Indonesian President Prabowo Subiantos pledge to stamp out corruption is facing its first major test after a deputy minister was arrested, as speculation mounts over a possible reshuffle of his 110-member jumbo cabinet. Immanuel Ebenezer was swiftly fired by Prabowo following his arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission on suspicion of receiving kickbacks and extortion. He is the first member of Prabowos cabinet to be named a suspect in a corruption investigation. The arrest...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has dismissed national police chief Nicolas Torre III after just 84 days in the role, following a dispute over authority within the force stemming from his defiance of the National Police Commission. The move ends the brief, high-profile tenure of a police chief who had led headline-grabbing arrests and become a public figure in his own right. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced Torres removal in a brief two- paragraph order on Monday evening...

Iris Capital Partners, an investment firm backed by the heir to a Malaysian fortune, is seeking to raise US$200 million from institutional investors, the latest family wealth vehicle to open up to outside capital. The firm is seeking cash for a new private credit and private equity fund, managing partner Rachel Lau said in an interview. She is the daughter of the late Lau Boon Ann, who built a fortune in real estate and was an early investor in Top Glove, the worlds largest manufacturer of...

Two men were publicly flogged 76 times each in Indonesias conservative province of Aceh on Tuesday after they were found guilty of sexual relations by a court operating under strict Islamic law. Gay sex is outlawed in Aceh, which imposes a version of sharia, the Islamic legal code, but it is not illegal elsewhere in the worlds most populous Muslim-majority country. The men were part of a group of 10 who were flogged on Tuesday at a park in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, for a range of...

A Philippine senator has raised fears of foreign influence over key institutions after the arrest of businessman Joseph Sy, who is accused of obtaining citizenship in the Philippines fraudulently and compromising national security due to his honorary role in the countrys coastguard. Sy, also known by his Chinese name Chen Zhong Zhen and chairman of mining firm Global Ferronickel Holdings, was detained by immigration authorities at Manilas Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Thursday after...

Australia and the Philippines push to finalise an enhanced defence cooperation agreement by next year underscores how regional allies are accelerating security coordination in response to Chinas growing assertiveness in contested waters, a shift analysts say could reshape strategic dynamics in the South China Sea. The talks were announced during a Friday press conference in Manila, where Australian Deputy Prime Minister and defence chief Richard Marles and Philippine Defence Secretary...

When Chinese actress Fan Bingbing was conferred the title of datuk in Melaka state last week, her attire for the occasion carried a distinctly Malaysian touch. The actress stepped out in a bespoke creation by renowned local designer Melinda Looi, who reimagined the traditional baju kurung with a contemporary flair. Crafted in a delicate mint-green hue, the outfit was paired with a matching selendang. French lace, hand embroidery, Japanese glass beads, Swarovski elements, sequins and tulle...

From bustling departure halls in Bangkok to bumper bookings in Singapore, Southeast Asias air travel industry is thriving. But beneath the surface, analysts warn that US tariffs and slowing growth could soon take the wind out of the regions post-pandemic recovery. Last month, the Asian Development Bank trimmed its growth outlook for developing Asia and the Pacific to 4.7 per cent for 2025, down from Aprils 4.9 per cent forecast, citing weaker global trade. The revision comes as Southeast...

A video showing a Land Transport Authority (LTA) engineer scolding and swatting a migrant worker at a construction site has sparked online debate in Singapore about workplace conduct and treatment of foreign labourers. In a 57-second clip uploaded on Facebook group Complaint Singapore, a man is seen berating a migrant worker about not buckling his seat belt. The man then hits the worker on his helmet with the latters driving licence while pointing it at him and grilling him about what he...

Police fired tear gas and used a water cannon to push back hundreds of demonstrators trying to break into Indonesias parliament building on Monday to protest against what they called excessive pay and perks for legislators, witnesses said. Some protesters, clad in dark clothing, threw rocks and set off fireworks at riot police in the capital Jakarta. At least one motorcycle was set ablaze by protesters, but officials did not provide details of damage, any casualties or arrests. Protesters...

Typhoon Kajiki brought torrential rains to Vietnams north central coast on Monday, felling trees and flooding homes, despite wind speeds tapering off from earlier in the day. Typhoon Kajikis wind speeds eased from 166km/h (103 mph) to 118-133km/h (73-83mph) as the storm hit the coast of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, according to the countrys weather agency. Its terrifying, said Dang Xuan Phuong, a 48-year-old resident of Cua Lo, a tourism town in Nghe An province directly hit by the...

Concerns are growing in the Philippines over Beijings intentions towards Batanes, the countrys northernmost province, after a spike in Chinese social media claims and unusual coastguard patrols near the archipelago, with analysts warning these narratives could influence public opinion and complicate Manilas security calculations. On the Chinese platform Douyin, some users have circulated videos alleging Batanes once belonged to China based on historical records, while others claimed Manila...

Malaysias plan to send 100 million ringgit (US$24 million) in aid to Gaza has become a lightning rod for economic anxieties as Malaysians weigh their long- standing support for war-ravaged Palestinians against mounting frustrations over spiralling living costs and government austerity measures. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the humanitarian package late on Sunday, addressing a crowd of some 20,000 at a solidarity rally for Palestine in Kuala Lumpur. He urged corporate leaders, ..

Indonesia and the United States launched joint military drills on Monday that will last more than a week, joining allies from 11 countries in exercises aimed at ensuring stability in the Asia-Pacific region. The annual Super Garuda Shield drills will take place in the capital, Jakarta, and several locations on the western island of Sumatra and the Riau archipelago until September 4. More than 4,100 Indonesian and 1,300 American troops will take part, joined by participants from Australia,...

Cambodian parliamentarians have passed legislation allowing people who collude with foreign countries to be stripped of citizenship a law that rights groups fear will be used to banish dissent. All 120 lawmakers in attendance at the National Assembly session, including Prime Minister Hun Manet, voted unanimously to approve the bill on Monday. Human rights monitors have long accused Cambodias government of using draconian laws to stifle opposition and legitimate political debate. A coalition...

Malaysia is once again confronting uncomfortable questions about entrenched impunity after police detained the son of a former prime minister with drugs in his car in an upmarket suburb of Kuala Lumpur. Selangor police confirmed late on Sunday that they had detained a man in his twenties, who was found with three grams (0.1 ounces) of heroin and drug paraphernalia in his car. The suspect is the son of a former prime minister, according to state police chief Shazeli Kahar as reported by ..

Popular Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, who has been conferred the Darjah Pangkuan Seri Melaka (DPSM), has pledged to continue promoting the historic Malaysian city to global tourists. I will be here in Melaka next month to promote tourism and will travel here frequently, she said after receiving the honorary award, which carries the title datuk, similar to a knighthood, during the investiture ceremony in conjunction with the birthday of Melaka Governor Mohd Ali Rustam on Sunday. Fan said she...

A plan to build hundreds of luxury villas on an island in Indonesias Komodo National Park has sparked fierce backlash from environmentalists and residents over concerns that it could devastate the fragile ecosystem of the Unesco- listed sanctuary the only place on Earth where Komodo dragons roam wild. The project, backed by a government-linked developer, risks undermining years of efforts to support sustainable tourism in one of Southeast Asias most iconic ecological zones, according to...

For Mariana Zobel de Ayala, the chance to help develop the Philippines tourism industry by boosting Ayala Lands investments in retail and hotel properties could not have come at a better time. As the senior vice-president for leasing and hospitality of one of the largest developers in the Philippines, Zobel de Ayala believes tourism will be a major driver of the countrys economic expansion. Ayala Land, which bought the 578-room New World Makati Hotel from distressed Hong Kong developer New...

A Singaporean woman who met an Italian man on the dating app Tinder later agreed to travel with him to Qatar via Dubai, thinking he was a wealthy man who wanted to marry her. However, she was later allegedly told that she needed to show US$10,000 as proof of funds before she could enter Qatar. According to the prosecution, the Italian man arranged for her to provide sexual services in Dubai and collected her earnings daily until she contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD). The womans...

When two helicopters collided in Malaysia last year, killing 10 naval officers, it served as a wake-up call for a military that for too long has been dependent on ageing equipment. Though the aircraft involved in that crash were relatively new, many others are not. Now, the king himself has intervened, calling out nonsensical and unacceptable procurement practices and forcing the cancellation of a deal for a fleet of 35-year-old Black Hawks. At an event last Sunday, Sultan Ibrahim, Malaysias...

Record heatwaves, blazing wildfires and oppressive humidity are transforming the worlds tourism industry as holidaymakers struggle to deal with the havoc wrought by climate change. A growing number of travellers are seeking coolcations destinations with milder climates looking beyond traditional hotspots like Greece and Portugal, according to luxury travel advisers who say their clients are altering plans due to climate change. Heatwaves in Europe saw tourist sites including the Acropolis...

Vietnam has significantly expanded island-building work in areas it claims in the Spratly Islands chain of the disputed South China Sea and will match and likely surpass the scale of such activity there by China, a US think tank reported on Friday. Recent satellite imagery showed that since the start of this year, Vietnam has expanded island-building to eight features previously untouched by a round of reclamation that began in 2021, the report from Washingtons Centre for Strategic and...

Nusantara was meant to embody Indonesias future: a green, modern capital rising from Borneos forests. But amid funding cuts and political indifference, the US$28.6 billion project risks becoming a costly monument to unfinished ambition. The eventual plan? Moving the seat of government there from Jakarta. But this is now clouded by uncertainty after President Prabowo Subianto made no meaningful mention of the city in recent speeches. Officials insist the project remains on track, but analysts...

Ahmad Faris was still a teenager when he began chasing the music that once defined Malaysias cultural heartbeat. Growing up in suburban Kuala Lumpur, he would listen in awe as his parents reminisced about the electric performances of local icons like the Alleycats and Sudirman Arshad. Those were the days, they told him, when music wasnt just heard it was lived. Few moments captured that spirit more vividly than Sudirmans 1986 legendary Chow Kit Road concert, where more than 100,000 people...

For half a century, Malaysias economy has been buoyed by oil and gas, the vast reserves off its shores enabling it to ride out global downturns and sustain growth. Today, these resources are throwing the nation a lifeline once more as global economic waters become ever choppier. But smooth sailing ahead is far from guaranteed. An estimated 3.6 billion barrels of

JPMorgan Chase will pay the Malaysian government US$330 million as part of a settlement to resolve all matters related to its role in the multibillion- dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB, both parties said on Friday. Malaysian and US investigators say at least US$4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in a globe-spanning scheme between 2009 and 2014. In 2021, 1MDB sued a unit of JPMorgan, along with those of Deutsche Bank and Coutts & Co, to recover alleged losses from ..

A trainee surgeon was released from custody on bail on Friday after he was accused of secretly video recording hundreds of medical colleagues in the restrooms of Australian hospitals. Ryan Cho, 28, is likely to face around 500 charges relating to 4,500 intimate videos he secretly recorded with phones mainly in the staff restrooms of three Melbourne hospitals since 2021, police alleged in documents cited in the Victoria state Supreme Court. Justice James Elliott ruled the junior doctor could ..

A plate of sweet pork exposed a deepening rift among Filipino loyalists rallying behind former president Rodrigo Duterte outside his detention centre in the Netherlands after a birthday bash ended in a bitter shouting match. A viral video from the August 15 celebration in The Hague showed former Duterte spokesman Harry Roque berating other guests after learning that someone had mocked him online for attending and eating humba a caramelised version of adobo. The visibly furious Roque offered ..

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was cleared on Friday of royal defamation charges, relieving one of the threats to his embattled dynasty, which has dominated Thai politics for two decades. Thaksins family has long jousted with the nations pro-military, pro-monarchy elite, who view their populist movement as a threat to Thailands traditional social order. Their tenure as a defining force in Thai politics has unfolded in a saga of coups, street protests and court cases as they...

A man who had been married for 15 years secretly married his younger colleague, committing bigamy, which is a criminal offence in Singapore. He got exposed while visiting his second wife, who had given birth at the hospital where his first wife worked. Vaithialingam Muthukumar, a 49-year-old Indian national, was sentenced to three months and three weeks jail on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiring to commit bigamy with his second wife, and another of falsely declaring in an...

The United States has formally asked the Philippines to extradite controversial televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, reigniting scrutiny over the detained preachers alleged trafficking and abuse network, as well as sparking questions over whether Manila will hand him over. Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez confirmed the request on Wednesday, telling local media the documents had been sent to the Department of Justice in June. Quiboloy, 74, is the founder of the influential...

Footage of a Malaysian air force jet bursting into flames during take-off has prompted renewed debate over the militarys ageing fleet an issue recently thrust into the spotlight by the king, who lambasted defence officials over nonsensical military purchases earlier this week. The incident in Pahang state capital Kuantan on Thursday night saw an F/A-18D Hornet consumed by a ball of flames as it took off from the Kuantan Air Base, followed by two flashes as the pilots ejected before the...

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has expressed anger over failed flood-control projects in the Philippines, as he warned of economic sabotage charges against big offenders to stem entrenched corruption in the infrastructure sector. Im not disappointed, Im angry, Marcos told local media after inspecting a barren site in Bulacan where a 55 million-peso (US$964,000) river wall was supposed to have been built. They didnt work for even a single day. Even if you see it for yourself, you wont...

The shooting deaths of two Japanese men in central Manila last week were part of a 9 million Philippine pesos (US$157,000) contract killing allegedly ordered by a boss based in Japan, according to the capitals police. Two suspects arrested over the attack claimed the order had come from overseas, Police Lieutenant Colonel Alfonso Saligumba III told reporters during a press conference late Wednesday at Manila City Hall. Brothers Abel and Albert Manabat, who remain in custody, are accused of...

Myanmars military regime wants to hold the first election since it seized power in 2021, but opponents have decried the idea as senseless amid the countrys civil war, as they warn of more bloodshed while the junta embarks on a doomed attempt at a reset. The country has announced that the first phase of the general election is scheduled to begin on December 28, with additional stages to follow. The statement offers the clearest timeline yet after months of vague promises by the juntas leader,...

A 42-year-old man who repeatedly molested his colleague at work on the night shift in Singapore was sentenced to 26 months jail and six strokes of the cane on Thursday. He was also ordered to pay S$766.56 (US$596) for the expenses the woman incurred seeking psychiatric and psychological treatment after the assault. He pleaded guilty to three charges of molestation, with another three similar charges considered in sentencing. The man cannot be named as this could lead to the victims...

Maritime tensions between the Philippines and China have entered what analysts describe as a risky and potentially volatile phase after an accidental collision between two Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal, one of the most contested features in the South China Sea. The rare mishap involving the vessels from the Chinese coastguard and navy during a high-speed chase of a Philippine coastguard ship has raised the risk of Beijing adopting a more aggressive posture as it seeks to save face,...

Singapores Temasek Holdings is mulling one of its biggest overhauls in years, potentially reorganising the firm into three investment vehicles in a bid to boost returns and efficiencies, according to people familiar with the matter. Under the proposal still being discussed at senior levels, Singapores state- owned investor could divide its business into three arms. One would focus on Temaseks biggest domestic holdings, such as Singapore Airlines, and another would oversee largely foreign...

A wave of protests throughout Indonesia has become one of the most visible tests of President Prabowo Subiantos administration, with residents railing against steep property tax increases that analysts have linked to budget cuts in Jakarta and heavy-handed local officials. The largest of these protests involved thousands of residents of Pati, a town in Central Java, who took to the streets on August 13 to protest against a decision by Sudewo, their regent, that increased the urban and rural...