24 h. ago Japan weighs plan to punish sex buyers, but will it be enough?

A campaigner who has been calling for changes in the law in Japan to allow the prosecution of men who pay for sex has welcomed reports that the government is finally considering the proposal. Experts warn, however, that an industry known as “the world’s oldest profession” will always find a way to circumvent new regulations and that the problem needs to be tackled from a number of angles simultaneously. In response to a question from independent Diet member Rintaro Ogata on November 11, Prime...

Politics

4 d. ago Beijing bristles as Japan weighs missile export to Philippines

Tokyo is considering exporting a missile system to the Philippines as it seeks to ease its weapons-export restrictions, Japanese media reported – a move likely to draw criticism from Beijing. The missile system, dubbed Type 03 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile, is of the same type that Tokyo plans to deploy on Yonaguni, an island only 110 kilometres (68 miles) away from Taiwan. Beijing has blasted the deployment on Yonaguni as “extremely dangerous”. Kyodo News reported on Sunday that Japan has...

Events

4 d. ago China bristles as Japan weighs missile export to Philippines

Tokyo is considering exporting a missile system to the Philippines as it seeks to ease its weapons-export restrictions, Japanese media reported – a move likely to draw criticism from Beijing. The missile system, dubbed Type 03 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile, is of the same type that Tokyo plans to deploy on Yonaguni, an island only 110 kilometres (68 miles) away from Taiwan. Beijing has blasted the deployment on Yonaguni as “extremely dangerous”. Kyodo News reported on Sunday that Japan has...

Events

4 d. ago Japan weighs missile sales to Philippines as both nations eye China threat

Japan weighs missile sales to Philippines as both nations eye China threat  Stars and Stripes

Events

4 d. ago India’s looming BrahMos missile deal with Indonesia challenges US

India and Indonesia are close to finalising a US$450 million sale of BrahMos missiles, in a deal analysts say could give Southeast Asia a long-sought alternative to dependence on the US or China. The deal, discussed last Thursday during the third India–Indonesia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue co-chaired by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, would make Indonesia only the second Southeast Asian country after the Philippines to acquire the missile...

Events

5 d. ago China’s Xingyan ‘Star Eye’ network to track satellites and space debris

China is launching a second satellite constellation to monitor objects in orbit to help commercial operators lower collision risks and ease the country’s long reliance on foreign tracking data. When complete, the Xingyan – or Star Eye – space situational awareness constellation will have 156 satellites up and running to identify the orbits of other satellites and debris, detect unusual movements, and provide collision warnings and maneuver advice every two hours. Its developer, Xingtu Cekong, an...

Politics

7 d. ago Goldman Sees China Spat Weighing on Japan’s GDP Via Tourism Hit

Goldman Sees China Spat Weighing on Japan’s GDP Via Tourism Hit  Bloomberg.com

Events

1 week ago What economic cards will China play with Japan? Analysts see dilemma in the row

Beijing is expected to calibrate its response to Japan with caution, weighing potential punitive measures against the risk of economic blowback, analysts say. And while China possesses an arsenal of levers – from tourism curbs to export controls – the experts warn that a heavy hand could backfire. “China won’t move abruptly,” said Xu Weijun, an assistant research professor with the Institute of Public Policy at the South China University of Technology. He noted that economic interdependence...

Economics

2 w. ago Missile defence in focus as China, Russia generals pledge deeper cooperation

The Chinese and Russian militaries have pledged to deepen cooperation in sensitive areas including missile defence, following high-level talks in Moscow involving China’s top general. General Zhang Youxia, the first-ranking vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, met with his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov on Thursday, according to China’s defence ministry announcement. The visit – Zhang’s first in two years – signalled a continued strengthening of defence ties between the two...

Events

2 w. ago Japan considers fines for men who buy sex in major policy shift

Japan’s government is weighing the introduction of penalties for men who buy sex, marking a potential sea change in the country’s approach to prostitution. Lawmakers and women’s advocacy groups argue that current legislation, dating back to the 1950s, fuels exploitation and risks the country being branded a sex tourism hotspot. The issue was thrust into centre stage last week, when a member of parliament pressed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to address what he called the “asymmetric” nature of...

Events

3 w. ago Potential arrest of Duterte ally Dela Rosa tests Philippines’ ICC obligation

The Philippine government is facing mounting legal and political uncertainty after reports emerged that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may have issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – the former national police chief widely seen as the main enforcer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs. Dela Rosa, a long-time Duterte ally and now a sitting senator, oversaw the Philippine National Police during the early years of Duterte’s presidency, when...

Events

3 w. ago ‘Test the waters’: rumoured ICC plan to arrest Duterte ally grips Philippines

The Philippine government is facing mounting legal and political uncertainty after reports emerged that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may have issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – the former national police chief widely seen as the main enforcer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs. Dela Rosa, a long-time Duterte ally and now a sitting senator, oversaw the Philippine National Police during the early years of Duterte’s presidency, when...

Events

3 w. ago Global businesses eye growth during China’s longest Singles' Day sale period to date

Global businesses eye growth during China’s longest Singles' Day sale period to date  FashionNetwork USA

Economics

4 w. ago As US Pacific allies eye nuclear submarines, should China be concerned?

China now has the largest naval fleet in the world, and its growing numbers of nuclear-powered submarines are an integral part of its efforts to project power beyond its coastal waters. But the view from Beijing is growing more complex as a handful of US allies in the Pacific also ramp up deployment of nuclear-powered subs. South Korea inched closer to attaining the technology on October 30 when US President Donald Trump said he had given the country approval to build a nuclear-powered...

Events

4 w. ago Pacific soldiers push forward with transformation, with an eye on China

Pacific soldiers push forward with transformation, with an eye on China  Defense One

Events

4 w. ago Battered US businesses eye improved China trade at Shanghai expo

Battered US businesses eye improved China trade at Shanghai expo  mykxlg.com

Politics