Once a bright spot in the economy, Thailand’s tourism sector appears to be losing its shine. Even with an expected bump in foreign arrivals during the peak travel season at the end of the year, the country’s main tourism body still expects just 3...

South Korean defence giant Hanwha’s proposal to sell its anti-ship missile to the Philippines around the same time Beijing imposed sanctions on its shipbuilding sector represents Seoul leaning towards defence industry cooperation with Washington an...

A Hong Kong warehouse worker has been sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to kill his 90-year-old father in a failed murder-suicide bid two years ago. The High Court on Wednesday ruled that the sentence given to Au Chi-ming was appropria...

Former South Korean first couple Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee requested special treatment for their pets from South Korea’s embassy in Paris during their visits to France in 2023, an opposition lawmaker has revealed. The couple “planned to brin...

A cross-border prostitution syndicate using a dedicated website to advertise sex workers across Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China has been dismantled in a joint police operation, with authorities blocking the transfer of about HK$1.2 million (US$15...

A subsidiary of SiCarrier – a semiconductor equipment maker backed by the Shenzhen municipal government and works with Huawei Technologies – has released proprietary electronic design automation (EDA) software, bolstering China’s broader push t...

Starbucks South Korea has begun enforcing a nationwide ban on the consumption of outside food at all of its stores, aiming to curb disturbances caused by customers bringing in and eating food from elsewhere. The company, operated by Shinsegae Group, ...

As South Korean victims of Cambodia’s scam camps recount frequent beatings, torture and even organ harvesting, President Lee Jae-myung has vowed to step up efforts to rescue citizens trapped in the Southeast Asian nation. “It’s not uncommon for...

As the Philippines reels from a deepening corruption scandal rattling its political elite, one of its brightest social media stars has found herself at the centre of a national reckoning over wealth, privilege and accountability. Filipino style icon ...

Chinese researchers have tested a submersible vehicle designed to help them build one of the world’s largest neutrino observatories in the South China Sea – a facility that will study the ghostly subatomic particles that stream through the cosmos...

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Tesla’s Shanghai factory deliverie...

Some pet toys sold in Hong Kong have been found to contain chemicals that can trigger allergies in dogs or cause cancer in humans and animals, although the vast majority of samples comply with children’s toy standards, the city’s consumer watchdo...

Hong Kong police have arrested two men who allegedly used fake gold items to swindle pawn shops across the city out of HK$140,000 (US$56,587), as prices for the precious metal reached record-breaking highs amid wider global economic uncertainty. The ...

Australia must learn from past guerrilla insurgencies and adopt an “unconventional deterrence” policy in facing down threats from China, Russia and elsewhere, one of the country’s leading think tanks said on Wednesday. Australia, under the trip...

Hong Kong received 36 million visitors in the first three quarters of this year, a 12 per cent increase year on year, with strong growth in the number of tourists coming from Japan, Taiwan and Australia. According to provisional figures announced by ...

A court in China has granted the divorce application of a woman who survived after being pushed off a cliff in Thailand by her husband six years ago, sparking massive cheers on social media. Wang Nan, 38, better known online as Wang Nuannuan, suffere...

Indonesia has said that its shrimp shipments to the US can continue following stricter rules in response to a radiation scare, as business executives call for a global campaign to restore the reputation of the product and diversify the local industry...

Hong Kong’s finance chief has called on American businesses to invest in the city as he began his latest visit to the United States, even as global concerns grow over the possible re-escalation of the US-China trade war. The government on Wednesday...

Southeast Asia must urgently modernise its electricity grids to sustain its economic boom and unlock the full potential of renewable energy, according to a new report. Without sweeping investment in digitalised “smart” networks, the region’s in...

Premier Li Qiang called on China’s companies to be resilient and reiterated a pledge to achieve the country’s annual economic goals at a symposium with business leaders, academics and other experts on Tuesday. “To accurately understand the curr...

The father of the 14-year-old student who stabbed a girl to death at a school in Bandar Utama, Malaysia’s Selangor state, said he was heartbroken over the incident. “I am heartbroken my son did this. “I know that no matter what I say, it’s us...

When a Hong Kong teacher took a handful of students to Cambodia for some voluntary work six years ago, he never imagined that it would grow into a lasting organisation. Co-founded by Chan Yik-yeung, vice-principal of Yan Chai Hospital Law Chan Chor S...

As the workday grinds on in Kuala Lumpur, 23-year-old office worker Adib finds solace in a few quiet cigarettes, but his unhealthy habit is about to come at a higher price. From next month, a new government policy will drive up the price of tobacco a...

An award-winning journalist turned educator is teaching Hong Kong how to age well – not through textbooks, but through life stories. At Ginger Innovation, founder Chen Yimin trains older adults to become storytellers and mentors, helping them rebui...

If you have plans to visit Main Street, USA at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in the coming weeks, you may be in for a surprise. There is a party which you can attend – but not everyone will be invited … and that is not going down well with a group ...

With trade tensions between China and the United States reignited less than two weeks before a major political gathering in Beijing, Chinese scholars said the flare-up could provide a common cause for the country to rally behind as policymakers take ...

The head of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort will assume a new global position as chief financial officer for the company’s experiences division, with a search under way for his successor. Michael Moriarty has been appointed executive vice-president and...

The US government has seized more than US$14 billion in bitcoin and charged the founder of a Cambodian conglomerate in a massive cryptocurrency scam, accusing him and unnamed co-conspirators of exploiting forced labour to dupe would-be investors and ...

China’s consumer prices fell again in September as demand remained weak, while a slight narrowing of the fall in factory-gate prices gave a hint that Beijing’s efforts to curb involution – the cutthroat intra-industry competition pushing down p...

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hongkongers can expect a cool autumn breeze early next week, as temperatures are set to “appreciably” fal...

Apple is preparing to expand its manufacturing operations in Vietnam as part of a push into the smart home market and an ongoing effort to lessen its dependence on China. The company is developing a range of new home devices for next year, including ...

At least 30 news organisations declined to sign a new Pentagon access policy for journalists, warning of the potential for less comprehensive coverage of the world’s most powerful military ahead of a Tuesday deadline to accept new restrictions. The...

As Japan grapples with an uncertain leadership transition, a rash of domestic scandals risks further contributing to its political circus. In recent months, a female mayor has been accused of repeatedly taking a male subordinate to a nearby “love h...

Donald Trump is reportedly furious that he didn’t get the Nobel Peace Prize. Instead, it went to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. But if the US president could see beyond his megalomania for a moment, he would realise that the Nor...

The United States struck another small boat accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, killing six people, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. Those who died in the strike were aboard the vessel, and no US forces were harmed, the p...

Beijing has called for de-escalation following the deadliest border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan since 2021, saying it is “deeply concerned” about the hostilities. Analysts suggested the conflict remained manageable but warned that fl...

Tourists camping out at Singapore Changi Airport overnight to escape skyrocketing hotel prices during the F1 weekend sparked public criticism among locals for tarnishing the airport’s image. A woman from the United States using the handle @sheridan...

Material defects and poor installation supervision may have contributed to the improper assembly of prefabricated flats at three light public housing projects in Hong Kong, experts have suggested amid a controversy over the new construction method. T...

Japan’s largest power company is reportedly dangling a 100 billion yen (US$654 million) payout for locals to restart its long-dormant Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in a move critics have called “bribery”. The unprecedented financial support ...

The Trump administration has revoked the visas of six foreigners deemed by US officials to have made derisive comments or made light of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last month. The US State Department said on Tuesday it had...

Hong Kong’s pension scheme improved its overall adequacy, sustainability and integrity over the past 12 months, rising from a C+ grade to a B – equal to schemes in some European countries but still trailing Singapore’s – according to a report...

Chinese paper mills are using generative artificial intelligence tools to mass produce forged academic papers, a new investigation by the mainland’s state broadcaster has found. The report, which aired Sunday on China Central Television’s (CCTV) ...

This year marks half a century of formal diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, as well as the 25th anniversary of the founding of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. The latest story in our series examining ties betw...

Every Lunar New Year, the urban professional woman – let’s call her Tracy – returns to her rural hometown, where she quickly drops her city identity for her simple rural name Cuihua, helping her family prepare the holiday meal. Funny before-and...

OpenAI announced plans on Tuesday to relax restrictions on its ChatGPT chatbot, including allowing erotic content for verified adult users as part of what the company calls a “treat adult users like adults” principle. In a social media post, CEO ...

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called China “economically hostile” for not buying American soybeans and threatened to halt imports of cooking oil and other products from the country in retaliation. “I believe that China purposefully not b...

Ashley Tellis, a prominent Indian-American national security expert and long-time US adviser, has been accused of hoarding classified documents and repeatedly meeting Chinese officials, stirring concern over possible Beijing ties and jolting Washingt...

US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday he could sever struggling Argentina’s financial lifeline if his libertarian ally Javier Milei loses crucial legislative elections later this month. “If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Arg...

Hamas handed over more bodies of deceased hostages to Israel on Tuesday, one sign of progress after a number of apparent setbacks in the day since US President Donald Trump touted his plan to end the Gaza war. The bodies were returned after Israel an...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday revoked the citizenship of Odesa’s mayor on the grounds that he also had a Russian passport, acting to end the tenure of a divisive figure who has run the Black Sea port city for 11 years. Hennadiy ...