Asia

Trump said he expects to meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin during his trip to China next week. Beijing says only that it is in communication with the parties.

Geopolitics

A fire in a 40-storey residential building in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, has killed 14 people, Xinhua reported on Monday.

Geopolitics

China extended its pause on a 24% additional tariff on US imports by two months on Monday, while keeping a 10% rate. Several related suspensions were prolonged too.

Economy

Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested a new passport and identity card on Monday so a return from self-imposed exile in India becomes possible, according to a letter seen by Reuters. A war-crimes court in Bangladesh sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in November last year for ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising.

Geopolitics

China's producer inflation reached its highest level in about four years, driven by oil costs, according to Nikkei Asia and Handelsblatt. Global Times reports that consumer prices rose 0.7% in October.

Economy

China has extended the suspension of its 24% tariff on US imports by two months, Reuters reports. The report was published on Monday; no further details were available.

Economy

Producer prices in China rose 5.7 percent in October, according to Bloomberg, a post-Covid high, as higher energy prices pushed up costs. Consumer prices edged down, with weak domestic demand weighing on them, the Financial Times reports.

Economy

Top US and Chinese trade officials held a video call, reported on Saturday, ahead of a planned summit between the two countries' leaders. Washington accuses Beijing of breaching the Busan trade deal, while Beijing voiced serious concerns over US restrictions.

Economy

The US Commerce Department approved Chinese firms with empty offices or links to blacklisted entities to handle Nvidia's H200 chips, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

Technology

Garment workers in Bangladesh, the world's second-largest clothing exporter after China, are demanding that their wages more than double. According to the South China Morning Post, their protests have halted production in factories.

Economy

Putin expanded the temporary administration of Japan Tobacco assets in Russia, Reuters and Nikkei Asia reported on Saturday. Bloomberg reports that earlier seizures had already hit the company's shares.

Economy

On Saturday, Malaysia's king warned that any attempt to challenge his order letting former prime minister Najib Razak move from jail to house arrest could amount to defying his decree. Al Jazeera reports that the attorney general had postponed the transfer after a court cleared Najib for house arrest on Friday.

Geopolitics

Japan has protested and demanded that Russia reverse its seizure of Japan Tobacco units, according to Nikkei Asia and Bloomberg. A Nikkei Asia commentary separately urges Tokyo to speak up over a Japanese journalist taken by Russia.

Geopolitics

The US has warned China that it must "immediately" meet the terms of the Busan trade deal, saying Beijing is not fulfilling commitments to increase the supply of rare earths and other critical products, according to the Financial Times. On Friday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a video call with Vice-Premier He Lifeng to finalise preparations for the Trump-Xi summit in Shenzhen.

Geopolitics

A court in Macau sentenced former lawmaker Au Kam San, 69, to 12.5 years in prison on Friday. The pro-democracy figure was convicted of subversion and spreading false information in a bid to disrupt the 2024 elections, in the first case under the national security law.

Geopolitics

Reuters reports that North Korea's army of hackers was the secret weapon behind the theft from Binance, which Le Monde calls historic. Bloomberg reports that the hackers paid $15 to drain $2.5 billion from the exchange in one hit.

Technology

Indonesia named a fourth senior police officer as a suspect in the wiretapping scandal, which Al Jazeera says is driving divisions between President Prabowo Subianto and predecessor Joko Widodo. The South China Morning Post reports a growing push among lawmakers to investigate the academic credentials of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Geopolitics

Ten countries, including the Five Eyes allies, have called for an immediate end to "unjust prosecutions" under Hong Kong's national security law after opposition activist Joshua Wong was sentenced. Hong Kong rejected the criticism as "malicious attacks", according to the South China Morning Post.

Geopolitics

Hong Kong's High Court sentenced activist Joshua Wong on Thursday to ten years for conspiring to collude with foreign forces. He had been due for release in January 2027.

Geopolitics

China's foreign-investment security review authority has banned SoftBank's acquisition of ABB's China robotics operations, ABB said on Thursday. The $5.4bn deal agreed last year is now in doubt.

Technology

Indonesia deployed thousands of troops in Jakarta to secure a trial amid an alleged wiretapping scandal targeting the phone of President Prabowo Subianto. The police chief said on Thursday the inquiry is a matter for law enforcement, while parliament considers an inquiry into the vice president.

Geopolitics

Seoul will ask parliament to extend the Cheonghae anti-piracy unit's area to about 650 km from the Strait of Hormuz, after criticism from Donald Trump over its support in the Iran war. According to Le Monde, the plan includes a destroyer, a maritime patrol aircraft, a mine-clearing team and drones.

Geopolitics

China's commerce ministry says it is open to buying more US agricultural products. It wants reciprocal tariff cuts covering $30bn worth of products on each side to be implemented first.

Economy

Reuters reports in an exclusive that China has not approved imports of Nvidia chips. As a result, stock is piling up in Hong Kong.

Technology

Garment workers in Bangladesh kept protesting for higher pay despite a wage board move, Reuters reports, after hundreds of factories shut this week. Politika reports police used tear gas and stun grenades against workers, with more than 10,000 officers on the streets.

Economy

President Prabowo Subianto dismissed chief of staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo on Wednesday, a day after his arrest over alleged illegal wiretapping. The government says the case may amount to treason.

Geopolitics

Beijing said on Wednesday that it is in communication with the parties about a meeting of the Chinese, Russian and US leaders. It would be the first such trilateral meeting.

Geopolitics

North Korea fired multiple missiles on Wednesday in its fourth weapons launch in a month, Seoul says. Kim Yo Jong refused dialogue with the US and denied responsibility for the theft of more than $6bn in crypto assets, which US authorities blame on a hacker group linked to Pyongyang.

Geopolitics

Bangladesh has agreed a new pay scale for garment workers after five days of protest, according to Le Monde and Reuters. Workers demanded a 140% rise in the monthly minimum wage to offset higher living costs; Le Monde reports the amount is to be set in December.

Economy

Taiwan expressed concern on Tuesday over more than 100 People's Liberation Army naval vessels and mainland Chinese coastguard ships sailing across the western Pacific, including the Liaoning strike group, according to the South China Morning Post. Separately, Reuters reports that the Philippines and China pledged to maintain dialogue despite tensions.

Geopolitics

China's central bank is set to step up its re-lending policy to support share buybacks, while the Financial Times reports that ETFs commonly used by Beijing to support the market saw their second-highest net inflows on record. Chipmaker YMTC has put its IPO on hold as weaker markets weigh, Reuters reports, citing sources.

Economy

Google will invest $15 billion in Malaysia in 2027 and 2028, according to Reuters and the Wall Street Journal. Nikkei Asia and Bloomberg describe the money as going into the expansion of data centers in the country.

Technology

Cyclone Murasu made landfall on India's east coast early on Tuesday, the second cyclone in the region within a week after Arnab.

Geopolitics

China paused new stock listings after the CSI 300 index posted its worst month in more than a decade in October, according to the Financial Times. Reuters, citing the FT, reports that a regulator has told banks to pause IPOs.

Economy

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that work is ongoing to arrange a meeting of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November, according to TASS. The Financial Times reports that Trump travels to Shenzhen in two weeks, and TASS says Beijing has the leading role in preparing the meeting.

Geopolitics

Tens of thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh protested for a fourth day on Tuesday, demanding higher minimum wages. Police fired tear gas to disperse them, and the workers defied calls to end the protests, which have disrupted factories and transport.

Economy

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that a handful of Philippine politicians had acted in an "egregious, irrational and intolerable" way, and urged Manila to rein them in. Global Times quoted him as saying China-Philippines relations face "malicious interference".

Geopolitics

Pyongyang claims Tokyo is developing the capability for pre-emptive strikes on neighbouring countries, according to Politika. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called North Korea's security measures lawful and described US-South Korean drills near its border as provocative.

Geopolitics

Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources, that Myanmar's military struck a maternity clinic and a school, killing 15 people including a newborn. The attack takes place amid the country's ongoing civil war.

Geopolitics

Indian authorities evacuated thousands of people ahead of Cyclone Murasu, the second cyclone in a week, Reuters and Al Jazeera report. According to the Meteorological Department, it was expected to make landfall near Ongole late on Monday with winds of 100 to 110 km/h.

Geopolitics

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Oman's sultan, and the two countries signed deals to boost trade and investment, while the Jerusalem Post reports that Xi warned against great-power conflict in the Gulf. In Beijing, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's National Security Council, who said Iran is ready for talks with all parties and determined to defend its national security, according to TASS.

Geopolitics

China's central bank announced on Monday a new round of a swap facility to channel about US$15 billion into the onshore stock market after its worst sell-off in almost a decade, according to the South China Morning Post. Global Times reports it is the third such operation, with demand exceeding 100bn yuan.

Economy

Japan's government and ruling coalition are considering nearly doubling defence spending over the next five years, with the South China Morning Post citing sources and a figure of about US$500 billion, as part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's push to strengthen the military. Russian parliament speaker Valentina Matviyenko expressed concern, saying it will have a serious negative impact on peace, security and stability in the region.

Geopolitics

A South Korean army staff sergeant died after suffering external injuries at a frontline unit in Cheorwon on Monday morning, Seoul's Defence Ministry said. TASS reports that North Korea will keep rapidly strengthening its nuclear capabilities, while China's Foreign Ministry urged a political settlement after the North's cluster-bomb warhead test (Global Times).

Geopolitics

Thousands of garment workers blocked a major highway and clashed with police in Bangladesh on Monday, demanding a monthly minimum wage more than double current pay, according to the South China Morning Post. Al Jazeera reports that the protests entered a third day amid rising inflation, while Reuters says factories reopened but the industry remains on edge.

Economy

Thousands of people marched in New Delhi on Sunday, demanding that India's election chief resign over changes to voter lists, according to Al Jazeera. The opposition had said hundreds of thousands would take part, and authorities tightened security beforehand.

Geopolitics

North Korea tested cluster-bomb warheads, The Hindu reports, and said a US-South Korea nuclear drill shows the need for a stronger nuclear deterrent, according to Reuters. Politika reports that Pyongyang accused the US of preparing nuclear war and announced faster arms buildup.

Geopolitics

Taiwan says China is harassing shipping with coast guard patrols off the island's east coast. The South China Morning Post reports that the patrols also reach waters near Quemoy and Dongsha Island, and that Taipei is shadowing the ships.

Geopolitics

South Korean exports nearly doubled in October, the sharpest jump in more than 50 years, as demand for AI products propelled shipments of chips. Exports to China rose 133.6%, according to Global Times.

Economy

A landmark resolution adopted by the Communist Party's Central Committee commits the party to step up party building across the tech sector and to deploy digital tools against corruption, according to the South China Morning Post. Bloomberg reports that the document also urges tougher action on crypto corruption.

Geopolitics

DeepSeek presented a 'super agent' design meant to let AI agents work with less human coordination. SCMP and Bloomberg frame it as a move against OpenAI and Anthropic in coding.

Technology

China's factory activity still expanded but ended a streak of faster growth, Bloomberg reports, and Reuters says the central bank injected cash and is shifting to the overnight rate as a key policy lever. Reuters also reports that factory growth slowed to an eight-month low in South Korea and slowed in Japan in October.

Economy

Reuters reported on Sunday that five people were killed in fresh ethnic violence in India's Manipur state. Who was responsible was not stated in the available reporting.

Geopolitics

An analysis by GMO Internet Group found that a North Korea-linked hacking group was likely behind last month's cyberattack on the company, according to sources close to the matter cited by the South China Morning Post. Politika reports that malware, IP addresses and digital traces point to the link and that data of millions of users in Japan was put at risk.

Technology

Smoke from drought-fuelled fires killed an estimated 3,560 people in Indonesia in September, the Helsinki-based CREA reported on Thursday. Singapore has meanwhile expanded its panel probing haze-linked firms.

Geopolitics

The US Federal Communications Commission voted to bar Chinese labs from testing electronics and plans to ban Chinese telecom firms from direct access to US phone numbers, according to Reuters and Global Times. China opposes the lab ban and vows countermeasures if Washington presses ahead, and it dismissed as groundless a New York Times report that a Chinese businesswoman close to Nvidia's CEO passes intelligence to Beijing.

Technology

Taiwan's economic growth extends a run unseen since 1987, according to Bloomberg, and China's CXMT reported a quarterly profit after Asia's biggest IPO this year, Reuters reports. Foxconn's chief downplayed concerns about an AI bubble and sees strong growth in 2027, according to Nikkei Asia.

Technology

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for rapid expansion of drone technology and observed weapons tests, The Hindu reports, while South Korea will respond firmly to North Korean breaches of the border, a security aide said, according to Reuters. South Korea, the US and Japan are weighing a response to new North Korean missile launches, Politika reports.

Geopolitics

Xi told German President Steinmeier on Friday that China treats the EU with sincerity, while Beijing threatens countermeasures over EU trade curbs. Chancellor Merz said the EU would shape a better offer, and China and Switzerland praised an upgraded free-trade deal.

Geopolitics

The Communist Party expelled 33 officials, including 16 generals, at its fifth plenum, and promoted the general who led the military anti-graft purge to the Politburo. Xi renewed the long-running anti-corruption drive and the party pledged to crack down on "unwritten rules" that enable corruption.

Geopolitics

The Mayon volcano in the Philippines erupted and sent an ash plume 3,000 metres above its summit. Authorities raised the alert level to 3 and ordered evacuations within six kilometres.

Geopolitics

China's military Southern Theater Command conducted combat-readiness patrols around Huangyan Dao, the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal, deploying an early warning aircraft, a reconnaissance drone, a fighter jet and a bomber, according to the Chinese state-run Global Times. The South China Morning Post reports that the China Coast Guard also held an exercise with water cannons and drones near two disputed reefs at the centre of its dispute with the Philippines.

Geopolitics

Residents of the Tai Po estate hit by the deadly fire nearly a year ago say the officials' apology came too late, the South China Morning Post reports. Hong Kong's security chief said a new joint task force led by them will root out bid-rigging, and denied that the reforms came too late.

Geopolitics

Hong Kong's chief executive John Lee apologised on Thursday for the Wang Fuk Court fire that killed 168 people. Housing Secretary Winnie Ho resigned after a judge-led report faulted four government departments.

Geopolitics

North Korea fired about ten short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Thursday, less than a week after Seoul proposed military talks.

Geopolitics

A study released on Thursday attributes at least 5,200 deaths in Indonesia to this year's fires and haze. Singapore's foreign minister made a surprise visit to Jakarta to ease tensions.

Geopolitics

China's Communist Party confirmed on Thursday the expulsion of 33 officials, including former diplomat Liu Jianchao. It also promoted General Zhang Shengmin, described by the South China Morning Post as a key player in the anti-corruption drive that hit the military leadership, to the Politburo.

Geopolitics

Samsung's third-quarter profit nearly ninefolded on AI-driven memory demand, and Nikkei Asia calls it the biggest ever for a tech company. A Reuters poll sees South Korea's October exports rising at the fastest pace since 1974, while Japan's chip exports rose 41%.

Economy

The US banned imports from three Chinese genomics companies over forced-labour concerns, The Hindu reports, and the FCC voted to bar all Chinese labs from testing electronics for the US market. China's commerce ministry opposes the blacklisting, and its foreign ministry called the forced-labour claim a "lie of the century", according to Global Times.

Economy

Reuters reports that six people have been killed by Cyclone Arnab, up from three in an earlier Al Jazeera report. The storm battered Andhra Pradesh and damaged homes and farmland, according to Al Jazeera.

Geopolitics

China vows "all necessary measures" if the EU imposes discriminatory restrictions on Chinese products, Global Times reports. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Beijing on Thursday that Germany does not seek decoupling but must defend its economic interests, while the South China Morning Post reports that EU officials plan to press Beijing for a stronger yuan.

Economy

Shares of Biwin Storage Technology and Moore Threads tumbled on Thursday in a broad rout of mainland technology stocks, despite strong third-quarter revenue. Separately, Iluvatar CoreX claims its new Tiangai 300 GPU can match Nvidia's H200 in real-world AI workloads.

Economy

The UN says poppy cultivation in Afghanistan rose about 330% and opium production about 400%, despite the Taliban government's ban. Farmers told Al Jazeera they are being pushed into poppy farming to make a living, while Le Monde reports a worsening humanitarian crisis driven by aid cuts, higher food prices and mass returns from Iran and Pakistan.

Geopolitics

Taiwan said on Thursday that Pakistan briefly closed its airspace to Taiwanese cargo and passenger flights and that it suspects China is behind the move, according to Bloomberg and Daily Sabah. China's foreign ministry said the one-China principle is a broad international consensus, while Nikkei Asia reports confusion over Pakistan's policy.

Geopolitics

Cyclone Arnab made landfall in India's Andhra Pradesh early on Wednesday, killing at least three people after about 180,000 had been evacuated.

Geopolitics

Shares of Reliance Jio Platforms rose 21% in India's biggest IPO, the Financial Times reports, after the telecoms business raised $3.2bn at a $108bn valuation. Daily Sabah says the stock climbed as much as 21% at the start of trading in Mumbai on Wednesday, making it India's second-most valuable company.

Economy

Hundreds of Indonesian security personnel were deployed in Jakarta on Wednesday ahead of student protests against several policies of President Prabowo Subianto and his government's handling of the forest fires, according to Reuters and the South China Morning Post. In a rare move, Singapore summoned top executives from 10 locally registered companies potentially linked to haze-causing fires in Indonesia to a meeting with three ministers.

Geopolitics

A "national team" of funds and brokers is buying stocks in China as investors turn away from the AI trade, the Financial Times reports. Handelsblatt carries a quote describing the overall Chinese market as in "free fall".

Economy

During his visit to Japan, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited Tokyo to back a global alliance for rules-based trade, according to Reuters and FAZ. China called on Germany and the EU to be "rational" on trade and supply chain issues, while Takaichi pressed Merz not to leave Japan out of "Made in Europe" EV subsidies, Nikkei Asia reports.

Economy

India is moving tens of thousands of people to shelters as Cyclone Arnab approaches its eastern coast.

Geopolitics

Chinese AI and tech shares have kept sliding since June, even as state-backed funds try to prop up the market. Outlets put the losses between $480 billion and $2.4 trillion.

Economy

The foreign ministers of Indonesia and Singapore said on Tuesday they want to set up a joint haze task force and share data, as they met to reaffirm ties amid tensions. Indonesia is seeding clouds against fires on Borneo and Sumatra, according to Handelsblatt, while an oxygen bus serves residents of a Borneo city and Bloomberg reports the visit followed natural gas cuts.

Geopolitics

Indonesia's bond yield reached a four-year high on Tuesday as MSCI-related risk and oil prices weighed, Bloomberg reports. A corporate bond sale has also been shelved amid the MSCI fallout, according to Bloomberg.

Economy

Indonesia defended its cut in natural gas exports to Singapore on Monday, citing domestic electricity and industrial needs and saying the reduction stays within contractual limits, according to the South China Morning Post. Smoke from the country's worst wildfires in more than a decade is threatening the world's oldest cave paintings on Sulawesi, Daily Sabah reports.

Geopolitics

Reuters reported on Monday that India will evacuate thousands of people as Cyclone Arnab approaches its eastern coast. Details on the storm's strength and expected landfall were not yet available.

Geopolitics

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party opened a four-day fifth plenary session on Monday, focused on party discipline and fighting corruption, according to the South China Morning Post. The meeting is being watched closely for clues on the country's direction and future leadership, and the New York Times reports that Xi Jinping is likely preparing to secure a fourth term in 2027.

Geopolitics

Prime Minister Takaichi will hold a cybersecurity meeting as attacks grow, according to Bloomberg. Nikkei Asia reports that the cyberattack on internet provider GMO threatens customers' computers, and Politika says GMO's chief executive Masatoshi Kumagai apologized on Sunday.

Technology

China's Communist Party opened its fifth plenum on Monday, according to Reuters. Nikkei Asia expects Xi Jinping to tighten his grip at the discipline-focused meeting, which follows years of purges that have led some analysts to ask, per The Guardian, whether the issue is corruption or a lack of loyalty.

Geopolitics

Kim Jong Un made a surprise visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong on Saturday, touring a commercial vehicle factory and crossing a new bridge, according to the South China Morning Post and the Wall Street Journal. North Korea told the UN that South Korea fabricated a landmine incident, KCNA says.

Geopolitics

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Sunday that Singapore expects all parties with commercial gas supply contracts to "honour their commitments" after Indonesia cut its exports. Singapore also expanded its investigation into haze-causing fires in Indonesia, requesting information from 10 locally registered companies.

Geopolitics

GMO Internet is compensating customers of its foreign exchange trading service after a cyberattack. Japanese companies are facing a wave of attacks, Reuters and the South China Morning Post report.

Technology

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un returned home on Saturday after an unannounced visit to Dandong, accompanied by China's top political advisor, according to Global Times. State media said on Saturday that Kim urged the military to become the strongest armed forces in the world at a two-day meeting of company commanders in Pyongyang.

Geopolitics

Hegseth says 80 'propaganda cells' were dismantled as the Pentagon targets China's Confucius Institutes, according to the South China Morning Post. Beijing has urged Washington to halt proposed rules expanding US outbound-investment curbs, Reuters reports.

Geopolitics

Typhoon Champi killed one person and injured 350 in Taiwan, according to The Hindu, while TASS reports at least 500 people affected. On Saturday it grounded more than 100 flights in eastern China and authorities relocated tens of thousands of people, the South China Morning Post reports.

Geopolitics

Indonesia cut pipeline gas exports to Singapore by about 9%, Reuters reports. An official said the cut on Saturday was to prioritise domestic demand, the South China Morning Post reports, while Bloomberg says Singapore has widened its haze investigation to 10 locally based firms.

Economy

Bloomberg reports that sinking profits have turned China's $3.5 trillion stock rout into a trap for investors. The South China Morning Post reports that users noticed on Saturday that the social media account of economist Ren Zeping had been restricted, as Beijing steps up scrutiny of financial market influencers.

Economy

Chinese AI start-up Moonshot AI says it limited the cyber-offence capability of its new Kimi K3.1 Pro model. It announced the step on Saturday amid fears that AI could make cyberattacks easier and cheaper.

Technology

China has launched new remote sensing satellite groups, Global Times reports. The launch created a glowing "space jellyfish" effect in the sky.

Technology

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Nagqu in northern Tibet late on Thursday, killing at least 16 people. Hundreds of homes collapsed in the remote, high-altitude area.

Geopolitics

On Friday, Taiwan shut down ahead of Super Typhoon Champi, with Nikkei Asia reporting nearly 1,000 cancelled flights and Al Jazeera describing huge waves on the northeastern coast and winds of 191 km/h. The South China Morning Post says the storm also threatens eastern mainland China.

Geopolitics

South Korea has again proposed talks with North Korea on the land border, Reuters reports. The FAZ reports that North Korea has laid nearly a million mines along the frontier since 2024, while US and South Korean officials see fading chances of a Trump-Kim summit this year, according to the South China Morning Post.

Geopolitics

Chinese stocks have slid into bear territory, according to Nikkei Asia, shortly before a Communist Party plenum next week in Beijing. Reuters says tougher discipline and Xi Jinping's authority are expected to be key themes, and the South China Morning Post points to a renewed anti-corruption drive.

Economy

China's commerce ministry (MOFCOM) criticised US curbs on research ties with China and vowed necessary countermeasures, while the foreign ministry said arbitrary restrictions serve no party's interests, responding to a US proposal to extend outbound investment curbs to biotechnology. Chinese AI developers DeepSeek and MiniMax have completed export registration and proceeded with open-source releases and overseas licensing, according to state media.

Technology

Jio Platforms' IPO is the first issue worldwide to receive more than 10 million applications, The Hindu reports. According to Reuters, bids topped 10 times the offer.

Economy

Indonesia's worst wildfires in more than a decade are threatening the world's oldest cave paintings on Sulawesi, according to the South China Morning Post and Reuters. Heat and smoke risk accelerating the deterioration of the art.

Geopolitics

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck northern Tibet late on Thursday, and Chinese state media report at least 16 dead. More than 300 houses collapsed.

Geopolitics

Super Typhoon Champi is nearing Taiwan and eastern China, prompting warnings, an emergency response and flight cancellations.

Geopolitics

Kim Yo-jong, sister of Kim Jong-un, warned after inspecting border fortifications that loudspeakers aimed at South Korea will be ready to restart, the Guardian reports. Seoul urged dialogue, and Politika reports that it demanded an apology from Pyongyang over mines.

Geopolitics

The Wall Street Journal reports that Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek has raised $15 billion ahead of a potential IPO, while Global Times describes it as a plan to raise that sum. Reuters reports, citing sources, that TSMC is looking for factory-equipment alternatives to counter China's grip on rare earths.

Technology

Protesters in Indonesia are demanding action against rainforest fires, whose smoke has sickened hundreds of thousands and spread to neighboring countries, according to the New York Times. Reuters reports that fire hotspots have eased, but an official says rain is still not enough.

Geopolitics

The New York Times reports that Afghanistan and Pakistan, after eight months of what it calls an 'open war', are increasingly turning to proxy groups. The newspaper says the conflict has taken a heavy toll on civilians.

Geopolitics

Reuters reports that Indonesian stocks with high shareholding concentrations will be excluded from an index from next month, after what the South China Morning Post calls the country's worst stock-market rout since 1998. Sovereign fund Danantara says it has bought stocks, and Bloomberg reports that Indonesia is eyeing a panda bond.

Economy

The retail portion of the Jio Platforms IPO was fully subscribed by the second day of bidding, according to Reuters and The Hindu. Reuters also reports that Ambani's heir Akash is stepping into the spotlight as the company goes public.

Economy

Kim Aris, son of Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has spoken to her for the first time in more than five years, Reuters reports. Aris said they found her voice 'fairly healthy' and that hearing it again 'means more than words can express', amid a loosening of detention restrictions.

Geopolitics

Bank Indonesia held its key rate while the threat of an MSCI reclassification weighs on Indonesian stocks and the rupiah, according to the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Singapore's Temasek and GIC deny instigating the stock rout, Bloomberg reports.

Economy

Mukesh Ambani's Jio Platforms, whose $3.2bn offering Nikkei Asia calls a record, was fully subscribed on Wednesday within about 100 minutes of opening, The Hindu reports. The rupee closed at a six-week high of 94.43, driven by the IPO and RBI intervention.

Economy

Super Typhoon Champi, now the strongest storm of the year worldwide according to the South China Morning Post, is heading towards Taiwan and eastern China. Authorities are planning evacuations and urging people in its path to prepare, and Bloomberg reports it could have an impact within days.

Geopolitics

Draft rules would tighten China's control over exports of top AI models, the New York Times reports. DeepSeek open-sourced an inference framework called DeepInfer, while experts told the South China Morning Post that the latest US ban on DeepSeek may deter American firms from adopting Chinese models.

Technology

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang signed a joint communique on Wednesday after two rounds of talks in St. Petersburg, TASS reports. Mishustin said the Power of Baikal pipeline project is being developed.

Geopolitics

China accused a US Navy warship of illegally entering disputed waters near Xianbin Jiao, as Beijing calls it, and sent naval forces to monitor it, according to the Jerusalem Post. The China Coast Guard says it permitted and monitored a Philippine resupply to a grounded vessel at Ren'ai Jiao, known as Second Thomas Shoal.

Geopolitics

China's foreign ministry said its rare-earth export controls on Japan are meant to prevent 'remilitarization' and nuclear ambitions, according to Global Times. The statement responds to reports that Japan is seeking US help to ease the controls amid a yttrium shortage.

Geopolitics

Pak Jong Chon, North Korea's army chief, inspected fortification construction sites along the country's southern border on Tuesday, according to state news agency KCNA. KCNA says troops must act if the enemy provokes.

Geopolitics

The US Department of Homeland Security ordered civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek AI tools. Beijing protested and, according to Global Times, warned of countermeasures.

Technology

Japan is months from running out of yttrium and has asked the US to press China to ease rare earth export controls, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The metal is vital to car, jet engine and chip production.

Economy

Japan's space agency JAXA launched its MMX probe on an H3 rocket on Tuesday. It aims to bring back the first samples from a Martian moon.

Technology

Jio Platforms, the digital arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, floats on the stock market on Wednesday in what The Guardian calls India's biggest-ever IPO, aiming for a valuation of £81bn. The South China Morning Post, which puts the figure at US$108b, says the listing will test investor confidence in the telecoms operator amid a rivalry with Elon Musk.

Economy

Indonesian stocks rebounded as authorities stepped up their response to a possible reclassification by MSCI, Bloomberg reported. The South China Morning Post says financial regulators and exchange officials have vowed to address systemic concerns, while Bloomberg reports that bets on a rate hike jumped as the threat hit the rupiah.

Economy

Indonesia's burned land doubled in September as fires rage, Reuters reports, citing data. The South China Morning Post says the haze continues to shroud Southeast Asia, and Al Jazeera reports that students and activists protested across Indonesia over fires linked to land clearing for palm oil plantations.

Geopolitics

China says the US Navy ship USS Charleston illegally entered waters near the Spratly Islands early on Tuesday, and that PLA forces tracked and monitored it. Beijing accuses the vessel of undermining regional stability.

Geopolitics

Reuters reports that ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent have placed orders for Nvidia chips worth more than $35 billion. Handelsblatt also reported the orders on Tuesday.

Technology

Malaysia's main opposition coalition lost its registration on Tuesday, 11 days before nominations for a state election. The South China Morning Post reports accusations against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government and says the gains for Anwar appear limited.

Geopolitics

The UN warned on Tuesday that the number of people facing acute food insecurity in Afghanistan is set to rise above 19 million this winter. The South China Morning Post puts the figure at 19.2 million.

Geopolitics

South Korea will withdraw part of its diplomatic staff from Ukraine after a dispute over North Korean prisoners of war transferred to Seoul, Yonhap reported. Seoul recalled its ambassador from Kyiv earlier this month after Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer, and the Foreign Ministry cited security challenges amid threats of airstrikes, according to TASS.

Geopolitics

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a visit to India on Tuesday with a trade deal and Russian oil on the agenda, according to Reuters. The Hindu reports that he said Washington will discuss refining Venezuelan crude with Reliance, and the South China Morning Post reports that he confirmed Quad leaders will meet in Manila next month for their first summit in two years.

Geopolitics

China has set up the National Data Group, a new central state-owned enterprise based in Xiong'an, to develop the country's data resources. According to the South China Morning Post, the move is meant to speed up China's artificial intelligence industry.

Technology

China's Commerce Ministry will require export licences for tunnel-boring machines from 18 November and tighten rules on drones and dredgers. Draft curbs on AI and solar technology are pending.

Economy

Indonesia's stock exchange will drop 80 tightly held stocks from its benchmark index to head off an MSCI downgrade. Shares kept falling on Monday.

Economy

China's GDP grew 4.5% in the third quarter compared with a year earlier, beating forecasts, as exports tied to an AI boom lifted growth, according to Al Jazeera and the Guardian. Reuters reports that China is set to leave its benchmark lending rates unchanged for a 17th month.

Economy

The Philippines summoned China's ambassador Jing Quan over comments that China could "easily win" a war between the two countries. According to the South China Morning Post, he denied making threats, while China's foreign ministry, as reported by Global Times, opposed what it called malicious attempts by certain Philippine individuals to hype up China-related issues.

Geopolitics

Indonesia is fighting its worst forest fires and toxic haze in 11 years, Al Jazeera reports. Nikkei Asia reports that the wildfires threaten forest carbon projects.

Geopolitics

An Indian court has extended the custody of leaders of the 'Cockroach' movement, Reuters reports, citing local media. Al Jazeera says the move comes amid a crackdown on near-daily protests against the government, which Nikkei Asia reports are hitting festive season sales.

Geopolitics

China lodged a sharp protest with Japan over an offering by Prime Minister Takaichi to the Yasukuni shrine, Politika reports, quoting Mao Ning as calling the shrine a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarists and their war of aggression. Joint drills involving about 45,000 Japanese troops and 12,000 US service members have begun, Kyodo reported, according to TASS.

Geopolitics

Japan is due to launch a spacecraft early on Tuesday Japan time to collect the first samples from a Martian moon, according to the Financial Times and Daily Sabah. A German-French lander named Idefix plays a key role in the mission, FAZ reports.

Technology

At least 19 people, including a seven-year-old girl, died in a stampede during a Hindu festival in Kolkata, according to Al Jazeera. Bloomberg reports that dozens more were injured.

Geopolitics

China's economy grew 4.5% in the third quarter, powered by exports and narrowly beating forecasts, according to the Wall Street Journal and Nikkei Asia. Bloomberg reports that the slump in home prices eased.

Economy

China has proposed export controls on solar-manufacturing technologies, according to Reuters and The Hindu, part of what Handelsblatt describes as planned new controls on key technologies. Reuters separately reports that China's solar panel exports extended their slump in September.

Economy

Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire across the Upper Kurram-Paktia frontier on Saturday, according to Daily Sabah. The South China Morning Post reports that Pakistan's counterterrorism campaign against Taliban insurgents risks being undermined by public resentment after the dismissal of the opposition-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration.

Geopolitics

Global Times reports that China unveiled its first 100,000-card AI supercluster hardware and showcased 10 frontier research applications. The outlet also reports that DeepSeek unveiled a faster, cheaper AI model with improved performance.

Technology

A court in India has acquitted the leader of a youth protest movement, Handelsblatt reports, while the protests over alleged electoral manipulation continue. Bloomberg says Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no easy way to end them, and Al Jazeera reports a protest in London led by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee accusing the government of vote theft.

Geopolitics

Taiwan says it drove away 16 Chinese ships involved in what it calls 'maritime harassment', according to reports on Sunday. Taipei says China is stepping up its presence around the island in a pattern meant to 'alter the status quo'.

Geopolitics