Asia - South China Morning Post

From the hills above this quiet coastal village on the Indonesian island of Lombok, the view is postcard perfect: turquoise waters curl against a rocky islet, coconut groves shade clusters of houses and children run barefoot along dusty paths.

For generations, life in Buwun Mas has changed little. Now, it may change all at once.

On 149 hectares (368 acres) of farmland and coastline, developers are pushing ahead with Marina Bay City, a planned billion-dollar resort billed as the “Miami of...

South Korea’s conservative opposition party is facing mounting backlash over a proposed bill that aims to tighten restrictions on Chinese nationals, with critics accusing it of stoking xenophobia to galvanise support ahead of next year’s local elections.

The People Power Party (PPP) has unveiled legislation – dubbed the “Three Shopping Prevention Law” – targeted at Chinese citizens, claiming that they had been abusing the country’s national health insurance system and making speculative property...

South Korea’s industry minister said on Monday that the government had expressed concerns over Hyundai announcing multibillion-dollar US investment plans at the same time as Seoul was involved in delicate trade negotiations with Washington.

“We told Hyundai that [its] conduct was deeply regrettable, especially considering that our efforts have been made for the sake of Hyundai and Kia’s industry,” South Korea’s Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan told parliament in response to questions.

“I believe...

India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu has cancelled the licences of a cough syrup maker linked to the deaths of several children over the past month, it said on Monday, as authorities search some of the firm’s sites on suspicion of money-laundering.

At least 19 children died in the central state of Madhya Pradesh after taking the syrup, which was banned after a test this month showed it contained nearly 500 times the permissible limit of diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical.

The medicine was only...

Thousands of Malaysian pupils will stay at home for up to a week, as schools were ordered closed after nearly 100 clusters of influenza infections were reported across the country.

The sharp spike in infections of influenza types A and B comes just weeks before 400,000 students are due to sit for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school-leaving exam – a crucial test for university placements and scholarships.

Education Ministry Director-General Mohd Azam Ahmad said he had instructed several...

Across parts of Asia, a growing number of doctors and midwives are performing what is locally known as female circumcision, taking on a role once carried out mainly by traditional practitioners, in a shift rights advocates warn risks legitimising and entrenching a practice with no medical benefit.

The World Health Organization and other UN agencies classify all forms of such cutting – often defended as a religious or cultural rite – as female genital mutilation (FGM), describing it as a...

The Philippines is weighing a plan to become one of the first countries in the world to publish and track its national budget using blockchain technology, as lawmakers scramble to restore public trust following a series of corruption-tainted infrastructure projects.

Proponents say the technology, which uses a tamper-resistant digital ledger to record transactions in real time, would create a breakthrough in ensuring budget transparency.

But critics argue that without deeper governance reforms, a...

Australia is formulating a plan for its critical minerals reserve that will focus on sales of future production, limiting the need for a physical stockpile, industry sources said, as Australian and US leaders prepare to meet next week.

Australia’s critical minerals task force hosted a call last week with miners and project developers across a range of metals as it steps up industry consultations, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

The task force is seeking by the end of the year...

Malaysia is seeking chip deals with Brazil and India, the government has said, issuing a stark warning that the US market may be lost to the country’s exporters.

As tariff-pummelled Southeast Asian nations scour for new, friendlier markets, the Brics grouping has come into focus. The bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, now represents about 40 per cent of global output.

Like Asean, the bloc is seeking new trade alliances to soothe its own mauling by American...

For a country whose currency was once perceived by many global investors as a safe haven, the Japanese yen is in dire straits. Between March 2022 and July 2024, the yen plunged 40 per cent to its lowest level against the US dollar since 1986. Since then, Japan’s currency has been volatile, buffeted by external and domestic cross-currents.

The uncertain outlook for the yen is partly attributable to the acute policy dilemmas facing the Bank of Japan. The country’s central bank is under pressure to...