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China’s recent milestone in extending its home-grown satellite internet coverage to polar regions has given the country “fully self-controlled polar communications”, ending its long-time reliance on foreign technology to achieve the same capability, according to state media and industry experts. The breakthrough came during trials conducted as part of China’s 16th Arctic expedition – launched in early July and expected to conclude this month – when scientists aboard vessels in the Arctic...

After completing a master’s degree in data science at Pace University in New York in May last year, Tarun returned to India in October, saying frequent changes in US visa rules and employer sponsorship requirements had made it difficult for him to find a job in the world’s largest economy. Tarun, who is from the southern Indian city of Tirupati, felt returning home was a more prudent move than pursuing a job in the US indefinitely. “I got a job within one month here [Bengaluru] with an American...

Kanako Hosomura was working in a clothing store in Yokohama when an alert on her phone warned of an imminent magnitude 9.9 earthquake. “We all rushed outside,” Hosomura said, recalling how people poured out of nearby shops and offices to watch tall buildings and power lines for signs of shaking. But no earthquake came. Eight minutes after issuing the warning on Friday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) cancelled the alert, leaving residents to wonder what had gone wrong. “These alarms do not...

A satellite image sent researchers to a remote Pacific atoll, but their findings brought no resolution to the decades-old search. Here’s what to know.

The Philippines’ telco industry wants the country to become a regional digital hub anchored by stable underwater cables, but a leading executive and analysts warn that slow approvals for repairs, limited monitoring and fragmented official oversight could undermine the ambition. At a forum on archipelagic governance for subsea cables, PLDT, the Philippines’ largest telecommunications company, called for greater cooperation among government agencies and further reforms to expand the vital digital...

A Malaysian reform party led by two former cabinet ministers faces a new test ahead of a crucial state election after one of its founders was sidelined over an alleged religious morality offence, threatening its appeal to voters disillusioned with the country’s political establishment. The controversy surrounding former environment minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad could undercut Bersama’s promise of delivering a different kind of politics in next month’s Melaka poll, analysts say – although some...

Australian lawmaker Helen Haines was in a critical condition on Monday after being deliberately struck by a car outside her office, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying a terrorism task force would be investigating an arrested suspect. Albanese told a news conference it was too early to determine the motive for the attack but later pointed to the changing face of social media having raised the temperature around politics in a country where such ‌violence is extremely rare. Victoria Police...

China’s export machine is accelerating as its domestic economy remains under strain. This comes amid growing trade friction as China’s partners question whether persistent surpluses can coexist with balanced and resilient regional growth. Last month, China’s exports rose 36.3 per cent year on year, while shipments to Southeast Asia jumped 52.3 per cent. The trade surplus reached US$133.5 billion, taking the nine-month total to US$938.1 billion. In contrast, retail sales grew just 0.4 per cent in...

A deputy mayor in western Japan died after being crushed under a giant float during a local parade, officials said on Monday, a week after two others were reportedly killed at separate traditional festivals. Akihiro Nabae, deputy mayor of the city of Saijo in the Ehime region, was carrying a giant float with other participants on Saturday before becoming trapped beneath it, city and police officials said. He was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead, local media said. The exact...

Growing political polarization has the potential to undermine Manila’s ability to handle its ongoing maritime disputes with Beijing.

After more than half a century of political procrastination, environmental protests and funding shortfalls, Sydney finally has a second airport. But the new A$5.6 billion (US$4 billion) site’s commercial prospects are already in question. Western Sydney International, 50km (31 miles) inland from the city centre, will handle its first passenger flight on Sunday – a Jetstar service to the Gold Coast. But the facility has attracted only a handful of airlines and has half a dozen or fewer scheduled...

A prolonged housing crash, sluggish consumer spending and plunging investment have left China dependent on exports to keep the economy growing.