Papua New Guinea &  Australia: Historic Defence Pact Signed Australia and Papua New Guinea have signed the "Pukpuk Treaty," a landmark mutual defence agreement—the first of its kind between the two nations in over 70 years. The treaty commits both countries to assist each other if attacked, enhancing regional security cooperation. Additionally, up to 10,000 Papua New Guineans may serve in the Australian Defence Force under dual arrangements. While the treaty aims to strengthen regional defence, it is also viewed as part of Australia's broader efforts to counter China's influence in the Pacifi

 Papua New Guinea &  Australia: Historic Defence Pact Signed Australia and Papua New Guinea have signed the "Pukpuk Treaty," a landmark mutual defence agreement—the first of its kind between the two nations in over 70 years. The treaty commits both countries to assist each other if attacked, enhancing regional security cooperation. Additionally, up to 10,000 Papua New Guineans may serve in the Australian Defence Force under dual arrangements. While the treaty aims to strengthen regional defence, it is also viewed as part of Australia's broader efforts to counter China's influence in the Pacific. Reuters Vietnam: Top Leader to Visit North Korea Vietnam's Communist Party chief, To Lam, is set to visit North Korea from October 9 to 11, marking the first trip by a Vietnamese top leader to the country in nearly 20 years. The visit, at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, coincides with a military parade on October 10 celebrating the 80th anniversary of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party. This signals strengthening ties between the two Communist nations, which are marking 75 years of diplomatic relations. Reuters Japan: New Female Prime Minister Poised to Lead Sanae Takaichi has been elected as the new leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), positioning her to become the country’s first female prime minister. At 64, Takaichi is a staunch conservative and a disciple of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Her election signals the LDP’s aim to regain conservative support after major election losses. She emphasized strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance and pursuing a more active regional role. Domestically, she faces challenges such as economic pressures, political distrust, and a divided opposition. AP News Regional Economic Outlook: Growth Projections for East Asia and Pacific The World Bank projects growth in East Asia and the Pacific at 4.4% in 2025, a slight slowdown from 4.8% in 2024. Growth in China, the region’s largest economy, is projected to decline from 4.8% this year to 4.3% in 2025, due to persistent property market weakness and low consumer and investor confidence. In contrast, growth in the rest of the region is forecast to increase from 4.7% in 2024 to 4.9% in 2025, benefiting from increasing domestic consumption, recovering goods exports, and a tourism rebound.

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