Asia Pacific Apr 8, 2021

Press freedom in gambling hub of Macao under spotlight as China ramps up scrutiny

Pressure is mounting on Macao's Portuguese and English media, which typically operate with more flexibility than the local Chinese press.

Asia Pacific / Politics Dec 3, 2019

How Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong's tycoon 'Superman,' went from friend of China to punching bag

In January 1993, an ambitious Chinese Communist Party boss — 39 years old, chubby cheeks and a mop of black hair — visited Hong Kong. He was seeking out the city's rich among the shimmering skyscrapers, hoping to secure investment in Fuzhou, the second-tier ...

Asia Pacific Sep 4, 2019

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announces withdrawal of controversial extradition bill

The city’s leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of an extradition bill that triggered months of unrest and threw the Chinese-ruled city into its worst crisis in decades.

Asia Pacific / Politics | ANALYSIS Aug 23, 2019

In one-man race, Macao to elect Beijing-backed former legislator Ho Iat Seng as chief executive

The Chinese territory of Macao is set to elect as leader the only candidate for which it is allowed to vote: a Beijing-backed former legislator who is expected to cement China's control over the special administrative region and distance it from escalating protests in ...

Asia Pacific Jan 18, 2019

As cramped Hong Kong eyes $64 billion island-building plan, critics say developers are hoarding unused land

Hong Kong's government says it needs to build billions of dollars' worth of artificial islands to give the city's glittering skyline room to grow, but critics say developers are hoarding unused land that could solve the problem. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam estimates the ...

Asia Pacific / Social Issues Sep 21, 2018

Proliferation of marine parks in China fueling shadowy trade in cetaceans

Eight beluga whales jump in unison out of a bright blue indoor pool, flipping their tail fins and spewing water as a packed audience cheers and snaps photographs. Whale shows like the one at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, located in Zhuhai on China's southern coast, are ...

Asia Pacific / Politics Aug 19, 2018

Empty hotels, idle boats: What happens when a Pacific island upsets China

Empty hotel rooms, idle tour boats and shuttered travel agencies reveal widening fissures in the tiny Pacific nation of Palau, which is caught in an escalating diplomatic tug-of-war between China and Taiwan. Late last year, China effectively banned tour groups to the idyllic tropical archipelago, ...

Business May 13, 2014

Pachinko parlors face taxing times

Moves toward legalizing casinos in Japan have reignited a debate over the legal status of pachinko, with a potential new tax mooted for a $200 billion gaming industry that has existed for decades on the fringes of the law. Pachinko, a slot-cum-pinball form of gambling, ...

National May 11, 2014

Casino moguls gamble on Japan

Two U.S. billionaires bet on rival cities to be the first to open casino resorts in Japan if the government legalizes gambling.

Business Feb 26, 2014

Sands czar bets he will win Japan casino race

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson is willing to bet $10 billion that his Las Vegas Sands will become the leader in casino gambling in Japan, an offer he says his competitors can't match. What remains to be seen is whether one of the world's last great untapped ...