https://www.scmp.com/rss/3/feed Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's Asia edition. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Bloomberg Bloomberg Singapore’s major financial institutions have pledged to train more than 80,000 local employees in AI skills as the country moves to cushion white-collar workers from potential job disruption. A pioneer batch of 23 banks, insurers and asset managers has committed to train all their Singapore staff by 2028, and more than half of them have already gone through programmes recognised by an industry association, according to Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong. The firms would also study how jobs were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368707/singapores-finance-firms-pledge-train-80000-local-staff-ai-skills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368707/singapores-finance-firms-pledge-train-80000-local-staff-ai-skills?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:01:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters Sri Lanka’s main opposition took to the streets on Thursday to protest against judicial reforms, including raising the retirement age for judges, that the government says are needed to reduce legal delays. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told thousands of supporters outside parliament that the legislation proposed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s left-wing administration would “annihilate” judicial independence. The government unveiled two bills last month to increase the number of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368676/sri-lankas-opposition-protests-against-contentious-judicial-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368676/sri-lankas-opposition-protests-against-contentious-judicial-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:15:06 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji For millions of Indians, buying a cup of chai or groceries from roadside vendors has come to mean reaching for their phones rather than wallets – a habit made possible by a system that has so far charged consumers nothing for such everyday transactions. Now, a decade after the government launched the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India is asking some merchants to pay for the hugely popular system – raising questions over whether it can preserve the low-cost model that drove its mass adoption... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368661/what-can-asia-global-south-learn-indias-new-digital-payment-fee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368661/what-can-asia-global-south-learn-indias-new-digital-payment-fee?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:02:05 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Singapore police have launched an investigation after a video of a man allegedly filming female students using smart glasses went viral, sparking concerns about privacy and safety. In the social media video, a man wearing black-rimmed glasses and a face mask is seen walking behind two female students wearing what appear to be uniforms from Raffles Institution, a premier school in the city state. The girls seem unaware of his presence. The man clutches his phone to his chest and presses what... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368651/were-smart-glasses-used-singapore-film-2-female-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368651/were-smart-glasses-used-singapore-film-2-female-students?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:17:36 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is weighing an absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso, a former death row inmate detained since her 2010 conviction for drug trafficking in Indonesia. “The Office of the President is seriously considering granting an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso on humanitarian grounds in support of the government’s commitment to protecting Filipino migrant workers,” lawmaker Albert Garcia said on Wednesday, as quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “There will be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368646/philippines-weighs-pardon-death-row-inmate-repatriated-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368646/philippines-weighs-pardon-death-row-inmate-repatriated-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:06:44 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippine Senate has made it mathematically easier to convict Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, but observers say the ruling could intensify a battle over an impeachment trial already viewed by the public as deeply divisive. The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, ruled on Wednesday that only senator-judges who are able to take part in the trial should be counted in determining the threshold for conviction. Under the Philippine constitution, a two-thirds vote of the Senate is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368631/philippines-impeachment-path-now-clear-convict-sara-duterte?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368631/philippines-impeachment-path-now-clear-convict-sara-duterte?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s haze crisis has flared again just weeks after emergency measures and cloud-seeding operations brought temporary relief, with experts warning that smoke from Indonesian fires could continue drifting across the country until monsoon winds change. All 108 schools in Serian, a district in the state of Sarawak on Malaysian Borneo, were ordered to close on Thursday after the air pollutant index (API) breached 200 on Wednesday night, forcing pupils back to home-based learning. By noon,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368641/open-close-reopen-return-choking-haze-traps-malaysian-schools-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368641/open-close-reopen-return-choking-haze-traps-malaysian-schools-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:53:37 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A fundraiser to help pay disgraced former leader Najib Razak’s 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine has become a lightning rod for insults and mockery, as Malaysians continue to pile criticism on a decision last week to allow him to spend the rest of his jail sentence under house arrest. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last Friday granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, which will allow the jailed ex-prime minister to complete his term in the comfort of his home – provided he first pays off his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368629/najib-razaks-fundraising-malaysia-draws-1-sen-donations-mockery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368629/najib-razaks-fundraising-malaysia-draws-1-sen-donations-mockery?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:05:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indonesia’s navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier on Thursday after acquiring the former Italian vessel to strengthen its maritime defences and disaster response. The Italian flag on the former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi was replaced with the Indonesian flag on the carrier renamed the KRI Sriwijaya-100 as part of its official transfer at the ceremony held at Tanjung Priok seaport in North Jakarta. “The ship, which previously served in the Italian navy, now bears the name KRI Sriwijaya-100,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368625/indonesia-commissions-first-aircraft-carrier-bolstering-sea-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368625/indonesia-commissions-first-aircraft-carrier-bolstering-sea-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 07:52:49 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse As a Rohingya exile who abandoned his life in Malaysia to return to Myanmar, Ismail’s bleak prospects may portend what awaits others caught in Kuala Lumpur’s migrant crackdown. Weeks ago, the 25-year-old was eking out a living at a Malaysian fish market, one of legions of the Muslim minority group who left Myanmar to escape violence some monitors say amounted to genocide. But a wave of anti-Rohingya sentiment, migrant arrests and a government plan to repatriate Myanmar nationals drove Ismail... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368618/rohingya-who-fled-myanmar-chaos-now-dread-return-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368618/rohingya-who-fled-myanmar-chaos-now-dread-return-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 07:08:01 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Thailand’s teenage guitar sensation Nene Royal won the US$1 million top prize on America’s Got Talent, capping a viral run that made the 16-year-old a national celebrity and drew support from across her home country. Rattikarn Amloy, better known by her stage name Nene Royal, was crowned the winner during Wednesday’s live results show, beating nine other finalists after emerging as the clear favourite before the finale. During Tuesday’s final, she sang and played guitar on a rendition of “Seven... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368601/thailands-nene-royal-wins-americas-got-talent-pocketing-us1-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368601/thailands-nene-royal-wins-americas-got-talent-pocketing-us1-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 04:34:41 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s proposal for a phased approach to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes is a pragmatic response, analysts say, but prospects for gaining its arch-rival’s acceptance remain uncertain. In a keynote speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Lee laid out a long-term, step-by-step sequence for pursuing the ultimate goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation. He had called for Washington to ease sanctions in return for North Korea stopping its nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368586/south-korea-has-pragmatic-plan-phased-denuclearisation-will-north-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368586/south-korea-has-pragmatic-plan-phased-denuclearisation-will-north-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 03:23:51 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Toey Wattana Mongkhonnam began thinking about outfitting his family home in Thailand’s northeastern province of Yasothon with solar panels during the Covid-19 pandemic. In his household of five, electricity use rises with the day’s heat, and the monthly bill could range from 1,000 baht to 1,500 baht (US$30 to US$45). “Back then, I checked prices and a rooftop panel system that could put out enough power to run my household’s appliances could cost 100,000 baht to 200,000 baht,” said Toey, a Muay... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368533/thailands-solar-scheme-faces-hurdles-low-power-users-turned-high-cost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368533/thailands-solar-scheme-faces-hurdles-low-power-users-turned-high-cost?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An autonomous OpenAI programme infiltrated an Australian government health website in June in an “unacceptable” breach, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. The artificial intelligence agent accessed public and non-public files of the health statistics service, he told reporters in New York on Wednesday. OpenAI did not raise the alarm with the Australian government until September, when it sent an email outlining the incident to a generic email address. “Today I spoke with the CEO of OpenAI,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3368577/australia-slams-unacceptable-openai-breach-government-health-portal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3368577/australia-slams-unacceptable-openai-breach-government-health-portal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:48:29 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Washington is increasingly turning to South Korea to ease ammunition supply bottlenecks triggered by wars in the Middle East and Europe, potentially accelerating Seoul’s integration into the US defence industrial base. Analysts say the United States may struggle to replenish stockpiles quickly enough if conflicts in Iran and Ukraine drag on, creating opportunities for South Korea’s defence industry to expand its presence in the US market. Jang Won-joon, a defence science professor at Jeonbuk... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368481/us-turns-south-korea-ease-ammunition-bottlenecks-amid-global-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368481/us-turns-south-korea-ease-ammunition-bottlenecks-amid-global-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Ravi Kant Ravi Kant A country’s diaspora can be a symbol of its pride and power. A nation’s diaspora can help it build international value through success stories, promote its soft power through culture and contribute to its economic progress through remittances, investments and transfers of expertise. India and China have among the world’s largest diasporas. They also offer two very different models of how countries can leverage their diasporas. In India, before the 1991 reforms, people mostly saw those who left... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367636/china-leveraging-its-diaspora-boost-economy-unlike-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367636/china-leveraging-its-diaspora-boost-economy-unlike-india?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday killed an Indian sailor, Omani and Indian authorities said, with the latter condemning the ongoing attacks in the vital shipping lane. Since the start of the Middle East war, Iran has sought to impose its control over the maritime conduit for Gulf oil and gas, occasionally striking ships accused of failing to coordinate with its authorities or deviating from its preferred route. In retaliation, the US has been enforcing a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368562/indian-sailor-killed-attack-vessel-hormuz-india-and-oman-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368562/indian-sailor-killed-attack-vessel-hormuz-india-and-oman-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:20:43 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The body of a child was found on Wednesday on the coast of an outlying island in northeastern Japan, with police investigating whether it could be a six-year-old boy who went missing in the area earlier this month. The body, which was found around 11.20am on Tobishima, Yamagata Prefecture, was dressed in what appeared to be a navy blue and red Spider Man-themed jumpsuit, similar to the clothing the boy was wearing when he disappeared, according to prefectural police. A man in his 70s alerted... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3368550/japan-finds-childs-body-island-possibly-missing-boy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3368550/japan-finds-childs-body-island-possibly-missing-boy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:25:32 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau While starting salaries for fresh graduates and entry-level workers in Singapore continue to creep upwards, the number of people in entry-level roles is shrinking, according to new data, indicating an increasingly tough job market for those at the start of their careers. Data published last month by global professional services firm Aon showed a 2.5 per cent year-on-year salary increase for entry-level employees, alongside a 3.2 per cent drop in entry-level headcount. The findings come as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368539/singapores-entry-level-job-market-shrinks-despite-salary-growth-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368539/singapores-entry-level-job-market-shrinks-despite-salary-growth-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:58:02 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem Inside a car wash lounge in the southern Philippine city of Davao, Shenilane Formento scrolls through messages on her Chinese-made Oppo phone as she waits for a customer to pay. Formento, 29, has worked as a cashier for about a year. She follows developments in the South China Sea through news reports shared on her social media feeds, including frequent confrontations between Philippine and Chinese forces in the disputed waters. While she found such incidents “disappointing”, she ultimately... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368528/why-younger-filipinos-are-warming-china-despite-maritime-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368528/why-younger-filipinos-are-warming-china-despite-maritime-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:15:30 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India has joined a new multilateral grouping comprising a cross-regional mix of middle powers, in a move analysts say reflects New Delhi’s efforts to broaden its diplomatic options as it pushes for changes to the global order. External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar co-chaired the inaugural Partners for Multilateralism (P4M) Summit on Monday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “We meet at a time when the global order is under stress,” Jaishankar said... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368506/indias-new-p4m-middle-power-group-enters-crowded-field?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368506/indias-new-p4m-middle-power-group-enters-crowded-field?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:30:05 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Brunei’s measured defence ties with Beijing reflect its low-key approach to South China Sea disputes, with analysts saying that goals such as peacekeeping offer the safest room for both sides to maintain diplomacy. A meeting between Bruneian and Chinese defence officials in Beijing last week, when both nations pledged closer practical cooperation and support for regional stability, underscored that tact. But observers also expect ties to remain modest, constrained by maritime claims and Bandar... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368497/why-brunei-prefers-quiet-diplomacy-over-confrontation-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368497/why-brunei-prefers-quiet-diplomacy-over-confrontation-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:00:29 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The lawyer for an Indonesian businessman arrested in Singapore for allegedly using counterfeit S$10,000 (US$7,830) notes at a casino has said his client was a victim of fraud himself. The businessman, identified only as Steven, is accused of exchanging 34 fake S$10,000 notes for chips over three visits to the Resorts World Sentosa casino in June. The notes were accepted but later found to be counterfeit. His lawyer, Dosma Sijabat, told Tempo news magazine on Tuesday that the fake bills did not... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368499/indonesian-arrested-singapore-over-fake-banknotes-was-victim-fraud-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368499/indonesian-arrested-singapore-over-fake-banknotes-was-victim-fraud-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:32:41 +0000 The Star The Star A Malaysian tofu pudding seller has pledged to donate 10,000 ringgit (US$2,452) to help former prime minister Najib Razak cover his 50 million ringgit fine, describing the contribution as a personal payback for a lifeline extended to him 14 years ago. In a social media post, Sunny Seow, founder of the Sunnycoco brand, shared that his motivation stemmed from a pivotal moment in 2012 when he was serving a sentence in Perak state’s Manjung for past mistakes. During a visit by Najib to the area that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368489/14-years-later-ex-detainee-repays-malaysias-najib-life-changing-second-chance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368489/14-years-later-ex-detainee-repays-malaysias-najib-life-changing-second-chance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:50:56 +0000 Bloomberg,Reuters Bloomberg,Reuters The Philippine ⁠Senate, sitting as an impeachment ⁠court, on Wednesday lowered the number of votes needed to convict Vice-President Sara Duterte, reducing the threshold prosecutors must clear to secure a guilty verdict. The court ruled that only ‌senator-judges able to take part in the trial should be counted when determining the threshold for conviction. Four of the 24 senator-judges have been unable to take part in the proceedings and cannot vote. The decision means prosecutors now need 14... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368478/marcos-existential-battle-sara-duterte-intensifies-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368478/marcos-existential-battle-sara-duterte-intensifies-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:22:08 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysians on social media are offering increasingly outlandish solutions to a months-long royal tussle in Negeri Sembilan state, from making rival claimants sleep on a bed of nettles for a week to putting the entire state through Islamic spiritual healing. The dispute has left Negeri Sembilan with two men claiming the throne, a state government at odds with the palace and no clear legal route to settle the fight. One social media user suggested reviving adat perpatih – the customary law of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3368471/malaysians-joke-their-way-through-negeri-sembilan-royal-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3368471/malaysians-joke-their-way-through-negeri-sembilan-royal-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:19:17 +0000 Reuters Reuters Female prisoners in Myanmar are subjected to widespread torture, sexual violence and life-threatening medical neglect, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday, underlining the chronic ill-treatment of thousands of detainees in the war-torn nation. Since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup, a protracted civil war ‌has gripped the impoverished Southeast Asian nation, devastating several regions and killing about 100,000 while displacing more than 3.5 million. In a report, the New... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368465/beatings-electric-shocks-sexual-violence-women-endure-torture-myanmar-prisons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368465/beatings-electric-shocks-sexual-violence-women-endure-torture-myanmar-prisons?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:25:02 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Kuala Lumpur is making it easier and cheaper to bring international music stars to the city, hoping that a bigger concert calendar can help Malaysia capture more of Southeast Asia’s booming live-music economy. But as more global acts come to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian musicians are asking whether the concert boom is creating more opportunities for local artists too. Fuad Alhabshi of Malaysian rock band Kyoto Protocol said local bands once routinely benefited when major international acts came... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3368456/malaysias-local-acts-feel-left-out-live-music-boom-missing-middle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3368456/malaysias-local-acts-feel-left-out-live-music-boom-missing-middle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:03:02 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Melaka on Wednesday officially called for a state election – the latest test for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government, which is already facing an internal feud and growing public frustration over failed reforms. The state assembly was dissolved effective from Wednesday following an official notification sent to the country’s Election Commission the previous day by Ibrahim Durum, the Melaka state assembly’s speaker. “A state election will be held within 60 days of the dissolution... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368450/malaysias-anwar-faces-political-reckoning-melaka-state-calls-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368450/malaysias-anwar-faces-political-reckoning-melaka-state-calls-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 02:30:29 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Singaporeans are among the most open to allowing an artificial intelligence agent to shop for them, but they also want the strictest guard rails, research shows. The latest agentic AI study from Global Payments released on Wednesday indicates the hoops agentic AI will need to jump through to be trusted to make purchases without human intervention. The study, which surveyed seven countries including the United States, China and the United Kingdom, found 59 per cent of Singaporeans are open to an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368447/most-singaporeans-ready-let-ai-agents-shop-them-more-safeguards-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368447/most-singaporeans-ready-let-ai-agents-shop-them-more-safeguards-study?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 02:01:39 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan A series of small earthquakes beneath Keningau, an inland district of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, is drawing attention to a part of the state where scientists say the fault lines are poorly understood and the consequences of a larger quake could be devastating. The latest, a magnitude 3.4 tremor on September 3, was felt in several parts of Keningau, prompting staff at the district office to suspend a meeting and move to a designated safe area. No serious damage was reported. The tremor was one of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368423/why-small-quakes-malaysias-sabah-could-be-sounding-seismic-alarms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368423/why-small-quakes-malaysias-sabah-could-be-sounding-seismic-alarms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 02:00:07 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Paul Bratby had already drawn up plans for expanding to Hong Kong when war broke out in the Middle East earlier this year. But the founder of xBratAI, a Dubai-based AI-powered trading signals platform, soon brought that timeline forward as the Iran conflict dragged on and widened in scope. “Our Hong Kong entity had been scheduled for a few years later, but we established it in early 2026,” he said. Bratby is not alone in looking east. As missiles continue to target Gulf capitals and shipping... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368387/gulf-tech-firms-turn-hong-kong-and-singapore-iran-war-grinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368387/gulf-tech-firms-turn-hong-kong-and-singapore-iran-war-grinds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that trade negotiations with India are making “good progress” and that the two countries are aiming to conclude talks by the G20 summit in mid-December. Carney also said India had, to his understanding, confirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Canada around that time, though the precise date had not been finalised. “We are making good progress in our trade negotiations with India,” Carney said at a news conference on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368443/canada-seeks-wrap-india-trade-talks-soon-us-ties-fray?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368443/canada-seeks-wrap-india-trade-talks-soon-us-ties-fray?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 23:52:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse More than 170,000 respiratory cases were recorded in regions affected by haze in Indonesia, a health ministry official said on Tuesday, as the country continues its battle to control fires that caused the toxic smog. Blazes in Borneo, Sumatra and Papua have blanketed parts of the vast archipelago of more than 280 million people with haze, as well as neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, sending air quality indices plummeting. The toxic smog contains pollutants including PM 2.5, a fine particulate... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368420/indonesia-breathing-issues-spike-over-170000-cases-amid-wildfire-haze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368420/indonesia-breathing-issues-spike-over-170000-cases-amid-wildfire-haze?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:02:09 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippines has less than two years to turn its ambitious Pax Silica project from a US-backed plan into a functioning industrial hub before a change of government in Manila – and potentially Washington – puts its future to the test. Pax Silica is an initiative by US President Donald Trump’s administration to diversify US supplies of critical minerals and semiconductors. The Philippines is seeking to position itself as a manufacturing base for companies looking to reduce their dependence on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368411/philippines-races-turn-pax-silica-reality-political-changes-derail-dreams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368411/philippines-races-turn-pax-silica-reality-political-changes-derail-dreams?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The mother of a 15-year-old Thai-Swedish teenager who died after his motorbike crashed into a truck illegally reversing into oncoming traffic has made an emotional appeal for justice, accusing police of failing to execute an arrest warrant for the alleged driver, a Chinese national, seven months after the fatal crash. Tommy Boulanger, an aspiring footballer, was left in a coma following the February 20 crash in the Nongpure district of Chonburi, near the resort city of Pattaya. He never regained... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368415/mother-seeks-justice-7-months-after-thai-swedish-sons-fatal-crash-pattaya?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368415/mother-seeks-justice-7-months-after-thai-swedish-sons-fatal-crash-pattaya?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:28:39 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A South Korean university has embedded graduation photos with anti-deepfake technology to prevent a repeat of a scandal two years ago, when portraits of female graduates were used to create sexually explicit manipulated images. Seoul National University’s (SNU) use of StealCut Protect, created by a start-up founded by SNU alumni, marked the first time it was used for a university graduation album in the country, The Korea Herald reported. StealCut provided the technology to SNU free of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368396/invisible-pixels-protect-south-korean-graduates-photos-deepfake-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368396/invisible-pixels-protect-south-korean-graduates-photos-deepfake-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:10:03 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia plans to press ahead with discounted Russian crude oil imports to secure domestic energy supplies and manage fiscal pressures, despite the risk of higher US tariffs as Washington moves to tighten economic pressure on Moscow. On Friday, US President Donald Trump signed into law an act that would give him authority to impose sanctions on Russia and slap tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five buyers of Russian crude oil, gas and military equipment, or countries that help Moscow... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368389/indonesia-presses-ahead-russian-oil-imports-despite-real-risk-us-penalties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368389/indonesia-presses-ahead-russian-oil-imports-despite-real-risk-us-penalties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:00:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sri Lanka’s High Court has found 15 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings guilty. The attacks killed 279 people and wounded around 500. The three-judge bench found that 14 of the accused were guilty on all charges, which included murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possessing firearms and explosives under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. A 15th defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, while nine others were acquitted. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368385/sri-lanka-trial-2019-easter-sunday-bombings-set-finish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368385/sri-lanka-trial-2019-easter-sunday-bombings-set-finish?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:26:58 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma The United States, Japan and South Korea agreed to resist “economic coercion” and emphasised the need for stability in the Taiwan Strait, taking an implicit shot at China just days before President Xi Jinping’s White House summit. The three countries plan new talks on economic security and enhancements to a trilateral supply chain early warning system, according to a statement issued after a meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and counterparts Toshimitsu Motegi of Japan and Cho... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368381/us-tightens-japan-south-korea-ties-ahead-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368381/us-tightens-japan-south-korea-ties-ahead-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:07:00 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The third son of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has said he wants to return home for urgent brain surgery. Chakriwat “Than Aong” Vivacharawongse posted a video on social media on Monday saying he had two large brain tumours requiring surgery. The 43-year-old doctor said he wanted to receive treatment in Thailand. “I want to return to Thailand for treatment because Thai doctors are highly capable,” he said in the video. Chakriwat said he did not have enough money to pay for the surgery in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368368/king-thailands-estranged-son-seeks-return-urgent-brain-surgery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368368/king-thailands-estranged-son-seeks-return-urgent-brain-surgery?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:19:48 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesia’s bid for another term on the United Nations’ premier security body stands a good chance of success given Jakarta’s growing global engagement, analysts say, but its balancing act between competing powers could complicate efforts to speak for the Global South. Jakarta’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it would launch its campaign this week for a fifth term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2029–2030. The ministry said it was seeking the seat to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368366/indonesias-un-security-council-bid-tests-non-aligned-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368366/indonesias-un-security-council-bid-tests-non-aligned-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:01:02 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Residents of a wide swathe of eastern Japan were picking up the pieces on Tuesday after Typhoon Dujuan tore through the area the previous day, causing extensive flooding, landslides, power outages, flight cancellations and at least four deaths. Nearly 2 million people were instructed to evacuate their homes in low-lying coastal areas, or be prepared to move at short notice, after the Japan Meteorological Agency had warned that the typhoon posed an “imminent threat to life”. While the evacuation... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368348/japan-begins-clean-after-typhoon-dujuan-kills-4-batters-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368348/japan-begins-clean-after-typhoon-dujuan-kills-4-batters-east?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 06:51:54 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Inside a brightly lit cleanroom at Chungbuk Semiconductor High School in South Korea, a group of teenagers in head-to-toe protective suits carefully handled silicon wafers, learning the same production processes used in commercial chip plants. About half of the school’s graduates head straight to large companies such as Samsung Electronics or SK Hynix without ever setting foot in a university classroom. The scene illustrates how South Korea’s semiconductor boom is beginning to challenge the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3368347/who-needs-degree-south-koreas-chip-boom-rewires-university-obsessed-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3368347/who-needs-degree-south-koreas-chip-boom-rewires-university-obsessed-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 06:49:30 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Cambodia is set to present the outcome of its crackdown on scams to global governments and security agencies gathering in Phnom Penh this week. Yet questions remain over where the missing billions have gone – as well as the role of the country’s elite, who for many years denied the problem existed at all on Cambodian soil. Scam compounds took over declining mega-casinos during the pandemic. As borders closed, gamblers were replaced with scam workers: many tricked, trafficked and forced to commit... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368344/cambodia-hosts-anti-scam-summit-scepticism-lingers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3368344/cambodia-hosts-anti-scam-summit-scepticism-lingers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 06:24:52 +0000 CNA CNA Believing that a lorry driver in the same neighbourhood had punctured his tyres, a private-hire driver twice left urine and faeces outside his neighbour’s flat in Singapore. Martin Chua Kim Soon, a 67-year-old Singaporean, was fined S$5,000 (US$3,920) by a court on Tuesday. He paid the fine in full after pleading guilty to two counts of insulting behaviour under the Protection from Harassment Act. The court heard that Chua was a private-hire driver with Tada at the time of the offences and lived... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368340/singaporean-fined-us3920-dumping-urine-faeces-outside-neighbours-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368340/singaporean-fined-us3920-dumping-urine-faeces-outside-neighbours-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 05:36:24 +0000 SCMP SCMP 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. South Korean killer’s drone escape from Philippine prison foiled by test footage A South Korean crime lord convicted of murder in the Philippines reportedly planned to escape prison by strapping himself to a drone – until his own accomplice’s rehearsal footage gave the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3368188/south-korean-killers-escape-foiled-singapore-ministers-mandarin-speech-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3368188/south-korean-killers-escape-foiled-singapore-ministers-mandarin-speech-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 04:30:06 +0000 The Star The Star Malaysia’s Sabah state has ordered a full investigation into the Semporna resort where a female tourist from China was allegedly molested and assaulted inside her room by an intruder early last Saturday. State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Jafry Ariffin said he instructed tourism authorities and enforcement agencies to investigate the security lapses that led to the incident and the resort’s licensing status. “I have instructed the relevant tourism authorities to immediately look... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368321/malaysian-resort-under-investigation-after-intruder-molests-tourist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3368321/malaysian-resort-under-investigation-after-intruder-molests-tourist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:40:56 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall More than 200 Japanese companies still operating in Russia face growing uncertainty following Moscow’s seizure of three Western firms’ assets, amid deteriorating diplomatic relations. The Kremlin announced on Friday that the assets of Swiss food giant Nestlé, French retailer Auchan and home improvement chain Lemana Pro had been transferred to Russian entity LEV Management under a decree signed a day earlier by President Vladimir Putin. “These are unfriendly nations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368248/moscows-asset-seizures-unnerve-japanese-companies-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3368248/moscows-asset-seizures-unnerve-japanese-companies-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Kang Jun-young Kang Jun-young The September 24 summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump is no ordinary engagement. Their May summit took place in Beijing and largely centred on economic issues. This one will be on Trump’s home turf and is expected to put strategic questions on the table. Will the Korean peninsula and North Korea’s nuclear programme again be pushed to the margins? In Beijing, both sides focused on their immediate national interests, such as trade, semiconductors, rare earths and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3367602/why-trump-xi-summit-must-put-korean-peninsula-back-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3367602/why-trump-xi-summit-must-put-korean-peninsula-back-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:30:05 +0000