US economic growth accelerated to nearly 4 per cent in the third quarter of 2026, yet President Donald Trump's approval rating is plummeting and his Republican party is haemorrhaging support. Betting markets see a live possibility that the party could lose control of both houses of Congress next month — a defeat that would be the first under such favourable economic conditions since the 1950s. The disconnect stems from a boom many Americans experience as the wrong kind: driven by the wealthiest consumers and heavy investment in artificial intelligence, which the electorate has come to hate and fear more intensely than any previous tech breakthrough.
French auto parts supplier OPmobility has agreed to acquire Hyundai Mobis' lighting business for an enterprise value of 600 billion Korean won (S$443 million). The final agreement was announced on Wednesday (30 Sep 2026).
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has refused to allow any part of the planned 300-hectare Yongsan Park to be used for apartments, defying President Lee Jae Myung's push to build housing on the site to ease a national crisis. The standoff pits the president's slumping approval ratings against the mayor's green
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of a new-type weapon system, state media reported on Tuesday, two days after South Korea and Japan condemned recent short-range missile launches. Pyongyang praised the test as a demonstration of ultra-modern defence technology.
Artificial intelligence will trigger a realignment in office space allocation in the Philippines, favouring specialised office laboratories over traditional back offices, according to JLL Philippines. Workers in routine roles such as call centre agents are expected to transition into tech-testing jo
North Korea has rejected new sanctions efforts, saying no measures can block its development or defense of core interests. The statement from a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, carried by state media KCNA, follows a report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) accusing Pyongyang of send
The far-right AfD took first place in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's state election on 21 Sep 2026, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives crashed to 4.9%, below the threshold for parliament. The result, called a 'disaster' by Merz, follows the party's top finish in Saxony-Anhalt and its s
The newly elected parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) must focus on coalition-building after no single party secured a majority in the first parliamentary elections. Senator Francis Pangilinan said cooperation between parties is vital to form a government rooted
SK Hynix is in talks with Intel about a deal that would see it manufacture memory chips in the US for the first time, with scenarios including leasing part of Intel's Ohio facility or forming a venture with cloud firms. Potential opposition from Seoul over sensitive technology could be a major hurdl
ESR Kendall Square has sold Pyeongtaek Logistics Park in South Korea to a Samsung SRA Asset Management vehicle backed by the National Pension Service for KRW 343 billion ($252.6 million). The 190,000 sq m warehouse, fully pre-leased to e-commerce operator SSG.com, was developed with Canadian and Dut
Korea Post has selected Capstone Asset Management and IGIS Asset Management as preferred bidders for a KRW 500 billion ($368 million) domestic real estate loan strategy. The mandate marks the state-run postal agency's first domestic property debt programme since 2023, permitting development lending
Eight commercial tenants at The Animal Lodge in Sungei Tengah will lose their leases when they expire in December 2026 after failing to meet minimum requirements in a tender exercise. Seven are dog breeders and one operates a pet boarding facility. The remaining 27 tenants will be allowed to stay un
Tishman Speyer has made its first acquisition under its Korea Living Venture (KLV), buying the 411-unit Songdo CoStay in Incheon. The US developer is deploying S$300 million in equity commitments from Dutch pension investors APG and Bouwinvest into South Korea's rental housing sector.
Gaw Capital Partners and Petraville Asset Management have acquired City Center Tower in Seoul’s Jung district for KRW 292.7 billion ($211 million). South Korea’s National Pension Service backed the acquisition, which closed on 30 July 2026.
