International News 28 October 2026
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China’s Tech Stocks Plunge as STAR50 Falls 40% in Under Four Months on AI Demand and Valuation Fears
China’s technology stock market has undergone a sharp correction amid growing investor concerns about the outlook for artificial intelligence (AI) demand, overstretched valuations, and restrictions on exports of Chinese tech products. The STAR50 index, which includes leading AI and semiconductor companies, has tumbled 40% in less than four months. The decline has wiped out roughly US$480 billion in stock market capitalization and raised concerns about the stability of global equity markets. The correction is also a challenge for Beijing’s efforts to encourage households to invest in the stock market to help fund the AI industry. Earlier, promises of economic stimulus had fueled a rally in stocks that lasted around two years, but that trend has now reversed. The blue-chip CSI300 index has fallen about 20% from its peak in June. “The stock market then turned into an out-of-control speculative bull market. And now we are seeing that bubble burst,” said Dong Baozhen, a Beijing-based investment manager.
Netanyahu Faces His Biggest Political Test as Israel Votes, With Tight Race Against Eisenkot-Led Opposition
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing his biggest political test in the general election on Tuesday (October 27, 2026). His leadership is on the line after the 2023 Hamas attack, the wars in Gaza and Iran, and growing international isolation of Israel. Even so, he still has a chance of holding on to power. The Israeli leader, who has served for a total of 19 years, is seen as politically resilient, helped by rising nationalism and a fragmented political system that could give him a better shot at forming the next government. Polls show a tight race between Netanyahu’s Likud party and its right-wing allies on one side, and an opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief of staff, on the other. Eisenkot is known for hawkish views on security and draws support from both the right and the center. Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. local time (05:00 GMT) and are scheduled to close at 10:00 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT). Netanyahu is relying on his wartime leadership record and his closeness to US President Donald Trump, who has voiced support for him and, together with Israel, is engaged in the war against Iran.
Trump Campaigns in Republican Stronghold Mississippi, Predicts Wins as Party Strategists Grow Anxious Ahead of Midterms
The United States will hold its midterm elections on November 3, 2026, and President Donald Trump has stepped up his campaigning. On Monday (October 26, 2026), Trump rallied in Mississippi, a stronghold of the Republican Party. He predicted victory for the party’s Senate candidate, pointing to what he described as a rapidly growing US economy, and he repeated his claim that oil prices will soon plunge. Trump is making a series of stops in states that are usually safe territory for his party ahead of the November 3 vote. Party strategists told Reuters they are worried about races in a range of places, from Alaska to South Carolina. The concern is driven in part by voter discontent over Trump’s tariff policies and the inflationary impact of the war with Iran.
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