https://www.scmp.com/rss/326606/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The compound is modern with air conditioning in every room. Inside are a medical clinic, massage parlour, and Vietnamese barbecue, Chinese hotpot and halal eateries – a full range of conveniences. Yet the residents are gone – and they appear to have fled in haste. Clothes still hang out to dry, while the stench of rotting food lingers. Located in a secluded area in Kampot province near Cambodia’s border with Vietnam, the site is believed to be a telecoms scam centre. Cambodian authorities said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Police in Sri Lanka arrested 152 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, on Friday for allegedly running a cyberscam operation out of a hotel in the island’s northwest, officials said. The raid took place in the coastal town of Chilaw, 80km (50 miles) north of Colombo, following a tip-off, said police spokesman Frederick Wootler. “Those involved in scamming will be dealt with under our criminal law, while others could be deported,” Wootler said. Local police sources said two Chinese men who tried to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349001/sri-lanka-arrests-152-alleged-chinese-run-cyberscam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349001/sri-lanka-arrests-152-alleged-chinese-run-cyberscam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:23:02 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Two days before the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran, Washington asked Sri Lanka to let two armed warplanes use an airport on its southern coast. Colombo said no, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently revealed – a decision analysts said reflected the Indian Ocean island nation’s desire to avoid being drawn into a foreign conflict from which it had “nothing to gain”. The request, made on February 26, reportedly sought to relocate two aircraft from a US base in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347854/sri-lankas-refusal-host-us-warplanes-iran-war-risks-trade-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347854/sri-lankas-refusal-host-us-warplanes-iran-war-risks-trade-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Chietigj Bajpaee Chietigj Bajpaee When the late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe gave his landmark speech in the Indian parliament in August 2007 referring to the “confluence of the two seas”, he gave birth to the concept of the Indo-Pacific as a strategic space connecting East and South Asia. But the latest conflict in the Middle East illustrates how South Asia’s interconnectedness increasingly lies to its west. Some of these connections are deeply rooted in history: South Asia is home to the world’s largest Muslim population... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346933/why-middle-east-volatility-presents-enhanced-risk-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346933/why-middle-east-volatility-presents-enhanced-risk-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India’s move to supply Bangladesh with diesel as fuel prices soar amid the Iran war reflects its “first responder” role in the region and clout through the use of its critical commodities to deepen ties with neighbouring states. If the fuel shortages were to persist, however, India would have to balance between its own energy demand and that of its neighbours, according to observers. Bangladesh will be importing 45,000 tonnes of diesel from India by April, with 5,000 tonnes having been delivered... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347372/india-steps-regional-energy-diplomacy-supplies-bangladesh-diesel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347372/india-steps-regional-energy-diplomacy-supplies-bangladesh-diesel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:52:25 +0000 Ram Manikkalingam Ram Manikkalingam There are places in the world where you expect war to intrude. And then there are places where its arrival feels surreal. For me, the Sri Lankan city of Galle has always belonged firmly to the latter category. The old fort, perched above the Indian Ocean, has the feel of a tropical cousin to Cartagena’s walled city. Inside its ramparts is an improbable mix: Western expatriates, boutique hotels, a long-standing local Muslim community and wealthy Sri Lankans who have restored colonial houses into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346175/how-war-iran-struck-shores-sri-lanka?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346175/how-war-iran-struck-shores-sri-lanka?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji When the alert arrives on his phone, Yashwant Deshmukh knows exactly what to do. The Dubai-based political analyst moves away from the windows, waits for the second message confirming the missile has been intercepted, and then goes back to work. “It has become a drill,” he said. For the roughly 9 million Indians living and working across the Gulf, the war on Iran has shattered one of the region’s most durable illusions: that cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama would remain apart from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346524/iran-war-fallout-puts-9-million-indian-workers-line-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346524/iran-war-fallout-puts-9-million-indian-workers-line-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Just as Sri Lanka thought it had bought some time with a one-month visa for the Iranian sailors it rescued, another of Iran’s warships appeared offshore, deepening Colombo’s struggle to stay out of a war that keeps washing up on its doorstep. The vessel was detected nine nautical miles (17km) off the coast on Tuesday, a week after a US submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena and damaged the IRIS Bushehr off the southern port of Galle on March 4. Sri Lanka now hosts hundreds of Iranian naval... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346174/irans-stranded-sailors-wait-out-war-sri-lanka-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346174/irans-stranded-sailors-wait-out-war-sri-lanka-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:33:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australia will deploy a military surveillance aircraft to the Middle East and send missiles to the United Arab ‌Emirates but will not put troops on the ground in Iran, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday. Australia’s military support would help the Gulf countries defend themselves against unprovoked attacks from Iran, Albanese said, stressing Australia was “not a ⁠protagonist”. “Our involvement is purely defensive,” Albanese told reporters. “And it’s in defence ‌of Australians who... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3346027/australia-send-missiles-uae-deploy-reconnaissance-plane-no-troops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3346027/australia-send-missiles-uae-deploy-reconnaissance-plane-no-troops?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 01:15:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sri Lanka discharged from hospital 22 Iranian sailors who were plucked from life rafts after their warship was sunk by a US submarine, officials said on Sunday. The sailors were treated at Karapitiya Hospital in the southern port city of Galle since Wednesday after the IRIS Dena was torpedoed just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. “Another 10 are still undergoing treatment,” said a medical officer at the hospital. He said the bodies of 84 Iranians retrieved from the Indian Ocean were also... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345856/sri-lanka-hospital-discharges-22-iranian-sailors-rescued-after-warship-sinking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345856/sri-lanka-hospital-discharges-22-iranian-sailors-rescued-after-warship-sinking?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:30:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Sri Lanka began transferring more than 200 sailors from an Iranian vessel to shore on Friday after the ship sought help while anchored outside the country’s waters, as tensions mounted in the Indian Ocean following the sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine. Sri Lanka navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said the sailors of the IRIS Bushehr were being brought first to the port of Colombo and the ship will later be moved to an eastern port on the island. “The disembarkation is in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345734/sri-lanka-takes-control-iranian-ship-brings-crew-shore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345734/sri-lanka-takes-control-iranian-ship-brings-crew-shore?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 10:35:44 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain What began as a US-Israeli assault on Iran is rapidly evolving into a conflict with the potential to spread far beyond the Middle East. Iranian missiles and drones have already struck or reached Turkey and Azerbaijan, while European powers are rushing additional warships, fighter jets and air defences to the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf to contain the fallout. Analysts warn the longer the war continues, the greater the risk that long-simmering regional fault lines – from Kurdish militancy to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345689/how-far-could-war-iran-spread-beyond-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345689/how-far-could-war-iran-spread-beyond-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US and Israel are striking a much wider array of targets in Iran than they did during 12 days of war last summer, when their focus was on the country’s nuclear enrichment sites. Now, the aim appears to be destroying Iran’s military and weakening the grip of its theocratic rulers, experts say. US Central Command alone says it has hit more than 2,000 targets in less than a week, a far heavier barrage than any American bombing campaign in the Middle East in more than a decade, according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345640/iran-damage-report-who-and-what-has-been-targeted-us-israel-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345640/iran-damage-report-who-and-what-has-been-targeted-us-israel-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:25:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Three Australian military personnel were on board an American submarine that sank an Iranian navy ship off Sri Lanka this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday. Speaking to Sky News, Albanese said: “I can confirm that there were three Australian personnel on board that vessel”. The personnel were on board the submarine as part of training arrangements under Aukus, a multidecade defence pact with Britain and the United States, Albanese said. “These are long-standing third country... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3345638/albanese-says-australian-troops-were-board-us-submarine-sank-iranian-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3345638/albanese-says-australian-troops-were-board-us-submarine-sank-iranian-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:11:07 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen US President Donald Trump called on Iran’s armed forces on Thursday to surrender or face the consequences and urged the nation’s diplomats to request asylum at their postings around the world. “I’m once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military and the police, to lay down their arms,” Trump said. “So you’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity, or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death, and I don’t want to see that.” Speaking at the White House at a sports... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345628/trump-says-he-must-be-involved-picking-irans-new-leader-khameneis-son-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345628/trump-says-he-must-be-involved-picking-irans-new-leader-khameneis-son-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:14:18 +0000 Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow The sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine off Sri Lanka’s coast has raised concerns across South and Southeast Asia that the Middle East conflict may be expanding into the Indian Ocean, while also intensifying political pressure in India for a stronger response. Analysts said the strike’s location near key sea lanes linking Asia with the Gulf had heightened fears the conflict could spill into waters vital to regional trade while also raising doubts in New Delhi over its cautious... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:00:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The unfolding Iran war has ricocheted across the region and beyond, with nearly every country in the Middle East sustaining damage from missile hits, drone strikes or shrapnel, many reporting casualties, and key embassies, economic engines and passageways closing down. Off the coast of Sri Lanka, a US submarine sank an Iranian warship as the war intensified and its footprint grew. Foreign governments have for days urged their citizens to leave Middle East countries on any available commercial... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345492/guide-how-iran-war-has-ricocheted-across-middle-east-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345492/guide-how-iran-war-has-ricocheted-across-middle-east-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 02:01:04 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Though a Hong Kong operator has lost control of the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most pivotal waterways for merchant ships, researchers said this week that Chinese state institutions have funded hundreds of other seaports around the world. Specifically, they have invested a total of US$23.9 billion over the past quarter century in 363 ports and related activities abroad, according to AidData, a research lab at US university William & Mary. The lab called the investments a safeguard against... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345361/panama-out-study-says-china-investing-us239-billion-worlds-seaports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345361/panama-out-study-says-china-investing-us239-billion-worlds-seaports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US submarine sank ‌an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, dramatically widening Washington’s pursuit of the Iranian navy. Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister said at least 80 people were killed in the attack on the frigate IRIS Dena, which was heading back to Iran from an eastern Indian port. “An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that ⁠thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said at the Pentagon.... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345425/sri-lanka-rescues-32-critically-wounded-sailors-sunk-iranian-warship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345425/sri-lanka-rescues-32-critically-wounded-sailors-sunk-iranian-warship?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:50:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sri Lanka’s parliament abolished pensions for all legislators and their widows on Tuesday, in line with a government pledge to prune the perks of politicians. “When people see the quality of debate and what members say in this House, they don’t think MPs deserve a pension,” Justice Minister Harsana Nanayakkara told parliament as it voted to stop pensions with immediate effect. The leftist government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake repealed the 49-year-old Parliamentary Pensions Act just... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343842/sri-lanka-ends-parliamentary-pensions-prune-perks-politicians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343842/sri-lanka-ends-parliamentary-pensions-prune-perks-politicians?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:16:53 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Sydney man who tried to post native lizards, dragons and other reptiles out of Australia in bags of popcorn and biscuit tins has been sentenced to eight years in jail, authorities said on Tuesday. The eight-year term handed down on Friday was a record for wildlife smuggling, federal environment officials said. A district court in Sydney gave the man, 61-year-old Neil Simpson, a non-parole period of five years and four months. Investigators recovered 101 Australian reptiles from seized parcels... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343823/australian-smuggler-jailed-record-8-years-mailing-lizards-popcorn-bags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343823/australian-smuggler-jailed-record-8-years-mailing-lizards-popcorn-bags?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:53:29 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun The Li Ka Shing Foundation and the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort are arranging free visits to the theme park for 5,000 domestic helpers under an expanded programme this year. The charitable foundation, established by tycoon Li Ka-shing, said on Tuesday the number of helpers receiving the free visits would increase from 4,000 last year to 5,000. The initiative will also include more nationalities, extending beyond the Philippines to workers from Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Thailand. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3343037/hong-kongs-li-ka-shing-foundation-gifts-5000-disneyland-tickets-domestic-helpers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3343037/hong-kongs-li-ka-shing-foundation-gifts-5000-disneyland-tickets-domestic-helpers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:47:07 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A South Korean governor has sparked outrage after he proposed “importing Sri Lankan and Vietnamese virgins” to help stem the population decline in provincial areas. Jindo county Governor Kim Hee-soo made the suggestion during a town hall meeting in South Jeolla to discuss an administrative merger of nine cities and counties in the province with Gwangju Metropolitan City. “Of the 89 regions facing declining populations nationwide, 20 per cent are in South Jeolla province. We need to solve this... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3342471/outrage-south-korea-over-importing-virgins-proposal-raise-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3342471/outrage-south-korea-over-importing-virgins-proposal-raise-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 05:48:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistan’s government says the national cricket team will be allowed to take part in the coming T20 World Cup but must boycott its group game against arch-rival India. India and Sri Lanka are co-hosts for the 20-team tournament, which starts on Saturday. Pakistan will play all its games in Sri Lanka – including any in the knockout stage – because of political tensions with India. The two teams are scheduled to meet in a Group A game in Colombo on February 15 in what is often a tournament... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342031/pakistan-play-t20-world-cup-will-boycott-india-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342031/pakistan-play-t20-world-cup-will-boycott-india-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 01:52:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse “Assemble!” someone bellowed in the prison corridor, cutting through the silence. Murmurs began echoing off the white walls, and the stairwells filled with people from all over the world: Egyptians, Chinese, Cameroonians, Kenyans, an Italian - all soldiers captured fighting for Russia, now held in a Ukrainian jail. Some joined the Russian military in search of a better life or to escape their home countries, while others were persuaded by Russia’s war aims. Some say they were tricked or forced... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341825/foreign-pows-who-fought-russia-now-stuck-ukraine-prison-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341825/foreign-pows-who-fought-russia-now-stuck-ukraine-prison-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:24:50 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Bangladesh’s recent pull-out over perceived security concerns for the showpiece T20 World Cup cricket hosted by India and Sri Lanka next month has underscored the unprecedented way regional political tensions have spilled over into sports. Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland in the 20-team event on Saturday after the International Cricket Council rejected Dhaka’s request to move its matches to Sri Lanka, saying it was not feasible to change the schedule so close to the February 7 start. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341669/bangladeshs-cricket-boycott-exposes-deepening-cracks-south-asian-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341669/bangladeshs-cricket-boycott-exposes-deepening-cracks-south-asian-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A former Hong Kong youth cricketer has set a world record after running the length of Sri Lanka in just over six and a half days, overcoming a journey beset by problems, during which “nothing went to plan”. Rahul Sharma, 24, said he faced a slew of obstacles along the way – from logistical chaos to unbearable heat and physical exhaustion – but eventually overcame them with strong faith and support from people around the world. He completed the journey in six days and 13 hours, and was confirmed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340258/ex-hong-kong-youth-cricketer-completes-run-across-sri-lanka-world-beating-6-1/2-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340258/ex-hong-kong-youth-cricketer-completes-run-across-sri-lanka-world-beating-6-1/2-days?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:18:39 +0000 SCMP SCMP This article was first published on December 15, 1969 Drama in HK’s first international marathon by Neil Perera Unheralded Kim Cha Hwan of South Korea yesterday (December 14, 1969) pulverised an international field of long distance runners to win the first Tin Tin international marathon in the New Territories. Kim, a 21-year-old electrician, overcame a determined challenge from Australia’s John Farrington to cover the gruelling 26 miles course in two hours 20 minutes 39 seconds. He immediately... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3339688/drama-hong-kongs-first-international-marathon-1969-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3339688/drama-hong-kongs-first-international-marathon-1969-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 07:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sri Lanka launched a criminal investigation on Friday after a government syllabus for 11- and 12-year-olds directed pupils to a gay chat website to improve their language skills. The Education Ministry lodged a formal complaint with police and launched an internal inquiry to establish how the blunder took place. “We suspect sabotage,” Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewe said. “We are in the process of implementing educational reforms, and this could be an attempt to stall them.” The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3338526/sri-lanka-probes-curriculum-error-linking-11-year-olds-gay-chat-site-show-your-kinky-side?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3338526/sri-lanka-probes-curriculum-error-linking-11-year-olds-gay-chat-site-show-your-kinky-side?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 09:05:27 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Sri Lanka is experiencing one of the most devastating climate disasters in its modern history. Cyclone Ditwah unleashed torrential rainfall that triggered widespread flooding and landslides. Entire neighbourhoods were submerged or wiped away, critical infrastructure collapsed, and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3336849/asia-not-built-extreme-weather-must-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3336849/asia-not-built-extreme-weather-must-change?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sri Lankan authorities issued fresh landslide warnings on Sunday, with rains lashing areas already devastated by a powerful cyclone as the death toll rose to 627. A chain of tropical storms and monsoonal rains has battered Southeast and South Asia, setting off landslides, flooding vast tracts and cutting off communities, from the rainforests of Sumatra to Sri Lanka’s highland plantations. At least 1,812 people have been killed in the natural disasters rolling across Sri Lanka, Indonesia,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3335503/618-dead-sri-lanka-landslides-rains-batter-south-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3335503/618-dead-sri-lanka-landslides-rains-batter-south-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 09:05:59 +0000 dpa,Agence France-Presse dpa,Agence France-Presse Indonesia’s disaster agency on Saturday reported a rise in the death toll from floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra, saying at least 908 people had been confirmed dead while 410 were missing. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said the figures covered three provinces – Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra – which had been hit by days of intense rainfall that triggered overflowing rivers, landslides and severe damage to transport infrastructure. A chain of tropical storms... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3335448/indonesias-flood-death-toll-hits-883-hundreds-still-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3335448/indonesias-flood-death-toll-hits-883-hundreds-still-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 07:36:54 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial An Asian monsoon season of deadly natural disasters has intensified awareness of global warming and climate change. Flooding and landslides across parts of Asia have taken more than 1,400 lives and left more than a million homeless as hardest-hit Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed the military to help survivors. What sets this season apart is that separate weather systems brought torrential, extended rainfall to the entire island of Sri Lanka and large parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra, southern... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3335035/asias-floods-deadly-reminder-need-combat-growing-climate-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3335035/asias-floods-deadly-reminder-need-combat-growing-climate-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji More than 1,400 people have been killed across South and Southeast Asia in a week of catastrophic floods, exposing how rising global temperatures are amplifying extreme weather, even as international negotiations to phase out fossil fuels stall. Successive storms, cyclones and relentless rains have triggered catastrophic flash floods and landslides in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, overwhelming local authorities already operating at the limits of their capacity. While... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3335052/asias-floods-kill-over-1000-lay-bare-human-cost-climate-inaction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3335052/asias-floods-kill-over-1000-lay-bare-human-cost-climate-inaction?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:31:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The toll in deadly flooding and landslides across parts of Asia climbed past 1,000 on Monday as hardest-hit Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel to help survivors. Separate weather systems brought torrential, extended rainfall to the entire island of Sri Lanka and large parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra, southern Thailand and northern Malaysia last week. Much of the region is currently in its monsoon season, but climate change is producing more extreme rain events and turbocharging... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334722/military-deployed-sri-lanka-indonesia-floods-kill-nearly-1000-across-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334722/military-deployed-sri-lanka-indonesia-floods-kill-nearly-1000-across-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 04:58:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Some residents of the flood-hit Indonesian island of Sumatra have resorted to stealing food and water to survive, authorities said on Sunday, while Sri Lankan officials said deaths from floods and mudslides in that island nation have risen to 193. The floods, which hit Indonesia nearly a week ago, have killed 303 people and displaced thousands, with the number expected to rise as more bodies are recovered. The deluges triggered landslides, damaged roads, cut off parts of the island and downed... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334668/flood-death-tolls-rise-indonesia-sri-lanka-aid-trickles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334668/flood-death-tolls-rise-indonesia-sri-lanka-aid-trickles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 09:00:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The death toll from heavy floods and mudslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka has risen to 153, with 191 people still missing, authorities said on Saturday. The extreme weather has destroyed more than 20,000 homes, sending 108,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported. A further 798,000 people required help after being temporarily displaced by the floods, DMC spokesman Pradeep Kodippili said. The death toll is expected to rise. Social media... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3334614/123-dead-sri-lanka-after-floods-mudslides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3334614/123-dead-sri-lanka-after-floods-mudslides?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 08:50:08 +0000 Bernice Chan Bernice Chan Pastry chef Steve Hodge likes to make cinnamon toast – a quick snack for his kids at home. He spreads room-temperature butter on freshly toasted bread and then sprinkles a mixture of equal parts cinnamon and sugar on top. “When it’s nice and warm, the sugar kind of melts and infuses with the cinnamon. The flavour is unreal,” observes Hodge, the owner of Vancouver-based Temper Chocolate & Pastry. For many, the smell of cinnamon evokes the flavours of autumn and winter, including apple pie,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/dining/article/3333541/rich-history-cinnamon-ceylon-cinnabon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/dining/article/3333541/rich-history-cinnamon-ceylon-cinnabon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 23:00:16 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A court in Japan has ordered the Tokyo metropolitan government to pay 39 million yen (US$247,970) in damages to the family of a Nepalese man who died after being excessively restrained by police eight years ago. Arjun Bahadur Singh was arrested in 2017 on suspicion of carrying a credit card that did not belong to him. Police later kept the 39-year-old in a detention room, tying a belt and rope around his wrists and knees for about two hours after he became violent, the Mainichi newspaper... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3333676/tokyo-government-ordered-pay-us247970-damages-nepal-mans-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3333676/tokyo-government-ordered-pay-us247970-damages-nepal-mans-death?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:00:35 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A former Hong Kong youth cricketer hopes to become the first person to run the length of Sri Lanka over the Christmas period, in a bid to raise funds for children with cancer. Rahul Sharma, 24, will test his endurance by starting from the town of Point Pedro in the country’s north on Christmas Eve and reaching Dondra Head in the south by December 30, a distance of 574km (356.7 miles). “Having done three marathons this year, my goal was that I wanted to do something big and a bit out of the box,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3331221/former-hong-kong-cricketer-run-length-sri-lanka-support-cancer-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3331221/former-hong-kong-cricketer-run-length-sri-lanka-support-cancer-research?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 08:09:33 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem As the Philippines grapples with a corruption scandal over flood control projects that sparked protests across the country last month, the ramifications of the saga are being felt from as far away as Norway. After a Filipino television personality and broadcaster shared on social media that a family member in Norway was turned away at an airport foreign exchange over concerns her country had “money-laundering issues”, many others claimed to have had similar experiences. Analysts, meanwhile, warn... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3328321/has-philippines-lost-worlds-trust-over-flood-control-corruption-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3328321/has-philippines-lost-worlds-trust-over-flood-control-corruption-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 05:54:47 +0000 Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe As the global order fragments, India’s foreign policy orientation has become a question of consequence far beyond South Asia. For three decades, “Look East” has been New Delhi’s mantra, positioning itself as an emerging player in the broader region. The strategy has included engaging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, deepening India’s presence in Asia-Pacific institutions and eventually leaning into the “Indo-Pacific” frameworks shaped by the United States, Japan and Australia. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Daryl Ng Daryl Ng The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world’s largest trade bloc. Including all 10 economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), mainland China, Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, the group contributes to 30 per cent of global gross domestic product and over 25 per cent of global exports. In September, Asean’s economic ministers issued a joint statement affirming their desire to accelerate the addition of four new members into the RCEP –... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327919/how-joining-rcep-will-boost-hong-kongs-role-superconnector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327919/how-joining-rcep-will-boost-hong-kongs-role-superconnector?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Erika Na Erika Na A decade ago, Hong Kong psychiatrist Dr Ivan Mak visited Cuba. There, he took numerous photos of the locals, from children mischievously grinning at the camera to ordinary people sitting outside their homes, whiling away their time. These photos became the backbone of his first travel photo book, Souvenirs for the Soul – A Hong Kong Doctor Travels in Cuba, some of which now line a wall in the waiting room of his clinic in Central. This summer, Mak published another photo book, also in Chinese,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3327329/health-benefits-travel-beyond-your-comfort-zone-and-seeing-world-differently?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3327329/health-benefits-travel-beyond-your-comfort-zone-and-seeing-world-differently?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Life-saving treatments for newborns suffering from sepsis are becoming dangerously ineffective across Southeast Asia, according to new research, with experts warning that drug-resistant bacteria are putting thousands of infants at risk. A study led by the University of Sydney and published in The Lancet this month warns that drug-resistant bacteria are behind nearly 80 per cent of sepsis cases in newborns across five Asian countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Sri... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3327409/drug-resistant-sepsis-threatens-newborns-across-southeast-asia-study-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3327409/drug-resistant-sepsis-threatens-newborns-across-southeast-asia-study-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:33:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Singapore-registered ship’s Sri Lanka agent paid US$1 million out of US$1 billion damages awarded for causing the island’s worst pollution, a litigant said on Wednesday. The Sea Consortium (Private) Limited made the token payment in “good faith” as it did not have the financial capacity to fully cover the damages. A petitioner who brought action against the MV X-Press Pearl, which sank off Colombo Port in June 2021, said he had been officially informed of the payment. “I was given a copy of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326707/polluting-singapore-ship-pays-just-1-million-1-billion-sri-lanka-fine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326707/polluting-singapore-ship-pays-just-1-million-1-billion-sri-lanka-fine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:19:07 +0000 Surekha Yadav Surekha Yadav In a pink-lit car park outside a Colombo club, young Tamils cluster in loose groups. Laughter, the clink of glass bottles and the low throb of bass from the decks inside spill out into the warm night air. Sri Lanka’s capital is home to hundreds of thousands of Tamils. But a Tamil nightclub is still rare - the sound of so many Tamil voices gathered together can still feel provocative in a country where memories of a long, bloody inter-ethnic civil war remain raw. Inside the club, as British-Tamil... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322862/how-malaysia-gave-world-tamil-rap-we-can-make-it-ours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322862/how-malaysia-gave-world-tamil-rap-we-can-make-it-ours?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sri Lanka’s jailed former president was rushed to intensive care at a state hospital on Saturday, a day after being charged with misusing government funds for foreign travel. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was remanded in custody on Friday night, was severely dehydrated and required close monitoring, the deputy director general of Colombo National Hospital said. “He has to be closely observed and treated for acute dehydration to prevent serious complications,” Rukshan Bellana said. “He was a severe... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322939/sri-lankas-ex-president-ranil-wickremesinghe-rushed-intensive-care-after-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322939/sri-lankas-ex-president-ranil-wickremesinghe-rushed-intensive-care-after-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 14:16:41 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Apple assembly partner Foxconn has recalled about 300 Chinese engineers from a factory in India, the latest setback for the iPhone maker’s push to rapidly expand in the country. The extraction of Chinese workers from the factory of Yuzhan Technology, a Foxconn component unit, in southern Tamil Nadu state is the second such move in a few months. Foxconn has started flying in engineers from Taiwan to replace staff leaving, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named as the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322937/apples-india-push-tested-foxconn-recalls-300-chinese-staff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322937/apples-india-push-tested-foxconn-recalls-300-chinese-staff?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 13:46:37 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse Former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday in connection with allegations of misuse of state funds, local television channel Ada Derana reported. Wickremesinghe, 76, was taken into custody after arriving at the CID office in the capital, Colombo, to record a statement in an investigation into his visit to London to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony, the report said. Wickremesinghe claims that his wife’s travel... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322854/sri-lankan-ex-president-ranil-wickremesinghe-arrested-over-misuse-state-funds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322854/sri-lankan-ex-president-ranil-wickremesinghe-arrested-over-misuse-state-funds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:57:16 +0000