A South Korean special prosecutor on Thursday demanded the death penalty for ousted president Yoon Suk-yeol, ahead of an appeal court verdict on rebellion charges over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. The Seoul High Court has yet to set a date for a verdict on Yoon’s appeal of a life sentence handed down in February by the Seoul Central District Court. The court found that he illegally mobilised troops and police to seize the legislature, arrest political opponents and...

Spain began three days of mourning on Thursday after its second high-speed rail collision this year killed 68 people and injured scores, with relatives desperately seeking news about their loved ones. One of Europe’s deadliest train disasters this century has raised fresh questions about safety on Spain’s rail network after the transport minister reported an “error” and “inexplicable circumstances” that led to the crash. The collision happened in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha on...

CK Asset Holdings has suspended sales at its Yuen Long residential project Montage, days before it planned to begin marketing the development’s first homes. The developer confirmed the suspension to the South China Morning Post but declined to explain the abrupt decision, saying only that it reserved the right to pause or commence sales at any time. It dismissed market speculation that the government had revoked the project’s presale consent as baseless. The move followed Moni Yeung, deputy...

Indonesia’s communications minister has urged calm after a former Singaporean nominated member of parliament (NMP) suggested the city state could disrupt its neighbour’s internet access, arguing that any outage would cripple connectivity on both sides. Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said the government and public “need not be irritated” by comments from ex-NMP Calvin Cheng. In Singapore, NMPs are appointed to bring non-partisan perspectives to the legislature; they do...

Tokyo has struck a deal to build an assembly line for advanced American air-to-air missiles, while simultaneously exploring missile testing in India and Australia, moves which further mark Japan’s shift away from its post-war pacifist defence posture. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced late Wednesday that the two allies would construct a final assembly facility in Japan for the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The facility’s location has not been...

Germany is not seeking to decouple from China, but must defend its economic interests, visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Beijing on Thursday, echoing the line taken by Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his tour of neighbouring countries. Speaking at Peking University, Steinmeier insisted that Europe’s goal was not to sever ties with the world’s second-largest economy, but to reset the relationship on a fairer footing. “Our goal as Europeans is clear. We do not want...