Yen bond offerings hit record $16bn as AI funding race reaches Japan
Alphabet raises funds in May, followed by Hon Hai and Zurich Insurance
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California sisters speak out after after being stranded abroad by cruise ship that promised lifetime travel: ‘It was a risk’
“From the very first day, I said to myself that if it lasts a year, I can walk away and feel like I got my money's worth."
· Georgia Clelland
Quad diplomats finalise first leaders’ summit in two years before Trump-Xi meeting
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, was not an “anti-China” coalition, as the grouping’s top diplomats finalised preparations for the leaders’ summit in the Philippines next month. Rubio’s statement comes just weeks before US President Donald Trum…
· Nayan Seth
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Eala eyes strong 2026 season finish at HK Open
PHILIPPINE tennis trailblazer Alexandra 'Alex' Eala seeks a strong finish to her 2026 season at the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open in China.
· Niel Victor C. Masoy
US, SKorea, Japan vow to denuclearize NKorea
SEOUL — The United States, South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea on Saturday, as Pyongyang continues to reject disarmament ahead of possible talks with Washington.
· Agence France-Presse
Japan presses Russia: Free detained journalist
TOKYO — Japan’s foreign minister urged Moscow to release a detained journalist in his first formal face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart in five years, Tokyo said Saturday.
· Agence France-Presse
NKorea’s Kim calls for boosting drone technology
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended an exhibition devoted to drones and called for rapidly expanding the country’s drone technology, state media reported Friday, as his military escalates threats against South Korea and the US.
· Associated Press
UN investigator: Myanmar junta attacking civilians
THE military-backed government in Myanmar is intentionally attacking civilians to terrorize them and force them into submission, and its increasing weapons purchases from China, Russia and elsewhere are fueling the conflict and the “catastrophic” human rights situation in the war-torn Southeast Asian nation, a U.N. …
· Associated Press
China’s geoeconomic warfare on Hello Kitty
SANRIO, the company behind the popular “Hello Kitty” character, was forced to terminate its partnership with a television series produced by the Tokyo Broadcasting System. Apparently, China was unhappy with recent episodes of the espionage drama “Vivant” that depict Chinese intelligence agents torturing Japanese spi…
· Lloyd C. Bautista
The Sierra Madre gamble
DEFENSE Secretary Giberto Teodoro Jr. has warned that the forced removal of the BRP Sierra Madre by China would constitute an act of war. His warning raises a serious question: Is the Philippines prepared for the consequences if China decides to tow away the vessel despite Manila’s objections?
· Rafael P. Tuvera
China's factory activity contracts in October
BEIJING — China’s factory activity dropped in October, its third contraction in four months, a government survey showed on Saturday, hurt by soft demand for goods at home as well as signs of weakness in exports.
· Reuters
Sino-American stability?
SHANGHAI, China — My search for truth inside China has been stymied. Banned from the China Development Forum (CDF), after participating for 25 years as the longest-attending foreign delegate, I feel like an outsider in what was once the country’s most prestigious international gathering. Deteriorating relations with…
· Stephen S. Roach
Japan weighs taxing real estate rental operators living overseas
Move targets rising number of foreigners who acquire property to rent
· Staff Writer
China narrows the path to elite official training scheme for citizens graduating overseas
China is further narrowing access to a key government recruitment programme for overseas-educated graduates, limiting their pathways into the country’s civil service and party-state system. More than a dozen provincial-level regions, including Beijing and Shanghai, opened applications for the 2027 xuandiaosheng recr…
· Eve Qiao
Chinese archaeologists set for hi-tech excavations with AI and deep-sea robots
Chinese archaeologists are set for a hi-tech turn, with the latest five-year blueprint aiming to deploy AI and deep-sea robots to trace Chinese history, decipher the origins of East Asian humans and expand the country’s cultural soft power. Scientists will develop technologies such as remote sensing, ancient DNA ana…
· Holly Chik
S. Korea's top diplomat discusses ties with German, Polish counterparts
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met separately...
· Kang Yoon-seung
Soft power on display as China’s first lady Peng Liyuan hosts German counterpart
Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan hosted her German counterpart, Elke Budenbender, in Beijing on Friday for a tea reception in a bid to showcase Beijing’s soft power and foster closer bilateral ties. Peng stressed the rich cooperation with Germany in areas including education and culture, according to official news age…
· Laura Zhou
Sheikha Latifa meets Emirati scholarship students in South Korea | The National
Dubai culture chief encourages students to bring world-class expertise back to UAE
· The National
Is Beijing’s 2027 military milestone now a US readiness deadline over Taiwan?
America’s push for 2027 combat readiness in the Indo-Pacific is raising questions over whether a year that US military officials linked to a possible People’s Liberation Army attack on Taiwan has instead become a planning benchmark. The preparations come despite a US intelligence assessment published in March that m…
· Gabriel Dominguez
China Rips Off America's Secret X-37B Spaceplane
China Rips Off America's Secret X-37B Spaceplane A newly released US intelligence report, first cited by the defense news outlet TWZ, shows a high-resolution satellite image of China's experimental spaceplane, revealing a design very similar to the US Space Force's X-37B.The Defense Intelligence Agency published the…
· Tyler Durden
KBO asks MLB to post All-Star slugger Roh Si-hwan
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Satur...
· Yoo Jee-ho
How China’s ‘enchanting’ farms became a draw for foreign tourists
When the travel agency China Highlights organises bus trips for foreign tourists to iconic sights across China, the company says one last-minute request keeps cropping up again and again. “Can we visit a farm?” The question has become so common that guides now organise farm tours lasting a day or two for groups as t…
· Ralph Jennings
China places former Sinopec and CNOOC boss Fu Chengyu, 75, under corruption probe
Fu Chengyu, the former chairman of leading oil giants Sinopec and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is under investigation for corruption by the country’s top watchdogs. The Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) was investigating Fu for alleged “serious violations of di…
· Laura Zhou
Eala pitted against Parks in Hong Kong opener
MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala faces American Alycia Parks for the third time -- this time at the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open in China.
· Niel Victor C. Masoy
Apple Intelligence to roll out on iPhones in China in December with Alibaba backing
Apple’s long-awaited artificial intelligence features will be officially launched in China in December, ending two years of regulatory uncertainty as the US tech giant seeks to bring advanced technologies to its second-largest market with the help of Alibaba Group Holding. The first batch of Apple Intelligence servi…
· Ann Cao
How ancient Chinese stayed cosy using gadgets found in classical literature, historic artwork
In ancient China, without electricity, how did people stay cosy at home during freezing winters? The answer lies in warming baskets, which have been used for more than 2,000 years. A traditional warming basket featured a charcoal brazier beneath a bamboo cover. One of the earliest written references to the device da…
· Fran Lu
Japan Demands Release of Detained Journalist at G20 Meeting
The case adds to long-running tensions between Russia and Japan.
· Reuters
Both Japan and China can help Bangladesh reach its full potential
In the Land of the Rising Sun, Bangladesh looks forward to a new dawn. The hope that comes with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Japan goes beyond the deals signed or the financial support expected. It shows a country that has emerged from authoritarian rule and wants to turn its new political voice into big…
· Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey
Research or spy ship? Maritime expert sees presence of Chinese vessel inside disputed Bajo Masinloc 'threat to PH security'
MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese 'scientific research vessel,' escorted by China's military aircraft and naval forces, was spotted inside Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal carrying unidentified equipment, which could be used to conceal activities that could threaten national security, according to an expert on Sa…
· Franco Jose C. Baroña
US, South Korea, Japan call for ‘complete denuclearisation’ of North Korea
The joint statement comes as US President Donald Trump seeks a new meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
· Al Jazeera Staff
Japan's foreign caregivers face exam hurdle as grace period ends
With industry's labor crunch worsening, government looks to create learning app
· Staff Writer
From kimchi to malatang, tomatoes take on new flavors in Korea
From sugar-dusted tomato slices, a childhood treat beloved by generations of Koreans, to spicy malatang and modern reinterpretations of traditional dishes, tomatoes are taking on new roles in Korea’s evolving food culture. For many Koreans, tomatoes evoke memories of childhood. Some grew up eating sliced tomatoes sp…
· Cha Min-jung
China joins global race to reawaken brain-injury patients through ultrasound therapy
After spending three months in a coma following a brain haemorrhage, a patient in China has regained the ability to speak, eat and walk with support – part of an early clinical trial using targeted sound waves to help “wake up” severely damaged brains, according to state media. The technology, developed by a coaliti…
· Minxiao Chang
When dementia makes aging dangerous
How a society dies can reveal how it lives. From childbirth to suicide and cancer, this series examines what mortality trends tell us about South Korea today. This is the third installment of Behind the Numbers, exploring dementia’s shadow over the final days of life. — Ed. Hardly a day passes without a missing pers…
· Choi Jae-hee
A box full of K-cuteness: Artbox takes on the world
Korea’s most coveted souvenirs may be pocket-size tokens of cuteness, and more tourists now save suitcase space for plush toys, character key chains and stickers alongside their K-beauty and K-food hauls. Prominent on their itineraries sits Artbox, a four-decade-old stationery chain whose quirky lifestyle goods and …
· No Kyung-min
Delos Santos sets new junior world records in Ningbo
MANILA, Philippines — Albert Ian Delos Santos finished out of the podium in the 2026 IWF World Weightlifting Championships, but delivered a promising performance by shattering two junior world records in the men’s 70-kilogram (kg) division in Ningbo, China.
· Nicole Anne D.G. Bugauisan
US, South Korea and Japan reaffirm North Korea denuclearisation stance
The United States, South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea on Saturday, as Pyongyang continues to reject disarmament ahead of possible talks with Washington. Speculation is mounting over a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean…
· Agence France-Presse
Marianas midterm vote a referendum on China’s murky influence
While some watch election outcomes in Michigan, Texas and other high-profile campaigns, defense planners should closely watch election results in another part of the United States. The US territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is also going to the polls and will elect a new Governor, At…
· Grant Newsham
Why are US, Russia and China racing to put nuclear reactors on the moon?
Reactors could revolutionise moon exploration, providing energy for bases and mining, but risks of contamination remain.
· Mariem Bah
U.S., South Korea and Japan vow ‘complete’ denuclearization of North Korea
The joint pledge comes as Pyongyang continues to reject disarmament ahead of possible talks with Washington.
· No Author
Doshisha chairman apologizes over fatal boat accident in Okinawa
Eiji Hatta, chairman of Doshisha's board of trustees, offered his "deepest condolences" at a news conference in Kyoto on Friday.
· No Author
Shenzhen too pricey? Cost-conscious Hongkongers dig deeper into mainland China
Seventy-something Hong Kong retiree Leung Ching says a meal for four in Shenzhen, the megacity in mainland China roughly an hour’s train ride away, that cost just over 300 yuan (US$45) a few years ago now runs to 500 to 600 yuan. It would cost around HK$1,000 (US$127.50) in Hong Kong, but only 300 yuan in Guangzhou …
· He Huifeng
Mao vs Rao: Cell Press probe clears editor but Chinese biologist keeps up pressure
Prominent biologist Rao Yi is refusing to back down after Cell Press said it had found no evidence that top journal editor Steve Mao sought bribes from Chinese scientists. In a statement published on Thursday evening, Cell Press – one of the world’s leading scientific publishers, owned by Elsevier – said its investi…
· Dannie Peng
The cursed cruise: how the dream of never-ending luxury at sea became a nightmare
The MV Odyssey was billed as the ultimate escape from Donald Trump. Instead, the oil shock caused by his war has left passengers unceremoniously dumped in CambodiaThe idea was a never-ending retirement at sea, a continuous voyage around the globe. The promise to the passengers of the MV Odyssey cruise ship – many ap…
China Secures Massive Discount On Russian Gas As Moscow's Leverage Weakens
China Secures Massive Discount On Russian Gas As Moscow's Leverage Weakens Authored by Eurasianet via OilPrice,Russian government projections show China paying approximately 56% less for Russian natural gas than other foreign customers outside the former Soviet Union in 2026.Chinese companies are advancing major cop…
· Tyler Durden
Japan demands release of national in meeting with Russia’s Lavrov
The rare high-level meeting between the two countries came amid strained ties over Ukraine and a long-running territorial dispute.
· No Author