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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. Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz creates waves in Malaysia
Singapore’s pushback against negotiating with Iran over access to the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a backlash from Malaysian politicians, who saw its statements as “lecturing” them on how best to secure safe passage through the vital waterway.
2. Manila vs Hong Kong: the 2 sides of Asia’s housing affordability crisis

Hong Kong and Singapore routinely top global rankings of unaffordable cities. Yet it is the residents of Manila, Colombo and Yangon who are far more likely to tell pollsters they cannot afford shelter.
3. UAE pulls US$3.5 billion from Pakistan after Iran war mediation
Days before Pakistan had helped to secure a ceasefire in the Iran war this week, the United Arab Emirates was seeking repayment of a US$3.5 billion deposit from Islamabad’s central bank.
4. ‘Making a racket in Chinese’: Japan’s cherry blossom season stirs cultural rift

Japan’s famed cherry blossom season has become the latest battleground in a broader debate over overtourism, etiquette and how foreign visitors are portrayed when trouble flares.
5. What Pakistani jets in Saudi Arabia mean for Gulf security in Iran war

Pakistan’s deployment of an air force contingent at a base on Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coast, coming as it mediated talks between Iran and the US, could force Tehran to reconsider its strategy of attacking critical energy infrastructure in the kingdom, analysts say.
6. Singapore’s Shanmugam slams Bloomberg’s ‘venomous’ emails in defamation hearing

A defamation lawsuit filed by Singapore cabinet ministers K Shanmugam and Tan See Leng against financial news outlet Bloomberg on Tuesday opened with heated exchanges over an article that mentioned their personal property transactions.
7. Japan’s deportation drive strikes fear into asylum seekers, foreign residents
Japan’s tougher deportation drive is deepening fear among asylum seekers and long-term foreign residents, rights groups say, warning that the government’s push to remove more undocumented migrants is clashing with its duty to protect refugees.


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SCMP Highlights

Singapore’s Hormuz stance, Manila-Hong Kong housing gap: 7 Asia highlights

Oil tankers anchor off Muscat, Oman, on March 7. Photo: Reuters


Children walk through a flooded area in Baseco, one of the biggest slums in Manila, the Philippines. Photo: AFP

People gather for cherry blossom viewing, also known as “hanami”, at Kinshi Park in Tokyo on March 30. Photo: AFP

Pakistan Air Force’s JF-17 fighter jets fly past during a multinational naval exercise near Karachi in February 2025. Photo: AFP

Singapore ministers Tan See Leng (left) and K. Shanmugam are suing Bloomberg for defamation. Photo: Facebook/Handout

Fisherman catches Chinese drone; Iran war’s lessons for China: SCMP’s 7 highlights

A terminally ill Chinese man bequeathed his US$43 million fortune to his wife, who is 28 years his junior, causing outrage among his ex-wife’s family. Photo: Douyin

Local police in Lombok, Indonesia haul a Chinese underwater drone ashore after it was a caught by a fisherman. Photo: Handout 

Illustration: Henry Wong

Rescuers found He Chengan along Section 10 of the trail, where he had last been seen. Photo: Handout

Sheyna Lashira Smaradiani died after she was hit by a car while visiting Singapore’s popular tourist area of Chinatown in February. Photo: Handout

Gingle Wang’s rise to the top, apps that help fight jet lag: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Taiwanese actress Gingle Wang takes part in an interview with the SCMP in Tsim Sha Tsui on April 2, 2026. Her journey from a novice actress to a star highlights her approach to acting. Photo: Karma Lo

Unique Slow Rise Bakery’s menu includes items such as the pineapple bun, coconut cocktail bun and egg tart. Photo: Unique Slow Rise Bakery

Rocky Xu, founder of Rocky’s Matcha, says his brand is about “tradition and craft” rather than chasing trends. Photo: Rocky Xu

A Cantonese-English vocabulary of tools from the 1770s, part of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation collection. Photo: Oak Spring Garden Foundation

Chinese embassy confirms Wang Danhao death, SpaceX challenger fails: 7 science highlights

Wang Danhao, a postdoctoral researcher at University of Michigan’s College of Engineering since 2022, is reported to have died after a fall on campus late on March 19. Photo: Handout

Zhang Kai has joined the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, Anhui province. Photo: Handout

The superconducting weak force measurement system (left) and a test device built with two 10 kg spheres. Photo: CAS

Tsinghua University says its new network uses coded light signals from “beacon” satellites. Photo: Shutterstock

News

Asia

From Japan’s sakura season rift to a defamation hearing, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting


From Japan’s sakura season rift to a defamation hearing, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.


Singapore’s Hormuz stance, Manila-Hong Kong housing gap: 7 Asia highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From Japan’s sakura season rift to a defamation hearing, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting

1. Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz creates waves in Malaysia

From Japan’s sakura season rift to a defamation hearing, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting