This morning's briefing covers 29 stories selected from issue 21 of Biguan (毕观天下), weighted towards Asia. Kim Jong-un crossed the new Yalu River bridge into Dandong on his first visit to China in a year, Typhoon Champi left 1 dead and 616 injured in Taiwan, Indonesia cut gas supplies to Singapore amid the haze dispute, and Western Sydney International Airport opened to passengers. Elsewhere, Brazil and Serbia go to the polls, the death toll from the Jordan church funeral shooting rose to nine, more than 400,000 people protested across France, and Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities.
Typhoon Champi (Typhoon No. 30) came closest to Taiwan early on Oct 24, toppling buildings and trees; the Taipei Times reported one death and 616 injuries, and NHK said the gate of a Japanese school was blown down. Taiwan Power said more than 340,000 households had lost power at some point by 3pm on Oct 24, over 90% had been reconnected and more than 15,000 work shifts had been mobilised for repairs, with remaining outages concentrated in New Taipei, Taoyuan and Yilan. NHK said the storm was moving north over the East China Sea and expected to turn east towards Kyushu, with heavy rain possible across wide areas of eastern and western Japan until Oct 27.
The Philippine Air Force confirmed on Saturday, Oct 24, that two SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas, on the afternoon of Oct 23, killing all four pilots on board. Officials said the planes collided at low altitude and fell within the base, with no one hurt on the ground. The air force grounded its entire SF-260 fleet pending investigation; another SF-260 crashed in the mountains of the northern Philippines in May this year, killing two pilots.
South Korea's Unification Ministry and Xinhua said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Dandong, Liaoning province, on Saturday, Oct 24, via the New Yalu River Bridge, which opened about a week earlier; it is his first visit to China in a year. Wang Huning, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, met Kim, and the two toured a car factory and pledged to strengthen ties. The visit comes close to Oct 25, the anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers' first major victory after entering the Korean War in 1950, and Kyodo reported traffic controls around the bridge and the war memorial museum.
NHK, citing Xinhua, reported that the Oct 22 earthquake in China's Tibet Autonomous Region has killed 16 people and injured more than 70, and that more than 12,000 people have been forced to evacuate as the Chinese government steps up relief and resettlement. The Japan Times reported that two Japanese climbers attempting a first ascent of the 7,140-metre Gangapurna West peak in Nepal in alpine style, who lost contact after Oct 15, have been confirmed dead.
As cross-border haze from wildfires in Borneo and Sumatra blankets Singapore and the two countries argue over it, the head of Indonesia's upstream oil and gas regulator SKK Migas said on Saturday, Oct 24, that Indonesia would cut daily gas supply to Singapore by 31 million standard cubic feet, 15 million from Natuna and 16 million from Sumatra, to secure gas for domestic power generation. President Prabowo criticised countries that 'like to insult' Indonesia without naming any. Singapore's Energy Market Authority said the cut, about 17 bbtud for 18 days, is less than 2% of Singapore's total daily demand of more than 1,000 bbtud, and that it has contingency plans and can raise LNG imports at any time.
Schools in Malaysia's Johor state had been closed for weeks as wildfire haze from Borneo and Sumatra covered Malaysia and Singapore. The chairman of the Johor state education committee said on Oct 24 that all schools in the state would reopen on Monday, Oct 26, as the air pollution index had fallen for five days and the wind changed direction from Oct 24, with humidity rising and rain expected. Students will be required to wear masks and school activities will be adjusted according to the daily pollution index.
A joint operation by Hong Kong and mainland Chinese police arrested 33 people suspected of stealing credit cards from Hong Kong residents at tourist hotspots in Shenzhen, causing losses of more than HK$1.8 million (about US$229,500). A senior superintendent of Kowloon East region said on Saturday, Oct 24, that 'card runners' crossed back into Hong Kong immediately to buy mobile phones and resell them for cash before victims noticed. Kowloon East's technology and financial crime squad exchanged intelligence with the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau before both sides took action.
The Commissioner of Customs and Excise said on a radio programme on Saturday, Oct 24, that Hong Kong Customs seized 600 million illicit cigarettes in the first three quarters of this year, almost the same as for the whole of last year. Of these, 200 million were bound for other places and were intercepted in Hong Kong based on intelligence. Customs plans to introduce more advanced contraband detection equipment.
Taiwan's Central News Agency reported that the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), whose rare earths pilot line produces about 5,000 kg a year, plans to build a demonstration plant in an industrial zone, completed by end-2028 and reaching 500 tonnes a year by end-2030, so Taiwan could meet 50% of its rare earth needs itself. The budget would need to come from the National Science and Technology Council. China is the world's largest producer and exporter of rare earths and imposes export controls.
Alliance Healthcare Group, parent of Singapore healthcare services provider Alliance Medinet, told the stock exchange on Oct 24 that a third party gained unauthorised access to its member database, possibly exposing the names, identity card numbers and contact details of about 110,000 members, plus bank account details of seven members and a medical diagnosis of one. Income Insurance and Singlife said some customers were affected via Alliance Medinet, that their own systems showed no sign of intrusion and that no medical data was affected. The group said the incident was contained and it had hired cybersecurity experts.
Singapore's ruling People's Action Party holds its biennial party conference on Oct 25 to elect its top decision-making body, the Central Executive Committee. Prime Minister and party secretary-general Lawrence Wong said in a social media video on Oct 24 that he looked forward to working with a team combining experience and fresh perspectives, his first comment on the possible make-up of the new leadership. More than 2,000 party cadres usually elect 12 members, two runners-up are co-opted, and up to four more can be added to a maximum of 18.
Western Sydney International Airport at Badgerys Creek opened to passenger traffic on Oct 25, with the first commercial flight, Jetstar JQ362, departing for the Gold Coast at 11am on a sold-out service and a first flight to Melbourne at 6pm. It is Australia's first major new airport in more than 50 years, 45 km from central Sydney and operating 24 hours a day, separate from the existing airport at Mascot. The airport began cargo operations in July, and its chief executive said annual passenger numbers could reach 82 million by the 2060s.
After chairing an inter-ministerial meeting on rising violent crime on Oct 23, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pledged on social media to speed up the introduction of life imprisonment without parole for violent offenders and to set up special police units to patrol around victims' homes. The presidential office said the National Police Agency had briefed the president on the patrol units, and the Justice Ministry said it would actively push the sentence to permanently separate the most serious offenders from society.
Taiwan's Central News Agency reported that the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) forecasts Vietnam's economy will grow 9.5% to 9.7% this year, likely missing the double-digit target. Growth in the first nine months was 9.01%, the highest since 2011, but the fourth quarter would need more than 12.5% for the full-year goal. Bank lending makes up about 83% of financing, and small and medium-sized enterprises, 98% of all companies, receive only about 20% of bank credit.
NHK reported that Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) plan to set up a working-level group next month to begin discussing revisions to three security documents: the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program. Topics include how to strengthen defence capabilities, the size of defence spending, acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and reviewing the 'three non-nuclear principles'. An Asahi Shimbun poll in October put the Takaichi cabinet's approval rating at 50% and disapproval at 35%.
The Asahi Shimbun reported that organic light-emitting materials used in phone and TV screens still rely mainly on technology 25 to 40 years old: first-generation fluorescence from the late 1980s tops out at 25% efficiency, while second-generation phosphorescence from around 2000 reaches 100% but needs scarce, expensive iridium. The 'third-generation' technology published in 2012 by Kyushu University distinguished professor Chihaya Adachi reaches 100% efficiency without iridium by designing the structure of organic molecules. Adachi was named a Clarivate Citation Laureate in September.
Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) published its first app store audit, which found 65 harmful apps among 7,000 reviewed between April and December 2025, including AI tools generating non-consensual nude images and murder-themed gambling games with cash payouts. Another 24 apps with sexual, crime and drug, or school firearms content were not rated 18+ as store rules require. After IMDA's notice, the app stores of Apple, Google, Huawei, Samsung and Microsoft removed the 65 apps and corrected the 24 ratings.
A week after about 550,000 people marched, France saw another nationwide protest on Saturday, Oct 24, over school funding and the rising cost of living; the Interior Ministry counted about 410,000 participants. The Paris march began peacefully, but near its end point in eastern Paris masked protesters threw objects and fireworks at police, who responded with tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon, while in Marseille young people burned bins and threw stones and bottles at security forces. The government said police made almost 1,000 arrests, in what was seen as a fresh challenge to President Macron.
Independent outlet Meduza reported that Ukrainian drones attacked Tolyatti in Samara region on the night of Oct 24, and Astra's analysis of video showed a fire at a synthetic rubber plant in the city, whose products can be used in solid fuel for tactical and ballistic missiles. Omsk's northern industrial zone, about 2,500 km from the Ukrainian border, was also hit, and e-commerce company Ozon confirmed a fire at its logistics centre, with staff evacuated and no initial reports of injuries. Russia's Defence Ministry said 616 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over Russian regions and Crimea.
After the collapse of a station canopy in Novi Sad killed 16 people and sparked nearly two years of anti-corruption protests, Serbia holds an early parliamentary election on Sunday, Oct 25. Vučić, in power for 14 years, has stepped down as president to run for prime minister, challenged by the 'Student List' born of the protests, whose 250 candidates were chosen by student assemblies and which is led by University of Novi Sad cardiology professor Ilija Srdanović. The BBC called it the toughest challenge for the Serbian Progressive Party since it took power in 2012.
A drive-by shooting in Trappes and neighbouring La Verrière in Yvelines, west of Paris, on Oct 23 killed one person and injured at least five, including a 12-year-old girl. Le Monde reported that the suspect told police he targeted Black and Arab people to avenge shopkeepers looted during the Oct 17 riots, and that police found a copy of Mein Kampf at his home. Prosecutors opened an investigation for murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, and President Macron called it a racist terror attack.
Storm Boelo, the UK's second named storm of the season, is hitting northern Britain this weekend with frequent heavy showers and gusts possibly above 80 mph (about 129 kph). The Met Office issued amber warnings, its second-highest level, for Scotland and northern England down to Carlisle from 9pm on Oct 24 to 9pm on Oct 25, as well as for north-east Northern Ireland. Storm Austin had cut power to thousands of homes in south-west England the day before, and rail operators including TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast expected widespread disruption.
Gunmen opened fire on a funeral at St George's Orthodox Church in Hamoud, Karak governorate, Jordan, on Friday, Oct 23; the death toll has risen to nine and Jordan's health minister said 40 were injured. Church CCTV showed three people firing at the church from behind trees and a low wall. King Abdullah chaired a national security council meeting on Oct 24, called it a 'cowardly terrorist act' and ordered security forces to respond with an 'iron fist'; the interior minister called the attackers 'extremists', and no one has claimed responsibility.
A Houthi military spokesman said on Oct 24 that the group attacked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an airport in Najran and Khamis Mushait air base, as well as Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu, the Rabigh refinery, crude pumping stations and the East-West pipeline. Saudi Arabia did not directly respond; the Saudi-led coalition said it had dealt with debris falling near oil facilities and intercepted two missiles, with debris falling in the Mecca and Medina regions. Houthi media said air strikes on Sanaa hit a cement factory workers' dormitory, killing 11 people, including six women and a child.
After the first round on Oct 4, about 159 million Brazilian voters return to the polls on Sunday, Oct 25, to choose between incumbent President Lula and far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who led the first round 47% to 45%. A CNT/MDA poll released on Saturday put Flávio at 46.3% and Lula at 45%, with a 2.2-point margin of error, while a Datafolha poll on Thursday had them at 50% each. Tens of thousands of Lula supporters rallied on Copacabana beach in Rio on the eve of the vote; since Brazil returned to democracy in the 1980s, no candidate trailing after the first round has won the runoff.
Former Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, serving a six-year sentence under house arrest, went on trial on Friday, Oct 23, alongside her son, congressman Máximo Kirchner, accused of laundering money through family hotel and real estate businesses. The trial combines the Hotesur and Los Sauces cases, with 19 defendants, before Federal Oral Court No. 5. Kirchner, 73, appeared by video from her home in Buenos Aires; it is her third corruption trial and Máximo's first, and the hearing resumes on Monday, Oct 26.
The BBC reported that California voters will decide in the November midterm elections on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-off 5% tax on the net worth of every billionaire in the state, with proceeds used to improve healthcare. California has more than 200 billionaires. Supporters say it would be the world's first tax of its kind, while opponents say some wealthy residents have already left the state because of it.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi presented the agency's annual report to the UN General Assembly on Oct 23, forecasting that global nuclear power use could more than triple by 2060, driven by electrification, AI data centres and tech companies' demand for stable carbon-free power; it is the fifth straight year the agency has raised its forecast. In the high-growth scenario, global nuclear capacity would reach 992 GW in 2050, 2.6 times the 2024 level, with small modular reactors making up about 28%. Grossi said more than 400 reactors in over 30 countries supplied 10% of the world's electricity in 2025, and more than 60 new reactors are under construction.
A building under construction in Nairobi collapsed on the afternoon of Friday, Oct 23, and rescuers pulled two survivors from the rubble on Oct 24, with five people still missing. Police ordered the arrest of the building's owner and the contractor responsible for the site. The building, estimated at 16 or 18 storeys, was still wrapped in scaffolding, and 11 shops on the ground floor were already open; those missing are believed to have been inside the shops, while 66 of 67 workers in the building escaped safely.