Asia - South China Morning Post

India plans to start discussions towards the purchase of Russian fighter jets and a missile defence shield during President Vladimir Putin’s visit this week, according to people with knowledge of the matter, even as US President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to reduce dealings between the two nations.

India and Russia have a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership under which discussions for the purchase of Su-57 fighter jets and an advanced version of the missile defence shield S-500...

Pakistan dismissed on Sunday a warning by the UN rights chief of potential “far-reaching consequences” for the rule of law in granting the head of the all-powerful military legal immunity.

The foreign ministry said Pakistan was “fully committed to protecting … basic freedoms and the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution,” responding to criticism from UN rights chief Volker Turk.

A constitutional amendment approved by parliament earlier this month, shielding Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir...

Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, a growing chorus of Chinese officials and analysts have talked of an unprecedented window of opportunity for Beijing to recalibrate its domestic and international strategies. At its heart lies the Taiwan question, a perennial flashpoint in relations between Washington and Beijing.

As the Trump administration ramps up its “America first” policies abroad, the US – the self-appointed world’s policeman for seven decades – has embarked on an...

Some residents of the flood-hit Indonesian island of Sumatra have resorted to stealing food and water to survive, authorities said on Sunday, while Sri Lankan officials said deaths from floods and mudslides in that island nation have risen to 193.

The floods, which hit Indonesia nearly a week ago, have killed 303 people and displaced thousands, with the number expected to rise as more bodies are recovered. The deluges triggered landslides, damaged roads, cut off parts of the island and downed...

Nepal is preparing to open one of its last untouched frontiers for foreigners by slashing the costly permit to enter Upper Mustang, a rugged plateau of ochre cliffs, hidden valleys and centuries-old Buddhist heritage.

The government has announced plans to replace the flat US$500 charge for a 10-day stay with a daily US$50 rate, a shift that tourism entrepreneurs believe will make the destination more accessible and help drive the local economy.

“We have been lobbying to reduce the permit fee for...

During past flare-ups in diplomatic tensions between China and Japan, Chinese consumers spontaneously boycotted Japanese goods.

But the latest row, sparked by controversial remarks on Taiwan by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has met with a markedly different response, with almost no one in China calling for a boycott of Japanese products.

Part of the reason for the turnaround is a seismic shift in China’s consumer market, with the Japanese home appliances, digital gadgets and cars once...

Japan has often prided itself on its orderly, low-crime society, but cracks in that image are widening amid rising car thefts and home intrusions fuelled by export markets and public complacency.

At a seminar in May on car theft held by the Aichi prefectural police in central Japan, a man in his fifties listened intently – he was twice targeted in the past.

When he woke up one morning in 2011, his prized Toyota Land Cruiser had vanished. Then, one night in 2015, he found a bicycle blocking his...

Thousands massed in the Philippine capital of Manila on Sunday demanding accountability over a multibillion-dollar infrastructure scandal that has seen scores of officials, lawmakers and construction firm owners accused of corruption.

Rage over so-called ghost flood control projects has been mounting for months in the archipelago country of 116 million, where entire towns have been buried in floodwaters driven by powerful typhoons in recent months.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has seen friend...

A report due to be released next month by a South Korean foundation will attempt to settle some of the discrepancies over the sinking of a ship repatriating Korean labourers from Japan to Busan in 1945, although historians warn that it could dredge up decades-old accusations and further harm bilateral relations.

The South Korean government has commissioned the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilisation by Imperial Japan to conduct a thorough investigation into conflicting passenger lists and...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced the country’s air force would be equipped with “new strategic military assets”, state media said on Sunday.

Kim made the announcement at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the North Korean air force on Friday, accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae, who is understood to be his recognised successor.

The country’s expectations for the air force, which “will play a role in the exercise of the nuclear war deterrent”, are truly “great”, state media KCNA...