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Asia - South China Morning Post

Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP"s Asia edition.

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Are US-India ties set for a rebound after Trump’s...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

A potential visit by US President Donald Trump to India could provide the impetus to conclude trade talks between New Delhi and Washington, analysts say, amid doubts about his commitment to the Indo-Pacific due to uncertainty over a proposed Quad security summit in the Indian capital. Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were “going great” and that a visit to Delhi could take place next year, though he declined to specify

South Korea’s growing crisis of illegal puppy sales...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

A YouTube livestream recently drew attention after a host promoted the sale of puppies in real time, saying, “We only have four dogs left. You’ll be surprised at how cheap they are, prices are completely down. Anyone looking to raise a Samoyed? Take them home for a low price.” Viewers quickly flooded the chat with comments such as “Do you have smaller dogs?” and “Show us the bichon!” The replay of the broadcast has since garnered over 20,000 views. During the stream, the host continued to...

‘Worried’ lawmakers urge Japan’s new PM to get some...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, secured her party’s nomination by vowing to “work like a horse”. Since taking office on October 21, she has kept her word – but her relentless workload is raising questions about her health. Takaichi arrived at her office at 3am on Friday to prepare for her first parliamentary debate, a budget committee hearing that was due to convene at 9am. Even by Japan’s workaholic standards, such an early start raised eyebrows. “My jaw dropped when I...

Thais give cold shoulder to US$927 tax break aimed at...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

The southern Thailand coastal province of Trang boasts lush islands and an emerald cave but has long been overshadowed by neighbouring foreign tourist hotspots Phuket and Krabi. The government, as part of an effort to stimulate the economy, wants to change that by providing tax incentives to jump-start domestic travel, particularly to second-tier provinces. Sagging foreign visitors to Thailand is compounding woes caused by US tariffs and a relatively high baht. To offset some of the softness,...

Storm in a takeaway cup: Malaysia’s Zus Coffee backs...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

Malaysia’s largest coffee chain has thrown its support behind a barista involved in a viral confrontation with a customer, saying it has launched a full investigation and will stand by the employee while reviewing the incident. Zus Coffee confirmed on Monday that it had begun an internal investigation after a 14-second video of the altercation, believed to have taken place on Sunday at one of its outlets, drew millions of views on TikTok and sparked intense online debate. In the video, a

Australian woman arrested on return to Singapore for...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

An Australian woman who allegedly stole a box of anti-ageing supplements at the transit area of Changi Airport earlier this year was arrested when she returned to Singapore several months later. The police were alerted to the theft on May 7 when a box of supplements that cost S$507.30 (US$390) was discovered missing from the display shelf of a Guardian outlet in the transit area of Terminal 1. The suspect was seen on CCTV allegedly leaving the pharmacy outlet with the unpaid item on April 14....

Semiconductor giant TSMC posts slowest growth in 18...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) posted its slowest monthly revenue growth in more than a year, lending credence to concerns that the artificial intelligence stock rally is not justified by the industry’s business prospects. TSMC, the main contract manufacturer to AI chip leader Nvidia, posted a 16.9 per cent rise in sales for October, the slowest pace since February 2024. Still, that tracks with the average analyst estimate for a 16 per cent sales increase in the current quarter....

Trump’s Thailand-Cambodia truce unravels 2 weeks...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

Barely two weeks after US President Donald Trump proclaimed “peace” between Thailand and Cambodia, the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord he presided over now teeters on the edge of collapse. On Monday, Thailand’s armed forces suspended the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia’s military of laying fresh landmines in contested border territory. Thai defence minister Natthaphon Narkphanit confirmed on Tuesday that Thailand was halting implementation of the pact and would not be returning 18 Cambodian...

‘Wicked extortionists’ hound woman, torch Malaysia...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

Loan sharks in Malaysia’s Johor state set fire to a house in Kluang belonging to the parents of a 33-year-old assistant manager after she changed her mind about taking a 10,000 ringgit (US$2,407) loan. The victim, who only wanted to be identified as Lam and works in Singapore, said she was harassed by the loan sharks who demanded S$20,000 (US$15,348) after she decided not to take the loan. Speaking at a press conference organised by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Michael...

Uproar at Miss Universe event, ‘da ka’ moments in...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

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. Chinese tourists flock to Singapore for ‘da ka’ moments, despite the high prices Melody Liu had been in Singapore for just three days when she blew past her 5,000 yuan (HK$5,450) travel budget – and reached for her long-sleeved hooded shirt with attached visor to

Malaysian police defend bodyguards’ viral leap onto...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

Two female bodyguards have set Malaysian social media abuzz after a video showing them leaping onto a moving SUV during the recent Asean summit went viral – a moment the police have since defended as standard and professionally executed security protocol. The widely shared clip shows the pair – dressed in formal black suits and headscarves – jogging after a sport utility vehicle carrying foreign delegates before each opening a rear door, stepping onto the footboard and taking position with

Air travellers departing Singapore to pay up to US$32...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

Air passengers departing Singapore will pay a green fuel levy of as much as S$41.60 (US$31.95) from next year as the city state locks in a major step in its effort to cut the aviation industry’s emissions. Travellers flying in economy and premium economy, as well as those on short-haul routes, will be charged far less. Those customers will pay an additional S$1 for trips to Southeast Asia and S$10.40 for flights to the Americas, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said on Monday.

‘I was shell shocked’: deadly New Delhi car blast...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

Indian police are investigating a car explosion in New Delhi under the country’s primary anti-terrorism law as a pall of gloom descended over the capital on Tuesday. Exasperated families at a hospital were anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones after the blast near the landmark Red Fort killed at least nine people on Monday evening. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is used to investigate and prosecute acts related to “terrorism” and activities that threaten India’s sovereignty...

‘Create instability’: Yoon accused of provoking North...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/11

South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk-yeol, removed from office and arrested earlier this year for attempting to impose martial law, is facing new charges alleging he sought to provoke North Korea to justify his failed power grab. Prosecutors say Yoon and senior aides orchestrated risky military operations near the border to draw a retaliation from Pyongyang, which they hoped would legitimise the emergency decree Yoon signed on December 3 while still in office. Those operations allegedly...

Devil in the details as US agrees to a South Korean...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/10

For US President Donald Trump to consent to South Korea building its own nuclear-powered submarines was unexpected – though a welcome decision for the many South Korean analysts who have long argued such vessels were urgently needed by the country’s navy. It will have a huge impact on the US alliance with South Korea and its neighbours, not least North Korea, which is apparently building its first nuclear ballistic missile submarine with Russian technical support: not just any nuclear-powered...

8 killed as car explosion rocks historic Red Fort in...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/10

At least eight people were killed on Monday in a car explosion near the historic Red Fort in a densely populated area of the Indian capital New Delhi, a police spokesman said, a rare blast in the heavily guarded city of more than 30 million people. The exact cause of the blast is being investigated, said police spokesman Sanjay Tyagi. However, financial capital Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, went on high security alert after the blast, local media reported. Uttar

Mountains protect the Philippines from typhoons. Why...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/10

When Typhoon Fung-wong roared towards Luzon this weekend, forecasts invoked grim memories of Haiyan, the 2013 superstorm that killed more than 6,000 people in the Philippines. In Metro Manila, residents braced for disaster. But by dawn on Monday, the capital woke instead to light rain and an uncanny calm. Once again, Luzon’s Sierra Madre mountains – the island’s natural shield – had absorbed the storm’s worst blows. Scientists and environmentalists hail the range as a silent guardian. But

Malaysian firms accused of exploiting Bangladeshi...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/10

About 100 Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied on Monday to demand unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers. The Migrant Welfare Network, a Bangladeshi migrant group based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, organised the protest at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. The demonstrators said the event was organised to protest what they say is widespread mistreatment of...

China-wanted gambling kingpin to be extradited by...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/10

A Thai court of appeal has upheld an extradition order against a Chinese gambling kingpin after more than three years of legal battles, Thailand’s state prosecutor said in a statement on Monday. She Zhijiang, 43, a Chinese national who also holds a Cambodian passport, was arrested by Thai police in August 2022 on an international warrant and Interpol red notice requested by Beijing, who accused him of running illegal online gambling operations. A Thai criminal court ordered his extradition to...

‘Everything stopped’: Thailand halts Cambodia peace...

Asia - South China Morning Post ·

2025/11/10

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has threatened to derail a fragile peace deal with Cambodia – signed just last month – after a landmine explosion injured two Thai soldiers near their shared border. The soldiers stepped on what the Thai army suspects were newly laid mines while on routine patrol Monday in Si Sa Ket province. It was the seventh such blast in four months, following a wave of explosions in July that sparked the deadliest border clashes in years. As a result,

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