickson Lee

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Japan’s new spy agency receives FBI backing with eyes on China and Russia

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves as she departs from Canberra on May 5 after a three-day official visit to Australia. Photo: AFP

News

Asia

From controversy about a Philippine pageant winner to Japan’s social recluses, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting


From controversy about a Philippine pageant winner to Japan’s social recluses, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.


Philippine pageant debate, Chinese stealth jets in Pakistan: 7 Asia highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From controversy about a Philippine pageant winner to Japan’s social recluses, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting

1. ‘Foreigner won’: Filipinos divided over pageant winner’s US roots

From controversy about a Philippine pageant winner to Japan’s social recluses, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting