News Flash Asia from September 29, 2025

Storms, Climate & Natural Disasters

Extreme weather events were once again a central theme this week:

• In Southeast Asia, Super Typhoon Ragasa (also known as “Nando”) hit many regions hard: The Philippines, Taiwan, South China, Hong Kong and Macau suffered severe damage from wind, flooding and evacuations. In China, over 2 million people were evacuated to safety, and schools and infrastructure were largely paralyzed.
  In Hong Kong, for example, waterfront promenades were flooded, cranes swayed dramatically, and parts of the city were underwater.
  After Ragasa moved there, the storm weakened as it crossed the South China Sea, but its remaining potential continued to threaten Vietnam. A total of at least 28 deaths have been reported, including 14 in Taiwan and others in the Philippines; several people are also still missing.

• Another tropical storm struck early this morning: Typhoon Bualoi hit Vietnam with wind speeds of around 133 km/h and massive rainfall. At least 8 deaths have been confirmed, numerous people are still missing (especially on fishing vessels), and hundreds of households are without power. The government in Hanoi ordered the evacuation of thousands of people and closed several airports.

These repeated extreme events once again highlight the growing vulnerability of many regions in Asia to climate shocks – and they underscore the urgent need for better adaptation, early warning systems and infrastructure resilience.

Geopolitics, Diplomacy & Security

Aside from the weather situation, the following developments were also affecting the region:

• Choe Son Hui, North Korea's foreign minister, and China's foreign minister Wang Yi met in Beijing. The talks were intended to strengthen diplomatic coordination between the two states, particularly with regard to North Korea's international role and possible support from China on security issues.

• In South Korea, there are positive signals from the economy: The export sector is expected to rebound strongly again in September, supported by solid demand for technology products. Although a preliminary agreement with the USA is on the table, uncertainties remain regarding its final form.

• In Southeast Asia, closer economic integration with Europe is on the horizon: The EU aims to reach trade agreements with the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia by 2027 in order to integrate ASEAN more closely.

• The events in Nepal were also politically charged: In September, the younger generation in particular protested against corruption, a ban on selected social media platforms, and a government perceived as unjust. The then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned, and Sushila Karki was subsequently appointed as interim Prime Minister.

• In Timor-Leste, students demonstrated against the purchase of luxury cars for members of parliament worth around $4 million and against lifetime pensions for former parliamentarians. After three days of agreement, the plans were stopped.

Economy, Markets & Culture

Some developments from the economic and cultural sectors:

• Asian stock markets were mostly higher today, driven by the recovery in the US markets. The Hang Seng, Kospi, and Shanghai Composite indices performed particularly well. Market participants are closely watching upcoming economic data, especially from China and Japan.

• The 30th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea has come to an end in the cultural world of Asia. The opening film was No Other Choice by Park Chan-wook, and the main prize was won by Gloaming in Luomu by Zhang Lü; Shu Qi was honored as best director.

• In sports, the end of the Asia Cup was particularly noteworthy: India took the title home with a dramatic victory over Pakistan. Notably, the Indian players refused to accept the trophy from the president of the Asian Cricket Council, Mohsin Naqvi, reflecting political tensions between India and Pakistan.