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SCMP

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. Why US visa pause could have ‘real consequences’ for Asian applicants
Asian workers and families already facing years-long waits for US visas could be pushed deeper into uncertainty by a global pause on immigrant visa appointments, as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens legal immigration through new screening and higher costs, experts warn.
2. Why Filipino migrants are rethinking their futures in Japan
When Japan’s embassy in the Philippines extended applications for healthcare jobs on April 15, the pitch was straightforward: 50 positions for nurses and 300 for care workers in Japan, a three- to four-year placement, free Japanese-language lessons in both countries and a daily allowance during training.
3. Trunk road: injured elephant’s 100km trek home drives debate in Malaysia

The lonely journey of a bull elephant trying to return to its jungle home has captured the hearts of Malaysians over the past week, putting a spotlight on the plight of wildlife struggling against deforestation and rapidly expanding human activity.
4. Why South Asian students are rethinking Western university education

For years, South Asian students – particularly from India – treated an overseas undergraduate degree as the default springboard to an international career. That assumption is now changing.
5. Can Southeast Asian artists replicate K-pop’s global success with SEA-pop?

The successes of Filipino acts SB19 and BINI appear to reflect a wider trend in Southeast Asia’s entertainment scene, with more regional acts outperforming Western artists and K-pop bands on streaming charts.
6. Why Malaysia’s push for 15 million Muslim tourists is no sure thing

Malaysia sees an opening in the Gulf travel disruption caused by the Iran war, pitching itself as a Muslim-friendly destination for travellers seeking halal food, prayer facilities and family-focused holidays.
7. Can Singapore’s new anti-scam rules help stop online fraud before it occurs?
Singapore’s new rules for messaging platforms mark a significant shift in the country’s fight against scams, placing greater responsibility on digital services to help stop fraudsters before they reach potential victims, as the government seeks stronger penalties for non-compliance.


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SCMP Highlights

US President Donald Trump’s administration has tightened legal immigration through new screening and higher costs. Photo: TNS

Sulong walks along a road on his 100km journey back home in August. Photo: X/jjhwonu

Students throw their graduation hats in the air at a university in Amritsar, India, in 2022. Photo: Nanu/AFP

BINI perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, in April. Photo: Reuters

A view of Kuala Lumpur’s city skyline. Photo: Shutterstock

India joins China and South Korea in push for Arctic shipping routes

An oil tanker traverses icy waters. Russia’s Northern Sea Route is attracting growing interest from Asia's commercial shipping lines. Photo: Shutterstock

A container ship operated by Chinese shipping line Sea Legend sets sail from the port of Ningbo, China, on August 15 headed to Felixstow, England, via the Arctic. Photo: Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group / AFP

An LNG carrier loads a cargo of liquefied natural gas at a terminal on Sakhalin island in Russia’s far east. Photo: AP

A flare stack is seen at a gas well in Qatar. The NSR offers no relief for Asia’s restricted energy flows from the Middle East. Photo: AFP

Philippine Roblox ban call sparks wider debate over children’s online safety

A boy plays Roblox in front of a screen displaying the platform’s logo on December 8, 2025. Photo: Reuters 

Candles and a stuffed toy are left outside Ateneo de Zamboanga University on August 19, a day after a shooting that killed two people in Zamboanga, southern Philippines. Photo: Reuters

A screenshot of an Isis propaganda video created by a 16-year-old using game footage on the Roblox gaming platform. Photo: Singapore Internal Security Department

A young girl plays Roblox on her mobile phone at her house in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 14. Photo: AP

AI smart glasses force South Korea to rewrite its exam rules

Seniors sit for a nationwide mock test on their scholastic abilities at a classroom of a high school in Seoul last year. Photo: EPA-EFE

Visitors test smart glasses at an artificial intelligence industry event in Nanjing. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Controversial Malaysian professor sacked; Marcos’ US$3b estate tax: 7 Asia highlights

Controversial Malaysian academic Solehah Yaacob seen in a still from a live-streamed lecture. Photo: Facebook/profsolehah

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr answers a question during the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines forum in Manila. Photo: AFP

A mother in Singapore feeds her baby in a pram at a park. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysian politician Mukhriz Mahathir in a still from a video in which he said he “hates Americans, all of them”. Photo: Facebook/MukhrizMahathirFC

Workers transfer palm fruits to a truck before being processed into crude palm oil at a palm plantation in Pekanbaru, Indonesia. Photo: AFP

News

Asia

From Filipino migrants in Japan to South Asians rethinking Western education, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting


From Filipino migrants in Japan to South Asians rethinking Western education, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.


Trump’s US visa pause; elephant’s 100km trek home; rise of SEA-pop: 7 Asia highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From Filipino migrants in Japan to South Asians rethinking Western education, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting

1. Why US visa pause could have ‘real consequences’ for Asian applicants

From Filipino migrants in Japan to South Asians rethinking Western education, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting