AI chip surge lifts South Korea to record surplus, behind only China

South China Morning Post - Oct 26, 2026

South Korea earned US$116.63 billion more from the world than it spent in the second quarter of this year – exceeding the combined current account surpluses of Germany and Japan for the first time on record. The current account measures a country’s trade and income with the world. It counts goods and services sold abroad, money earned on overseas investments and payments flowing the other way. A surplus means more foreign currency is coming in than going out. Surging demand for semiconductors...

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LIST: Water interruptions in Metro Manila, Rizal this week

Oct 26, 2026

LIST: Water interruptions in Metro Manila, Rizal this week

MANILA, Philippines — Parts of Metro Manila and Rizal will experience water interruptions starting Oct. 26, due to maintenance activities. According to Maynilad Water Services Inc., the maintenance work will affect parts of Caloocan and Quezon City as the company seeks to keep the water distribution system “safe, reliable and in good condition.” READ: Approval

China may well be the next big competitor for Asian migrant labour

Oct 26, 2026

China may well be the next big competitor for Asian migrant labour

For decades, China was one of the world’s largest sources of migrant labour. Its workers staffed factories at home and built infrastructure abroad. But demographic decline may eventually force China to contemplate a striking reversal: importing workers on a meaningful scale. That change is not imminent. China still has a vast labour force and substantial youth unemployment. It is investing heavily in industrial automation, extending working lives through a gradual increase in the retirement age,...

‘Fed up’ Malaysian sultan rebukes scandal-hit pilgrimage fund, demands accountability

Oct 26, 2026

‘Fed up’ Malaysian sultan rebukes scandal-hit pilgrimage fund, demands accountability

A Malaysian ruler is demanding accountability over the mismanagement of a pilgrimage fund, after a government rescue package, criminal proceedings against former officials and half-hearted reforms have fuelled concerns about political influence in an institution entrusted with the savings of millions of the country’s Muslims. Tabung Haji holds the savings of more than 9.8 million depositors and helps Malaysian Muslims finance and undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca, a religious obligation for...

NBI files cyberlibel, obstruction of justice referral vs. ex-Sara Duterte aide, Jefry Tupas

Oct 26, 2026

NBI files cyberlibel, obstruction of justice referral vs. ex-Sara Duterte aide, Jefry Tupas

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House leaders defend 2027 budget amendments amid questions over project details

Oct 26, 2026

House leaders defend 2027 budget amendments amid questions over project details

House leaders on Monday defended the amendments made by the chamber to the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, saying these were purportedly based on agency proposals and had been made on valid grounds.

ITCZ to bring rain to parts of Mindanao until Wednesday

Oct 26, 2026

ITCZ to bring rain to parts of Mindanao until Wednesday

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In Australia, Sydney’s second airport blows some passengers off course

Oct 26, 2026

In Australia, Sydney’s second airport blows some passengers off course

Sydney’s new multibillion-dollar airport has already confused some travellers, with passengers mistaking the new facility for the Australian city’s existing airport and even booking flights to the wrong side of the country. Western Sydney International Airport, which opened at the weekend after decades of planning, is about 60km (37 miles) from the city centre, compared with just 8km for the existing Kingsford Smith Airport. The new airport operates around the clock, while most passenger flights...

Why Zhou Xun risked it all for that amazing long take in The First Taste of Loneliness

Oct 26, 2026

Why Zhou Xun risked it all for that amazing long take in The First Taste of Loneliness

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Fire breaks out at Hong Kong’s Shek Kwu Chau waste-to-energy plant

Oct 26, 2026

Fire breaks out at Hong Kong’s Shek Kwu Chau waste-to-energy plant

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Discovery of baby orangutans in India exposes booming illegal pet trade

Oct 26, 2026

Discovery of baby orangutans in India exposes booming illegal pet trade

The villagers who first spotted the five baby orangutans in a casuarina forest in India in early September were puzzled by their reddish hair and unfamiliar faces. The three males and two females, aged six to eight months – were left on a plantation in eastern India’s Odisha, over 2,700km (1,700 miles) from their native rainforests in Borneo and Sumatra, evidence of a growing illicit trade of apes being trafficked into India. They are now at an Indian zoo, where keepers reportedly have been...

Suspected murder of man at Malaysian underground gig raises safety concerns

Oct 26, 2026

Suspected murder of man at Malaysian underground gig raises safety concerns

The death of a 21-year-old delivery rider at an underground gig in Malaysia, now being investigated as murder, has highlighted concerns over crowd safety and regulatory flaws in the country’s independent live music scene, industry players say. Police reclassified the case on Sunday, four days after the man died from head injuries sustained at the gig in the southern state of Melaka, where the event was reportedly held without the necessary permits and local authority approval. The...

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