Asia Presse

World Leaders Address COP31 as Turkey Pushes for New Climate Deal

11 NOVEMBER 2026

World leaders gather in Antalya for the COP31 summit, where Turkey is pushing a new climate deal built around a sharp rise in the global share of electricity.

The summit brings together leaders from nearly 200 countries, and the Turkish presidency hopes their presence will give fresh political momentum to negotiations that run until 20 November. Ankara wants the share of electricity in world energy consumption to rise to 35 percent by 2035, up from a little more than a fifth today.

Read the full story

Indonesia

Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Offers to Resign Amid Eligibility Dispute

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Gibran asked for time to defend his diplomas in court as lawmakers weigh an inquiry.

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has told President Prabowo Subianto he is ready to resign, after court rulings cast doubt on the school documents behind his 2024 candidacy.

Japan

Japan to Delve Into Acquiring Nuclear Submarines in Security Review

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Each boat would cost about 1 trillion yen, and at least three would be needed to keep one always at sea.

Japan is set to study the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines in its security review, a historic shift driven by China's maritime expansion and regional changes.

China

China's Singles Day Shopping Festival Puts AI Selling Power to the Test

11 NOVEMBER 2026

JD.com's shopping assistant Dongdong drew nearly 80 million users, more than three times last year's figure.

Singles Day 2026 has become the great test of artificial intelligence in Chinese retail, as platforms use AI chatbots, virtual try-ons and smart assistants to revive cautious spending.

Iran

Iran Designates Argentina's Navy and Air Force as Terrorist Organizations

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Tehran took the same step against Britain's navy and air force on 1 November.

Tehran has designated Argentina's navy and air force as terrorist organizations, a reciprocal move that deepens a decades-old dispute rooted in the 1994 AMIA bombing.

United Arab Emirates

ADNOC Confirms Strike on Tanker in UAE's Territorial Waters

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Five attacks off Musandam between 1 and 5 November preceded the strike in Emirati waters.

ADNOC has confirmed that one of its tankers was damaged in a strike inside the United Arab Emirates' territorial waters, in the latest attack on shipping near the Strait of Hormuz.

Bangladesh

Violence Erupts in Bangladesh as Hasina Supporters Stage Protests

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Around 200 protesters briefly blocked the Padma Bridge, the 6.2 km crossing over the Ganges.

Police in Bangladesh fired tear gas and rubber bullets as supporters of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina staged their first organised show of force since her fall in 2024. A bus driver was killed and a police vehicle burned in a day of clashes.

India

India's Supreme Court Orders WhatsApp to Act Against Digital Arrest Scams

11 NOVEMBER 2026

WhatsApp says it has already acted against around 9,400 accounts linked to the scams.

India's Supreme Court has ordered WhatsApp and other platforms to submit action plans against digital arrest scams, and told the central bank to make banks compensate victims when fraud happens through their own lack of diligence.

Pakistan

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan Back in Jail After Hospital Eye Treatment

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Khan spent less than an hour at the hospital and was back in his cell at around 2:30 in the morning.

Imran Khan was taken from Adiala jail to a hospital in Islamabad late on Tuesday for eye treatment, including his sixth anti-VEGF injection, and returned to his cell in the early hours.

Taiwan

Taiwan Appoints Acer Founder as APEC Envoy, Calls for Written Guarantees from China

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Shih served as Taiwan's APEC envoy once before, at the 2007 summit in Australia.

Taiwan has named Acer founder Stan Shih as its APEC envoy and is demanding written guarantees from China that its delegation can take part in next week's summit on equal terms.

South Korea

South Korea Holds Task Force Meeting on Rights of 168,000 Overseas Adoptees

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Adoptee groups are calling for state-funded DNA tests to help find birth families.

Seoul has convened a high-level task force to turn apologies into action for around 168,000 Koreans adopted overseas, from restoring nationality to helping them find their birth families.

Thailand

Thailand Cabinet Approves Noise, Heat and Water Rules for Data Centres

11 NOVEMBER 2026

57 data centre projects have been approved, 17 already in operation.

Thailand's cabinet has approved new rules for data centres, capping noise at 70 decibels, limiting heat around sites and requiring cooling water to be recycled.

Philippines

US Extradition Case Against Quiboloy Filed in Makati Court

11 NOVEMBER 2026

The case was assigned to Branch 145 of the Makati court, presided over by Judge Karen Matti Sy.

The Philippine Department of Justice has filed a US extradition request against Apollo Quiboloy in a Makati court. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder faces American charges of human trafficking, sex trafficking and bulk cash smuggling.

Nepal

Nepal Pushes Mountain Climate Agenda at COP31 Opening Session

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Nepal is leading an 18-member delegation and co-organising a mountain resilience programme with Bhutan and Kyrgyzstan.

Nepal's foreign minister Shisir Khanal used the opening of COP31 in Antalya to demand a dedicated mountain climate programme, strict limits on warming in mountain regions, and finance that matches the risks faced by Himalayan communities.

Myanmar

Myanmar Conflict Mining Poisons Rivers Across Borders, Report Warns

11 NOVEMBER 2026

Contamination in Karenni State has been measured at up to 55 times above safety standards.

A Stimson Center report finds that mining for rare earths, gold, tin and antimony in Myanmar's conflict zones is funding armed groups and poisoning rivers shared with Thailand.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Opens New Railway to Relieve Congested Border Crossing

11 NOVEMBER 2026

The line includes a six-span steel bridge over the Syr-Daria, with foundations 41 metres deep.

Kazakhstan has opened the Darbaza-Maktaaral freight railway to Uzbekistan, a 128 km line that relieves the congested Saryagash border crossing and can carry up to 20 million tonnes a year.