Media & Entertainment

Pedestrians walk past a BBC logo at Broadcasting House in London. The public service broadcaster has been blocked in China.
Media & Entertainment

China bans BBC World News from airwaves

UK and US slam Beijing for restricting media freedoms

12 February 2021
Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, has decided to step down from the position after his discriminatory comments about women sparked a global backlash.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Tokyo Olympic chief Mori to resign over sexist comments

Ex-soccer official Kawabuchi to take over as top organizer 5 months before Games

11 February 2021
Analysts have linked the companies' quick compromise to China’s high-level crackdown on monopolistic behavior in the internet sector.
Caixin

Huawei and Tencent aren't playing around over mobile game revenue

But New Year's drama ends in maintenance of 50-50 split as negotiations continue

11 February 2021
IOC member Dick Pound thinks nations would want to share their vaccines with others so as to ensure a safe Olympics. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Reuters)
Interview

Nations should share vaccines to ensure Olympic safety: IOC member

Dick Pound says committee chief Mori should not have to resign over sexist remark

9 February 2021
Tsuyoshi Hasebe, left, said he will emphasize digitalization and globalization in his new role as president and CEO of Nikkei Inc. He will be taking over from Naotoshi Okada, who vowed to strengthen the combined Nikkei-FT Group as chairman and group CEO.
9 February 2021
Nintendo Switch sales have soared amid the pandemic while Sony faces PS5 supply constraints. (Source photos by Kei Higuchi and Wataru Ito)
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo Switch outsells PS5 over COVID holiday season

Sony misses chance as global chip crunch squeezes production

8 February 2021
M12, Microsoft's venture fund, has high hopes for LottieFiles.
DealStreetAsia

Malaysia animation platform raises $9m led by Microsoft fund

LottieFiles supports 1m users at Google, TikTok and othe tech giants

7 February 2021
Taiwan's "A Sun" scooped up six Golden Horse awards last year. 
Arts

Spotlight on Asian films at Oscars after Parasite's wins last year

Critics see Taiwan's 'A Sun' and India's 'Jallikattu' making Feb. 9 shortlist

7 February 2021
Xia Jiantong, who also goes by Tony Xie, closed the deal to buy the U.K.’s Aston Villa Football Club on June 15, 2016. 
Caixin

Ex-England soccer club chief spends months in China detention centers

Relatives say Xia Jiantong was detained prior to his formal arrest

6 February 2021
The Clubhouse app had two million users globally as of Jan. 24. While the company did not break out users by region, it said the app has been growing quickly in Asia. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Technology

Chinese flock to freewheeling US chat app Clubhouse

Audio-based social-media platform becomes free-speech haven for mainland users

5 February 2021
Kuaishou Technology's headquarters in Beijing. The company, a rival of ByteDance-owned Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, raised $5.4 billion in its initial public offering.
IPO

Kuaishou shares rise 160% on trading debut in Hong Kong

Chinese short-video app's market cap tops ICBC and PetroChina

5 February 2021
Netflix plans to offer more that 25 new works produced in Japan this year.
Media & Entertainment

Netflix hikes Japan prices after pandemic pulls in 2m new users

First increase in over two years to provide cash for more content

5 February 2021
Kuaishou Technology has raised $5.4 billion in its initial public offering, Hong Kong's largest since 2019.
IPO

Bids for shares of TikTok rival Kuaishou reach triple of IPO price

Hong Kong gray-market trades put Chinese video app on course for record opening

4 February 2021
The blockbuster anime "Demon Slayer," co-distributed by Sony's music unit, helped boost sales. (Source photos by AP and Kyodo)
Media & Entertainment

Sony sees record $10bn profit as COVID ups home entertainment demand

Gaming subscription services and hit film 'Demon Slayer' drive second upward revision

3 February 2021
MNC, controlled by Hary Tanoesoedibjo, right, is involved in ongoing development of resorts in Indonesia with the Trump Organization owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump, left. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Media & Entertainment

Trump's Indonesian partner wins court nod on debt restructuring

MNC owned by media tycoon Hary Tanoesoedibjo to shrink $231m loan

1 February 2021
Nintendo's expectations for record earnings for the fiscal year ending March are supported by the popular Switch gaming console and titles such as Animal Crossing. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo lifts profit outlook again on strong year-end sales

Pandemic-fueled demand remains high for Switch and Animal Crossing

1 February 2021
Kuaishou Technology, backed by Tencent Holdings, is China's second-most popular short-video app, after ByteDance's Douyin.
IPO

Kuaishou sets record as Hong Kong investors pile into $5.4bn IPO

Video platform share price set to be at top of range for offer next week

29 January 2021
A screenshot of Dontnod Entertainment's website.
Media & Entertainment

Tencent invests in French game developer Dontnod

Chinese tech company targets genres beyond shooters and RPGs

29 January 2021
A Kuaishou Technology booth at a trade fair in Beijing in September 2020. The company operates apps that allow users to upload short videos as well as livestream programs.
Markets

Big US funds stake claim on quarter of Kuaishou's $5.4bn IPO

Chinese short-video app backing comes despite tense Washington-Beijing relations

25 January 2021
Nintendo's Animal Crossing has helped people feel connected with others during pandemic lockdowns. (Photo courtesy of Nintendo)
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo's freestyle innovation culture shapes Animal Crossing

Tradition that values idle chat underlies pandemic-era smash hit

24 January 2021
Global majors in the gaming sector such as Nintendo and Epic Games rely on Tencent. (Source photos by AP and Ken Kobayashi)
China tech

Tencent uses game business to expand global empire

Chinese internet group on a roll but faces political risk in the US

23 January 2021
Chinese actress Zheng Shuang is seen on a cover of a fashion magazine at a newsstand in Beijing.
Media & Entertainment

Prada cuts ties with Chinese actress after surrogacy controversy

Zheng Shuang accused of trying to abandon two young children

20 January 2021
Users of Douyin recently discovered that they have been offered an additional payment option for in-app purchases, called Douyin Pay. (Source photos by AP and Getty Images) 
Finance

ByteDance unveils payment service for China's version of TikTok

Short-video company targets e-commerce for growth, in defiance of leader Alipay

19 January 2021
Sony has failed to supply consumers at home in favor of larger markets abroad, annoying many Japanese PlayStation fans.
Media & Entertainment

Japanese gamers hunger for PS5 as Sony feeds US market

North America key to new console's duel with Microsoft Xbox

16 January 2021
Universal Studios Japan said it was postponing the opening of Super Nintendo World until after the COVID-19 state of emergency is lifted, which is expected after Feb. 7. 
Media & Entertainment

Opening of Nintendo theme park in Osaka delayed again by COVID

Japan's state of emergency threatens company's ambitions to expand beyond gaming

14 January 2021