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AdvertisementSouth China SeaChinaMilitaryUS patrol flights over South China Sea drop 30% as focus shifts to Middle EastDecline in reconnaissance aircraft sorties comes during critical time in China-US ties ahead of planned Donald Trump visit
2-MIN READ2-MINAlcott Weiin BeijingPublished: 7:00pm, 3 Mar 2026US land-based reconnaissance aircraft sorties over the South China Sea decreased by around 30 per cent month on month in February, according to a Beijing-based think tank, as the US deploys assets to the Middle East.The South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said on Monday that only 72 US reconnaissance aircraft sorties were detected over the South China Sea in February. By contrast, 102 US reconnaissance aircraft sorties were observed over the waters in both January and December.The think tank’s analysis did not discuss the reasons behind the drop. However, the US moved military assets from around the globe to the Middle East last month ahead of its attack on I..

AdvertisementPakistanAsiaSouth Asia11 dead, over 60 missing after Pakistan shopping centre fire smoulders for 24 hoursPolice say the market’s layout and presence of flammable materials such as carpets and blankets kept the blaze going throughout the weekend
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPReutersPublished: 2:36pm, 19 Jan 2026Firefighters in Karachi began searching on ‌Monday for more than 60 missing people after a massive fire destroyed a shopping centre in Pakistan’s most populous city, while the death toll from the disaster rose to 11.The fire started late on Saturday at the sprawling, multi-storey Gul Plaza in the city’s business district and ⁠burned for more than a day, hampering rescue efforts in the densely packed area.
After more than 24 hours of firefighting, crews moved to cooling and debris clearing on Sunday, although concerns grew that more victims could still be trapped inside.
AdvertisementPolice surgeon Summaiya Syed said the death toll had risen to 11, while..

AdvertisementMalaysiaThis Week in AsiaPeopleMalaysian security guard counts cost of viral knockout by MMA coach: ‘I was embarrassed’Security guard Muhammad Alim Muhamad Adnizam says he is thankful not to lose his job after challenging MMA coach Tony Lim to a fight
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPSCMP’s Asia deskPublished: 6:55pm, 23 Jul 2025A security guard in a block of flats in Malaysia thought he had the upper hand when he challenged a resident smaller than him, not realising the man he had picked on was a mixed martial arts (MMA) coach.AdvertisementNot only did Muhammad Alim Muhamad Adnizam, 24, end up having to get stitches, he had to watch his embarrassing knockout go viral. In addition, he was reassigned to another building and counted himself lucky he did not lose his job, the New Straits Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.
In the video of the street brawl on July 10, Alim can be seen aggressively provoking another man, later identified as 22-year-old amateur MMA f..