https://www.scmp.com/rss/3/feed Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's Asia edition. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju In the space of just two months, India’s navy has held joint exercises off the coasts of Britain, France, South Africa, Oman, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan and Russia’s far east. Such a run of exercises signals a bid for a larger maritime role on the world stage, analysts say. Yet it also raises questions about whether a navy currently short on submarines and struggling to expand can support such global ambitions while also guarding India’s home waters. Since mid-September, over a span of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374035/11-drills-60-days-indias-navy-stretched-too-thin https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374035/11-drills-60-days-indias-navy-stretched-too-thin Wed, 11 Nov 2026 08:00:40 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia is seeking to reassure Taiwanese investors that it remains a reliable destination for hi-tech manufacturing after Taipei suspended bilateral investment talks over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks on China, raising concerns over the future of semiconductor investments in the Southeast Asian nation. Taiwan confirmed on Tuesday that it had paused negotiations scheduled for late October. The move came after Anwar told Al Jazeera in an August interview that he saw the self-governed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374042/taiwan-pauses-malaysia-investment-talks-after-anwar-remarks-spark-fury-taipei https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374042/taiwan-pauses-malaysia-investment-talks-after-anwar-remarks-spark-fury-taipei Wed, 11 Nov 2026 07:13:56 +0000 Johannes Nugroho Johannes Nugroho The prospect of Gibran Rakabuming Raka stepping down as Indonesia’s vice-president has raised the stakes for President Prabowo Subianto, with analysts warning that his departure could trigger a scramble for power within the governing coalition and reshape the country’s political alliances. While they differ over whether Gibran, the eldest son of former president Joko Widodo, genuinely wants to relinquish his position, observers say his dilemma reflects shifting political loyalties and the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374034/indonesian-vp-resignation-drama-raises-stakes-prabowo-alliances-strain https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374034/indonesian-vp-resignation-drama-raises-stakes-prabowo-alliances-strain Wed, 11 Nov 2026 06:19:51 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippine foreign affairs department’s rare rebuke of officials and agencies over anti-China rhetoric could signal Manila’s bid to rein in tensions ahead of the Asean summit next week – but also internal disagreements over strategy, according to analysts. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday said public criticism of China could undermine diplomatic efforts. “In high-stakes diplomacy, a disciplined and coherent national voice remains essential to advancing our national... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374030/why-philippines-muzzling-anti-china-rhetoric-ahead-crucial-asean-talks https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374030/why-philippines-muzzling-anti-china-rhetoric-ahead-crucial-asean-talks Wed, 11 Nov 2026 06:11:44 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Wednesday that the cabin colour palette for its newly unveiled business class seats was “carefully selected” after the reveal drew criticism from some content creators and travel writers, including those who likened them to “dental chairs”. Much of the reaction has focused on the grey-and-yellow colour palette of the seats, which were developed by SIA in collaboration with seat manufacturer Recaro and creative design firm Designworks. An SIA spokesperson said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3374026/singapore-airlines-brushes-dental-chair-jibe-new-business-class-seats https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3374026/singapore-airlines-brushes-dental-chair-jibe-new-business-class-seats Wed, 11 Nov 2026 05:43:14 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A mysterious, jellyfish-shaped light spotted in the skies over Sabah was from a Chinese rocket launch, not aliens, according to the Malaysian Space Agency. The glowing trail linked to the Long March 12 rocket, launched from southern China’s Hainan province in the early morning of Monday, sparked buzz and concerns over potential debris across the Borneo state. Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation said it received a report about the rocket’s sighting from MYSA. MYSA was also... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3374019/malaysia-says-jellyfish-light-over-sabah-was-chinese-rocket-not-aliens https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3374019/malaysia-says-jellyfish-light-over-sabah-was-chinese-rocket-not-aliens Wed, 11 Nov 2026 04:23:11 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan is considering including a commitment to strengthening its “capabilities to deny” an adversary’s aggression in coordination with the United States in a major defence policy document to be revised later this year, government sources said on Tuesday. The basic guidelines for the National Defence Strategy will also call for expanded Japan-US cooperation to strengthen the defence industrial base and deeper security ties with like-minded countries, the sources said. The National Security... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3374009/japan-fortify-denial-capabilities-us-defence-strategy-revamp https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3374009/japan-fortify-denial-capabilities-us-defence-strategy-revamp Wed, 11 Nov 2026 02:40:57 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Thousands of Indian soldiers who would otherwise have left the military after four years will now be kept on, in a major rethink of the controversial Agnipath recruitment model, as analysts say New Delhi is grappling with persistent manpower shortages and security concerns along its borders with China and Pakistan. Under revisions approved by the federal cabinet on November 4, the 75 per cent of Agnipath (“Path of Fire”) recruits previously set to leave after four years will receive a two-year... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373965/india-moves-retain-military-recruits-amid-border-risks-and-troop-gaps https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373965/india-moves-retain-military-recruits-amid-border-risks-and-troop-gaps Wed, 11 Nov 2026 02:30:29 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall China’s growing naval presence in the waters between Japan and South Korea could give the two neighbours a new incentive to overcome long-standing historical tensions and strengthen security cooperation, according to analysts. A reported sharp increase in Chinese warships and coastguard vessels passing through the strait that separates the two countries, some operating alongside Russian forces, has raised concerns about Beijing’s expanding maritime reach. The strait, which links the East China... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373971/will-chinas-maritime-moves-push-japan-and-south-korea-closer-together https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373971/will-chinas-maritime-moves-push-japan-and-south-korea-closer-together Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Prominent climate change activist Greta Thunberg arrived on Tuesday at the UN climate meeting, where she emphasised the need to protect people and the planet over profits and power. This year’s meeting – called the Conference of the Parties, or Cop31 – comes after a year of climate-induced heatwaves and other disasters. As she arrived at the meeting venue in Antalya, Turkey, Thunberg, 23, said climate change is “threatening everything” and that “everything and everyone we love is at stake”. “We... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373987/activist-greta-thunberg-arrives-un-climate-talks-turkey https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373987/activist-greta-thunberg-arrives-un-climate-talks-turkey Tue, 10 Nov 2026 14:25:48 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s administration has been accused of trying to conceal Manila’s urban poverty by clearing street vendors and homeless people along key routes ahead of next week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. Antonio Tinio, deputy minority floor leader of the House of Representatives representing the ACT Teachers Party List, claimed on Monday that authorities had launched operations to displace poor communities across the capital to present a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373978/philippines-marcos-accused-hiding-manilas-poor-behind-art-asean-summit https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373978/philippines-marcos-accused-hiding-manilas-poor-behind-art-asean-summit Tue, 10 Nov 2026 12:19:53 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran US President Donald Trump has conceded that his mass deportation drive may have been “too tough” after his Republican Party’s heavy losses in the midterm elections, but analysts doubt the remark signals a change of policy. Asian-Americans, who were among the communities heavily targeted in the immigration crackdown, swung sharply towards the Democrats on November 3. Trump made the comment in an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes programme, recorded after the vote. Democrats won control of both... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373906/asian-americans-rejected-trumps-ice-raids-will-anything-change https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373906/asian-americans-rejected-trumps-ice-raids-will-anything-change Tue, 10 Nov 2026 11:00:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesia’s Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka offered to resign at a meeting on Tuesday with President Prabowo Subianto, a senior official said, as lawmakers consider an investigation into whether he was eligible to stand in the 2024 election. “The vice-president expressed his intention to resign in light of the evolving situation,” presidential spokesperson Prasetyo ‌Hadi told reporters. Prasetyo denied reports that Prabowo rejected Gibran’s request, but stopped short of saying the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373961/indonesian-vp-gibrans-fate-hangs-balance-parliament-ponders-probe https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373961/indonesian-vp-gibrans-fate-hangs-balance-parliament-ponders-probe Tue, 10 Nov 2026 10:49:15 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Four deaths in two helicopter crashes within five days have raised questions about the dangers facing those fighting Indonesia’s massive forest fires, prompting a government review on aerial firefighting efforts. But those dangers extend beyond the skies, with volunteer firefighters on the ground describing inadequate protective equipment, scarce water supplies and peatland fires that can suddenly erupt beneath their feet. On November 4, an Indonesian army Mi-17V5 transport helicopter carrying... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373954/indonesian-fires-twin-helicopter-crashes-expose-fragile-safety-margins https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373954/indonesian-fires-twin-helicopter-crashes-expose-fragile-safety-margins Tue, 10 Nov 2026 10:18:14 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak arrived home on Tuesday, hours after the High Court cleared the way for him to start serving the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. Najib was driven in a silver SUV to his house in Kuala Lumpur’s affluent suburb of Taman Duta at 9.27pm, local news outlets reported. The car was escorted by several other vehicles from the Prison Department and the Royal Malaysian Police. His prison exit triggered Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3373950/malaysia-court-clears-najib-begin-house-arrest https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3373950/malaysia-court-clears-najib-begin-house-arrest Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:41:36 +0000 Johannes Nugroho Johannes Nugroho Indonesia is turning to China for a major expansion of solar power and energy storage, but a new report warns that a multibillion-dollar funding gap and demands for greater domestic control will complicate the plan as the country’s energy ties deepen. The report, published on Monday by the Jakarta-based Centre of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), found that Chinese investment in Indonesia’s energy sector was expanding beyond nickel processing and electric-vehicle battery production, which had... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373939/indonesias-100gw-solar-plan-needs-china-who-pays-us73-billion-bill https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373939/indonesias-100gw-solar-plan-needs-china-who-pays-us73-billion-bill Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:08:03 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The killing of a Chinese food delivery rider in Melbourne has renewed safety concerns across the city just weeks ahead of the Victorian state election, where law and order is expected to be a key campaign battleground. Feng Jianming, a 47-year-old Chinese national from Shaanxi province, worked as a rider for HungryPanda – a UK-headquartered delivery platform catering to the Chinese diaspora across 10 countries, including Australia. Feng died of stab wounds last Friday night near Melbourne’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3373937/chinese-delivery-riders-death-melbourne-ignites-safety-debate-ahead-poll https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3373937/chinese-delivery-riders-death-melbourne-ignites-safety-debate-ahead-poll Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:04:57 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is facing growing concerns over the fallout from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s alleged affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy, amid fears that the scandal could disrupt global AI supply chains and trigger tighter US export controls on Seoul’s semiconductor champions. The highly publicised “bromance” between Huang and South Korea’s top technology leaders – notably Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won – has played a crucial... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373911/nvidias-jensen-huang-scandal-casts-shadow-over-south-koreas-chip-bromance https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373911/nvidias-jensen-huang-scandal-casts-shadow-over-south-koreas-chip-bromance Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:00:17 +0000 Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele Eurovision, the live song contest that has launched the likes of Abba, Celine Dion and Olivia Newton-John onto the world stage, is set to make its Asia debut in Bangkok this weekend, with a coterie of singers from South Korea and Bangladesh to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Organisers of the 11-country contest are hoping to tap Asia’s thriving fan culture and love of music – and at the same time sidestep some of the gaffes and geopolitical controversies that have made the European event an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3373933/eurovision-makes-historic-asian-debut-will-gen-z-fans-tune https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3373933/eurovision-makes-historic-asian-debut-will-gen-z-fans-tune Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:46:45 +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. Nvidia scandal, China chip claims put Singapore firm Megaspeed under scrutiny A little-known Singapore-registered company is embroiled in a mounting love scandal surrounding Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and US allegations of Chinese espionage. 2. Diploma dispute fuels... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3373921/singapore-firm-nvidia-scandal-india-us-double-standards-7-asia-highlights https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3373921/singapore-firm-nvidia-scandal-india-us-double-standards-7-asia-highlights Tue, 10 Nov 2026 07:56:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Singapore on Tuesday launched a gold storage service for foreign central banks and other financial institutions, as it seeks to bolster its position as a major precious metals trading hub. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said the facility, housed in the city state’s national currency vault, could store 500 tonnes of gold but could expand that as demand grows. The service will provide foreign central banks, international financial institutions and sovereign entities “with a secure... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373902/singapore-adds-lustre-bullion-hub-gold-vault-service-central-banks https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373902/singapore-adds-lustre-bullion-hub-gold-vault-service-central-banks Tue, 10 Nov 2026 06:16:42 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Flash floods during a Deepavali picnic in Malaysia have killed a man and left seven others missing, as authorities evacuated hundreds from flood-prone areas in Selangor and Perak states amid a strengthening monsoon season. The shifting monsoon winds also triggered a surge in thunderstorms across the country, helping clear out a months-long curtain of transboundary haze. Local officials said they found the body of the victim, identified as V. Vijayan, at around 1.30am on Tuesday at a bridge about... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373891/deepavali-picnic-malaysia-turns-tragic-flash-floods-hit-selangor https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373891/deepavali-picnic-malaysia-turns-tragic-flash-floods-hit-selangor Tue, 10 Nov 2026 05:08:20 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Vietnam’s To Lam is expected to use his visit to Japan this week to expand trade and investment options with Tokyo, especially in technology, amid continued uncertainty surrounding America’s future policy direction. After talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Monday, the two leaders pledged to speed up public-private cooperation on critical minerals, with a joint statement calling economic security a top priority in bilateral relations and promising deeper cooperation on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373880/why-vietnams-lam-japan-ai-chips-and-nuclear-power https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373880/why-vietnams-lam-japan-ai-chips-and-nuclear-power Tue, 10 Nov 2026 04:12:23 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A Chinese man was referred to prosecutors on Monday for allegedly disrupting a major mobile carrier’s services in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district with a rogue cell tower device, with police investigating possible links to a phishing scheme using illegal radio signals. Yu Hai, 31, an unemployed resident of Tokyo’s Kita ward, was arrested on Saturday allegedly in the act of operating a base station without a licence, using the device from a car parked on a Ginza street to emit radio signals to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3373878/japan-busts-fake-cell-tower-used-phishing-scheme-targeting-chinese-tourists https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3373878/japan-busts-fake-cell-tower-used-phishing-scheme-targeting-chinese-tourists Tue, 10 Nov 2026 04:00:36 +0000 CNA CNA A cruise ship left stranded in Southeast Asia after its US-based operator ran out of money has been arrested in Singapore, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said on Monday. The Odyssey, meant to take passengers on a continuous voyage around the world, was arrested after arriving on Sunday from Cambodia, where around 200 guests were told to disembark. “The vessel has been placed under arrest pursuant to a court order,” MPA said in a statement, without giving further details. “The crew on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373862/odyssey-cruise-ships-voyage-ends-singapore-arrest-after-owner-goes-bust https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373862/odyssey-cruise-ships-voyage-ends-singapore-arrest-after-owner-goes-bust Tue, 10 Nov 2026 01:21:55 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan While some tropes like zombies are universally scary, other sources of terror require specific cultural knowledge to inspire dread – something Wyn Panichpakdee realised while watching both Thai and international players test his studio’s latest video game. In Kumarn: The Wandering Spirit, players encounter phi nang rum, menacing dancing spirit dolls from Thai folklore. Wyn said Thai players instantly recognised the dolls and braced themselves for something horrifying, while foreign players... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3373842/southeast-asian-horror-games-unleash-local-nightmares-world https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3373842/southeast-asian-horror-games-unleash-local-nightmares-world Tue, 10 Nov 2026 00:00:19 +0000 Billy Huang Billy Huang At the Fortune Southeast Asia 500 Summit in Ho Chi Minh City on November 3, a discussion of regional connectivity explored how goods move across borders. I came away thinking about what stays behind. When production moves to Vietnam, how much of the ability to produce moves with it? Vietnam has set itself an extraordinary ambition. Its five-year plan, approved in April, targets average annual gross domestic product growth of at least 10 per cent from 2026 to 2030. Developing Vietnamese suppliers... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3373495/vietnam-china-plus-one-still-needs-chinese-input https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3373495/vietnam-china-plus-one-still-needs-chinese-input Mon, 09 Nov 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim A little-known Singapore-registered company is embroiled in a mounting love scandal surrounding Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and US allegations of Chinese espionage. Huang’s admission of an extramarital affair has renewed scrutiny of Megaspeed, after media reports identified a former executive of the Singapore firm as the woman involved in the relationship, which US officials suspect was linked to Chinese espionage. Megaspeed, a major Nvidia customer, is believed to have been founded and led by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373840/singapore-firm-megaspeed-back-spotlight-over-nvidia-scandal-china-chip-allegations https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373840/singapore-firm-megaspeed-back-spotlight-over-nvidia-scandal-china-chip-allegations Mon, 09 Nov 2026 14:22:23 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A growing dispute over former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s house arrest has thrust the attorney general’s powers into the spotlight, raising the spectre of a constitutional clash – though legal experts say it falls short of a full-blown crisis. Najib, 73, was due to move from Kajang Prison to his Kuala Lumpur home on Friday after his political party, Umno, paid a 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine, fulfilling a condition of a royal pardon issued in September allowing him to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3373784/malaysia-najibs-house-arrest-pits-palace-against-prosecutors https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3373784/malaysia-najibs-house-arrest-pits-palace-against-prosecutors Mon, 09 Nov 2026 09:00:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesia will tighten controls on state ⁠surveillance equipment and consider ⁠sweeps of its presidential palace for bugging ⁠devices, a minister said on Monday, following last week’s discovery of illegal wiretaps on the president, top officials and more. The wiretapping scandal led to the arrest of four senior police officers accused of unauthorised monitoring of phones, among them a former national police chief ‌who had recently been appointed President Prabowo Subianto’s chief of staff. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373795/indonesia-mulls-palace-bug-sweeps-after-presidential-wiretaps https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373795/indonesia-mulls-palace-bug-sweeps-after-presidential-wiretaps Mon, 09 Nov 2026 08:55:12 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A viral social media prank targeting Japanese police is sweeping across the country, with children as young as seven being caught in the act. Known as “Shorinji racing”, the trend involves minors shouting “Shorinji-ja” (“We are Shorinji”) at police officers in person or through false emergency calls from public telephones while peers record them, according to Jiji Press. Some have kicked doors and torn down posters at local police boxes, or koban. The perpetrators then flee or hang up before... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3373770/japan-targets-viral-shorinji-racing-social-media-pranks-harassing-police https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3373770/japan-targets-viral-shorinji-racing-social-media-pranks-harassing-police Mon, 09 Nov 2026 07:19:15 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Nearly eight years after a psychiatrist’s murder prompted South Korea to pass a new law that increased penalties for assaulting medical staff, another attack this month has doctors asking why the country’s hospitals are still unsafe. The attack at Severance Hospital in Seoul last Wednesday left the victim, a psychiatry professor surnamed Kang, with a severe hand injury that required surgery and cuts to his face and head. South Korea’s leading medical bodies have called for urgent new security... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373762/doctor-was-murdered-south-korea-8-years-nothing-has-changed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373762/doctor-was-murdered-south-korea-8-years-nothing-has-changed Mon, 09 Nov 2026 06:35:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested on Monday a new passport and identity card so she can return from self-imposed exile in India, according to a letter seen by Reuters, her first ‌such communication since fleeing in 2024. The request marks the clearest step by Hasina to act on her plan to return to Bangladesh in December, more than two years after a deadly uprising ended her long rule, raising the prospect of fresh political and legal tensions in a country where her party... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373754/ex-bangladesh-leader-hasina-applies-passport-signal-shes-ready-homecoming https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373754/ex-bangladesh-leader-hasina-applies-passport-signal-shes-ready-homecoming Mon, 09 Nov 2026 05:07:34 +0000 The Star The Star Kota Laksamana in Melaka could be developed into Malaysian state’s new capital if Umno-led Barisan Nasional wins the seat in Saturday’s poll, according to caretaker chief minister Ab Rauf Yusoh. He said the proposed transformation would be supported by the Straits of Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone, which would bring together tourism, commercial and industrial activities along the state’s waterfront. “Kota Laksamana will become the state capital of Melaka. That is what I hope for,” he said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373742/malaysias-melaka-could-get-new-capital-kota-laksamana-if-barisan-wins-poll https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373742/malaysias-melaka-could-get-new-capital-kota-laksamana-if-barisan-wins-poll Mon, 09 Nov 2026 04:31:06 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have all recorded rising numbers of child abuse cases in recent years, but child welfare advocates say this may be a sign of progress rather than worsening violence, as greater awareness and improved reporting bring more cases to the attention of authorities. “The good news is that more people are reporting,” said Hartini Zainuddin, a veteran advocate for abused children in Malaysia. Official figures show growing caseloads in all three countries, but differences... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373643/child-abuse-cases-rise-malaysia-indonesia-singapore-why https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373643/child-abuse-cases-rise-malaysia-indonesia-singapore-why Mon, 09 Nov 2026 04:00:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In a Pakistani village nestled in rice fields, Abdul Hafeez Khoso remembers the vast industrial zones he saw in Germany when he visited to file a pioneering climate legal case. “They’re spreading pollution: up in the sky there are no borders, it can affect anywhere,” the 43-year-old said, describing areas far larger than his village of 800 people. “This is a problem for the whole world – that is why it should be resolved at the global level.” Khoso and 38 other farmers from Pakistan’s southern... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373733/pakistani-farmers-sue-german-firms-flood-damage-no-borders-sky https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373733/pakistani-farmers-sue-german-firms-flood-damage-no-borders-sky Mon, 09 Nov 2026 03:08:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters Global climate talks starting on Monday are unlikely to yield new targets on curbing greenhouse gases, but negotiators have plenty to do to implement measures already agreed, according to Singapore’s environment minister. “I think that we are not expecting a major upgrade in mitigation targets” at ‌the annual UN talks in Turkey, Grace Fu told reporters. “But we have enough, even within the Paris Agreement, with what we have already agreed on. There is enough to work on.” Delegations from nearly... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373729/singapore-minister-says-cop31-has-enough-work-without-new-targets https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373729/singapore-minister-says-cop31-has-enough-work-without-new-targets Mon, 09 Nov 2026 02:24:57 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Artificial intelligence promises to make government bureaucracies leaner across Asia, but its biggest effect on public-sector employment may not come from the widely feared wave of lay-offs. Instead, analysts say the technology is more likely to reshape existing jobs and narrow opportunities for young graduates hoping to enter the civil service, even as governments seek to improve efficiency without sacrificing job security. Unlike the Netherlands, which aims to cut an estimated 25,000 full-time... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373652/ai-pulls-civil-service-ladder-southeast-asias-middle-class https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373652/ai-pulls-civil-service-ladder-southeast-asias-middle-class Mon, 09 Nov 2026 02:00:38 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines wants to buy more of India’s BrahMos missiles and have them adapted to its terrain, in a move analysts say signals Manila’s search for alternative arms suppliers as the US remains entangled in its Middle East conflict. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr told a security summit in New Delhi last week that his country hoped to expand on its 2022 purchase of the supersonic cruise missile arsenal to strengthen its external deterrence. Indian sources later told Reuters... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373650/philippines-seeks-bespoke-brahmos-missiles-india-island-defence https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373650/philippines-seeks-bespoke-brahmos-missiles-india-island-defence Mon, 09 Nov 2026 01:13:51 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times More than 13,000 people visited South Korea’s Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, Gyeonggi province, over a 10-day period to catch a rare glimpse of a North Korean self-propelled howitzer visible from the observatory. Despite the heightened tensions between the two Koreas, a total of 13,243 people visited the park from October 26 to Wednesday, up 7.5 per cent from 12,321 during the same period last year, according to Gimpo city on Sunday. The increase came after images published by local media... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3373725/thousands-flock-south-korean-border-park-rare-view-north-korean-weapon https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3373725/thousands-flock-south-korean-border-park-rare-view-north-korean-weapon Mon, 09 Nov 2026 00:58:17 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Indonesia has not executed anyone for over a decade, with its new Criminal Code designed to make capital punishment a “last resort” – yet the number of prisoners on death row continues to climb. A new report on the persistent use of capital punishment by the country’s courts has raised questions about such rulings, handed down despite an unofficial moratorium on executions. There were 639 people on death row as of April this year, an increase from 596 as of August 2025, according to a report by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373601/why-indonesias-death-penalty-lives-even-executions-dwindle https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373601/why-indonesias-death-penalty-lives-even-executions-dwindle Mon, 09 Nov 2026 00:00:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A crew member of a helicopter battling Indonesian wildfires was killed on Sunday when the aircraft crashed into a river as it scooped up water for an airborne drop, a local disaster agency said. The crash in Borneo Island’s South Kalimantan province was the second in days involving a firefighting aircraft, after a military helicopter plunged into the waters off Borneo on Wednesday, killing three people. Two Australian pilots survived Sunday’s crash and were “safe”, Berton Panjaitan, a spokesman... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373712/indonesian-firefighting-helicopter-crash-borneo-kills-1 https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373712/indonesian-firefighting-helicopter-crash-borneo-kills-1 Sun, 08 Nov 2026 14:37:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japanese police arrested a 33-year-old man who admitted to stabbing a bookshop worker in Osaka on Sunday, a spokesman said, adding that the suspect said he “held a grudge against society”. The man, identified as Satoshi Okamoto, allegedly used a kitchen knife to stab the worker – who called police immediately afterwards – at a branch of national chain Maruzen & Junkudo in the heart of Japan’s second largest city. Police did not elaborate on the victim’s condition, but there was no fear for his... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3373708/japan-man-grudge-against-society-stabs-bookshop-worker https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3373708/japan-man-grudge-against-society-stabs-bookshop-worker Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:44:22 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Washington’s decision to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets has drawn accusations of double standards from critics in India, who question why the United States is strengthening a nuclear-armed ally while waging war against Iran over its nuclear programme. Although the US$686 million military modernisation package does not include nuclear weapons, analysts say that improvements to the fighter jets’ navigation, communications and survivability could boost Pakistan’s existing nuclear strike... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373584/india-questions-us-double-standards-pakistan-secures-f-16-upgrade-deal https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373584/india-questions-us-double-standards-pakistan-secures-f-16-upgrade-deal Sun, 08 Nov 2026 08:00:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse When Japan’s “symbol of affordability” Uniqlo decided to increase the price of its basic socks last month, it sparked a backlash before the clothing titan made an immediate U-turn. That came after Italian-style family restaurant chain Saizeriya issued an almost grovelling apology as it decided to add 20 yen (US$0.13) to the price of its trademark Milanese Doria, lamenting its “lack of effort”. The very public angst, including in one of the world’s most recognisable clothing brands, highlights... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3373678/why-raising-prices-japan-amid-insanely-high-inflation-backfires-firms https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3373678/why-raising-prices-japan-amid-insanely-high-inflation-backfires-firms Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:30:22 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele For most of his life, Osman Uki lived in a world dictated by the sun, relying on kerosene and leftover cooking oil to light his home in a remote indigenous village in Malaysia. That changed in April when solar power finally reached Kampung Bertang in the state of Pahang, allowing families to power electric lights, refrigerators and rice cookers. For Osman, one of the biggest changes is what happens after sunset. “We are happy with the light we have at night. The kids can read at night now. We... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373551/southeast-asias-green-push-brings-solar-power-who-pays-keep-it https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373551/southeast-asias-green-push-brings-solar-power-who-pays-keep-it Sun, 08 Nov 2026 04:00:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cooking and bathing became difficult when taps ran dry in Batam, an Indonesian island where residents are protesting against data centres springing up to power the global artificial intelligence boom. The area had suffered a “long drought” caused by low rainfall, the local water utility operator said, as a strong El Nino cycle exacerbates dry weather. But, as in other countries, anger has been directed at the data centres, warehouse-like facilities that keep apps and AI tools running, with water... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373676/indonesians-furious-batam-data-centres-drain-taps-we-cannot-cook-without-water https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3373676/indonesians-furious-batam-data-centres-drain-taps-we-cannot-cook-without-water Sun, 08 Nov 2026 03:51:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Long before Moe Harukawa was killed, she lived in fear. The 21-year-old shop assistant had reported her ex-boyfriend to police and a court had ordered him to stay away from her. Yet weeks later, Taiki Hirokawa, 26, walked into Harukawa’s workplace – a packed Pokemon store in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district – and stabbed her repeatedly in the neck and torso before turning the knife he was carrying on himself. Both later died in hospital. Harukawa’s gruesome murder in March at the hands of a man who... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373571/japan-rethinks-its-stalking-laws-after-pokemon-store-murder https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3373571/japan-rethinks-its-stalking-laws-after-pokemon-store-murder Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:00:27 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof When her prescription for Mounjaro became too expensive, Bey* did what a growing number of Malaysians are doing: she found a cheaper vial online. The 34-year-old from Kuala Lumpur started on the weight-loss drug about a year ago and hasn’t looked back since. “I didn’t feel like eating, I didn’t feel hungry,” she said, recalling flying to Jakarta for a “food trip” recently during which she barely ate. Reviews on Threads and TikTok led her to online sellers offering “tirzepatide”, Mounjaro’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3373570/malaysia-shadow-trade-diy-weight-loss-jabs-takes-hold https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3373570/malaysia-shadow-trade-diy-weight-loss-jabs-takes-hold Sun, 08 Nov 2026 00:00:33 +0000 Reuters Reuters New Zealand’s ruling centre-right National Party and main opposition Labour were nearly deadlocked in the popular vote after initial counting in the nationwide general election on Saturday. Results from the Electoral Commission show that with more than 95 per cent of the ballots counted, both parties were polling just short of 30 per cent of the popular vote, with just a few thousand votes separating the two. A projection from New Zealand’s Electoral Commission ‌showed the current three-party... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3373657/new-zealand-election-first-count-ends-2-main-parties-nearly-deadlocked https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3373657/new-zealand-election-first-count-ends-2-main-parties-nearly-deadlocked Sat, 07 Nov 2026 13:12:33 +0000