Asia - South China Morning Post

They were killed by American bombs. They were held at gunpoint by Japanese guards who fired indiscriminately into the crowded holds and when the ship finally went down, many were left to drown. Eight decades later, the United States is coming back for them.

Hundreds perished when the Japanese “hell ship” Oryoku Maru was sunk in Subic Bay in December 1944. Now, the Pentagon has launched a multi-year mission in waters off the Philippines to retrieve their remains.

As many as 250 Americans are...

The United States has imposed sanctions on two companies and six individuals for their roles in operations that used information technology workers in foreign countries to raise money for North Korea.

The Treasury Department said the schemes, orchestrated by the North Korean government, had systematically defrauded US businesses and generated revenue to fund North Korea’s weapons programmes, including nearly US$800 million in 2024.

The department also accused workers associated with North Korea...

Across Asia’s densest cities, the milestones of adulthood are quietly shifting. Couples share kitchens with parents. Some wait years on public housing lists. Others secure a flat before thinking about a ring. In some cases, keys come before vows. Increasingly, love moves in step with property. Square footage, mortgage approvals and ballot results shape decisions that once felt spontaneous.

At first glance, falling fertility rates might look like a purely economic or demographic...

Indian households are rushing to buy electric induction stoves, draining ⁠stocks online and in stores, ⁠amid fears of a potential cooking gas ⁠shortage tied to the Middle East conflict.

India, the world’s second-largest importer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), has invoked emergency powers to boost supplies for households even as availability tightens for commercial users including canteens, hostels and restaurants.

Meanwhile, consumers are buying electric cooking appliances as a precaution,...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s pitch for a United Nations Security Council seat this week was notable for his sidestepping of an issue at the core of Manila’s foreign policy in recent years.

As he appealed to UN members in New York, Marcos framed the Philippines as a bridge connecting developing countries and middle-income economies, without making any direct reference to the South China Sea dispute.

The president’s restrained speech, which avoided mentioning China despite ongoing...

The Iranian women’s national football team arrived in Malaysia on Wednesday after leaving Australia, where several members of the delegation had sought asylum, as a viral social media video fuelled unverified claims that some players might want to remain in the Southeast Asian country.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Kuala Lumpur-based governing body for Asian football, confirmed the team was currently staying at a hotel in the Malaysian capital while onward travel arrangements were...

Singapore is preparing to build its tallest public housing project yet with some blocks rising above 60 storeys in the historic Chinatown area, in a sign of the city state pushing for higher density in prime areas to meet demand.

Such super-tall developments are unlikely to become the norm, according to analysts, who cite higher construction costs, site constraints and tighter regulations aimed at preventing centrally located flats from becoming speculative investments.

Singapore would build the...

Airlines around the world are increasing fares and raising fuel surcharges as the Iran war sends oil prices swinging wildly and stokes fears of jet fuel shortages if the fighting persists.

The cost of plane tickets may jump as much as 9 per cent, said Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association industry group. Fuel costs account for about a quarter of the expenses paid by carriers.

Demand for alternative routes that bypass the Middle East is also surging,...

Southeast Asia is facing a growing cyber spillover risk from the widening US-Israel war with Iran, with security experts warning that state-linked hackers and criminal groups are seeking to exploit turmoil around energy, shipping and banking networks to hit targets far beyond the Middle East.

The assessment comes as Iran said it would target economic and banking interests linked to the United States and Israel in the region after an attack on an Iranian bank, while the United Arab Emirates said...

South Korea’s long-awaited public inquiry into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush opened on Thursday with tearful testimony from survivors and heated exchanges between police officials accused of mishandling emergency calls on the night of the disaster.

The hearing came more than three years after the tragedy, following prolonged political gridlock, disputes over accountability and repeated delays in forming an independent investigative body.

The National Commission for the Investigation of the...