Asia - South China Morning Post

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is weighing a sharp rise in defence spending as pressure from US President Donald Trump and deteriorating regional security conditions force Tokyo to reassess how much it must do to protect itself.

The party is expected to debate raising outlays to as much as 5 per cent of gross domestic product, a level that would bring Japan in line with many Nato member states and mark another major shift for a country that had long kept defence spending close to 1 per...

A doctor was sentenced to 18 months’ jail on Thursday for administering a substance to a woman as part of an aesthetic treatment that killed her.

The ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was administered too quickly and at too high a concentration, causing 31-year-old Lau Li Ting to develop EDTA toxicity, which led to cardiac arrest and death.

Dr Chan Bingyi later concealed the fact that he had administered EDTA to the victim from her family, paramedics and doctors, in what the judge said was...

Canada’s proposed free-trade agreement with Asean could help the region expand sectors ranging from mining to manufacturing while advancing Ottawa’s push to reduce its dependence on the US, according to analysts, as both sides seek to accelerate economic diversification.

Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu confirmed to Bloomberg on Tuesday, during a visit to Manila, that Canada was keen to conclude separate pacts with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the...

In recent years, the Brics grouping has attracted attention as it adds members and positions itself as the voice of the Global South. At a Brics forum held in Beijing last month, officials discussed expanding trade within the grouping. Such initiatives reflect both an impulse to reduce exposure to external shocks linked to the US dollar and a long-term ambition to reshape global finance.

These gatherings are as much about signalling intent as delivering substance. Brics wants to be seen as a...

Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar agreed to pay a total of US$18 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission allegations they made false and misleading representations about Adani Green Energy.

Gautam Adani would pay US$6 million and Sagar would pay US$12 million to end the SEC’s November 2024 lawsuit, under the proposed agreement filed in federal court on Thursday, which still needs a judge’s approval.

Gautam Adani and Sagar agreed to the “payment of a civil penalty” totalling US$18...

A Philippine senator wanted by the International Criminal Court for an alleged crime against humanity has fled from the Senate, where he sought refuge to evade arrest, officials said on Thursday.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s exit from the heavily guarded Senate came after volleys of gunshots were fired on Wednesday night by the building’s security personnel during an argument with a government agent, sparking chaos that apparently helped the senator to slip out.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr made...

A proposed airport on a former US naval base in the Philippines near the entrance to Manila Bay is drawing fresh strategic attention after Washington agreed to fund a feasibility study, a move analysts say fits into US efforts to strengthen logistics, access and interoperability with the country in the South China Sea.

Experts said the proposed Sangley Point International Airport in Cavite could become more than a commercial aviation project because of its access to the South China Sea and the...

Samsung Electronics’ biggest labour union is threatening to strike at the height of the global AI chip boom, turning a fight over bonuses into a test of how the industry’s windfall profits should be shared and sparking fears of an economic slowdown in South Korea.

The union has warned it will stage an 18-day walkout from May 21 to June 7, raising concerns about production disruptions, customer defections and wider fallout across the global technology supply chain.

The dispute comes as demand for...

Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, known for his unyielding stance, has maintained that he was undaunted by public sentiment throughout his decades-long career, even if his pursuit of Malaysia’s welfare earned him the label of “dictator”.

From his ascent to the country’s top political post to his tumultuous relationship with protege turned critic and now Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir recounted his political odyssey in a Malaysian documentary chronicling his professional life and...

Fugitive financier Jho Low’s request for a pardon from US President Donald Trump has reopened a central question left by Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal: whether the man alleged to have helped orchestrate one of the world’s biggest financial frauds will ever face trial.

Analysts say the request appears unlikely to succeed because Low has never appeared in a US court, stood trial or accepted responsibility – and a pardon cannot erase charges he faces in Malaysia and Singapore.

But the attempt has still...