Asia

Two days after reports that China had rejected EU calls to curb hybrid exports, the two sides announced a “shared understanding” in Beijing that Brussels says could cut Chinese hybrid exports to Europe by more than half. What was agreed, what is still unknown and what comes next.

Haze from Indonesian fires shuts schools across Malaysia, the ICC rules Rodrigo Duterte fit for trial, a Saudia jet is damaged in a Houthi attack on Riyadh airport, the PTI march reaches Peshawar and India’s GST Council recommends removing arrest powers. What matters in Asia today.

A Saudia airliner was heavily damaged by fire at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport during a missile attack claimed by Yemen’s Houthis. Nearly 300 flights were cancelled, and Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air suspended Riyadh services. What is known, what is not, and what it means for Indian travellers.

The PTI long march led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi reached Peshawar on its fifth day. The Peshawar High Court has asked Afridi to respond to a petition over the use of a government helicopter, and PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan says the party is still ready for talks.

Judges at the International Criminal Court have ruled that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, 81, is fit to stand trial on charges of crimes against humanity over his “war on drugs”. The ruling, the charges, the case so far and what happens next.

Schools closed across much of Peninsular Malaysia on Friday as haze from fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan pushed air quality to unhealthy levels, and Singapore’s PSI entered the unhealthy range in all regions. The readings, the closure rules, the Anwar–Prabowo call and what to watch.

The Swedish Academy has awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature to Canadian poet and classicist Anne Carson. Who she is, what the Academy said, and a table of Asia’s literature laureates from Rabindranath Tagore in 1913 to Han Kang in 2024.

The PTI long march led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is heading towards Swabi, where he says he will announce the next step. Pakistan’s defence minister says the federal government must make crucial decisions on KP, and the governor says an emergency could be imposed. The route, the claims and what to watch.

Presidents Lee Jae Myung and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi upgraded South Korea–Egypt ties to a strategic partnership, launched talks on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement and signed or revised 12 documents. The list, Egypt’s energy squeeze and what it means for Korea’s reach beyond Asia.

After talks in Putrajaya, Myanmar agreed to take back a large number of its nationals from Malaysia and both sides pledged wider cooperation. Malaysia says the meeting does not mean recognition of Myanmar’s government. What was agreed, the numbers that do not match, and what critics say.

Anwar hosts Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing in Putrajaya, China rejects EU calls to curb hybrid exports, South Korea unveils a 1 quadrillion won green plan, a tanker is hit off Qatar and Indian banks raise loan rates. What matters in Asia today.

A federal magistrate judge in Los Angeles has ordered Wanying Zhang, accused of acting as an unregistered agent of China and surveilling the son of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, held in custody until trial. What each side argued, and what happens next.