Asia - South China Morning Post

Six years after Nusantara was unveiled as Indonesia’s future capital and a symbol of national transformation, President Prabowo Subianto has redefined its purpose, prompting debate over the fate of the megaproject and the legacy of his predecessor.

Under a presidential regulation Prabowo signed in late June, but made public only in September, Nusantara has been reclassified as Indonesia’s “political capital” – a phrase absent from existing legislation.

The regulation, which outlines development...

Indonesia has revoked a suspension on TikTok’s local operating licence after the social media platform shared data requested by the government.

The company provided data related to TikTok Live traffic escalation and monetisation activity during the period of August 25-30, according to Alexander Sabar, a director general at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs.

“As the obligations are met, the ministry ends the licence suspension,” Sabar said in a statement on Saturday, adding that...

Fancy living in a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs-themed neighbourhood? How about an opulent flat influenced by the luxury fashion house Versace? If that is not your thing, what about a luxury abode with a layout approved by tennis legend Rafael Nadal?

Branded residential property – projects affiliated with well-known international marques and built in partnership with a developer – continue to be dominated by hotel brands, as homebuyers prefer to obtain the same amenities or services from those...

As the world’s two largest economies drift further apart, Malaysia’s top trade official has reached a sobering conclusion about what that means for Southeast Asia: businesses must build not one, but “two kitchens” to survive.

“Our factories, our companies have to start preparing for having two kitchens,” Tengku Zafrul Aziz told This Week in Asia – an allusion to the reality that firms must now simultaneously cater to both American and Chinese demands and their increasingly divergent rules.

The...

A mood of uncertainty hangs over India’s pharmaceutical sector as US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats have unsettled investors and policymakers alike.

But behind closed doors, a tentative deal on digital trade and quiet backchannel negotiations are giving hope to markets and manufacturers in both of the world’s most populous democracies.

“There appears to be recognition that the US needs to lower the rhetoric,” said foreign policy analyst Vivek Mishra, deputy director of the...

A wave of fake news and conspiracy theories has taken aim at the Philippine military, with viral claims of coup plots, foreign interference and high-level defections spreading rapidly on social media.

Observers warn the campaign is fuelling political instability by exploiting public outrage over recent major corruption scandals. Several trace the effort to a network of loyalists and influencers aligned with former president Rodrigo Duterte, the chief political rival of President Ferdinand Marcos...

Advisers to Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have approached US officials with an offer to build and run a port on the Arabian Sea, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing a plan seen by the newspaper.

The plan envisages American investors building and operating a terminal to access Pakistan’s critical minerals in the town of Pasni, according to the paper.

Pasni is a port town in Gwadar District in the province of Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.

The move...

Conservative Sanae Takaichi hailed a “new era” on Saturday after winning the leadership of Japan’s ruling party, putting her on course to become the country’s first woman prime minister.

The 64-year-old, whose hero is Margaret Thatcher, said that a “mountain of work” lay ahead to restore the fortunes of her ailing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The LDP has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades, but it has been haemorrhaging support as backing grows for smaller parties, including the...

A leading contender to become Japan’s next prime minister has sparked backlash from conservatives after suggesting the removal of Class A war criminals from the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a “bold” idea that analysts say could help repair strained ties with neighbouring countries over Tokyo’s wartime history.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, the chief cabinet secretary and a front-runner in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership race on Saturday, proposed separating the “souls” of 14 men convicted...

In a sunlit flat in southern Seoul, 25-year-old Cho Sang-hun sits before a glowing laptop, his future scrolling past in endless columns of job listings.

He is the product of South Korea’s finest schools, but as he weighs his future options uncertainty clouds his career search – as it does for the millions of young people across Asia who are quietly rewriting the rules of ambition.

“I can’t just go anywhere,” Cho said. “I have to comprehensively judge what job best suits me.”

Cho speaks with the...