North Korea launched roughly ten short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area on its east coast on 29 Oct, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The projectiles flew about 250 kilometres before landing in waters east of the peninsula. Japan's Defense Ministry said it detected a suspected ballistic missile launch, and its Coast Guard urged ships to avoid any debris. South Korea has increased surveillance and is coordinating with the United States and Japan. The launch comes amid heightened tension after landmine blasts on 21 Sep injured three South Korean soldiers at the border, which Seoul blames on Pyongyang and Pyongyang denies.
Visa receives clearance from the People’s Bank of China to launch a domestic bank card clearing service, while deepening its partnership with Tencent to broaden cross‑border payments and AI‑driven shopping tools in China. The joint effort will let travelers use Weixin Pay and Visa networks at participating merchants and introduce AI agents that assist shoppers in finding and buying items. The approvals also cover Citi, enabling both firms to grow their Chinese operations.
France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has apologised to China and its people after a clip of him discussing a meme that shows his face on a Chinese dictator went viral. The image is widely read as a reference to Mao Zedong. Three Chinese sponsors, Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground, have ended their deals with him. China Media Group has said it will suspend broadcasts of LaLiga and other matches involving Mbappé, and LaLiga has expressed deep regret over the hurt caused to Chinese fans.