SCMP News Digest
Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Is Trump pressuring South Korea to lock in deal before US court can strike down tariffs?
President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will reinstate 25 per cent tariffs on South Korea is less indicative of a sudden rupture in relations but more an attempt to reassert leverage over an ally ahead of a critical US Supreme Court ruling, analysts say.
Trump has accused South Korea of failing to follow through on a bilateral trade deal, reviving trade tensions between two close allies and prompting Seoul to seek urgent talks with Washington.
The timing also reflected mounting Trump’s…
Malaysia disputes Indonesian media reports on Sabah border, says talks ongoing
The Sabah-Kalimantan border issue on the island of Borneo is still under discussion, Malaysia has said, following media reports of a land trade with Indonesia.
“Negotiations are still ongoing. The areas on the map and on the ground are different. Discussions are carried out according to the law, but no decision has been made yet,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Monday, as quoted by Bernama news agency.
“We will instruct our technical committee and surveyors to carry out the…
7 Fifa-banned Malaysian footballers cleared to play after CAS grants stay
Seven foreign-born players for Malaysia’s national football team have been cleared to keep competing after the Court of Arbitration for Sport temporarily halted Fifa-imposed bans while their appeal is reviewed, Malaysia’s football federation said on Tuesday.
Last September, Fifa fined the Football Association of Malaysia 350,000 Swiss francs (US$450,000) for fake documents filed to naturalise the seven players, who were also fined and suspended for a year.
The players stemmed from Argentina,…
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific rebrands Dragonair subsidiary in 2016 – from the SCMP archive
This article was first published on January 27, 2016
Exit the Dragonair as Cathay rebrands
by Sijia Jiang
Cathay Pacific group is likely to announce a rebranding of its Dragonair subsidiary as “Cathay Dragon” as the company seeks to strengthen its corporate identity.
The idea to strengthen the sister airline’s association with the premium airline Cathay Pacific Airways has been under discussion for a few months, sources familiar with the matter told the South China Morning…
Malaysia aims to be sustainable aviation fuel hub, but what about low Asian demand?
When Hong Kong-based EcoCeres opened Malaysia’s first commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel plant in Johor on Monday, officials pitched it as a new export segment positioned for strong growth, backed by the country’s ports, processing capacity and palm-adjacent supply chains.
The problem is that the biggest buyers are still not in Asia, EcoCeres says.
“The major part of the demand is in Europe,” EcoCeres CEO Matti Lievonen told reporters at a press conference, adding that “absolutely much…
China coming ‘closer’ to US as ‘global power’, European ex-leader says
China is approaching the United States in terms of overall world power including economic mettle, a former European Commission leader and Portuguese prime minister said this week.
The United States remains the “most important global power” but China is getting closer, said Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, the European Commission president from 2004 to 2014, pointing to US technology and finance among other aspects of its prominence.
“China comes every time closer, from my point of view,” Durao Barroso…
Hong Kong must invest in Africa-Asia financial corridor, government adviser FSDC urges
Hong Kong should focus on connecting its capital markets with African financial centres so that companies and Belt and Road Initiative projects on the continent can raise funds in the city, according to a council that advises the government on development strategy.
In addition to being a funding source for commercial enterprises and infrastructure projects, Hong Kong could be a place for wealthy Africans to set up family offices to manage their wealth, succession and charitable activities, the…
‘All options’ on table amid feedback from flat owners hit by Tai Po fire: John Lee
The Hong Kong government is analysing feedback from 90 per cent of property owners affected by the devastating Tai Po fire, with the city leader stressing that “every option” is being considered amid some residents’ demands for in situ redevelopment.
Two months after the fire that claimed 167 lives, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday underlined the importance of announcing a long-term resettlement plan for thousands of displaced residents, but stopped short of providing a timeline.
He…
Hong Kong model Abby Choi’s murder trial set for September
Abby Choi Tin-fung’s ex-husband, his brother and father will stand trial for her alleged killing in September, three years after the death of the Hong Kong model.
In a closed-door hearing on Tuesday, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, his elder brother Anthony Kwong Kong-kit and their father Kwong Kau appeared before Deputy High Court Judge Brian Keith for the first time.
The pre-trial hearing was held for the judge to give directions to the parties regarding the trial.
According to the judiciary’s website,…
What were lead singer Rosé’s local snack choices at Blackpink’s Hong Kong shows?
A guessing game went viral online and at Kai Tak Stadium during Blackpink’s three concerts in Hong Kong, with two-dish-rice and other street food such as egg tarts and pineapple buns among the top items that fans speculated the lead singer of the K-pop girl group would eat on stage.
In the end, it was signature street food items such as egg waffles, Hong Kong-style milk tea and curry fish balls that made surprise appearances at the concerts, with fans and residents delighted by the group’s…
Takaichi says ties will ‘collapse’ if US forces are hit in Taiwan and Tokyo does nothing
Japan’s alliance with the United States would collapse if Tokyo turned a blind eye as US forces were attacked in joint operations in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday.
“If something serious happens there, we would have to go to rescue the Japanese and American citizens in Taiwan. In that situation, there may be cases where Japan and the US take joint action,” Takaichi said in her latest elaboration of Japan’s potential military involvement in case of a Taiwan…
Taiwan singer Jolin Tsai’s mainland concerts likened to ‘cult’ events; CCTV praises artistic merit
Taiwan’s Mandopop queen Jolin Tsai’s new concert tour has been branded a “cult” event online.
But the singer has hit back and received support from fans, including mainland China’s state media.
Tsai unveiled her new world tour concert, Pleasure, at the Taipei Dome from December 30 to January 1.
As footage of the breathtaking stage circulated online, a mainland Chinese influencer with 400,000 followers, @celialiang, accused Tsai’s concert of being “cultlike”.
The influencer and her supporters…
Hundreds feared missing or dead in Mediterranean shipwrecks, UN says
Hundreds of migrants may be missing at sea or feared dead following reports of multiple deadly shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean in recent days, the UN’s migration agency warned on Monday.
The International Organisation for Migration said it was “deeply concerned” by the reports, which it was currently verifying.
“Several boats are believed to have been involved over the past 10 days, with preliminary information suggesting that hundreds of people may be missing at sea or feared dead,” a…
Hong Kong leader urges patience amid pushback against mandatory seat belts on buses
Hong Kong’s leader has called for the public to recognise that seat belts are widely implemented in other jurisdictions, following complaints about the city’s new mandatory rule on buses, with passengers lamenting that the restraints were ill-fitted for young children and prevented commuters from reaching “stop” buttons to alight.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday said the new regulation was a necessary responsibility that the city must accept to protect lives, and that it was informed…
Thailand border threat pushes Cambodia to ratify UN sea treaty after over 40 years
A “threat assessment” of Thailand amid deadly land border clashes has finally convinced Cambodia to ratify a major UN maritime treaty, according to analysts.
Speculation that the Thai navy might close off supply lanes in the Gulf of Thailand also weighed heavily in Phnom Penh’s decision, they said.
Phnom Penh ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) on January 16, more than four decades after signing the treaty. It is the last Asean member to do so.
Passed during the fifth…
Spain busts cocaine trafficking operation that used ‘floating bases’ at sea
Spanish police have broken up a vast cocaine trafficking operation that used speed boats to bring the drug onshore from floating bases in the Atlantic, seizing around 10 tonnes of the drug and arresting 105 suspects.
Police said on Monday that a year-long investigation in cooperation with law enforcement in countries including Cabo Verde, formerly known as Cape Verde, Colombia, France, Portugal and the US showed the group brought an estimated 57 tonnes of cocaine to Europe in the…
K-drama star Cha Eun-woo faces scrutiny, life expectancy in Okinawa: 7 Asia highlights
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. Malaysian badminton player threatened with knife attack online over performance
2. K-drama star Cha Eun-woo’s ad campaigns pulled amid tax scrutiny in South Korea
3. Malaysia’s expat salary rules dubbed ‘ridiculous’, stoking talent drain fears
4. Groomed at 15:…
‘Very deep poverty’ in Britain hits worst level in 30 years, report says
Poverty in Britain has deepened, according to a report released on Tuesday, with approximately 6.8 million people now living in “very deep poverty”, the highest level in three decades.
“Very deep poverty” refers to households with an after-housing-costs income below 40 per cent of the UK median, amounting to around £16,400 (US$22,446.68) a year for a couple with two young children.
The report by Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), which conducts research aimed at solving poverty in Britain,…
China trip by Keir Starmer to test Labour’s push for ‘reset’ in ties with UK
In an era of ruptured global order, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s much-anticipated visit to China, scheduled for later this week, marks the culmination of London’s “re-engagement” strategy with Beijing, prioritising trade and growth amid escalating geopolitical risks, according to observers.
Beijing said on Friday that Starmer would visit from January 29 to 31. A Downing Street spokesman confirmed the dates on Monday, telling reporters “he will depart for his travel to China and Japan on…
How a Japan doctor’s 40-year reunion ended in ruin and US$4 million lawsuit
It all began with a phone call out of the blue to a doctor running a cosmetic surgery clinic in Tokyo’s swanky Ginza district in the winter of 2014.
“Do you remember me? I’d love to get together after all these years,” the man on the line told the doctor who had been his childhood friend in grade school.
They had not seen or spoken to each other since they sang together in their local choir some 40 years earlier. Feeling a tug of nostalgia, the doctor agreed to meet.
Ten years after their…