Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Asia Pacific Topics
Offbeat Jul 31, 2013
Lincoln statue vandal suspect is Chinese national
Moments before District of Columbia police found Jiamei Tian hiding in a bathroom stall at Washington National Cathedral, a family of tourists had spotted her in a back pew of the Children’s Chapel guarding two bags and muttering softly in a foreign language. Tian’s ...
Offbeat Jul 24, 2013
China's nouveau riche fork out for high-class etiquette
How to properly peel an orange, hold an oyster fork and pronounce luxury brand names — wealthy Chinese are paying handsome sums to learn such skills as they seek to match their high-end lifestyles with high-class etiquette. A two-week course at the newly opened ...
Offbeat Jul 8, 2013
Whale knocks surfer unconscious
A Sydney surfer had a lucky escape Sunday when he was hit and knocked unconscious by a whale frolicking off Bondi Beach. Bishan Rajapakse, a 38-year-old doctor, said the last thing he remembers before waking up on the beach was saying “Hey, how’s it ...
Offbeat Jul 5, 2013
India's 'miracle rooster' further complicates chicken-and-egg dilemma
The question has long been, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” The apparently insoluble puzzle has become further complicated in India, where a rooster in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh has been laying eggs. According to a report in the The ...
Offbeat Jul 3, 2013
Unwitting Chinese railway station worker plays porn on big screen
A maintenance worker surprised passers-by near a Chinese railway station when he started watching a banned porn film, not realizing his computer was connected to a giant screen, state media said Tuesday. The worker, identified only by his surname, Yuan, was supposed to repair ...
Offbeat Jun 29, 2013
Singapore gripped by 'Singing Bone' Hello Kitty frenzy
Tempers flared and police had to be called in as anxious Singaporeans rushed to McDonald’s outlets to buy plush Hello Kitty toys being sold in a promotion by the fast food chain Thursday. Hundreds had begun waiting in line from Wednesday night in the ...
Offbeat Jun 28, 2013
Indian reporter who rode atop flood victim is fired
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Offbeat Jun 25, 2013
Myanmar mystics give supernatural help to Asia leaders, military chiefs
Frail and barely able to speak, Myanmar’s most famous fortuneteller — known as ET — has for years whispered predictions to Asia’s rich and powerful, from generals to foreign politicians. The soothsayer, whose popularity has inspired a recent Thai biopic, is one of a ...
Offbeat Jun 20, 2013
North vows to kill authors of report that Kim dished out Hitler 'guidebook'
North Korea has angrily denied a report that its ruler used Adolf Hitler’s memoir as a leadership guide, and threatened to kill its authors. The article by New Focus International, an online news portal run by North Korean defectors, said Kim Jong Un had ...
Offbeat Jun 20, 2013
Samoan airline introduces 'XL' class
A tiny Samoan airline says it will introduce an “XL” class for supersized passengers, featuring extra-wide rows and special ramps to help them reach their seats. Samoa Air already pioneered a world first late last year, when it began charging passengers fares based on ...
Offbeat Jun 13, 2013
Aussie leader blasts 'sexist' menu at opposition dinner
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday accused the opposition of a pattern of misogynist behavior, branding a menu for a party fundraiser “grossly sexist and offensive” after it featured a quail dish named after her that offered “small breasts” and “huge thighs.” The ...
Offbeat | Focus May 31, 2013
India's Africans keeping ancient customs alive
The tiny Sidi community, descendants of ninth-century African migrants, have lived quietly along India’s west coast for hundreds of years without ever losing touch of their ancient traditions. “A Certain Grace,” a new book by Indian photographer Ketaki Sheth, reveals how the community, many ...