SCMP Asia·Saturday, December 20, 2025

SCMP Asia - Saturday, December 20, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

31 Malaysians rescued from Myanmar job scam centre return home

A group of 31 Malaysians, victims of a job scam syndicate in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been successfully repatriated following a high-level diplomatic operation, the Malay language daily Sinar Harian reported. They arrived at the Bukit Kayu Hitam immigration complex near the Thai-Malaysian border at 6.50pm on Saturday. Upon arrival, they were immediately handed over to the Royal Malaysia Police for further investigation into the syndicate’s operations. While the victims’ identities were confirmed.

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The rise of 50-year mortgages in Japan: new era for young buyers amid rising housing prices

The use of housing loans with terms of up to 50 years, far longer than the standard 35-year term, is spreading among younger generations in Japan amid a rise in housing prices. Young Japanese are buying the properties of their choice by reducing monthly payments, but a longer loan term raises the total repayment amount and keeps company employees paying even after they retire. The risk of interest rate fluctuations, caused by the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy shift, is another thing to worry..

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Malaysia seizes US$375 million in drugs after Kuala Lumpur syndicate busted

Malaysian police busted a crime syndicate and seized US$375 million-worth of cocaine, ketamine and other drugs, calling it one of the country’s largest hauls to date. Four sting operations around Kuala Lumpur netted more than four tonnes of cocaine and 14 tonnes of ketamine, as well as the synthetic drug MDMA and drug-making equipment, police said in a statement released on Saturday. During Tuesday’s raids, police arrested six suspects: three local men and three foreign women. Cars, forklifts...

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Bondi shooter Sajid Akram visited Philippine gun shop before attack, police say

One of the two alleged Bondi Beach shooters visited a gun store during their stay in the Philippines, police said on Saturday as they attempted to retrace the pair’s movements. An Australian counterterrorism team is investigating whether Sajid Akram and his son Naveed met with Islamist extremists during a nearly month-long visit to the southern island of Mindanao before the mass shooting that killed 15 people in Sydney six days ago. The staff of Davao City’s GV Hotel said this week that the two.

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Japan’s economic security push heralds rising protectionism in Asia

An obsession with “security” can create increasing insecurity. This paradox is being amply demonstrated as advanced nations, including the United States and Japan, take or contemplate joint action aimed at bolstering economic security but which could erode global economic growth and prosperity – or even result in physical conflict. How might such threats crystallise? Strengthening security, whether economic or military, suggests increased defence spending to, for example, secure sea lanes and...

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‘Outraged’ Philippine doctors call on Congress to rein in lawmakers’ ‘medical pork’

“Outraged” medical professionals across the Philippines are urging Congress to curb or scrap what they call “medical pork” – tax money for patient assistance that is channelled through politicians via personally signed guarantee letters – as lawmakers finalise the 2026 national budget. At least 72 medical and health professional organisations have signed a joint petition denouncing the practice, arguing it allows politicians to influence who receives state medical aid in ways that can be used...

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Mexico’s 50% tariff shock shuts Asia’s North American trade bypass

For much of the past year, Asian exporters have been racing to stay ahead of a global tariff storm – re-routing shipments, reconfiguring supply chains and absorbing rising costs as the United States tightened its trade barriers. Now another pressure point is emerging. From the start of next year, Mexico plans to impose import duties of up to 50 per cent on a wide range of goods from Asia, threatening to choke off a key workaround companies have relied on to maintain access to the North American.

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Malaysia allows halal hotels, eateries to deck halls with Christmas decor

Halal-certified hotels and food premises in Malaysia are allowed to display Christmas decorations, according to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan. He clarified that there are no restrictions against halal certification holders from displaying festive decorations linked to religions other than Islam, provided that halal standards are upheld. “The position is in line with a decision made by the Islamic Development Department Malaysia (Jakim) in 2023,...

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Vietnamese lead influx of migrants to South Korea as foreign population hits record high

South Korea’s foreign resident population has climbed to an all-time high, driven by a sharp rise in young migrants and a particularly strong influx from Vietnam, according to new data. The 2025 Immigrant Residence and Employment Survey, published Thursday, shows that as of May, the number of foreign residents aged 15 or older exceeded 1.69 million, up from 1.56 million a year earlier, an increase of around 8 per cent. The figure accounts for about 3.3 per cent of South Korea’s total population.

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Japanese drone school develops AI system to track bears amid rise in encounters

A drone school in northeastern Japan is developing a new system that uses drones and artificial intelligence to identify and automatically track bears amid a surge in bear-related incidents. The new system being developed by D-Academy Tohoku in Gojome, Akita prefecture, will be able to detect bears hidden from view in mountainous or urban areas and share their locations via smartphones. It is expected to be available next year, and local authorities are already showing a keen interest. The...

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