Asia - South China Morning Post

US President Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, telling reporters he was excited for his meeting with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the prospect of completing a joint deal to promote shipbuilding capacity.

“I look forward to meeting the new prime minister. I hear phenomenal things,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew from Malaysia, where he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.

Trump sidestepped questions about what corporate leaders...

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet agreed on Monday to form a joint task force to combat scams targeting South Koreans, in response to growing public concern over recent abductions and detentions of Lee’s compatriots in Cambodia.

The task force, which begins operations next month, will include South Korean police officers, according to presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung. The size and operational details of the force will be determined as soon as...

Two mountaineers, one French and one South Korean, have died in Nepal after separate expeditions to the Ama Dablam mountain in the Himalayas, hiking officials said on Monday.

Hugo Lucio Colonia Lazaro, 65, from France, was hit on the head by a falling piece of ice and was evacuated to Kathmandu by helicopter last week, said Subash Shrestha of the Himalayan Vision Treks and Expedition company.

Lazaro then died in hospital on Friday.

South Korean Park Hong-khy, 66, died on Sunday while climbing...

A Thai social media user has posted photos of a sushi piece glowing blue in the dark after she bought it from a store, raising health concerns about possible radioactive or poisonous contamination.

Sharing her discovery on a consumer interest group’s social media page on Sunday, Mild Burusskorn said she noticed the blue glow emitting from the egg sushi that she had bought from a well-known brand, which she did not name.

“I was about to get out of the car to turn off the lights and I saw that...

The US is seeking to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan but those ties do not come at the expense of Washington’s relations with India, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.

Just like India had ties with countries that the US did not, the vice versa applies, Rubio told reporters on board a flight to Doha.

“It’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy,” he said on Saturday. “I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship...

Known for its azure-hued buildings, Jodhpur, India’s “Blue City”, is dotted with hidden stepwells. Among them is Mahila Baag Jhalra, an 18th-century structure with elaborate staircases surrounding a central pool. Once a vital water source and gathering space for women, it had fallen into disrepair.

“When I first saw it, there was a lot of garbage in the space: cigarette butts, chip packets and plastic bags,” Delhi-based artist Ayesha Singh says, adding that many locals she met did not know it...

South Korea’s leading aircraft manufacturer has said it is in talks with the Philippines for more deals following an aerial show featuring the prowess of one of its newest multirole fighter jets near Seoul.

Spectators filled the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province for the Seoul International Aerospace & Defence Exhibition 2025, with the Republic of Korea Air Force showcasing the capabilities of the KF-21 Boramae, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), over the skies of the...

Japanese sushi legend Jiro Ono won three Michelin stars for more than a decade, the world’s oldest head chef to do so. He has served the world’s dignitaries and his art of sushi was featured in an award-winning film.

After all these achievements and at the age of 100, he is not ready to fully retire.

“I plan to keep going for about five more years,” Ono said last month as he marked Japan’s “Respect for the Aged Day” with a gift and a certificate ahead of his birthday.

What’s the secret of his...

Malaysian broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) has apologised for getting the names of three Southeast Asian leaders wrong during a live broadcast of the opening ceremony of the 47th Asean Summit.

RTM had misidentified the leaders of Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia during the live broadcast on Sunday.

In statements issued in Malay on social media, the broadcaster apologised for the mistakes.

RTM said in its statement that a broadcast commentator had misidentified Singapore’s Prime...

A US-North Korea flash summit remains a long shot despite Donald Trump signalling he was open to such talks and describing Pyongyang as “sort of a nuclear power” as he embarked on his Asia trip last week.

The choice of words by the US president could be interpreted as a diplomatic concession by Kim Jong-un, some analysts said.

Others said the North Korean leader’s focus was on alliances with China and Russia amid the Ukraine war, making it difficult to devote time and resources to a photo-op...