News from Asia
- Post-Iran strikes, will North Korea now treat US nuclear talks as a ‘trap’?by Park Chan-kyong (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 2, 2025 at 12:00 am
When the US bombed Iran’s nuclear sites last month, Washington may have inadvertently sent Pyongyang the clearest signal yet that relinquishing its nuclear arsenal could expose North Korea to the very attacks it aims to avoid. Political analysts say Washington’s hardline approach to Iran’s uranium enrichment has only cemented the North Korean leadership’s deep-seated conviction that nuclear weapons are the ultimate deterrent. Compounding this, as Pyongyang has forged closer strategic bonds with...
- Russian Authorities Consider Additional Fees for Visiting Foreigners, Migrant Workersby Catherine Putz (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 5:24 pm
At present, a number of fees are already required for a variety of migration-related documents and processes. But Moscow might expand the list.
- The Deadline for Trump’s ‘Reciprocal Tariffs’ Is Loomingby Peter Draper, Kumuthini Sivathas, and Nathan H. Gray (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 3:21 pm
How are other countries responding to the threat that the U.S. tariffs will be re-applied from July 9?
- Involvement of Regional Actors Complicates the Insurgency in Balochistanby Patrick Yeager (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 3:07 pm
The Baloch struggle for independence from Pakistan now involve a growing cast of characters (and victims).
- Silicon Statecraft Alignment: Taiwan’s Strategic Bet on US-Led Export Controlsby Ching-Fu Lin and Han-Wei Liu (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Taiwan’s June 10 entity list update is no mere technical fine-tuning – it marks a shift in both regulatory burden-sharing and further security alignment with the U.S.
- CSTO Foreign Ministers Meet in Kyrgyzstanby Catherine Putz (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 1:58 pm
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan was absent, as Yerevan continues to weigh formally leaving the organization after having frozen its participation in 2024.
- Charm and Coercion Shape China’s Expanding Security Footprint in Southeast Asiaby Rahman Yaacob (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 1:53 pm
Beijing seeks to replace the U.S. as a primary security partner for Southeast Asian states, and it has been actively pursuing that goal in recent years.
- Philippines eyes multirole fighter jets for ‘credible deterrence’ against Chinaby Raissa Robles (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 12:56 pm
The Philippines must acquire more advanced fighter jets – and soon – to build a “niche air force” capable of credible deterrence against Chinese intrusions, its air force chief has said, as Manila weighs whether to pursue US-made F-16s or Sweden’s Gripen. Manila last month signed a US$700 million deal to acquire 12 additional FA-50 light combat aircraft from South Korea, expanding the Philippine Air Force (PAF)’s fleet to 24 by the end of the decade. These upgraded models will come with enhanced...
- How Russia Used Kyrgyzstan to Reopen Its Financial Escape Routesby Brett Erickson (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 12:33 pm
Sanctions enforcement continues to rely on static lists of named entities and accounts when evasion networks are built to morph and reroute at every point of friction.
- Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte wants to keep Davao house for sentimental reasonsby SCMP’s Asia desk (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 11:39 am
Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has stepped in to defuse a potential family feud over his Davao City house that was put up for sale, saying he is unwilling to offload the property due to its sentimental value. Duterte’s partner Honeylet Avancena said she was seeking buyers for the residence, citing her emotional concerns ever since the Davao mayor was held in a detention centre in The Hague over his charges linked to his war on drugs, in which thousands of purported dealers and users...
- TikTok Shop launches in Japan as app faces uncertainty in USby Danielle Popov (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 11:00 am
TikTok has launched its e-commerce platform in Japan, enabling users to directly buy products featured in videos, as the app continues to face an uncertain future in the US. TikTok Shop’s launch in Japan on Monday confirms the Post’s earlier report that the popular short-video app is seeking to diversify its global footprint while reducing its reliance on the US market, as President Donald Trump has demanded the app’s US operations be sold to American investors. Trump said in an interview with...
- Thailand’s doctors have to show cannabis use for medical reasons in new formby SCMP’s Asia desk (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 10:10 am
Thailand has introduced a new prescription form as part of its measures to restrict cannabis usage for medical purposes, just three years after it became the first country in Asia to decriminalise the drug. Issued on Monday, the “P.T.33” form will allow practitioners from seven professions — including doctors, dentists, pharmacists and traditional healers — to prescribe cannabis to patients suffering from 15 health conditions, according to a report from the Thaiger news website. Doctors will be...
- Alleged rape of Kolkata student sparks debate over women’s safety in Indiaby Biman Mukherji (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 10:00 am
The alleged rape of a law student at a Kolkata college – less than a year after a trainee doctor’s rape and murder sparked national outrage – has reignited debate over women’s safety in India and triggered political infighting in West Bengal’s ruling party. The latest case took place on June 25 at South Calcutta Law College, where the student was allegedly lured to stay after hours by Monojit Mishra, a temporary college staff member who is also a former student previously affiliated with the...
- Thailand’s Constitutional Court Suspends Prime Minister Over Leaked Callby Sebastian Strangio (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 8:34 am
Under pressure in the courts and in parliament, Paetongtarn Shinawatra's chances of remaining in office are rapidly approaching zero.
- Australian politician may go blind in 1 eye after pro-Palestinian protestby SCMP’s Asia desk (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 7:25 am
Australian politician Hannah Thomas could lose vision in her right eye after she sustained injuries during her arrest at a pro-Palestinian protest in Sydney, as police launched an investigation into the incident following uproar over alleged excessive use of force. Thomas, the daughter of former Malaysian attorney general Tommy Thomas, was among a group of about 60 people who gathered outside SEC Plating, an Australian provider of electroplating services, last Friday. They did not get prior...
- Malaysia faces judicial void as chief justice set to retire without successorby Hadi Azmi (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 7:00 am
Malaysia’s judiciary faces a leadership vacuum as Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat prepares to step down on Wednesday without a successor named – a gap lawyers warn could undermine judicial independence and public trust. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration has opted not to extend the tenure of Tengku Maimun or Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, the president of the Court of Appeal, both of whom reach the mandatory retirement age of 66 this week. The constitution allows for a six-month...
- Thai court suspends PM over leaked phone call as political crisis deepensby Maria Siow,Aidan Jones,Agencies (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 6:39 am
Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday pending an investigation into a leaked call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. Paetongtarn’s powers will be suspended from Tuesday while the nine-member court considers a petition by a group of 36 senators accusing her of breaching ethical standards in violation of the constitution. The decision to suspend her duties was backed by seven out of nine judges, the court said in a statement. Deputy Prime...
- Singapore motorists face on-the-spot fines as Malaysia enforces permitsby Jean Iau,Hadi Azmi (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 6:13 am
After years of delays, Malaysia began enforcing its Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) scheme at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday, with Singaporean motorists crossing the Causeway without an activated permit facing on-the-spot fines of 300 ringgit (US$71). Malaysia announced in May last year that all foreign-registered vehicles entering from Singapore would be required to use the VEP from October 2024, prompting a last-minute rush by Singapore drivers to register their cars and triggering a bottleneck...
- India’s newlywed killer brides, Singapore’s NTU and AI: 7 Asia highlightsby SCMP (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 4:15 am
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. Vietnamese property tycoon Truong My Lan escapes death penalty 2. ‘Small wins don’t hide the truth’: Philippine tourism slumps amid Asean’s boom 3. Arranged to kill? Newlywed wives accused of murdering husbands stun India 4. Malaysia’s first ethnic Chinese lieutenant...
- Myanmar’s Elephants are Partners in Resistance and Reliefby Karishma Hasnat (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 4:12 am
Elephants are playing important roles in the country's civil war, but the conflict casts a dark shadow over their future.
- ‘Not a good precedent’: Indonesia’s China-backed smelter sparks defence worriesby Resty Woro Yuniar (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 4:00 am
A China-funded bauxite smelter on an island in western Indonesia could scale down a key naval training area, prompting concerns that national defence priorities are being sidelined in favour of foreign investment, according to a Jakarta-based military analyst. The proposed US$4.9 billion facility, to be developed by Tianshan Alumina Indonesia – a unit of Chinese metals giant Tianshan Aluminium – is set to occupy about 400 hectares (988.4 acres) of land currently used by the Indonesian Navy on...
- Philippines Elevates Defense Ties With Lithuania to Counter ‘Common Threats’by Sebastian Strangio (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 3:59 am
The Philippine defense secretary said that the agreement was part of the Marcos administration's attempt to build alliances as a counter to China's assertive maritime behavior.
- Indonesia to Relax Import Restrictions as US Tariff Deadline Loomsby Sebastian Strangio (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 1:33 am
Jakarta says that the measures will aid its tariff negotiations with the Trump administration, while advancing its broader economic goals.
- Japan races against time to avoid US car tariffs as deadline loomsby Julian Ryall (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 1:30 am
Japan’s top negotiator has made a last-ditch trip to Washington in hopes of heading off a steep US tariff on Japanese cars – but with just over a week to go, and President Donald Trump doubling down in recent comments, analysts say neither side appears willing to compromise. Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief trade envoy on the issue, flew into the US capital on Thursday and spoke twice to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick by phone over the weekend. But he failed to secure a meeting with Treasury...
- Why Did Hun Sen Call For Regime Change in Thailand?by David Hutt (The Diplomat) on July 1, 2025 at 1:12 am
It is hard to see what Cambodia's former leader gained by openly violating the regional norm against mutual non-interference.
- Japan probes Chinese student’s role in exam fraud amid rising cheating scandalsby Julian Ryall (Asia - South China Morning Post) on July 1, 2025 at 12:04 am
A Chinese student at one of Japan’s top universities has been charged for the third time with helping others cheat in English proficiency tests, a case that observers say may be part of a broader and more sophisticated cheating network involving overseas university admissions. Wang Likun, a 27-year-old studying artificial intelligence at Kyoto University, was first arrested in May when he attempted to enter a TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) venue while impersonating...
- UN Rapporteur Highlights Continuing Restrictions of Civic Space in the Philippinesby Mong Palatino (The Diplomat) on June 30, 2025 at 10:19 pm
While the situation has improved under President Marcos, Irene Khan identified numerous areas of concern.
- 1 in 3 Tuvaluans Applies for a New ‘Climate Visa’ to Australia by Jane McAdam (The Diplomat) on June 30, 2025 at 7:58 pm
Ultimately, everyone in Tuvalu may end up seeking such a visa.
- Propaganda, Pay, and Prison: The Kazakhs Fighting in Ukraineby Albert Otkjær (The Diplomat) on June 30, 2025 at 5:19 pm
While many Central Asian migrants have been coerced or pressured into fighting for Russia in Ukraine, a number of Kazakh citizens have taken up arms voluntarily.
- Retreating Is Not Safety: How Cambodia Drives Women Out of Civic Spacesby James Gomez and Asia Centre (The Diplomat) on June 30, 2025 at 5:06 pm
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is driving women out of leadership positions and public advocacy.