Asia News Wrap: China's Shenzhou-20 capsule returns unmanned, and more

Here are a few stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.

China's Shenzhou-20 space capsule returns unmanned

China's Shenzhou-20 spaceship's return capsule, carrying no astronauts, successfully landed at the Dongfeng landing site on Monday morning, according to the China Manned Space Agency. On-site inspections confirmed that the Shenzhou-20 return capsule's exterior was intact and that the items inside were in good condition. 

The spacecraft was originally scheduled to return three astronauts to Earth on November 5, 2025, but the mission was postponed due to a suspected impact from tiny space debris.

Japanese PM calls snap election on February 8

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called a snap election for February 8 to seek voter backing for increased spending, tax cuts and a new security strategy. Her cabinet adopted a decision on Friday to dissolve the House of Representatives. The poll will be her first electoral test since becoming Japan's first female premier in October. 

"I am staking my own political future as prime minister on this election," Takaichi said at a press conference. She promised a two-year halt to the 8 percent consumption tax on food, adding that her spending plans would create jobs, boost household spending and increase other tax revenues.

World's oldest cave art discovered in Indonesia

A red hand stencil pressed against the wall of an Indonesian cave is the oldest known rock art, scientists said on Wednesday, and it sheds light on how humans first migrated to Australia. The cave art dates back at least 67,800 years, according to research published in the journal Nature by a team of Indonesian and Australian archaeologists. 

"We have been working in Indonesia for a long time," study co-author Maxime Aubert of Australia's Griffith University told the press. At 67,800 years old, the Indonesian stencil is more than a 1,000 years older than other hand stencils found in a Spanish cave, which have been attributed to Neanderthals. The new discovery is also more than 15,000 years older than previous art found in the Sulawesi region by the same team.

Seoul to mandate licence check for e-scooter rentals

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will require electric scooter rental companies to verify users' driver's licenses, tightening enforcement as unlicensed riding and youth-related accidents continue to surge. On Sunday (January 18), the city said it placed a proposed amendment to its personal mobility safety ordinance on public notice, with comments accepted until January 23. 

Under the proposed revision, rental operators would be legally required to confirm that users hold a valid driver's license before renting electric scooters. If companies fail to comply, the mayor would be authorized to request corrective action from police and other relevant authorities. Under South Korean traffic law, riders of electric scooters and other personal mobility devices must hold at least a motorized bicycle license. Despite this requirement, unlicensed riding has remained widespread.

Philippines makes major gas discovery

The Philippines has made a "significant natural gas discovery" for the first time in over a decade, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said, a move that may help reduce the nation's reliance on coal. The reservoir, Malampaya East-1, near the existing Malampaya gas field, is estimated to contain around 98 billion cubic feet of gas, equivalent to almost 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, Marcos said in a video message on Monday. That could supply power to more than 5.7 million households in a year, he added. 

Malampaya is facing depletion after more than two decades in operation, prompting the nation to start importing gas in 2023. In 2024, the Philippines imported nearly half of its natural gas requirements. The latest gas find could help the Southeast Asian nation cut its dependence on coal.

(Cover: Shenzhou-20 spacecraft's return capsule successfully landed at China's Dongfeng Landing Site in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, January 19, 2026. /CFP)