Bitcoin continues to plunge as a cryptocurrency sell-off deepens, shaving off gains in share prices that some Hong Kong-listed firms made this year after launching digital asset initiatives. Bitcoin at one point on Tuesday dropped below US$90,000, mo...

A former French diplomat has urged Europe and China to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, describing the issue as “the major challenge” facing the two sides. “The Ukraine war is fracturing the dialogue between two parts of the world,” M...

Widespread rumours claiming that former K-pop idol Kris Wu had died in prison after failing to meet gang demands have rocked mainland social media. Chinese-Canadian actor and singer Wu, who debuted in 2012 as a member of EXO before launching a solo c...

The Japanese yen slid to a nine-month low against the US dollar, breaching a closely watched threshold of 155 amid domestic policy uncertainties, fading expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut in December, and amplified China-Japan tensions over T...

India is unlikely to accept an extradition request for Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is facing the death penalty in her own country for crimes against humanity. Hasina, 78, has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh i...

Fifa has lodged criminal complaints in five countries and opened its own formal investigation into the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), after dismissing its appeal over the use of forged documents by seven foreign-born footballers representing...

Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil tried to find common ground after a financial dialogue in Beijing on Monday, with both officials saying the two countries should strengthen ties and support open, rules-based g...

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia will launch a US$1 billion fund to help companies from Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area expand into the Middle Eastern country, Financial Secretar...

Regardless of the outcome of the challenge to US President Donald Trump’s powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act now before the Supreme Court, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has made clear the administration will continue to...

Hong Kong’s nightlife district Lan Kwai Fong has been recognised for maintaining the city’s cleanest public toilet this year despite frequent use, one of two in tourist hotspots that were in the top three best restrooms. The Hong Kong Toilet Asso...

Singapore has recorded its largest-ever seizure of rhinoceros horns after discovering 20 pieces worth S$1.13 million (US$867,000) in an air cargo shipment labelled “furniture fittings”, transshipped from South Africa to Laos through the city stat...

Mary Jane Veloso’s lawyers have asked the Philippine Supreme Court to explain why the woman who once narrowly escaped execution in Indonesia remains behind bars in the Philippines nearly a year after her return, despite facing no criminal charges u...

One of the frothiest stocks in the Philippines has plunged in recent days, erasing more than US$16 billion of its founder’s fortune and raising new questions about its remarkable ascent and sudden nosedive. Property developer Golden MV Holdings beg...

The bitcoin rally that welcomed a wave of new investors through easy-to-access exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has officially gone underwater. Investors in US ETFs that offer direct access to the cryptocurrency are now sitting on collective losses. The ...

Fintech giant Ant Group, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, has unveiled what it called China’s first multimodal artificial intelligence assistant capable of producing code-driven outputs, including “flash apps” in as little as 30 seconds. ...

Japan’s government is weighing the introduction of penalties for men who buy sex, marking a potential sea change in the country’s approach to prostitution. Lawmakers and women’s advocacy groups argue that current legislation, dating back to the...

Hongkongers will pay between 2.2 and 2.6 per cent less for electricity in 2026, thanks to lower and stable fuel prices, the city’s two power companies have announced, following a nearly 1 per cent price increase last year. Tuesday’s announcement,...

Chinese scientists have developed a catalyst that can turn biomass and coal-derived syngas directly into building blocks for plastic and synthetic rubber with higher efficiency and sustainability than existing methods. The iron-based nanoparticle cat...

Simply tasting Australia’s Vegemite spread might seem like cruel and unusual punishment to some, but one prison inmate from the land down under argues he should be allowed to enjoy the toast topping as a basic human right. Convicted murderer Andre ...

Thailand’s insistence that trade negotiations with the US can proceed separately from talks over a fractious border dispute with Cambodia has been met with deep scepticism given Washington’s increasing use of economic policy as a political instru...

Britain has reaffirmed its commitment to the Hongkongers it “repatriated” under a bespoke migration pathway, but it remains unclear how the scheme will be affected by what London has called “the most significant reform” to its immigration sys...

Japan has urged its citizens in mainland China to take safety precautions as diplomatic tensions sparked by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan continue to escalate. In a message on its website, the Japanese embassy in Beijing said i...

An “awesome” puppy born with only three legs, which was once recommended for euthanasia, has grown up to be a police dog in a specialist crime-fighting unit in China. Barton the Belgian Malinois has formed a deep emotional bond with his trainer, ...

Hong Kong’s railway giant will operate its first train services earlier on December 7 to support preparations for polling stations ahead of the Legislative Council election, which will have extended voting hours this year. Writing in a Chinese-lang...

Singapore has 20 electric public buses by Chinese manufacturer Yutong Group, and none of these vehicles support any remote control functions, the Land Transport Authority said on Monday. LTA’s response came after Norway’s public transport operato...

A sweeping election victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar has raised fresh questions about the future of India’s political opposition. Analysts say the landslide outcome – which defied predictions of a...

Malaysia’s state broadcaster has suspended the animated Nickelodeon children’s series Santiago of the Seas following viewer complaints that an episode contained an LGBTQ scene. The controversy erupted after viewers reported seeing the character R...

The United States should pass a law to impose tougher scrutiny of Hong Kong’s American dollar-backed international transactions and exports, a US advisory panel on China policy has recommended to Congress in a sweeping annual report. The US-China E...

A leading advisory panel on China policy urged the US Congress on Tuesday to establish a “consolidated economic statecraft entity” to handle technological and other national security challenges posed by China’s “systematic and persistent evas...

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. Bus queue brawl at ...

Former US Treasury secretary Larry Summers said on Monday he will step back from all public commitments, days after President Donald Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate his and other prominent Democrats’ ties to convicted sex offend...

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has been selected to run the city’s third medical school, ending an eight-month race among three major tertiary institutions. The government announced on Tuesday that HKUST had been recomme...

Hong Kong’s economy is expected to continue growing after a strong performance in the previous quarter, supported by a moderate global economic outlook, a vibrant financial market and an interest-rate cut, the city’s leader has said. He made the ...

More than half of Australians are concerned about US interference while support for defence spending has reached a new high, according to a nationwide poll that comes as friction mounts between the allies over issues such as trade. The survey release...

China is offering a glimpse of some of its latest drones and fighter jets at the Middle East’s biggest air show this week, seizing an opportunity to promote the country’s aviation products in the region. Among those displaying their advanced airc...

Investors in Malaysia’s fast-growing data centre hub of Johor have been asked to postpone water-cooled expansion projects for at least 18 months, as authorities grapple with drought and mounting pressure on the state’s water supplies. Officials s...

We have put together stories from our coverage of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan, the reaction and articles on Beijing-Tokyo relations for context. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscri...

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The weather in Hong Kong will feel colder than the actual temperature due to a “wind chill effect”, with ...

The death of Juan Ponce Enrile has brought an end to one of the most complicated lives in Philippine politics – a man I covered for decades, whose brilliance, ruthlessness and endless reinventions shaped the country as much as they confounded those...

Beijing has not achieved all of its “Made in China 2025” (MIC2025) goals – particularly in aviation and integrated circuits – but has still made “significant gains” and cemented its status as a global manufacturing powerhouse, according t...

The chairman of a Cambodia-based conglomerate indicted by US authorities over alleged large-scale investment fraud and money laundering had acquired a luxury property in Tokyo as his residence, Japanese corporate registration documents showed on Mond...

Pundits the world over are pointing to a new cold war – the defending champion United States versus a rising China. Deglobalisation and great power rivalry dominate headlines while world leaders prepare for chaos. Fortunately, a different picture e...

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he plans to approve the sale of US-made F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, speaking a day before he hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a day of diplomacy. “I will say that we will be doing that...

US video game developer Riot Games, creator of League of Legends, retains bragging rights to the most popular PC game in China nearly a decade and a half after its launch. First introduced in 2009 and brought to the mainland in 2011, the multiplayer ...

A young girl in northwestern China who was filmed scavenging for food wearing slippers without socks in the cold weather has attracted attention on social media and placed the plight of her family under the spotlight. The heart-wrenching video was ta...

Hundreds of Singaporean football fans have flown into Hong Kong for what some call the city state’s biggest match when the Lions take on the hosts on Tuesday for a place at the 2027 Asian Cup. “Singapore has not qualified for the Asian Cup since ...

A Japanese woman in her 50s has been indicted without detention for forcing a kiss on Jin of BTS during a public fan event last year. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office said that the suspect was charged on Monday with indecent assault. ...

Washington’s approval for South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines has become a turning point in the alliance, analysts say, one that is already pushing Seoul towards a more explicit role in the United States’ broader Indo-Pacific strategy...

A series of electric vehicle fires in China has pushed the issue of battery safety into the public spotlight, triggering a wider public debate about the potential risks. Last month saw a number of high-profile incidents, including one on October 13 i...

The Trump administration’s blueprint to secure and govern Gaza won strong approval at the United Nations on Monday, a crucial step that provides international support for US efforts to move the devastated territory towards peace following two years...