Philippine pageant debate, Chinese stealth jets in Pakistan: 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. ‘Foreigner won’: Filipinos divided over pageant winner’s US rootsThe Philippines has crowned its newest Miss Universe candidate, Bea Millan-Windorski, as the country – known for its penchant for beauty pageants – prepares to send its latest representative to the global competition in November.2. Chinese J-35 stealth jets set to give Pakistan a strategic edge over IndiaA year after fending off a massive Indian air assault with the help of Chinese warplanes and missiles, the Pakistan-air-force" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="9166" data-entity-type="organization">Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Thursday unveiled plans to upgrade its fleet through further acquisitions of Chengdu J-10C fighters and substantial upgrades to the JF-17s co-produced by the two allies.3. Lawrence Wong warned of ‘storm clouds’ for Singapore. Was it an understatement?Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the general election in May last year. Photo: ReutersWith Singapore facing a global energy crisis due to the conflict in the Middle East, the “storm clouds” that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned of at an election rally last year now appear to be an understatement.4. South Korean judge in Kim Keon-hee’s appeals trial found dead days after verdictA South Korean appellate court judge who presided over a high-profile case involving former first lady Kim Keon-hee was found dead early Wednesday morning, police said.5. Malaysia’s EV import curbs to protect local sector criticised for inconsistencyMalaysia’s nascent electric vehicle market may be decimated before it gets up to speed, as business experts warn of a sharp drop in demand and delay in the renewable energy transition if the government imposes strict price curbs on imported units from July, in a move to protect the country’s vehicle makers.6. Japan’s hikikomori recluses are growing old. So are their carersA Japanese government survey estimated that 1.46 million people were living as shut-ins as of 2023. Photo: ShutterstockJapan has long grappled with what to do about hikikomori – the social hermits who seal themselves off from the world, sometimes for years, retreating from all human contact.7. South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fireSouth Koreans protest in Seoul last month against an earlier request by US President Donald Trump to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFPWhen a South Korean cargo ship exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, Donald Trump wasted no time declaring what he thought it meant.Further Reading