Ulrike Schaede is a professor at the University of California San Diego. Brad Glosserman is deputy director at the Center for Rule Making Strategies at Tama University.

As Japan buckles under yet another wave of COVID-19 infections, there is confusion and mounting anger at the government's response.

Whatever the intention, the public sees hypocrisy, inconsistency and incompetence. The vaccination rollout has been a mess. The public was asked to practice "self-restraint" and stay at home for the fourth state of emergency as the

TOKYO -- When her husband came down with COVID-19 last month, a Tokyo woman in her 30s was stymied by the instructions she received for at-home treatment from the local health bureau.

She was told to eat, sleep and spend time away from her husband as much as possible -- no easy task in their one-bedroom condominium. Three days after this advice, she tested positive for COVID-19 herself.

The woman's story reflects a feature of Tokyo's

TOKYO -- The Tokyo Olympics are well underway after a long journey filled with controversy and an unprecedented one-year postponement because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proceedings officially began with the opening ceremony at the National Stadium , a mostly subdued affair mixed with joyous moments like a high-tech drone show, and capped by tennis star Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic cauldron.

We're tracking the latest medal count .

Read our breakdown of the events to watch .

Here are the latest developments:

Saturday, Aug

NEW YORK -- China's wildly popular music idol talent shows are facing a government crackdown, after rampant commercialism and the extreme behavior of fans attracted the attention of the authorities.

The competitions, where about 100 young contestants compete for a spot in a new pop group, have generated generous profits for their backers, including streaming giants Tencent and iQIYI.

But the National Radio and Television Administration, the media regulator, has launched a monthlong review of online variety shows and promised reforms, including "strictly restraining idol

PHNOM PENH -- Cambodian garment workers are demanding the world's biggest clothing companies help recover millions of dollars worth of wages and benefits lost amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Their call comes as part of a broader movement by the region's garment workers, underscoring the tough conditions facing the industry even as demand for clothing and shoes rebounds in the U.S. and other major markets.

A collective of 33 unions and labor rights groups from Cambodia this week wrote to major brands -- including Adidas, H&

TOKYO -- The voters of Yokohama, which with a population of 3.77 million is Japan's biggest municipality, could end up hobbling the central government's efforts to bring casinos to the country.

On Aug. 22, the voters of the Kanagawa prefectural capital will choose their next mayor, with the official campaign period starting on Sunday. The race has grown tense due to a proposal for the city just southwest of Tokyo to host a large casino-centered entertainment and leisure resort. Plans call

TOKYO -- Chinese companies control 30% or more of the global market for 15 key technology products and services, a Nikkei survey shows, underlining the challenge faced by countries seeking more independent supply chains.

The survey for 2020 was shaped by the coronavirus pandemic as well as the ongoing Sino-American rivalry that is fragmenting the global economy. The U.S. is pushing "buy American" policies in government purchasing and working to bring home manufacturing of such items as semiconductors.

But the numbers

KARACHI -- Pakistan has deployed its army along its border with Afghanistan to block an anticipated wave of refugees and militants from entering its territory, as fighting continues to rage between the Afghan National Army and the Taliban.

Moeed Yusuf, the national security adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, reiterated his government's stance during a recent visit to Washington that Afghans fleeing the Taliban offensive must be accommodated within Afghanistan with the help of aid agencies. He said that Pakistan did not have the capacity to shoulder the burden

NEW YORK -- The CEO of Binance.US, the American arm of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, has resigned, robbing the company of a heavyweight former regulator as it grapples with increasing scrutiny from authorities around the world.

Brian Brooks said on Friday he was leaving after just three months, citing "differences over strategic direction."

Brooks had been acting head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a U.S. financial regulator, for the last eight months of the Trump administration,