Thailands insistence trade negotiations with the US can proceed separately from talks over a fractious border dispute with Cambodia has been met with deep scepticism given Washingtons increasing use of economic policy as a political instrument and US President Donald Trumps personal stake in the ceasefire deal. Bangkok announced on Saturday that tariff talks with the United States would remain separate from border issues, a pledge government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said followed...

Singapore has 20 electric public buses by Chinese manufacturer Yutong Group, and none of these vehicles support any remote control functions, the Land Transport Authority said on Monday. LTAs response came after Norways public transport operator Ruter found that Yutong had access to the buses control systems for software updates and diagnostics. This could allow the manufacturer to turn them off remotely. The discovery has also raised cybersecurity concerns, with Ruter saying earlier this...

Investors in Malaysias fast-growing data centre hub of Johor have been asked to postpone water-cooled expansion projects for at least 18 months, as authorities grapple with drought and mounting pressure on the states water supplies. Officials say the temporary deferral will apply to developers whose facilities depend on water for cooling servers that run around the clock, amid growing unease among residents and environmentalists that billions of dollars in tech investment are colliding with...

The death of Juan Ponce Enrile has brought an end to one of the most complicated lives in Philippine politics a man I covered for decades, whose brilliance, ruthlessness and endless reinventions shaped the country as much as they confounded those who tried to understand him. A central figure in the Philippines modern history, Enrile served as Ferdinand Marcos Snrs defence minister during martial law, defected during the 1986 People Power revolt, and eventually reclaimed power as Senate...

A Japanese woman in her 50s has been indicted without detention for forcing a kiss on Jin of BTS during a public fan event last year. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office said that the suspect was charged on Monday with indecent assault. She is accused of approaching Jin (real name Kim Seok-jin) during a fan meeting held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seouls Songpa district in June last year, shortly after he completed his military service. She forced a kiss on Jins cheek without...

Two of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnrs most senior cabinet members have resigned, as mass protests and corruption allegations intensify pressure on his embattled administration over the widening flood control corruption scandal. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman quit late on Monday, days after being implicated in the scandal by fugitive ex-lawmaker and former Marcos ally Zaldy Co. The resignations came as a rally, which started on Sunday and...

The new speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives has pledged to push through a long-stalled law banning political dynasties despite hailing from one of the countrys most prominent clans and sharing the chamber with multiple relatives. Faustino Bojie Dy III, elected speaker in September with near- unanimous support, told lawmakers on November 11 that he would prioritise legislation to finally implement the constitutions ban on dynasties. Observers say the move could address public...

A 26-year-old Australian man who rushed at Wicked star Ariana Grande during a premiere in Singapore was sentenced to nine days jail on Monday for public nuisance. In delivering the sentence, District Judge Christopher Goh told Johnson Wen that he was attention-seeking and had wrongly assumed his actions in Singapore would escape consequence. Wen, who has been remanded since November 14, pleaded guilty to one charge of causing annoyance to the public by causing a commotion during the Singapore...

A US-led crackdown on online scams may hand Southeast Asia an opportunity to combat the scourge, analysts say, as Washington and Beijing find common purpose in dismantling criminal networks that exploit lax governance and human trafficking. The United States launched its Scam Centre Strike Force last week to counter cryptocurrency fraud linked to Southeast Asia, estimating that such crimes defraud Americans of nearly US$10 billion a year. Many of these schemes, dubbed pig butchering scams,...

A landslide buried a passenger bus on a treacherous mountain pass in Vietnam, killing six people and injuring 19 others, as more heavy rain was forecast for the week. The earth and rocks collapsed onto the bus late on Sunday as it was travelling through the Khanh Le pass in the central highlands, state media reported. The winding, 33km (20 mile) stretch carved into steep mountainsides is scenic and popular with tourists but prone to landslides in the rainy season. The landslide crushed the ..

When a Singaporean man found his girlfriend dead in her bedroom, he tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate her before leaving with his belongings. He texted his girlfriends sister hours later to say only that the woman was uncontactable. When his girlfriends sister showed up at the unit with his girlfriends children, she found her sister dead and decomposing. Jason Hong Kai Qi, 34, was sentenced to one weeks jail on Monday for a rare charge of failure to report a death. He had earlier been...

The Malaysian High Court has dismissed an appeal by former prime minister Najib Razak and his son, Mohd Nazifuddin Najib, to stay bankruptcy proceedings against them. The bankruptcy proceedings were initiated by the Inland Revenue Board following Najib and Nazifuddins failure to settle tax arrears amounting to 1.69 billion ringgit (US$407 million) and 37.6 million ringgit, respectively. Judicial Commissioner Suhendran Sockanathan alias Saheran Abdullah made the dismissal after finding that...

A wave of armed robberies targeting Japanese nationals has plunged Japanese- run restaurants in Manila into crisis, forcing many to shut their doors and others to band together for survival. Since October last year, more than 20 robbery cases involving Japanese victims have been reported, according to the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines. The violence has led Japanese companies to restrict evening outings for employees, draining customers from popular nightlife districts once frequented by...

Malaysias southern state of Johor is being transformed by a torrent of tech investment. Global heavyweights Microsoft, Nvidia, ByteDance are pouring billions into vast data centres, the digital foundries that underpin the international AI industry and cloud economy. For Malaysias government, these investments are nothing short of transformative, representing a once-in-a- generation opportunity to vault ahead in Southeast Asias technology race. But for Johor residents like Muhammad Azrien...

When President Xi Jinping commissioned the Fujian on November 5, China became only the second nation to have an aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system. It is also notable that, last month, two navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea. These events crystallise a strategic reality often obscured by aggregate force comparisons: the relevant naval balance is not between the 11 US aircraft carriers and Chinas three, but between what the United States can...

Thousands of members of an influential religious group started gathering in Manila on Sunday for a rally to call for accountability in the Philippine government over a widening corruption scandal. Iglesia ni Cristo members, wearing white shirts, assembled in the historic Quirino Grandstand and nearby streets in Manila city. Police estimated the crowd at 14,500 as of 8am local time. Some camped out overnight for a programme expected to start late in the afternoon. The Christian religious group...

A new Philippine commission tasked with investigating alleged corruption in thousands of public flood control projects has begun issuing its first findings, but analysts warn the body was designed with too little power and independence to deliver real accountability. Created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in response to mounting public anger over so-called ghost projects flood control works that were paid for but either poorly built or did not exist at all the Independent Commission for...

Indonesias newest sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, is making a bold entrance onto the world stage with ambitious plans ranging from bidding to construct a haj village in Mecca to launching one of the worlds largest waste-to-energy initiatives. At the heart of these ambitions is Pandu Sjahrir, chief investment officer of the state-backed fund established by President Prabowo Subianto in February to manage strategic investments and improve governance across public assets. In an interview with...

A landslide on Indonesias Java island killed at least 11 people, an official said on Saturday, updating a previous tally as rescuers scrambled to find 12 others who were still missing. The landslide, caused by heavy rainfall, hit three villages in Central Java province on Thursday, burying some houses and damaging others. As of Saturday afternoon, the number of victims who were found dead is 11, while 12 more are still being searched for, said local search and rescue chief Muhammad...

Once awash with venture capital, Asias start-up ecosystem is now weathering a deep freeze as investors reassess their risk exposure amid global economic uncertainty and Chinas growth slowdown. For regional entrepreneurs, the flight of risk capital has turned into a crisis, with funds seeking refuge in safer markets. Malaysian venture capitalists told This Week in Asia that fierce competition for a dwindling pool of funds had become the new normal. What winter? Its the constant weather here,...

Southeast Asian economies have a transformative opportunity to enter the worlds critical mineral supply chain amid China-US trade tensions, a senior Asian economist said. Critical minerals essential raw materials for the production of hi-tech gadgets, cars and aerospace equipment will make the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) supply chain more resilient and sustainable, said Yasuto Watanabe, director of the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO). The...

US President Donald Trump called Thailand and Cambodia on Friday to bolster the peace deal he brokered after fresh clashes erupted between the Southeast Asian neighbours, the White House said. Trump co-signed a truce between the two countries on October 26 during a tour of Asia, touting it as one of several peace deals around the world that he believes should win him the Nobel Prize. But Thailand suspended the deal on Monday after a landmine blast, and the two sides traded accusations of new...

Malaysian rapper and filmmaker Namewee says he did everything he could to save Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh, but to no avail. I saw a human being die before my eyes for the first time. I did everything I could to save her but nothing could be done. This image will remain in my mind forever, Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, said in a Facebook post on Friday. This was his first public statement since he was released from detention over the police investigation into Hsiehs...

A fugitive former Philippine lawmaker has accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr of directing him to add 100 billion pesos (US$1.7 billion) worth of dubious public works projects to the national budget, a claim that throws new fuel on the corruption scandal that has dogged his administration for months. Analysts say the explosive allegation, made in a video sent to reporters by ex-appropriations chairman Zaldy Co, could feed a wider destabilisation push by rival political blocs, including ..

A Singaporean influencer who has set up a childrens charity drive and named it after his late daughter Megan Khung, a victim of horrific child abuse, has sparked a debate over the move, culminating in a legal spat between him and another online personality. Some online users questioned his sincerity, accusing Khung Wei Nan, who goes by the moniker Simonboy, of using his four- year-old daughters name for publicity, while others pointed to his imprisonment for drug use and said that he had ..

Singapore Airlines on Thursday reported a sharp fall in first-half profit, hit by losses at its Indian associate Air India, higher costs and intensifying competition. The airlines profit slid steeply in the second quarter to S$52 million (US$40.18 million) from S$186 million in the first quarter, highlighting Air Indias drag on performance. Singapore Airlines began accounting for Air Indias earnings in December 2024 after the integration of joint venture Vistara into Air India. The Singapore...

Malaysia predicts growth this year is likely to approach 4.8 per cent after a resurgent exports sector defied the impact of US tariffs in the third quarter. The nations growth rate in 2025 is set to be closer to the upper range of the official forecast of 4 per cent to 4.8 per cent, and may even exceed it, Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said at a briefing in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. An expansion in household spending and sustained investment activity will drive the...

Viral footage of two commuters wrestling on the floor of Johor Bahrus main border terminal has once again highlighted the chronic congestion and fraying tempers at one of Southeast Asias busiest land crossings, where hundreds of thousands travel daily between Malaysia and Singapore. The 14-second clip, posted late on Wednesday, shows a man and a second commuter who appears to be a woman pushing each other near the fenced entrance to the bus bays inside the Customs, Immigration and...

For 50 years, Sari Kartina Abdul Karim kept a secret that would reshape Malaysian history. In 1974, at the age of 26, she became one of the regions earliest Muslim trans women to undergo gender-affirming surgery and, in a rare moment of religious recognition, married with the approval of a Johor mufti. For five decades, she kept her story to herself. But now she says that silence has finally outlived its purpose. It feels like someone who was blind suddenly being told they have their eyesight...

The Penang Island City Council has ordered the unauthorised mural at a building at Chew Jetty to be removed. In a notice dated Thursday, issued under Section 82 of the Local Government Act 1976 by the councils Heritage Conservation Department, the building owner in the Malaysian state was instructed to erase and repaint the wall. The mural gained fame after a video of a Chinese tourist, known as Shen Shishi, painting a picture of a panda on the mural went viral online. She was accused of...

Cynthia Erivo performed some real magic on Thursday when she saved Wicked co- star Ariana Grande from an overeager troll at the premiere of the blockbusters second chapter in Singapore. The Oscar nominees were walking down a yellow brick road-inspired carpet, holding hands with co-star Michelle Yeoh and posing for fans, when a man screamed and hopped the barricade, according to fan footage. The man then wrapped an arm around 32-year-old Grande, only for Erivo, 38, and a guard to cut in. Erivo...

Singapores ambitions to lead the world in green shipping are picking up steam, with a new agreement with China poised to enhance the city states decarbonisation efforts and cement its role as a key hub for alternative fuels. The partnership, signed last month, aims to establish a digital and green shipping corridor between the two countries, and promote maritime decarbonisation, innovation and greater supply chain efficiency. The deal could give Singapore a competitive edge by plugging it...

The US and China are ramping up crackdowns on cryptocurrency-related cross- border crimes with a flurry of actions against the suspected ringleaders of scam networks operating in Southeast Asia. In recent years, the border areas between Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia have become hubs for online fraud operations, in which syndicates either trick or coerce their targeted victims to invest in bogus schemes and transfer money via bitcoin, ether or stablecoins before these are processed ..

Juan Ponce Enrile, a shrewd political operator who helped usher in the darkest repression of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos Snrs rule, died on Thursday at the age of 101, his daughter said. Enrile, who was being treated for pneumonia, died at home at 4.21pm surrounded by our family, Katrina Ponce Enrile said on her Facebook page, adding there would be a public viewing. Known as the architect of the brutal martial law used to crush opposition to Marcos rule, Harvard-educated...

Thailand and Cambodia traded blame on Thursday for the breakdown of the ceasefire over their disputed border, with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet accusing Thai soldiers of killing a civilian, as villagers on both sides prepare for the conflict to return. His Thai counterpart, Anutin Charnvirakul, on Wednesday risked incurring the wrath of US President Donald Trump by saying he no longer cares about the threat of tariffs, which were trimmed as a condition for the truce, as he accused...

Malaysian authorities confirmed the release of controversial Malaysian rapper Namewee from detention on Thursday in connection with the murder probe of Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh. Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said following submissions of investigation papers to the prosecutors office, Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, would be released on police bail till November 26. The investigation papers will be referred again to the Kuala Lumpur Deputy Public Prosecutors Office...

Malaysia has launched a new police investigation into the abductions of two social activists who vanished nearly a decade ago after a landmark court ruling found the government and police liable for their disappearances a decision officials are now seeking to overturn. The Home Ministry said on Thursday that a new investigation team led by an assistant commissioner of police had been formed in the wake of last weeks ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court, which found authorities responsible...

Australia signalled lingering unease on Thursday over whether Russia may seek access to an airbase in eastern Indonesia, stressing that Jakarta has an obligation to consult Canberra on matters affecting regional security. Foreign Minister Penny Wong was pressed over reports earlier this year that Moscow was looking for entry points in Indonesias Papua region, about 1,400km (870 miles) north of Darwin. Indonesia has publicly ruled out such access, but Wong noted the close ties between Moscow ..

Malaysias Zus Coffee has filed a police report to protect the privacy and well-being of an employee who was verbally abused and splashed with coffee by a customer in a recent viral video. The local coffee chain said the employee involved has been given paid time off to recover from the traumatising incident. The police report was lodged on Monday to ensure Zuristas safety and protect her privacy. Our Zurista is still part of Zus Coffee and is taking paid time off to recover from the incident...

Cambodias prime minister said a villager was killed when shooting broke out on Wednesday along the volatile border with Thailand, as the ceasefire partly brokered by US President Donald Trump that ended five days of combat between the two nations appeared to be breaking down. The reported death occurred two days after a Thai soldier lost a foot to a landmine while patrolling another area of the border. Thailand blamed Cambodia for the blast and announced it was suspending honouring the terms ..