1 hour ago Thailand’s Pattaya deploys AI drones as cries grow to tackle rising crime

A city in Thailand plans to deploy AI-powered police drones to hunt down criminals and visa overstayers amid growing concerns over public safety. Authorities in Pattaya want to link the drones to a centralised AI database so they can scan faces in crowds and pick out individuals with outstanding arrest warrants or expired visas, according to local media outlet The Thaiger. The drones will be used during large-scale local events and in tourist hotspots to monitor activities and respond to...

Events

2 h. ago Malaysia’s Anwar given second chance to prove immunity from sexual assault suit

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will be allowed to argue that he has legal immunity from a sexual harassment civil suit after the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour on Tuesday, just days before proceedings were due to start. The suit, brought by Anwar’s former research assistant Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, alleges that Anwar sexually assaulted him in 2018 at the then-opposition leader's private residence. Anwar has denied the allegations. The case risks resurfacing controversies that have...

Events

4 h. ago Pressured by US tariffs, Chinese exports expand in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia

Chinese exports to major industrial centres in Southeast Asia rose by double-digit percentages in the first five months of the year to satisfy growing consumer markets, feed offshore factory investments and offset losses from high US tariffs. Shipments to factory-magnet Vietnam increased by 18.8 per cent from January to May, compared with the same period in 2024, according to official data released on Monday. Meanwhile, exports to Thailand grew by 20.9 per cent, and Indonesia took 16.8 per cent...

Events

7 h. ago Megaquake scare in Japan, Philippines boosts air power: 7 Asia highlights

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. Japan on alert as Hokkaido tremors reignite megaquake fears A string of moderate earthquakes off the coast of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido has reignited concerns among experts and residents about the risk of a catastrophic seismic event – though scientists stress...

Politics

7 h. ago Concern in Japan as police investigation uncovers possible yakuza

A police investigation into alleged organised crime activity in Japan has uncovered what experts say could be signs of cooperation between a domestic yakuza faction and Hong Kong’s 14K triad, one of Asia’s most powerful criminal networks. The concern centres around a video found on a mobile phone seized during an arrest in September last year, which shows individuals sharing glasses of sake – a traditional ritual that experts say can symbolise an oath of loyalty or alliance. According to Jiji...

Events

8 h. ago Nara’s famed deer could face food crisis in winter as acorn trees cut down

A move to cut down acorn-bearing trees in Japan’s Nara Park has sparked concern among researchers about the survival of the attraction’s free-roaming deer during the harsh winter. Acorns serve as a vital food source for deer, while the trees also provide critical shelter, with the animals often gathering beneath dense canopies for warmth and protection in the colder months. “The base of these trees becomes a critical place that determines whether the deer can survive winter,” said Shiro...

Events

18 h. ago US Pentagon orders 700 Marine Corps troops to Los Angeles as unrest spreads

The US Pentagon ordered hundreds of Marine Corps members to Los Angeles to quell unrest that has led to a political stand-off between Washington and officials in the West Coast state. Earlier on Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom threatened to sue US President Donald Trump for dispatching National Guard troops to America’s second-most-populous city without state authorisation. Chinese and Asian residents in the economically powerful state expressed concern amid fear that, having already...

Politics

18 h. ago US Pentagon deploying 700 Marines to quell Los Angeles unrest

The US Pentagon ordered hundreds of Marine Corps members to Los Angeles to quell unrest that has led to a political stand-off between Washington and officials in the West Coast state. Earlier on Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom threatened to sue US President Donald Trump for dispatching National Guard troops to America’s second-most populous city without state authorisation. Chinese and Asian residents in the economically powerful state expressed concern amid fear that, having already...

Politics

21 h. ago Slain Hong Kong model Abby Choi ‘took advantage’ of rich husband, court hears

The former mother-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung feared the model’s disappearance two years ago would expose how the deceased had financially exploited her wealthy husband, a court has heard. Jenny Li Sui-heung, 65, told the District Court on Monday that she thought it was “shameful” to talk to police about the “chaotic” relationship between Choi, her husband Chris Tam and ex-husband Alex Kwong Kong-chi after the model went missing on February 21, 2023. The defendant, who...

Events

21 h. ago Disinformation, China and Indonesia’s Viral Battleground After Trump’s Tariffs

Disinformation, China and Indonesia’s Viral Battleground After Trump’s Tariffs  Fair Observer

Politics

22 h. ago Domestic helper gets 14 months’ jail in Hong Kong for jewellery theft

A domestic helper has been jailed for 14 months in Hong Kong after admitting that she stole jewellery from her employer and pawned most of the 47 items for HK$200,000 out of greed. Eastern Court on Monday sentenced Sherelle Lyn Valle Dajay, 41, for the theft of valuables taken from her employer’s home at Black’s Link in Happy Valley over a seven-month span last year. The Filipino national pleaded guilty last month to two counts of theft. She took valuables stored inside an unlocked wardrobe in...

Events

22 h. ago US soybean farmers move to reduce dependence on China as trade war grinds on

Soybean farmers in the United States have stepped up efforts to diversify their export markets while maintaining China as a critical buyer, despite ongoing trade tensions between the two superpowers, according to the head of a leading industry association. Jim Sutter, CEO of the US Soybean Export Council, said that while concerns about possible disruptions persist, China’s strong demand for soybeans – a crucial commodity for food and livestock feed – would ensure the US remains an important...

Events

24 h. ago Overseas judges leaving top Hong Kong court ‘only natural’: ex

The recent departure of several overseas judges from Hong Kong’s top court was “only natural” as those in the first batch appointed nearly three decades ago are already aged 80 years or older, a former justice chief has said. Elsie Leung Oi-sie, the first secretary for justice after Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, when the judges joined the court, also said on Monday that the city should look into cultivating judicial talent locally to reduce reliance on outsiders. Leung, who...

Events

25 h. ago China maths genius opens first social media account, gains 23 million fans in 5 days

Chinese mathematics prodigy Wei Dongyi has recently launched his first social media account, capturing widespread attention due to concerns about his appearance and dental health, while amassing an impressive 23 million followers in just five days. The 33-year-old, originally from Shandong province in eastern China, serves as an assistant professor in the mathematics department at the esteemed Peking University. Despite his remarkable achievements, Wei prefers a life centred on research and...

Economics

26 h. ago Hibor plunge a bigger deal for stock market than Hong Kong’s property sector

Hong Kong needs all the help it can get. Since 2018, the city has suffered one shock after another, preventing a meaningful recovery from taking hold and fuelling concerns about its position as a global financial centre. As an importer of US monetary policy with an economy that is far more synchronised with that of mainland China, Hong Kong has been the biggest casualty of economic and policy divergence between the world’s two largest economies, prompting renewed questions about the suitability...

Economics

29 h. ago Malaysian cartoonist vows to sue authorities over his ‘travel ban’

A controversial cartoonist who is known for his satirical artworks targeting Malaysia’s elite has vowed to take the government to court after he was stopped from leaving the country, in an incident that has prompted criticisms of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for walking back on his commitment to protect individual freedoms. Fahmi Reza, who once lampooned scandal-hit former prime minister Najib Razak as a clown, was en route to Singapore for a concert on Saturday when he was denied boarding at...

Transport

41 h. ago Why Kremlin and Beijing Are Courting New Delhi, And What Trump Has to Do With It

Why Kremlin and Beijing Are Courting New Delhi, And What Trump Has to Do With It  Times Now

Politics

52 h. ago Pakistan’s animal army marches to markets for haggling at annual festival

Once a year, Pakistanis mobilise for an operation that is akin to a major battle taking place in terms of scale and blood being spilled. Much is at stake – at least financially – as veritable four-legged armies numbering hundreds of thousands march on Pakistan’s population centres from farmsteads around the country. For the livestock farmers leading the sieges, the deals cut at pop-up markets for sacrificial bulls, goats and sheep – along with the occasional camel – on the Muslim festival of Eid...

Politics

58 h. ago The kids are alright: Hong Kong AI scientist offers a vision for ‘parenting’ AI

For years, the story of artificial intelligence (AI) has been cast as a high-stakes contest between the US and China – a technological arms race with global consequences. But to De Kai, a pioneering machine learning scientist and advocate for AI ethics, this framing fundamentally misunderstands the technology. “I would prefer to think about it as the AI climate change challenge,” De Kai said in an interview with the Post at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he is a...

Politics

2 d. ago Hong Kong water safety saga: what happened and how to protect yourself

Hong Kong’s leader has rolled out 10 measures to address concerns over the supply of freshwater containing a banned substance at two public housing estates. The Post unpacks the water safety concerns behind the saga and how people can protect themselves. 1. What’s the scandal about? Residents at two public rental and subsidised estates in Fanling first reported the presence of black particles in their drinking water on Friday last week, prompting some to buy bottled water as speculation mounted...

Politics