Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-election-opposition-lee-jae-myung-1d343c373435fcf135e77ba54b616805 Following the impeachment of the previous President, Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea is now set to hold a presidential election in early June. The election will be between two candidates, nominated at the end of April: Lee Jae-myung for the Democratic party and Kim Moon Soo for the conservative People’s Power Party. As of now, Lee… Read more »
Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/australia-prime-minister-albanese-reelected-vote-parliament-2170ea57868334125b5a359e5f557c02 In Australia’s most recent federal election — held at the beginning of this month — the country saw an resounding victory for the incumbent Labor party, allowing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to become the first PM in 21 years to earn a second consecutive term. This win came amidst U.S. tariffs and concerns about high costs… Read more »
Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/japan-china-airspace-disputed-islands-3b2552ecc23e49131bbe88d19824396b In the disputed territory around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, both Japan and China have accused each other of violating their territorial airspace. Japan lodges this accusation after a Chinese coast guard ship entered its territorial waters and launched a helicopter that violated their airspace for 15 minutes. China lodged their accusation after… Read more »
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/traders-rebrand-venezuelan-oil-china-brazilian-sources-tanker-trackers-say-2025-05-12 Oil traders have rebranded 1 billion dollars worth of Venezuelan crude oil as Brazilian to sell it to Chinese oil refineries in the past year. Chinese refineries are the top buyers of oil from countries with U.S sanctions, but in order to do this in the past shipments had to go through Malaysia to be transferred to secondary ships…. Read more »
https://apnews.com/article/japan-trade-tariffs-trump-d23573689292edd7b3cea7496438a4a0 Japan has reported a 63 billion dollar trade surplus with the U.S, meaning its exports to the U.S exceed its imports from the U.S by 63 billion dollars. This surplus shows how much the tariff policy Trump is putting in place will impact the Japanese economy. Trump stated that he plans to put a 24% tariff on Japanese goods,… Read more »
https://www.reuters.com/world/former-taiwan-president-tsai-make-sensitive-visit-britain-this-week-2025-05-12 The former president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen, was invited by British lawmakers to visit London this week. While Britain has no formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan due to its disputed status as an independent state, Britain has been strengthening its economic and political relations with Taiwan, including an official trade partnership made between the two states in 2023. The… Read more »
https://apnews.com/article/usa-philippines-military-drills-china-antiship-missiles-faae979065546230ba9b9b12b95c790b The U.S has deployed an anti-ship missile launcher in the Philippines, in close proximity to China’s coast and the island of Taiwan. U.S and Philippine forces also performed live fire drills, shooting down drones that represented hostile aircraft. 9,000 U.S troops and 5,000 Philippine troops took part in the drills, which U.S officials have stated are not targeted attack… Read more »
link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/japan-seek-3rd-round-trade-talks-next-week-sources-say-2025-05-15/ Japan and the US are set to hold their third round of working-level trade talks next week in Washington. These discussions will focus on addressing import tariffs imposed by the US, particularly under President Donald Trump’s administration. Tokyo’s top tariff negotiator, Akazawa Ryosei, emphasizes the need for a strategic approach to maximize benefits for Japan. The… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/14/g-s1-66534/detained-philippines-ex-president-duterte-wins-mayoral-race-in-his-home-city Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has secured a landslide victory in the mayoral race in his hometown of Davao City, despite being detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague; I did a story on this during the past couple regional reports. This unexpected turn of events showcases Duterte’s enduring influence in the city,… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/india-pakistan-attack-kashmir-tourists-intl-hnk#:~:text=May%207%2C%202025%20India%20launches%20attacks%20on%20Pakistan%20after%20Kashmir%20massacre,-By%20Rhea%20Mogul The recent conflict between India and Pakistan, which began on May 7, 2025, is a stark reminder of the deep-seated tensions between the two nations. The conflict was sparked by a terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, in the Pahalgam area of Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan for supporting… Read more »
