A powerful earthquake that killed at least 61 people in the Philippines this week raised the seabed by as much as two metres (6.6 feet), exposing coral and harming marine life, the environment department said on Sunday. The 7.8-magnitude tremor in southern Mindanao island on Monday has also left at least 40 people missing, according to updated tolls from the disaster agency. Local residents first reported the geological phenomenon known as coastal uplift two days after the quake, which...

The drowning of two university basketball players in the Philippines has raised concerns about the extreme training conditions and pressures surrounding student athletes in the countrys highly commercialised collegiate sports industry. Incoming rookie player Rene Baterbonia, 19, and Nigerian student-athlete Divine Adili, 21, died on Monday during a school-sanctioned team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora, on the east coast of Luzon island. Both played for the Blue Eagles of Ateneo de...

It was a gesture that was equal parts diplomacy and theatre: Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul coaxing a melody out of a traditional Vietnamese trung xylophone at a Hanoi state banquet on Monday. The real music, however, had been made in the meeting rooms. Two days of talks between Anutin and his Vietnamese hosts produced a pledge to nearly double bilateral trade to US$25 billion within four years and eventually to double it again. Supply chains would be stitched together across...

In a blaring nightclub in wartime Myanmar, partied-out revellers doze until dawn by the dance floor, wary of journeying home despite the end of a post- coup curfew. Lasers streak the smoke-filled air and music is cranked up to 150 decibels, according to one DJ as loud as a jet engine at take-off but the weekend clubbers slumbering on sofas dotted around the warehouse-sized Yangon venue do not stir. That became a habit, theyre used to it, said one 29-year- old veteran of the capitals elite...

The International Criminal Court ordered a medical assessment of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to determine whether he is fit to stand trial, with proceedings set to start in November. It is the second time that Duterte, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity over his drug war that killed thousands of people, will undergo a health check ordered by the court. The ICCs pre-trial chamber found in January that the former leader, who ruled the Philippines from 2016 to 2022,...

Dan Rae Hugo has never heard of the Asean Petroleum Security Agreement. All he knows is that his diesel costs have doubled, his profit margins have evaporated and the rice on his neighbours tables now costs 20 per cent more than it did before the Iran war. The 43-year-old has been farming the fields of Iloilo, the Philippines, for 18 years. He has never worked harder for less. Its all the inputs: the diesel, the labour for operating the machines, the transportation when we harvest Its the...

The Philippines confrontational approach to maritime territorial disputes, such as its championing of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling, has not only failed to resolve regional tensions, it also risks undermining Asean centrality. In May, addressing Japans National Diet, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr announced that Manila would mark the rulings 10th anniversary in July, an occasion he said embodies our determination to resolve disputes through peaceful means. That is...

Chinas decision to ban Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and his family from Chinese territory has taken Beijings maritime feud with Manila into unusually personal territory, with analysts saying the move appeared aimed at warning other Philippine officials against taking a hard line. The sanctions, announced by Chinas foreign ministry on Thursday following Teodoros recent criticism of Beijing, also prohibit Chinese organisations and individuals from engaging in transactions,...

The state elections in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, scheduled for July 11 and August 1, have opened two battlegrounds where economic issues take precedence over the political wrangling of Malaysias coalition parties. The ballot will also test whether Singapore-linked rail projects, economic zones and a data centre investment push have translated into support among Johors 2.73 million voters grappling with higher living costs. Nominations to fill 56 seats in the Johor state assembly will begin ..

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr will travel to Russia next week for a summit with Moscow and Southeast Asian leaders in a visit analysts say will allow Manila to show it can fulfil its role as Asean chair while keeping diplomatic channels open with major powers, despite closer security ties with Washington. While the trip is unlikely to signal a shift in Philippine foreign policy, observers say it will be watched closely in both Washington and Beijing for any concrete outcomes on...

More than 1,000 Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia, rallied outside a federal ministry in Putrajaya on Friday in a rare mass protest to demand recognition of their ancestral land and an end to evictions and development on their territories. Many wore traditional headgear as they marched through Malaysias administrative capital, carrying signs reading Orang Asli are not immigrants, Respect the Orang Asli right to self-determination and Our voices will not be...

A major immigration corruption scandal could mar Indonesias ambition to entice foreign funds and high-skilled workers, according to observers, further tanking investor confidence in Southeast Asias largest economy. The countrys Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) last week arrested eight high-ranking immigration officials, including then deputy minister Silmy Karim, for allegedly extorting foreigners seeking residency and work permits in Indonesia. KPK also detained nine visa agents...

The Philippines has a rare opening to turn its geography, skilled workers and deepening ties with Japan into a stronger maritime industrial base, but analysts say Manilas push to make shipbuilding a strategic industry will be judged by whether fresh investment can produce lasting capacity. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr gave that drive a concrete boost on June 3 when he ordered the addition of 64 hectares (158 acres) to the West Cebu Industrial Park (WCIP), one of the countrys key ..

Ohin Construction, its managing director and several employees were charged on Thursday over alleged lapses linked to the sinkhole that appeared in Singapores Tanjong Katong neighbourhood in July last year. The company faces eight charges, mostly under the Building Control Act, Workplace Safety and Health Act and Workplace Safety and Health (General Provisions) regulations. Its managing director, 64-year-old Ivan Ong Khiaw Yang, and six others were also charged in relation to the case. A car...

The Thai government will observe a 15-day period of official mourning following the death of Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, though Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the public need not alter their daily routines. The kings eldest daughter died aged 47, the royal palace announced on Friday, more than three years after she was hospitalised following a sudden illness. She was suffering from an abdominal infection and her condition continued to worsen, the Bureau of the Royal...

A Malaysian mother of two broke down in tears as she begged for leniency from the sharia High Court in Melaka for attempting to have sex with another womans husband last year. According to Sinar Harian, the accused, Siti Iqbar Mazlan, 35, during the proceedings before Judge Abu Bakar Daud on Thursday said that she regretted her actions and also apologised to the mans wife, Puteri Norfatimah Ishak, 25. According to the charges, Siti Iqbar and Hairul Mokhsin Zaini, 24, were found to have...

The Philippine Senates political crisis has spilled into cyberspace after its official website went offline on Thursday following its defacement with a warning accusing lawmakers of betraying public trust. The people deserve truth. The people deserve accountability. The people deserve better. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect Us, the message said, using a closing phrase long associated with the global hacktivist collective Anonymous. The incident comes as the Senate remains locked...

The Peoples Bank of China, Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and Bank Indonesia signed an agreement on Thursday to create a framework for bilateral transactions between Indonesia and Hong Kong. The parties aimed to implement a currency transaction framework for the direct exchange and settlement of Indonesian rupiah and Chinese yuan in cross-border trade and investment activities among companies and institutions in Indonesia and Hong Kong, according to an HKMA statement. This initiative was...

Malaysias search for alternative crude supplies is complicating Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims friends with all foreign policy, analysts have said, with the country potentially tapping Russian oil despite Western sanctions against Moscow. On Thursday, oil prices rose again after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, 103 days after the US-Israel war with Iran began on February 28. Washington has signalled it wants sanction waivers over Russian oil to end as soon as possible. Economy...

Zou Jiayi is president and chairwoman of the board of directors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a multilateral development lender headquartered in Beijing and inaugurated in 2016. Before leading AIIB, Zou was deputy secretary general of the national committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, Chinas top political advisory body. She previously held senior roles at the Ministry of Finance, including as vice- minister, and as part of her three decades ..

Three men were charged on Thursday for their alleged involvement in a scheme to falsely declare China-made mattresses as Singapore goods in an apparent attempt to evade US import duties. Singaporeans Loh Yew Kong, 68; Leong Yu Fong, 41; and Loh Chen Sing Darren, 37, as well as three companies Brighture Et Riche, Brighture Et Riche (Int) and Zenova International were charged in connection with the alleged scheme, Singapore Customs said. Authorities commenced investigations in February last...

A Thai court on Thursday sentenced two ethnic Chinese Uygur men to death for the 2015 bombing of Bangkoks Erawan shrine, the deadliest attack on the city in recent history that killed 20, including tourists from China, Malaysia and Singapore. The men, Bilal Mohammed, 41, and Yusufu Mieraili, 36, were arrested in a manhunt that followed the August 17, 2015 bombing which brought carnage to the heart of Bangkok at rush hour. Thai police said they found bomb-making materials at a Bangkok address...

The mayor of a southern Philippine town that was devastated by a powerful earthquake pleaded on Thursday for helicopters to transport food to stave off hunger in several landslide-isolated villages. The 7.8 magnitude offshore quake, one of the strongest to hit the archipelago in half a century, struck on Monday off the southern province of Sarangani and has left at least 47 people dead and 688 injured, with 31 still missing. More than 45,000 people remained displaced, about half in emergency...

Japans signing of a 20-year LNG supply deal with Malaysias Petronas has cast the Southeast Asian country as a valuable energy and security partner, as Tokyo looks to protect itself from global supply shocks and deepen ties with trusted allies. The latest move also underscores how, amid the energy crisis, Asian nations are striking deals bilaterally, with Malaysia leveraging its vast natural resources to rise as a middle power, according to analysts. Under the agreement announced during...

Singapore police said arrest warrants for fugitive financier Jho Low remain active, even as the Malaysian continues efforts to seek clemency from US President Donald Trump. Warrants of arrest and Interpol red notices for both Tan Kim Loong and Low Taek Jho are still in effect, the police said in a statement on Wednesday. Tan is a known associate of Low and is also implicated in Malaysias multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. Low is accused by US and Malaysian authorities of masterminding the 1MDB...

Our report that Chinas landmark Pinglu Canal is set for trial operations in September was one of the most read the week it was published. Interestingly, most of those who read the report were from the United States, followed by Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. The report had three times as many Singaporean readers as local ones. I find this disparity concerning and not for reasons of editorial vanity. While the Pinglu Canal is a global story representing one of the...

The Philippines armed forces chief has moved to quell fears of political intervention after a bitter Senate leadership crisis triggered tighter security, stalled military promotions and fuelled concern that partisan groups could exploit rumblings inside the ranks. Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr acknowledged unease among some personnel but told This Week in Asia that the military would remain out of politics. Political intervention is far from our mandate, Brawner said...

An American diplomat was found dead in Myanmars largest city, the US State Department said, and members of the diplomatic community in Yangon say a Thai woman has been detained by police in connection with the investigation. American officials in Thailand and the US embassy in Myanmar referred questions on the case to the State Department, which confirmed the death of a US government employee assigned to the embassy in Yangon but gave no other details. Out of respect for the privacy of the...

Malaysias prosecutors have closed a criminal intimidation investigation involving former anti-corruption chief Azam Baki, saying a complaint by businessman Albert Tei did not meet the legal threshold for further action. The decision comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims government facing pressure over prosecutorial independence. Anwar had campaigned on a reformist, anti-corruption platform that has since been tested by high-profile dropped cases and delayed...

Prabowo Subianto has brought one of Indonesias most prominent labour leaders into his administration, giving organised labour a voice inside the presidential palace while also fuelling concerns that the countrys unions are being pulled away from street-level activism. Said Iqbal, former president of the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI), defended his appointment as special adviser on labour affairs in an exclusive interview with This Week in Asia, arguing that workers needed direct...

Four Indonesian soldiers found guilty of an acid attack that left an activist blind in one eye were sentenced on Wednesday to up to three years in prison by a military court, with a judge calling their actions arrogant. The four, all members of the militarys Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS), were found guilty of premeditated assault for the attack in March that left Andrie Yunus, 27, blind in one eye. They were arrested shortly after the attack, and BAIS head Yudi Abrimantyo stepped down...

A dismissed high-ranking Filipino police officer convicted of orchestrating the 2016 killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo was arrested in the Philippine capital of Manila after nearly two years on the run, authorities said on Wednesday. President Lee Jae Myung welcomed the arrest, vowing to seek justice for criminals targeting South Koreans abroad and expressing gratitude to officials in both countries for their joint efforts. Rafael Dumlao, who was a top official of an anti-drug ..

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is set to visit the Russian city of Kazan next week in a trip that would mark the first high-level talks between leaders from both sides since the city state imposed sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, sources have confirmed. Wong will attend the Asean- Russia Commemorative Summit from June 17 to June 19 to mark the 35th anniversary of dialogue relations between Moscow and Asean, according to sources who spoke to This Week in Asia on ..

The death of a 17-year-old who was filmed after being swept out to sea at a popular tourist spot has prompted soul-searching in Indonesia about the bystander effect. Elmi Febrianti had been visiting the Apparalang tourist site in Bulukumba regency with her family on Sunday when she ventured to a clifftop known as a popular selfie vantage point and was struck by a large wave that dragged her out to sea. Apparalang is known for its turquoise waters and towering limestone cliffs, whose dramatic...

A viral post of a couple lying and cuddling in the middle of a public field in Malaysia has drawn outrage and calls for religious authorities to act in the Muslim-majority country, where public intimacy can quickly turn into a morality row. In one of the clips, uploaded to social media on Tuesday, a man and woman lie facing each other at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor state. Another shows the woman with her head on the mans lap. Social media users claimed the pair...

Thailands former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is officially a free man, less than a week after receiving a royal pardon, according to the Department of Corrections. Thaksin, 76, served eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption and abuse of power before being released on parole last month due to his age and health. The Department of Corrections said the former premier was required to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his release. The telecoms billionaire was...

A summit between Russia and Asean next week promises to ease Southeast Asias energy crisis and Moscows diplomatic isolation but not all of the blocs leaders are expected to show up. Analysts are also divided on whether Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, the current Asean chair, will travel to Kazan for the meeting, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 1718. The summit marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations...

Southeast Asias extensive supply chains could be disrupted if it faces planned US tariffs over Washingtons accusations of forced labour in 60 economies, as analysts say the proposal is just a way for President Donald Trump to resurrect his trade levy agenda. Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are among the economies flagged by the US for purportedly failing to prevent goods made with forced labour from reaching its market. Washington said the...

Rescuers searched the rubble on Tuesday of a collapsed building in the southern Philippine city of General Santos, the worst hit by a powerful earthquake that has killed at least 37 people and injured hundreds, to reach two people still believed to be trapped inside. Regional fire officer Edgar Tanawan, who was leading the operation, said two people had been pulled out alive from the commercial building, housing a grocery store and other businesses, but a third was found dead. Scanners had so...

Malaysias newest rebel party has issued a rare public call for election candidates, as former economy minister Rafizi Ramli races to turn his breakaway Bersama outfit into a serious force before a string of state polls. The move comes after Johor dissolved its assembly last Monday, with Negeri Sembilan doing the same on Friday, paving the way for polls in both states well before the next general election, which must be held by early 2028. A date has yet to be set for both state...