Paraluman News

SINGAPORE — Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on Sunday after Iran announced it had again closed the strategic waterway, citing alleged violations by Israel and the United States of an interim ceasefire agreement, according to shipping data. Only five vessels were recorded passing through the strait on Sunday, down from 26 the previous day, data from analytics firm Kpler showed.

Mexico’s Senate approved tariffs of up to 50% on imports from China and other Asian countries to protect local industries, despite pushback from businesses and foreign governments. The duties will mainly target autos, textiles, plastics, and steel starting in 2026. December 11, 2025 Diego Ore/Reuters Mexico's Senate Approves Up to 50% Tariffs on Asian Imports to Protect Local Industry.

China will step up urban renewal and efforts to stabilise its property market in 2026 at the start of its latest Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), according to a readout of a housing policy conference released on Tuesday. The conference, held in Beijing on December 22-23, mapped out key housing development tasks for the Five-Year Plan period, and called next year a critical starting point for policy implementation, according to the readout published by the housing ministry's official outlet.

Asian stocks extended their losing streak on Wednesday, undone by heightened tensions over U.S. threats to acquire Greenland ahead of President Donald Trump's Davos speech, while Japanese bonds bounced sharply to regain some composure from a meltdown.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo decried conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon on Thursday, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service on the day Christians across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus. Leo, the first U.S. pope, said the story of Jesus being born in a stable showed that God had "pitched his fragile tent" among the people of the world.

Taiwan aims to build a "democratic" high-tech supply chain with the United States and form a strategic AI partnership under the new tariffs deal it sealed with Washington last week, Taipei's top negotiator in the talks said on Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed the major producer of semiconductors, which runs a large trade surplus with the United States, to invest more in the U.S., specifically in chips that power AI.

Shares of Hyundai Motor rallied on Wednesday (January 7) by as much as 14.9% to hit a record high in morning trade, outperforming the benchmark KOSPI's 1.2% gain amid market speculation about a potential deeper tie-up with Nvidia. Hyundai’s Boston Dynamics debuted its next-generation Atlas humanoid robot at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Monday (January 5).

Chinese firms are expanding in Vietnam, leading investment inflows and sending record shipments to Hanoi in defiance of U.S. calls for decoupling, as the Communist neighbours beef up ties. Recent steps that Hanoi had long resisted on security grounds include sensitive tech contracts for Chinese telecoms firms Huawei and ZTE; approval of Chinese loans for high-speed rail links; and Chinese-made COMAC planes cleared by regulators for a leading airline.

Two South Korean-operated vessels have passed through the Strait of Hormuz following a U.S.-Iran ceasefire memorandum of understanding, according to Seoul’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. However, 22 other South Korean-operated ships remain stranded in the high-risk zone. Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, June 21, 2026.

New York helped usher in the summer solstice on Sunday (June 21) with a mass yoga session in Manhattan's famed Times Square. The city-sponsored program,  dubbed "Mind Over Madness Yoga", provided yoga mats for an enthusiastic group of New Yorkers and visitors, with experts guiding them through the various moves. The event is one of many around the world celebrating the 12th International Day of Yoga. The ancient discipline originated in India and is practiced around the world.