https://www.scmp.com/rss/318215/feed Southeast Asia's latest news, current affairs, politics and regional issues. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Bolstering strategic partnerships and economic ties will be high on the agenda during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s six-day trip to India and Vietnam, as Seoul seeks to expand cooperation with the Global South amid the Middle East turmoil. Lee, who arrived in New Delhi on Sunday, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, business leaders and Korean expatriates before concluding the visit on Tuesday. National security adviser Wi Sung-rak said South Korea will “comprehensively... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350621/south-korea-targets-india-vietnam-co-prosperity-push-trade-and-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350621/south-korea-targets-india-vietnam-co-prosperity-push-trade-and-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:30:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thousands ⁠of people have been displaced after a fire destroyed around 1,000 homes in a coastal village in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island ‌on Sunday, the fire department said. Authorities were notified of the fire in Sandakan district at around 1.32am, the district’s fire and rescue chief Jimmy Lagung said in a statement. “Strong winds and ⁠the close proximity of the houses caused the fire to ‌spread rapidly, while low tide conditions also made it difficult to obtain an open ‌water... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350629/blaze-malaysias-sabah-destroys-1000-homes-displaces-over-9000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350629/blaze-malaysias-sabah-destroys-1000-homes-displaces-over-9000?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:59:56 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Lea Albritton’s mornings belong to the repair shop. Her afternoons belong to the camera. The 40-year-old from Leyte in the central Philippines has lived in the US state of Georgia since 2019 with her 62-year-old American husband, Timothy, running a recreational vehicle repair shop in the mornings. After lunch, she produces videos about Filipino food, migration advice for couples stuck in the fiancée visa queue and glimpses of domestic life for the 250,000 followers of her page, Pinay sa America... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350549/meet-filipino-vloggers-finding-financial-freedom-and-defying-stereotypes-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350549/meet-filipino-vloggers-finding-financial-freedom-and-defying-stereotypes-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 07:00:10 +0000 The Star The Star A single father has refused to accept any more donations from Malaysians following a viral video that appeared to show him having difficulty finding money to pay a mechanic after his motorcycle broke down in Kuala Lumpur. According to Sinar Harian, the man known as Dicky Yau was touched by the concern shown by social media users who had offered to extend financial help to him after seeing the situation he was in. “I would like to thank everyone who sent private messages to offer help. However, I... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350607/struggling-single-dad-and-kind-bike-mechanic-inspire-malaysias-generosity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350607/struggling-single-dad-and-kind-bike-mechanic-inspire-malaysias-generosity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 04:53:30 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The flags arrived before BINI did. They were already rippling across the Mojave Tent at Coachella in a sea of blue, red and white when the eight-member group took the stage on a recent Friday afternoon, carried by fans who had travelled across oceans and time zones for a moment that had never been seen before. The 45-minute set that followed made BINI the first P-pop act from the Philippines – and the first Southeast Asian girl group – to perform at one of the world’s most influential music... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350492/bini-made-history-coachella-can-philippines-build-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350492/bini-made-history-coachella-can-philippines-build-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Kolette Lim,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Kolette Lim,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysian comedian Rizal van Geyzel keeps his three children – aged six, 14 and 15 – off social media. He calls it a “gateway drug” to fake news, pornography, stalkers and doom-scrolling. “Do I risk them resenting me? Sure, but these are the sacrifices of parents for their children’s mental health and physical safety,” the 43-year-old said. Across Southeast Asia, governments are increasingly siding with parents like him. Indonesia last month became the first country in the region to bar... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350487/southeast-asia-wants-children-social-media-will-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350487/southeast-asia-wants-children-social-media-will-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore has earned top marks for digital resilience in the Asia-Pacific, but a new study reveals a disconnect at the heart of its corporate world: its executives ranked 10th out of 11 for leadership on the issue. The findings, published on Wednesday by Economist Impact and Australian telecoms company Telstra International, drew on responses from 1,420 senior executives across 11 Asia-Pacific markets, including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong and Thailand. Singapore ranked first overall –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350489/singapore-ranks-no-1-cyber-defences-boardrooms-are-weak-link?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350489/singapore-ranks-no-1-cyber-defences-boardrooms-are-weak-link?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Construction of a US$1 billion Chinese-invested hydropower station has begun in Cambodia to facilitate the Southeast Asian country’s use of renewable energy as the fallout from the Iran war constricts developing countries’ access to traditional fuel supplies. Work on the Upper Tatay pumped-storage hydropower project in the hilly southwestern province of Koh Kong started on April 10, Xinhua reported, describing it as a future “green power bank” for Cambodia’s national grid. It said the project... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350480/china-begins-building-us1-billion-hydropower-station-cambodia-amid-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350480/china-begins-building-us1-billion-hydropower-station-cambodia-amid-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Ryan Ip,Jason Leung Yeuk-ho,Wenhui Jia Ryan Ip,Jason Leung Yeuk-ho,Wenhui Jia For a Chinese enterprise venturing overseas, the first decision is often not which market to enter, but which city to launch from. And that choice increasingly narrows to Hong Kong or Singapore. Both offer deep capital markets, common law systems and Chinese-speaking talent. Both want to be the trusted first stop. But a gap has emerged – not in what the two cities offer on paper, but in how they treat the enterprises they both want. What does a “launch pad” deliver? It is where a Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350196/how-hong-kong-can-beat-singapore-launch-pad-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350196/how-hong-kong-can-beat-singapore-launch-pad-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof On Monday afternoon, amid the heat and chaos of Thailand’s Songkran festival, Gavin Chow was crowned Mr Bear International 2026 – the first Malaysian to win the title at a pageant that has quickly become part of Thailand’s growing queer festival circuit. Back in Chow’s home country, the climate is very different. Malaysia criminalises same-sex intimacy under federal law, LGBTQ gatherings have faced police raids and the 34-year-old activist’s own national qualifier earlier this year struggled to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350517/bangkok-malaysias-first-mr-bear-winner-finds-spotlight-queer-life-rarely-gets-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350517/bangkok-malaysias-first-mr-bear-winner-finds-spotlight-queer-life-rarely-gets-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Rubber glove makers have raised prices and warned of production cuts as the Iran war chokes supplies of key inputs, raising concerns for the healthcare sector. Glove makers have already hiked the average price of synthetic rubber gloves by around 40 per cent to as high as US$29 for a box ‌of 1,000, according to Oong Chun Sung, an equity research analyst at CIMB Securities. Sustained disruption to supply chains from the conflict could lead to glove shortages by late May, analysts at Malaysia’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350554/hospitals-face-glove-shortage-malaysian-makers-hike-prices-40?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350554/hospitals-face-glove-shortage-malaysian-makers-hike-prices-40?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 03:47:52 +0000 dpa dpa While many Europeans are considering putting long-haul flying on the back burner as jet fuel costs and airfares climb, those with a trip already booked for Malaysia may need to watch out if ambling around with a camera slung across a shoulder. Following an early April warning about unlicensed street photography, city authorities in Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital, have confiscated equipment from six people, five of them non-Malaysians, pending payment of fines levied under street hawking... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350550/malaysia-unlicensed-street-photography-becomes-focus-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350550/malaysia-unlicensed-street-photography-becomes-focus-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:39:31 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Some exporters at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou report a modest return of orders to China from Southeast Asia, as energy-market volatility linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran prompts some Western buyers to prioritise supply chain stability. The shift is visible in buyer patterns on the exhibition floor, where the number from Europe and the United States appears to have recovered from last year’s levels, according to Chinese exporters, with more inquiries for home appliances, new energy products... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350446/iran-war-energy-shock-threatens-southeast-asias-supply-chains-win-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350446/iran-war-energy-shock-threatens-southeast-asias-supply-chains-win-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The arrest of fugitive former congressman Zaldy Co has revived a long-stalled Philippine corruption investigation and sharpened political pressure on President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, whom the wanted lawmaker has accused of personally benefiting from a multibillion-peso kickback scheme tied to flood control projects. Observers called Co’s arrest a “notable step towards accountability” in a case that had stalled after the collapse of the commission set up to investigate it. Co resigned from the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350513/arrest-philippine-ex-lawmaker-zaldy-co-missing-puzzle-piece-flood-control-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350513/arrest-philippine-ex-lawmaker-zaldy-co-missing-puzzle-piece-flood-control-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:30:12 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Even before Donald Trump returned to the White House, Vietnam’s military planners were already busy preparing for a possible second invasion by the United States and its allies. In the “Second US Invasion Plan”, secretly issued in August 2024, the Vietnamese military rejected playing any part in America’s China containment strategy in the Asia-Pacific. Rather, it sees the US promotion of “freedom and democracy” as a cynical ploy to maintain hegemony in the region. The document, released in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350254/vietnam-and-china-are-now-perfectly-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350254/vietnam-and-china-are-now-perfectly-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is usually seen in carefully choreographed meetings with presidents, kings and regional leaders in Putrajaya. So it was striking to see him instead riding through the city on a casual live stream with Sneako, the controversial 27-year-old American streamer and Muslim convert whose appeal to mainly young male audiences has made him an unlikely cultural figure. For more than an hour on Friday, the live stream gave Anwar a rare chance to sell Malaysia, his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350501/malaysias-anwar-chats-us-muslim-streamer-it-populist-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350501/malaysias-anwar-chats-us-muslim-streamer-it-populist-move?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:21:23 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn As divorce rates continue to rise in Indonesia, more single mothers are bearing the brunt of financial hardship and struggling to collect court-ordered child support from former spouses. For some women, help comes from an initiative unique in the country: the East Java city of Surabaya bars men from accessing public services if they fail to pay court-ordered child support. First introduced in 2023, the scheme has been used to block administrative access to more than 8,000 men, according to Irvan... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350439/indonesias-surabaya-bans-absentee-fathers-public-services-dodging-child-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350439/indonesias-surabaya-bans-absentee-fathers-public-services-dodging-child-support?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:30:21 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet Air has agreed to lease as many as 10 Chinese-made C909 regional passenger jets, giving a lift to their manufacturer’s goal of vying with Airbus and Boeing in overseas civil aviation. VietJet said in a statement on Thursday night it had agreed with SPDB Financial Leasing, a subsidiary of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in China, to finance the aircraft through operating leases. Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) makes the jets that are the subject... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350431/vietnamese-airline-lease-10-c909-jets-boost-chinese-aircraft-maker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350431/vietnamese-airline-lease-10-c909-jets-boost-chinese-aircraft-maker?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:00:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Two crew members and six passengers were killed when a private helicopter crashed in dense forest on Indonesia’s Borneo island, the transport ministry said on Friday. The Airbus H130 helicopter, owned by local firm Matthew Air Nusantara, lost contact with air traffic control about five minutes after take-off from an oil plantation in the West Kalimantan province on Thursday morning. It was on its way to another plantation in Kubu Raya district. All eight on board were men and one was a Malaysian... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350430/malaysian-man-among-8-dead-indonesian-helicopter-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350430/malaysian-man-among-8-dead-indonesian-helicopter-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:56:14 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse Myanmar ⁠has freed former president Win Myint and reduced the sentence of imprisoned former leader Aung San Suu ‌Kyi as part of an ‌amnesty that saw the release of 4,335 prisoners, according to state media. “The president has pardoned Win Myint,” said a statement on Friday from the office of newly elected president Min Aung Hlaing. Win Myint, an ally ‌of ⁠Suu Kyi, served as president ⁠from 2018 and 2021 but ‌was ousted ‌by a military coup and had been detained since. Suu Kyi’s 27-year sentence... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350424/myanmar-cuts-aung-san-suu-kyi-prison-term-4-1/2-years-broad-ranging-amnesty-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350424/myanmar-cuts-aung-san-suu-kyi-prison-term-4-1/2-years-broad-ranging-amnesty-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:27:44 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Asian refiners have grown increasingly reliant on US crude as oil-starved fuel makers scour the globe to replace Middle Eastern supply and stave off shortages that could ripple through the broader economy. Buyers in Japan led the charge to purchase May-loading cargoes from the US early in the month, with South Korean, Singaporean and Thai processors also among customers, said traders familiar with the matter. At least 60 million barrels of grades from the US Gulf were bought for loading next... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350394/us-oil-floats-top-asia-looks-middle-eastern-alternatives-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350394/us-oil-floats-top-asia-looks-middle-eastern-alternatives-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 03:17:03 +0000 Agencies Agencies An Australian company will import 250,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser from Indonesia in the coming months, easing fears of a shortage that would crimp food production, Canberra said on Friday. Australia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of crops including wheat, barley and canola but relies on fertiliser imports that are threatened by ‌the war on Iran, which has cut supply from the Middle East, a major urea producer. The price of urea, a source of nitrogen that fuels plant growth, has risen... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350386/australia-acts-protect-winter-crops-emergency-indonesian-fertiliser-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350386/australia-acts-protect-winter-crops-emergency-indonesian-fertiliser-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:21:05 +0000 Mengzhen Liu Mengzhen Liu The decades-long negotiations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea may finally come to an end this year. Several parties involved, including China and the Philippines, have expressed confidence in reaching a final conclusion to the proposed set of rules in the contested waterways in the coming months. In March, Beijing signalled its hope of concluding negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by the end of the year while Manila has repeatedly expressed its intention to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349697/without-restraint-beijing-and-manila-cant-deliver-south-china-sea-code?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349697/without-restraint-beijing-and-manila-cant-deliver-south-china-sea-code?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said on Thursday night that a key suspect in a corruption scandal that has sparked public outrage in the Philippines has been arrested in the Czech Republic and that efforts were under way to repatriate the former lawmaker. Zaldy Co, who resigned from the House of Representatives in September after being implicated in financial anomalies involving flood control projects, was detained by authorities in Prague after crossing into the Central European... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350373/philippines-corruption-scandal-suspect-zaldy-co-arrested-prague-marcos-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350373/philippines-corruption-scandal-suspect-zaldy-co-arrested-prague-marcos-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:37:34 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia and Australia pledged on Thursday to keep oil and gas flowing between them as the Iran war’s continuous squeeze on global fuel supplies compels regional countries to deepen energy trade cooperation. Across Asia, governments have been scrambling for alternatives after crude oil and gas shipments from the Middle East were disrupted following Tehran’s move to choke access to the Strait of Hormuz in response to US-Israeli strikes against Iran that began on February 28. The disruption has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350345/malaysia-and-australia-strike-energy-supply-pledge-bypass-iran-war-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350345/malaysia-and-australia-strike-energy-supply-pledge-bypass-iran-war-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:32:50 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The recent discovery of a Chinese underwater drone in Indonesia’s waters serves as a wake-up call for Jakarta to strengthen its undersea defence capabilities, analysts have said. Indonesia, however, is likely to remain silent on the find and resolve the issue through “quiet diplomacy”, according to observers. Last week, an Indonesian fisherman found a Chinese unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) in the Lombok Strait, a key waterway leading to Australia. Marked with the letters “CSIC”, the drone is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350349/chinese-drone-exposes-indonesias-insufficient-undersea-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350349/chinese-drone-exposes-indonesias-insufficient-undersea-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:24:05 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s push to bring thousands of unlicensed tourist stays into the legal fold is running into a familiar administrative obstacle in Bali, with operators saying the government wants faster compliance than the bureaucracy could allow. In December, the Ministry of Tourism said unlicensed accommodation providers in Bali, Yogyakarta, West Nusa Tenggara and West Java had until March 31 to register their hotels, guest houses, villas and homestays, in a move meant to improve service quality,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350328/indonesias-bali-wants-illegal-rentals-be-legitimate-operators-flag-red-tape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350328/indonesias-bali-wants-illegal-rentals-be-legitimate-operators-flag-red-tape?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:48:22 +0000 CNA CNA A man was charged in Australia on Tuesday with sexually assaulting a female passenger on board a Scoot flight from Singapore to Perth on Monday. The 52-year-old Indian national committed “non-consensual sexual acts” on a woman he was seated next to during the flight, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Western Australia Police Force said in a joint statement on Monday. The woman sought help from airline staff members and was later moved to another seat, the police said in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350324/indian-man-charged-sexual-assault-passenger-singapore-perth-scoot-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350324/indian-man-charged-sexual-assault-passenger-singapore-perth-scoot-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:42:19 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Thai police arrested seven French tourists after a viral Songkran confrontation in Phuket in which revellers surrounded a van, sprayed its driver with water and later ignored police orders to disperse. The incident came during Thailand’s annual new year festival, whose street water fights draw huge crowds across the country but have also sparked complaints this year about more aggressive behaviour in some tourist hotspots. Video shared on social media showed a crowd in Patong, a beach town on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350285/7-french-tourists-arrested-after-viral-songkran-spray-clash-van-driver-phuket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350285/7-french-tourists-arrested-after-viral-songkran-spray-clash-van-driver-phuket?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:20:55 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan is expected to remain the most trusted power among Southeast Asian countries, even as it seeks to amend its pacifist constitution and continues its military build-up. However, Tokyo will need to be transparent about its motives and reassure others that its military-related actions contribute to regional security, according to analysts. In the latest annual survey conducted by the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Japan retained its ranking as the region’s most trusted power,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350284/japan-remains-most-trusted-power-southeast-asia-despite-military-build-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350284/japan-remains-most-trusted-power-southeast-asia-despite-military-build-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:08:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A leading Indonesian university suspended 16 law students on Thursday after a sexually explicit group chat about their female peers went viral, sparking a debate about gender violence in the Muslim-majority country. Screenshots of a conversation among 16 male students at the University of Indonesia were posted on social media this week, eliciting shock and anger from female peers and a wider societal discussion. The university said in a statement on Thursday it had suspended the young men for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350283/university-indonesia-suspends-16-law-students-sexually-explicit-group-chat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350283/university-indonesia-suspends-16-law-students-sexually-explicit-group-chat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:08:26 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia has deployed police to dozens of petrol stations along its borders as it moves to stop subsidised fuel from leaking out of the country, with the government linking the tougher enforcement to a global energy crunch triggered by the Iran war. The Southeast Asian nation shares borders with Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. Police said 36 petrol stations had been classified as “hotspots” and another 55 as high-risk locations. The deployments began at 6am on Wednesday across Perlis,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350253/malaysia-pumps-police-action-border-petrol-stations-curb-subsidised-fuel-leaks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350253/malaysia-pumps-police-action-border-petrol-stations-curb-subsidised-fuel-leaks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:48:01 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The partial closure of a major landfill site on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali is forcing thousands of residents to instead burn trash in their gardens, sparking widespread environmental and health concerns. Suwung landfill, about 10km (six miles) northeast of Denpasar International Airport, used to handle some 1,000 tonnes (1,100 tons) of rubbish a day. As the site nears capacity, authorities said it would stop taking organic waste as of April 1 in an attempt to direct that matter... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350241/residents-indonesias-bali-resort-burning-trash-after-landfill-ban-organic-waste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350241/residents-indonesias-bali-resort-burning-trash-after-landfill-ban-organic-waste?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:48:40 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran With fuel prices in the Philippines among the world’s hardest hit by the Iran war, consumer groups are urging the government to take bolder action, including tighter control over pump prices. Economists say the more realistic options are tax relief, targeted subsidies and transport support rather than direct price controls. Sharon Garin, secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Energy, said on a radio programme on Sunday that the country might no longer see diesel at 60 pesos (US$1) per litre... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350204/would-more-drastic-measures-help-philippines-bring-down-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350204/would-more-drastic-measures-help-philippines-bring-down-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Balikatan, the flagship annual military exercise between Manila and Washington, begins in the Philippines this month without a single neighbouring Southeast Asian member taking part, despite the drills’ growing scale and multinational reach. Analysts say that hesitation helps explain Balikatan’s place in the region: for some Asean members, it is a reassuring sign of US commitment, but joining it risks looking like a strategic choice in the sharpening rivalry between Washington and Beijing. “To... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350190/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-hesitant-join-major-us-philippine-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350190/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-hesitant-join-major-us-philippine-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof In Malaysia, artificial intelligence is already causing harm to content creators through deepfake nudes, cloned voices, scam advertisements and stolen likenesses, experts have warned. They shared the view at the Freedom Film Network’s second International Conference on Film & Society in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, where creators, researchers and advocates from across Southeast Asia gathered under the theme “Cultivating Artistic Freedom in a Volatile World”. Melissa Lim Shi Hui, a lawyer and legal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350193/malaysias-content-creators-battle-ai-abuse-deepfakes-scam-ads-spread-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350193/malaysias-content-creators-battle-ai-abuse-deepfakes-scam-ads-spread-online?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:30:10 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar President Prabowo Subianto’s heavy overseas travel schedule is drawing scrutiny at home as Indonesians are asked to curb fuel use and officials have had to cut back on foreign trips. The attention reflects a growing debate over the value and timing of the president’s diplomacy as higher global oil prices put fresh pressure on Indonesia’s fuel subsidy bill – even as Prabowo defended some of his recent travel as being aimed at securing energy supplies and economic opportunities for his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350189/uproar-prabowo-tours-world-while-indonesians-told-work-home-save-fuel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350189/uproar-prabowo-tours-world-while-indonesians-told-work-home-save-fuel?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In a rare public protest in Singapore, hundreds gathered in Hong Lim Park over the weekend to denounce the “US war machine”. They brandished placards and banners, including one with horns drawn on US presidents past and present captioned: “This is what terrorists look like.” The demonstration, which required organisers to get permission from the authorities, came as public sentiment across the region sours against Washington. Observers attribute this to the perception that the United States has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350160/are-us-singapore-relations-under-pressure-public-trust-declines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350160/are-us-singapore-relations-under-pressure-public-trust-declines?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:09 +0000 CNA CNA A man raped a domestic worker in an open field in Singapore’s Rochor and stole money from her shortly after witnessing another man allegedly sexually assault the woman. Malaysian Harvin Velanggany, 24, was sentenced on Monday to eight years’ jail and six strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to one count of rape with a charge of theft taken into consideration. Court documents stated that the victim, a 32-year-old Filipino, was on her day off when she was sexually assaulted on May 26, 2024.... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350145/malaysian-man-jailed-singapore-raping-robbing-filipino-helper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350145/malaysian-man-jailed-singapore-raping-robbing-filipino-helper?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:19:06 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A leaked plan to grant the US military sweeping overflight access to Indonesia’s airspace has triggered a domestic backlash over concerns that Jakarta is “colluding with the aggressor” amid Washington’s war on Iran. Analysts say the defence document, first reported by New Delhi-based newspaper the Sunday Guardian, raises concerns that President Prabowo Subianto may be trading away Indonesia’s strategic independence. The proposal, which reportedly emerged following a meeting in February between... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350143/indonesia-leaked-plan-us-military-overflights-triggers-sovereignty-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350143/indonesia-leaked-plan-us-military-overflights-triggers-sovereignty-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:11:03 +0000 CNA CNA The latest Singaporean establishment that the internet has come for with its pitchforks and torches is the Cantonese zi char restaurant, Eat First. The Geylang restaurant recently received a spate of one-star Google reviews following an article published by Mothership on Sunday, which reported that the restaurant charged a family S$2 (US$1.57) for bringing their own bottle of water, in line with its strict no-outside-food-and-drink policy. The internet did not hesitate. The moment the article... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350124/singapore-eatery-charged-us157-water-fee-then-came-flood-1-star-reviews?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350124/singapore-eatery-charged-us157-water-fee-then-came-flood-1-star-reviews?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:40:08 +0000 The Star The Star Jewellery and cash worth hundreds of millions of ringgit were found in overfilled luggage bags stored in a luxury condominium in Kuala Lumpur during a raid linked to the 1Malaysia Develop­ment Bhd (1MDB) investigation, the High Court heard. The police had found 71 ­luggage bags, a plastic box and more than 200 boxes during the operation at Pavilion Residences on May 17, 2018. Former Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Amar Singh Ishar Singh testified that the sheer amount... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350106/malaysian-police-recall-overflowing-cash-gems-1mdb-raid-najib-linked-condo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350106/malaysian-police-recall-overflowing-cash-gems-1mdb-raid-najib-linked-condo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 02:10:25 +0000 Alan Robles Alan Robles Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte discussed removing President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr from office and even considered assassination if a supposed power-sharing deal fell apart, a jailed witness told a House impeachment hearing into Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio. Ramil Madriaga, a self-described political organiser, intelligence operative and bagman who said he had once been close to Duterte-Carpio, made the sensational allegations before the House Committee on Justice on Tuesday during... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350091/jailed-witness-reveals-duterte-plotted-oust-philippines-marcos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350091/jailed-witness-reveals-duterte-plotted-oust-philippines-marcos?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:30:15 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As the US imposes its own blockade on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of talks with Iran at the weekend, we take a look at how major economies in Asia and Europe could be affected by further restrictions on passage through one of the world’s most critical choke points for energy supplies. Who is most vulnerable in this energy crisis? According to a recent report by Japanese investment bank Nomura, the regions most exposed to the tensions in the Persian Gulf are Asian... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350051/which-countries-are-most-vulnerable-us-imposes-its-own-blockade-persian-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350051/which-countries-are-most-vulnerable-us-imposes-its-own-blockade-persian-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippine military on Tuesday rejected Beijing’s claim that Manila had staged a “cyanide stunt” near a contested reef in the South China Sea, after Filipino officials accused Chinese fishermen of using cyanide around a grounded warship that serves as a military outpost. “We reject any statement that this is fabricated news,” said Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. At the centre of the dispute is the BRP Sierra Madre, a derelict navy... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350083/philippines-rejects-chinas-claim-it-staged-cyanide-evidence-disputed-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350083/philippines-rejects-chinas-claim-it-staged-cyanide-evidence-disputed-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:16:13 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s government has urged the public to be ready to tighten their belts over an extended period, with the full effects of the energy crisis triggered by the Iran war expected to kick in as soon as June after the country’s economic buffers run their course. Domestic gas production and costly fuel subsidies have so far shielded the country’s population of 34 million from most of the fallout from the war, which has choked supply for 25 per cent of global seaborne oil trade and nearly a fifth... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350078/malaysians-urged-tighten-their-belts-iran-war-fallout-starts-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350078/malaysians-urged-tighten-their-belts-iran-war-fallout-starts-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:38:51 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The United States is planning a fuel depot in the southern Philippines to support humanitarian and maritime security missions for its long-time ally in Asia, as part of a growing network of forward-based refuelling hubs in the Western Pacific. Located far from the flashpoint reefs at the centre of Manila’s maritime dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea, the depot marks what one observer called a “more mature and more serious stage” in the US-Philippine alliance: a shift from base access... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350066/us-philippines-ties-enter-more-mature-phase-planned-fuel-depot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350066/us-philippines-ties-enter-more-mature-phase-planned-fuel-depot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia is doubling down on renewables to secure its energy future, its deputy prime minister has said, as the government scrambles to mitigate the fallout from an escalating energy crisis triggered by the Iran war. Tehran all but shut access to the Strait of Hormuz last month in retaliation for the US and Israel’s attacks, disrupting a key energy chokepoint through which about 25 per cent of global seaborne oil trade and nearly a fifth of global liquefied natural gas exports pass – much of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350025/malaysia-races-go-green-iran-war-squeezes-oil-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350025/malaysia-races-go-green-iran-war-squeezes-oil-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:13:21 +0000 The Star The Star Melaka police are tracking a 36-year-old express bus driver after a video showing him driving with a woman seated on his lap near the Bemban Rest and Recreational area went viral in Malaysia. Jasin Superintendent Lee Robert said initial investigations found the incident occurred at about 7.30pm on Sunday at the entrance to the area. He described the driver’s actions as extremely dangerous, noting that such behaviour could impair vehicle control and cause serious distraction, posing a risk to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350020/malaysian-police-hunt-bus-driver-seen-woman-lap-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350020/malaysian-police-hunt-bus-driver-seen-woman-lap-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:46:18 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow With millions of Indonesians at risk of being pushed into poverty amid a deepening global energy crisis, President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Moscow this week seeking something straightforward but increasingly scarce: cheap oil. Prabowo’s trip, which got under way on Monday, comes at a moment of acute regional anxiety. Global oil prices have skyrocketed since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran more than six weeks ago amid the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350002/why-indonesias-prabowo-russia-and-what-he-needs-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350002/why-indonesias-prabowo-russia-and-what-he-needs-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:04:30 +0000