SCMP Asia·Monday, January 12, 2026

SCMP Asia - Monday, January 12, 2026

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

Why timing may be right for China to press North Korea on denuclearisation

The Ukraine war and Donald Trump’s return to the White House have significantly altered northeast Asia’s geopolitical landscape. North Korea’s defence treaty with Russia and leader Kim Jong-un’s decision to deploy troops to support Moscow have shattered any remaining illusions of strategic restraint. While Russia is believed to be supplying North Korea with finance and technology, Japan and South Korea are accelerating military spending and preparing for long-term confrontation, potentially –...

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US action in Venezuela fuels Asia’s fears of collapsing rules-based order

America’s capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro in a special operation sent shock waves across the world. With characteristically bombastic rhetoric, US President Donald Trump hailed Operation Absolute Resolve as “an assault like people have not seen since World War II” and “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might” in history. His deputies were quick to add that the operation also showed the long arm of the US justice system by accusing...

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Singapore takes stock of lessons from Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze

Singapore has begun reviewing early findings from the investigation into Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po high-rise blaze, with ministers signalling that lessons from the tragedy could feed into tighter rules on construction and maintenance works in the city state. Lawmakers said in parliament on Monday that observations made by Hong Kong authorities about the fire at Wang Fuk Court would be studied and, where relevant, incorporated into Singapore’s legislation and policy framework. The blaze, which...

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Gig workers’ strike in India spurs debate on human cost of delivery race

A New Year’s Eve flash strike by gig workers in India who provide commerce connectivity, such as through 10-minute doorstep deliveries, has drawn attention to their welfare, including the risk of accidents amid physical exhaustion. More than 200,000 gig workers staged protests across major Indian cities during the peak delivery period to highlight their demands for legislative protection, social security benefits and better wages, according to the Indian Federation of App Based Transport...

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Japan’s ‘genius’ chimpanzee Ai, who mastered Chinese characters, dies at 49

Ai, a “genius” chimpanzee who could recognise more than 100 Chinese characters and the English alphabet, has died aged 49, Japanese researchers said. Ai, which means love in Japanese, took part in studies on perception, learning and memory that advanced our understanding of primate intelligence, the Centre for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behaviour at Kyoto University said in a statement. She died on Friday from multiple organ failure and ailments related to old age, the school said. Aside.

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Malaysian man posing as security guard forced woman to perform ‘indecent act’: police

A Malaysian man has been arrested over allegations he posed as a security guard to rob a young couple in a car park in Kuala Lumpur before forcing the woman to perform “an indecent act”, police have said. Wangsa Maju district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Lazim Ismail said a report was lodged on Wednesday after the alleged attack the previous night in Ayer Panas, Setapak, where the 19-year-old woman and her boyfriend were in their car eating burgers and recording a “mukbang...

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South Koreans see joy in parenthood but fear economic strain, study reveals

Young people in South Korea are more likely than their peers in Germany, Japan, France and Sweden to agree that having children would bring great joy, but they also express far stronger concerns about the economic burden of childbirth, a study found. The findings, drawn from a survey of 2,500 adults aged 20 to 49 in each of the five countries, were published in a report titled “A Study on International Cases of Population Policies” by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on...

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Japan’s top diplomat heads to Philippines with South China Sea top of mind

Japan’s top diplomat is heading to the Philippines this week for talks expected to focus on maritime tensions in the South China Sea and Tokyo’s strategic role in the region. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi’s stop in Manila on Thursday is part of a nine-day diplomatic tour of the Middle East and Asia that began last Saturday, with stops in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Qatar and India. His talks with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro are expected to review...

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Philippine tourism chief’s magazine cover controversy prompts debate over branding

The Philippines’ tourism chief has drawn criticism after appearing on the cover of a lifestyle magazine intended to promote the country’s destinations, reviving complaints that the department’s messaging has become overly focused on its leader at a time when visitor numbers are slipping. Christina Frasco, secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT), appeared on the cover of the December issue of Philippine Topics, pictured against a beach backdrop and alongside a story on the...

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Myanmar’s pro-junta party wins Aung San Suu Kyi’s former seat: ‘surprise no one’

Myanmar’s main pro-military party on Monday claimed victory in the parliamentary seat of sidelined democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi in an election being derided as a ploy to prolong junta rule. The armed forces have ruled Myanmar for most of the nation’s post-independence history before a decade-long democratic thaw saw civilians assume control. But the military snatched back power with a 2021 coup, deposing and detaining Aung San Suu Kyi after claiming a landslide election victory over the...

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