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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. South China Sea: what does Europe see in the Philippines? Sweden has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing security cooperation with the Philippines, adding to a growing list of European countries seeking defence ties with Manila amid concern over growing Chinese assertiveness in the region. 2. Bukit Bintang upgrade to rival ‘Singapore’s Orchard Road’ draws Malaysian ire A government plan to spend nearly US$1 million on decorative lights and other cosmetic upgrades in Kuala Lumpur’s famed Bukit Bintang district has drawn fierce backlash, with residents questioning the priorities of city planners as floods and ageing infrastructure continue to plague the Malaysian capital. 3. Most Asian countries don’t see China as a security threat: Singapore’s ex-PM The security situations in Asia and Europe are very different because of each region’s respective dynamics with China and Russia, Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong has said. 4. Japan’s PM slammed for ‘currying favour’ with Trump over Nobel Peace Prize plan Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been accused of “taking flattery to the extreme” after she informed US President Donald Trump on Tuesday about her plan to nominate him for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize. 5. Cloudy with a chance of microplastic showers forecast in Indonesia’s capital A new study has found that rainwater in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta contains microplastics and potentially other toxic chemicals harmful to public health, raising alarm over the pervasiveness of such particles in the country’s biome – down to food consumed. 6. America’s ‘concerning’ lust for rare earths rocks Southeast Asia Beneath hills draped in ancient rainforests, where rivers sustain millions and biodiversity flourishes, Southeast Asia hides a treasure coveted by global superpowers: rare earth elements. 7. Malaysian woman jailed 5 years over autistic son’s death due to neglect A Malaysian court on Friday sentenced a woman to five years’ jail for neglect leading to the death of her six-year-old autistic son, in a case that has shocked the nation and raised questions about the lack of support for families with special needs children.
