ASIA

INDIA'S ECONOMY SURPRISES WITH 7.4% GROWTH, DEFYING PROJECTIONS AND GLOBAL SLOWDOWN

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India posted an impressive 7.4% GDP growth in the final quarter of the fiscal year 2025, outpacing expectations and solidifying its status as the world's fastest-growing major economy. This surge comes amid global headwinds and regional instability, underscoring the resilience of the Indian economy even as private investment and urban consumption lag.

UK STRIKES 'LANDMARK' TRADE DEAL WITH INDIA

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In its most significant trade deal since leaving the European Union, the UK has agreed to a free trade agreement with India, following negotiations that were relaunched in February amid US tariff threats. Britain has been actively pursuing new trade partnerships worldwide since its departure from the EU, a need that has become even more critical after the United States implemented tariffs that risk weakening global economic growth.

CHINA'S EV BATTERY GIANT CATL SURGES 18% IN HONG KONG'S BIGGEST IPO OF 2025

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Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), China's EV battery titan, made a bold statement on May 20 with a $4.6 billion Hong Kong listing—the world's largest this year. The move signaled not just investor confidence but also a calculated pivot toward global markets amid intensifying geopolitical friction.

NASA CONFIRMS CHINA’S THREE GORGES DAM SLOWS DOWN EARTH’S ROTATION

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Science-fiction-sounding rumor that China’s disrupted Earth’s rotation now can spread like crazy, but one should keep its sense of proportion in its place. NASA reports that China’s stunning Three Gorges Dam did slow down the rate at which Earth was spinning on its axis by mere minutes.

PHILIPPINES POWER STRUGGLE EXPOSES FRACTURED DYNASTIES AND A NATION IN POLITICAL TURMOIL

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The Philippines is in the throes of a high-stakes political drama worthy of its own Netflix series, as President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Vice-President Sara Duterte engage in an all-out war for supremacy. Once allies who coasted to a sweeping victory in 2022, the duo has now turned into sworn enemies, complete with jaw-dropping accusations of assassination plots and decapitation fantasies. In short, Westeros just found a Southeast Asian twin.

NEPAL TO TIGHTEN EVEREST PERMIT RULES

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In an effort to improve safety and reduce overcrowding on Mount Everest, Nepal will only issue climbing permits to those with experience scaling at least one of the Himalayan nation's 7,000-meter peaks, according to a draft of a new law. The move comes after criticism of Nepal for allowing too many climbers, including inexperienced ones, to attempt the 8,849-meter peak.

INDIA STRIKES PAKISTAN OVER KASHMIR TOURIST ATTACKS AS JETS FALL, TENSIONS ESCALATE

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Tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan intensified dramatically on May 7, 2025, when India conducted airstrikes against multiple targets inside Pakistani territory. The military action, described by India as "measured and responsible," targeted what officials called "known terror camps" linked to last month's terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians in Kashmir.

INDIA VOWS STRONG, LOUD RESPONSE AFTER DEADLY KASHMIR TOURIST ATTACK KILLS 26

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In a devastating escalation of violence in Kashmir, 26 tourists were killed and 17 injured in a militant attack in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. The assailants, emerging from nearby forests, opened fire on the unsuspecting visitors, marking the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in recent years .