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Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's Asia edition.
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For some Australian Jews, Bondi shooting feels inevitable after thousands of antisemitic incidents
Published: December 14, 2025 15:40
Days after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing some 1,200 people and sparking the devastating war in Gaza, an inverted red triangle was spray-painted on the front of a Jewish bakery in Sydney. It was the first of a string of antisemitic…
Is plunder complaint against Philippine VP Sara Duterte an attempt to blunt her 2028 bid?
Published: December 14, 2025 09:30
A plunder complaint filed against Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio has reopened scrutiny of her use of “confidential funds” and opened a new legal front in a political stand-off that could shape the early dynamics of the 2028 presidential…
Australia police responding after gunshots reported at Bondi beach
Published: December 14, 2025 08:40
Australian police said on Sunday they were responding to a developing incident at Sydney’s Bondi Beach and were urging the public to avoid the area. The Sydney Morning Herald said there were reports of multiple shots fired at the famed beach but it was…
Cambodia-Thailand border clashes persist despite Trump’s intervention
Published: December 14, 2025 07:11
Renewed border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand entered a second week on Sunday after Bangkok denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that a truce had been agreed to halt the deadly fighting. The conflict, rooted in a colonial-era demarcation dispute…
Southeast Asia barely features in America’s new security strategy
Published: December 14, 2025 04:00
Washington’s latest national security blueprint may be one of its most consequential in years, yet it barely mentions Southeast Asia. Analysts say that absence speaks volumes, signalling a narrowing of American priorities that risks turning the region into…
Age just a number for Singapore Slinger Lim, 71-year-old sets world darts record
Published: December 14, 2025 01:42
A year after Luke Littler became the youngest winner of the PDC World Darts Championship, 71-year-old Paul Lim became the oldest winner of a match in the tournament’s history. Roared on by the usual raucous Alexandra Palace crowd on Saturday, the Singapore…
Japan’s proposal to ‘speedily draft’ anti-spy laws raises human rights concerns
Published: December 14, 2025 01:30
The Japanese government’s plans to tighten espionage and secrecy legislation have been welcomed as a necessary bulwark at a time of deepening national security concerns, although analysts fear that any revisions will be too broad and could be used to…
Deported porn star Bonnie Blue mocks Bali arrest: ‘did you think I’d face jail time?’
Published: December 14, 2025 01:03
Bonnie Blue, the former OnlyFans star who made headlines for claiming to have slept with more than 1,000 men in just 12 hours, is back in her native UK after being deported from Indonesia, where she was arrested in Bali for allegedly violating “morality”…
Why South Koreans are falling out of love with K-pop: ‘it’s all in English now’
Published: December 14, 2025 00:00
From sold-out stadium tours in the US, Europe and Asia to history-making Grammy nominations, K-pop has never stood taller on the global stage. Yet within South Korea, many say the music they once called their own now feels made for someone else. For fans…
Indonesia flood death toll passes 1,000, over 200 still missing
Published: December 13, 2025 11:41
Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,003 people in Indonesia, rescuers said on Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with relief efforts. The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also…
Will Philippines favour Eurofighter Typhoon for its military upgrade?
Published: December 13, 2025 05:00
An Italian defence company’s push to sell Eurofighter Typhoon jets to the Philippines could open the door to broader cooperation between Rome and Manila, with analysts calling the aircraft a promising choice for the country’s military modernisation.…
Singapore’s Pritam Singh, Mediacorp apologise over court contempt in CNA interview
Published: December 13, 2025 04:13
Singapore’s opposition leader Pritam Singh has apologised to the court for statements he made on a CNA programme while CNA’s parent company, Mediacorp, also issued an apology and took down the interview. “I accept that my statements may be construed to be…
North Korea’s Kim reveals soldiers cleared mines for Russia, in rare public statement
Published: December 13, 2025 03:22
North Korea sent troops to clear mines in Russia’s Kursk region earlier this year, leader Kim Jong-un said in a speech carried on Saturday by state media, in a rare acknowledgement of the deadly tasks assigned to its soldiers there. Pyongyang has sent…
Japan quake shows urgent need to improve tourist safety: ‘didn’t know where to go’
Published: December 13, 2025 02:19
The magnitude 7.5 earthquake that occurred off northeastern Japan recently highlights the need for Japan to provide safety tips and evacuation information to foreign nationals more effectively, particularly as the country witnesses an inbound tourism boom.…
Southeast Asia’s rich buy sky garages while the middle class lose their homes
Published: December 13, 2025 01:30
Daniel Ho’s clients want the best money can buy: branded residences and glass-wrapped penthouses complete with panoramic views and high-rise parking spots fit for supercars in the elite enclaves of Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. A world away,…
US schools embrace Asian-American history in new curriculum
Published: December 13, 2025 00:33
When high school students in the West Hartford Public Schools district study World War II in the coming year, they will learn about more than just the typical hallmarks like Japanese-American detention camps. They will also hear about Sadao Munemori, a…
Ex-NBA player with deadly brain cancer in Singapore for new treatment. Here’s how it works
Published: December 13, 2025 00:00
Former National Basketball Association (NBA) centre Jason Collins, who has a deadly form of brain cancer, is undergoing an experimental treatment in Singapore, with those involved in the trial hailing the city state’s reputation as a medical innovation…
Only true repentance from Japan can resolve East Asia’s ‘memory wars’
Published: December 12, 2025 21:30
During a trip home, I took my daughters to the Nanking massacre memorial hall. It is not an easy place to visit. In shadowy rooms, photographs of victims line the walls. The names of the dead stretch across black stone. In glass cases lie bones unearthed…
Trump says Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to cease all shooting
Published: December 12, 2025 17:10
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he had spoken by phone with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia, who both agreed to end border hostilities and return to a ceasefire he brokered earlier this year. “I had a very good conversation this morning with…
Lee Kuan Yew’s 38 Oxley Road home officially declared Singapore ‘national monument’
Published: December 12, 2025 13:37
Singapore’s government on Friday gazetted as a national monument the former home of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, a site long at the centre of a bitter family dispute among his children. The action marks a pivotal moment in the saga that has…
Would the world be safer if the military were in charge of the US?
Published: December 12, 2025 12:30
Tom Barrack, the United States special envoy for Syria, recently made waves at an international forum in Doha, Qatar, by suggesting that “benevolent monarchies” might be the most effective form of government for the Middle East. He also suggested that…
Hongkong Land poised to launch US$6 billion Singapore property fund
Published: December 12, 2025 11:30
Hongkong Land is set to launch what it expects to be the largest private real estate fund in Singapore, with more than S$8 billion (US$6.2 billion) in assets under management, including prime commercial projects in the waterfront Marina Bay district. At…
Indonesia urged to tread carefully as Russia courts Prabowo with energy and defence offers
Published: December 12, 2025 10:30
Indonesia should tread carefully before deepening ties with Russia, analysts said, after President Prabowo Subianto made an unplanned visit to Moscow this week, raising questions about the diplomatic and economic costs of closer engagement – including how…
Japan finally airs Oscar-nominated #MeToo film ‘Black Box Diaries’ after lengthy delay
Published: December 12, 2025 10:28
A Japanese #MeToo campaigner’s documentary premiered in her homeland on Friday after months of delays, with one audience member saying she hoped it triggered a change in society. Shiori Ito won a landmark 2019 civil case against a Japanese TV reporter…
In India, tycoon’s call to adopt ‘996’ work culture in China spurs debate
Published: December 12, 2025 09:55
India’s parliament is debating a draft law that would give employees the right to ignore work calls, emails and messages outside official hours, weeks after a tycoon’s call for a 72-hour work week sparked a furore on social media. The Right to Disconnect…
Philippines’ Vice-President Duterte faces new corruption charges, sparking political storm
Published: December 12, 2025 09:30
A group of civilians including two former government officials, filed a corruption complaint against Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte, in a fresh political challenge for the estranged deputy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. The complaint, filed…
Singapore court dismisses negligence suit after corgi shock led to man’s fatal brain injury
Published: December 12, 2025 08:18
A man fell and hit his head, suffering a traumatic brain injury, after seeing his neighbour’s dog exit a lift at their condominium in Singapore. His daughter later sued the neighbour for negligence in how he had handled the dog and for breach of the condo…
Why US review of Aukus submarine deal for Australia is kept secret
Published: December 12, 2025 07:34
The secretive aftermath of a United States review of the three-nation Aukus defence deal to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines is necessary to shield the pact from any doubts over its viability, which analysts say could undermine political…
UK woman jailed after drunk e-scooter crash killed ‘beloved’ father in Australia
Published: December 12, 2025 07:04
A British backpacker has been sentenced to four years in prison after a fatal collision with a father-of-two while riding an electric scooter in Australia. Alicia Kemp, 25, from Redditch, Worcestershire, appeared at Perth District Court, Western Australia,…
Malaysian religious leaders urged to provide evidence of South Korean ‘cult’
Published: December 12, 2025 06:40
Malaysia’s home minister has urged senior clerics to lodge formal complaints over claims that a mysterious South Korean Christian “cult movement” has been attempting to spread its teachings among Malaysian Muslims. The controversy surfaced after religious…
Najib’s wife cleared as Malaysia drops money laundering, tax evasion appeal
Published: December 12, 2025 05:56
Malaysian prosecutors have dropped their appeal against the acquittal of Rosmah Mansor, the wife of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, in a case involving money laundering and tax evasion, saying they saw no prospect of success. Since 2018, the…
Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning
Published: December 12, 2025 03:25
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake occurred off northern Japan on Friday, the weather office said, days after a 7.5-level tremor in the same region injured at least 50 people. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), upgrading its initial estimated magnitude of 6.5,…
Japan’s buzzword award for Takaichi infuriates overwork victims’ kin: ‘biggest insult’
Published: December 12, 2025 02:14
Families of victims of karoshi, or death from overwork, on Thursday protested against the recent selection of Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark emphasising work as this year’s catchphrase, saying the choice hurt their feelings and exacerbated…
Are India and Bangladesh sidestepping Hasina’s exile to improve frayed ties?
Published: December 12, 2025 02:00
Bangladesh’s national security adviser recently made a low profile visit to New Delhi, holding talks with his Indian counterpart in what many in Dhaka saw as a sign that the two neighbours might reset ties following bilateral tensions over the self-exile…
Japan’s English skills crash to record low, behind Laos and Vietnam
Published: December 12, 2025 00:00
Japan’s ability to communicate effectively in English has dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade, according to a global ranking that paints a worrying picture for a nation that prides itself on being an economic and educational powerhouse. The…
Trump and Modi have ‘warm’ phone call – but 2025 unlikely to end with a trade deal
Published: December 11, 2025 23:00
Despite a high-level phone call between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 2025 is likely to end without the long-promised US-India trade deal, as the “America first” leader continues to stall the agreement while…
‘Crypto king’ Do Kwon gets 15 years in prison for misleading investors who lost billions
Published: December 11, 2025 22:12
One-time cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon was sentenced on Thursday to 15 years in prison after a US$40 billion crash revealed his crypto ecosystem to be a fraud. Victims said the 34-year-old financial technology whiz weaponised their trust to convince them…
How Pakistan’s rising confidence could shape a cooperative South Asia
Published: December 11, 2025 21:30
At the Islamabad Conclave earlier this month, Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, urged a rethink of how South Asia approaches security, trade, climate and connectivity. He called for practical cooperation, disaster response…
Thai PM sets stage for election, saying he will return ‘power to the people’
Published: December 11, 2025 17:03
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has moved to dissolve parliament, setting the stage for an early election after reports of a key political party backing his minority government moving to withdraw its support. Anutin said in a social media…
Mexico’s tariffs on China aim to placate US – but could backfire: analysts
Published: December 11, 2025 14:00
Mexico’s move to place tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Chinese and other Asian goods underscores US efforts to pressure other countries to take action against China – and Beijing may well retaliate, analysts said. The Mexican Senate on Wednesday approved…
Brutal dog killing in Philippines sparks outrage, calls to strengthen animal welfare law
Published: December 11, 2025 13:12
The killing of a pet dog in the northern Philippines has ignited widespread outrage and reopened debate on the country’s weak animal welfare protections after disturbing footage of the incident went viral online. The video shows an American Bully named…
Putin’s visit to India reveals the anxieties of a changing world order
Published: December 11, 2025 12:30
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day state visit to New Delhi last week, for the 23rd Russia-India Summit, was heavy on optics, symbolism and multilayered signals, while tangible outcomes were relatively modest. First and foremost, Putin signalled to…
Watch woman save dogs before escaping flames herself during fire in Philippines
Published: December 11, 2025 12:24
A woman is drawing praise online for saving her two dogs before escaping herself from a burning building in the Philippines. Viral images show the woman tossing the animals to safety and then finally climbing down a fire ladder during the December 10…
Thailand says its military drones struck a bunker and casino along Cambodian border
Published: December 11, 2025 12:19
Aerial footage released by the Thai military shows what was described as drones striking a casino complex and a Cambodian military bunker near the nations’ shared border. Thai officials said the recent clashes have killed at least 15 people and forced more…
Indonesia closes door on Airbnb ban after Bali governor seeks to curb unlicensed rentals
Published: December 11, 2025 10:30
Indonesia has confirmed it will not ban holiday rental platform Airbnb after Bali said it was considering doing so to curb unlicensed hotels and villas that have mushroomed on the island. The split underscores the growing tension between Bali’s push to…
Malaysia sees alarming spike in youth bankruptcies as debt rises and wages stagnate
Published: December 11, 2025 10:27
Fatin Anuar never imagined that managing just two credit cards would leave her battling months of financial anxiety. The 25-year-old customer service worker in Kuala Lumpur initially saw them as a buffer for day-to-day spending and emergencies. It felt…
As more department stores in Singapore struggle, can they adapt and survive?
Published: December 11, 2025 10:12
Retired regional human resources director Helen Kuan typically spends this time of year picking up Christmas presents from her usual department store haunts around Singapore. But her options are becoming more limited as more of these one-stop stores have…
South Korean man arrested over scalding of Thai partner’s face: ‘wanted to make her ugly’
Published: December 11, 2025 09:16
Seoul police have arrested a South Korean man who poured boiling water on his Thai partner’s face while she was sleeping in the hopes of disfiguring her so that she would not leave him for other men. Police from the Uijeongbu station in Gyeonggi province…
Vietnam urges factories cut output as Hanoi chokes on smog: ‘have to wear a mask all the time’
Published: December 11, 2025 08:44
Industrial plants in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi have come under renewed pressure to scale back their operations as authorities respond to a week of heavy and hazardous smog in the city. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health earlier this week urged power, steel…
Why India’s currency slide is creating US tariff relief for exporters
Published: December 11, 2025 08:30
A plunge in the value of the Indian rupee to record lows over the past week, making it Asia’s worst-performing currency, could be a mixed blessing for the South Asian economy as it pushes to finalise a trade deal with the United States, observers say. The…
Thailand-Cambodia border clash deaths rise as Trump seeks to ‘put out little flame’
Published: December 11, 2025 07:50
Three Thai civilians were killed as heavy combat continued along the country’s border with Cambodia, the Thai military said on Thursday, marking the country’s first civilian fatalities since the fighting resumed. The latest large-scale fighting was set off…
South Korea to end cosmetic surgery tax break that fuelled medical tourism boom
Published: December 11, 2025 07:31
The impending termination of a long-running tax incentive that powered South Korea’s booming cosmetic surgery clinics risks driving away cost-conscious foreigners to destinations like Singapore and dealing an economic blow to the local medical tourism…
Skydiver in Australia survives 4,600-metre fall after parachute snags plane tail
Published: December 11, 2025 07:01
Heart-stopping footage released on Thursday by Australian authorities showed the moment a skydiver was left dangling thousands of metres in the air after their parachute caught on the plane’s tail. The skydiver survived the incident, which occurred south…
Porn star Bonnie Blue faces deportation, blacklisting from Bali
Published: December 11, 2025 06:22
A controversial British adult film star faces deportation from Indonesia’s resort island of Bali for violating immigration laws after she was arrested on suspicion of making pornographic online content, police said on Thursday. Local police last week…
Philippines denies ex-mayor Alice Guo has received special treatment in prison
Published: December 11, 2025 06:06
Philippine prison authorities have denied that convicted former mayor Alice Guo was receiving special treatment at the Correctional Institution for Women after reports claimed she had been given access to a mobile phone and allowed to receive unauthorised…
51 Indonesian couples tie the knot in mass wedding ceremony in Jakarta
Published: December 11, 2025 03:15
Over 50 couples tied the knot in a Muslim ceremony in Indonesia on December 3, 2025. The event, held at a grand mosque in the capital Jakarta, was part of a charitable programme to help couples who cannot afford the cost of a wedding
Australian teens bypass social media ban, PM Albanese admits bumpy roll-out
Published: December 11, 2025 01:45
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged some young people were still on social media a day after a world-first ban on under-16s went live, saying the roll-out was always going to be bumpy but would ultimately save lives. A day after the law…
Does collapse of Thailand-Cambodia truce expose Asean’s limits?
Published: December 11, 2025 01:30
The collapse of the fragile truce between Thailand and Cambodia has plunged one of Southeast Asia’s most volatile border disputes back into crisis, renewing scrutiny of whether Asean can contain the fast-escalating conflict between two of its own members.…
South Korea’s threat to dissolve corrupt religious groups risks political blowback
Published: December 11, 2025 00:00
South Korea is bracing for a showdown between political power and religious influence, as a widening bribery scandal linked to the Unification Church has thrust President Lee Jae-myung into a battle over how far the state should go in policing faith-based…
3 reasons India’s partnership with Russia endures
Published: December 10, 2025 12:30
On December 4, India welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin with great pomp for a two-day state visit. The visit, the first since 2021, coincided with a huge India-Russia business forum and embodied the “special and privileged strategic partnership”…
North Korea beckons Chinese tourists with beach resort in 2026 calendar
Published: December 10, 2025 12:01
A 2026 calendar issued by a North Korean publisher for Chinese tourists features a new beach resort on the country’s east coast, a copy obtained by Kyodo News showed on Wednesday. The Wonsan Kalma tourist area with hotels and leisure facilities was…
In Japan, rise in bear attacks spurs demand for robot wolf, AI cameras
Published: December 10, 2025 12:00
As Japan continues to battle record numbers of bear attacks, a robot wolf invented to scare the animals away has become a surprise hit, with inquiries for the product tripling in recent months. The faux fur-clad Monster Wolf, developed by Hokkaido-based…
Remains of last Thai hostage in Gaza repatriated: ‘may he rest in peace’
Published: December 10, 2025 10:57
The body of the last Thai national held hostage in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel was returned home on Wednesday, Thailand’s foreign ministry said. The remains of Sudthisak Rinthalak arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from Tel Aviv,…
South Korea vows ‘stern response’ as Japan renews claim to disputed Liancourt Rocks
Published: December 10, 2025 10:45
South Korea has rejected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s renewed claim to disputed islets in the East Sea, setting off the latest round of diplomatic friction over one of the region’s most enduring territorial disputes. A senior official at the…
Indonesia’s Prabowo urges elites to ‘be brave’, change how regional heads are selected
Published: December 10, 2025 10:30
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has revived debate over how the country chooses its regional leaders by using a major gathering of his governing coalition to urge political elites to “be brave” and consider scrapping direct elections. Prabowo and…
Malaysian police accused of unlawfully barring 2 women from station over dress code
Published: December 10, 2025 10:24
Malaysian lawyers have accused Malacca police of acting unlawfully after a skirt-wearing mother and daughter were barred from entering a station to report a car accident, reigniting debate over censorious standards applied to how women dress in government…
South Korea mandates labels on AI-generated adverts to curb deepfakes
Published: December 10, 2025 10:12
South Korea will require advertisers to label their ads made with AI technologies from next year as it seeks to curb a surge of deceptive promotions featuring fabricated experts or deepfake videos and audio of celebrities endorsing food or pharmaceutical…
Thais attacked in South Korea as conflict with Cambodia spills over
Published: December 10, 2025 09:21
In a sign that tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have spilled over to other countries, Thais in South Korea have been warned to avoid areas with large Cambodian communities after a bar brawl that left two men injured. Four Thai men were attacked at a…
India-EU trade pact nears finish line despite carbon tax dispute, Russia ties
Published: December 10, 2025 09:00
After more than a decade of false starts, India and the European Union appear closer than ever to clinching a free-trade agreement, buoyed by renewed political will and converging economic interests despite lingering tensions over carbon taxes and Russia.…
Ariana Grande’s Singapore harasser kicked out of Lady Gaga show in Australia
Published: December 10, 2025 08:46
Johnson Wen – the man who grabbed singer-actress Ariana Grande at the Asia premiere of Wicked: For Good in Singapore and was subsequently jailed – was kicked out of Lady Gaga’s concert venue in Brisbane, Australia, on Tuesday. Videos taken by fans at…
BTS’ Jungkook faces fan fury over dating rumours with Aespa’s Winter
Published: December 10, 2025 07:41
A faction of BTS member Jungkook’s fans staged a protest truck demonstration in front of Hybe’s headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday, criticising the singer over recent dating speculation involving Aespa member Winter. According to photos and witness…
Indonesian mum who died in Hong Kong blaze sacrificed everything for children’s education
Published: December 10, 2025 06:53
When Indonesian farmer Sutiono, 43, saw news footage of the towering inferno at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong on November 26, he immediately called his wife, Siti Khotimah, 40, knowing she worked at the estate. He had spoken to her just hours earlier on that…
Philippines vows to tear down corrupt infrastructure ‘syndicate’ siphoning billions
Published: December 10, 2025 05:32
The Philippines will move to dismantle the “syndicate” that pilfered public funds while ramping up infrastructure spending early next year to revive the economy, according to a key cabinet official. The Department of Public Works and Highways will cleanse…
Cambodia quits SEA Games in Thailand amid deadly border clashes
Published: December 10, 2025 04:58
In an unprecedented move, Cambodia has withdrawn its entire delegation from the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, citing safety concerns amid renewed border clashes between the two neighbours. The Cambodian team had attended the opening ceremony of the…
IndiGo flight chaos exposes risks of India’s aviation duopoly
Published: December 10, 2025 04:00
India’s largest airline is experiencing its toughest crisis in years after cancelling thousands of flights amid a severe pilot shortage – a result of its failure to hire enough staff to meet new government rules designed to combat pilot fatigue. Analysts…
Trump to call Thailand, Cambodia leaders and ‘stop war’ along border
Published: December 10, 2025 03:30
President Donald Trump said he plans to reach out to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia after border clashes flared up again, one of eight conflicts the US leader says he has ended with tariff threats and his administration’s “peace through strength”…
Why South Korea is powerless to revive Trump-Kim nuclear talks
Published: December 10, 2025 02:30
South Korea’s recent moves to lower tensions with Pyongyang – from removing its propaganda loudspeakers to downplaying the North’s human rights record – may ease frictions on the peninsula, but analysts say they are unlikely to help restart stalled…
Malaysian woman in skirt forced to buy trousers to enter police station
Published: December 10, 2025 02:15
A woman who wanted to lodge a report after a traffic accident was barred from entering the Jasin police headquarters in Malaysia’s Melaka state due to a dress code violation, according to police. Melaka police chief Deputy Commissioner Dzulkhairi Mukhtar…
Why the Global South is embracing Chinese AI
Published: December 10, 2025 01:30
The global artificial intelligence community’s attention was recently focused on DeepSeek’s latest open-source model, Math-V2, the first open-source AI model to score a gold medal-level performance at the International Mathematical Olympiad. But while…
US says Indonesia backtracking on trade pledges as deal risks falling flat
Published: December 10, 2025 01:10
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is set to speak with a top Indonesian official this week in hopes of salvaging a trade framework at risk of collapsing, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Greer will speak to Airlangga Hartarto, the Indonesian…
Shaman rumours resurface as South Korea returns to Blue House
Published: December 10, 2025 00:00
South Korea’s decision to return its presidential office to the Blue House, undoing Yoon Suk-yeol’s costly relocation, has reopened old questions over the superstitions said to have driven the impeached ex-president’s decision. The move is widely viewed as…
Australia’s social media ban for children takes effect in world first
Published: December 9, 2025 22:03
Australia has become the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook from midnight. Ten of the biggest platforms were ordered to block children…
‘Could go extinct here’: orangutans at risk as Indonesia floods devastate habitat
Published: December 9, 2025 14:00
Before the deadly landslides and floods hit Indonesia about two weeks ago, Amran Siagian, 39, frequently met Tapanuli orangutans on a hill in the region of Sipirok, North Sumatra province. Siagian, who has been working as a ranger to protect the endangered…
Japan issues megaquake advisory after magnitude 7.5 tremor
Published: December 9, 2025 12:02
Japan issued a megaquake advisory on Tuesday after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main island of Honshu, and just south of the northern island of Hokkaido. Damage from this quake…
‘We’ve been careful’: Japanese firms in China stay calm amid political storm
Published: December 9, 2025 12:00
Beijing and Tokyo’s war of words over Taiwan was expected to be bad news for Japanese businesses in China. Previous diplomatic flare-ups have brought waves of online vitriol, protests and boycotts. But at a Japanese-invested luxury department store in…
Is Indonesian disaster response failing Sumatra’s flood victims?
Published: December 9, 2025 10:31
Indonesia is confronting its deadliest natural disaster in more than two decades as floods and landslides ravage Sumatra, overwhelming local authorities and prompting scrutiny of how President Prabowo Subianto’s administration is managing the crisis.…
‘Death sentence’ averted as sick Filipino man removed from US deportation flight
Published: December 9, 2025 09:46
A last-minute medical intervention halted the deportation of a Filipino man from the United States after advocates warned that his deteriorating condition and months of alleged neglect in immigration custody had put his life at risk. Greggy Valerio Sorio,…
Gotta pay ’em all: Singapore Pokemon card bust sparks Malaysia customs warning
Published: December 9, 2025 09:15
A recent seizure of more than S$30,000 (US$23,000) worth of Pokemon cards from a Singaporean at Changi Airport has led Malaysian authorities to caution that returning citizens would face the same issue. Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority…
Jakarta office building fire kills 22, including pregnant woman
Published: December 9, 2025 09:08
A fire ripped through an office building in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, on Tuesday, killing at least 22 people, including a pregnant woman, police said. Flames engulfed the seven-storey building, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky and…
Philippines ‘flood control queen’ faces arrest over corruption scandal
Published: December 9, 2025 09:00
An arrest warrant is being prepared for Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, the businesswoman once dubbed the Philippines’ “queen of flood control”, after prosecutors accused her of pocketing millions from a government project that was paid for but never built.…
Nepal charges Chinese contractor with corruption over airport deal
Published: December 9, 2025 08:00
Nepal’s anti-corruption watchdog has filed criminal charges against ex-ministers, senior bureaucrats and a Chinese state-owned construction giant accused of inflating costs and manipulating contracts at a multimillion-dollar infrastructure project. The…
Owners flee to Thailand after Indian nightclub fire killed 25
Published: December 9, 2025 07:33
The owners of an Indian nightclub in the tourist hotspot of Goa fled the country hours after a deadly fire at their business killed 25 people at the weekend, police have said. Most of the victims of the tragedy that struck a club in Arpora in the north of…
‘Only option I had’: as Seoul rents jump, many forced back into tiny rooms
Published: December 9, 2025 06:10
Kim, a 31-year-old office worker in Seoul, said she recently moved into a goshiwon near her workplace because she could not keep up with rising studio flat rents. Goshiwon are dormitory-style accommodation often used by students or low-wage workers who…
Singaporean Chinese ‘least attractive’, Philippines cyclones: 7 Asia highlights
Published: December 9, 2025 04:30
We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Thailand launches air…
Starving Myanmar fighters join enemies for money as ‘dirty reality’ bites
Published: December 9, 2025 04:24
A 24-year-old fighter from Myanmar’s pro-democracy People’s Defence Force has said many of those who fight alongside him have switched sides at times in the long-running civil war, with a lack of financial compensation forcing them to temporarily side with…
Fighting rages across Thai-Cambodian border as US calls for calm
Published: December 9, 2025 04:01
At least eight people have been killed in renewed fighting on the Thai-Cambodian border, officials said on Tuesday, as Bangkok accused Phnom Penh of launching cross-border rocket attacks despite a White House warning to end the bloodshed. The latest…
Can Singapore’s cyber laws keep pace with speed of borderless online threats?
Published: December 9, 2025 02:30
Singapore’s approach to curbing foreign interference and cybercrime is being tested by the sheer speed and borderless nature of online threats, according to analysts who say the city state’s legal powers provide important safeguards but are unlikely to…
Chinese tourist’s Penang panda mural that drew criticism turns crowd-puller
Published: December 9, 2025 01:52
The fate of the “panda on the scooter” is hanging in the balance. The artwork, modified by a Chinese artist at Chew Jetty in Malaysia’s Penang state, has yet to be legalised although an application was made a month ago. The Chinese tourist, known as Shen…
South Korea torn as crime-fighting actor quits over criminal past
Published: December 9, 2025 01:30
A career-ending revelation about an actor’s teenage crimes has plunged South Korea into a soul-searching debate over justice, redemption and the ethics of public shaming in the digital age. Cho Jin-woong, 49, long celebrated for his commanding on-screen…
Could ICC warrants against Duterte allies alter Philippines’ balance of power?
Published: December 9, 2025 00:00
A former spokesman for Rodrigo Duterte has claimed that the International Criminal Court is preparing to arrest two of the ex-Philippine leader’s closest allies over his administration’s bloody war on drugs. Harry Roque told This Week in Asia that…
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