A Malaysian minister urged the countrys police chief to clarify the status of investigations into allegations that a network of businessmen was colluding with anti-corruption agency officials to oust executives. The government has ordered law enforcement agencies, including the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC), to look into the allegations ...

The death of a runner from heatstroke after a Penang hill run event has put a spotlight on the rising risks of soaring temperatures in Malaysia, as authorities report a spike in heat-related illnesses and are seeding clouds to trigger rains in the countrys drought-hit northern region. The death of the 41-year-old, the islands first-ever confirmed heatstroke ...

Hong Kongs anti-corruption watchdog has arrested seven people linked to a syndicate that allegedly targeted large maintenance projects with undisclosed conflicts of interest and a contractor who served in a dual role as consultant. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Tuesday said it had arrested five men and two women, aged 37 to 75, ...

Singapore schools used caning as a disciplinary measure only when all other options were inadequate, given the gravity of the misconduct, Minister for Education Desmond Lee said on Tuesday. Responding to more than 20 parliamentary questions on the Ministry of Educations (MOE) updated efforts to tackle bullying, Lee acknowledged that studies linked poorly ...

A former senior Hong Kong police inspector has been jailed for six weeks after lying to colleagues to borrow HK$140,000, as he struggled with debts exceeding HK$2 million (US$255,308). Kwun Tong Court on Tuesday sentenced Tang Chun-ho, 45, after finding him guilty of making false claims to secure loans from colleagues in 2023. Magistrate Lau Suk-han said ...

HSBC, Hong Kongs largest lender, reported broadly flat first-quarter profit as lower interest rates and provisions linked to the Middle East conflict offset solid growth in its wealth management business. Net profit for the first three months of 2026 rose 0.14 per cent year on year to US$6.94 billion, or 41 US cents per share, the London-based bank said in ...

A stray dog in central China has gone viral after a group of taxi drivers raised money for his surgery following a car accident. At the high speed rail station in Xuancheng, Anhui province, a yellow dog became a beloved figure among the local cabbies. Lively, friendly and always eager to run, the dog quickly warmed his way into the drivers hearts. Last ...

Sudans armed forces blamed a drone attack on Monday that targeted Khartoum airport on the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia, the latest in a barrage of assaults in recent days that has shattered months of relative calm in Sudans capital, three years into its civil war. Reuters could not independently verify the claims. Neither country immediately commented ...

A biofuel company backed by the family office of tycoon Peter Lee Ka-kit will invest HK$10 billion (US$1.3 billion) in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plants in the Greater Bay Area, a project that Hong Kongs leader has hailed as a milestone collaboration between the city and mainland China. EcoCeres, a Hong Kong-based renewable fuel producer ...

Philippine annual inflation accelerated to a three-year high in April, as a surge in fuel prices triggered by the Middle East conflict raises the chance of more policy tightening. Consumer prices rose 7.2 per cent last month, the statistics agency said on Tuesday, the highest since March 2023. That was above the 5.5 per cent median forecast in a poll of ...

Brussels is rallying support among EU industry groups for a trade weapon to tackle Chinese overcapacity, as the European Commission races to propose a sweeping new tool this summer. While the contours of the new instrument remain a closely guarded secret, it is expected to be presented to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on May 29, at a rescheduled ...

The operation of claw and pinball machines could be regulated by capping fees and prize values as a first step to curb addiction to automated games, lawmakers have said, while also warning of deceptive designs that make winning impossible. While calling for a balance between user protection and industry development, two legislators said the caps could ...

Japanese police have dispatched a rescue team to the countrys Northern Alps to search for two missing climbers, including a 30-year-old man from Hong Kong, after they were stranded on treacherous slopes. Gifu Prefecture police on Tuesday confirmed that a team of four rescuers, comprising police officers and civilian experts, set out from the mountain base ...

Fuminori Arita once farmed iyokan, a Japanese citrus variety, but about 10 years ago he switched to growing avocados, revelling in the challenge of producing crops of what he describes as a sensitive and difficult to grow fruit. The 67-year-old is symbolic of efforts by the western Japanese city of Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture, long known primarily for ...

Japans defence minister is touring Southeast Asia this week with what analysts describe as a clear, if diplomatically understated, mission: turning Indonesia and the Philippines into harder targets for Chinese maritime ambition. Shinjiro Koizumi landed in Jakarta on Monday to sign a defence cooperation pact with his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie ...

We have selected seven stories from the SCMPs 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. More Singaporeans are choosing jobs below their qualifications. Heres why A new survey shows 19.4 per cent of Singapores resident ...

China has debuted a massive driverless mining truck that can crab-walk across difficult terrain, highlighting the countrys push to modernise its mining industry through technology. Despite a kerb weight of nearly 100 tonnes, this advanced model boasts exceptional manoeuvrability it can move sideways and pivot on the spot, allowing it to operate in narrow ...

Authorities in Thailand are unspooling a phantom birth racket involving possibly hundreds of babies mainly Chinese falsely registered as Thais by corrupt officials so that their parents can gain land and company ownership rights. Scores of birth certificates have come under scrutiny, with several officials arrested for suspected bribery in a scam that ...

Chinas state broadcaster has given a glimpse of the first export variant of the J-35A the countrys second land-based fifth-generation fighter jet with Pakistan the most likely recipient, according to reports and analysis. The CCTV clip featured during the 2026 May 1st International Labour Day Heart to Heart Special Programme shows a J-35A model bearing ...

Two marine rescue volunteers died after their boat capsized while attempting to help a yacht in distress off the east coast of Australia, according to New South Wales police. On Monday evening, a member of the public reported that a yacht appeared to be struggling at a breakwall in Ballina in northern New South Wales, police said. A vessel of volunteer ...

Hong Kong should adopt a top-down, comprehensive ecotourism policy to safeguard the citys natural attractions, with a designated authority taking the lead, experts have urged, after a surge in Labour Day Golden Week visitors overwhelmed ecologically sensitive spots. The call on Monday came after a viral video showed a Mandarin-speaking tourist smoking a ...

As Hong Kong prepares for another major push in public works, one question deserves far more attention than it has received: are we buying infrastructure in a way that is sustainable for the construction industry and the public as a whole? In his February budget, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced that HK$150 billion (US$19.1 billion) will be ...

Singapores Grab reported first-quarter profit that exceeded analysts estimates, helped by resilient demand for ride hailing and delivery in a market rattled by economic and political challenges. Southeast Asias biggest ride-hailing and delivery firm has been trying to boost spending on its platform by incorporating artificial-intelligence features into its ...

A fireworks factory explosion in Liuyang, Hunan province Monday has killed 21 people and injured 61 others, state media said. More to follow...

An ex-Chinese soldier has told how he escaped a Myanmar scam hub after scaling a wall, applying cow dung to mask his scent and subduing an armed guard. Yang Lei, from northeastern China, shared the thrilling story of his escape after he arrived safely back in China. Yang said he led a tour group of 10 people to Thailand, near the Thai-Myanmar border, in ...