Asia - South China Morning Post

A precautionary recall of infant formula products in Europe has sent South Korean parenting communities into a frenzy, with online mum cafes and forums buzzing over fears that some popular imported brands may pose health risks to babies.

While the recall affects several European manufacturers, much of the anxiety in South Korea has centred on Aptamil – a premium brand widely dubbed the “Gangnam formula” for its association with wealthy families and high-end parenting choices.

The recall involves...

The number of children who died by suicide in Japan rose to a record 532 in 2025, the second straight year in which the figure has reached a historic high, even as the country’s overall suicide toll fell to its lowest level in decades.

Preliminary statistics released by the health ministry on Thursday showed the figure was up by three from the previous year and is the highest on record since comprehensive data were first made available in 1980.

In a statement issued the same day, Hitoshi...

At Davos, US President Donald Trump declared he had “always had a very good relationship with President Xi” Jinping, calling the Chinese leader “an incredible man”, “highly respected by everybody”. Trump also praised TikTok’s decision to transfer parts of its US business to a consortium of US investors, thanking Xi on social media. This broadly friendly rhetoric is likely to be a signal of Washington’s keen interest in finalising a trade deal with the world’s second-largest economy.

Trump’s...

Indonesia is fighting to save its financial reputation after a disastrous two days saw stock prices plunge by 8 per cent. Authorities are racing to pass new rules to prevent a downgrade that has already scared investors into pulling billions of dollars out of the local market.

The rout, which knocked off about US$80 billion in overall market value, came after index provider MSCI flagged concerns about ownership and trading transparency in Indonesian stocks, the latest setback for a market that...

At the training centre for KD Transport Group, South Korea’s largest bus operator, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, boyish-looking men stood out among about 100 drivers gathered for safety training on January 20.

According to the company, 47 of the 460 drivers at its Pangyo branch are in their 20s or 30s, accounting for roughly 10 per cent of the workforce.

“Most of them joined within the last year or two,” a company official said. “It is unusual to see such a sharp increase in young...

Bangladesh’s recent pull-out over perceived security concerns for the showpiece T20 World Cup cricket hosted by India and Sri Lanka next month has underscored the unprecedented way regional political tensions have spilled over into sports.

Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland in the 20-team event on Saturday after the International Cricket Council rejected Dhaka’s request to move its matches to Sri Lanka, saying it was not feasible to change the schedule so close to the February 7 start.

The...

As foreign ministers from Asean member states gathered in the Philippine city of Cebu this week, the bloc faced a familiar dilemma: how to keep pushing for peace in Myanmar without sliding into what critics warn could become “de facto acceptance” of its military regime.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held on Wednesday and Thursday, is the first major gathering hosted by the Philippines since it assumed the bloc’s chairship this year. Much of its...

Thefts at jewellery stores are on the rise in South Korea amid gold’s record-breaking rally, market watchers said on Thursday.

International gold prices recently surpassed US$5,300 per ounce for the first time, driven by weakening confidence in US dollar assets amid geopolitical tensions and recent remarks by US President Donald Trump advocating a weaker dollar.

Police reports of attempted gold thefts have risen sharply. The suspects tried to quickly convert the stolen items into cash, police...

A Singapore court has dismissed a man’s attempt to have his 97-year-old father declared mentally incapable for wanting to marry his long-time mistress, with the judge saying that mental capacity should not be determined solely by age or appearance.

The elderly man, who is still chairman of the chemical company he founded in the 1960s, had been conducting an extramarital affair with his secretary since 1971, Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported on Tuesday, citing court...

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has given Malaysia’s top enforcement officials a week to prove they are serious about stamping out corruption and smuggling, warning that those who feel they are unable to deliver should step aside.

“My patience is wearing thin,” Anwar said, urging the officials to declare within seven days whether they were “not yet ready” to carry the responsibility entrusted to them. “If you don’t think you can do it, step aside so others can.”

The warning, delivered in a...