A Chinese national accused of raping and strangling a woman during a violent home invasion appeared in a New Zealand court on Wednesday to face charges, seven months after he was extradited from Singapore. Zhang Xuesong reportedly fled to China following the alleged March 2024 Auckland break-in, complicating efforts to arrest him as no extradition treaty exists between the two countries. The 41-year-old subsequently visited Singapore, where he was returned to New Zealand last September. ..

Singapores state coroner on Wednesday upheld the Police Coast Guards (PCG) finding that there was no foul play in the death of Indian singer Zubeen Garg and ruled the death an accidental drowning. Directly addressing a concern raised by Gargs widow about the finding by the PCG that there was no foul play, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said the PCG had carried out a comprehensive and thorough investigation in this case. Instead, he found that Gargs death was simply due to an unfortunate and...

Across peninsular Malaysia, the heat is getting unbearable and posing health risks for many, and nowhere is this felt more sharply than in Kedah and Perlis, two northern states at the centre of Malaysias food-growing belt. Over the start of the Eid period last weekend, the scorching sun dampened the holiday mood during the festival marking the end of the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. Families are timing visits to avoid the fierce afternoon sun, farmers are watching paddy fields ..

A Philippine prison was supposed to contain Park Wang-yeol. Instead, according to South Korean investigators, it became his office from which an alleged drug trafficking empire was run, complete with a VIP lifestyle, a Telegram alias and a girlfriend summoned to his cell on demand. On Wednesday, after nine years of failed extradition attempts, that arrangement finally came to an end. Bearded, silent and dressed in casual clothing, the 48-year-old arrived at Incheon International Airport near...

The head of the Philippines flag carrier said the Southeast Asian country may need to resort to fuel rationing amid tight supplies due to the war in Iran. We have countries saying, we need to ration our fuel, we want people to tank fuel in and out. The reality is were going to have to do the same thing probably in the Philippines, Philippine Airlines president Richard Nuttall said in an interview on Wednesday. Speaking at the Aviation Festival Asia conference in Singapore, Nuttall said the...

A father of seven is in jitters as loans taken from illegal moneylenders in Malaysia by his ex-wife led to loan sharks knowing details of his entire family. Whats most concerning is that they have information on all my children, including my six-month-old baby, said the man who only wished to be known as Tang, 33. He believes that his 28-year-old former wife had debts of about 130,000 ringgit (US$32,871) with loan sharks. The couple, who divorced seven years ago, have five children. Four of...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Tuesday declared a state of national energy emergency in response to the Middle East conflict and what he called an imminent danger posed to the countrys energy supply. Marcos Jnr said a committee has been formed to ensure the orderly movement, supply, distribution and availability of fuel, food, medicines, agricultural products and other essential goods. In an executive order shared with media, Marcos Jnr said the conflict had created...

Vietnam is among Southeast Asian countries most hard-hit by the global energy crisis, with Hanois bid to forge deals with Russia this week laying bare its urgency to stem the bleed that may threaten its objective of double-digit economic growth. Observers also say the fallout in fuel supply caused by the Iran war could even chip away at the legitimacy of Hanois new leadership. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs official visit to Russia this week reportedly saw the signing of several...

The Philippines says grounding planes due to a shortage of jet fuel brought on by the war in Iran is a distinct possibility, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Several countries have already told our airlines they cannot fuel their aircraft, so they have to carry fuel there and back, Marcos said in an interview on Tuesday. Long haul is going to be a much more serious problem. Asked whether, inevitably, planes may have to be grounded, Marcos said, Were hoping not, but its a...

Two years ago, Vina Arazas found her dogs lifeless body in a sack. The man responsible for beating her golden retriever Killua to death was made to pay a fine of just 1,000 pesos (US$17) despite his crime being caught on camera and widely shared on social media. Now, a coalition of animal welfare groups in the Philippines is rallying behind two new bills that would place dedicated animal protection officers in every police station and create a national oversight body for such cruelty...

Malaysia has vowed to crack down on fuel subsidy abuse after a viral video showed a woman illicitly buying 71 litres (18 gallons) of RON95 petrol in a single transaction, as regional supply concerns persist amid US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The finance ministry said late on Monday that investigators identified the customer as a Malaysian citizen. Both the identity card used in the purchase and the vehicle owner will be blocked from the inflation-easing fuel subsidy scheme. This programme ..

The man and woman who allegedly engaged in an indecent act at a Malaysian cemetery in Penang have been arrested and remanded for three days until Thursday. Penang police chief Commissioner Azizee Ismail said the couple, in their 30s and 50s, were picked up on Monday night. We detained the couple in the George Town area. Initial checks found that they are not husband and wife, he told the media on Tuesday before the couple was produced in court for a remand order. Azizee said the case is being...

Daniel Gech looks at prices on a board at a Sokimex petrol station in Phnom Penh and winces. Four weeks into the war in the Middle East, the ripple effects of a faraway conflict are beginning to threaten the Cambodian teenagers ability to earn and learn. The 16-year-old uses his moped to travel between his home and school, and for his work in the evening. It now costs him an extra US$2 a day to fill up his tank or US$14 a week and the price is rising, a significant surge in a country where...

In a quiet suburb of the Malaysian city of Klang, Farouk* scrolls through his phone, replaying videos of a toddler learning to walk, laugh and reach out to steady himself milestone moments of a son whom he is forced to love through a screen. He is now two years old, but I have never held him, the 26-year-old Rohingya man said. I have only seen him twice from afar at the gate. Farouks wife gave birth in a Malaysian immigration detention centre a day after the family were arrested in early...

Washington and its allies are drawing up plans to establish an ammunition production facility in the Philippines, a move critics warn would turn the Southeast Asian nation into a logistics arm of US warmongering. The proposal emerged last week from the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR), a US-led initiative founded in 2024 to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities and help allies produce and sustain military equipment closer to potential flashpoints. Members agreed to...

Indonesias president, under fire at home for signing up to US counterpart Donald Trumps Board of Peace, has insisted his country will not pay the US$1 billion joining fee for permanent membership. Jakarta had only committed peacekeeping troops for the initiative, Prabowo Subianto said in a statement published on the presidential YouTube channel Sunday. The Board of Peace came together after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt...

Malaysias fuel subsidy bill has surged more than fourfold in under a week due to the sharp spike in global oil prices triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran. The national monthly RON95 petrol and diesel subsidies have risen from 700 million ringgit to 3.2 billion ringgit (US$177.4 million to US$810.9 million), Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Sunday in an explainer video shared on social media. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of the worlds oil supply...

Indonesias president is heading to Tokyo and Japan has eight stealth frigates, a mineral deal and a seat at the emperors lunch table waiting for him. Prabowo Subianto is due to arrive on March 29 for a three-day state visit, his first trip to Japan since taking office in October 2024. He will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and dine with Emperor Naruhito, according to a statement published by Tokyos Foreign Ministry on March 13. Analysts say the agenda will be...

Vietnams prime minister left on Sunday for an official visit to Russia during which the two nations will sign several agreements, including on oil and gas cooperation, Hanoi said. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs trip to the major oil-producing nation from Sunday to Wednesday comes as Vietnam seeks to shore up its fuel reserves amid global supply disruptions due to the war in the Middle East. His visit will focus on deepening ties with Russia and expanding cooperation in trade, investment and...

The Philippines has allowed the temporary and limited use of a cheaper but dirtier type of fuel to ensure supply as it finds ways to cope with the impact of the Middle East crisis. The Department of Energy (DOE) said only vehicles from model year 2015 and earlier, traditional jeepneys, power plants and generators, and the marine and shipping sectors would be allowed to use Euro- II compliant petroleum products. The measure is intended to help maintain a continuous, adequate and accessible...

At least three Filipinos with ties to the countrys military have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing, allegedly leaking information that sparked maritime confrontations in the disputed South China Sea. The case, which came to light last year during an ongoing multi-agency counter-intelligence effort, marks a new strategy of recruiting Filipinos for espionage instead of planting individuals with fake local identities in the country, according to Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Roy...

The clack of mahjong tiles, the soft rattle of exercise bikes and the slow thrum of sewing machines are the soundtrack to Monday afternoons at the Yong- en Active Hub: a senior centre with the vibe of a social club, where new skills and friendships are the antidote to old age. At the Bukit Merah estate in central Singapore, Agnes Chen, 74, strolls through the swinging doors, declines entreaties to join a game of Rummikub a tile-based hybrid of mahjong and rummy and fixes herself a...

Mario Orain used to earn his living on the road. Now, the 51-year-old driver spends most of his time parked up, waiting for bookings that rarely come. Its really bad, he told This Week in Asia. There are very few bookings. And fuel prices have gone up a lot. Its very expensive now. With diesel prices in the Philippines shattering record highs amid the war on Iran, transport workers like Orain are being forced off the road as they face a stark choice between filling their tanks or feeding...

As the Philippines forms partnerships with several countries to harness its potentially huge wealth of critical minerals, analysts have called for a coherent road map to develop the countrys mining industry to globally competitive standards. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnrs administration has signed multiple agreements over the past months, including a memorandum of understanding with the United States to cooperate on diversifying global critical mineral supply chains. The accord, signed ..

Flights are cancelled, schedules are in chaos and scores of European tourists are still waiting to go home, three weeks after the United States and Israeli attack on Iran. Some of them, like retiree John Williams, 61, and his wife Gillian, 60, from the United Kingdom, are making good use of their extended time in Malaysia. Were sort of stranded, but frankly we are in no hurry. We are spending a few days in Penang and will explore other ways to get home later, Williams said. We saw that...

The ripple effects of the war in the Middle East are hitting home hard for Filipino jeepney driver Toni Prado, whose daily earnings have been gutted by soaring fuel prices. He was one of thousands of jeepney drivers who took to the streets across the country on Thursday to protest a more than doubling of local diesel prices after global oil prices surged because of the US-Israel war on Iran. We are losing our income. What we earn just goes to paying for diesel, said Prado. Before I could...

Growing disinformation in the Philippines and distrust in authorities could have led to a sharp drop in public support, particularly among Gen Z Filipinos, for the International Criminal Courts (ICC) proceedings against former president Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly war on drugs. Only 32 per cent of Filipino respondents of different age groups approved the ICCs move to prosecute Duterte in April last year, a month after he was arrested and flown to The Hague, according to a survey by WR...

As war rages in the Middle East thousands of miles from the Philippines, a senior military official has urged Manila to reflect on its own vulnerabilities, stressing that military modernisation should not be mere lip service. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr earlier this week called on the country to strengthen its air defences, particularly systems capable of intercepting missiles from hostile states, stressing that Manila should ensure its security suppliers meet demand in the...

Malaysian police are on a hunt for thieves who stole 30 urns from a funeral home in the southern state of Negeri Sembilan, in a bizarre case with possible links to a cross-border criminal group holding the ashes of deceased for ransom. The Xiao En memorial park reported the incident in late February, when it discovered that at least 15 urns had gone missing from a columbarium. Police later revised the figure to 30. The cemetery groundsmen received a WhatsApp call from a foreign-registered ..

Cambodia is importing more fuel from suppliers in Singapore and Malaysia to make up for supply shortfalls from Vietnam and China, its energy minister said on Wednesday, as the US-Israeli war on Iran squeezes fuel availability globally. About a third of the 6,300 petrol stations in the country of nearly 18 million people closed last week due to uncertainty over the impact of the conflict on fuel prices, but only 5.77 per cent are closed currently, Energy Minister Keo Rottanak said. Vietnam and...

Philippine police have foiled a school shooting and rescued seven students radicalised by foreigners online to stage an attack in Laguna province near Manila, as calls grow to enhance parental safeguards against digital threats. Officers rounded up the suspects five boys and two girls, aged 12 to 17 on February 2 after receiving a tip-off about the alleged plot they intended to carry out a fortnight later, the Philippine Star reported. The teens, who were turned over to social workers,...

When the Trump administration rolled out sweeping tariffs on Liberation Day in April 2025, the reaction across Southeast Asia was swift: markets dipped, supply chains scrambled and governments went into damage control. Governments had a choice: retaliate or negotiate. They negotiated. Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia have signed Agreements on Reciprocal Trade with the United States. Those deals lowered tariffs from their peak levels and opened market access...

The United States inclusion of Southeast Asian countries among economic partners it intends to investigate for unfair trade practices is expected to push the region further from Washingtons orbit. The probes, announced last week, could lead to new levies imposed on countries, based on allegations of forced labour and trade surpluses, even as the Donald Trump administration rails against a Supreme Court ruling that shot down sweeping tariffs imposed earlier. Seven countries from the ..

Malaysias medical tourism sector could receive a boost amid the widening conflict in the Middle East as potential patients look for safer alternatives in Asia, according to a private healthcare company. Dubai, the main medical hub in the region, has been under Iranian missile and drone retaliatory attacks since the US and Israel began air strikes on the Islamic Republic on February 28. This could prompt Middle Easterners who are seeking medical treatment to travel to Southeast Asian countries...

Singapore sits just one degree north of the equator, where the air rarely drops below 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) and humidity clings year round. It is, by most measures, one of the worst places on Earth to cool a data centre. Yet the city state crams more into its small footprint than almost anywhere else. Home to more than 70 facilities and over 1.4 gigawatts of capacity, Singapore has one of the highest densities of data-centre infrastructure per capita on the planet a...

A recent radio programme by Australias national broadcaster made several baseless claims about Singapores political system, Singapores High Commissioner to Australia, Anil Nayar, said on Tuesday. Nayar noted in his response that the programmes host and several of his commentators called Singapore a one-party state, an autocracy and verging now on a flawed democracy. They portrayed Singapores group representation constituencies (GRCs) introduced to guarantee minority...

A framework proposed at an Asean ministers meeting is set to propel disaster management to the top of the agenda for the bloc, further easing cooperation and decision-making in a region facing nearly US$18 trillion in disaster risk exposure. Analysts say the proposal, if implemented, would help strengthen anticipatory action that could enable the bloc to act even before a formal request from a member state. At the 35th Asean Socio-Cultural Community Council Meeting in Manila on March 5, bloc...

Chinas leading planemaker is seeking to replicate the C909 regional airliners success in Laos, drawing on the experience as it steps up its sales pitch in Southeast Asia a vital step in its effort to eventually rival Boeing and Airbus. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has ambitious plans in the region and beyond and is laying the groundwork through technical adjustments and regulatory adaptations, according to a company document seen by the South China Morning Post. To...