Asia - South China Morning Post

Western sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine have shifted global energy flows, with India and China emerging as prominent buyers of Russian oil. The question is no longer from whom New Delhi and Beijing will purchase energy, but in which currency they will pay.

Amid warming ties between India and China following US President Donald Trump’s imposition of sweeping tariffs on Indian exports after New Delhi refused to stop purchasing Russian oil, Indian traders are reportedly asking...

Malaysian opposition party Bersatu on Tuesday sacked an MP and four local leaders for breaching ethics, as splits emerge inside the Malay-Muslim coalition over their candidate for prime minister in national elections slated to be held by 2028.

Rumblings of a leadership tussle have dogged Bersatu for weeks, culminating in a brief stand-off at the party’s annual meeting on September 6, when some members heckled Muhyiddin Yassin while the party president was delivering his opening speech.

At that...

A woman who stabbed her husband in a scuffle at a void deck in Singapore, causing his death, was sentenced to a total of 31 months’ jail on Tuesday.

Baniyah Shap, a 52-year-old Singaporean, was given the sentence for a variety of offences.

She pleaded guilty to seven charges, three of which relate to the stabbing: a rash act causing death, possessing a foldable knife and perverting the course of justice by washing the knife after the stabbing and hiding it.

The other four charges are unrelated...

In a testament to the power of partnership, the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) has attracted more than S$5.5 billion (US$4.2 billion) in investments from Singapore-based companies since its inception.

Gan Kim Yong, the city state’s trade chief, said on Tuesday that the cross-border economic zone – the first of its kind involving Singapore and Malaysia – was a compelling illustration of the achievements that can arise from collaboration in an era of growing...

US President Donald Trump will visit Malaysia on October 26, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Tuesday, adding that he was “looking forward” to witnessing a ceasefire deal between Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand and Cambodia.

Malaysia and the United States will facilitate the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, which will require both sides to remove all mines and heavy artillery from their borders, Mohamad said.

He said he hopes the agreement will be signed during the coming...

As South Korean authorities continue investigating the recent death of a 22-year-old student in Cambodia, another case has emerged, this time involving a man in his 30s from Daegu who disappeared shortly after arriving in the Southeast Asian country.

According to Daegu’s Dalseo police station on Monday, the family of a 34-year-old man surnamed Yang filed a missing-person report after losing contact with him two days earlier.

Yang had left South Korea last Thursday, telling his family he would...

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. ‘Dirtiest town in Asia’: Malaysian MP told to clean up act after viral backlash

A lawmaker representing a Malaysian tourist town on the island of Borneo has come under fire after a viral video labelled it “Asia’s dirtiest town”, prompting condemnation from the public...

A viral video showing tourists in Malaysia manhandling a rare sea turtle has triggered widespread outrage amid growing concern that irresponsible tourism is endangering the country’s marine life.

The 20-second clip, which was widely circulated on social media, shows a man repeatedly grabbing the turtle by its shell and neck while snorkelling off Redang Island, part of a popular marine park in Terengganu state.

Several people can be seen surrounding the animal, preventing it from surfacing. At...

In a quiet corner of the Lao capital Vientiane, an unremarkable compound conceals a dark and exploitative operation.

Behind one door, a room resembling a junior school classroom is filled with girls, some perhaps as young as 10 years old.

An investigation has found that foreign men, including Japanese nationals, are among those who frequent such places for sex.

The child sex trade has become a pressing concern in Laos, where underground compounds operate discreetly but openly enough to be found...

The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have urged US President Donald Trump to visit their cities during his coming trip to Japan, in a symbolic appeal for him to witness the consequences of nuclear war first hand.

While observers view such a visit as improbable given the political risks, the mayors’ appeal highlights growing concern over the erosion of the nuclear taboo, a concern echoed in the letter’s warning about rising global tensions and the dwindling number of hibakusha, or atomic bomb...