Philippine lawmakers voted 255-318 on Monday to impeach Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, surpassing the required one-third threshold. The House justice committee previously found probable cause for impeachment based on activist petitions alleging misuse of public funds and unexplained wealth accumulation. The Senate trial will now proceed, potentially affecting Duterte's prospects for a 2028 presidential run.
China's foreign ministry announced that US President Donald Trump will visit China from May 13-15 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. This marks the first visit by a US president to China in nearly nine years, occurring amid heightened tensions between the two nations on multiple issues. The visit coincides with a fragile US-Iran ceasefire and the Strait of Hormuz blockade, which is increasing global energy costs.
Iranian Nobel Peace laureate and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to a Tehran hospital following a medical crisis while imprisoned. Her foundation announced that after days of appeals from family and international advocates, she has been granted a temporary suspension of her prison sentence on bail. Mohammadi had been detained at Zanjan prison since December. The duration of the sentence suspension remains unclear.
Ukrainian officials reported that Russian attacks wounded at least nine people in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, the second day of a supposed three-day truce. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russian forces are not complying with the ceasefire on the front line, though no large-scale air raids were conducted. Ground assault operations continued despite the agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a CBS 60 Minutes interview that the US-Israeli conflict with Iran cannot be considered concluded until Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is removed and enrichment sites are dismantled. He emphasized the necessity of entering Iran to extract the nuclear material to fully resolve the Iranian nuclear threat.
Philippine lawmakers voted 255-318 on Monday to impeach Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, surpassing the required one-third threshold. The House justice committee previously found probable cause for impeachment based on activist petitions alleging misuse of public funds and unexplained wealth accumulation. The Senate trial will now proceed, potentially affecting Duterte's prospects for a 2028 presidential run.
China's foreign ministry announced that US President Donald Trump will visit China from May 13-15 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. This marks the first visit by a US president to China in nearly nine years, occurring amid heightened tensions between the two nations on multiple issues. The visit coincides with a fragile US-Iran ceasefire and the Strait of Hormuz blockade, which is increasing global energy costs.
Iranian Nobel Peace laureate and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to a Tehran hospital following a medical crisis while imprisoned. Her foundation announced that after days of appeals from family and international advocates, she has been granted a temporary suspension of her prison sentence on bail. Mohammadi had been detained at Zanjan prison since December. The duration of the sentence suspension remains unclear.
Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang, outlines her vision for peace and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait. She met with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping in April and plans a June visit to the United States. Cheng emphasizes that both sides must accept the 1992 consensus to address tensions that have escalated over the past decade.
Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang party, outlines her vision for peace and cooperation between Taiwan and mainland China in an interview. She discusses her April meeting with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and her upcoming June trip to the United States. The original interview was conducted in Chinese.
The United Arab Emirates announced its withdrawal from OPEC on April 28 with only three days' notice and without prior consultation with Saudi Arabia. While production quota disputes date back years, the core issue centers on security guarantees when Abu Dhabi pursues policies opposed by Riyadh. Following Iran's strike on UAE infrastructure, diverging security approaches between the two nations highlight growing fractures in Gulf regional cohesion.
Iran submitted its response to the latest US ceasefire proposal through Pakistani mediators, seeking negotiations focused on permanently ending the war across all fronts, including the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon and ensuring shipping security. President Trump quickly rejected the proposal as "totally unacceptable" without providing specific details about his objections.
Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT), discussed her vision for peace and cooperation between Taiwan and mainland China in an interview with SCMP. She highlighted her April meeting with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and her upcoming June trip to the United States. The original Chinese-language interview transcript is available to SCMP Plus members.
Ukrainian officials reported that Russian attacks wounded at least nine people in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, the second day of a supposed three-day truce. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russian forces are not complying with the ceasefire on the front line, though no large-scale air raids were conducted. Ground assault operations continued despite the agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a CBS 60 Minutes interview that the US-Israeli conflict with Iran cannot be considered concluded until Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is removed and enrichment sites are dismantled. He emphasized the necessity of entering Iran to extract the nuclear material to fully resolve the Iranian nuclear threat.
JPMorgan forecasts that Chinese automakers, including BYD and Leapmotor, will deliver approximately 2.5 million vehicles to Western European countries such as Germany, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom by 2028, capturing roughly 20% of the regional market share as electrification accelerates.
Malaysia's government plans to restrict fuel subsidies for wealthier drivers, but Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim faces a political challenge: how to define "wealthy" without burdening middle-class households already struggling with rising living costs. The Middle East energy crisis has strained government finances, forcing authorities to balance fiscal discipline against the risk of angering middle-class voters in a car-dependent nation.
S&P Global Ratings reported on May 5 that Hong Kong's real estate market may experience an upside surprise. Recent competitive bidding at residential land auctions signals stronger recovery momentum. S&P noted that Hong Kong has become the first major Chinese city whose property market has bottomed, potentially attracting mainland developers seeking new projects.
China implemented zero-tariff benefits for African partner nations starting May 1st, marking the first duty-free entry of South African apples and wine into the Chinese market. Shenzhen Bay port cleared 24 tonnes of South African apples while Hunan province processed 6,000 bottles of South African wine, with the previous 10% apple tariff now eliminated. This policy provides significant opportunities for South African exporters seeking market diversification.
Papers with contributors from mainland China and Hong Kong accounted for over 51 percent of accepted submissions at a leading global artificial intelligence conference, compared with just under 32 percent from the United States. This demonstrates China's growing research presence in AI despite escalating geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Zhang Yanzhong, a senior academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former chief scientist of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, has published a detailed blueprint for establishing a fully self-sufficient supply chain for large passenger jets. The plan addresses the risk of Western component embargoes and aims to ensure China's aviation industry independence and security.
According to the Global AI Competitiveness Index released by Deep Knowledge Group, China ranks third globally in AI competitiveness for biotechnology, healthcare, and longevity, behind only the United States and United Kingdom. As AI applications expand from chatbots and general-purpose models into regulated, data-intensive industries such as drug discovery, diagnostics, and preventive medicine, competition in life sciences AI is intensifying worldwide.
A team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Mechanics has successfully developed the optical core component for China's Taiji gravitational wave project. The project involves a space-based gravitational wave detector designed to receive gravitational wave signals from the universe. This technological advancement will advance China's capabilities in gravitational wave detection and deepen understanding of the cosmos.
Morgan Stanley reports that six-seat premium electric SUVs are becoming a turning point in China's automotive sector. More than a dozen locally developed models will launch this year, combining Chinese EV technological advantages with competitive pricing to attract wealthy families and potentially drive a sales rebound in the world's largest car and EV market.
Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been transferred to a Tehran hospital after collapsing in prison for over a week. Her foundation confirmed the hospitalization and expressed concern about her critical health condition. The incident has drawn international attention regarding her wellbeing while in custody.
The White House Deputy Press Secretary Kelly announced the US President's Beijing visit schedule on the 10th. According to the announcement, the US President is expected to arrive in Beijing on the evening of the 13th and hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 14th to discuss trade-related matters.
The White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Trump's visit to mainland China this week will last three days and two nights, longer than the initially expected two days. According to Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, the White House media liaison announced to reporters that the highly anticipated Trump-Xi meeting will take place on Thursday, the 14th. The extended itinerary represents a change from earlier plans.
North Korea's nuclear weapons program has expanded to a critical juncture, potentially reaching a scale capable of overwhelming the US ground-based missile defense system. The United States has invested billions of dollars over the past 30 years developing this defense infrastructure. This development marks a significant escalation in North Korea's nuclear capabilities, raising international security concerns.
Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed the Defense Special Act with budget reduced from 1.25 trillion to 780 billion yuan. Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that military procurement planning has been severely fragmented, impacting national defense security. He emphasized the government will address national security needs, restore public confidence, and rebuild international trust in Taiwan.
Canvas provider Instructure suffered multiple attacks from ransomware group ShinyHunters. Hackers breached the platform again last Thursday, replacing the login portal with ransom messages and demanding payments from affected schools by May 12. The incident disrupted university operations, forcing institutions to postpone final exams. The website went offline for several hours following the attack.
Ivanti released security updates last week addressing multiple vulnerabilities in its Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) platform. The CVE-2026-6973 vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) subsequently mandated that federal agencies complete patching by the end of the same week to prevent potential breaches.
Iran submitted a written response to the US ceasefire proposal, outlining its position. Iran agreed to halt hostilities, lift strait blockades, and negotiate nuclear issues, but refused to commit in advance to nuclear program plans. Iran is willing to dilute some highly enriched uranium and transfer it to third-party custody, with nuclear issues to be negotiated within 30 days. President Trump rejected the proposal as unacceptable, with significant disagreements remaining between the parties.
North Korea has amended its constitution by removing clauses related to national reunification and officially designating South Korea as its primary enemy. The constitutional changes establish the two nations as separate, independent states with no subordinate relationship, effectively ending the framework of inter-Korean relations premised on reunification and aims to consolidate the Kim regime's rule.
The Legislative Yuan passed the "Special Act for Safeguarding National Security and Strengthening Asymmetric Warfare Capabilities" totaling 780 billion yuan on the 8th. The Presidential Office issued the presidential order on the 11th to officially promulgate the special act, aimed at enhancing defense procurement efficiency and strengthening national security defense capabilities.
A 64-year-old man surnamed Hsu in Taichung was arrested for arson after being asked to vacate his rental property following allegations of stealing intimate items belonging to the landlord's granddaughter. In November of last year, he drove a van loaded with gas cylinders and spray paint in reverse into the landlord's metal-roofed house on Wuguang Road in Wuri, setting it ablaze. The incident killed the landlord's mother and her 17-year-old daughter. Prosecutors have requested detention without bail.
Britain held local elections on May 7th, with Prime Minister Starmer's Labour Party experiencing its worst defeat in 30 years, losing nearly 1,400 council seats. The anti-immigration Reform UK party and the Green Party emerged as unexpected winners, marking Britain's shift from traditional two-party politics to multi-party competition. Over 30 Labour MPs have publicly called for Starmer's resignation, with potential successors already emerging.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly for over two months since U.S. and Iranian officials confirmed he was severely injured in an airstrike. His absence raises questions about Iran's diplomatic negotiations and political stability. The incident has drawn significant international attention to developments within Iran's leadership.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump. The charges relate to a shooting incident at a Washington correspondents' dinner. Allen's case is currently proceeding through the legal system.
China has officially confirmed that former US President Trump will visit Beijing for a high-level summit meeting. The visit is considered a significant diplomatic event expected to address major issues including US-China relations and trade matters. Specific dates and detailed agenda for the visit are to be announced.