South Korea hands out COVID relief 5 times faster than Japan
SEOUL -- South Korea has managed to distribute 90% of a cash handout program in just two weeks, showcasing the effectiveness of its resident registration number system.
The COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which began distribution on Sept. 6, provide 250,000 won (US$212) per recipient.
The speed with which Seoul has managed to deliver the money to its citizens is roughly five times faster than what it took Japan to distribute its across-the-board
'Prime Minister Kuroda' has quite a challenge on his hands
William Pesek is an award-winning Tokyo-based journalist and author of "Japanization: What the World Can Learn from Japan's Lost Decades."
It is that time again, when Japanese politicians jockey for the premiership. Yet we already know who will lead the nation into a wildly uncertain 2022: Haruhiko Kuroda.
With apologies to Taro Kono, Fumio Kishida, Sanae Takaichi, Seiko Noda or anyone else vying for power, it is clear Gov. Kuroda's Bank of Japan will be calling
German Social Democrats beat Merkel's conservatives
BERLIN (Reuters) -- Germany's Social Democrats narrowly won Sunday's national election, projected results showed, and claimed a "clear mandate" to lead a government for the first time since 2005 and to end 16 years of conservative-led rule under Angela Merkel.
The center-left Social Democrats (SPD) were on track for 26.0% of the vote, ahead of 24.5% for Merkel's CDU/CSU conservative bloc, projections for broadcaster
How the winner of Japan's PM race could affect markets
TOKYO -- The prospect of a new prime minister has sent Japan's stock market to its highest level since 1990 as investors hope stronger leadership and fresh policies will spark change in the world's third-largest economy.
The four candidates to succeed Yoshihide Suga as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party face off in a poll of party members and members of parliament on Wednesday. If no one wins a majority of ballots, the top two candidates will then head into a runoff, with the victor
Japan LDP election, China auto data law and Tokyo Game Show
Welcome to Your Week in Asia.
China enters the Golden Week holiday on Friday, just as new regulations kick in requiring data from electric and autonomous vehicles to be stored within the country. Japan will know by midweek who will be its next prime minister, while one of the world's key gaming conventions opens in Tokyo.
Keep up with our reporting by following us on Twitter @NikkeiAsia .
MONDAY
EU reviews Sri Lanka trade
A delegation from the European Union will arrive in Sri Lanka to review trade concessions given to the
'No money': The human toll of China Evergrande's financial crisis
SHANGHAI -- As China Evergrande tries to claw its way out of financial crisis and global markets fret over its fate, the lives of the ordinary people who work for the property developer and its many contractors are on hold.
On Thursday, about 10 middle-aged people gathered in front of the entrance to the group's sales office in Taicang, a provincial city next to Shanghai.
Sitting on plastic stools and laying out what appeared to be maps of a development project, they have been coming to this spot
Big Brother-style internet controls expand in Central Asia
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- The screws are being tightened on internet use in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan as new legislation is introduced that will make it easier for the authorities to police online activity. In a Central Asian region already known for intolerance of online debate, these moves are deepening concerns about free expression.
In Kazakhstan, proposed legislation would force social media companies like Facebook and popular messenger services like WhatsApp and Telegram to open representative offices in the country or face restrictions on their activity. In Kyrgyzstan, a law passed in August requires
Taiwan axes symbols of authoritarian past in push to rebrand
TAIPEI -- Taiwan is undertaking a sweeping drive to remove all symbols of its authoritarian past in a bid to create a new global brand for the island.
The latest move is a plan to pull down a towering bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek -- the generalissimo who ruled the Republic of China (Taiwan's formal name) with an iron fist from 1949 to his death in 1975 -- from an iconic central Taipei memorial hall dedicated to the former dictator. The step comes
Hong Kong Tiananmen Square vigil organizer to disband after 32 years
HONG KONG -- The organizer of Hong Kong's annual commemoration of the Tiananmen Square crackdown will disband, the group said Saturday, after being under intense pressure from authorities since Beijing imposed its harsh national security law on the city.
The disbandment of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China is another blow to the pro-democracy movement in the former British colony that was once considered a bastion of freedoms in greater China. These freedoms -- including the right to assembly and free speech --
China and U.S. share tech in ASEAN for vaccine diplomacy edge
JAKARTA/HANOI -- Vaccine diplomacy by China and the U.S. has entered a new stage as their drugmakers transfer technology to players in Southeast Asia to kick-start local production.
The region has welcomed these efforts, since it provides a greater boost to the pharmaceutical industry there and creates more jobs than shipments of ready-for-use coronavirus jabs. Some companies have even begun testing vaccines in Southeast Asia that have yet to receive authorization in the countries in which they were produced.
Etana Biotechnologies Indonesia will start