Daily Asia briefing

Northeast Japan escaped relatively unscathed from the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck off its coast on Monday, but residents have been advised to stay alert as it is too early to tell whether the tremor was the main...

China called on the United States to show “sincerity” in resolving the Iranian nuclear issue while sounding a warning about Japan’s discussion of possessing nuclear weapons in a recent official report. The assessments ap...

US President Trump has warned of a significant escalation in the Iran conflict, stating "lots of bombs start going off" if a peace deal isn't reached before the current ceasefire expires. While a US delegation prepares f...

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 subscri...

US forces released video of a helicopter gunner warning a cargo vessel to turn back from a restricted zone near Iranian ports, enforcing a maritime blockade. This action comes amid escalating tensions and disrupted shipp...

US Vice President JD Vance is heading to Islamabad for crucial talks with Iran, aiming to avert a looming conflict as a fragile ceasefire nears its end. Washington has warned of renewed bombing if no agreement is reached...

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering on Tuesday to a shrine honouring the country’s war dead that has long angered neighbouring countries but did not visit in person, media reports and an unident...

China’s recent diplomatic efforts in the Middle East have led to speculation over whether its global strategy has shifted. There is consensus that China is stepping into a leadership role and trying to play peacemaker. M...

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong posed for a widely shared selfie in New Delhi on Monday, drawing attention to the optics of “selfie...

Hong Kong’s top-ranking civil servants will be held accountable if they fail to provide adequate support in policy formulation, the city’s leader has said, despite a new investigation mechanism that primarily targets dep...

Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are working closely together to keep vessels moving safely through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday, stressing the three countries...

Hong Kong’s leader has defended the government’s decision to put the legalisation of basketball betting on hold, stressing the policy was never intended to encourage gambling and that all risks must be controlled before...

The Hong Kong government is seeking to confiscate HK$56.5 million (US$7.2 million) from former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s bank accounts and all of the shares in his 17 companies after he was jailed for 20 years und...

Times of India World is tracking Economy & Trade developments tied to 'Felt political pressure': Sacked official blames Starmer’s office over Mandelson appointment.

Times of India World is tracking Economy & Trade developments tied to 'I have nothing left': Indian-origin man who lost wife, daughter in Air India crash faces deportation from UK.

Times of India World is tracking Economy & Trade developments tied to UK unemployment rate falls to 4.9% as wage growth hits slowest pace since 2020.

Kuwaiti actress Hayat Al-Fahad, a pioneering force in Gulf television and theatre, has passed away at 78 after a prolonged illness. Her death marks the end of an era for the region's entertainment industry, where she was...

Twitch veteran Sodapoppin has strongly criticized streamer Sykkuno amidst a growing controversy. He labeled Sykkuno as "fake as f**k on stream," expressing satisfaction that alleged off-stream infidelity has surfaced. So...

China has announced that it now has the capacity to build up to 50 nuclear reactors simultaneously, as it doubles down on a push to rapidly expand its nuclear power generation and become a global leader in the sector. Th...

The UK government is overhauling its electricity pricing to decouple household bills from volatile gas markets, aiming to leverage cheaper renewable energy. This "once-in-a-generation opportunity" seeks to deliver cleane...

China has developed a world-first high-voltage synchronous condenser, reviving a century-old grid stabiliser technology to support the country’s rapid transition to renewable energy, according to a state media report. Th...

A long-standing pricing gap between the mainland China-listed and Hong Kong shares of dual-listed companies has narrowed – and in some cases reversed – as global investors re-rate China’s technology companies. The Hang S...

A Chinese employee has caused widespread jealousy among netizens after she won seven days of paid “rain leave”, meaning she can stay home when it rains. The woman, whose personal details have not been divulged, from Chan...

EU’s top court ruled on Tuesday that anti-LGBTQ legislation Hungary enacted in 2021 breached the bloc’s rules, including an article which sets out the fundamental values on which the EU is founded. The European Commissio...

A Malaysian NGO is demanding more accountability in project approvals in Cameron Highlands after a two-hour downpour on Monday resulted in a “river of mud” gushing through the main road of a town in the popular hill reso...

The two main ferry operators running daily services between Hong Kong and Macau will raise fares by up to 11 per cent amid surging fuel prices, while a union said bus drivers were reporting lost income as companies cut s...

Internet sensation IShowSpeed is embarking on a new Caribbean tour, commencing April 25, 2026, with his brother Jamal. Following an impactful Africa trip, Speed aims to showcase the region's vibrant culture to his massiv...

Indonesia’s parliament passed a law on Tuesday to protect the rights of domestic workers after more than two decades of deliberations and multiple delays. The bill was first introduced in 2004 to protect the country’s 4....

Hong Kong police are investigating two separate traffic accidents on Tuesday that led to the deaths of two women. In the first case, police were alerted at about 8.51am to a light goods vehicle driven by a 36-year-old ma...

Residents have continued searching for memorabilia in their fire-ravaged homes on the second day of pick-up sessions at Wang Fuk Court, with some seeking help from a robotic device and others expressing gratitude to neig...

Rohingya refugee Rahila Begum spent two days adrift ⁠in the Andaman Sea this month, clinging to a wooden shard after her ⁠overcrowded boat capsized, one of the few survivors of a disaster that left 250 missing and feared...

Hong Kong health authorities are investigating a third measles case involving an aircraft maintenance worker at the airport, saying his infection is epidemiologically linked to those of two colleagues. The Centre for Hea...

Some land six-figure jobs to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars back to the regime.