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How monarchies stay relevant, Pakistan’s new defence pact: 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. How Southeast Asia’s monarchies stay relevant in a volatile region The kings in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Brunei have to be attuned to societal or economic changes...

Helicopter crash on popular Greek tourist island of Sifnos kills 3

A private helicopter has crashed on the popular Greek tourist island of Sifnos, killing three people on board, Greek authorities say

A detainee’s death revives Syria’s memories of torture and abuse in prisons

The death of a young man with hemophilia days after his arrest has sparked outrage in Syria

Mount Etna erupts a day after US tourist killed by lightning

Mount Etna erupts in Sicily, sending smoke and ash into the sky, a day after a US tourist died from a lightning strike while hiking on the volcano.

A looming rock collapse threatens a Swiss village as thawing permafrost destabilizes the Alps

Residents of the Swiss village of Kandersteg face a looming threat from an unstable mountain rock formation called Spitze Stei

A physics graduate, a soccer player, a teen who couldn't swim: They died in the Ceuta migrant surge

In a tragic attempt to reach Europe, dozens of Moroccans died trying to cross into Spain

This school teaches Senegal's brightest girls to push back against patriarchal norms

Senegal's first elite boarding school for girls shows how the largely Muslim West African nation has made progress in girls' education, but challenges remain

Fear grips children after deadly earthquake in eastern Indonesia leaves thousands displaced

Thousands of people are still displaced on Indonesia’s Flores island, three days after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake killed at least 68 people, injured 213 and damaged more than 4,500 homes

Coalition MPs cross floor over ‘weak’ gambling crackdown as major parties strike deal

Gambling sources question how an opt-out register would operate while Greens call Labor-Coalition agreement ‘cowardly’Two Coalition MPs have crossed the floor after a deal between the major parties to pass Labor’s new restrictions on betting advertising and inducements, which the MPs say are too “weak” and place “too much faith in the hands of the gambling companies”.Anthony Albanese and the commu...

Malaysian preacher faces backlash over Chinese festival remarks

A preacher and prominent conservative commentator has drawn backlash in Malaysia after questioning why a banner for a traditional Chinese festival was not written in Malay, the country’s national language. Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, an ethnic Chinese Muslim convert known for provocative commentary on race and religion, was criticised by social media users and a Selangor politician for casting a routine...

As Europe’s challenges persist, where are its leaders unwinding this summer?

European leaders are trading their offices for coastlines and rural retreats. But with crises persisting across the continent, escapes are fraught with reputational risks.

Isles of Scilly named friendliest place in England – and Barking least friendly

Rankings based on community life survey put two Devon districts in top five and Stoke and Ipswich near bottomThe Isles of Scilly have been named as the friendliest place in England as part of a major study into social division across Britain.All 296 local authority areas have been ranked in a new index using government data from the community life survey, measuring how often people chat to neighb...

Isles of Scilly friendliest place in England, social division research finds

All local authority areas ranked, with two Devon districts in top five and Barking and Dagenham named least friendlyThe Isles of Scilly have been named as the friendliest place in England as part of a major study into social division across Britain.All 296 local authority areas have been ranked in a new index using government data from the community life survey, measuring how often people chat to ...

Burnham urged to intervene over ‘zero-hours’ custody officers in private prison

Exclusive: Prison officers’ union strongly opposes HMP Millsike offering flexible work escorting prisoners amid staff shortagesAndy Burnham is under pressure to intervene in a privately run prison that is seeking to recruit custody officers on zero-hours contracts for the first time across England and Wales’ prison estate.Managers at HMP Millsike, a category C prison for 1,500 prisoners near York ...

Chinese navy’s combat software guru Zhao Xiaozhe disappears from academy website

A top naval software expert, whose work helped warships to process battlefield information and support combat decisions, has vanished from the Chinese Academy of Engineering’s online membership list. Zhao Xiaozhe, 63, a vice-admiral in the PLA Navy, once headed the Central Military Commission’s top science and technology body, helping to shape research priorities across China’s armed forces. He is...

Chinese commercial banks gain margin relief, but subdued lending dims outlook

Chinese commercial banks recorded a rare, modest uptick in net interest margin (NIM) in the second quarter of 2026, marking the sector’s first quarterly expansion in the profitability indicator since 2022, even as underlying loan demand remained weak. Average NIM for commercial banks edged up 1 basis point to 1.41 per cent in the June quarter, from 1.40 per cent in the first quarter, according to ...

Clamping down: China tightens exit rules

The Chinese government announced new border regulations in late July in a move seen as expanding state control over its citizens. The new rules, which come into effect on September 15, tighten checks on travellers and provide new grounds for restricting Chinese citizens from leaving the country, including exit bans of up to three years in some cases. 

Hungary opens sluice and sinks barges to protect nuclear plant as Danube levels fall

Emergency engineering work is under way as authorities brace for a further sharp drop in river levels before conditions are expected to improve later this week.

Quote of the day by Barack Obama: "If we aren't willing to pay a price for our values, if we aren't willing to…"

South Korea president calls for military independence in wake of Trump call to cut joint drills

Lee Jae Myung reiterates desire for full command back in Seoul’s hands after Donald Trump cuts joint exercises, citing warm ties with Kim Jong-un‘Inane, haphazard decision’ by Trump to gut South Korea allianceSouth Korea’s president ⁠has renewed his push to regain independent control of the military from the US in the event of war and urged faster progress in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines a...

A rare orca known as “La Abuela” was found with wounds consistent with shotgun pellets; could threaten an entire Iberian population of fewer than 40 whales

Spain's Environment Ministry is actively investigating a distressing situation involving Toni, an injured Iberian orca. The oldest member of her pod has been discovered with wounds resembling those inflicted by shotgun pellets, as witnessed by marine conservationists documenting several impacts on her dorsal fin. The Iberian orca population is critically endangered and endures significant threats ...

Hong Kong aiming to revamp heat-stress warning system by end of this month

Hong Kong’s labour minister has said authorities aim to complete a revamp of the city’s heat-stress warning system by the end of this month, following criticism that the alert level was not increased during record-breaking temperatures. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Tuesday that changes to the Heat Stress at Work Warning system would require thorough preparatory work a...

Trump says N Korea’s Kim has responded to his request for a conversation

US president says Kim Jong Un's response was 'very positive' and again slams Seoul for refusing to join war on Iran.

Tuesday briefing: What the Simon Levy case tells us about the women the justice system keeps failing

In today’s newsletter: The women most at risk of violence are often the least likely to be heard – the murder of two sex workers shows why that must changeGood morning. Last week, Simon Levy, a registered sex offender, was sentenced to a rare whole life tariff for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins. Both women, as well as others targeted by Levy, were vulnerable and invol...

$186M cleanup transforms Minnesota lake, creates 14-acre fish habitat