Paperwork in Japan: The battle to end faxes and ‘hanko’ seals
13 November 2020 |
1:49 pm
Despite having a reputation as a modern technological powerhouse, much of Japan's bureaucracy is steeped in analogue technology, with even fax machines still commonplace. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga wants to change that by reducing the use of paper and kickstarting a digital revolution. But in the country of origami, saying "sayonora" to paper is easier said than done. Our correspondents report.
Related
8 Jun 2021
Mali's coup leader is sworn in as interim president. The inauguration went forward even as the country faces increasing isolation from the international community.
8 Jun 2021
The leader of the latest military coup has named a new prime minister. Choguel Maiga, a Malian political veteran, was a key player in the protest movement against deposed president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in 2020.
20 Jun 2021
The prime minister decided to leave just a few months after the president was re-elected. The peace deal in the Central African Republic is on unsteady ground.
21 Jun 2021
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party has won 53.9 percent of the vote in snap parliamentary elections called in an effort to defuse a political crisis after a war with Azerbaijan.
30 Jun 2021
The meeting comes after the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pardoned nine Catalan separatist leaders in an atempt to improve ties.
9 Jul 2021
Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg took their first opportunity to grill Prime Minister Janez Jansa over attacks on press freedom and the rule of law.
11 Jul 2021
Malaysia's ruling coalition's biggest party, UMNO, has withdrawn its support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin over his cabinet's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
18 Jul 2021
The Nepalese Supreme Court has removed caretaker Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli from office and reinstalled his rival. Parliament is now set to reconvene in a week.
21 Jul 2021
Henry has appealed for national unity as he takes office nearly two weeks after the assassination of late President Jovenel Moise.
27 Jul 2021
The Sunni telecoms tycoon secured enough votes from lawmakers to become Lebanon's prime minister. France and the US have expressed support for the move.
11 Aug 2021
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says the country is facing a "natural disaster of unprecedented proportions" as wildfires wipe out hundreds of homes and force thousands to flee. He apologises to Greeks for possible "weaknesses" in the state's response, and says "those who lost homes and property will be compensated".
Latest
19 mins ago
Despite China's large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, life across the island largely remains the same. The relative calmness is in stark contrast to how the international community views the situation.
19 mins ago
Eyewitness video captures a person, believed to be a police officer, firing a handgun and tear gas during an anti-government demonstration in Freetown.
1 hour ago
India is trying to strengthen its long-standing ties to countries on the continent as New Delhi attempts to catch up with China, which has emerged as Africa's largest trading partner.
1 hour ago
The Saki base went up in flames, with Russia claiming an ammunition depot exploded, a story ridiculed by Kyiv. Meanwhile, Ukraine reports heavy shelling in Donetsk.
2 hours ago
Many fear that the US overturning Roe v. Wade could curb tenuous rights gains in the Philippines. Abortion policies in the country are some of the most restrictive in the world.
3 hours ago
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said he "personally" approved the FBI search on Donald Trump's Florida home, and would seek legal approval to reveal more details of why a search warrant had been issued.