Asia - South China Morning Post

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....

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Sabah early Monday morning is the strongest to hit Malaysia in over a decade.

Malaysian Meteorological Depart­ment Director General Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said that based on the department’s records, the previous strongest earthquake in the country occurred on June 5, 2015, in Ranau, Sabah.

The 6.0-magnitude temblor in Ranau claimed 18 lives and is still regarded as one of the most notable earthquakes in the country’s history.

According to...

When Brazilian K-pop fan Tami spotted a social media post last month selling a rare Polaroid photo signed by ZeroBaseOne member Zhang Hao, she jumped at the opportunity.

The seller identified himself as a South Korean named Park Chae-ah, according to the Chosun Daily newspaper. She transferred the money. Then Park switched his account to private and vanished.

Tami* is far from alone.

Across Brazil, home to one of Latin America’s most passionate Korean pop culture communities, scammers have found...

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.

1. South Korea’s ex-president Yoon sentenced to life in prison for insurrection

A South Korean court on Thursday found former president Yoon Suk-yeol guilty of insurrection and sentenced him to life in prison over his short-lived martial law decree that plunged the country...