[Interactive] Hong Kong most expensive city to live in for expats

　Hong Kong is the world’s most expensive city to live in as an expat for the second year in a row, according to a new study. New York and Geneva took second and third place in the rankings. 　Higher prices and a stronger currency over the past year kept the Asian city at the top of the tree, according to ECA International, which carried out its research in March this year. London and Tokyo round out the top five. 　Seoul, capital city of South Korea, stays 10th most expensive location in

World BusinessJuly 2, 2022

[Graphic News] US Supreme Court’s Roe decision disapproved by majority: poll

　A CBS News poll suggested that a majority of Americans disapprove of the US Supreme Court’s decision overturning the constitutional right to an abortion, which is inflaming a partisan divide on display in comments by senior lawmakers. 　The poll, conducted June 25-26, found 59 percent disapproved of the ruling, including 67 percent of women. While 78 percent of Republicans were in favor of the decision, 83 percent of Democrats disapproved. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minu

WorldJuly 1, 2022

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s global competitiveness ranking falls to 27th

　South Korea’s global competitiveness ranking fell four notches this year from the previous year, amid the economic slowdown and a continued rise in the national debt, a report showed. 　South Korea ranked No. 27 in terms of global competitiveness among 63 countries surveyed, according to the 2022 report by the International Institute for Management Development. 　The IMD, a Switzerland-based international institution, has released the report every year since 1989 based on a country&rsquo

WorldJune 30, 2022

[Graphic News] Apple named world’s most valuable brand

　Apple reclaimed its title as the world’s most valuable brand, according to a survey from Kantar BrandZ, knocking rival Amazon off the top spot for the first time in three years. 　The iPhone maker’s brand value reached $947 billion this year, while Amazon slipped to third, according to Kantar’s survey published June 15. Apple was last ranked the most valuable brand in 2015. 　Louis Vuitton became the first luxury brand to reach the top 10 after experiencing 64 percent growth

World BusinessJune 29, 2022

[Graphic News] 50% of soccer players suffer online abuse: study

　More than half of soccer players playing at the European Championship and African Cup of Nations suffered online abuse, a study published by FIFA revealed. 　Much of the abuse came from fans of the players’ home nations. 　“Homophobic (40 percent) and racist (38 percent) comments provided the majority of the abuse,” said the independent report published to coincide with the United Nations International Day for Countering Hate Speech. 　Using artificial intelligence to track o

WorldJune 28, 2022

[Graphic News] Majority of Americans hold Trump culpable for 1/6 riot: study

　About 6 in 10 Americans believe Trump should be charged for the Jan. 6, 2021 riot in the US Capitol, a poll published by ABC News and Ipsos revealed.  　Opinions differed greatly based on the political party respondents supported.  　Nevertheless, 58 percent of the total respondents replied that they believe Trump should be legally charged for the riots. Sixty percent of the total respondents replied they believe the hearings held by the House 1/6 committee was “fair and unbias

WorldJune 27, 2022

[Interactive] Crypto scam victims lose more than $1b since 2021

　More than 46,000 people reported losing a total of over $1 billion in cryptocurrency scams since the start of 2021, the US Federal Trade Commission said in a report. 　Nearly half the people who reported losing digital currencies in a scam said it started with an ad, post or a message on a social media platform, according to the FTC. 　The craze for cryptocurrencies was at a fever pitch last year, with bitcoin hitting a record high of $69,000 in November. 　Reports point to social media and cr

WorldJune 25, 2022

[Graphic News] S. Korea ranks No. 1 in household debt-to-GDP ratio in Q1

　South Korea had the highest household debt-to-gross domestic product ratio among 36 major economies in the first quarter, a global finance report said. 　The country’s household debt-to-GDP ratio came to 104.3 percent in the January-March period, followed by Lebanon with 97.8 percent, Hong Kong with 95.3 percent, Thailand with 89.7 percent and Britain with 83.9 percent, according to data from the Institute of International Finance.  　South Korea was the only country whose household

World BusinessJune 24, 2022

[Graphic News] Samsung Electronics world No. 22 by market cap

　Samsung Electronics, South Korea’s leading tech firm, was the world‘s 22nd-largest company in terms of market capitalization, down seven notches from a year earlier, data showed. 　According to the list of the global top 100 companies released by London-based accounting company PwC, the tech giant was the only South Korean company on the list with the market value of $342 billion as of March. 　The share price of the chip giant has fallen amid global uncertainties, including moneta

World BusinessJune 23, 2022

[Graphic News] Global nuclear arsenal to grow for first time since Cold War

　The global nuclear arsenal is expected to grow in the coming years for the first time since the Cold War while the risk of such weapons being used is the greatest in decades, a leading conflict and armaments think-tank said. 　Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Western support for Kyiv has heightened tensions among the world’s nine nuclear-armed states, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think-tank said in a new set of research. 　Russia has the world’s bigges

WorldJune 22, 2022

[Graphic News] Hong Kong most expensive city to live in for expats

　Hong Kong is the world’s most expensive city to live in as an expat for the second year in a row, according to a new study. New York and Geneva took second and third place in the rankings. 　Higher prices and a stronger currency over the past year kept the Asian city at the top of the tree, according to ECA International, which carried out its research in March this year. London and Tokyo round out the top five. 　Seoul, capital city of South Korea, stays 10th most expensive location in

WorldJune 21, 2022

[Graphic News] Global tourist arrivals tripled in first quarter

　International tourist arrivals tripled in the first quarter compared with the same period in 2021, with Europe leading the rebound as COVID-19 restrictions were eased, the United Nations’ tourism agency said. 　In the first three months of 2022, there were 117 million global tourist arrivals, up from 41 million in the same period a year earlier, with the figures showing an increase of 182 percent, the Madrid-based UN World Tourism Organization said.  　Although the figure remained 6

WorldJune 17, 2022

[Graphic News] Crypto scam victims lose more than $1b since 2021

　More than 46,000 people reported losing a total of over $1 billion in cryptocurrency scams since the start of 2021, the US Federal Trade Commission said in a report. 　Nearly half the people who reported losing digital currencies in a scam said it started with an ad, post or a message on a social media platform, according to the FTC. 　The craze for cryptocurrencies was at a fever pitch last year, with bitcoin hitting a record high of $69,000 in November. 　Reports point to social media and cr

WorldJune 16, 2022

'Enough is enough': Thousands demand new gun safety laws

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thousands of people rallied on the National Mall and across the United States on Saturday in a renewed push for gun control measures after recent deadly mass shootings from Uvalde, Texas, to Buffalo, New York, that activists say should compel Congress to act. "Enough is enough," District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser told the second March for Our Lives rally in her city. "I speak as a mayor, a mom, and I speak for millions of Americans and America's mayor

World NewsJune 12, 2022

Asia: Renewable Energy webinar invitation

HANOI, Vietnam -- The challenges of climate change and energy security have propelled Asian nations to increasingly embrace investment in renewable energy. Advanced technology, investment incentives and readied capital have also helped renewable energy become one of the highest growth sectors with increasing deployment by businesses as they pursue a “green” strategy. Another big question is: Are consumers are ready? These issues and more on renewable energy development in Asia will

World NewsJune 12, 2022

[Graphic News] US births rise for the first time in seven years in 2021

　The number of births in the United States grew 1 percent in 2021 from a pandemic-related low in 2020, marking the first increase since 2014, according to a report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 　The report said that 3,659,289 babies were born last year, with the increase driven by women between 25 and 49 years. Women aged 35 to 39 accounted for the biggest rise, while the birth rate among teenagers hit a record low. 　Americans had the lowest number of babies in more th

WorldJune 8, 2022

[Newsmaker] UK PM Johnson survives no-confidence vote

LONDON -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote on Monday, securing enough support from his Conservative Party to remain in office despite a rebellion that leaves him a weakened leader with an uncertain future. Known for his ability to shrug off scandals, the charismatic leader has struggled to turn the page on revelations that he and his staff repeatedly held boozy parties that flouted the COVID-19 restrictions they imposed on others. Support among his fellow Conser

World NewsJune 7, 2022

[Newsmaker] Queen marks 70 years, vows to keep serving

LONDON -- Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday brought the curtain down on her historic Platinum Jubilee celebrations, making another public appearance on the last of four days of festivities and vowing to maintain her record-breaking reign. The 96-year-old monarch, who has been troubled by mobility problems, appeared for the first time in person since Thursday on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the Trooping the Colour military parade. Her exertions at the start of the celebrations had forced her to

World NewsJune 6, 2022

[Newsmaker] Police patrol Hong Kong park amid Tiananmen vigil ban

Dozens of police officers patrolled Hong Kong's Victoria Park on Saturday after authorities for a third consecutive year banned public commemoration of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. For decades, an annual candlelight vigil was held in the park to remember China's deadly crackdown on protesters demanding greater democracy in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. Critics say the ban is part of a move to suppress political dissent and a sign that Hong Kong is

World NewsJune 4, 2022

[Graphic News] Global smoking rates fall for first time: report

　Smoking rates have declined globally for the first time on record, according to a new report on tobacco use from a public health campaign group and US academics. 　However, the figures from the Tobacco Atlas report - described as a potential tipping point by the authors - also mask growing numbers of smokers in parts of the world, as well as increased tobacco use among young teenagers in almost half of the countries surveyed. 　Globally, there are 1.1 billion smokers and 200 million more peopl

WorldJune 1, 2022