4 h. ago Peru declares state of emergency in capital to combat spiralling crime

Peru’s interim president Jose Jeri announced a state of emergency in Lima and the neighbouring port of Callao on Tuesday, after weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and organised crime. “The state of emergency approved by the Council of Ministers will take effect at midnight on Wednesday and will last for 30 days in Metropolitan Lima and Callao,” Jeri said in an address to the nation broadcast by state television. Under the state of emergency, the government can send the army to...

Events

6 h. ago North Korea prepares for Apec – with a ballistic missile launch

With the Apec summit in South Korea just days away, the nuclear-armed North fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday in an apparent bid to remind the world of its growing arsenal. The launch, occurring against the backdrop of deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia, has reignited fears of escalating provocations and their implications for global stability. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missile, presumed to be a Hwasong-11da-4.5, was launched from North Hwanghae...

Events

18 h. ago In a war, the US Army could destroy China’s ports. Should it?

In a war, the US Army could destroy China’s ports. Should it?  Army Times

Events

21 h. ago Can J.D. Vance’s visit to Israel cement Gaza’s fragile ceasefire?

US Vice-President J.D. Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday to shore up the fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that has teetered over the past few days following a burst of deadly violence and questions over how to move forward with the plan for cementing a long-term peace. Also on Tuesday, Israel said it has identified the body of a hostage that was released by Palestinian militants overnight, while the chief Hamas negotiator said the group remains determined to implement the ceasefire...

Politics

21 h. ago Why Trump’s ‘best for business’ diplomacy will fail with Russia or China

“All I’ve done all my life is deals,” US President Donald Trump told the Gaza peace summit, going on to say “maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all”. Trump has cultivated his image on being the greatest deal-maker, a legacy central to his identity as a business tycoon and now fundamental to his reputation as a world leader. The ceasefire in Gaza has been framed as a crowning achievement in this repertoire. “Together we’ve achieved what everyone said was impossible, but at long...

Politics

24 h. ago Will corruption backlash against Marcos reshape Philippine politics?

Public anger over corruption has boiled over in the Philippines, sending President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s approval ratings tumbling and potentially tilting the balance of power with his political rivals. The latest survey by Pulse Asia Research shows that Filipinos are increasingly blaming the government’s recent corruption scandals – from flood control “ghost projects” to lavish spending by politically connected contractors – for their daily struggles, such as inflation and inadequate...

Politics

43 h. ago China’s rare earth magnet exports to US plunge 29% as tensions simmer

The decline in China’s exports of rare earth magnets to the United States accelerated in September – a period predating Beijing’s expansion of controls over the flow of the critical minerals – an indication the prized items remain a major battleground in the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies. China’s total exports to the US of the permanent magnets – essential components in manufacturing for several hi-tech industries, including electric vehicles and defence – reached...

Events

43 h. ago Hong Kong woman, 81, loses HK$5 million to romance scammer posing as PLA officer

An 81-year-old woman in Hong Kong has lost more than HK$5 million after falling victim to an elaborate online romance scam involving a fraudster who posed as a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer from mainland China. In a post on its CyberDefender social media page on Monday, police said the woman received a WhatsApp message from a man who claimed to be a PLA officer and invited her to visit a military camp. They quickly built an online romantic relationship through frequent affectionate...

Economics

45 h. ago ‘Stolen too soon’: Nepal mourns hero hostage returned from Gaza after ceasefire

Nepal’s interim prime minister on Monday draped a national flag over the coffin of returned Gaza hostage Bipin Joshi, released under the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. “Bipin is a son of all Nepali mothers,” Sushila Karki said at a ceremony held at the airport in Kathmandu, after his body was flown back to the capital from Tel Aviv. “The name Bipin will be immortal, no one can forget him for his bravery and the hardships he had to face.” Joshi, an agriculture student who was 22 when...

Events

45 h. ago China’s soybean imports surge as orders to US hit zero and American farmers fret

China imported no soybeans from the United States in September, but total imports remained at high levels amid a recent escalation in the US-China trade war, the latest Chinese customs data showed. Last month, the world’s largest food buyer purchased 12.8 million tonnes of soybeans – a crop heavily reliant on imports for its livestock industry – with a notable surge from Argentina during a brief suspension of export taxes, according to the detailed customs data released on Monday. The absence of...

Events

45 h. ago ‘Act of defiance’: China’s crude oil imports from Russia rise despite US pressure

Russia remained China’s top crude oil supplier in September, at a time when the United States is stepping up pressure on major economies to curb their reliance on energy from the Eurasian country. Imports from Russia rose 4.3 per cent in volume from August to 8.29 million tonnes in September, accounting for 17.5 per cent of China’s total crude imports, customs data showed – a sign of Beijing’s willingness to maintain trade links with Moscow despite geopolitical frictions. Chinese purchases of US...

Events

46 h. ago China, Australia trade blame after PLA jet releases flares in mid

China and Australia exchanged accusations on Monday after an encounter over the disputed South China Sea, with the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command Air Force saying that it drove away a P-8A military aircraft that illegally intruded into Chinese airspace. “The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command organised naval and air forces to track and monitor the intruder in accordance with regulations, implement effective countermeasures, and issue warnings to drive it away,” Senior Colonel Li...

Politics

47 h. ago Trump’s envoys arrive in Israel as Gaza ceasefire teeters after deadly strikes

The top US envoys to the Middle East conflict arrived in Israel on Monday to inspect progress on the Gaza plan after weekend violence threatened to wreck the hard-won ceasefire. Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza for aid shipments, a security official and a humanitarian source said, after it was closed briefly on Sunday following the killing of two Israeli soldiers. In response, Israel carried out dozens of strikes targeting Hamas across Gaza, accusing the militant group...

Events

48 h. ago Mainland Chinese buyers fuel 25% of Hong Kong home sales last quarter: Centaline

Mainland Chinese homebuyers remain a strong driving force in Hong Kong’s residential property market, spending HK$38 billion (US$4.9 billion) to account for 25 per cent of the city’s total home transactions in the third quarter, according to Centaline Property Agency. Buyers with names in pinyin – the mainland’s system of romanisation of Chinese script – registered 3,797 deals between July and September, up 7 per cent from the previous quarter, Centaline said in a report on Monday. It noted that...

Economics

54 h. ago ‘An impossible dream’? South Korea wants to be among top 4 defence exporters

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Monday that the country would devote a “larger-than-expected budget” in defence and aerospace research until 2030 as it sought to build the world’s fourth-largest defence industry. Lee was speaking at South Korea’s largest-ever arms fair, the Seoul International Aerospace & Defence Exhibition 2025, where companies showed off new unmanned and artificial intelligence-enhanced weapons from howitzers to suicide drones in pursuit of more global defence...

Politics

56 h. ago Stronger Hong Kong residential property market whets investor appetite: analysts

Hong Kong’s residential property market is gradually mending investor sentiment, according to analysts, who are nonetheless cautious about a full recovery amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties. Investors accounted for 20 per cent of the market’s total transactions so far in 2025, according to UBS property analyst Mark Leung, who added that some districts with residential projects near universities might have a higher proportion. The average gross rental yield for mass residential...

Economics

57 h. ago How iPhone Air’s eSIM debut reshapes China’s telecoms landscape

The launch of the iPhone Air as the first eSIM-supported smartphone sold in China marks a pivotal moment in the country’s telecoms history, as state-owned mobile carriers vie for dominance in a changing landscape. Beijing approved “commercial trials” of the handset’s eSIM function by the country’s “Big Three” telecoms operators – China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom – last week, and the iPhone Air sold out within minutes of its release on Friday. Domestic brands quickly followed suit....

Politics

57 h. ago Israel says ceasefire and aid to resume after wave of strikes kill 26 in Gaza

The Israeli military said on Sunday a ceasefire in Gaza had resumed after an attack killed two of its soldiers and prompted a wave of air strikes that Palestinians said killed 26 people, in the most serious test yet of this month’s US-brokered truce. Aid into the enclave was set to resume on Monday following US pressure, an Israeli security source said, shortly after Israel announced a halt in supplies in response to what it said was a “blatant” violation by Hamas of the truce. The Israeli...

Events

64 h. ago Chinese embassy approval could be unlawful if UK ministers gave advance assurances

Chinese embassy approval could be unlawful if UK ministers gave advance assurances  The Guardian

Politics

68 h. ago No major PLA activities near Taiwan after ‘troublemaker’ Lai’s policy speech

The People’s Liberation Army has refrained from conducting a large-scale drill near Taiwan following its leader’s annual policy speech – an address seen as less provocative than last year’s, which drew sabre-rattling from Beijing. Figures released by Taiwan’s defence ministry showed there was no increase in the number of PLA warplanes and warships detected near the island following William Lai Ching-te’s Double Tenth address on October 10. According to the Taiwanese figures, the PLA conducted...

Events