https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/324846/feed Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on India, covering politics, economy, society, the country's relationships with Pakistan, China, Russia and the United States. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Elon Musk’s accusation that powerful Indian business interests are blocking Starlink’s entry into India has sparked a political row, but analysts say the dispute also highlights security concerns, regulatory hurdles and strategic calculations shaping the satellite service’s expansion across Asia. In a post on social media, Musk said Starlink was licensed in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with Indian laws and regulations. “So why still no licence? Is Ambani the real... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370387/elon-musks-starlink-row-india-exposes-asias-deeper-battle-over-satellite-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370387/elon-musks-starlink-row-india-exposes-asias-deeper-battle-over-satellite-power?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:12:28 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond 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. China tried 3 times to talk crime families out of scam business in Myanmar: CCTV China tried three times to persuade powerful families in northern Myanmar to shut down scam operations before Myanmar police carried out large-scale... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3370254/china-warned-myanmar-syndicates-trump-urged-xi-talk-takaichi-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3370254/china-warned-myanmar-syndicates-trump-urged-xi-talk-takaichi-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 04:15:06 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang Chinese President Xi Jinping was busy travelling abroad last month. In September, he paid a historic state visit to the United States, his first to the country in more than a decade. He also made his first visit to India in seven years, meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Brics summit. China will host the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, where Xi will meet US President Donald Trump for the third time this year. During the summit, Xi is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370259/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-september-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370259/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-september-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 02:39:33 +0000 Sherry Wang Sherry Wang Most G20 members, including the European Union, signed a US-led joint statement calling for action to eliminate industrial overcapacity, a move experts say reflects a coordinated effort by Washington and Brussels to assemble a “multilateral coalition” to pressure Beijing amid growing trade imbalances. In the statement, issued by the Office of the United States Trade Representative on Wednesday, the US and 14 other economies agreed to “take effective actions” to address structural excess capacity... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3370184/washington-brussels-forge-multilateral-coalition-against-chinas-industrial-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3370184/washington-brussels-forge-multilateral-coalition-against-chinas-industrial-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A second visit by one of the top US naval officers to India this year has raised expectations that the two countries can insulate their growing military ties from trade tensions. US Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, who leads the US Pacific Command, is scheduled to leave India on Thursday after spending six days meeting with senior Indian defence officials and others. The talks, which follow Paparo’s visit to India in February, come as Washington weighs further tariff pressure on India over its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370206/india-aims-anchor-military-ties-us-indo-pacific-resident-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370206/india-aims-anchor-military-ties-us-indo-pacific-resident-power?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo China and other energy-importing countries are expanding clean energy capacity three times faster than energy-exporting nations, according to a recent report on the global energy transition. The shift reflects growing determination among governments to reduce reliance on imported oil and gas, a trend reinforced by disruption of shipping via critical chokepoint the Strait of Hormuz, according to risk-management firm DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook released on Wednesday. Over the last five years,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370159/china-and-other-energy-importers-lead-shift-oil-clean-energy-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370159/china-and-other-energy-importers-lead-shift-oil-clean-energy-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Foreign workers building the vast new US consulate compound in Milan signed agreements at a Milan hotel Wednesday securing payouts averaging €45,000 (US$50,400) each for alleged labour abuses while working for an American construction company. More than 60 labourers, mostly from India, signed the deals Wednesday to receive their share of a €31 million (nearly US$35 million) settlement agreed last month with Alabama-based Caddell Construction. The signings began Tuesday. Prosecutors say it is the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370118/workers-mostly-indian-building-us-consulate-milan-agree-record-settlement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370118/workers-mostly-indian-building-us-consulate-milan-agree-record-settlement?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 02:33:22 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Fan Chen Khushboo Razdan,Fan Chen Washington and Beijing may have signed an agreement built around “reciprocity”. But a more consequential question remains unresolved: does it mean equal status for Beijing? Countries without a seat at the table are watching that ambiguity closely. The spectacle of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington – the tarmac greeting, the flyovers, the state dinner – has been interpreted less as courtesy than as a statement of rank. Some argue that China is no longer being treated as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370028/g2-illusion-after-xi-trump-summit-china-wants-equality-while-us-seeks-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370028/g2-illusion-after-xi-trump-summit-china-wants-equality-while-us-seeks-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 02:30:06 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Elon Musk accused unnamed rivals of blocking SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband network in India, an apparent swipe at billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal. SpaceX has been awaiting approval from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to offer Starlink service in India, where companies controlled by Ambani’s Reliance Industries and Mittal’s Bharti Airtel have spent years building formidable positions in telecoms. “Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3370110/elon-musk-hits-out-certain-oligarchs-blocking-starlink-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3370110/elon-musk-hits-out-certain-oligarchs-blocking-starlink-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:03:10 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang “Science has no borders,” Arup Neogi, an India-born scientist who works at a US-sanctioned university, told Chinese state media. Neogi’s speciality is photonics, the study of generating, controlling and detecting light. At the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in the southwestern city of Chengdu, he leads a team exploring the interconnection between light and sound. This university has one of China’s top electronics and communication programmes and has been on the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370070/india-born-us-citizen-drives-research-light-sanctioned-chinese-school?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370070/india-born-us-citizen-drives-research-light-sanctioned-chinese-school?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Bhavya Gupta was a Grade 4 student when the 2012 horrific gang rape and murder of a medical college intern who was on a private bus in New Delhi, which sparked nationwide outrage and led to the execution of four attackers, prompted her teacher to mention the case in class to raise awareness about women’s safety. “My teacher gathered all the girls in the classroom and told us about it, and after that our school uniform changed from skirts to pants. I also remember adults around me talking about... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3370079/14-years-after-nirbhaya-gang-rape-horror-has-india-progressed-womens-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3370079/14-years-after-nirbhaya-gang-rape-horror-has-india-progressed-womens-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:03:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Four Indonesian seamen who were kidnapped and held hostage by Somali pirates aboard an oil tanker for more than five months arrived back home on Tuesday. The men were among 17 crew rescued a week ago when maritime police from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in northern Somalia stormed the Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 tanker that was hijacked in April. Before the vessel could be recaptured, the pirates had already killed five crew members – three Pakistanis, an Indian and a Myanmar national... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369954/4-indonesian-seamen-kidnapped-somali-pirates-return-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369954/4-indonesian-seamen-kidnapped-somali-pirates-return-home?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:15:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indian police detained several opposition lawmakers in the capital of New Delhi on Tuesday for trying to breach barricades during a protest march to demand the resignation of the election chief over a controversial revision of voter lists. The march presents a fresh political challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi midway into his ‌third term, just months after similar protests forced the resignation of his education minister over exam paper leaks. Parties opposing Modi’s government along with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369942/india-opposition-lawmakers-detained-over-protest-against-election-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369942/india-opposition-lawmakers-detained-over-protest-against-election-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:01:02 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Indonesia is expected to receive its first Chengdu J-10CE fighter jets in six months, according to an Indonesian media report, which would make it the third international operator of the Chinese-made aircraft. Jakarta confirmed an order of 42 of the 4.5-generation fighter jets – known as Vigorous Dragons – last October, with an approved budget of US$9 billion. The first delivery is expected in April though it is not known how many aircraft will be delivered, Indonesian news outlet Republika... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369910/indonesia-take-delivery-first-chinese-j-10ce-fighter-jets-6-months-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369910/indonesia-take-delivery-first-chinese-j-10ce-fighter-jets-6-months-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:18 +0000 William Yiu,Edith Lin William Yiu,Edith Lin Hong Kong has retained its status as the world’s freest economy in the latest annual ranking by a top Canadian think tank, although its score has declined in recent years. Switzerland overtook Singapore to claim second place in 2026, pushing the city state down to third in the league table released by the Fraser Institute on Tuesday. The Economic Freedom of the World report, compiled by the Vancouver-based public policy research organisation using data from 2024, ranked Hong Kong first among 165... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3369922/hong-kong-remains-worlds-freest-economy-switzerland-overtakes-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3369922/hong-kong-remains-worlds-freest-economy-switzerland-overtakes-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:36:16 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s recent push to become more involved in helping end the Russia-Ukraine war comes as the costs of the conflict continue to mount for New Delhi, amid the threat of US tariffs on major buyers of Russian energy and a recent drone attack on an Indian-owned pharmaceutical plant in Ukraine. Sunday morning’s drone attack destroyed a large part of Kusum Group’s factory in Sumy, killing one person and injuring several others. The company, which has manufactured generic medicines in Ukraine since... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369911/why-india-getting-serious-about-ending-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369911/why-india-getting-serious-about-ending-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:30:06 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow US F-35 stealth fighters have joined Indian warplanes for military exercises near the Pakistan border in recent days, marking the first time America’s most advanced multirole combat aircraft has taken part in joint drills in India. The US jets’ participation in the drills “signals a degree of military confidence and interoperability that is difficult to manufacture through communiques”, Sushant Singh, a South Asian studies lecturer at Yale University and former Indian Army officer, told This... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369870/india-sizes-us-f-35-stealth-jets-landmark-first-home-turf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369870/india-sizes-us-f-35-stealth-jets-landmark-first-home-turf?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:47:05 +0000 SCMP 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. AirAsia chief mocks Singapore Airlines’ food – and social media hits back AirAsia co-founder Tony Fernandes has caused a stir online after taking aim at Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) in-flight meals, claiming the food served by the carrier lagged behind his own airline’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/article/3369849/airasia-chiefs-jab-backfires-singaporeans-going-car-lite-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/article/3369849/airasia-chiefs-jab-backfires-singaporeans-going-car-lite-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:15:05 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Designer Azeeza Khan has spent the better part of 15 years building a fashion empire on her own terms, in her own way. For one, Khan is still based in her hometown of Chicago, away from the American fashion epicentre of New York and the Hollywood machine in Los Angeles. “We’re at Kith, Revolve, Shopbop, all those places, so we have reach,” she explains, but she hopes to expand her eponymous label’s physical presence with a secondary office outside Chicago. “LA is one of our top-selling consumer... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/luxury-ceos/article/3369746/designer-azeeza-khan-her-cfda-genesis-house-win-new-york-fashion-week-and-law-roach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/luxury-ceos/article/3369746/designer-azeeza-khan-her-cfda-genesis-house-win-new-york-fashion-week-and-law-roach?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:00:06 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India has sold its Akash air-defence missile system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, giving it a foothold in Central Asia as it seeks to become a major global arms exporter. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirmed the latest sales on Thursday last week, hinting at interest from elsewhere as he called the Akash “one of our success stories”. Developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Akash is a home-grown, short-range surface-to-air missile system that can hit... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369812/why-indias-missile-deals-central-asia-matter-russia-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369812/why-indias-missile-deals-central-asia-matter-russia-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:31:05 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg India is taking a more direct role in efforts to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, engaging both sides on issues including shipping and reducing hostilities, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar has said. Speaking at a security conference over the weekend, Jaishankar said India in recent months has become “a little bit more involved beyond advocacy”. The comments point to a more active role for New Delhi after years of taking a cautious approach to the war, in part because of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369747/india-seeks-be-little-bit-more-involved-ending-ukraine-war-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369747/india-seeks-be-little-bit-more-involved-ending-ukraine-war-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 03:47:33 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thousands of young protesters and opposition parties staged protests in the national ⁠capital and Mumbai on ⁠Sunday, demanding the resignation of Election Commission Chief ⁠Gyanesh Kumar, as police detained demonstrators for a third consecutive day. Opposition leaders Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray led protests in Mumbai calling for the scrapping of revisions to the electoral roll and Kumar’s resignation. In Delhi, protesters started gathering in the early evening and police started... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369713/india-election-chief-faces-calls-resign-protesters-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369713/india-election-chief-faces-calls-resign-protesters-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:12:09 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Most trade ministers from the world’s largest economies disagreed with calls to curb excess industrial capacity at a Group of 20 (G20) trade meeting that ended on Thursday, according to China’s commerce ministry, a view that contrasts with a US statement that a “handful” of countries objected. “The issues related to excess industrial capacity and forced labour have been highly controversial,” a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday about the two-day G20 Trade... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3369703/most-g20-trade-ministers-reject-us-call-curbing-excess-capacity-china-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3369703/most-g20-trade-ministers-reject-us-call-curbing-excess-capacity-china-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:38:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Flydubai co-pilot who officials said nearly crashed a Tel Aviv-bound flight with 182 people aboard was barred from flying by his native Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a person familiar with the matter said on Saturday. The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and Western diplomat. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The United... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369644/flydubai-plane-attack-co-pilot-previously-barred-flying-oman-over-extremist-views?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369644/flydubai-plane-attack-co-pilot-previously-barred-flying-oman-over-extremist-views?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 04:53:37 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s opposition parties and the youth-led “cockroach” movement took to the streets on Friday, demanding action over alleged irregularities in voter rolls and calling for the resignation of the country’s chief election commissioner, as the combined pressure from the two groups poses a new challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The protests have brought the opposition closer to the youth movement that it has sought to engage with, according to analysts. While their convergence... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369598/indias-modi-faces-dual-pressure-cockroach-movement-opposition-parties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369598/indias-modi-faces-dual-pressure-cockroach-movement-opposition-parties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:02:05 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday that there is no timeline yet for implementing the US-China Board of Trade, one of the key economic outcomes of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington last week. Speaking on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Trade Ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Greer said the tariff reductions under the mechanism were “a policy outcome” and that the recommendations would have to go through a legal process before... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3369490/greer-says-no-specific-timeline-set-enforcing-us-china-board-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3369490/greer-says-no-specific-timeline-set-enforcing-us-china-board-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:54:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Investigators worked on Thursday to determine why an Omani pilot stabbed the captain of a flight to Israel, causing the plane to plummet dangerously before others on board landed it in Saudi Arabia. Passengers on the Flydubai plane – which was carrying 174 people, mostly Israelis, from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv – have described how the bloodied Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door to let them in before they grappled with the co-pilot and stabilised a descent so sharp that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369475/investigators-probe-why-co-pilot-stabbed-captain-flydubai-flight-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369475/investigators-probe-why-co-pilot-stabbed-captain-flydubai-flight-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:45:07 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Anti-South Asian hate in the United States has spiked since Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office for a second term, with racist, dehumanising and xenophobic slurs and narratives proliferating across both mainstream and fringe social media platforms, a US-based report has revealed. The report, titled “The Rising Tide of Anti-South Asian Hate in the United States”, by the Washington-based Centre for the Study of Organised Hate (CSOH), found that the monthly volume of hate towards South Asians... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369473/anti-south-asian-online-hate-surges-us-under-trump-20-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369473/anti-south-asian-online-hate-surges-us-under-trump-20-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:28:17 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg For Ajay Kumar Chutani, whose family has run a sari shop in the north Indian market town of Karnal since the 1970s, the months after the monsoon are always his busiest. During these cool weeks, he sells enough lengths of silk and embroidered cotton to tide him over the leaner seasons, as farming families prepare for weddings and the frenetic festival season. This year, after erratic rains through the wet season and the country’s weakest rainfall since 2015, Chutani is keeping a close eye on the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369432/indias-erratic-monsoon-plays-havoc-harvests-raising-fears-spending-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369432/indias-erratic-monsoon-plays-havoc-harvests-raising-fears-spending-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:58 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk An Indian pilot’s extraordinary bravery during an apparent mid-air hijack attempt has ignited a wave of national pride, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailing the pilot as a hero for saving 174 lives on a Flydubai plane – adding a dramatic chapter to a career that began almost by chance. Captain Smit Machchhar was critically injured after taking the brunt of a knife attack on Wednesday, but managed to open the cockpit door so crew and passengers could overpower the attacker. “Captain Smit... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3369424/indian-pride-swells-flydubai-pilot-who-saved-174-lives-hailed-absolute-hero?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3369424/indian-pride-swells-flydubai-pilot-who-saved-174-lives-hailed-absolute-hero?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 05:18:44 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday proposed a new global framework to tackle excess steel production capacity on the sidelines of the ongoing Group of 20 Trade Ministers’ meeting, just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States. “The United States has taken robust measures, and it probably makes sense for other countries to do that too,” Greer said after a meeting of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Well,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369393/us-targets-chinas-steel-capacity-g20-days-after-xis-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369393/us-targets-chinas-steel-capacity-g20-days-after-xis-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:30:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s leader credited the Indian pilot of a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, as well as the aircraft’s passengers, with averting catastrophe on Wednesday after the man was attacked by his co-pilot, sparking a fight for control of the aircraft and forcing an emergency landing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot of the Flydubai jet had been trying to crash it and kill all its passengers, with Israel’s foreign ministry denouncing the incident as “an attempted terrorist attack” aimed at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369392/israel-pm-hails-indian-pilot-wounded-diverted-flydubai-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369392/israel-pm-hails-indian-pilot-wounded-diverted-flydubai-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 20:45:03 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Shivanjali Singh has worked hard to raise two healthy, athletic children in India, but worries about their ability to resist the lure of junk food constantly surrounding them. Her children, aged 14 and 10, are national-level skaters and have grown up on home-cooked food and drinks such as coconut water rather than fizzy drinks and crisps. Yet Singh, who lives in Noida in the National Capital Region, sees sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks everywhere from school surroundings to sports... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3369325/can-india-curb-childhood-obesity-banning-junk-food-near-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3369325/can-india-curb-childhood-obesity-banning-junk-food-near-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:35:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters Somali ⁠pirates killed five crew members of ⁠the hijacked MT Honour 25 petroleum products tanker before it was rescued by security forces, Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland said on Tuesday. Puntland’s authorities said they also rescued a second vessel on Tuesday that had been hijacked in May. The deaths ‌aboard the Palau-flagged ship appear to be the first at the hands of Somali pirates in over a decade. The ship with 17 crew members was seized by pirates in April during a resurgence... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3369269/somali-pirates-kill-5-crew-hijacked-tanker-rescue-security-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3369269/somali-pirates-kill-5-crew-hijacked-tanker-rescue-security-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:43:04 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Tens of thousands of people thronged Apple stores in India this month to snap up the newest iPhone models – the 18 Pro and Pro Max – but the frenzy has kicked off public debate in the country about affordability and consumer debt. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at 164,900 rupees (US$1,700) and goes up to 179,000 rupees, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at 179,900 rupees and maxes out at 329,900 rupees. Apple also unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first-ever folding smartphone, essentially setting a new... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3369235/sell-family-jewels-latest-iphone-india-craze-dials-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3369235/sell-family-jewels-latest-iphone-india-craze-dials-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:44:10 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju US President Donald Trump’s recent endorsement of a trade corridor connecting India to Europe via the Middle East has renewed focus on the three-year-old project, but analysts warn it must expand to withstand ongoing geopolitical conflicts. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was first unveiled at the G20 summit in 2023 as an alternative to existing routes and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Backed by India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369219/india-europe-trade-corridor-gets-trumps-backing-can-imec-survive-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369219/india-europe-trade-corridor-gets-trumps-backing-can-imec-survive-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:01:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a new US$15 billion steel plant being built in Iowa, highlighting an economic victory in a key battleground state where Republicans face competitive midterm races. Trump announced the new plant at an Oval Office event alongside steel executives and Iowa Republicans, including two running for office. The event highlighted Iowa’s elevated status for Republicans and for Trump, who on Monday pledged to campaign there in coming weeks. “We’re going to do a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369110/trump-announcing-new-iowa-steel-plant-white-house-says-will-be-biggest-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369110/trump-announcing-new-iowa-steel-plant-white-house-says-will-be-biggest-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:02:58 +0000 Djoomart Otorbaev Djoomart Otorbaev The global electronics industry is entering a structural transition. For over two decades, China served as the dominant manufacturing centre, with an unmatched concentration of suppliers, skilled labour, infrastructure, logistics and engineering capabilities. That concentration is being diluted. But interpreting this as the decline of Chinese manufacturing would be a mistake. China is exporting parts of its manufacturing process while retaining the industrial capabilities that matter... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368704/china-no-longer-just-worlds-factory-its-hq?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368704/china-no-longer-just-worlds-factory-its-hq?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:30:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters India’s Supreme Court on ⁠Monday pushed for ⁠accountability over a recent spate of rape cases in the national capital and neighbouring districts, saying they reflected a “failure of law enforcement”, local media reported. Hundreds of students protested in Delhi last week demanding better safety for women after a teenager said she was gang-raped by three men at a city park. Protesters, most of them female, held placards and shouted slogans while marching near the crime scene. “Our body is our... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369069/indias-supreme-court-urges-accountability-over-rapes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369069/indias-supreme-court-urges-accountability-over-rapes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:36:18 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Tokyo on Monday rebuked Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after he voiced opposition over the weekend to Japan’s drive for permanent membership of the UN Security Council, claiming the country was on a “path of militarisation”. Lavrov’s comments came as the security council, tasked with safeguarding peace, is facing calls for reform amid accusations it failed to prevent recent conflicts such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, due largely to the veto power of its five permanent members:... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3369042/japan-denies-militarisation-after-russia-opposes-permanent-un-council-seat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3369042/japan-denies-militarisation-after-russia-opposes-permanent-un-council-seat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 07:40:22 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Brics-founded New Development Bank could help launch a fund by the end of the year to guarantee cheap loans for poor families in Africa and Latin America, Brazil’s social development minister said. The scheme would be the Shanghai-based lender’s first financial commitment to Brazil’s global anti-hunger alliance, an initiative sidelined by Washington’s presidency of the G20 this year. Wellington Dias told the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368865/china-based-brics-bank-set-lead-role-hunger-alliance-year-brazil-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368865/china-based-brics-bank-set-lead-role-hunger-alliance-year-brazil-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain For over two decades, Pakistan has waged countless counterterrorism campaigns against Taliban and Baloch insurgents in its western regions bordering Afghanistan and Iran, yet remains mired in a cycle of violence it cannot break. Scores of soldiers, policemen and civilians are killed every month in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces, where near-daily attacks on security personnel, government officials and other prominent figures are carried out by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368825/why-pakistans-endless-war-militants-fails-break-cycle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368825/why-pakistans-endless-war-militants-fails-break-cycle?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 05:00:17 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones At a zoo a short drive south of Bangkok, Charoon Youngprapakorn has spent a lifetime taking the pulse of Thailand’s tourism industry from an unlikely vantage point: the open jaws of crocodiles. Handlers at his Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm & Zoo have long thrilled onlookers by coaxing tips from the audience and carefully placing the money into the mouths of animals capable of taking off an entire hand. The crocodiles at this open-air, fan-cooled throwback to 1980s showmanship still take their tips... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3368828/thailand-has-had-enough-foreign-tourists-behaving-badly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3368828/thailand-has-had-enough-foreign-tourists-behaving-badly?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:18 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s “cockroach” youth movement is testing whether it can turn anger over education and jobs into a broader challenge to the country’s political establishment, two months after its protests helped force an education minister to resign over alleged entrance exam leaks. Its latest target is another powerful institution: the country’s election watchdog. The shift marks a transition for the movement from high-profile demonstrations in New Delhi to a more diffuse campaign of school audits,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368821/indias-cockroach-movement-targets-election-chief-political-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368821/indias-cockroach-movement-targets-election-chief-political-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:30:17 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to the US will conclude not at the diplomatic negotiating table, but in front of America’s founding documents. After morning tea in the White House Red Room, US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will take Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan on a tour of the National Archives, the home of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and other texts that established the basis of the US government. According to the Office of the First Lady, the two couples... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368793/xi-and-trump-cap-summit-tour-through-shared-us-and-chinese-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368793/xi-and-trump-cap-summit-tour-through-shared-us-and-chinese-history?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah proposed a climate alliance with neighbouring India and China, urging action to protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem after catastrophic flooding across the region. “Glaciers and floods do not travel with stamps and passports,” Shah told world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “As an urgent first step, we propose that we establish the Himalaya climate resilience mechanism, led by Nepal, India and China, so the Himalayas become a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368779/flood-ravaged-nepal-pushes-climate-deal-india-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368779/flood-ravaged-nepal-pushes-climate-deal-india-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 07:02:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain’s Newcastle University faced criticism on Thursday for awarding a sustainability professorship to Anant Ambani, the son of Asia’s richest man and owner of a scandal-hit giant wildlife centre in India. Vantara, which calls itself the world’s largest rescue centre, last month announced a major reset of its procedures following concerns about its rapid and vast acquisition of animals from around the world, including endangered species. Newcastle University said on September 14, it awarded... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368732/newcastle-university-under-fire-over-anant-ambani-professorship-amid-vantara-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368732/newcastle-university-under-fire-over-anant-ambani-professorship-amid-vantara-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 01:20:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China paid more for far less sulphur in August, as Middle East supply disruptions pushed the element’s average import price nearly 3.5 times higher than a year earlier, putting pressure on the country’s planting season next year. August imports fell nearly 30 per cent from July and 65 per cent from a year earlier to around 277,300 tonnes, according to the latest Chinese customs data. But the value of those shipments rose by more than a fifth year on year. The divergence sent the average import... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/article/3368654/chinas-sulphur-imports-dive-65-prices-surge-35-times-amid-middle-east-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/article/3368654/chinas-sulphur-imports-dive-65-prices-surge-35-times-amid-middle-east-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:00:20 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji For millions of Indians, buying a cup of chai or groceries from roadside vendors has come to mean reaching for their phones rather than wallets – a habit made possible by a system that has so far charged consumers nothing for such everyday transactions. Now, a decade after the government launched the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India is asking some merchants to pay for the hugely popular system – raising questions over whether it can preserve the low-cost model that drove its mass adoption... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3368661/what-can-asia-global-south-learn-indias-new-digital-payment-fee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3368661/what-can-asia-global-south-learn-indias-new-digital-payment-fee?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:02:05 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu The inadvertent disclosure of confidential information by a Morgan Stanley employee this week alarmed Hong Kong’s banking industry, listed issuers and regulators, according to several sources familiar with the matter. An email sent by the Hong Kong-based employee on Tuesday afternoon included an attached file with details on more than 100 deals in the pipeline, including initial public offerings (IPOs), private equity arrangements, pension fund positions and other projects in Greater China,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3368599/morgan-stanley-fat-finger-leak-confidential-deal-pipeline-sets-alarm-bells?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3368599/morgan-stanley-fat-finger-leak-confidential-deal-pipeline-sets-alarm-bells?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 04:33:57 +0000