https://www.scmp.com/rss/323045/feed Your source for credible news and authoritative insights from across Asia. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Israel’s intensified military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon is unlikely to derail US-Iran peace talks and will continue until the group is weakened, according to analysts. A simultaneous end to hostilities in the Gulf and Lebanon is a core demand of Tehran, but the strikes launched on Tuesday show Israel’s lack of intention to honour any such agreement. The US also backed the latest attack, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing it as Israel’s “right to self-defence” against... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3355105/israels-lebanon-strikes-challenge-trumps-iran-talks-amid-hezbollahs-defiance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3355105/israels-lebanon-strikes-challenge-trumps-iran-talks-amid-hezbollahs-defiance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 02:45:24 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A partnership between Japan Airlines and a space start-up marks the first step for the carrier to explore diversification beyond Earth-bound aviation, potentially boosting Japan’s ambition to expand its footprint on the moon. The airline is teaming up with ispace to transport items of “precious cultural heritage and human activities” via a lander craft to the moon and protect them from the effects of climate change, natural disasters and conflict on Earth. “In the rapidly changing world, there... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3355068/japan-airlines-wants-blast-human-culture-space-and-land-it-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3355068/japan-airlines-wants-blast-human-culture-space-and-land-it-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran For more than a decade, Jeffrey Ongoco has watched much of his daughter’s childhood unfold through a screen. The 46-year-old, who works as a document controller for a construction company in Doha, left the Philippines in 2007 for a job in Saudi Arabia before moving to Qatar in 2010. He and his wife work in Doha to support their 16-year-old daughter, who has lived in the Philippines since infancy, cared for by relatives in Bataan province, about 130km (80 miles) northwest of Manila. It was a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3355098/homesick-filipino-migrants-count-cost-separation-better-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3355098/homesick-filipino-migrants-count-cost-separation-better-future?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 00:53:49 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A wave of AI-generated deepfakes and fake endorsements has pushed Indian celebrities, from cricket stars to Bollywood actors, towards the courts seeking stronger protection for their name, image, voice and likeness. Lawyers say the litigation has exposed a widening gap in Indian law, with courts increasingly recognising personality rights even though the country lacks a dedicated statute to enforce them. The campaign gained momentum last December, when Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3355061/ai-deepfakes-expose-legal-vacuum-indias-celebrity-rights-protection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3355061/ai-deepfakes-expose-legal-vacuum-indias-celebrity-rights-protection?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Five of the seven villagers trapped deep in a flooded cave in Laos for a week were found alive cramped on a rocky ledge on Wednesday afternoon, rescuers said, in a mission that included some of the same expert cave divers who saved a Thai youth football team in 2018. Around 4.30pm, a Thai-led rescue team finally broke through to an area where they found five of the missing villagers perched on the ledge just above the floodwaters, after diving for four days and navigating swamped narrow passages... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3355067/5-7-villagers-trapped-flooded-laos-cave-found-alive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3355067/5-7-villagers-trapped-flooded-laos-cave-found-alive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 11:56:17 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones One of the two Samoan men arrested by Vietnamese police over the killing of an Australian with reported links to Sydney’s criminal underworld outside a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City has admitted that he was hired to carry out a hit on a rival. Lorenzo Lemalu, 24, was gunned down outside the restaurant last Thursday, in a rare gangland murder involving foreigners using Vietnam as a base for their crime. Shocking images of the shooting caught on CCTV show flashes from a gun wielded by a hooded... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3355062/samoan-suspect-confesses-hired-hit-vietnam-sydney-gangster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3355062/samoan-suspect-confesses-hired-hit-vietnam-sydney-gangster?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 11:21:22 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju As India and China work to steady their relationship after years of border tension, Indian filmmakers say projects inspired by the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes are being reworked, delayed or shelved following official warnings against “China-bashing”. Bollywood heavyweight Salman Khan’s war drama, initially titled Battle of Galwan, was reportedly asked to change its name to Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace, with several scenes requiring reshoots. A separate film, The Lion of Galwan, has been... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3355053/india-tells-filmmakers-drop-china-bashing-ties-warm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3355053/india-tells-filmmakers-drop-china-bashing-ties-warm?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 10:53:14 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau The unravelling of a S$1.43 billion (US$1.12 billion) merger between Singapore mobile operators M1 and Simba has highlighted the city state’s brutally competitive telecoms market, revealing a potential regulatory minefield around scarce radio spectrum. The foiled deal would also mean Singapore’s mobile network operators – Singtel, StarHub, M1 and Simba – will continue to operate in a cutthroat price war environment while M1’s owners look for new ways to divest, according to experts. Singapore... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3355007/failed-m1-simba-merger-prolongs-singapores-cutthroat-telco-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3355007/failed-m1-simba-merger-prolongs-singapores-cutthroat-telco-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones For two years, some of them never touched the ground. Locked in tiny wire cages and destined for a life of being drained of bile through syringes or surgically implanted taps, the 27 Asiatic black bears rescued in northern Laos this week had known almost nothing of what it means to be a bear. Now, for the first time in years, some are finally drinking clean water freely. Others are feeling solid earth beneath their paws for the first time. The rescue, completed this week by conservation group... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3355000/after-years-tiny-cages-27-moon-bears-laos-finally-taste-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3355000/after-years-tiny-cages-27-moon-bears-laos-finally-taste-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 06:36:13 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s recently retired anti-corruption chief, Azam Baki, is under police investigation for allegedly threatening a whistle-blower linked to a mineral licence scandal involving politicians in Sabah. Azam accused Albert Tei of “playing games” and spreading misinformation after the businessman lodged a report earlier this month, which prompted the police to pursue the case under criminal intimidation provisions. Officers also recorded statements from Tei and his lawyer, who was allegedly used... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354988/malaysia-probes-ex-anti-corruption-chief-azam-baki-over-whistle-blower-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354988/malaysia-probes-ex-anti-corruption-chief-azam-baki-over-whistle-blower-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 05:26:34 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan’s call to maintain “impeccable” defences on its northern frontier reflects Tokyo’s deepening concern over growing Russian military activity in the region, analysts say. They also point to rapid north-south troop deployment exercises as preparation against a potential “diversionary operation” around Hokkaido: a scenario in which Russia could open a second front if Japan were already focused on a crisis with China in the south. During a visit to military bases in Hokkaido on Saturday,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354983/russias-military-activity-has-japan-fearing-dual-front-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354983/russias-military-activity-has-japan-fearing-dual-front-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 04:22:44 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s push to acquire its first nuclear-powered submarines is moving back up President Lee Jae Myung’s defence agenda, but analysts say delayed US consultations, non-proliferation concerns and budget pressures still stand in the way. Lee on Tuesday urged faster efforts to secure the submarines, describing them as core strategic assets for the country’s future defence capabilities. “We need to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence and drone technologies, while speeding up the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354962/south-korea-eyes-first-nuclear-submarine-mid-2030s-hurdles-run-deep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354962/south-korea-eyes-first-nuclear-submarine-mid-2030s-hurdles-run-deep?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 02:00:07 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The collapse of UN talks on the future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has sharpened concern in Japan that outer space could become the next arena for nuclear and military rivalry. With Russia accused of developing a nuclear anti-satellite capability, China and Russia advancing weapons that can disable satellites and the US pursuing space-based missile defence systems, some in Tokyo are calling on Japan to take the lead in drawing up new rules for the peaceful use of space. Analysts say... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354948/can-japan-lead-push-halt-space-militarisation-nuclear-rivalry-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354948/can-japan-lead-push-halt-space-militarisation-nuclear-rivalry-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran James Bernardo, 30, was delivering food on Teodoro street in Angeles City in the Philippines when a nine-storey building under construction on the opposite side of the road collapsed behind him. “What I heard behind me sounded like an aeroplane landing. The sound was unlike anything normal. When I looked at my side mirror and then turned around, what I saw were pylons falling and power lines sparking,” Bernardo told This Week in Asia. In just seconds, the structure had morphed into a twisted... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354936/deadly-building-collapse-shocks-philippine-city-aeroplane-landing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354936/deadly-building-collapse-shocks-philippine-city-aeroplane-landing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 12:50:52 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysian police have arrested 51 men in a drug raid at a luxury Kuala Lumpur hotel, describing the scene as a “gay party” with “immoral activities” committed. The language has drawn scrutiny from lawyers and rights advocates who say the terms risked prejudicing suspects and stigmatising LGBTQ people. Bukit Aman narcotics chief Hussein Omar Khan said four raids were carried out between 2.35am and 5am on Sunday after police received intelligence about what they described as a “drug party” and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354933/malaysia-polices-gay-party-label-sparks-debate-after-hotel-drug-raid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354933/malaysia-polices-gay-party-label-sparks-debate-after-hotel-drug-raid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 12:25:57 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The Indonesian government’s decision to accept a US proposal to turn an underused airport into a maintenance hub for Lockheed C-130 Hercules military aircraft has stirred up a familiar debate: how far can Jakarta deepen defence ties with Washington while preserving its non-aligned stance? The plan, which would make Indonesia home to the first facility of its kind in Southeast Asia, emerged alongside a separate discussion over allowing US military aircraft to access Indonesian airspace, adding to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354895/indonesias-offer-host-us-military-aircraft-repair-hub-tests-non-aligned-foreign-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354895/indonesias-offer-host-us-military-aircraft-repair-hub-tests-non-aligned-foreign-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s jailed former prime minister Najib Razak has become the unlikely face of a new prison food campaign, after an animal rights group urged Kajang Prison to serve him and other inmates vegan meals. In a letter sent on Tuesday to Kajang Prison Director Mohd Sharin bin Hj Sabtu, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said a vegan meals policy could help reduce costs, improve inmate health and promote “empathy and non-violence” inside one of Malaysia’s best-known... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354889/peta-urges-vegan-diet-malaysias-jailed-ex-pm-najib-inmates-only-peaceful-meal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354889/peta-urges-vegan-diet-malaysias-jailed-ex-pm-najib-inmates-only-peaceful-meal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 09:06:04 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia has seen growing numbers of sexual harassment complaints involving male victims in recent years, reflecting what advocates describe as the slow erosion of the stigma that has long kept many men silent. More than 1,000 complaints involving male victims have been lodged through the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry’s complaints mechanisms since 2024, Minister Nancy Shukri said, describing the figure as a sharp increase in reports. The complaints involving male victims... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354886/why-are-more-men-malaysia-reporting-being-sexually-harassed-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354886/why-are-more-men-malaysia-reporting-being-sexually-harassed-now?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 08:57:05 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India this week will give Washington an opportunity to “get the optics right” regarding ties between the two sides, amid friction over unresolved trade issues and broader international cooperation. Rubio stressed cooperation on trade, energy, defence and maritime security in meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Sunday as he arrived in New Delhi. Jaishankar said that the two... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354866/rubio-looks-repair-lens-us-india-ties-amid-quad-talks-energy-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354866/rubio-looks-repair-lens-us-india-ties-amid-quad-talks-energy-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 06:11:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A rare visit by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to Japan this week marks Manila’s latest bid to establish a counterweight to Beijing over the South China Sea dispute. During the four-day trip, the first state visit by a Philippine leader to Japan in over a decade, Marcos is expected to discuss boosting defence and other ties between Manila and Tokyo amid the security challenge posed by China’s growing maritime assertiveness, according to analysts. Marcos will meet Japanese Prime... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354798/marcos-historic-japan-trip-what-will-philippine-leader-seek-takaichi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354798/marcos-historic-japan-trip-what-will-philippine-leader-seek-takaichi?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A reported US delay in delivering hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles could slow Japan’s plans to give its military a long-range strike option, analysts said, exposing a potential gap between Tokyo’s new defence ambitions and Washington’s ability to supply the weapons. The missiles are central to Japan’s effort to build a counterstrike capability, giving it the ability to hit enemy bases if the country comes under threat, as Tokyo rethinks its defence posture in response to a more uncertain... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354793/could-us-tomahawk-missile-delivery-delays-slow-japans-long-range-strike-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354793/could-us-tomahawk-missile-delivery-delays-slow-japans-long-range-strike-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:16 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A suspected tear gas incident at Tokyo’s Ginza Six luxury shopping centre left 26 people feeling unwell on Monday, prompting a large emergency response in one of Japan’s most famous commercial districts. The incident took place around noon at the mall in Tokyo’s Chuo ward after police received an emergency call reporting an irritating smell and people coughing inside it, Japanese media reported. Nineteen of the 26 people affected were taken to hospital after complaining of symptoms including... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354783/19-taken-hospital-japan-after-suspected-tear-gas-released-tokyo-mall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354783/19-taken-hospital-japan-after-suspected-tear-gas-released-tokyo-mall?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 11:30:29 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A new US immigration policy could force many green card applicants to leave the country and apply from abroad, disrupting families, careers and long-term settlement plans for Asian workers already facing years-long backlogs for visas. US Citizenship and Immigration Services said on May 22 that it would only grant “adjustment of status” – the process that allows prospective immigrants already in the US to apply for permanent residence without leaving the country – in “extraordinary... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354773/trumps-overseas-application-us-green-card-rule-unnerves-asian-workers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354773/trumps-overseas-application-us-green-card-rule-unnerves-asian-workers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 10:34:53 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The desperate search for seven villagers in Laos prospecting for gold who became trapped deep inside a flooded cave entered a sixth day on Monday, with the incident highlighting how surging prices have sparked a rush for the precious metal despite risks in unstable hillside mines. Thai cave rescue teams have joined the mission at the cave in central Xaysomboun province, posting harrowing images on social media of the conditions, which include crawling through a flooded, narrow tunnel leading to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354748/search-flooded-cave-7-gold-mining-villagers-laos-enters-sixth-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354748/search-flooded-cave-7-gold-mining-villagers-laos-enters-sixth-day?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 08:28:59 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A dispute over where churches and temples can operate in Malaysia’s richest state has become an awkward political test for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition, which came to power promising to protect the country’s multiracial and multi-faith society. The row centres on planning guidelines in Selangor, a wealthy and densely populated state surrounding Kuala Lumpur, that critics say could restrict non-Islamic places of worship in commercial areas, where many religious groups have long... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354741/malaysias-ruling-coalition-faces-test-over-selangor-non-muslim-worship-house-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354741/malaysias-ruling-coalition-faces-test-over-selangor-non-muslim-worship-house-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 07:09:28 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain For decades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has preached a mantra of peace and stability in the Middle East through the destruction of Iran’s Islamic Republic. The obliteration of the ayatollahs, he prophesied, would lead to the normalisation of relations between Israel and the wider Arab-Islamic world – with Israel emerging as the Middle East’s dominant power and indispensable security provider. But on Saturday, Netanyahu’s dreams looked set to be dashed, after US President Donald... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354715/why-trumps-draft-peace-pact-iran-threatens-netanyahus-middle-east-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354715/why-trumps-draft-peace-pact-iran-threatens-netanyahus-middle-east-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 02:57:21 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Each morning, people in Thailand wake up to the latest viral videos on social media of drunken punch-ups, thefts, scams or acts of public indecency committed by some foreign tourists. After months of warnings, Thailand on May 19 announced the cancellation of its 60-day visa-free entry rules for 93 countries and territories in a bid to curb crime, antisocial behaviour and abuse of the visa privilege by a portion of the tens of millions of tourists who have visited the kingdom annually. Visitors... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3354708/badly-behaving-visitors-push-thailand-remove-60-day-visa-entry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3354708/badly-behaving-visitors-push-thailand-remove-60-day-visa-entry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 02:00:19 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Southeast Asia has been planning a unified electricity grid since 1997. Now, nearly 30 years later, its leaders are giving renewed impetus to the push to get energy flowing seamlessly across borders and seabeds. In Cebu earlier this month, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations put the power grid’s development high on their summit agenda, aiming to better insulate the region against the next big energy shock. But as regional governments try to turn the decades-long dream of an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354531/shock-absorber-will-aseans-power-grid-be-task-2045?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354531/shock-absorber-will-aseans-power-grid-be-task-2045?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Donghyun Park,Kwanho Shin Donghyun Park,Kwanho Shin Population ageing is fast becoming a global phenomenon. Even regions currently enjoying youthful demographics will eventually undergo demographic transition – and this is increasingly relevant for developing countries too. Some Southeast Asian economies, Thailand and Vietnam among them, have already reached the intermediate stages of this transition. It has begun even in younger economies such as the Philippines, where the fertility rate has now fallen below replacement level. Conventional... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3354533/asias-silver-dividend-can-offset-ageings-economic-toll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3354533/asias-silver-dividend-can-offset-ageings-economic-toll?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A US plan to build an “AI-native” industrial hub in the Philippines has highlighted the political sensitivities around Washington’s push to secure critical technology supply chains, after Manila rejected proposals for the zone to be governed by US laws or covered by diplomatic protections. Philippine officials said the planned economic security zone under Washington’s Pax Silica initiative would remain covered by local laws, clarifying that there would be “no special arrangement” for the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354574/us-pax-silica-hub-plan-hits-philippine-sovereignty-wall-no-special-arrangement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354574/us-pax-silica-hub-plan-hits-philippine-sovereignty-wall-no-special-arrangement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 02:30:11 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Thailand’s navy has to watch two seas at once. To the east lies the Gulf of Thailand, with its busy shipping lanes, offshore energy interests and long coastal frontier with Cambodia. To the west is the Andaman Sea, a gateway to the Indian Ocean with its own trade routes, chokepoints and strategic pressures. That twin-sea geography has long given the Royal Thai Navy a role larger than its public profile might suggest. It also underpins the navy’s stated goal, laid out in a 2023 white paper, to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354523/budget-cuts-leave-thailands-twin-sea-navy-risk-falling-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354523/budget-cuts-leave-thailands-twin-sea-navy-risk-falling-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio has twice in recent weeks urged the country’s armed forces to defend its sovereignty, in a carefully calibrated attempt to sound more assertive on the South China Sea issue without directly challenging Beijing, according to analysts. While Duterte-Carpio did not name China, her repeated calls marked a tonal shift from her earlier approach, when she either avoided the issue or warned against letting it define Manila’s broader relationship with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354564/why-sara-duterte-changing-her-tone-philippines-south-china-sea-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354564/why-sara-duterte-changing-her-tone-philippines-south-china-sea-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 07:00:05 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar For many Indonesians who have built careers abroad, Nadiem Makarim once represented a particular kind of homecoming success story. The Brown and Harvard University-educated co-founder of Gojek had walked away from the start-up world to serve in government, bringing with him the aura of Indonesia’s technology boom and the promise that private-sector talent could help modernise the state. Now, with prosecutors seeking an 18-year prison sentence for the former education minister in a corruption... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354532/why-gojek-co-founders-trial-alarming-indonesians-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354532/why-gojek-co-founders-trial-alarming-indonesians-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 05:00:13 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain For months, the United Arab Emirates had denied Iran’s accusations that it was in league with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or hosting his country’s military personnel. Then, US ambassador to Israel Mick Huckabee handed Tehran a propaganda gift and Abu Dhabi a diplomatic headache all in a single sentence. Israel sent Iron Dome air defence batteries to the UAE amid the ongoing war on Iran to help protect it from Iranian attacks, Huckabee confirmed at a conference in Tel Aviv on May... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354525/israel-thrusts-reluctant-uae-open-over-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354525/israel-thrusts-reluctant-uae-open-over-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 05:00:06 +0000 Hoang Thi Ha Hoang Thi Ha When Xi Jinping and Donald Trump concluded their Beijing summit, the most consequential outcome – for China at least – may prove not material, but conceptual: the adoption of “constructive strategic stability” (CSS) as the guiding framework for managing their intensifying competition. For Southeast Asia, a region often caught in the rivalry between the two powers, understanding what this means will matter in the years ahead. The framework reflects a long-held Chinese strategic aspiration.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3354534/what-china-us-stability-pact-means-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3354534/what-china-us-stability-pact-means-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 03:00:13 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Seated in a wheelchair, an elderly woman bends silently as her wrinkled fingers move with surprising speed to fold pieces of coloured origami paper into intricate shapes. Beside her, another woman does the same, both adding their finished pieces to a pile on the table without looking up or exchanging a word. Inside Tochigi Prison, where talking during work is forbidden, elderly women folding paper and sewing in silence reflect a broader test of Japan’s penal system: how to care for ageing,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354596/japanese-female-prisons-rehabilitation-goal-faces-health-language-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354596/japanese-female-prisons-rehabilitation-goal-faces-health-language-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 01:30:21 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof In a swanky penthouse office outside Kuala Lumpur, tech firm Zetrix AI is putting a grand plan into motion to get 1 million people across Southeast Asia using its artificial intelligence agent, Avatar, by the end of the year. Designed as an autonomous alter ego, Avatar is adept at dealing with tasks ranging from the mundane, like filling out forms, to the particular, such as helping influencers reply to thousands of social media messages. The ultimate goal, according to the company’s Gen Z... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3354545/southeast-asia-chasing-ai-boom-what-cost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3354545/southeast-asia-chasing-ai-boom-what-cost?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji On Great Nicobar, a remote island located closer to Indonesia than mainland India, New Delhi is embarking on one of its biggest developments in decades. The US$9 billion project is intended to transform the country’s southernmost tip into a major transport hub comprising a transhipment port, an international airport and associated logistical facilities. Spread across 166 sq km (64 square miles), the project in India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is slated for completion over three decades,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354565/indias-us9-billion-island-megaport-sharpens-chinas-malacca-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354565/indias-us9-billion-island-megaport-sharpens-chinas-malacca-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 12:18:17 +0000 Johannes Nugroho Johannes Nugroho After three agonising days with no word from his son, Warsono finally saw the face he had been waiting for. The 60-year-old Indonesian from Bandar Lampung in Sumatra spoke by video call on Thursday evening to his son, Andre Prasetyo Nugroho, following the 27-year-old journalist’s release from Israeli detention in Gaza. “To my great relief, I could see he was in one piece, albeit somewhat worse for wear,” he said, adding that his son had bruises on his hands from being tightly zip-tied and,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354548/freed-indonesian-gaza-flotilla-tells-father-rough-treatment-israeli-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354548/freed-indonesian-gaza-flotilla-tells-father-rough-treatment-israeli-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 10:00:47 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The Javan and Sumatran rhinos are down to their last few dozen, just like the Cat Ba langur of Vietnam, while the soala living in Laos’ Annamite mountains may already be gone for good. Southeast Asia’s remarkable biodiversity is under severe threat from the encroachment of cities and farms, deforestation, warming seas and the trafficking of rare wildlife for food, traditional medicines and as pets. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) told This Week in Asia that more than... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354526/thousands-aseans-endangered-species-face-trafficking-consumption-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354526/thousands-aseans-endangered-species-face-trafficking-consumption-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 09:16:24 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Former Malaysian economy minister Rafizi Ramli’s breakaway gamble is unlikely to bring down Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on its own, analysts say, but it could still wound the ruling coalition by peeling away reformist voters who helped Pakatan Harapan (PH) take power in 2022. Rafizi and former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced on Sunday that they would quit Anwar’s People Justice Party (PKR), vacate their parliamentary seats and take over... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354510/why-rafizis-party-bigger-threat-malaysias-anwar-opposition-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354510/why-rafizis-party-bigger-threat-malaysias-anwar-opposition-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 08:16:18 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele On Cenang Beach, Mohamad Zaki Najmi sells jet ski rides and boat tours in Langkawi’s turquoise water: adventure activities that have powered the Malaysian island’s tourism economy for years. But costs are rising fast on the popular resort island, and the sea sports operator has been forced to pass them on to customers – a last resort for tourism players in Malaysia as competition for international visitors hots up across Southeast Asia. Higher fuel prices, triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3354496/malaysias-tourism-dependent-langkawi-fears-rising-costs-are-deterring-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3354496/malaysias-tourism-dependent-langkawi-fears-rising-costs-are-deterring-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 07:15:28 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Financial news outlet Bloomberg harboured “unprecedented” malice in the publication and handling of an article about the purchase of good class bungalows in Singapore, lawyers for two Singaporean cabinet ministers alleged on Friday during closing statements in a defamation lawsuit. Senior counsel Davinder Singh said the case was unprecedented in terms of ill intent and aggravation, seeking damages exceeding those against The Online Citizen chief editor Terry Xu, who was ordered to pay S$574,000... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354490/bloomberg-accused-unprecedented-malice-singapore-ministers-defamation-trial-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354490/bloomberg-accused-unprecedented-malice-singapore-ministers-defamation-trial-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 06:58:38 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond 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. Substance for Putin, ‘face’ for Trump as China, Russia deepen strategic alliance Days after US President Donald Trump’s visit framed around managing risks, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3354444/leaders-xi-putin-meet-over-tea-rare-earth-find-northeast-china-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3354444/leaders-xi-putin-meet-over-tea-rare-earth-find-northeast-china-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 04:34:12 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim As robots become more advanced to carry out complex tasks, they are set to be at the forefront of the next phase of Singapore’s goal to become a world-class artificial intelligence hub. The city state hopes to position itself as a hub for “physical AI” – robots and autonomous systems that can clean buildings, deliver goods, patrol public spaces and eventually work in factories, hospitals and homes. Singapore’s stable regulatory environment, strong digital infrastructure and experience deploying... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354423/robots-singapores-ai-zone-clean-patrol-and-deliver-goods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354423/robots-singapores-ai-zone-clean-patrol-and-deliver-goods?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau As high fuel prices and disruption from the Middle East conflict force many Asian carriers to cut capacity and rearrange routes, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is moving in the opposite direction: adding long-haul flights to Europe in a bid to capture traffic from its Gulf rivals. Aviation analysts said the carrier’s expansion reflected a rare combination in the region: a strong balance sheet, insulation from sudden jumps in fuel prices due to its hedging strategy and a hub in Singapore that could... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354405/singapore-airlines-faces-narrow-window-gain-market-share-gulf-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354405/singapore-airlines-faces-narrow-window-gain-market-share-gulf-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 12:33:32 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s declaration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a “war criminal” highlights the balancing act between his human rights convictions and commitment to protecting Seoul’s interests in the Middle East, analysts have said. Lee’s comments came as Seoul was pushing for the release of two South Korean nationals detained by Israeli forces while attempting to reach the Gaza Strip aboard humanitarian aid boats, drawing attention to his willingness to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354350/what-lees-netanyahu-war-criminal-remark-means-south-koreas-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354350/what-lees-netanyahu-war-criminal-remark-means-south-koreas-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 07:32:19 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The United States has denied any role in Norway’s decision to cancel a missile sale to Malaysia, saying it had supported the acquisition, after the dispute raised questions over Washington’s influence on weapons deals involving American-made components. The dispute centres on Naval Strike Missiles (NSMs) built by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace for a fleet of new Malaysian combat ships, with Kuala Lumpur saying it had already paid 95 per cent of the contract, valued at €126 million... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354344/us-denies-role-norways-cancelled-missile-sale-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354344/us-denies-role-norways-cancelled-missile-sale-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 07:06:15 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore’s plan to trial weaponised unmanned drones has put a spotlight on Southeast Asia’s fast-growing interest in systems that can track and strike at targets without putting operators directly in harm’s way. But as countries race to upgrade their drone and counter-drone capabilities, analysts say regulation, transparency and confidence-building will be crucial to prevent accidents or miscalculations that could fuel regional tensions. Singapore announced on Thursday that it would start... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354246/singapores-weaponised-drone-trial-spotlights-regional-rush-unmanned-systems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354246/singapores-weaponised-drone-trial-spotlights-regional-rush-unmanned-systems?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:22 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s push to prepare workers for artificial intelligence is facing a stern test after Meta and Standard Chartered announced lay-offs this week, fuelling debate over how far AI is already reshaping jobs in the city state. The cuts have made one question more urgent for Singapore: can its goal to train workers to take on new or redesigned roles keep pace with increased use of AI and automation by companies as they reduce headcounts? Meta employees in Singapore reportedly began receiving... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354274/singapore-ai-job-cuts-debate-flares-over-lower-value-human-capital-remark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354274/singapore-ai-job-cuts-debate-flares-over-lower-value-human-capital-remark?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 13:21:33 +0000