ASEAN News

JAPAN: Desperate gamers wait outside an electronics store in Tokyo in the wee hours of the morning to get their hands on the latest PlayStation or Xbox despite Japan’s persistent shortages. Since its November 2020 debut, Sony and Microsoft consoles, as well as Nintendo’s Switch, have been difficult to obtain due to supply chain concerns compounded by lockdowns in China. …

CHINA: Fresh rounds of mass COVID-19 testing are taking place in eastern China as the country risks new outbreaks and continues to recover from spring outbreaks that affected Beijing and Shanghai. The “dynamic COVID zero” approach of China’s government calls on local authorities to detect and contain new infections as quickly as possible, although the country has advised against overly …

JAPAN: Temperatures in eastern Japan have been at their hottest since records began, forcing the government to advise residents to conserve electricity as much as possible, while keeping air conditioners on in order to remain safe. There will be a scorching weekend for those who live in and around Tokyo, as temperatures rose above 35 degrees Celsius for the seventh …

TAIWAN: On the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to Chinese administration, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang declared that freedom in the city had “vanished” and that China had failed to live up to its pledges of 50 years without change. John Lee, a former Hong Kong security head, is being sworn in as Hong Kong’s new leader by Chinese President …

INDIA: Experts predict that India’s ban on many single-use plastics on Friday (Jul 1) will encounter tremendous challenges from unprepared firms and consumers who are unwilling to pay more for products. A third of the country’s four million tons of plastic waste is thrown away and ends up in waterways and landfills, which frequently catch fire and contribute to air …

NORTH KOREA: In a statement released on Friday (Jul 1), North Korea blamed South Korea for the country’s first outbreak of COVID-19, claiming that patients had come into contact with “foreign substances” near the border. The North instructed citizens to “vigilantly deal with alien items coming by wind and other climate phenomena and balloons in the areas along the demarcation …

HONG KONG: On Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit since Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement was quashed, claiming that the city had been “reborn of fire.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Hong Kong is an opportunity for the Communist Party of China to demonstrate its power after massive protests in the city in 2019 prompted Beijing to …

VIETNAM: Officials in Vietnam have imposed a restriction on swimming and scuba diving at a famous tourist destination in an effort to save the country’s coral reefs (Jun 27). The country’s 3,200-kilometer coastline, which features beautiful waters, an abundance of marine life, and white sand beaches, is a major tourist attraction. Researchers have warned that the devastation of Southeast Asian …

TAIPEI: The economy ministry announced on Monday that Taiwan will hike power costs by an average of 8.4% on July 1 (Friday), in response to rising global energy prices, including a 15% rise for major industrial customers. However, following a review of power pricing, the ministry stated that costs will not rise for 97 percent of homes. The government has …

BEIJING: Since the weekend, heavy rains have pounded more than ten cities in Shandong Province, flooding streets, delaying traffic, and reigniting requests for better drainage in built-up regions where concrete and asphalt retain water. A video posted to the social networking site Weibo showed automobiles in the northeastern province of China trapped in waist-deep water as the weather bureau issued …