Asia - South China Morning Post

The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to publicly name two sitting Philippine senators as alleged “co-perpetrators” in Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case has shifted the spotlight to Manila, sharpening both the former president’s legal exposure and the country’s already fraught political fault lines.

A more detailed version of prosecution filings posted on the ICC website on Friday identified Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go among eight officials...

Myanmar ’s military government ordered East Timor ’s senior diplomat to leave the country after judicial authorities from the fellow Southeast Asian country accepted a criminal complaint against Myanmar’s armed forces, state media said on Monday.

The move sharply escalates tensions between the two countries and is a rare step between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which East Timor joined only last year.

There was no immediate response from East Timor’s government when...

Bangladesh has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Tarique Rahman’s swearing-in as the country’s next leader, a gesture analysts say could help steady relations after months of strain between the neighbours.

Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured victory in last week’s national polls, paving the way for the long-time opposition leader to take office after years on the political sidelines.

Modi will not attend Tuesday’s ceremony because of prior commitments, but...

Thailand’s economy grew faster than expected last quarter, prompting the government to raise its 2026 outlook and bolstering hopes for a gradual recovery despite lingering economic challenges.

Gross domestic product grew 2.5 per cent in the October-December quarter from a year ‌earlier, boosted by stronger domestic demand and investment, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) said on Monday.

That outstripped annual growth of 1.2 per cent in the September quarter and beat a...

In Malaysia, one question about corruption keeps being asked by the public no matter who is in power: who investigates the investigators?

Fresh allegations over the investments of the country’s top anti-corruption official have brought that conundrum back into sharp focus, with critics warning that trust in key institutions – and in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s reform promises – is on the line.

The controversy centres on Azam Baki, chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission...

Australian police have recovered a trove of stolen Egyptian artefacts and charged a 52-year-old man with a nighttime smash and grab at a museum.

The man was accused of breaking a window and making off with the priceless treasures in the early hours of Friday from the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology in the Queensland town of Caboolture.

Police said they found all the stolen goods – except for a wooden cat sculpture believed to be around 2,600 years old and from the 26th dynasty of ancient...

As Western pressure tightens on traditional buyers of Russian crude, analysts say Indonesia’s status as a fast-growing net oil importer with limited fiscal headroom could position it as a potential new market for Moscow’s discounted supplies.

But any shift towards Russian barrels would carry diplomatic risks, they add, particularly as Jakarta seeks to conclude sensitive trade negotiations with Washington and avoid complicating ties with the US and its allies.

Indonesia has already come under...

Heavy rain and strong winds disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand’s North Island on Monday, while snapping power links to tens of thousands.

Domestic media reported a few flights had resumed operating by afternoon from the airport in Wellington, the capital, although cancellations were still widespread after authorities said most morning flights were disrupted.

Air New Zealand said it hoped to resume services when conditions ease...

Nepalese candidates launched their campaigns on Monday for next month’s parliamentary election, the first since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the previous government last year.

“This election will draw the future of the country,” Sushila Karki, who is serving as interim prime minister until the March 5 vote, said ahead of the launch.

The youth-led protests were triggered by a brief social media ban but were fuelled by anger at economic stagnation and an ageing elite seen as out of...

Income earned by single-person media creators such as YouTubers in South Korea has risen by more than 25 per cent over the past four years, surpassing 70 million won (US$49,000) annually on average, while the top 1 per cent made nearly 1.3 billion won each, highlighting stark income polarisation, data showed on Monday.

According to Park Sung-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party, YouTubers reported combined earnings of 2.47 trillion won – averaging around 71 million won per person – in...