Philippine National Police chief General Nicolas Torre III has accepted a challenge to a fist-fight from the son of former president Rodrigo Duterte, proposing that the clash be held this weekend as a charity event to raise funds for typhoon and flood victims.
The dramatic exchange, which has captivated Filipinos online, is the latest escalation in an increasingly personal feud between the Duterte family and the country’s top police officer.
Tensions have simmered since Torre oversaw the March…
Indonesian ex-minister’s jail term: corruption or ‘politically’ motivated?
A recent prison sentence for a former Indonesian trade minister has raised eyebrows over alleged political motivations, given the defendant’s loyalty to an opposition politician.
Last Friday, judges at a corruption court in Jakarta sentenced Thomas Trikasih Lembong to 4½ years in jail and a fine of 750 million rupiah (US$46,000) for improperly granting sugar import permits, during what the prosecutor said was a surplus of local production, when he was trade minister in 2015-16. Prosecutors…
South Korean, Filipino officials rebuked for poor flood response and misjudgment
As floods devastate communities across South Korea and the Philippines, their presidents have rebuked officials for indulging in merrymaking and political publicity instead of focusing on disaster management.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday ordered a “strict crackdown on the careless public officials who went about drinking and dancing or acted thoughtlessly” during a recent devastating rainfall, which claimed at least 19 lives nationwide.
Lee said it was important to punish…
‘Upsetting’: dancing Jeju Air crew stir backlash in South Korea
A video of dancing crew members from South Korean airline Jeju Air has led to online criticisms of tone deafness, with social media users noting that it is too soon for such lighthearted clips after the crash that killed 179 people in December.
The 10-second video, titled “Feisty Flight Attendants” and uploaded on the airline’s official social media channel on July 11, showed three smiling crew members dancing, jumping and flashing V-signs. By Tuesday afternoon, it had garnered 2.2 million views…
Indonesia’s recurring tragedy: deadly boat fire fuels urgent reform calls
A deadly ferry fire in Indonesia has reignited calls for sweeping reform of its maritime transport sector, with analysts blaming overcapacity, ageing fleets and weak enforcement for a string of recent boat disasters across the sprawling archipelago nation of over 17,000 islands.
On Sunday afternoon, a ferry was carrying more than double its declared passenger capacity when it caught fire off Talise Island, off the coast of Sulawesi, forcing dozens to jump into the sea and killing at least five…
Malaysia’s top court to hear Anwar’s immunity bid in sexual harassment case
Malaysia’s highest court said on Monday that it would consider Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s application for legal immunity from a civil sexual harassment suit, amid long-standing allegations against the veteran leader.
The Court of Appeal ruled that proceedings must be postponed to allow Anwar to pursue a constitutional challenge over whether a sitting prime minister should be shielded from such lawsuits, particularly those related to events before he took office that might be politically…
Malaysia on edge as police hunt armed robbery suspect amid surge in shootings
As Malaysian police on Monday pursued a gunman accused of firing a weapon on a street in southern Johor state at the weekend, the country’s sense of safety was rattled by a wave of gun violence that has left five dead in recent weeks.
The series of recent shootings has come as a shock to many in Malaysia, where unlicensed possession of firearms carries extensive jail terms and mandatory flogging. In a number of cases, attackers have brazenly fired upon their targets in full public view.
The…
Asean-GCC economic axis: the Global South’s answer to US volatility?
When Gulf leaders touched down in Kuala Lumpur for a summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this May, the ink was barely dry on their massive investment pledges of some US$2 trillion in the United States to placate President Donald Trump.
But as the summit doors closed, the senior officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) turned their attention eastward, towards forging a pan-Asian economic zone reminiscent of Brics that could shield them and Asean from the…
How Thai monks use sacred saffron rituals to save trees
On the morning of July 11, three saffron-robed monks and a dozen devotees gathered in a dense forest of Thailand’s Chaiyaphum province. After chanting prayers, they encircled a towering tree, draping it in a vivid orange cloth – the same used to robe ordained monks.
This was no ordinary Buddhist ritual, but part of a growing practice called tree ordination – a symbolic act that “ordains” endangered trees as monks to protect them from logging and development.
Part spiritual blessing and part…
Everyone gets a BrahMos? Global interest in missile raises India’s profile
India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system has reportedly drawn interest from at least 15 countries spanning from Asia to South America after its use in cross-border strikes against Pakistan enhanced the global profile of the Indian weapons industry.
While security experts acknowledge the growing clout of the industry, they say sustaining this momentum would require broader expertise, less reliance on foreign technology and more supportive policies to realise India’s potential as a global…