Japan-Korea spat threatens to upend global technology chain

Wishma Sandamali, a 33-year-old Sri Lankan woman, died in a Japanese detention centre in March of last year. Her death sparked debate on the treatment of the 1,500 asylum seekers currently in detention in Japan. Many of them claim they are being treated inhumanely. Despite its economic might, Japan takes in few refugees. In 2020, it accepted less than 100 asylum seekers, while France, whose population is half the size of Japan's, took in 24,000. Our correspondents report from the city of Nagoya, where Wishma died.

On a visit to Japan, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lauded Tokyo's support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's attack. He also stressed close German-Japanese ties.

North Korea launches long-range missile: DW's Frank Smith in Seoul

Some North Koreans are defying strict fashion and style regulations to fight conformity. But their expressions of individualism could cost them their freedom.

At his inauguration ceremony, President Yoon Suk-yeol has proposed an "audacious" economic plan to aid North Korea, if it gives up its nuclear program.

State media in North Korea has reported the deaths of six people with a "fever" a day after officials confirmed the country's first COVID-19 infection. More than 180,000 people are said to be isolated for treatment.

After more than two years of denying the virus had gained a foothold, Pyongyang is now struggling to handle thousands of suspected cases with limited medical capabilities.

North Korea on Sunday reported a total of 42 deaths from "fever" after admitting its first-ever COVID-19 cases days before. Lockdown policies have been implemented across the country, according to state-run media.

Since North Korea reported its first official coronavirus case last week, the WHO has warned it might spread rapidly in the unvaccinated country. Ruler Kim Jong Un wants the military to turn the tide.

Japan's GDP fell at an annualised rate of 1 percent in the first three months of this year as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus hampered consumer spending. Rising commodity prices also weighed on businesses in the world's third-largest economy. Plus, as unemployment remains stable in France at 7.3 percent, a steelworks factory in the northern city of Dunkirk is offering a cash bonus to employees to encourage them to recruit family members.

North Korea reported more than 200,000 new illnesses on Thursday, bringing the total number of suspected cases to 1.98 million. Pyongyang has also not responded to offers of help from the WHO and other countries.

South Korea's soccer player Son Heung-min returned home to a rousing welcome on Tuesday after the Tottenham Hotspur forward ended the season as the Premier League's joint top scorer with Mohamed Salah.