Asia - South China Morning Post

Japan’s fledgling opposition alliance is scrambling to regroup after a bruising election defeat that has left its future in doubt, raising broader questions about whether the country can sustain a credible parliamentary counterweight to the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) is set to elect a new leader on Friday, just days after voters delivered a resounding blow in Sunday’s House of Representatives poll, prompting the resignation of its joint...

Japan’s House of Representatives election on February 8 delivered more than a decisive result. It produced a domestic political configuration with direct and lasting consequences for Sino-Japanese relations. The scale of the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) victory under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has altered both Tokyo’s internal balance of power and the incentives shaping Japan’s strategic posture towards China.

The LDP secured 316 seats in the election, surpassing the two-thirds threshold...

A leaked letter from the Philippines’ foreign secretary has exposed a fault line in the country over how to publicly confront Beijing in the South China Sea, days before the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) created its own maritime spokesman role.

The new position was in addition to existing voices from the Philippine coastguard, armed forces and the National Maritime Council.

The episode has cast a spotlight on a delicate balancing act in President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s China policy:...

The persistent tuberculosis cases in Malaysia are indicative of an outbreak that could be under-reported for a disease that is easy to diagnose and treat, according to medical experts.

Malaysia had detected 10 active TB clusters nationwide as of February 7, with a total of 2,571 cases.

Four of these clusters – defined by health authorities as two or more epidemiologically linked cases identified within a specific setting or time frame – were found in Selangor, Malaysia’s most populous state. The...

As Washington redraws the global map for critical minerals, Malaysia is pitching itself to the United States as a “trusted” link in the supply chain while making clear it will not serve as a quarry shipping out unprocessed resources.

Analysts say the stance reflects a careful balancing act: Kuala Lumpur wants US capital and technology to build downstream industries at home but is wary of being seen as taking sides in an intensifying US–China contest over strategic resources.

A ban on raw rare...

For many Thais, a meal does not feel complete without an iced coffee or tea so sugary it could pass for dessert. The government, concerned about the health consequences, wants them to dial it back.

Starting on Wednesday, nine major coffee chains across the country have pledged to cut the default sugar content in some of their drinks by half in a government initiative aimed at tackling excessive sugar consumption.

According to the Health Department, Thais consume an average of 21 teaspoons of...

A ⁠gunman who used a ⁠firearm stolen from a police officer to wound a teacher and a girl at a school in southern Thailand’s Hat Yai district on Wednesday has been detained, authorities said.

The 17-year-old ‌suspect entered Patongprathankiriwat School in Songkhla Province’s Hat Yai earlier in the day, appearing agitated, the provincial government said in a statement.

The suspect has a sister at the school, police commander Teerasak Chaiyotha said, but a motive has yet to be determined.

A female...

The White House revised its fact sheet on the US-India trade agreement to adjust language around agricultural goods, adding to confusion about the deal already raised by farmer groups.

In a revised statement, the US removed a reference to pulses – a staple food in India that includes lentils and chickpeas – and changed some phrasing around India’s offer to buy more American goods.

An earlier version on Monday released by the White House said India would “eliminate or reduce tariffs” on a wide...

Allegations of irregularities in Thailand’s election – including vote-buying, uncounted ballots and tallies greater than the names on electoral lists – have gathered momentum, increasing the pressure on polling authorities to hold recounts.

Protests across the country have been aimed squarely at the Election Commission (EC). While any potential recounts are unlikely to change the overall result of Sunday’s election, they threaten to slow the formation of a new government.

Sunday’s vote saw...

Australia is demanding criminal charges over a 2024 Israeli air strike on an aid convoy in Gaza that killed seven people, including an Australian aid worker, the country’s prime minister said on Wednesday in a case that has drawn sweeping condemnation and strained relations between the two countries.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he conveyed the request to visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a meeting earlier in the day.

Australian Zomi Frankcom was one of four World Central...