Asia - South China Morning Post

Malaysia ordered a crackdown on Monday against illegal businesses run by foreigners, joining a growing list of Southeast Asian nations rocked by similar operations amid simmering local resentment.

In recent years, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia introduced visa-free entry for foreign visitors following the Covid-19 pandemic in a bid to revive their flagging tourism, property and investment sectors.

But last month, Thailand removed the 60-day visa-free entry for 93 countries and...

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck southern Mindanao on Monday morning served as a stark reminder of the Philippines’ vulnerability to a major quake in Metro Manila, disaster experts said.

The tremor, which triggered tsunami warnings along the southern coast, left collapsed buildings, damaged homes and debris-strewn streets in its wake. At least 32 people were killed and more than 130 injured, with scores still missing, local disaster authorities said.

For disaster planners, the...

Chinese President Xi Jinping started his first visit to North Korea since 2019 pledging “unwavering” friendship and deeper ties with a country that boasts a growing nuclear arsenal and increasing ties with Russia.

“No matter how times change or how the international situation evolves, the friendship between China and North Korea remains invincible,” Xi said in an article published on Monday by Rodong Sinmun, a state-run North Korean newspaper. The two countries should “strengthen exchanges at...

A 13-year-old Thai girl has confessed to killing her seven-year-old sister while arguing over a toy and a mobile phone, in a case that has attracted attention online because of the young ages of the suspects.

Police were called to a village in Sangkhla Buri district, Kanchanaburi province, on May 30 after seven-year-old Nong Agnoon went missing. Her body was found in a rubber plantation about 600 metres from her home three days later, according to ThaiPBS.

There were no signs of a struggle or...

A six-year-old boy in Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat province died after he was attacked by his grandfather’s pet monkey, sparking concern in a country where exotic animals are often kept as companions.

Nathan Ekkarat Srichan was walking alone to his grandfather’s grocery shop on Saturday morning when the fatal attack happened, the Thairath newspaper reported.

Unaware of the danger, he came near the monkey, which was tied to two trees between the store and the house. The animal suddenly grabbed...

A bear roaming the streets of a Japanese city for three days forced the closure of nearly 100 schools on Monday, as dozens of hunters and officials searched for the animal.

The city government of Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, closed all 94 public primary and junior high schools in the area after receiving more than 10 reports of bear sightings since Saturday – including in a shopping arcade.

“We have vehicles out to areas where a bear was seen to make people aware and to urge people to stay...

Foreign governments, international banks and multinational companies are increasingly tapping China’s domestic bond market, as panda bond issuance hit a record high in the first five months of the year.

A total of 11 entities sold 14 panda bonds – yuan-denominated debt instruments issued by foreign entities in mainland China’s onshore market – worth 26.64 billion yuan (US$3.7 billion) in May, up 246 per cent from a year earlier and the highest level on record for the month, according to data...

A South Korean protest calling for a redo of last Wednesday’s local election over ballot shortages at polling stations has taken an unexpected turn, with some protesters demanding that actress and singer IU send coffee to the rally.

The demand appears to stem from IU’s decision in 2024 to provide prepaid food and drinks for demonstrators calling for the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed martial law bid.

The protesters calling for a new election, who are widely seen as...

The head of a Japanese IT firm has said that he created videos criticising rivals of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in last year’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential race, after being asked by one of her aides to help her win the election.

Ken Matsui, 33, said in a recent online interview that he was consulted by a secretary of Takaichi on how to “reverse” the lead of Shinjiro Koizumi, then a strong contender to win the LDP presidential election in October.

“I proposed that...

Malaysia’s human rights groups have warned of rising hostility towards Rohingya refugees after a petition shared widely on social media calling for the community to be “removed” from the country amassed nearly half a million signatures.

The petition, launched on Change.org late last month by an account using the name “Aku Anak Malaysia”, urges the Malaysian government to consider resettling the Rohingya in another country or providing “enhanced support in their home regions” in Myanmar.

It...