Asia - South China Morning Post

India’s imports of Russian oil could almost halve from already weaker recent levels, according to people with direct knowledge of the purchases, after US President Donald Trump issued an order detailing some terms of a trade deal between the two nations.

All state-owned and private refiners, with the exception of Nayara Energy Ltd, had paused buying any spot cargoes since Trump first mentioned the deal in a social media post about a week ago, according to the people, who asked not to be named...

South Korea is tightening Korean-language screening for incoming migrant workers under its Employment Permit System, placing greater emphasis on speaking skills amid concerns that language barriers can contribute to worksite accidents and hinder communication at factories, farms and construction sites that increasingly rely on foreign labour.

The Human Resources Development Service of Korea, a public agency under the Ministry of Employment and Labour, announced on Monday that it would revise the...

The Philippines “will consider” an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his proposed “Board of Peace”, Manila’s envoy to Washington said, a move that has drawn scepticism from critics who warn Manila could be embarrassed by signing up to what they see as a volatile, personality-driven initiative.

Trump had personally invited President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to be part of the board, but the Philippine leader had not yet decided whether to accept, Jose Manuel Romualdez said.

While...

Japan’s ruling coalition secured a commanding victory in Sunday’s general election, but analysts warn that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s embrace of a hardline conservative agenda could narrow her party’s support base and ultimately weaken its dominance over time.

The Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition captured 352 of the 465 seats in the House of Representatives, according to national public broadcaster NHK: well above the two-thirds supermajority required to override upper house...

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a landslide election victory, and the nation’s first single-party supermajority since World War II, after a campaign centred on cutting taxes and boosting defence spending amid a dispute with China.

Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was on track to win 316 seats in the 465-seat lower house of parliament, according to public broadcaster NHK, clearing the two-thirds threshold needed to override the upper chamber. The Japan Innovation Party, an LDP...

The median monthly household income in Singapore rose to S$12,446 (US$9,250) last year, up from S$11,558 the year before, an increase of 6.8 per cent after adjusting for inflation.

After accounting for household size, the median monthly household income per household member rose by 7.5 per cent in real terms, from S$3,837 in 2024 to S$4,160 in 2025.

The figures were released on Monday in the Key Household Income Trends 2025 paper by the Singapore Department of Statistics (Singstat).

In a video...

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has her work cut out for her. Among the daunting challenges confronting her after winning a resounding victory in a parliamentary election on February 8, tackling the rising cost of living is at the top of her political to-do list.

Mounting concerns about the dramatic rise in property prices in Tokyo and other large cities have proved fertile ground for scapegoating, with immigration figuring prominently in election campaigns.

Last year, the average price...

The United States’ latest trade deal with India may be linked to a freeze on discounted Russian oil purchases, but analysts say it is unlikely to upset New Delhi’s decades-old defence ties with Moscow.

Announcing the agreement last week, US President Donald Trump said tariffs on India imports would be cut from 18 to 50 per cent, tying the reduction to India halting its intake of Russian crude.

“India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” Trump said in an...

Thousands gathered across Australia on Monday to protest the arrival of Israeli ‍President Isaac Herzog, who is on a multi-city trip aimed at expressing solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community following a deadly mass shooting last year.

Herzog is visiting Australia this week following an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the aftermath of the December 14 shooting at a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach ⁠that killed 15.

The visit has attracted the ire of some...

South Korea grounded an ageing fleet of military helicopters on Monday after a chopper crashed during a training exercise and killed two people on board.

The AH-1S Cobra was training for emergency landings when it “crashed due to an unidentified cause” in Gapyeong county west of Seoul, the army said in a statement.

Two service members were taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.

Photos in local media showed the helicopter’s crumpled fuselage lying on a rocky river bank.

“Following the...