Shows / Asia - South China Morning Post
Asia - South China Morning Post
Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's Asia edition.
Episodes
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Malaysia haj fund scandal: ex-religious minister denies role in US$211 million transfer
A former Malaysian religious affairs minister pleaded not guilty on Monday to three charges involving more than 860 million ringgit (US$211 million) in…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
US-led Luzon corridor in Philippines faces growing scrutiny over real local benefits
While Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was pitching the Luzon Economic Corridor to a 600-strong delegation of foreign investors and officials last…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South Korea’s ‘grey digital divide’ leaves seniors pleading for help
A little cheer rose for 79-year-old Hwang Sun-hee after she managed to place an online order at a training session in South Korea, which has one of the world’s…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
North Korea tests weapons capable of striking South Korea: ‘huge destructive power’
North Korea said on Monday it conducted a joint live-fire drill involving missiles, artillery and drones that it claimed showed “huge destructive power”. The…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
3 killed, 15 wounded in gunfire ahead of historic Philippine regional election
Three people were killed and 15 others wounded as gunfire erupted hours before the polls opened on Monday in a semi-autonomous Muslim region of the Philippines…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
‘Cannon fodder’ Asians tricked to fight for Russia spur calls for intervention
A report that eight Indonesians were allegedly tricked into fighting for Moscow in its war on Ukraine may be just the tip of the iceberg, analysts warn…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Man up, break down: unpacking the Philippines’ male suicide crisis
Richardson Mojica is no stranger to thoughts of ending it all. The 40-year-old university professor and mental health advocate was diagnosed with generalised…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Philippines holding historic election in Muslim autonomous region
Voters in an autonomous southern Philippine region will cast their ballots on Monday in the region’s first parliamentary elections, seen as a crucial step in…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
US-Israeli failure to bomb Iran into submission was preordained
Winston Churchill famously praised the resilience of the British people during the Blitz, describing the nightly bombings of London as a “cruel, wanton…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Nepal flood survivor says rescue efforts must continue
For 10 days, Nepali hydropower worker Sanjay Sah survived in darkness inside a flooded tunnel, drinking muddy water and losing all sense of time as he…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Meet the other OFWs offering humorous takes on ‘crazy’ life in Philippines’ Makati
Young professionals in Makati City are humorously redefining OFW as “overworked” or “on-site” Filipino workers, parodying the high costs and urban convenience…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
From gym workouts to shopping, Thailand’s friend-for-hire does it all for a fee
“Friend-for-hire” services have started taking off in Thailand as the country’s social landscape changes with an ageing population and a rise in the number of…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Japan goes on student suicide watch as school term starts
Sayoko is watching her 13-year-old son more closely than he probably realises as he settles into his first year of junior high school in Yokohama. He is…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
New Zealand ‘must never be seen as a proxy’, former PM Helen Clark warns
Helen Clark spent nine years running New Zealand and eight more running the United Nations’ development arm. Now, the former prime minister has a warning for…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Vietnam arrests deputy minister over probe into huge bribes
Vietnamese police arrested a deputy health minister on Wednesday for allegedly accepting huge bribes, part of an investigation into a company accused of…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Can Singapore be the ‘natural choice’ to bridge Asean and Central Asia?
Singapore is positioning itself as a bridge between Central Asia and Asean, as both regions increasingly look to each other amid growing disruption to global…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Indonesian wildfire haze forces 1.4 million students to move to online learning
About 1.4 million students in six Indonesian provinces had shifted to online learning due to poor air quality triggered by forest and land fires, an…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
China’s US$10.8b trade short cut: new Pinglu Canal prepares to supercharge Asean shipments
Aptly dubbed the Pinglu 001, the first command and management vessel for the Pinglu Canal was delivered on Monday and will soon enter service as China prepares…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Has India’s Modi found new mediator clout after talks with Putin, Iran?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian leader Masoud Pezeshkian at the Shanghai Cooperation…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Hello, sailor: Thailand’s Pattaya rolls out welcome mat for USS Abraham Lincoln crew
At Risa’s Massage, Fai cancelled her holiday to be at work this week; suitmaker Tito has laid on a made-in-24-hours special for US Navy visitors and hawker Pui…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
India defies Iran war oil shock to keep 8% growth on track
India’s stronger-than-expected first quarter growth has bolstered analysts’ confidence that it can sustain its momentum through the rest of the financial year…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
How the SCO chips away at US power without an alliance system
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was born 25 years ago as a modest mechanism for managing borders between China, Russia and four Central Asian…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Indonesia investigates reports of 8 citizens fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine
Indonesia on Wednesday said the government was ascertaining reports that eight of its citizens who applied for civilian jobs allegedly ended up fighting in…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South China Sea island build-up heightens Vietnam’s security concerns
Vietnam faces heightened security in the South China Sea amid reports of construction works in the Paracels archipelago – which Beijing calls Xisha Islands –…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Malaysian under fire for competing at transgender beauty pageant in Thailand
The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) will summon a Malaysian participant in the Miss Equality World 2026 pageant in Thailand for questioning…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Former Malaysian minister arrested in state haj fund corruption probe
A former Malaysian minister has been remanded for five days as part of an anti-corruption inquiry into the management of the country’s state haj fund. The…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Southeast Asia’s scam gangs regroup after Cambodia’s purge
Cambodia says it has flushed out a scam industry estimated to have stolen tens of billions of US dollars last year alone, but a string of arrests in recent…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Flood-hit Nepal urges tourists to return: ‘our mountain trails are waiting for you’
Nepal urged international travellers not to abandon the Himalayas, declaring the country open for tourism as it continues to assess the human and economic toll…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Malaysian heritage site caught in row over non-local staff
Images of a migrant worker apparently guiding visitors around one of Kuala Lumpur’s best-known heritage sites have triggered a backlash in Malaysia, with…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Singapore jails Indian man who hid US$154,000 diamond in mouth during heist
A thief was sentenced to 26 months and two weeks’ jail on Tuesday for his role in a Singapore Chinatown diamond heist. He had hidden a custom-made fake gem in…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Japan’s deadliest delicacy is getting more dangerous
Japan’s most dangerous delicacy is getting harder to prepare safely as warming seas push different pufferfish species into the same waters, where they are…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
North Korea’s next ruler? Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Seoul’s spies say
North Korea has never named her, confirmed her age or acknowledged her as Kim Jong-un’s heir. Yet South Korea’s spy agency says the evidence is now…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Trump’s North Korea hope, US revokes visas, China’s rocket force: 7 global relations reads
We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Philippine capital’s ‘acutely unhealthy’ air due to Indonesian haze spurs warnings
Smoke from Indonesian wildfires blanketed Manila on Tuesday, turning fires nearly 2,000km (1,242 miles) away into a public-health warning for the Philippine…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
As rice output falls, Malaysia looks to China’s ‘2 yields, 1 land’ model
Malaysia is looking to China’s rice-prawn farms as a model to extract more from its shrinking paddy land as a slide in rice self-sufficiency has left it…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Philippines’ Jollibee eyes Hong Kong over US to list international unit
Philippine fast food giant Jollibee Foods Corp said on Tuesday it was planning to spin off and list its international operations on the Hong Kong stock…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
UK-Philippines troop deal to boost Nato’s South China Sea reach
A proposed troop access deal between the Philippines and Britain marks the latest step in Manila’s drive to draw more European and like-minded powers into its…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Thailand jails activist over royal motorcade live streaming
A Thai court has sentenced a 25-year-old activist to two years in prison for violating the country’s strict royal insult law, a rights group said, with her…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Trump’s US visa pause; elephant’s 100km trek home; rise of SEA-pop: 7 Asia highlights
We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Malaysian police smash cross-border drug ring, seize US$1 million of meth disguised as tea
Malaysian police have crippled a cross-border drug syndicate with the seizure of 86.2kg of methamphetamine worth 4.31 million ringgit (US$1 million) in Penang…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
‘Aloof’ but engaged: what India’s SCO comeback reveals
Two years ago, Narendra Modi skipped the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) summit in Astana entirely, sending his foreign minister instead. That…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Japan relaxes overtime rules under workaholic Takaichi: ‘unacceptable shift’
Japan eased overtime regulation starting on Tuesday in a move meant to help spur economic growth but criticised as a relapse into the country’s ingrained…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Japan bear project aims to show coexistence, not culling, can prevent attacks
As a sensor sounded, scientist Akiko Takii hurried to a bear trap deep in the forests of Nagano in Japan, where rising nationwide attacks have brought fear and…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South Korea sets record US$600 billion budget, backed by chip windfall
South Korea on Tuesday unveiled its most aggressive financial spending plan on record, setting total government expenditure for 2027 at 821 trillion won…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Australia’s biggest property downturn since pandemic threatens economic growth
Australian home prices fell for a fifth month in August in the biggest downturn since the pandemic, and there is further pain ahead as stubborn inflation puts…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South Korea’s top presidential aide resigns following cabinet reshuffle
South Korea’s chief presidential policy adviser has resigned, the presidential Blue House said on Tuesday, after President Lee Jae Myung reshuffled his…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Thailand’s Pattaya pins hopes on arrival of 5,000 US sailors to boost tourism
After more than 250 days at sea, much of it fighting the war on Iran – and amid reports of dire conditions on board – the USS Abraham Lincoln is finally set to…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Nepal floods: meet the principal whose quick thinking saved 900 students
Rajendra Dawadi was inside his classroom when a colleague rushed in with a warning: floodwaters were racing through Nepal’s Trishuli Valley, tearing apart…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
US Treasury’s Bessent calls on Japan to boost yen through rate increases
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Monday she met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and agreed that orderly yen movement is critical for…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Bullying mayor ousted as Japan’s voters reject political abuse
Yokohama’s mayor has become the latest local official in Japan to be forced from office by scandal, as analysts say voters are no longer willing to look the…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
India needs to make up its mind about economic ties with China
As India prepares for the Brics summit less than two weeks away, relations with China are warming up. On July 22, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
In flood-hit Philippines, ‘out of touch’ Marcos slammed for private birthday serenade
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s birthday serenade for his wife might have been a private gesture, but as floodwaters overwhelmed much of Luzon –…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
India rejects ruling on water-sharing treaty with Pakistan by international court
India must uphold a water-sharing treaty with Pakistan it suspended amid bilateral tensions and must limit work on a hydroelectric plant it is building in the…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
How a tree in Hanoi points to flowering of dissent among Vietnam’s Gen Z
A tree in Hanoi has become a symbol of how Vietnam’s Gen Z views its country – but it is not the enviable growth story sold by the government. Tree 55 on…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Singapore to invest US$173m over 3 years to boost fintech innovation
Singapore will commit S$220 million (US$173 million) over three years to boost its fintech sector, including co-funding at least 1,000 internships in a strong…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Singapore may require social media firms to set daily time limits for teens
Singapore plans to introduce legislation early next year requiring social media platforms to roll out stronger safeguards for teens, including possibly setting…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Hong Kong and Singapore property shrug off fund tax breaks
The long-standing rivalry between Asia’s two leading financial centres is heating up. As Hong Kong and Singapore compete harder for investment talent, tax…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
South Korea’s Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja jailed 2 years for bribing officials
A South Korean court sentenced the leader of the secretive and powerful Unification Church on Monday to two years in prison on charges of bribing officials…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Malaysia’s air quality turns hazardous as Indonesian wildfires burn
Air pollution in Malaysia’s Bornean state of Sarawak has surged into hazardous territory, with the air pollutant index (API) topping 400 in the worst-hit…
- Asia - South China Morning Post
Indonesia-US joint military drills with allies kick off with 4,700 soldiers
Indonesia, the United States and more than a dozen allies launched annual joint military exercises on Monday to boost defence capabilities and “deter…