https://www.scmp.com/rss/318215/feed Southeast Asia's latest news, current affairs, politics and regional issues. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Soaring fuel prices are driving up costs for Thais travelling home for the holidays, but the chance to spend the new year with loved ones is a price worth paying, they say. “There aren’t many opportunities to go home during festivals like this,” said 24-year-old army cadet Korawich Changpat at Bangkok’s Mo Chit Two bus station, despite his inflated fare back to central Chaiyaphum province. “First of all, I’ll go see my mother. Looking this handsome in my uniform, I must go pay my respects to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349751/thais-celebrate-new-year-despite-fuel-price-shocks-delaying-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349751/thais-celebrate-new-year-despite-fuel-price-shocks-delaying-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:46:44 +0000 The Star The Star Malaysian immigration officers have raided two massage parlours suspected of offering sexual services to clients, detaining 21 foreign workers and a local man believed to be the manager of the premises. The raids in Johor, which began at around 3pm on Thursday, targeted outlets that publicly advertised standard massage services from 80 ringgit (US$20) an hour. “The businesses were believed to be involved in immoral activities and employed foreigners without valid documents,” Johor immigration... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349727/malaysia-detains-masseuses-china-offering-extra-services?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349727/malaysia-detains-masseuses-china-offering-extra-services?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:08:18 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Penang, the Malaysian state long marketed as the Pearl of the Orient, is better known today for its hawker food, colonial-era streetscapes and the multicultural life of George Town, whose historic core won Unesco World Heritage status in 2008. When Francis Light, a British merchant, landed on Penang on August 11, 1786, he took possession of the 293 sq km (113 square-mile) island on behalf of the British East India Company and renamed it Prince of Wales Island. One enduring local legend holds... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349680/was-penang-robbed-kedah-malaysian-states-face-sovereignty-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349680/was-penang-robbed-kedah-malaysian-states-face-sovereignty-row?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 02:00:18 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun In classrooms and training centres across China, a growing number of students from Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond are learning not just the Chinese language, but how the country’s factories operate, how supply chains are managed and how products are marketed and sold across borders. Hebei Software Institute, in the northern city of Baoding, has been at the forefront of the push. The vocational college said it had established multiple overseas-oriented programmes in recent years, particularly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349616/vocational-schools-new-front-chinas-strategy-support-businesses-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349616/vocational-schools-new-front-chinas-strategy-support-businesses-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore and Australia pledged on Friday to keep fuel and gas flowing between them as the Middle East conflict rattled global energy markets, with both sides also working towards a legally binding agreement on essential supplies. At a joint press conference in Singapore, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra stood ready to supply more liquefied natural gas (LNG) if the city state needed it, while Albanese’s Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong said his government would... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349689/singapore-australia-vow-uninterrupted-fuel-supply-amid-global-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349689/singapore-australia-vow-uninterrupted-fuel-supply-amid-global-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:40:41 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Iran’s threat to impose tolls on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz is stirring concern far beyond the Gulf, sharpening fears that one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints could be used as political leverage rather than governed by international rules. The concern is especially acute in Asia, which remains heavily reliant on Middle East energy supplies and exposed to any disruption in the waterway, through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Analysts warn that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349686/irans-hormuz-toll-threat-lays-bare-asias-energy-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349686/irans-hormuz-toll-threat-lays-bare-asias-energy-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:23:36 +0000 The Star The Star Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has reaffirmed Malaysia’s independent foreign policy stance, saying that while the nation prioritises maintaining strong ties with its neighbours, it remains firm in its refusal to overlook the causes of current regional instability. Responding to recent remarks by Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who stated that the republic would not negotiate for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Anwar said Malaysia’s diplomatic approach is guided... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349684/malaysias-anwar-singapores-hormuz-stance-thats-their-affair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349684/malaysias-anwar-singapores-hormuz-stance-thats-their-affair?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:07:56 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A Malaysian association has come under fire after warning that wider work-from-home arrangements would hurt urban businesses, with critics accusing it of prioritising city-centre takings over the government’s effort to cut fuel use across the country and rein in soaring subsidy costs. The backlash comes days before Malaysia begins a phased work-from-home roll-out for eligible civil servants on April 15, part of a wider effort to cut fuel use and manage rising costs tied to disruptions caused by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349636/malaysian-business-lobby-says-working-home-will-hurt-city-profits-faces-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349636/malaysian-business-lobby-says-working-home-will-hurt-city-profits-faces-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:33:35 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Indonesia’s richest man has begun selling small stakes in his listed companies as tighter ownership rules push firms to increase shares available to public investors. Billionaire Prajogo Pangestu sold a 0.56 per cent stake in coal and mining holding Petrindo Jaya Kreasi to boost the company’s free float, according to a stock exchange filing late Thursday. Prajogo-affiliated Green Era Energy this week also sold a fraction of its stake in his Barito Renewables Energy. Regulators are fast-tracking... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349623/indonesias-richest-man-loosens-grip-petrindo-barito-amid-tighter-ownership-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349623/indonesias-richest-man-loosens-grip-petrindo-barito-amid-tighter-ownership-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:36:48 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Her father is in custody at The Hague, her alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has collapsed into bitter rivalry and she is fighting to halt impeachment proceedings before the Supreme Court. Despite all of that, Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio is still, by a distance, the early favourite to be the country’s next president. A new survey by Manila-based pollster WR Numero found 36 per cent of Filipinos would vote for Duterte-Carpio if the 2028 election were held today – a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349553/sara-duterte-leads-early-2028-philippine-presidential-poll-rivals-struggle-unite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349553/sara-duterte-leads-early-2028-philippine-presidential-poll-rivals-struggle-unite?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Bloomberg,Reuters Bloomberg,Reuters Economic growth across Asia is likely to slow even if oil prices stabilise in the coming months, as the impact of war in the Middle East ripples through industries from manufacturing to tourism, according to the Asian Development Bank. The US and Israeli war on Iran is projected to halt developing Asia’s economic upswing, with the region’s gross domestic product expansion seen moderating to 5.1 per cent this year from 5.4 per cent in 2025, the ADB said in its outlook report on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349591/asian-economies-face-formidable-test-middle-east-conflict-drags-adb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349591/asian-economies-face-formidable-test-middle-east-conflict-drags-adb?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:32:16 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Thai authorities have seized assets worth 8.3 billion baht (US$260 million) belonging to people behind an alleged money-laundering network linked to transnational cyber scam operations in Cambodia. The latest seizure by the Anti-Money Laundering Office included cash, cars, bank deposits and other securities, bringing the total value of assets confiscated in the widening probe to more than 20 billion baht, officials said at a briefing in Bangkok on Thursday. The network of offenders included... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349581/thailand-snatches-us260-million-cross-border-scammers-decisive-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349581/thailand-snatches-us260-million-cross-border-scammers-decisive-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:14:54 +0000 Marco Vicenzino Marco Vicenzino The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran is a real diplomatic breakthrough. It has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, triggered a relief rally in global markets and eased the immediate fear of a spiralling energy shock. But its strategic significance lies less in the relief it has produced than in the uncertainty it leaves behind. The truce is time-limited, tied to negotiations and built around temporary safe passage rather than a settled regional order. The ceasefire terms and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349425/asia-us-iran-ceasefire-offers-little-relief-and-much-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349425/asia-us-iran-ceasefire-offers-little-relief-and-much-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:30:10 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A genocide complaint filed with Indonesian prosecutors against Myanmar’s newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing marks a further step by rights activists to hold the country’s military rulers accountable for their alleged international crimes, regardless of where they were committed. The complaint, lodged on Monday with Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO), accuses the former military chief of genocide against the Rohingya, including mass rape, forced eviction, killings and arson attacks... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349532/indonesian-activists-target-myanmars-president-genocide-case-against-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349532/indonesian-activists-target-myanmars-president-genocide-case-against-him?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof The US war on Iran has triggered the worst energy crisis in memory and punched a hole in Southeast Asia’s energy-importing economies. Still, a top former US diplomat insists America remains a dependable ally and will be central to the region’s trade and security for years to come. The Trump administration’s attack on Iran had inflicted pain on Southeast Asian allies dependent on Middle Eastern energy imports, said Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink, a former assistant secretary of state for East... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349533/us-remain-key-ally-asean-despite-iran-war-fallout-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349533/us-remain-key-ally-asean-despite-iran-war-fallout-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:20:35 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The International Criminal Court (ICC) is expected to issue a written decision by April 28 on whether former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte will stand trial on charges of crimes against humanity over his war on drugs. However, even if the judges decide to proceed with the trial, observers predict that the proceedings will progress at a “glacial pace”, potentially taking years to reach a ruling. Duterte, who governed the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was surrendered to the ICC in March... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349504/will-philippine-ex-president-duterte-stand-trial-icc-and-how-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349504/will-philippine-ex-president-duterte-stand-trial-icc-and-how-long?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi China’s exports of energy storage equipment are expected to keep rising as the US-Israeli war in Iran renews global calls for energy independence, industry insiders and analysts said. The total export value of Chinese inverters – key components in energy storage systems – jumped 57 per cent year on year to US$1.66 billion for the first two months of 2026, Chinese customs data showed. Inverters convert electricity generated from batteries and solar panels into usable power for homes, businesses... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349515/chinas-energy-storage-tech-exports-buffer-against-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349515/chinas-energy-storage-tech-exports-buffer-against-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Philippine Coast Guard unveiled on Thursday its first dedicated command centre in the Spratly island chain, a flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea that has been the site of repeated confrontations with Chinese vessels. The headquarters of a newly established coastguard district, formerly overseen from neighbouring Palawan, will cover an area of about 68,000 sq km (26,000 sq miles). A journalist travelling to the new command centre on Thitu Island, known as Pagasa in the Philippines,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349488/philippines-expands-south-china-sea-footprint-permanent-thitu-island-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349488/philippines-expands-south-china-sea-footprint-permanent-thitu-island-base?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:25:53 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Singapore’s pushback against negotiating with Iran over access to the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a backlash from Malaysian politicians, who saw its statements as “lecturing” them on how best to secure safe passage through the vital waterway. For the past month, Tehran had all but shut access to the strait – which handles about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments, bound mostly for Asia – in retaliation for deadly strikes by the US and Israel since they launched a war on Iran on February... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349464/malaysia-wont-be-lectured-singapores-refusal-negotiate-over-hormuz-creates-waves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349464/malaysia-wont-be-lectured-singapores-refusal-negotiate-over-hormuz-creates-waves?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:23:33 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Across much of the world, young people are turning away from military service. In Thailand, they are queuing up. Voluntary enlistment in the Southeast Asian nation has climbed steadily over the past five years – so much so that in some districts, annual conscription quotas, which happen in April, are being filled from ranks of willing men alone. It is somewhat paradoxical, considering the recent, lethal border clashes with Cambodia have made clear that military service is no longer a distant... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349449/thai-men-sign-military-driven-prospect-steady-pay-amid-sluggish-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349449/thai-men-sign-military-driven-prospect-steady-pay-amid-sluggish-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:15:22 +0000 CNA,Bloomberg CNA,Bloomberg Government facilities in Singapore will take steps to reduce electricity consumption to boost the nation’s energy resilience as the conflict in the Middle East tightens global energy supplies. Immediate measures include setting the air-conditioner at 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher, managing operating times for air-conditioning, lighting and lifts and unplugging or turning off non-essential equipment when not in use, the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment (MSE) and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349443/singapore-raises-air-con-temperatures-public-spaces-save-energy-amid-fuel-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349443/singapore-raises-air-con-temperatures-public-spaces-save-energy-amid-fuel-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:12:14 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China has completed one of Southeast Asia’s largest solar power projects in Laos, at a time when regional economies are stepping up efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels amid global energy disruptions in the Persian Gulf. The initial phase of the 1 gigawatt (GW) solar project was officially connected to the grid on Tuesday, becoming the country’s first large-scale mountainous photovoltaic installation. Located in northern Laos, the installation is expected to generate about 1.65 billion... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349382/china-backed-solar-project-powers-laos-amid-iran-war-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349382/china-backed-solar-project-powers-laos-amid-iran-war-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The US and Japan have an ambition to transform the Philippines into a critical minerals powerhouse and cut their reliance on China as part of a broader economic partnership, but analysts warn that a lack of commitment by Manila to introduce comprehensive reforms and tackle corruption could hamper the goal. A report by the US-based think tank Centre for a New American Security (CNAS) said cooperation between the three countries was central to leveraging the Philippines’ vast potential as a source... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349421/can-philippines-become-critical-minerals-powerhouse-help-us-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349421/can-philippines-become-critical-minerals-powerhouse-help-us-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:39:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thailand’s foreign minister confirmed on Wednesday the deaths of three Thai crew members of a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz a month ago. US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to respond by effectively closing the strait, a crucial artery for global oil supplies, and launching attacks on vessels. The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was struck on March 11 while travelling through the Gulf waterway, after departing a port in the United Arab... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349409/thailand-confirms-deaths-3-cargo-ship-crew-gulf-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349409/thailand-confirms-deaths-3-cargo-ship-crew-gulf-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:40:51 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Myanmar’s weak economy is being brutally exposed to the fuel crisis, with farmers unable to fill up tractors to work their fields and a fertiliser shortage caused by the throttling of the Strait of Hormuz threatening food security just as the planting season begins. Battered by civil war and runaway inflation, and with a quarter of its population already lacking sufficient food, Myanmar is poorly positioned to absorb the oil shock and its cascading effects on an economy that is among the most... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349380/myanmars-food-security-crisis-fuel-fertiliser-shortages-threaten-fragile-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349380/myanmars-food-security-crisis-fuel-fertiliser-shortages-threaten-fragile-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:06:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters The head of a body representing global airlines said on Wednesday that even if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, it would take months for jet fuel supply to recover given disruptions to Middle East refining capacity. Oil fell below US$100 per barrel after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran ‌that was subject to the immediate and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil trade. Iranian Foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349353/no-quick-fix-asian-airlines-even-if-iran-reopens-hormuz-iata-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349353/no-quick-fix-asian-airlines-even-if-iran-reopens-hormuz-iata-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:26:07 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem Philippine lawmakers have voiced hope that joint oil and gas exploration deals with China could proceed amid the global energy crunch, despite a former Supreme Court justice warning that accepting Beijing’s terms would be tantamount to “suicide” for Manila. Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier this week backed President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s intention to resume talks with China on such ventures, given the impact of the Middle East conflict. In 2023, Marcos Jnr and Chinese President Xi... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349350/philippine-lawmakers-call-oil-deals-china-prompts-warnings-trap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349350/philippine-lawmakers-call-oil-deals-china-prompts-warnings-trap?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:51:15 +0000 Agencies Agencies President Donald Trump’s announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran that will see Tehran temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz brought welcome relief to Asian markets on Wednesday. With Trump’s deadline approaching for the Islamic Republic to reopen the waterway or face obliteration, he announced a halt to attacks for two weeks and said he had received a “workable” 10-point proposal. Iran later said it had agreed to safe passage in the strait, through which a fifth of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349331/cautious-optimism-asia-after-us-iran-agree-ceasefire-reopen-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349331/cautious-optimism-asia-after-us-iran-agree-ceasefire-reopen-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:52:07 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A Malaysian court has granted an application by anti-corruption officials to issue an arrest warrant for two sons of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, after they failed to comply with repeated requests to turn up for questioning over their family’s wealth. Daim and his clan have been at the centre of a years-long probe into alleged abuse of power and corruption by the country’s elites, who critics have accused of colluding with two-time prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to enrich themselves... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349326/malaysian-corruption-watchdog-secures-arrest-warrant-tycoon-daims-sons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349326/malaysian-corruption-watchdog-secures-arrest-warrant-tycoon-daims-sons?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:16:14 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Philippine call centre industry is a juggernaut, employing over a million and generating billions in revenue. Its workers’ voices are a familiar sound for callers from around the world, the nation’s deep pool of English speakers underpinning the country’s rise into a global hub for customer service outsourcing. Artificial intelligence is shaping up to be a huge disruptive force but another, more insidious problem is emerging – an education system that is producing graduates who were never... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349321/could-philippines-declining-literacy-affect-its-status-help-desk-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349321/could-philippines-declining-literacy-affect-its-status-help-desk-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:29:06 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim A 38-year-old woman has been charged over her involvement in an accident which killed a six-year-old Indonesian girl and severely injured her mother at a popular tourist district in Singapore. The woman, who cannot be named due to a gag order, was handed two charges on Wednesday. One was for driving without due care and attention causing death, and the other for driving without due care and attention causing grievous hurt. If found guilty of the first charge, she could be jailed up to three... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349318/woman-charged-over-singapore-crash-killed-indonesian-girl-chinatown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349318/woman-charged-over-singapore-crash-killed-indonesian-girl-chinatown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 02:48:55 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore will not negotiate for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, as doing so would undermine fundamental principles of international law, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said. Responding to a parliamentary question on Tuesday by Member of Parliament Fadli Fawzi on whether Singapore would engage Iran or consider paying a toll for its vessels, Balakrishnan stressed that transit through such waterways was a right – not a privilege. “There is a right of transit passage,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349314/singapore-says-no-negotiations-hormuz-safe-passage-transit-right-not-privilege?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349314/singapore-says-no-negotiations-hormuz-safe-passage-transit-right-not-privilege?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:16:36 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Cambodia’s first law targeting scam centres, passed after mounting international pressure over the country’s massive fraud and trafficking economy, may do little to curb it unless authorities go after the officials and networks that have long enabled it, analysts have warned. Approved by parliament on Friday, the law takes aim at an industry estimated to generate up to US$19 billion annually and to have trafficked as many as 200,000 workers into compounds across the country. Justice Minister... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349298/cambodia-has-new-law-targeting-scams-it-just-another-paper-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349298/cambodia-has-new-law-targeting-scams-it-just-another-paper-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Bryanna Entwistle Bryanna Entwistle On April 1, amid China’s cybercrime offensive in Southeast Asia, Cambodia extradited to China Li Xiong, former chairman of Huione Group, which had been severed from the US financial system last year for laundering at least US$336 million from cyber scams between 2021 and 2025. The US had also sanctioned Huione’s parent company, Prince Group, and indicted founder Chen Zhi. In January, Cambodia extradited Chen to China, securing the arrest of a man accused of being Cambodia’s biggest scam... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349051/beat-cambodias-scam-gangs-us-must-work-china-not-blame-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349051/beat-cambodias-scam-gangs-us-must-work-china-not-blame-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A pet ostrich went for a speedy jaunt down a busy Thai highway on Tuesday, before being returned safe and sound to its enclosure at an animal-themed cafe. The six-month-old male ostrich raced along a three-lane highway in Thailand’s coastal Chonburi province as cars and trucks sped by the flightless bird, according to a video posted by a man who was driving directly behind it. “Who lost an ostrich on the road? Come get him. He runs so fast,” the motorist, Chairat Sompong, is heard saying in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349303/ostrich-escapes-animal-cafe-sprints-down-thai-highway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349303/ostrich-escapes-animal-cafe-sprints-down-thai-highway?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:43:20 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Tehran’s decision to let Malaysia-linked vessels through the Strait of Hormuz highlighted Iran’s growing use of access to the strategic waterway as leverage, analysts said, with only a limited number of ships now able to pass and access increasingly determined by political ties rather than treated as a neutral commercial right. For Malaysia, the move drew attention not only to Tehran’s close ties with Putrajaya but also to scrutiny surrounding sanction-sensitive oil trade and ship-to-ship... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349284/iran-does-not-forget-its-friends-malaysia-ships-pass-hormuz-amid-selective-access?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349284/iran-does-not-forget-its-friends-malaysia-ships-pass-hormuz-amid-selective-access?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:52:57 +0000 Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Singapore’s economy will inevitably be hit by the global energy crunch even though it is in a better position to deal with the crisis compared with its neighbours, according to analysts, as the city state unveiled a raft of measures to help households and businesses. The conflict in the Middle East has roiled supply chains and sent fuel prices soaring in Southeast Asia, with governments scrambling to enforce measures such as fuel caps and work-from-home mandates. Singapore ministers in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349276/singapore-set-be-hit-global-energy-crisis-it-unveils-countermeasures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349276/singapore-set-be-hit-global-energy-crisis-it-unveils-countermeasures?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:20:15 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Most Southeast Asians would choose China as a strategic partner over the US if forced to pick, as analysts attribute the findings of an annual survey to recent geopolitical and trade uncertainties driven by Washington’s policies. But analysts warn against interpreting the respondents’ sentiment in the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey as a zero-sum game between the superpowers, saying that Asean is looking to diversify partners in a multipolar world. When asked which superpower the region... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:05:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters Filipino farmers like Romeo Wagayan have ⁠been left with little choice ⁠but to let their vegetables rot in the ⁠field rather than sell them at a loss, as rising oil prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East drive up the cost of harvesting, labour and transport. “There’s nothing we can do,” said Wagayan, a 57-year-old vegetable farmer in the northern Philippine province of Benguet. “If we harvest ‌it, our losses only increase because of labour, transportation and packing costs. We don’t... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349246/filipino-farmers-leave-crops-rot-fuel-prices-drive-cost-harvest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349246/filipino-farmers-leave-crops-rot-fuel-prices-drive-cost-harvest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:53:03 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A daughter of Malaysia’s late former finance minister Daim Zainuddin was charged in a Kuala Lumpur court on Tuesday over allegations that she failed to declare shareholdings to anti-corruption investigators, in the latest escalation of a long-running probe into the wealth of one of the country’s most prominent political families. The case against Asnida Abdul Daim is part of the investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) into assets linked to her father, a two-time finance... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349239/malaysias-op-godfather-probe-reaches-daims-daughter-asnida-pleads-not-guilty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349239/malaysias-op-godfather-probe-reaches-daims-daughter-asnida-pleads-not-guilty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:10:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Vietnam’s Communist Party boss To Lam was elected president by the National Assembly on Tuesday, capping his bid to centralise authority in a nation where senior cadres have traditionally governed collectively. In less than two years as party chief, the 68-year-old has swept aside rivals and transformed the country through an aggressive reform drive – literally redrawing the map as he combined provinces and slashed bureaucracy. Lam has set an ambitious target of 10 per cent annual growth for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349235/lam-emerges-vietnams-supreme-leader-after-being-elected-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349235/lam-emerges-vietnams-supreme-leader-after-being-elected-president?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:35:20 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times A Filipino taxi driver who attempted to overcharge a member of K-pop group TXT has been suspended from operating, after the incident sparked backlash both in South Korea and the Philippines. According to a report aired on Monday on JTBC’s Chief Investigator, TXT member Choi Soo-bin, known mononymously as Soobin, was targeted in a taxi fare scam while travelling in Cebu, a popular tourist destination in the Philippines. The incident was originally revealed on Wednesday through the group’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349213/filipino-taxi-driver-suspended-after-overcharging-k-pop-star-soobin-cebu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349213/filipino-taxi-driver-suspended-after-overcharging-k-pop-star-soobin-cebu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:07:08 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau A defamation lawsuit filed by Singapore cabinet ministers K Shanmugam and Tan See Leng against financial news outlet Bloomberg on Tuesday opened with heated exchanges over an article that mentioned their personal property transactions. According to statements of claim filed in the High Court, Shanmugam, who is coordinating minister for national security, and Tan, who is manpower minister, said parts of the article, titled “Singapore mansion deals are increasingly shrouded in secrecy”, were... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349204/singapore-ministers-defamation-suit-against-bloomberg-property-article-starts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349204/singapore-ministers-defamation-suit-against-bloomberg-property-article-starts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 02:07:27 +0000 Yogi Putranto Yogi Putranto Control of the seas has long defined power in the Asia-Pacific. From strategic chokepoints to contested fishing grounds, maritime space has shaped the region’s economic lifelines and geopolitical tensions. But a quieter contest is unfolding – less visible, yet potentially more consequential. It is not a contest over territory but over data. As satellite surveillance, digital tracking and advanced analytics transform how the ocean is monitored, a new question emerges: who controls the information... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348997/asia-pacific-real-maritime-contest-over-satellite-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348997/asia-pacific-real-maritime-contest-over-satellite-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran When Filipino motoring journalist James Deakin recently posted a photo of his fuel receipt – more than 4,000 pesos (US$67) after topping up on nearly 39 litres – his message to followers was blunt: “I’m seriously looking at an EV [or] hybrid now. What’s your breaking point?” He is far from alone. As the Philippines grapples with a national energy emergency triggered by the war in Iran, record pump prices are forcing consumers to rethink their transport methods, and Vietnamese electric vehicle... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349191/why-high-fuel-costs-could-accelerate-philippines-ev-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349191/why-high-fuel-costs-could-accelerate-philippines-ev-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Muhammad Faizan Fakhar Muhammad Faizan Fakhar Much Western discourse on artificial intelligence has lately focused on establishing safeguards and installing guardrails against powerful new AI systems, algorithmic bias, the collusion of governments and tech oligarchs, and rising related environmental costs. The growing AI backlash in the West has been labelled a “botlash” in a recent commentary by Stanford University’s Marietje Schaake, who includes anti-AI movements such as “QuitGPT”, “Resist and Unsubscribe” and “Stealing Isn’t... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349034/danger-global-souths-pursuit-ai-magical-cure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349034/danger-global-souths-pursuit-ai-magical-cure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 The Star The Star A daughter of Malaysia’s late finance minister Daim Zainuddin will be charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Tuesday. Lawyer Yu Ying Ying confirmed that Asnida Daim, who is in her 60s, will be charged under Section 36(2) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009. That section relates to the offence of failing to comply with a written notice from the MACC to declare assets. Court records indicate the case will be mentioned before Judge Rosli Ahmad at 9am. In a separate... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349190/malaysia-daims-daughter-be-charged-kuala-lumpur-court-amid-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349190/malaysia-daims-daughter-be-charged-kuala-lumpur-court-amid-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:12:00 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam has said he wished the United States had kept controversial blogger and child sex convict Amos Yee, warning that foreign media and rights advocates have mistaken a repeat offender, who was deported back to the city state, for a free-speech icon. Yee, who is listed on a US Department of Homeland Security website as among the “worst of the worst criminal aliens” the Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested, was deported from the US on March 19... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349183/singapores-shanmugam-deported-blogger-amos-yee-i-wish-americans-had-kept-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349183/singapores-shanmugam-deported-blogger-amos-yee-i-wish-americans-had-kept-him?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:20:26 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones From sea transfers by smugglers and hoarding to stockpiling underground, profiteering from the oil crunch in Thailand has exacerbated a supply crisis that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned on Monday was about to worsen, given the country’s reliance on fuel imports. As diesel pump prices hit an all-time high of around 50 baht (US$1.54) a litre on Monday, Justice Minister Major-General Rutthaphon Naowarat told reporters that “oil has definitely gone missing”, saying it was too early to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349177/oil-smugglers-hoarders-thailand-worsen-supply-crisis-anutin-warns-tough-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349177/oil-smugglers-hoarders-thailand-worsen-supply-crisis-anutin-warns-tough-times?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:19:54 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia is facing renewed pressure to expand the use of palm-based biodiesel as the Iran war drives up fuel costs, but industry and academic observers say high infrastructure costs and slow roll-out make it an unlikely source of quick relief. That tension has sharpened as the government confronts a swelling fuel subsidy bill and greater exposure to imported supply shocks. The finance ministry last month said petrol and diesel subsidies could reach 4 billion ringgit (US$903 million) a month with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349159/can-palm-biodiesel-provide-quick-relief-malaysia-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349159/can-palm-biodiesel-provide-quick-relief-malaysia-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:00:33 +0000