News Headlines - 11 February 2021

▽Alexei Navalny's wife arrives in Germany on flight from Russia | The Guardian

The wife of the jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has arrived in Germany on a flight from Moscow.
Yulia Navalnaya touched down at Frankfurt am Main airport on Wednesday evening on a Lufthansa flight, German magazine Spiegel reported in its online edition.

▽India, China begin troop withdrawal from contested border

China and India are pulling back front-line troops from disputed portions of their mountain border where they have been in a standoff for months, both countries said.
The troops began the disengagement on Wednesday at the southern and northern banks of Pangong Lake in the Ladakh region, they said.

▽Japan retailer turns to cuddly toys to boost Lunar New Year sales | Reuters

Japan’s cuddly bear character Rilakkumma, who has captured the hearts of children and adults alike with his laidback demeanour, sits on the shelves of a swanky department store in the capital, flanked by Hello Kitty and other plush toys.
As the Lunar New Year begins on Friday, they are taking the place of home appliances, from rice cookers to electric toilet seats, normally favoured by Chinese tourists who are absent this year because of coronavirus restrictions.

▽Chairman of sporting goods retailer Alpen arrested over sexual assault - Japan Today

Taizo Mizuno, chairman of sporting goods retailer Alpen Co, has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting and injuring a woman in November, police said.
Mizuno, 72, is suspected of stealing 100,000 yen in cash from the woman and taking her driver's license after assaulting her in a hotel room in Nagoya, central Japan.
Mizuno, who was arrested on Wednesday, denied the charge, while admitting that he and a 42-year-old woman scuffled during an argument, the police said.

▽Tokyo Olympics head Yoshiro Mori called out by Naomi Osaka and others for sexism. He must go.

Now, the president of the Tokyo organizing committee, former prime minister Yoshiro Mori, has dropped the Olympic torch. Last Wednesday, he went on a sexism spree, stating, “If we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure their speaking time is restricted somewhat. They have difficulty finishing, which is annoying.” He added, “We have about seven women at the [Tokyo] organizing committee, but everyone understands their place.” Soon after issuing a half-hearted apology, Mori vowed to remain in his position.
After a conspicuous spell of silence, the International Olympic Committee finally issued a statement Tuesday condemning Mori’s remarks.