TOKYO: Japan will curb asylum seekers’ rights to work and detain any not deemed refugees or who have made multiple applications, the Yomiuri daily reported on Tuesday, in a move to further tighten one of the developed world’s toughest refugee systems.
From as early as mid-November, Japan will only allow those it regards as bona fide refugees the right to work. The Justice Ministry estimates that the new rule will effectively deny the right to work for more than 10,000 asylum seekers a year who don’t qualify for refugee status, the Yomiuri said, without citing sources.
Others, including those who fail to qualify as refugees in initial checks and multiple asylum applicants, will be held in detention centers after their permission to stay in Japan expires, the report said.
At present, asylum seekers with valid visas receive renewable permits allowing them to work in Japan while their refugee applications are reviewed — a system the government says encourages people to seek asylum in order to work.
“We are looking at policies, including that in the (Yomiuri) article. We haven’t decided whether to put it into action,” said Yasuhiro Hishida, a Justice Ministry official overseeing refugee recognition.
Japan accepted just three refugees in the first half of 2017 despite a record 8,561 fresh asylum applications, and only 28 in 2016. Human Rights Watch in January described the country’s record on asylum seekers as “abysmal.”
The prospect of the crackdown drew criticism from Japan’s most prominent refugee organization, which said that asylum seekers would struggle to make ends meet without work permits.
“It’s essential that minimum living conditions are ensured while people apply for asylum,” said Eri Ishikawa of the Japan Association for Refugees.
The world’s third biggest economy has remained unwelcoming to immigration despite a shrinking, aging population that has exacerbated the worst labor shortages in four decades and drags on an already slow economic growth.
Japan’s reluctance to accept foreign workers and refugees is in contrast to the policies of other industrialized countries, and has forced labor-hungry industries including construction and manufacturing to rely on asylum seekers with work permits.
Immigration remains a controversial subject in Japan, where many pride themselves on cultural and ethnic homogeneity.
Almost six in 10 Japanese think diversity of ethnic groups, religions and races makes their country a worse place, a poll this month by the Pew Research Center showed.
Japan to reportedly launch crackdown on asylum seekers
Japan to reportedly launch crackdown on asylum seekers
Pakistan elected to UN narcotics commission with top regional vote share
- Pakistan’s term at the commission will begin in 2026 and run through 2029
- Commission members guide global drug policy and tackle transnational crime
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was elected as a member of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) for a four-year term on Friday, securing the highest number of votes among member states contesting for seats from their respective regional groups, its UN mission said.
The CND, operating under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), serves as the main policymaking body for international drug control.
Member states of the commission guide global narcotics regulations, including decisions on how certain substances are categorized and controlled.
Pakistan’s inclusion in the commission will allow it to influence international drug policy, particularly on issues affecting regional trafficking routes, public health and transnational crime.
“Pakistan is gratified by the resounding support received from ECOSOC,” the country’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement. “It reflects the confidence and trust reposed in Pakistan to play its active role in the CND as part of global counter narcotics efforts and multilateral policy discourse on drug related issues.”
“Pakistan has been at the forefront of global counter-narcotics efforts, playing a crucial role in combating illicit drug trafficking, production, and abuse,” the statement added.
Pakistan’s new term at the CND will begin in 2026 and continue through 2029.
The country has previously participated in global drug policy forums and says it looks forward to strengthening the role of the CND in ensuring effective and balanced international drug control in line with the UN conventions.
Pakistan urges UN to recover weapons left in Afghanistan, warns militants gaining access
- Pakistan tells the world body TTP and BLA militants are getting support from its ‘principal adversary’
- It maintains militant groups are using new technologies like cryptocurrency to finance their activities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday voiced concern at the United Nations Security Council over militant groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) acquiring sophisticated weapons, urging the international community to recover stockpiles left behind by foreign forces in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has previously highlighted that US-led international forces abandoned automatic assault rifles and night vision devices in Afghanistan during their hurried withdrawal from Kabul in August 2021.
The pullout was widely criticized as unplanned and chaotic, leading to Congressional inquiries in the US and intense criticism of former US President Joe Biden’s administration.
However, the previous American government denied Pakistan’s claims, saying all military hardware was intended for the Afghan National Army, which collapsed as the Taliban seized power. US officials acknowledged that these weapons subsequently fell into the hands of the Taliban.
“We know that non-state actors do not have many of the capabilities to manufacture advanced illicit arms, thus raising questions of culpability of certain state actors in these nefarious activities,” Syed Atif Raza, Counsellor at Pakistan’s UN Mission, said during a UNSC meeting on small arms and light weapons management.
“Pakistan is concerned at the acquisition and use of modern and sophisticated illicit arms by terrorist groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a UN-listed terrorist organization, which operates with impunity from Afghanistan, as well as the so-called Baloch Liberation Army and Majeed Brigade,” he added.
Raza noted these militant groups possessed lethal weapons left in Afghanistan that were now used against civilians and Pakistan’s armed forces.
“We call upon our international partners to recover the vast stockpile of abandoned weapons, prevent their access to armed groups and take measures to close this thriving black market of illicit arms,” he added.
Pakistan has witnessed a significant uptick in militant violence in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan in recent years.
The Pakistani diplomat asserted that militants receive external support and financing from Pakistan’s “principal adversary,” alluding to India.
He also highlighted that the evolving nature of warfare and new technologies posed challenges in combating the proliferation of increasingly lethal small arms.
“Criminal groups and terrorists are leveraging new technologies such as cryptocurrency for anonymous transactions by using the dark web to evade detection,” Raza said, adding that these technologies also offered more tools to law enforcement to address the situation.
Green, Sengun lift Rockets over Thunder, Celtics clinch record
- Green finished with 34 points from 11-of-24 shooting while Turkish big man Sengun made 31 points as second-placed Houston improved to 51-27
- Cleveland Cavaliers edged closer to locking up the No.1 seed from the Eastern Conference with a nailbiting 114-113 defeat of the Spurs
LOS ANGELES: Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun combined for 65 points as the Houston Rockets halted Oklahoma City’s 11-game winning streak on Friday with a statement 125-111 victory.
In a potential Western Conference finals preview, the Rockets produced a dominant all-round performance to jolt the top-seeded Thunder’s all-conquering preparations for the postseason.
Green finished with 34 points from 11-of-24 shooting while Turkish big man Sengun made 31 points as second-placed Houston improved to 51-27.
Oklahoma City grabbed the lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but Houston soon knocked the Thunder out of their stride with a physical approach to move into the lead before building a 23-point advantage late in the second quarter.
Houston maintained a 20-point cushion with 2min 53sec remaining in the third quarter before a Thunder rally cut the gap to single digits early in the fourth.
But Houston coolly regrouped and snuffed out any chance of a comeback from Oklahoma City.
Houston coach Ime Udoka praised the aggressive scoring approach of Sengun and teammate Green.
“He was in attack mode the whole time. Him and Jalen were a great combination tonight,” Udoka said of Sengun. “We’re hard to beat when those two are going like that.”
Jalen Williams led the OKC scoring with 33 points while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 22. Chet Holmgren chipped in with 20 points, 18 of them coming from his tally of six three-pointers.
The Boston Celtics claimed a piece of NBA history by setting a new record for the number of three-pointers scored in a single season.
The NBA champions eclipsed the Golden State Warriors’ record of 1,363 threes set in the 2022-2023 season after adding 14 threes to their season tally in a 123-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Boston’s three-point barrage left them with 1,370 for the season.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said the three-point scoring record reflected his team’s work ethic and basketball IQ.
“It says that we fight for a good shot,” Mazzulla said.
“We were able to fight for good looks, versus the coverage. That’s the most important thing, continuing to understand how we’re being defended and how we can create the best shot possible.
“Credit to the guys for continuing to make the right reads.”
Jaylen Brown led Boston’s scoring with 31 points while Jayson Tatum finished with 23 in a win that dealt another blow to the Suns’ hopes of forcing their way into the postseason reckoning.
The Suns’ fifth straight defeat leaves them in 11th place in the Western Conference with a 35-42 record, two wins behind the 10th-placed Sacramento Kings (37-40), 125-102 winners over Charlotte on Friday.
The top six teams in each conference qualify automatically for the playoffs, while teams ranked seventh to 10th enter a four-team play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff places.
In San Antonio, the Cleveland Cavaliers edged closer to locking up the No.1 seed from the Eastern Conference with a nailbiting 114-113 defeat of the Spurs.
Pakistan forms committee to assess impact of US tariffs, craft policy response
- President Trump announced ‘reciprocal tariffs’ on several countries this week, including a 29 percent levy on Pakistani goods
- The move is expected to hit Pakistan’s textile sector and undermine the country’s efforts to stabilize its fragile economy
KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level steering committee led by the finance chief to assess the impact of a 29 percent tariff imposed by the United States on Pakistani goods and devise a policy response, according to a government notification this week.
The development follows US President Donald Trump’s announcement Wednesday of “reciprocal tariffs” on several countries, a move widely seen as a blow to the global economy still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump defended the decision as necessary to correct trade imbalances and what he described as unfair treatment of American goods abroad.
Pakistan’s inclusion in the list of affected nations is of particular concern as the South Asian nation is seeking to boost its export-led growth. The US remains Pakistan’s top export destination, and the imposition of the 29 percent tariff threatens to undercut Islamabad’s fragile recovery efforts.
“Prime Minister has been pleased to constitute steering committee for in-depth analysis and policy responses to recently announced US Reciprocal Tariffs,” read a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.
The committee, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, will supervise a working group led by the commerce secretary and finalize policy recommendations.
It will also be responsible for engaging with US officials as needed and updating the prime minister on related developments and initiatives.
According to data from Pakistan’s central bank, the country exported $5.44 billion worth of goods to the US last year.
During the current fiscal, exports to the US reached $4 billion from July 2024 to February 2025, up 10 percent from the same period the previous year.
Textiles account for nearly 90 percent of Pakistan’s exports to the US and are expected to be hardest hit by the new tariffs.
Officials fear the increased cost burden could weaken Pakistan’s position in its main overseas markets, especially if competitors like China, Bangladesh and Vietnam begin diverting goods to Europe after facing steeper tariffs in the US.
The tariff decision is also expected to hamper Pakistan’s broader efforts to stabilize its economy with the support of International Monetary Fund programs.
Global financial markets fell sharply on Friday after China vowed to retaliate with 34 percent tariffs on American goods, raising concerns of an escalating trade war and potential global recession.
McLaughlin-Levrone, Thomas cruise to wins at Grand Slam Track opening leg
- The lucrative prize money on offer is one of the notable features of the four-event series, which was conceived by US Olympic legend Michael Johnson with the aim of revitalizing interest in track racing
- Newly crowned world indoor 400m champion Chris Bailey continued his impressive start to the season with victory in the 400m in a time of 44.34sec, pipping Olympic silver medalist Matt Hudson-Smith of Great Britain
KINGSTON: Two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion and world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone cruised to victory as the opening leg of the new Grand Slam Track athletics circuit got under way in Jamaica on Friday.
American track star McLaughlin-Levrone — racing in her signature event for the first time since winning gold at the Paris Olympics last year — romped home in 52.76sec at Kingston’s National Stadium.
The 25-year-old, who will also race in Sunday’s 400m, was always in control and had opened a significant lead as she came off the final bend before pulling away to finish several meters clear of 2016 Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad, who was second in 54.59sec.
“You know, just shaking the cobwebs off,” McLaughlin-Levrone said after her first race of the year. “The first one always hurts, but happy to be here.”
McLaughlin-Levrone is now in pole position to claim the $100,000 being offered to the athlete with the best combined result from the 400m hurdles and 400m.
The lucrative prize money on offer is one of the notable features of the four-event series, which was conceived by US Olympic legend Michael Johnson with the aim of revitalizing interest in track racing.
The opening action of a series that has been billed as the dawn of a new era for the sport was played out in front of a mostly empty stadium.
In other action on Friday, Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas was a similarly emphatic winner in her specialist race.
The 28-year-old surged home in 22.62sec to finish well clear of Marileidy Paulino, the Dominican Republic’s Paris Olympics 400m gold medalist, who clocked 22.96sec.
Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith was third in 22.96sec.
“It’s really exciting to be here,” Thomas said after her win.
Thomas said the prize money offered by the circuit had created an unusually intense degree of competition for an early season event.
“Normally, these early season meets we’re just practicing and feeling it out,” Thomas said. “Here...the stakes are high, the prize pot is huge and the level of competition is also really high.
“That’s not something that we’re really used to in our sport and I think it’s really good.”
In the men’s 100m, where Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles was a notable absentee, two-time Olympic 200m silver medalist Kenny Bednarek took victory in a thrilling duel with Jamaica’s Oblique Seville.
US sprinter Bednarek took the tape in 10.07sec, with Seville second in 10.08sec. Britain’s Zharnel Hughes was third in 10.13 while the USA’s Fred Kerley, the 2022 world 100m champion, was seventh in 10.30sec.
In other action on Friday, newly crowned world indoor 400m champion Chris Bailey continued his impressive start to the season with victory in the 400m in a time of 44.34sec, pipping Olympic silver medalist Matt Hudson-Smith of Great Britain, who was second in 44.65sec, with veteran US one-lap specialist Vernon Norwood third.
The men’s 400m hurdles saw a win for Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos in a world-leading time of 47.61sec, with Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke second in 48.20 and Caleb Dean of the US third in 48.58.
In the women’s 3,000m, Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye produced a devastating late kick to win in 8min 28.42sec ahead of Kenya’s Agnes Jebet Ngetich, with another Ethiopian Tsige Gebreselama third in 8:38.15.
The women’s 800m saw a world-leading time from the USA’s Nikki Hiltz, the American record-holder in the mile who is better known as a 1,500m runner.
Hiltz won in 1min 58.23sec, with Diribe Welteji second in 1:58.29 and Australia’s Jessica Hull third in 1:58.58.
Kenya’s Mary Moraa, the reigning world champion, finished last in 2:00.97.
American runners meanwhile claimed a 1-2-3 finish in the men’s 5,000m, with Grant Fisher winning in 14min 39.14sec.
