Asia - South China Morning Post

Japan’s Space One said its Kairos rocket terminated its flight after lift-off on Thursday, failing to achieve the country’s first entirely commercial satellite launch on its third attempt in a row.

Three months after another state-run rocket launch ‌failure, the unsuccessful flight dealt a fresh blow to Japan’s efforts to establish domestic launch options and reduce its reliance on American rockets amid rising space-security needs to counter China.

Kairos, the 18-metre (59 ft) solid-propellant...

The United States has ordered non-emergency staff at two Pakistani consulates to leave the country and granted permission for staff to leave missions in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Oman as Iran retaliates over US-Israeli raids.

The State Department ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members at the consulates in Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to “safety risks”, the US embassy in Islamabad said in a statement on Wednesday.

It said there was no change to the...

In Singapore’s famous Takashimaya shopping centre, those looking for a quick caffeine fix are spoiled for choice. There is, of course, the ubiquitous Starbucks, as well as an outlet of China’s rapidly expanding Luckin Coffee franchise.

But it’s a third option, Kenangan Coffee – an upstart brand from Indonesia that opened its first branch in Singapore in 2023 – that most appeals to 27-year-old shopper Sarah Shah.

“I really like Kenangan’s range of drinks, especially how they balance classic...

The latest exchange of air strikes and border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan has once again pushed the region to the brink, reviving a dread among those who have lived through this cycle before, the continuation of a war that never truly ended.

The so-called war on terror has been waged for over two decades, with no end in sight. Since 2001, the war has claimed more than 33,000 civilian and security forces lives in Pakistan and displaced millions internally. Yet a fundamental question...

Iran’s nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan has invoked its mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia in response to Tehran’s missile and drone attacks on the kingdom, in what analysts have described as a key test of Islamabad’s emerging role in the Middle East’s security architecture.

A gently worded warning to the Islamic Republic, delivered by Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, has established Islamabad as a go-between to manage the escalation.

Briefing the Senate on...

The ⁠Philippine government said on Wednesday it had apprehended some of its citizens on suspicion of spying for China in a “serious national security matter” that underscores the need for stricter laws against espionage and foreign interference.

Authorities did not provide details about the case, including how many people had been apprehended or whether charges had been filed.

“The operations of these individuals acting on the behest ‌of Chinese intelligence have been addressed and terminated,”...

Singaporean fashion photographer and former model Chuando Tan has turned 60, and his birthday photos are once again fuelling disbelief online over the youthful appearance that first made him a social media sensation nearly a decade ago.

Tan shared a reflective message alongside photos posted to Instagram on Tuesday to mark the milestone, quickly attracting hundreds of thousands of likes and a wave of comments from followers marvelling at how little he appears to have aged.

“Today, on my 60th...

A Philippine lawmaker has provoked outrage for what critics said were misogynistic remarks about one of the country’s most famous celebrities while attempting to defend Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio at a hearing deliberating her impeachment charges.

The remarks, made during deliberations of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Justice on Tuesday, prompted objections from female lawmakers, calls for his statement to be removed from the record and warnings from officials that such...

A South Korean court jailed two doctors on Wednesday for murdering a baby they delivered at 36 weeks of pregnancy and left to die in a freezer.

South Korea has decriminalised abortion but political deadlock has prevented successive governments from passing new laws to regulate the practice.

The infant’s mother, surnamed Kwon, sparked public outrage in 2024 when she posted a YouTube video claiming she had undergone an abortion at 36 weeks, a stage when most babies can survive outside the...

A US submarine sank ‌an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday.

Sri Lankan Foreign minister Vijitha Herath had earlier told parliament 180 people were on board the Iranian vessel, which he identified as the IRIS Dena.

A ship named IRINS Dena was listed as ⁠taking part in a naval drill held in the Bay of Bengal from February ‌18 to 25, according to the exercise’s website.

Sri Lankan navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said...