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International News

From The Asian Reporter, V35, #3 (March 3, 2025), page 2.

Japan’s PM makes surprise appearance at fashion show

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is usually known for his geeky image, wowed a fashion show audience during a surprise appearance in which he ditched his usual suit in favor of a more stylish look in a show of his support for "cool" Japan. Ishiba arrived at the Tokyo Girls Collection in a double-breasted blazer, denim trousers, white sneakers, and stylish black-rimmed glasses. The surprise change of attire received a big cheer of approval from other guests, performers, and the audience. The fashion show, which was held at Tokyo’s National Yoyogi Stadium First Gymnasium, is billed as one of Japan’s most prestigious fashion events. Ishiba, whose key policy goals include revitalization and making "a joyful Japan," said he supports efforts toward making a "cute, energetic, and cool" Japan and that he hopes such events become even more lively across the country and even spread outside the country. He was joined at the show by Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku, a red-and-blue creature that symbolizes cell and water. Speaking to reporters later in his usual business suit, Ishiba said it was his first time speaking to a mostly young female audience at a fashion show. "I was extremely nervous," he said, adding he had been comforted by the support of the comical mascot with a tail. Ishiba is believed to be the first Japanese prime minister to appear in the Tokyo Girls Collection, which is marking its 20th anniversary.

Authorities arrest 401 in suspected cybercrime hub

MANILA, The Philippines (AP) — More than 400 people, half of them from China, were arrested by Philippine authorities in a raid on a suspected online gambling and scam hub in a busy commercial district in the capital, according to officials. The 401 detained included 207 Chinese and 132 Vietnamese nationals who were arrested in a condo building in Pasay city. They are suspected by Philippine authorities of involvement in illegal online gaming operations, along with cryptocurrency, romance, and investment scams, according to a government report. Other arrested suspects were from South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Madagascar, according to the report. The scale of the arrests indicate how such lucrative online ventures have continued to thrive despite an order by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to law enforcers to shut them down by the end of last year. Although a large number of online gambling outfits is believed to have relocated to other countries, including Cambodia and Myanmar, due to an ongoing crackdown in the Philippines, an unspecified number has remained in the country and ventured into an array of internet-based scams. There has been widespread speculation that Philippine law enforcement and regulatory officials have allowed illegal online gambling outfits to operate in the country in the past in exchange for huge bribes.

USAID cuts are already hitting countries around the world

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Countries around the world already are feeling the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate more than 90% of foreign aid contracts and cut some $60 billion in funding. Hours after the announcement last month, programs were shuttered, leaving millions of people without access to life-saving care. Some 10,000 contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were terminated in letters sent to nongovernmental organizations across the globe. The letters said that the programs were being defunded "for convenience and the interests of the U.S. government," according to a person with knowledge of the content who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the issue. Many of the programs are in fragile countries that are highly reliant on U.S. aid to support health systems, nutrition programs, and stave off starvation. Other major issues like fighting terrorism, human and drug trafficking, including fentanyl, and monitoring and aiding migrants will also suffer as a result of the U.S. cuts, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Among the projects in Asian that The AP has confirmed have closed are: a) In Bangladesh, 600,000 women and children will lose access to critical maternal healthcare, protection from violence, reproductive health services, and other lifesaving care, according the United Nations Population Fund; b) In Thailand, hospitals helping some 100,000 refugees from Myanmar have shuttered, according to aid group Border Consortium; c) In the Philippines, a program to improve access to disaster warning systems for disabled people was stopped, according to Humanity & Inclusion; d) In Vietnam, a program assisting disabled people through training caregivers and providing at home medical care stopped, according to Humanity & Inclusion.

Marcos Jr. thanks Cambodia for pardoning 13 Filipinas

MANILA, The Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thanked Cambodia’s king for granting a royal pardon last year to 13 Filipino women who were convicted of illegally serving as surrogate mothers in the Southeast Asian kingdom. Marcos expressed his gratitude in a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who was visiting Manila for talks on expanding trade, agricultural, tourism, cultural, and security relations. The Philippines and Cambodia both belong to the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc that promotes economic integration but is divided on other issues, including countries whose security alignment is with the United States or China. Marcos has strengthened his country’s treaty alliance with the United States to boost the Philippines’ external defense as it confronts China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea. Cambodia has long been known as a key backer of China in the region.

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