Asia - South China Morning Post

The South Korean government on Thursday imposed sanctions on individuals and companies across Southeast Asia tied to regional crime rings, in response to a surge in crimes targeting Korean nationals.

“It is our first unilateral sanction responding to a transnational crime and the single biggest, which shows the government’s willingness to actively respond to online crimes in Southeast Asia,” it said in a statement.

The sweeping measures target 15 individuals and 132 entities believed to have...

Floodwaters began to recede on Thursday in parts of southern Thailand including Hat Yai, a major city entirely submerged for five days, revealing grim finds of bodies and unprecedented damage to homes and farmland.

The death toll of more than 80 appears certain to rise from a week of flooding that has hit well over 2.5 million people across the entire southernmost provinces of the country.

Images shared on social media by stranded residents in Hat Yai alone, showing bodies tied to lamp posts to...

Sitting at an empty Jakarta stall, Alfindo Hutagaol gobbled down some rice, green sambal and grilled dog meat – a meal that is now banned in the Indonesian capital.

The Muslim-majority archipelago is one of a handful of countries that still permit the sale of dog and cat meat, but a campaign against the practice has been gaining ground in recent years.

While Muslims do not eat dog meat, it is popular in some of Indonesia’s other communities.

This week, Jakarta’s authorities announced a ban in...

In north-central China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region – where desert mountains frame ancient mausoleums and Islamic culture shapes daily life for the Hui Muslim community – a new Indonesian feature film has transformed the landscape into a stage for cultural diplomacy.

The production, Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia, blends Chinese settings with Indonesian storytelling in a way that analysts said signals a more deliberate effort by Jakarta and Beijing to use filmmaking as a tool for...

Japanese drink giant Asahi Group Holdings said on Thursday an investigation has found that personal information linked to around 2 million customers and employees may have been leaked in a cyberattack that hit its domestic servers in late September.

“I painfully feel the responsibility of management” with regard to the cyberattack, said Asahi president Atsushi Katsuki at its first press conference since the maker of Asahi Super Dry beers was hit by a system failure on September 29, acknowledging...

A ceasefire between Afghanistan’s Taliban regime and Pakistan, agreed after intense clashes last month, is hanging by a diplomatic thread, following a wave of suicide bombings in Pakistan and disputed claims that it retaliated with cross-border drone strikes on Tuesday.

With both countries vowing vengeance, analysts say regional states acting as mediators – Qatar and Turkey, and Iran and Russia – have only a narrow window of opportunity to prevent another round of hostilities.

Otherwise,...

A travel ban imposed by the Philippines on two figures tied to its notorious offshore gaming industry marks the latest bid by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s administration to project toughness and reclaim public trust.

But analysts say that the deepening flood-control scandal – involving the alleged misuse of billions of pesos – remains the true barometer of political fortunes in Manila.

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday confirmed the cancellation of passports belonging to Harry...

Russia’s offer to transfer fifth-generation fighter jet technology to India is being seen as a strategic overture at a time when New Delhi’s relations with Washington are strained over trade disputes and diplomatic spats.

Analysts say the proposed transfer – involving the Su-57 stealth fighter – not only signals Moscow’s desire to revitalise defence ties with one of its top arms buyers, but also offers India a timely opportunity to demonstrate that it has “strategic options” as it navigates a...

An Indonesian domestic worker forced into unpaid labour was rescued by Malaysia’s Immigration Department after a raid at a home in Batu Caves, Selangor state.

In a statement on Wednesday, immigration director general Zakaria Shaaban said the victim was rescued during an operation on Monday.

He said the operation followed information gathered by sources.

“During the inspection, the woman was found hiding under a four-wheel drive vehicle at the premises,” he said.

Zakaria said investigations...

Italian TV personality Alberto Mondi has apologised for comments that sparked controversy over historical distortion involving South Korea and Japan.

Posting on his social media on Wednesday, Alberto said, “I sincerely apologise for causing concern with my remarks in the recently released Team354 video. I deeply reflect on the discomfort and disappointment my shortcomings have caused.”

He added that historical issues between South Korea and Japan carry “pain and memories for many people” and...