Asia - South China Morning Post

When Christine Li first moved into her flat in Singapore’s northeastern estate of Punggol in 2021, she noticed a strong acrid odour in the air.

“Sometimes the smell lingers for weeks and months, it actually made me feel nauseous when we first moved in,” said Li, 42. “At times it smells acidic, and sometimes it smells like something is burning.

“We subsequently installed an air conditioner and fan in our living room for ventilation because our windows are always shut to keep the bad air out,” she...

A South Korean man who deceived his Filipino partner by claiming to live in Pyongyang is one of several fathers recently exposed for refusing or failing to pay child maintenance after escaping to their home country.

The identities of these defaulters were revealed by Koo Bon-chang, an activist and founder of “Bad Fathers”, a website that publishes personal details of parents who dodge child support, in a bid to trace them.

“We are looking for fathers who each left for Korea after having a...

Indonesia has been urged to exercise caution before sending troops to join an international stabilisation force (ISF) in war-torn Gaza, part of a US-led ceasefire plan, as questions swirl around the force’s mandate, financing, duration and leadership.

President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly said publicly that the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation is willing to deploy up to 20,000 Indonesian soldiers to Gaza to provide security amid a ceasefire and when reconstruction starts.

Speaking in...

Australian opposition leader Sussan Ley on Tuesday condemned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for wearing a Joy Division T-shirt despite the origin of the UK post-punk band’s name.

Ley said Australians “expect their prime minister to show judgment, respect and leadership” but have “got the opposite” from Albanese.

“Arriving back in Australia from his overseas trip, the prime minister stepped off the plane proudly wearing a T-shirt with the name of a band, Joy Division, whose origins are steeped...

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been accused of “taking flattery to the extreme” after she informed US President Donald Trump on Tuesday about her plan to nominate him for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

According to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, Takaichi told Trump that she would recommend him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has been complaining about the Nobel Committee for not picking him to win the accolade despite what he says are his efforts to end multiple conflicts...

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1. Is the ‘Big One’ coming? Earthquake mania grips Philippines as fears mount

A spate of powerful earthquakes across the Philippines has triggered widespread panic, sparked a flood of misinformation and prompted officials to take decisions that experts warn could undermine...

The latest peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand will be difficult to uphold, according to analysts, who point to previous ceasefire breaches, as they call for a regional observer team to be enlarged to include more military officials.

Analysts also note the “conspicuous absence” of China from the arrangement despite its aspirations to be a major regional player.

On Sunday, United States President Donald Trump presided over the deal between Thailand and Cambodia in Malaysia’s capital, as part...

Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi lavished US leader Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo on Tuesday, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals.

Takaichi, Japan’s first woman prime minister, pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage, and even announced she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to...

Russia is looking to Southeast Asia for an economic boost after fresh sanctions from the United States hit its energy sector, with a senior minister saying Moscow sees “mutually beneficial” opportunities with Asean in nuclear technology, logistics and trade.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and East Asia summits in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said Russia was deepening cooperation with countries such as Malaysia amid what he...

A cafe near Seoul Forest has come under fire after posting a “No Chinese customers” notice on its social media page, sparking accusations of racial discrimination. The district’s mayor has pledged to intervene and convince the owner to remove the message.

Seongdong district Mayor Chong Won-o said on Monday on social media that he was aware of the issue and would “make every effort to persuade the establishment”.

His post was in response to a citizen’s question asking whether the district could...