6 d. ago Consider Venezuela airspace ‘closed in its entirety’, says Trump

US President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the airspace above and near Venezuela should be considered closed, the latest escalation in a stand-off with leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, “please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY”. The president did not elaborate. Trump’s administration is piling pressure on Venezuela, with a major military...

Politics

6 d. ago Venezuela airspace should be considered ‘closed in its entirety’, Trump says

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety”, but gave no further details as Washington ramps up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government. “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” Trump said in a social media post. US officials contacted by Reuters were surprised by Trump’s...

Politics

1 week ago Alice Guo gets life in jail; Bali hostel poisoning mystery: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Alice Guo gets life term for human trafficking linked to Philippine scam hub A Philippine court has found a former mayor guilty of human trafficking and sentenced her to life imprisonment over her role in setting up a scam centre, as Manila and other Southeast Asian...

Events

2 w. ago Alice Guo gets life term for human trafficking linked to Philippine scam hub

A Philippine court found a former mayor guilty of qualified human trafficking and sentenced her to life imprisonment over her role in setting up a scam centre that victimised foreigners, as Southeast Asian governments vow to fight transnational criminal syndicates. A regional trial court issued the verdict against ex-Bamban town chief Alice Guo, according to the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission. There was no immediate reaction from Guo and her lawyers. Guo helped incorporate Baofu...

Politics

2 w. ago Why is Mary Jane Veloso still in prison a year after Indonesia let her go?

Mary Jane Veloso’s lawyers have asked the Philippine Supreme Court to explain why the woman who once narrowly escaped execution in Indonesia remains behind bars in the Philippines nearly a year after her return, despite facing no criminal charges under local law. The petition has revived international attention on a case that for years sat at the intersection of labour migration, human trafficking and Southeast Asia’s harsh drug laws – and continues to raise questions about how Manila protects...

Events

2 w. ago Nuclear submarines deal: is Seoul falling too far into US Indo

Washington’s approval for South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines has become a turning point in the alliance, analysts say, one that is already pushing Seoul towards a more explicit role in the United States’ broader Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China. As the US military reframes the region around a “strategic triangle” linking South Korea, Japan and the Philippines, observers say Washington has already begun “presenting the bill” for its endorsement of the submarine project –...

Events

2 w. ago South Korea’s nuclear sub deal signals shift from strategic ambiguity: analysts

Washington’s approval for South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines has become a turning point in the alliance, analysts say, one that is already pushing Seoul towards a more explicit role in the United States’ broader Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China. As the US military reframes the region around a “strategic triangle” linking South Korea, Japan and the Philippines, observers say Washington has already begun “presenting the bill” for its endorsement of the submarine project –...

Events