South Korean drama ‘Doctor X’ triggers fresh row over Gwangju Uprising depiction

The estranged half-brother of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, has called their father a “disgusting monster” after handing over a trove of alleged child abuse material belonging to their shared parent to police in the Philippines. The four boxes containing mobile phones, computer equipment and other personal belongings were handed over to the Philippine National Police’s Women and Children Protection Centre last week by Thomas Markle Jnr, who was previously his father’s full-time carer. Markle...

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. Filipinos split on Marcos’ sea handling amid row over Chinese envoy’s remarks Filipinos are almost evenly divided over the Marcos administration’s handling of the maritime dispute with China, even as nearly three in four favour diplomacy over confrontation, according to...

A Myanmar citizen living in Denmark on Monday filed a complaint with Danish authorities against the country’s ruling military junta for alleged war crimes committed against minorities. The complainant, Ngun Siang Dim, who is from the Chin minority, claims she saw 40 houses burn down in her village in Chin State, in western Myanmar, and that several members of her family and friends were killed or left permanently disabled by landmines laid by the junta. The military junta “has done so many...

A decision by Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar and Indonesia to jointly develop and produce weapons systems marks a major push to reduce reliance on Western armaments that come with political strings attached, observers say. Following the signing of the Badr memorandum of understanding in Doha on Wednesday, the four governments separately said they would work towards integrating their defence industries and supply chains to meet military needs. “By leveraging the capabilities of each country in the field...

The Pentagon has assigned the USS Colorado as the first US nuclear-powered attack submarine to join a rotating force to be based in Western Australia. The 115-metre (380-foot) Virginia-class submarine, armed with land-attack missiles and sophisticated torpedoes, would sail to the new Australian base in late 2027, officials said on Tuesday. The deployment was a “significant milestone” in building up a joint US-Australia-UK deterrence in the Pacific under their Aukus defence pact, the allies said...

In parts of Southeast Asia, unsold homes are piling up as developers struggle to clear housing stock – yet young buyers hoping to land their first property still cannot find an affordable home. The paradox reflects a growing mismatch between the homes being built and what aspiring buyers can afford, according to analysts, who point to speculative investment, financing hurdles and poor locations as factors leaving properties empty even amid demand for affordable housing. In Vietnam, the problem...

From AUKUS to trade, for Australia, the implications of the midterms are particularly profound.

If so, to what end? Panda and Putz discuss on the latest episode of the Asia Geopolitics podcast.

Regardless of the Sino-Vatican agreement, the practical, multifaceted ties between Taiwan and the Holy See have deepened over the past year.

Tashkent summoned the Iranian ambassador to lodge a protest regarding social media posts by Iranian diplomatic missions.

The Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who is likely preparing to secure a fourth term in power in 2027, has complained that officials cannot be trusted.