3 h. ago Japan Post stops forcing delivery staff to ride bicycles as punishment

Japan Post has scrapped a controversial practice of forcing delivery workers involved in minor accidents to complete their rounds by bicycle – even in extreme heat – after admitting the measure “could be perceived” as workplace harassment. The decision followed an internal investigation into an incident involving a delivery worker who was instructed to continue his rounds by bicycle for two weeks during a summer heatwave, despite daytime temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees...

Politics

4 h. ago China's Innovent signs $11.4 billion cancer therapy deal with Japan's Takeda

China's Innovent signs $11.4 billion cancer therapy deal with Japan's Takeda  Reuters

Economics

5 h. ago Hong Kong’s CUHK eyes wider use of ‘painless’ liver cancer care after 96% success

Hong Kong liver cancer patient Mr Chan* said his tumour disappeared following a painless ultrasound treatment that felt similar to “taking a nap”. The 68-year-old retiree, who had been battling liver cancer since 2013, was among 26 patients who had received a histotripsy treatment conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong since April this year. “There was no pain at all. It was just like taking a nap,” Chan said. “I could be discharged the next day and lead a normal life afterwards. The...

Politics

9 h. ago Lawmakers eyeing legislation to limit vulnerability to China

Lawmakers eyeing legislation to limit vulnerability to China  New Orleans CityBusiness

Politics

10 h. ago China Eyes Russian Planes To Fuel Air Force Fighter Jets: Reports

China Eyes Russian Planes To Fuel Air Force Fighter Jets: Reports  Newsweek

Politics

12 h. ago Why China Is Worried About Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s New Prime Minister

Why China Is Worried About Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s New Prime Minister  Forbes

Politics

17 h. ago ‘Stealth husband’: Japan PM Takaichi’s spouse shuns the spotlight

Taku Yamamoto, husband of Japan’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, said he hopes to support his wife as a “stealth husband”, adding, “Unlike in the West, it is better for the partner to stay out of the spotlight here.” A former fellow Liberal Democratic Party member in the House of Representatives, Yamamoto said he was initially “drawn to the contrast” between Takaichi’s tough exterior and her femininity. The couple, who married in 2004, divorced in 2017 over political differences but...

Events

17 h. ago A ‘Pacific eyes’ intelligence body would offset China’s growing presence: report

Australia should lead the creation of a formal Five Eyes-style intelligence club in the Pacific amid the alleged threat of China’s growing presence in the region, a prominent foreign policy think tank suggests. Dubbed “Pacific Eyes”, the proposed intelligence-sharing alliance could help plug institutional gaps that “external powers” – particularly Beijing – were eager to exploit, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute argued in a report released on Tuesday. It recommended that the dedicated framework...

Politics

17 h. ago Call for ‘Pacific Eyes’ intelligence body to offset China’s growing presence

Australia should lead the creation of a formal Five Eyes-style intelligence club in the Pacific amid China’s growing presence in the region, a prominent foreign policy think tank has suggested. Dubbed “Pacific Eyes”, the proposed intelligence-sharing alliance could help to plug institutional gaps that “external powers” – particularly Beijing – were eager to exploit, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said in a report released on Tuesday. It recommended that the dedicated framework initially consist...

Politics

18 h. ago Hong Kong eye specialists warn of risks of wearing unregulated contact lenses

Ophthalmology professionals in Hong Kong have cautioned residents about the risks of wearing cosmetic contact lenses sourced from unregulated channels – especially during Halloween – warning of potential visual impairment caused by improper use. The Hong Kong Association of Private Practice Optometrists on Tuesday also urged authorities to introduce a mandatory registration system to regulate the import, distribution and sale of medical devices, including contact lenses, and reduce the risks...

Events

19 h. ago Ryan Adams calls Australia ‘worst country ever’ after Melbourne meltdown

US singer-songwriter Ryan Adams has labelled Australia as the “worst country ever” in an expletive-laden tirade after wrapping up a controversial anniversary tour, while also hinting he may have played his final international gig. Adams recently performed in Australia and New Zealand to mark the 25th anniversary of his debut solo album, Heartbreaker, but the shows were marred by his tirade against fans, who called the October 12 concert in Melbourne a “train wreck” after he abruptly stormed off...

Politics

20 h. ago Chipmaker CXMT eyes US$42 billion Shanghai listing, sources say

Chinese memory chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) plans an initial public offering (IPO) in Shanghai as soon as the first quarter of next year, eyeing a valuation of up to 300 billion yuan ($42.12 billion), according to two sources briefed on the matter. Founded in 2016 with government backing, CXMT leads China’s strategic push to build a foothold in a global DRAM market long dominated by companies from Japan, South Korea and the United States. China’s leading manufacturer of dynamic...

Economics

20 h. ago Can Scott Bessent see China’s trade counterstrike with clear eyes?

After a video call last Saturday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng are expected to meet in Malaysia this week to hopefully ease tensions before US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping potentially meet on the sidelines of this year’s Apec summit. The meeting was in doubt when Trump threatened to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on China, despite later relenting that it might not be sustainable. Washington blamed Beijing for the escalation,...

Events

20 h. ago The View | Can Scott Bessent see China’s trade counterstrike with clear eyes?

The View | Can Scott Bessent see China’s trade counterstrike with clear eyes?  South China Morning Post

Events

22 h. ago 4 smugglers arrested for bringing gold into Japan from Hong Kong in underwear

Four people have been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle about 8kg of gold worth around 98.7 million yen (US$650,000) from Hong Kong to Japan by concealing gold powder in underwear, sources familiar with the matter revealed on Tuesday. Masamori Nishimura, 34, is believed to have orchestrated the smuggling attempt by instructing three women in their 20s and 30s to wear underwear with concealed gold powder on a flight in July last year, the sources said. The four admitted to the charges,...

Events

24 h. ago Takaichi becomes Japan’s first female PM, ending political crisis

Japan’s parliament elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister on Tuesday after her governing party secured a crucial coalition partner. Takaichi, 64, replaced Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tuesday’s parliamentary vote, ending Japan’s three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the coalition’s loss in the July parliamentary election. The moderate centrist Komeito party had split from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party after a 26-year-long...

Politics

27 h. ago Is Japan making tourism more expensive to deter unruly visitors?

Japan’s proposed increase in visa fees and departure tax is an attempt to balance between dealing with overtourism and deterring misbehaving visitors at “the bottom of the pyramid”, according to industry observers. The government believes the present fees for visas and departure taxes are low in comparison with international standards, with the Asahi newspaper reporting that the additional funds would be used on improving tourism infrastructure and the education sector. If implemented, the...

Politics

39 h. ago Gold climbs on rate cut bets, broader uncertainty; investors eye US

Gold climbs on rate cut bets, broader uncertainty; investors eye US-China trade talks  Reuters

Economics

41 h. ago China’s Unitree Robotics unveils latest humanoid ahead of US$7 billion IPO

Unitree Robotics has teased a new humanoid model in a short video on its social media channels, its most humanlike model to date. In the video, the H2 model performed a series of dexterous dance moves – including perfectly executed pirouettes and arabesques – and sported a strikingly human face modelled in silver with well-defined eyes, lips and nose. Standing at 180cm – the tallest humanoid robot the company has yet developed – and weighing 70kg, the H2 featured the tagline: “Destiny Awakening...

Economics

42 h. ago Is China President Xi Jinping picking his successor? Key Beijing meet holds key

Is China President Xi Jinping picking his successor? Key Beijing meet holds key  The Economic Times

Politics