Asia - South China Morning Post

South Korea’s navy said on Monday it had recovered the body of a sailor off the east coast, a day after the seaman disappeared near the de facto sea border between the two Koreas.

Authorities launched a large search involving 10 ships and aircraft after the sailor failed to report for duty on Sunday morning while the vessel was on patrol near the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border between the neighbours.

“A patrol boat participating in the search operation found the missing sailor...

For regular anglers in the Malaysian coastal town of Port Dickson, the sighting of a crocodile in the water while fishing near the jetties is nothing new.

“I have seen three crocodiles while fishing there,” said Razman Fozi, 33, who has fished in the area for over two years. Most anglers knew the reptiles were there, but it did not deter them, he said. “I’ve never seen a crocodile bother the anglers.”

Not everyone has been so fortunate. On May 25, a 62-year-old fisherman survived a crocodile...

South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos are gaining renewed momentum this year, triggered by a steady recovery in inbound tourism and expectations of a surge in Chinese group travel in the second half, according to a recent analysis by Shinhan Securities.

Unlike other tourism segments that move with domestic consumption, casino performance is closely tied to inbound flows, making the pace of Chinese visitor growth the key variable for the remainder of the year.

“Inbound indicators such as arrivals,...

India’s free-trade agreement with the United Kingdom takes effect on Wednesday, delivering immediate tariff relief to businesses on both sides while giving New Delhi an early test of the concessions, compliance demands and implementation challenges it may face in future deals with other Western powers.

UK exports in sectors such as luxury vehicles and spirits are expected to benefit, while Indian textiles and leather products will gain as the agreement eliminates tariffs on 99 per cent of...

A blaze that tore through a packed Bangkok bar has killed at least 27 people and left nearly two dozen more in critical condition, with distraught friends and relatives on Monday dreading finding loved ones among the victims of the deadliest blaze to hit Thailand’s capital in over a decade.

Images shared on social media of the inferno, which erupted late on Sunday night, show flames shooting out from the entrance of the Na Ladprao pub, in Chatuchak district, as patrons fled, some with their...

Foreign ministers from Asean were ⁠told on Sunday by their Myanmar counterpart ⁠that detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and would be looked after, Asean’s special envoy to Myanmar said.

Maria Theresa Lazaro, the Philippine foreign minister, has been seeking access to Suu Kyi, 81, who has been detained since her elected government ‌was ousted in a 2021 military coup.

“My recollection of the statement of the Myanmar foreign minister on Aung San Suu Kyi is that she’s in good...

South Korea issued its first-ever emergency heatwave alert on Sunday under a new warning system launched this year, advising people to halt outdoor activities and keep cool.

The new warning system was introduced to better deal with a rising number of heatwaves in South Korea, which have become longer and more intense, officials said.

An emergency alert is issued when areas experiencing a heatwave are forecast to hit perceived temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) or an...

As the car bounces along a rural Thai road, a baby just a few months old watches the emerald green countryside rush by from Nicha’s* lap, oblivious to the countdown that has already begun.

Soon the child will be handed over to her father to be raised in China by grandparents whose own hopes of a larger family were curtailed by decades of state population control.

Nicha may never see the baby she gave birth to again, but she knows that is the painful price of commercial surrogacy.

This is her...

Japan’s Hayabusa2 fly-by of Torifune marks a leap in asteroid defence, showcasing the country’s growing space prowess and “goodwill science” role vital for protecting Earth from cosmic threats.

The space probe, named after the Peregrine falcon in Japanese, successfully flew within 800 metres (0.5 miles) of the asteroid, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said on July 5.

JAXA said Hayabusa2 performed as expected and responded to all instructions from land-based mission control, about...

For many K-pop fans in South Korea, the hunt for concert tickets has turned into a high-stakes battle, one where logging on early is no longer enough and ordinary fans find themselves outmatched by organised resellers, bots and shadowy workarounds that can send prices soaring far beyond face value.

Previous solutions have failed to rein in the problem, but the government is hoping that the threat of massive fines may finally free ticket seekers from the grips of predatory scalpers.

From August...