China's "Lianghui" : Why is it Important ?

China’s ‘Two Meetings’ are often described as political theatre, but they also offer one of the clearest windows into how policy is shaped inside the world’s second-largest economy. Alistair Crozier explains what to watch for — and why these annual gatherings matter far beyond Beijing.

Five Spectacular Places To Go Kayaking In South India

Sunrise paddles, quiet canals and hidden waterways — after travelling through south India, journalist Ian Neubauer discovers how kayaking is opening a new perspective on some of the region’s most beautiful landscapes.

When Street Theatre Becomes BRICS Diplomacy

Across Asia, traditional street theatre is stepping onto a new stage — diplomacy. In this feature, journalist Robert Bociaga explores how folk performance is being reshaped as soft power, travelling from village rituals to global forums and BRICS-era cultural exchanges.

What interesting stories about our region are being reported? Here's a roundup from the past week:

THE REAL WINNER FROM THE SUPREME COURT'S TARIFF RULING? CHINA | CNN

The Supreme Court ruling that nullified global tariffs from United States President Donald Trump has created renewed uncertainty for many of its major trade partners, and a clear vindication for its biggest economic rival: China

CHINA IMPOSES EXPORT CURBS ON 40 JAPANESE COMPANIES AS SPAT WORSENS | HKFP

China imposed export restrictions on 40 Japanese companies on Tuesday, citing national security concerns, as Beijing escalated a months-long row that has seen Chinese tourism to Japan plummet.

POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR NZ-INDIA FTA GETTING CLOSER - TRADE MINISTER | RNZ

The Free Trade Agreement with India is better than almost every other trade agreement with India, says the trade minister Todd McClay, who is optimistic it will get the political support needed to ratify it.

ABANDONED BABY MONKEY GOES VIRAL: EXPERTS EXPLAIN PUNCH THE MACAQUE'S STRUGGLE FOR ACCEPTANCE | THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD

Videos of a tiny monkey in a local zoo in Japan clutching a stuffed orangutan after he was abandoned by his mother have become an unlikely viral sensation online, with millions of people are the world rooting for him. 

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is facing the International Criminal Court this week, as judges in The Hague begin four days of hearings to determine whether he should stand trial for crimes against humanity linked to his brutal "war on drugs."

Duterte, now 80, is the first Asian former head of state ever to be indicted by the ICC. He has been held at the court's detention unit in Scheveningen Prison since his arrest in Manila in March 2025, when he was flown to the Netherlands and charged with three counts of murder as a crime against humanity.

What Is Happening This Week?

The hearings — known as a "confirmation of charges" hearing — are not yet a trial. Instead, they are a crucial preliminary step in which a panel of three ICC judges must decide whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to proceed to a full trial.

Judges have up to 60 days after the hearings conclude to issue a written decision. If charges are confirmed, the case moves to a Trial Chamber for a formal trial.

The Charges

Prosecutors allege Duterte was the central force behind a systematic campaign of extrajudicial killings that targeted suspected drug users and dealers — first as mayor of Davao City in the southern Philippines from 2013 to 2016, and then as the country’s president from 2016 to 2022.

The ICC has charged him with involvement in at least 76 murders during that period, and he also faces three counts of crimes against humanity - include killings carried out by the so-called "Davao Death Squad" while he was mayor, and murders of "high-value targets" during his presidency.

Read the full article on our website 

Asia Media Centre

OPPORTUNITY: EAST-WEST CENTER

2026 JEFFERSON FELLOWSHIP

The Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Asia Media Centre is offering a new opportunity in the Asia-Pacific. We are supporting New Zealand-based journalists in mid-career or senior roles to apply for the East-West Center’s 2026 Jefferson Fellowships.

The Jefferson Fellowships is a three-week reporting and study tour that aims to leverage news media to enhance public understanding of cultures, issues, and trends in the Indo-Pacific region. This programme is for full-time journalists only, and applicants should have spent at least five years as a working journalist.

For 2026, the theme focuses on“New Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence: Navigating AI’s Impact on Societies and Economic Security in the Asia-Pacific Region.”

The fellowship runs from October 25 to November 12, 2026.

The selected participant will travel to Hawai‘i, Tokyo, and Seoul.

For more details click here or directly apply to this link.