Indonesia’s pledge to send troops to Gaza as part of a US-backed international stabilisation force (ISF) has prompted warnings by analysts that the Muslim-majority nation could be drawn into combat operations or accused of abandoning the Palestinia...

China has boosted its strategic capacity from land reclamation to deep-sea mining and pipelines, with the successful completion of sea trials for Asia’s largest trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD). The Tongjun – China’s first domestically de...

A man in Japan has defied his family’s expectations by rejecting a civil service examination, wearing women’s clothing and living in a flat filled with rubbish. His 2022 story has recently gained attention in China amid rising reports of extreme ...

As China’s tourists scrap plans to visit Japan en masse amid an ongoing diplomatic feud, many appear to be pivoting to an alternative destination: Russia. Chinese travel firms have reported a surge in Russia-related flight and hotel bookings in rec...

A constitutional challenge against Australia’s social media ban on children younger than 16 has been filed in the nation’s highest court, two weeks before the world-first law is set to take effect. A campaign group called the Digital Freedom Proj...

Hong Kong retail funds booked gross sales of US$82.6 billion in the first three quarters of this year – surpassing the full-year total for 2024 – as inflows into fixed-income products surged, according to data from the Hong Kong Investment Funds ...

South Koreans have slammed a major Canadian sports broadcaster for “ignorance” after it labelled a clip featuring high-flying taekwondo martial artists as “ninja training”. Taekwondo is South Korea’s most famous martial art, while ninjas �...

A court in Thailand said on Wednesday that it has issued an arrest warrant for a co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization in connection with a fraud case. Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip was charged with fraud then released on bail in 2023. She ...

India and Afghanistan will launch direct air cargo flights in a move that deepens their economic ties and signals a strategic shift in South Asia’s power dynamics, as both countries grow increasingly estranged from their mutual neighbour Pakistan. ...

In China’s tech hub Hangzhou, visitors to a country park can rent an exoskeleton to aid their climb for as little as 1 yuan (14 US cents). The exoskeleton is said to make the hiking process almost “effortless”, according to Chinese social media...

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Four people including a firefighter were killed and at least three others injured in a major fire that broke ...

There was a time when Hong Kong’s retail landlords looked untouchable. If you wanted a dependable income, you would buy shares in the city’s leading real estate investment trusts (Reits), the steady dividend machines of a service economy built on...

Thailand has begun enforcing tougher controls on repeat visa-exempt entries, with immigration officials saying the move is not to target genuine tourism but to curb abuse by foreigners who overstay or operate illegal businesses or scams. Immigration ...

A major fire has broken out in Hong Kong’s Tai Po neighbourhood, with fierce flames tearing through bamboo scaffolding at a housing estate, leaving two people unconscious with severe burns and trapping several residents. Photos circulating online s...

An artificial intelligence-enabled teddy bear sold by a Singapore-based company is back on the shelves after researchers discovered it chats unprompted about sexual fetishes and other unsuitable topics. FoloToy earlier this month pulled Teddy Kumma �...

The United States and the Philippines are preparing to hardwire advanced cyber operations into the heart of their annual war games, signalling a shift from merely talking about digital threats to practising how to fight through them. Jennifer Schmidt...

Singapore has ordered TikTok and Meta to block access in Singapore to the accounts of an Australian man authorities say has contributed to the radicalisation of two of its citizens, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday. Former Singaporean cit...

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. China’s Xpeng posts record revenue...

No winter lasts forever, but the deep chill in the Beijing-Tokyo relationship set off by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan could last a long time. Takaichi has had consistently high approval ratings since taking office, whi...

A bull shark has been found stranded in the mudflats of Pak Nai, with Hong Kong authorities joining residents to rescue the animal and a marine scientist claiming that the sighting was positive news for the city’s marine ecosystem. Khan Cheung, a P...

Two Hong Kong students will undergo surgery after being stabbed at a public housing estate, with police investigating the cause of their injuries. A police source said on Wednesday that the two 18-year-old students were injured after celebrating one ...

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was set to be quizzed by opposition parties in parliament for the first time on Wednesday, as her administration’s colossal new economic stimulus package came under the spotlight. Takaichi’s cabinet signed o...

The US-backed 28-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, which became public last week, drew from a Russian-authored paper submitted to the Trump administration in October, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The Russians shared ...

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s anti-graft drive has suffered a setback after a senior aide resigned over corruption claims, piling pressure on a leader already accused of abusing power and putting his ruling party at risk of rupture. Anti...

On the face of it, the United States appears closer than ever to mounting a military campaign to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela. US President Donald Trump says he has authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations inside the...

A pizzeria owner in Italy has found himself in hot water after releasing a video in which he verbally abused 16 tourists from Taiwan for simply ordering five pizzas to share. The clip provoked such immense backlash that he swiftly deleted it and post...

Both Hong Kong authorities and a major developer are offering residents an array of discounts and perks during the Legislative Council election weekend, including complimentary entry to swimming pools and museums, in a bid to boost voter turnout. Chi...

Hong Kong’s lived-in home prices rose to a 14-month high in October, while rents set a new record, according to official data, raising the likelihood of a more significant property rebound in 2026, analysts said. Secondary home prices rose 0.4 per ...

China’s central bank has set the yuan’s daily reference rate against the US dollar at the strongest level in more than a year, with analysts expecting room for appreciation should a December rate cut by the US Federal Reserve weaken the dollar. T...

One of Europe’s most prominent fintech companies, UK-based digital bank Revolut, plans to set up operations in Hong Kong, the Post has learned, after executives met with the city’s financial chief in London. The news emerged on Tuesday as Financi...

A Malaysian journalist investigating a high-profile football document-forgery scandal was assaulted by three men in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday in an attack that has raised fresh alarm over media intimidation in the country. Haresh Deol, co-founder and e...

Current geopolitics might suggest that Western scientists have been in general alignment with the United States in the global race for fusion energy – but some of Europe’s top nuclear physicists are placing their bets on China. Scepticism over US...

What began as a self-drive holiday to Thailand turned into a harrowing ordeal for 74-year-old Singaporean Ronnie Toh. For the trip had coincided with some of the worst flooding to hit the country’s south in years, with days of heavy rain inundating...

Escalating global conflicts could create opportunities for China’s private defence companies as customers, both at home and abroad, seek affordable and reliable military equipment, according to industry insiders. “The international landscape is h...

US President Donald Trump has denied a report that he was considering removing FBI Director Kash Patel amid a string of controversies. “No, he’s doing a great job, I think,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday aboard Air Force One. MS NOW reported ...

Volkswagen Group has ramped up its “all in” strategy for China, banking on local development capabilities and a new electric vehicle (EV) architecture to fight back against domestic rivals and regain its leading position in the world’s largest ...

Hong Kong’s leader has announced that the Yau Ma Tei section of the 4.7km Central Kowloon Bypass will open on December 21, cutting commute time between West Kowloon and Kai Tak from 30 minutes to just five. The 3.9km tunnel section is part of a lar...

Well, thank God we don’t live in a computer simulation after all. At least that’s according to a new paper by University of British Columbia physicist Mir Faizal and his team of international researchers, including cosmologist and science writer ...

A restaurant in South Korea has caused controversy by refusing to serve solo diners as the country experiences an increase in the number of people staying single. A sign outside the noodle restaurant in Yeosu City, South Jeolla Province in the south ...

Investment in Hong Kong’s commercial property more than tripled in the third quarter from a year earlier, making it the second-fastest growing market in the Asia-Pacific region amid rising confidence in the city’s bruised real estate sector, acco...

Nearly one-third of Hongkongers planning to settle in the UK under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme are retirees, homemakers or students, groups likely to be affected by a proposed income threshold for immigrants, a survey has shown. It al...

The mayor of Maebashi, the capital city of Gunma prefecture in eastern Japan, on Tuesday tendered her resignation after her repeated hotel visits with a senior city official, assembly members said. Akira Ogawa had long rejected calls from city assemb...

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has insisted that his country remains a neutral mediator in the escalating border row between Thailand and Cambodia, as criticisms mount over his peacemaking role. The backlash reflects how divisive the conflict...

On Saturday, the Beijing-based start-up LandSpace reportedly plans to conduct the maiden launch of its Zhuque-3 rocket – a reusable launch vehicle that could significantly boost China’s space industry by lowering the cost of lifting equipment suc...

A mother who murdered her two children and stuffed them into suitcases stashed inside a storage locker was on Wednesday sentenced to life imprisonment in New Zealand. Lee Hak-yung, a New Zealand citizen originally from South Korea, was earlier this y...

The FBI has requested interviews with six Democratic members of the US Congress who in a video message told members of the military they can legally refuse to carry out unlawful orders, a Justice Department official said on Tuesday. The Pentagon on M...

Joan Branson, the wife of British billionaire Richard Branson, has died at age 80. Branson announced her death on Tuesday on social media. No other details were disclosed. “Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passe...

As China’s traditional spirits and premium wines grapple with declining consumption, a significant shift is under way across the beverage landscape. This three-part series examines the challenges faced by Maotai town as its once-coveted baijiu liqu...

As South Africa hands over the Group of 20 presidency, something more consequential than a routine rotation is taking place. The moment marks the end of an unprecedented cycle: four consecutive presidencies led by major economies of the Global South ...

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro to begin serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a failed coup, after he exhausted all appeals. The brash former army captain who fired up Brazil’s right and resh...