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Bicycle traffic violations hit record high as cycling booms amid pandemic
Cyclists' traffic violations hit a record high of over 20,000 last year in Japan and the rising trend appears to be continuing this year as more people turn to bikes amid the coronavirus pandemic, police data showed Friday. Violations hit 22,859 in 2019 and have already reached 12,839 in the… Read
Tokyo reports 195 new coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 567
The Tokyo metropolitan government on Friday reported 195 new cases of the coronavirus, the same number as Thursday. The number is the result of 1,870 tests conducted on Sept 22. The age groups with the most cases were people in their 20s (46), followed by 40 in their 40s and 39… Read
Arrest warrant for murder served on man who surrendered in S Africa
A 46-year-old man under arrest after he gave up his life on the run in South Africa last month due to the coronavirus pandemic was served with a fresh arrest warrant Thursday on suspicion of murder. So Kamiya was indicted the same day on a charge of confining 26-year-old Shinya… Read
Tokyo stocks end higher on tech gains after Wall St rebound
Tokyo stocks ended higher Friday led by technology shares following an overnight rebound on Wall Street driven by their U.S. counterparts. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 116.80 points, or 0.51 percent, from Thursday at 23,204.62. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock… Read
Officer shot dead while detaining suspect at London police station
A British police officer was shot dead inside a London police station early Friday while detaining a suspect, who also sustained a gunshot wound. London’s Metropolitan Police force said the officer was shot at the Croydon Custody Center in the south of the city just after 2 a.m. He was… Read
N Korean leader Kim apologizes over killing of S Korean gov't official
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un apologized Friday over the killing of a South Korea official near the rivals’ disputed sea boundary, saying he’s “very sorry" about the “unexpected” and “unfortunate” incident, South Korean officials said Friday. It’s extremely unusual for a North Korean leader to apologize to rival South… Read
As foreigners depart, Singapore sees population drop for first time since 2003
Singapore's population has shrunk for the first time since 2003 as travel curbs and job losses brought about by the coronavirus pandemic have pushed foreign workers from the global business hub. The overall population dropped by about 18,000 people, or 0.3%, to 5.69 million, according to an annual population report.… Read
Australian think tank says there are 380 detention camps in Xinjiang
China appeared to be expanding its network of secret detention centers in Xinjiang, where Muslim minorities are targeted in a forced assimilation campaign, and more of the facilities resemble prisons, an Australian think tank found. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute used satellite images and official construction tender documents to map… Read
Bach gives pep talk to Tokyo Olympic organizers, Koike
IOC President Thomas Bach delivered a pep talk to Japanese government officials and local organizers on Thursday that included suggestions that “hundreds of millions” of doses COVID-19 vaccines would be available before the postponed Olympics open in July. Bach was speaking from Switzerland in an on-line gathering of officials, including… Read
Top Toshiba investor calls for inquiry in widening votes scandal
Toshiba Corp's top investor has called for an investigation of a botched meeting in July at which it says several shareholders were deprived of their vote, a letter to the Japanese conglomerate's board seen by Reuters shows. What began as a problem at Toshiba has widened into a larger scandal… Read
