Japan's Self-Defense Forces end annual ceremony amid mounting duties

TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry has decided to discontinue the Self-Defense Forces' annual review ceremony, citing increased duties amid security challenges posed by China, Russia, and North Korea. The ministry said in a press release late last...

Singapore warms to ‘Made in China’ label as stigma fades

Singapore – On a weekday afternoon in the heart of the central business district, the BYD showroom on Robinson Road is a picture of futuristic cool. Inside, sleek electric cars gleam under bright white lights as young professionals drift through...

China Evergrande liquidators say $255m of assets sold in 18 months

Liquidators of China Evergrande Group said on Tuesday they have sold about $255 million of its assets 18 months into China’s largest debt liquidation process and taken control of more than 100 of the company’s subsidiaries. They have received...

South Korean online retail workers to hold one-day strike

South Korean workers at the online retailer and delivery company Coupang are planning to hold a one-day strike Friday following a similar walkout on August 1. Workers at the company and throughout the logistics industry are underpaid and have long...

[80th Liberation Day] Must-watch dramas, films on Korea’s independence struggle

This year’s Liberation Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of colonial Japanese rule, offers a moment to remember both the atrocities committed by Japan and the sacrifices of Korea’s independence activists. One way to reflect on this...

China cuts ties with Czech president over Dalai Lama visit

BEIJING – China said it will cease engagement with Czech President Petr Pavel over his meeting with the Dalai Lama, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Mr Pavel met the 14th Dalai Lama in India in July despite strong...

Xinhua China news advisory -- Aug. 13

BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The following are news items about China to be covered or pursued by Xinhua on Wednesday: Wire Service: -- Xinhua Headlines: China's marine economy powers ahead for high-quality growth -- China Focus: Traditional...

Scoot’s new flight services to Chiang Rai, Thailand, plus Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan

Scoot has launched new flight services to Chiang Rai, Thailand, and Okinawa and Tokyo (Haneda) in Japan from this December to March 2026. It adds to Singapore Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary launching new flight services to Da Nang and Nha Trang in...

Kazakhstan’s Fonte Capital Introduces Central Asia’s First Spot Bitcoin ETF

Kazakhstan, one of the world’s largest bitcoin mining countries, has become the location of central Asia's first spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).Astana-based Fonte Capital said the Fonte Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund OEIC (BETF) will start...

Chinatown ‘Complete Streets’ concept plan moves to design and funding

One of Oakland’s neighborhoods that gets the most foot traffic is on track to receive substantial upgrades to make walking there safer. The Chinatown Complete Streets plan, in development for two years at the Oakland Department of Transportation,...

Chinese Research Ship Leaves Japan's EEZ

Newsfrom Japan Society Aug 12, 2025 16:52 (JST) Naha, Okinawa Pref., Aug. 12 (Jiji Press)--A Chinese marine research vessel that had operated in Japan's exclusive economic zone off Okinawa Prefecture without permission left the area Monday,...

Putin, North Korea's Kim vow stronger ties ahead of US-Russia summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un have vowed to strengthen cooperation, days ahead of Putin's summit in Alaska with Donald Trump, Pyongyang's state media reported Wednesday. Putin and Kim spoke by phone in a...

Japanese Emperor's Family to Visit Nagasaki in Sept.

Newsfrom Japan Society Aug 12, 2025 19:25 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, will visit Nagasaki Prefecture next month to mourn the victims of the 1945 U.S. atomic...

Korea adds 171,000 jobs in July, yet manufacturing, construction sectors remain weak

Korea added more than 170,000 jobs in July, but employment losses continued in the manufacturing and construction sectors, data showed Wednesday. The number of employed people stood at 29.03 million last month, up 171,000 from a year earlier,...

Hinopak unveils Pakistan’s first Japanese UNR compliant truck

ISLAMABAD - In a major leap for Pakistan’s commercial vehicle industry, Hinopak Motors Limited has unveiled the country’s first Japanese UNR (United Nations Regulations) Compliant Truck, the New Hino Dutro, The launch ceremony was held here which...

Copper shines as Pakistani minerals dominate China- bound exports

BEIJING - Pakistan’s mineral sector retained its position as the single largest contributor to exports bound for China during the first half of 2025, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Wednesday. Data from China’s customs shows that, despite...

Cambodia Pushes for Rapid ASEAN Observer Team Formation to M...

AKP Phnom Penh, August 13, 2025 -- Cambodia has called on Thailand to cooperate in expediting the formation of an ASEAN Observer Team, led by Malaysia, to verify and ensure the full and effective implementation of the ceasefire reached between the...

Tariff Chess on a 90-Day Clock: US and China Hit Snooze on the Next Trade War Round

The truce was inevitable. The spring proved that cranking tariffs high enough inflicts damage on both sides. The US–China tariff game just bought itself another 90 days on the clock, and while that keeps the sledgehammer off the table for now,...

Testimony of history: Japanese historian calls for deep reflection on Japan's Unit 731 historical crime for reconciliation between China and Japan

Hideo Shimizu, a former member of the Unit 731, expresses repentance on Aug 13, 2024 before the Apology and Peace Monument at the Museum of Evidence of War Crimes by the Japanese Army Unit 731 in Harbin. Photo: VCG The year 2025 marks the 80th...

South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives for a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on August 12