Asia - South China Morning Post

As Southeast Asia’s tourism sector takes a hit from the Iran war, a pivot to serving as alternative flight hubs may help to save the industry.

The region’s major airlines are seeing rising demand for European routes as travellers avoid Middle Eastern hubs amid disruptive drone and missile attacks, according to Reuters.

Singapore Airlines has joined other major Asian carriers, such as Cathay Pacific, Korean Air and Qantas Airways, in posting strong performances on Europe flights in March.

The...

For more than three years, the numbers on their screens told a convincing story.

Steady gains, smooth withdrawals and returns of up to 5 per cent every fortnight.

Encouraged by the early outcome, many doubled down, pumping in more of their hard-earned savings into a scheme they thought was the answer to luxury and a comfy retirement.

Then, almost overnight, the kill switch was flicked and they lost it all to a scheme that swindled ­victims across the globe of close to 100 billion ringgit (US$25...

The US military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday.

Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran’s trade by sea while ‌Iran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf. Nearly two months after the US and Israel began their war on Iran, there is little sign...

At a beachfront resort on Koh Samui, photo-obsessed travellers can book private sessions, with a dedicated photographer guiding them to the resort’s most camera-ready spots during a 20-minute shoot. Elsewhere, at Centara Life properties, late-night noodle bowls cater to regional tastes. Across Centara Hotels & Resorts, such offerings are becoming more tailored.

They reflect a shift towards Asian travellers – and their preferences – at a time when European visitors are staying away, reshaping...

Plastic bags stuffed with rotting chicken from a smugglers’ boat washed ashore in Thailand have hinted at shortages inside Cambodia, as formal trade between the neighbours has collapsed amid their border conflict and illicit cargo flows surge instead.

While demand appears high for smuggled Thai oil, fruit, meat and consumer items like soap, the Cambodian public is maintaining a boycott of Thai businesses in a nationalist backlash that reveals the depth of the enmity now staining relations...

Families of victims of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs hailed as a “vindication” on Wednesday the International Criminal Court Appeals Chamber’s refusal to throw out the crimes against humanity case against him.

Duterte has been held by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague since March 2025 over killings linked to his anti-drugs campaign while he was in office.

His lawyers argued that the court had no authority to try him because the Philippines...

Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio came under fresh pressure on Wednesday after Philippine lawmakers examining complaints that could lead to her impeachment were shown evidence of bank transactions far larger than the wealth she and her husband had publicly declared.

At a House hearing, the Philippines’ anti-money-laundering watchdog said the couple’s bank records from 2006 to 2024 showed 4.4 billion pesos (US$73.2 million) in inflows and 1.5 billion pesos in outflows, despite a declared net...

Nepal’s home minister stepped down on Wednesday over growing criticism of his finances after less than a month in office he won on an anti-corruption platform.

Sudan Gurung, a key figure in the Gen-Z protests last September that toppled Nepal’s previous government, said he was stepping down to ensure a “fair investigation”.

“I have resigned from the position of Home Minister with effect from today,” the 38-year-old posted on his social media accounts.

“For me, morality is greater than a position...

The bourse operators of Hong Kong and Malaysia are exploring a range of collaborations, from dual listings and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to Islamic finance, to forge closer ties between the city and the Southeast Asian country.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) CEO Bonnie Chan Yiting and Bursa Malaysia CEO Dato Fad’l Mohamed unveiled their joint development plans in a media briefing in Hong Kong on Wednesday as HKEX hosted the 40th Asian and Oceanian Stock Exchanges Federation (AOSEF)...

The United Nations voiced alarm on Wednesday at the number of people being executed in Singapore for drug-related offences, saying it was incompatible with human dignity.

UN rights chief Volker Turk said there had been a general shift away from the use of capital punishment in Asia, and Singapore was one of only a few countries imposing the death penalty for drug-related crimes not involving intentional killing.

The death penalty is mandatory in Singapore for drug trafficking above certain...