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  OPINION: China invokes new era of regional legality KARACHI, May 08 (AJP) - In the shadow of the highly anticipated Beijing summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump, a seismic shift has rattled the foundations of the global energy order—one that has far less to do with the flow of crude and far more to do with the architecture of global power. On May 2, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce moved beyond the realm of diplomatic protest to issue a definitive prohibition order under its Anti-Foreign Sanc May 8, 2026
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  North Korea to 'deploy new self-propelled howitzers along border within this year' SEOUL, May 8 (AJP) - North Korea will deploy new self-propelled howitzers along the border with South Korea "within this year," state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, its leader Kim Jong-un visited a munitions factory earlier in the week where he "learned about the production of new-type self-propelled gun-howitzers for three battalions to be deployed at the long-range artillery unit in the southern borderline wi May 8, 2026
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  KOSPI retreats after historic rally as foreign investors dump shares SEOUL, May 8 (AJP) - South Korea's KOSPI took a breather on Friday after a strong three-day rally that saw the benchmark index gain more than 13 percent, weighed down by heavy foreign selling. As of around 11 a.m., the KOSPI stood at 7,378.17, down 1.49 percent, from the previous session. The retreat came just a day after the index briefly crossed the 7,500 mark for the first time in its history, having surpassed the 7,000 threshold in the previous session, as foreign investo May 8, 2026
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  Lee discusses semiconductor and AI cooperation in first phone call with Dutch PM SEOUL, May 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten over the phone, Cheong Wa Dae said on Friday. The call the previous day was their first conversation since Jetten took office last February. In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in advanced industries including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and other technologies. According to Kang, Lee expressed May 8, 2026
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  US court strikes down Trump tariffs again as Korea watches next trade front SEOUL, May 08 (AJP) -President Donald Trump’s global tariff regime has been struck down by U.S. courts yet again, marking the fifth consecutive major legal defeat for his second-term inward trade strategy and intensifying uncertainty for export-dependent allies such as South Korea. On Thursday, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that Trump illegally imposed a 10 percent blanket tariff on most imports using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, concluding the administ May 8, 2026
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  Japan leads Asia rally, KOSPI hits new high SEOUL, May 07 (AJP) - Japan led a broad rally across Asian markets on Thursday, with the Nikkei 225 surging to a fresh all-time high as easing oil prices, renewed optimism over a possible U.S.-Iran agreement and another global surge in AI-linked semiconductor shares fueled aggressive buying across the region. The Nikkei 225 jumped 5.6 percent to close at a record 62,833.8, while the broader TOPIX gained 3.4 percent after Japanese markets reopened following an extended holiday brea May 7, 2026
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  Hanwha Group moves to bring aerospace under its defense arm SEOUL, May 07 (AJP) - Defense-heavy Hanwha Group has climbed to No. 5 in South Korea’s latest conglomerate rankings by the Fair Trade Commission, and it appears to be aiming to go literally higher by bringing aircraft and rocket manufacturing business back into the family. The group has recently secured more than a 5 percent stake in Korea Aerospace Industries, the country's aircraft-making monopoly, for the stated purpose of “management participation,” signa May 7, 2026
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  Singles' childbirth intentions rise above 40% in South Korea SEOUL, May 7 (AJP) - Four out of 10 South Korean adults viewed having children positively, a recent survey showed, adding to signs of a gradual demographic rebound in a country long plagued by the world's lowest birth rate. The fifth nationwide survey on perceptions of marriage, childbirth and parenting, conducted by the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy (PCASPP), found increasingly positive attitudes toward family formation among adults aged 25 to 4 May 7, 2026
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  Proposal to amend constitution fails to be put to vote amid PPP boycott SEOUL, May 7 (AJP) - A proposed bill to partially amend the constitution, led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), stalled at the National Assembly in Seoul on Thursday after the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) boycotted a parliamentary vote, leaving it short of the quorum required to proceed with only 178 lawmakers taking part. National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik and DP lawmakers vowed to reconvene another plenary session on Friday to put the bill back to a vote. May 7, 2026
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  KF-21 cleared for combat, opening era of Korean-made fighter jets SEOUL, May 07 (AJP) - South Korea’s homegrown KF-21 fighter jet has received final combat suitability approval, clearing the last major hurdle in its development 10 years and five months after the project began. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Thursday that the KF-21 was declared suitable for combat use, meaning the aircraft has met the Air Force’s required operational capability and secured the technical reliability needed to carry out mission May 7, 2026