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Japanese police have found a surprising new way to curb the country’s rampant prostitution – by painting a street yellow.The unusual tactic in Osaka has led to a dramatic 90 per cent decrease in sex workers soliciting customers in a previously notorious alley, authorities said.Last December, the 100-metre (330-foot) street in the city’s Taiyujicho neighbourhood located near the JR Osaka Station, was painted bright yellow and decorated with colourful artwork of marine creatures.The tactic was based on nudge theory, a concept that suggests subtle changes in surroundings can influence behaviour.Data from four daily police surveys of the alley revealed an…

Malaysia’s ruling party is pushing for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter – Nurul Izzah – to contest to be his number two, in a race which appears to have caused a rift within the government.Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), a key party in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition that anchors Anwar’s “Madani” government, will hold its central leadership elections on May 21, with all positions except the presidency available.Party branches in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Perak and Pahang have backed the prime minister’s eldest daughter candidacy for the deputy presidency, a post currently held by Economics Minister Rafizi Ramli.Nurul Izzah, in…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.BMW has reported a 25 per cent fall in earnings as it adjusts to new global tariffs and stiff competition in the Chinese market. However, the carmaker maintained its full-year forecast that profits would broadly match last year’s, saying it anticipated some global tariffs would be rolled back from July. The company said on Wednesday that its earnings before tax in the first quarter reached €3.1bn — 25 per cent down on the same period last year.It added that the EU’s anti-subsidy tariff…

Semeen Akhter is stepping down as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited (EPQL), effective June 5, 2025. The company shared this development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday. “This is to inform you that Semeen Akhter has resigned from her position as CEO of Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited with effect from June 5, 2025,” read the notice. Meanwhile, the company added that its Board of Directors will appoint a new CEO in due course. “The company wishes to extend its deepest gratitude and appreciation to Semeen Akhter for her contributions to…

China’s top securities regulator pledged to further open up the nation’s financial markets and boost foreign institutional access, with a focus on promoting Hong Kong as a global finance hub, as a trade war and decoupling risks stoke fears of contagion effects.Wu Qing, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said in a briefing on Wednesday that the watchdog would protect the interests of Chinese companies listed abroad and help high-quality firms that are listed overseas to offer shares on mainland and Hong Kong exchanges.The regulator would also streamline processes for Chinese firms to list abroad and strengthen Hong…

China’s top securities regulator pledged to further open up the nation’s financial markets and boost foreign institutional access, with a focus on promoting Hong Kong as a global finance hub, as a trade war and decoupling risks stoke fears of contagion effects.Wu Qing, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said in a briefing on Wednesday that the watchdog would protect the interests of Chinese companies listed abroad and help high-quality firms that are listed overseas to offer shares on mainland and Hong Kong exchanges.The regulator would also streamline processes for Chinese firms to list abroad and strengthen Hong…

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said losing China’s artificial intelligence (AI) market would be a huge loss, with the market poised for significant growth in the coming years, as the chip designer faces tightening export restrictions from Washington.China’s AI market is likely to grow to US$50 billion in the next two to three years, Huang said in an interview with US broadcaster CNBC on Tuesday. “It would be a tremendous loss not to be able to address it as an American company,” he said.Selling to China would also help bring revenue back to the US, contributing to taxes and helping to…

REIMS, France (AP) — When Allied forces brought World War II in Europe and the Holocaust to an end 80 years ago this week, AP reporters and photographers were there, chronicling the Nazis’ historic defeat.Here are excerpts of AP news reports that momentous week:___EDITORS’ NOTE: On May 7, 1945, AP’s Edward Kennedy witnessed the German surrender in a French schoolhouse, and was the first to announce it to the Allied public, defying authorities who wanted to delay the news.The news was broadcast unofficially over German radio, but U.S. President Harry Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had agreed to…

International Industries Limited (IIL), one of Pakistan’s largest manufacturers and exporters of steel and polymer pipes, has launched a wholly-owned subsidiary in Ireland called INIL Europe Limited. The listed steel exporter shared the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday. “A new venture has now been launched by IIL in Europe. The company has set up a fully owned subsidiary, ‘INIL Europe Limited,’ in Ireland, with the primary goal of expanding its global presence by trading its products in Ireland and other European Union countries,” read the notice. The company stated that it remains focused…

Bitcoin rose alongside Asian stocks and a strengthening dollar after news that the US and China plan to hold trade talks.The largest digital asset rose about 3.2 per cent to top US$97,500 on Wednesday morning in Singapore before paring gains, while second-ranked Ether climbed as much as 4.2 per cent.The rally followed news that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with the Chinese government this week in Switzerland, raising hopes that the world’s two largest economies can reach an agreement that may ease trade tensions. Meanwhile, India said in a statement early Wednesday that…