Asia - South China Morning Post

Most Japanese people oppose sending warships to the Middle East in response to the war on Iran, according to two polls conducted over the weekend amid continued US pressure on allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

In a Yomiuri newspaper survey, 67 per cent voiced opposition to sending the nation’s Self-Defence Forces to the region, while an ANN poll showed 52 per cent against their deployment.

The polls also showed elevated approval ratings for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet, at...

South Korea builds fast. It always has. The pali-pali (hurry, hurry) spirit turned a war-ravaged nation into an industrial titan in a single generation. It also has a habit of killing factory workers, safety experts say.

Those deadly consequences were on full display in Friday’s fire at Anjun Industrial, a car parts supplier in Daejeon.

The warning signs were impossible to miss. Oil vapour so thick it coated the lenses of workers’ glasses with a greasy film. Grease caking the ceilings, the...

Shares in BTS’ agency have plunged as much as 15 per cent after a heavily promoted comeback concert by the K-pop megastars in South Korea drew a smaller crowd than authorities initially expected.

Hybe’s stock later recorded its biggest intraday decline since June 2022. The group’s event at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul attracted 104,000 fans vs the 260,000 initially estimated by police, according to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

Stringent crowd control measures, reflecting in part the authorities’...

Steps to narrow the gender gap in Malaysia and Indonesia appear to be falling short, after a major global study found that most people surveyed in both nations remain tethered to traditional views on the roles of women.

The study by research firm Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London found that 66 and 60 per cent of respondents from Indonesia and Malaysia, respectively, agreed with the statement that “a wife should always obey her husband”, the highest...

Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill has surged more than fourfold in under a week due to the sharp spike in global oil prices triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.

The national monthly RON95 petrol and diesel subsidies have risen from 700 million ringgit to 3.2 billion ringgit (US$177.4 million to US$810.9 million), Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Sunday in an explainer video shared on social media.

The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was reappointed as president of ‌state affairs, state media reported on Monday, after the isolated nation convened the first session of its Supreme People’s Assembly a day earlier.

North Korea’s constitution explicitly states that the president of state affairs is the “supreme leader of the DPRK” who represents the state, which is officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Kim’s reappointment as head of the authoritarian nation’s highest...

Indonesia’s president is heading to Tokyo – and Japan has eight stealth frigates, a mineral deal and a seat at the emperor’s lunch table waiting for him.

Prabowo Subianto is due to arrive on March 29 for a three-day state visit, his first trip to Japan since taking office in October 2024.

He will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and dine with Emperor Naruhito, according to a statement published by Tokyo’s Foreign Ministry on March 13.

Analysts say the agenda will be...

Vietnam’s prime minister left on Sunday for an official visit to Russia during which the two nations will sign several agreements, including on oil and gas cooperation, Hanoi said.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s trip to the major oil-producing nation from Sunday to Wednesday comes as Vietnam seeks to shore up its fuel reserves amid global supply disruptions due to the war in the Middle East.

His visit will focus on deepening ties with Russia and expanding cooperation in trade, investment and...

War in Iran disrupting established trade flows raises an important question: how serious could the consequences be, and for whom will they be most severe?

To answer this, it is useful to look at history. During the fifth and fourth centuries BC, Athens, a major centre, depended heavily on grain imports. Whenever routes were blocked during wars, Athens almost immediately faced the threat of a food crisis. In the Middle Ages, Venice became one of Europe’s richest cities and a crucial hub linking...

The Philippines has allowed the temporary and ⁠limited use of ⁠a cheaper but dirtier type ⁠of fuel to ensure supply as it finds ways to cope with the impact of the Middle East crisis.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said only vehicles from model year 2015 and earlier, traditional ‌jeepneys, power plants and generators, and the marine and shipping sectors would be allowed to use Euro-II compliant petroleum products.

“The measure is intended to help maintain a continuous, adequate and accessible...