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. All-out thaw: can India and China unfreeze icy ties at last?
When Indian pilgrims set foot in Tibet again this summer, their arrival heralded a new beginning for India and China, five years after a deadly Himalayan clash plunged the two bitter rivals into a diplomatic deep freeze.
2. F1 tycoon Ong Beng Seng admits guilt in Singapore minister gifts scandal
Ong Beng Seng, a Singapore-based billionaire hotelier and architect of the city state’s Formula One Grand Prix, pleaded guilty on Monday to abetting former transport minister S. Iswaran in a gifting scandal.
3. Sleepless in Seoul, scorching in Tokyo: East Asia roasts under record heat
East Asia is experiencing scorching weather, with Japan logging a new high of 41.2 degrees Celsius while South Korea marked a record streak of 22 hot “tropical nights” with temperatures exceeding 25 degrees.
4. ‘Shrimp among whales’: South Korea faces stark choices amid US-China rivalry