Asia - South China Morning Post

To stand out among the dizzying array of sweet treats that pack supermarket freezers from the likes of Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s, an ice cream brand needs more than just flavour, says Thai entrepreneur Danupon Umnouypreechakul. It needs a story that sings.

His company, Lamoon Group, is a boutique made-in-Thailand contender in an industry of global heavyweights. Its unique approach connects each flavour to the farmers who grow the ingredients, offering increasingly discerning – and higher...

The CEO of Singapore Telecommunications-owned Optus apologised to Australia’s parliament for an emergency number outage that was linked to four deaths but declined to stand down, citing a need for stability.

Stephen Rue started in the role a year ago following a massive cyberattack and separate half-day outage which resulted in the previous CEO leaving.

On September 18, Optus said a failure of its “000” emergency line affected thousands of people and four died as a result of the inability to...

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After a few years of hybrid experimentation, Asia Pacific companies are rediscovering the value of the office. 

Across the region, business confidence is strengthening. According to CBRE’s 2025 Asia Pacific Office Occupier Survey, 42% of surveyed firms now plan to expand their footprint over the next three years, while only about 20% expect to reduce space.

This finding signals changing sentiment, with the office...

Nearly 300 people have been killed in political violence in Bangladesh in the year since student-led protests toppled autocratic former leader Sheikh Hasina, the country’s main human rights group said on Sunday.

A report by Odhikar, a Dhaka-based rights organisation, said at least 281 people had been killed in violence involving political parties from August 2024 – when Hasina’s rule ended and she fled to India – to September 2025.

On top of those, there were another 40 victims of extrajudicial...

The United States wants deeper military ties with Vietnam, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday at the start of a visit to Hanoi amid prolonged talks for the potential supply of military equipment to Washington’s former foe.

Hegseth was expected to meet Vietnam’s Communist Party chief To Lam, President Luong Cuong and Defence Minister Phan Van Giang, a Vietnamese official briefed on the visit said.

“Deeper [military] cooperation will benefit both of our countries,” Hegseth, who...

In the predawn hours of a recent October morning, more than 10,000 riot police and paramilitary troops swept through the streets of a small city on the outskirts of Lahore, seeking to end a cycle of violence and capitulation that had dictated the tempo of Pakistan’s democracy for years.

Their target? Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), a hardline Islamist movement that repeatedly paralysed major cities with its deadly protests, forced ministers into humiliating retreats and wielded the country’s...

An unexpected push to introduce Portuguese as a priority subject in Indonesia’s classrooms has set tongues wagging about President Prabowo Subianto’s educational priorities.

The plan, which Prabowo unveiled during Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s visit to Jakarta last month, left educators, lawmakers and community leaders grappling with the realities of what such an ambition might mean.

“As a sign of how important Brazil is to us, I have decided that Portuguese will become one of...

A cruise around Australia was cancelled after an elderly passenger was left behind on a remote island and found dead a day later.

Suzanne Rees, 80, was hiking with fellow passengers of the Coral Adventure ship to a lookout spot on Lizard Island, in the Great Barrier Reef, on October 25.

Rees felt unwell and began heading back to the ship unescorted, according to national broadcaster ABC.

The cruise ship left the island that evening, without Rees on board, and only returned hours later in search...

There’s a new gold rush in Southeast Asia, but the prize is not quite so shiny – think green and spiky.

A retired police chief is chasing it. Someone else just built a flashy new house with the income earned from it. Cashew and coffee plantations are being flattened to make space. Sorting and processing sheds dot the roadsides.

We’re talking about Vietnam’s production of durians for China’s voracious consumer market – and the risks that come with it.

To get a closer look, take a road trip with...

Glamorous yet grounded, international actress Fan Bingbing has graced film sets around the world, but her recent experience working on Mother Bhumi, a Malaysian-produced film, seems to have left a lasting impression.

The Chinese actress and global fashion icon, best known for her roles in X-Men: Days of Future Past and I Am Not Madame Bovary, said the warmth and professionalism of the Malaysian crew during the shoot in Kedah last year made her feel at home.

“I was really inspired by their...