Asia - South China Morning Post

Right-wing influencer and self-described “alpha male” Nick Adams has reportedly been dropped as the United States’ pick for ambassador to Malaysia.

Adams confirmed he would not become US ambassador to Malaysia in an email to The Sydney Morning Herald and said his new role would soon be revealed.

“Brilliant detective work, Mick! I’ve been promoted from the role of ambassador!” Adams said in the email, addressing the Herald journalist.

“More details on that will come this upcoming week. I’m sure...

It’s no surprise that US President Donald Trump came out swinging after the Supreme Court’s stunning rebuke struck at the core of his economic agenda. It delivered his most consequential legal setback by blocking him from invoking emergency powers to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs on trading partners.

The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), enacted in 1977, allows the president to regulate economic transactions after declaring a national emergency in response to an...

Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh has called for fuller public disclosure of billions of dollars in Singapore government spending, pressing for clearer accountability at a time he described as “one of the largest fiscal surpluses in decades”.

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday at the start of the budget debate, Singh also took aim at the timing of the last general election, saying it was called shortly after global trade tensions flared.

“The PAP (People’s Action Party) government dissolved...

Indonesia’s decision to accept a deputy commander post in the United States-led International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza has placed it in a position to play a prominent role in the mission as it prepares to deploy thousands of troops to the war-torn enclave.

While the Indonesian government has stressed that its personnel would focus on protecting civilians and supporting humanitarian efforts, analysts say the ISF’s broader objectives – including the disarmament of Palestinian armed...

The deaths of 72 captive tigers at a private park popular with tourists in northern Thailand have renewed scrutiny of a lucrative industry that campaigners warn treats wild animals as “entertainment”.

The outbreak at Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai began in early February, with authorities initially attributing the deaths to canine distemper – a virus carried by dogs but often fatal to big cats. A deeper investigation is under way, with some medical experts suspecting contaminated food may have been...

India and Brazil are stepping up efforts to boost trade cooperation among developing economies and regional blocs as a hedge against mounting global trade uncertainty, after signing agreements in New Delhi ranging from rare earths to digital infrastructure.

The deals were sealed during Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s five-day visit to India, which ended on Sunday, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In January, India assumed the rotating chair of the Brics...

Three men remain unconscious after a crush at one of Japan’s best-known traditional festivals, casting a shadow over a 500-year-old rite that draws thousands of nearly naked participants each winter.

The incident occurred shortly after 10pm on Saturday at the annual “naked festival” at Saidaiji Kannon-in Temple in Okayama City, where an estimated 10,000 men wearing only mawashi loincloths packed into the temple’s main hall to seize one of two sacred wooden sticks known as shingi.

Six men were...

A constitutional battle for control over Malaysian Borneo’s energy wealth has moved to the country’s highest court, delivering a fresh test of whether Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim can hold together a ruling coalition of disparate interests.

The state of Sarawak, whose governing coalition is a key ally in Anwar’s federal unity government, announced on Monday it had filed a petition in the Federal Court challenging the constitutional validity of three federal petroleum laws that provide the legal...

Thailand led the list of destinations for Chinese tourists travelling overseas during this year’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, as former favourite Japan saw arrivals plummet amid a political dispute with China over Taiwan.

The Southeast Asian nation saw roughly 250,000 arrivals from China during the holiday, which ran from February 15 to 23, according to the travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk.

This year’s Lunar New Year holiday was expected to be a key period for global...

Japanese trade minister Ryosei Akazawa warned against any tariff moves that could leave the country worse off than under a Japan-US trade deal agreed to last year, during a phone call with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as a new round of US tariffs is set to take effect.

Akazawa and Lutnick agreed that Japan and the US would work closely to ensure the swift and smooth implementation of projects that are part of a US$550 billion investment mechanism, during a phone call on Monday evening....