Asia
South Korea’s Culture Minister Calls Threats Over ‘The Assassins’ a ‘Destruction of Democracy’ as Conservatives Demand the Film Be Pulled
A South Korean film about the 1974 killing of first lady Yuk Young-soo has drawn protests outside an actor's home and demands from the conservative opposition that it be withdrawn. The culture minister has asked police to protect the cast and rejected calls to stop screenings as a return to censorship.
Asia
Takaichi Calls China an ‘Important Neighbour’ and Promises a Food Tax Cut Without New Debt as Japan’s Parliament Opens
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi opened a 69-day Diet session by calling China an "important neighbour", promising a two-year cut in the food consumption tax from 8% to 1% without new deficit bonds, and pledging a population strategy by year-end.
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Asia
Asian Games Close in Nagoya: China Tops the Table With 169 Golds, Teenagers Steal the Show and Organisers Apologise for Chaos
The 20th Asian Games ended in Nagoya on Sunday. China won 169 golds and 341 medals, hosts Japan set their own record with 269, and a 13-year-old swimmer was named women’s MVP. The Games were also marked by transport and housing failures.
Asia
Taiwan Receives Its First Two F-16V Block 70 Fighter Jets From the US, Years Behind Schedule
Two new F-16V Block 70 fighters landed at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung on October 2, the first of 66 jets Taiwan ordered from the United States in 2019. More are due before the end of the year.
Asia
North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile From Wonsan a Day After Kim Yo Jong Rejects Seoul’s Demand for an Apology
North Korea fired a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the sea on Saturday morning, South Korea and Japan said. A day earlier Kim Yo Jong rejected Seoul's demand for an apology over a landmine blast in the DMZ.
Asia
China’s Factory Activity Returns to Growth in September as Official PMI Rises to 50.1, but Input Costs Jump
China's official manufacturing PMI rose to 50.1 in September, ending two months of contraction, and services also returned to growth. A private survey hit a five-month high, but input prices jumped and hiring stayed weak.
Asia
North Korea Tells UN Its Nuclear Status Is ‘Irreversible’ as Seoul Blames Pyongyang’s Mines for DMZ Blast
North Korea told the UN General Assembly its nuclear status 'can never be reversed', while South Korea's military said North Korean landmines very likely caused a DMZ explosion that seriously injured two of its soldiers.
East Asia
China Proposes Mandatory ‘Minor Mode’ for Under-16s, With Face Checks Among Age-Verification Tools
China's cyberspace regulator has proposed rules requiring games, social media, AI services and phones to automatically switch under-16 users into 'minor mode', using ID checks, non-stored facial recognition and behaviour analysis to identify them. Comments close on October 17.
Business
China’s Industrial Profit Growth Slows to 4.2% in August as AI-Driven Electronics Boom Masks Weak Demand
Profits at China's major industrial firms rose 15.7% in January-August to 5.27 trillion yuan, but August growth slowed to 4.2%. Electronics profits more than doubled on AI demand and drove 62% of the gain, while utilities and consumer sectors lagged.
East Asia
Trump-Xi Summit Ends With Farm Deal and Truce Into 2027, but Taiwan and Chips Unresolved
Xi Jinping's US state visit ended with a limited deal on farm goods and medical devices and a truce extended to January 10, 2027. Taiwan, chips and rare earths remain unresolved.
Business
US, China Extend Trade Truce to January 10 Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
The US and China extended their trade truce by two months to January 10, 2027, giving negotiators more time to pursue a broader economic agreement.
Technology
Alibaba Unveils Zhenwu V900 AI Chip and Qwen 4 Roadmap
Alibaba says its new Zhenwu V900 is China’s most powerful AI chip and that next-generation Qwen 4 is in training, with models planned at up to 10 trillion parameters.
Asia
South Korea Proposes Step-by-Step Path to Denuclearisation
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung used his UN address to outline a phased approach: halt further nuclear advances, reduce capabilities, then pursue denuclearisation.
Asia
South Korea Exports Hit $71.4 Billion in September 1–20 as Chip Shipments Surge
South Korea exported $71.4 billion in the first 20 days of September, led by record chip shipments, customs data show. The figures are provisional, not full-month totals.
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Asia
Asia Briefing, 6 October: Makkah Defence Pact Activated, Philippine Inflation Hits 7.2%, PTI March Reaches Kohat and a Film Divides South Korea
The main stories from across Asia on Tuesday, 6 October 2026: Pakistan and Türkiye agree to send forces to Saudi Arabia, Philippine inflation jumps to 7.2%, the PTI march reaches Kohat, a film about a 1974 assassination divides South Korea, and Malaysia approves the return of 3,524 more Myanmar nationals.
Explainers
Nobel Prize in Medicine 2026 Goes to Deisseroth, Hegemann and Nagel for Optogenetics, the Method That Controls Brain Cells With Light
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has gone to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for optogenetics, which lets scientists switch nerve cells on and off with light. A treatment for blindness based on it is under review in the United States. Several pioneers, including Zhuo-Hua Pan, who began his career in China, were left out.
Hindi News
INDIA गठबंधन के सांसद आज संसद भवन से चुनाव आयोग तक मार्च करेंगे, CEC ज्ञानेश कुमार को हटाने की मांग; सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने कहा,...
विपक्षी INDIA गठबंधन के सांसद मंगलवार सुबह 11 बजे संसद भवन से निर्वाचन सदन तक मार्च करेंगे। मांग मुख्य चुनाव आयुक्त ज्ञानेश कुमार को हटाने की है। विपक्ष का आरोप है कि मतदाता सूची के विशेष गहन पुनरीक्षण (SIR) के 14 फैसले दो चुनाव आयुक्तों की आपत्ति के बावजूद लिए गए।
Asia
South Korea’s Culture Minister Calls Threats Over ‘The Assassins’ a ‘Destruction of Democracy’ as Conservatives Demand the Film Be Pulled
A South Korean film about the 1974 killing of first lady Yuk Young-soo has drawn protests outside an actor's home and demands from the conservative opposition that it be withdrawn. The culture minister has asked police to protect the cast and rejected calls to stop screenings as a return to censorship.