Asia Minute

Today marks 100 days in office for the new leadership of Malaysia. The country’s former prime minister has been charged with financial fraud and money laundering. And the current prime minister is starting a crucial trip that mixes diplomacy and business.

The rapid rise of housing prices is a concern in many places around the country---including Hawai‘i. Different communities are taking various approaches to deal with that trend. And one of the most distinctive is coming from New Zealand.

Construction is expected to begin Monday on a project installing more than 4,200 solar panels at the Honolulu Airport. It’s the latest solar project to move ahead in Hawai‘i. In China, scientists have moved ahead with a new development that could affect the next generation of solar panels.

Japanese automakers always top the charts when it comes to car sales in Hawai‘i. But in South Korea, German automakers dominate the rankings of imported cars. And in recent months there has been a dangerous trend with one of the best-selling brands.

Hawai‘i and Japan share a number of cultural ties, but there’s another practice that’s the same in both locations. Neither observes Daylight Saving Time. But in Japan, that may change.

Casino gambling was legalized in Japan last month, although the first one is unlikely to open its doors until the middle of the next decade. Elsewhere in Asia, the future of casino gambling was pushed to the front of the news in the Philippines this week.

For a little more than a year, Honolulu has had a bike sharing program on the streets. A similar program has been on the Big Island for even longer. But in parts of Asia, it’s a business that’s going through a lot of changes.

Hawai‘i remains the state with the highest per capita rate of homelessness in the country. In Australia, the numbers are nearly as bad—and the situation is getting worse. It’s getting more attention right now because this is National Homelessness Week in Australia.

There are many ways to measure the impact of high housing prices in a community. In Hawaii and other states there is the annual point in time count of homeless on the streets and in shelters. But there are other measurements — including an unusual one that has developed in Hong Kong.

It happens every day, all over the world. Women return to the workplace following maternity leave. It can be a difficult transition, and it can be a bit more complicated if your other full-time job is running a country.

Reports have surfaced this week that one of Japan’s leading medical schools changed the test scores of women applying for admission. An investigation shows the practice started nearly a decade ago — with the aim of suppressing the number of women who become doctors.

It’s been just over a month since customers at stores on O‘ahu started paying 15 cents for plastic bags. This week in Australia, one of the country’s leading grocery store chains reversed its policy on plastic bags — and environmentalists are angry.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is heading to Southeast Asia this week. The trip comes as the United States has announced plans to spend more than 100 million dollars on infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific, as part of a larger strategy involving two regional U.S. allies.

People looking for rooms at luxury hotels often compare amenities offered by different properties. Those could range from swimming pools and million dollar views to gourmet food. But in China, it could also include a waterfall.

An Asia Pacific nation is facing international sanctions because of a policy decision. This doesn’t have anything to do with international trade, and it definitely has nothing to do with President Trump. But it does have to do with basketball.

Pakistan is headed for a new government. Opposition parties are claiming election fraud, but it appears a coalition government will be put together by a former cricket star.

A long-running dispute involving mainland China and Taiwan has been settled. It doesn’t have to do with territory, but with how airlines refer to Taiwan.

Hundreds of people are missing following the collapse of a hydroelectric dam in Laos. Rescue efforts are still underway amid flooding and heavy rains. And the project itself is coming under closer examination.

Summertime means hotter weather. Last Wednesday, Lihue hit a record high at 87-degrees. But in recent weeks, most of Japan and parts of Korea have been baking under far higher temperatures.

In less than a month, more than 11,000 athletes from 45 countries will go to Indonesia for the “Asian Games.” The country’s capital is going through a number of preparations — including some dealing with water pollution.

International students make up an important slice of campus life in Hawai‘i. New figures out this week show the United States remains the top destination in the world for international students. But two countries with Pacific coastlines are making a new push for those who want to study overseas.

If a morning commute is part of your work life, it’s probably not your favorite part of the day. But it definitely could be worse. In one Asian city, the government is stepping in to try to help — especially during the summer.

A multi-billion dollar rail project is running into unexpected problems, and may require some extra money. This is not a story about the Honolulu rail project — it’s about an enterprise that’s underway thousands of miles from Hawai‘i. 

Hawaii is one of 18 states that raised its minimum wage this year to $10.10 an hour. That’s an increase of about nine-percent from last year. In South Korea, the minimum wage rose nearly twice as much this year and is headed higher — but the politics have become complicated.

Hawai‘i has one of the lowest rates of smoking in the United States. About 13 percent of local residents smoke, compared to a little more than 17 percent nationally. Several Asian countries have some of the highest smoking rates in the world, but in one place they’re taking new steps to reduce it.

Most of the news about trade this week has focused on increasing tension between China and the United States. But there’s another trade story this week: involving a case where China is lowering tariffs.

President Trump is in Europe this week, but on the policy front it’s been another week of trade talk about China. His administration has listed another 200-billion dollars of Chinese goods that could be subject to tariffs. So far, most of this dispute has not directly touched Hawaii—but that could change.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia has promised a series of political reforms — and he’s starting at the top. He’s creating new rules for cabinet ministers, and warning about cautionary tales of political influence in the United States.

As you may have heard earlier on NPR, President Trump heads to Europe today for a week of diplomatic meetings. He’ll be talking with allies and will also spend time in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But another high-level diplomatic meeting is taking place this week thousands of miles from Europe.

South Korea is changing the way it sells coffee — at least when you buy it at a coffee shop. Starting next month, if you drink your coffee in a café, you won’t be using a disposable cup. And that’s already stirring some controversy.