Japan life insurers eye purchases of higher-yielding JGBs
Meiji Yasuda Life, Daiichi Life look to expand domestic bond holdings
· Staff Writer
Follow the story
Asia
A focused view of neutral reporting on Asia, brought together across publishers.
Explore all topics →
Neutral reports only
Newest first · UTC+11:00
Cyberattack on Japan internet provider GMO threatens customer computers
Remote access settings, virtual private servers emerge as blind spots in security
· Staff Writer
Two UN-sanctioned North Korean tankers spotted repeatedly off China
Two North Korean oil tankers sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council have been repeatedly spotted off China’s coast, according to the public record by vessel-tracking Marine Traffic website, raising concerns that they may be circumventing sanctions while continuing to operate at sea.
· Jiha Ham
LAFC fan caught yelling racist slur at South Korea’s Son Heung-min after MLS game
LAFC’s MLS rivalry game against the LA Galaxy on Sunday was not a good scene for the team’s fan base. A video of an LAFC fan spitting on a woman LA Galaxy fan during the 2-2 draw is already sparking a lot of backlash. Son Heung-Min (7) of Los Angeles FC gestures during an MLS...
· Grant Young
Japan's Sakana AI to build homegrown model to cut US, China reliance
Country's top unicorn eyes use in sensitive fields like defense and cybersecurity
· Staff Writer
Japan weighs foreign agent registry for lobbyists to curb interference
Tokyo's version of US FARA could be included in broad anti-spying bill next year
· Staff Writer
Japan to team with Germany on fusion energy project, including power plant
Kyoto Fusioneering looks to improve equipment and power generation technology
· Staff Writer
USFK chief highlights importance of logistics solutions for sustainment capabilities
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier B...
· Chang Dong-woo
Download the South China Morning Post app for full access to SCMP Games, including the .
Play the and other puzzles with SCMP Games.
Download the South China Morning Post app for full access to SCMP Games, including Mini Sudoku.
Play the South China Morning Post’s Mini Sudoku and other puzzles with SCMP Games.
Download the South China Morning Post app for full access to SCMP Games, including the SCMP Cryptic Crossword.
Play the SCMP Cryptic Crossword and other puzzles with SCMP Games.
Download the South China Morning Post app for full access to SCMP Games, including Word Search.
Play the South China Morning Post's Word Search and other puzzles with SCMP Games.
Two new bridges show China and Russia competing for North Korea
China and Russia opened new bridges to North Korea a month apart, a sign that the two countries are competing for the favor of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The Yalu River bridge to China sat unused for more than a decade after its completion in 2014, until Russia began rewarding North Korea for […] The post Two …
· Robert R King
China’s leaders gather for fifth plenum
BEIJING — China’s President Xi Jinping opened a key meeting of Communist Party elites in Beijing on Monday, state media said, which observers will be closely watching for clues as to the country’s direction and future leadership.
· Agence France-Presse
North Korea slams South for fabricated landmine blast
SEOUL — North Korea has sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council accusing Seoul of fabricating a landmine explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers, its state media reported Monday.
· Agence France-Presse
Japan indicts US Marine for murder in Okinawa
TOKYO — Japanese prosecutors have indicted a US Marine on suspicion of murdering a woman on Okinawa, a court spokesman told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday, in a case that prompted public outrage.
· Agence France-Presse
Japan to back perovskite solar cell mass production with $640m in subsidies
Ricoh, Choshu Industry part of government's push to remain competitive in next-gen tech
· Staff Writer
Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post shines at Asian Media Awards with 6 prizes
The South China Morning Post has won six prizes at the World Association of News Publishers’ (Wan-Ifra) prestigious Asian Media Awards 2026 in Singapore, including a clean sweep for best news photography. The SCMP emerged as a big winner on Wednesday with five gold and one silver for its photojournalism, infographic…
· SCMP Reporter
HRW urges S. Korea to ease restrictions on proposed abortion pill rules
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged South Korea t...
· Chang Dong-woo
Win for Lula boosts China’s foothold and gives Brazil rare earths leverage
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s re-election preserves Beijing’s most critical foothold in Latin America, while positioning Brasilia to leverage the US-China rivalry over its vast rare earth reserves without picking sides. Lula, 80, secured an unprecedented fourth term on Sunday after winning 51.8 per…
· Cao Jiaxuan
Australian insurer Challenger rejects Daiichi Life unit's takeover bid
Board unwilling to recommend Japan insurer's offer price, but looks to continue talks
· Staff Writer
US Marine indicted for murder and robbery of woman in Japan
Prosecutors have indicted Devin Jacob Ballard for a killing that has caused outrage in Japan, local media reports.
· Bbcnews
Factory-gate prices are key barometer for China, but is the latest rebound a true recovery?
While the eyes of the world are fixed both on this week’s US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting and the trajectory of American inflation, observers of the Chinese economy are closely tracking a different metric: the producer price index (PPI). For the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, factory-gate prices have long ser…
· Sylvia Ma
US marine charged over Japanese woman's murder
The case has prompted widespread public outrage on the southern island where the heavy American troop presence has remained a sensitive issue.
Luxe Caribbean island loved by A-listers rocked by power outages, with VIP comparing conditions to ‘North Korea’
A-listers vacationing in St. Barts this week arrived to find "rolling electric blackouts across the island due to issues at its tiny power plant."
· Ian Mohr
US wants Orban to be next UN chief – WSJ
The US is pushing for former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to become the next UN Secretary-General, the WSJ has reported Read Full Article at RT.com
· RT
China’s tax offices issue disclosure orders as offshore asset grace period ends
Local tax bureaus across China are continuing to step up oversight following the expiration of the country’s grace period for the reporting of offshore trusts last Thursday, part of an ongoing push to spur voluntary tax disclosures. Municipal tax authorities in Beijing published notices for 21 individuals on the off…
· Emma Ma
The right cat for China?
On the eve of a party plenum that has purged 45 of 376 members, China faces its most pressing question: is the model it has adopted right for its historical phase? Beijing is uncertain. Domestically, it faces many problems, and foreign examples offer little reassurance. If the US offers a positive model, Beijing mig…
· Francesco Sisci
‘Passing down of the torch’ to young Asian Games winners bodes well for Hong Kong: John Lee
Hong Kong’s athletes were praised for producing “a beautiful harvest of medals” at this year’s Asian Games, and the success of the delegation’s younger members bode well for the future, the city’s leader said on Monday. A first tennis, a rugby sevens three-peat, combined with success on the water, in the pool, and o…
· Mike Chan
Chinese biotech giant WuXi AppTec raises 2026 outlook after profit surge
WuXi AppTec raised its full-year revenue guidance after its net profit surged 62.4 per cent in the first nine months of 2026, while revenue rose 38.6 per cent on strong demand for its drug development and manufacturing services. The Chinese pharmaceutical research services provider’s net profit reached 19.16 billion…
· Yulu Ao
Apple iPhone Duo price premiums evaporate in China’s scalper market
Scalpers in mainland China are slashing prices on Apple’s newly released iPhone Duo after the US tech giant’s first foldable smartphone drew mixed early consumer reviews over durability and software glitches. In Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei electronics market, a vendor surnamed Shen on Monday cut the premium on a black iP…
· Iris Deng
Hong Kong authorities warn against ‘cadaver skin jab’ treatment after raids and arrest over unauthorised product | South China Morning Post
Korean skin treatment derived from deceased human donors claims to structurally replenish aged and damaged skin, but is not registered for use in city.
Japan PM vows swift response to wave of cyberattacks
TOKYO, Japan — Japan will draft an emergency cybersecurity policy package in response to a sudden recent wave of hacking incidents, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday.
· Agence France-Presse
Death of former PM Yasuo Fukuda leaves void in fraught China-Japan relations
Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, who championed closer ties with China during his brief tenure and later served as a crucial diplomatic intermediary during bilateral crises, has died at the age of 90. Fukuda died of heart failure on Thursday at a Tokyo hospital, Japanese media reported on Monday. His pas…
· Alyssa Chen
Chinese internet users weigh in on French protests | South China Morning Post
The unrest started in September, when students and teachers in southeastern Paris rallied against deteriorating school conditions.
China’s airlines are adding 288 domestic routes. Can the sector’s recovery keep up?
Chinese airlines plan to add 288 domestic routes for the 2026-27 winter-spring travel season, with tropical Hainan and ski destinations in Xinjiang popular among travellers. International flights to some countries are also set to surge by 40 per cent. Most of the new domestic routes will connect coastal cities with …
· Frank Chen
Pentagon chief Hegseth to visit Philippines to meet US allies at Asean events
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to the Philippines this week to meet regional allies, the Pentagon announced on Sunday. The visit comes amid a push by Washington to tighten security ties in the Indo-Pacific ahead of an expected meeting between the US and Chinese presidents in southern China. Hegseth, a…
· Khushboo Razdan
US Marine indicted for allegedly robbing and murdering woman in Okinawa
Japanese prosecutors have indicted US Marine Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard on robbery and murder charges over the death of Anna Yagi in Okinawa.
· Reuters
Why China’s new estimate on Greenland ice loss speed is 55% lower than America’s
Chinese researchers have created a new model to convert satellite surface elevation data for the Greenland Ice Sheet into a detailed estimate of how much ice it has lost in recent decades. Using satellite altimetry data covering 2002 to 2023, they found that the ice sheet lost an average of about 120 gigatonnes (264…
· Victoria Bela
Why China’s heritage-listed Dog-Carrying Festival honours canines as sacred lifesavers
In a remote Miao village in southwestern China, dogs are honoured as life-saving heroes. Every seventh month of the lunar calendar, residents of Jiaobang village in Jianhe county, Guizhou province, celebrate Tai Gou Jie, or the “Dog-Carrying Festival” – a unique folk tradition recognised as local intangible cultural…
· Zoey Zhang
‘Zero-energy companionship’: bizarre hobby takes seed among China’s stressed young adults
Faced with a stagnant jobs market, many are spurning children or pets in favour of ‘raising bricks’Young adults in China looking for a cheaper, low-maintenance alternative to having children or pets have found an answer: raising bricks.Bricks may not be as cuddly as cats or as life-affirming as human offspring, but …
· Yu Chen Li, Amy Hawkins
Typhoon Champi declared strongest storm of year so far
One dead and 527 injured as winds of up to 185mph hit Taiwan and southern Japan, while Greece issues flood alertsTyphoon Champi was declared the strongest storm of the year so far after recording sustained winds of 185mph last week. From late Thursday to early Saturday, the typhoon battered Taiwan and Japan’s southe…
· Megan Davies and James Parrish for MetDesk
Abu Dhabi esports team Red Dunes takes top prize in prestigious Street Fighter tournament | The National
Four-player team defeats GTW in London to secure $60,000 and a place at next year's world championship in Japan
· Faisal Al Zaabi
Eala holds off Stojasavjevic to begin Tokyo Open campaign
MANILA, Philippines -- Making sure she wouldn't fall victim to another significantly lower-ranked opponent, Filipino tennis ace and world No. 19 Alex Eala held off No. 411 and wildcard Mika Stojasavjevic of Great Britain, 6-1, 6-2, to start her WTA 500 Tokyo Open campaign in Japan Monday afternoon.
· Niel Victor C. Masoy
China’s AI race needs data fuel. Can a new state-owned giant deliver?
Beijing is making an ambitious bid to turn China’s vast ocean of data into fuel for artificial intelligence and economic growth with the launch of a centralised national data group, though experts warn its success will depend on tearing down entrenched data-sharing barriers. The venture – established on October 20 a…
· Ben Jiang
AI chip surge lifts South Korea to record surplus, behind only China
South Korea earned US$116.63 billion more from the world than it spent in the second quarter of this year – exceeding the combined current account surpluses of Germany and Japan for the first time on record. The current account measures a country’s trade and income with the world. It counts goods and services sold a…
· Park Chan-kyong
Lula just made history in Brazil, but the biggest winner might be China | South China Morning Post
Brazilian leader’s unprecedented election comeback secures China’s top overseas investment destination for another four years.
China drafts rules to protect trade secrets from ‘foreign entities’
China has drafted special rules to protect the country’s trade secrets and is seeking public feedback on the proposed strictures, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday. In the draft document, the ministry said the rules apply “where a foreign entity engages in acts infringing upon Chinese trade secrets in the cour…
· Sylvia Ma
Late poets Yoon Dong-ju, Kim Nam-jo receive Korea’s highest cultural honor
Yoon Dong-ju, one of Korea’s most beloved poets, whose introspective Korean-language poetry captured the pain of life under Japanese colonial rule, and Kim Nam-jo, one of the most prominent female poets of postwar Korea, were posthumously awarded the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the country’s highest cultural h…
· Park Ga-young
How Kim Koo is remembered
Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Kim Yong-man’s office is filled with memorabilia related to independence activist Kim Koo. The first-term legislator, who represents Hanam-eul, Gyeonggi Province, occupies room No. 815 of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building. The number evokes Korea’s Liberation Day, Aug. 15.…
· Kim Hoo-ran