As bear attacks rise in Japan, fearful residents change daily routines
Jeff Kingston used to take long walks with his dogs across the hills of Gunma in central Japan. But not this year. He has good reason. Kingston says he has encountered bears in those mountains more than 100 times over the years and been charged by aggressive bears around a dozen times. In 2014, a black bear knocked him down and attacked him across the skull with its claws, leaving a gash that required nine stitches. “This year, I have actively refrained from going into the hills precisely...
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Protect the middle? Why Southeast Asia should care about a vulnerable class
As households across Southeast Asia face rising prices, higher borrowing costs and insecure jobs, analysts say governments should do more to protect a middle class that drives consumer spending but can fall between the cracks of social protection systems designed primarily for poorer households. The issue has come into sharper focus in the Philippines, where the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) urged the government in September to provide targeted support for the middle class to protect...
Elon Musk hits out at ‘certain oligarchs’ for blocking Starlink in India
Elon Musk accused unnamed rivals of blocking SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband network in India, an apparent swipe at billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal. SpaceX has been awaiting approval from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to offer Starlink service in India, where companies controlled by Ambani’s Reliance Industries and Mittal’s Bharti Airtel have spent years building formidable positions in telecoms. “Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in...
Europe’s Trade Tensions With China Are Coming to a Head
The European Union is weighing tougher trade measures as negotiators prepare to meet Chinese officials in Beijing, with surging exports from China pressuring key industries in Europe.
Japan explores ‘ownership’ of nuclear submarines as regional rivalries worsen
Japan is expected to float the idea of acquiring a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in revised security documents to be released later this year, with analysts suggesting that Tokyo’s initial aim is to promote discussion of the issue and overcome the public’s concerns. Analysts acknowledge there will inevitably be pushback from some sectors of Japan – the only nation to have suffered a nuclear attack – but say there is a growing recognition that regional rivalries are worsening and Japan...
China’s ‘Self-Reliance’ Drive Is Upending Trade With Europe
China’s push to manufacture more at home has widened its trade imbalance with Europe, intensifying pressure on European industries and policymakers to take action.
China’s High-Tech Ambitions Have a Blue-Collar Status Problem
Most Chinese still view vocational schools and skilled labor as low status and undesirable.
In ‘Allegra’, the Choreography Dives Deep Into Japan’s Ancient Court Dance
And the spirit of the ballerina Allegra Kent doesn’t hurt. The choreographer Benjamin Akio Kimitch dives into the art of Bugaku to create his fantasy of a Japanese American court dance.
Singapore’s air pollution worst in world as haze shuts Malaysia schools
Singapore’s air pollution worsened to the highest in the world as haze from Indonesia wildfires blankets the region days before the city state’s annual Formula One weekend. Air quality levels in Singapore were in the “very unhealthy” range as of Wednesday afternoon, according to data from IQAir. Nearby Kuala Lumpur, which was earlier in the top spot, ranked as the second-most polluted city globally. In the Malaysian state of Johor, about 140km (87 miles) northwest of Singapore, some 200 schools,...
The Quiet, Careful Growth of Philippine-Taiwan Ties
Manila is exploiting the space between its One China policy and functional cooperation with Taipei.
Russia’s Wildberries Finding Fertile Ground in Central Asia
The Russian e-commerce retailer has announced yet another new logistics facility, this time in Uzbekistan.
The Strategic Implications of China’s Military Facility in Laos
Ban Keun poses only a limited direct threat to the South China Sea or Taiwan, but it will enhance China’s ability to place pressure on U.S. naval forces.
