Asean+

Only for ‘naughty girls’

SOUTH Korea is set to legalise abortion after a decades-long ban was struck down, but women’s rights campaigners have warned those who undergo the procedure will still be “punished in the eyes of society”.

Asean+

Forced surgery before ‘I do’

FOR Tacaquito Usui to marry his partner, Japanese law first requires him to undergo sterilisation surgery and be diagnosed with a mental disorder because he is transgender. Usui, who lives with his partner and stepson after coming out as trans five years ago, lost a three-year legal bid to change the rules in January.

Asean+

Who is Terry Gou?

FOXCONN billionaire founder Terry Gou’s surprise announcement Wednesday that he plans to run for president of Taiwan after being urged to do so by a sea

Asean+

Ending political divide in society – Indonesian style

ON Wednesday, Indonesia managed to pull off the world’s most complex and largest single-day elections, involving 192 million voters, with only minor glitches and negligible fraud. The turnout was over 80%, and voters behaved in an admirable way by casting their decisive votes before moving on with their holiday plans .

Asean+

Thai festival visitors on a high

Buriram: A Buddhist monk fishes out a vial of cannabis oil from his robe and puts a drop under his tongue – one of many flocking to a weed festival in northeastern Thailand, where excitement is building over a medical marijuana boom.

Asean+

Beijing flexes military muscle on navy anniversary

QINGDAO: China will show off new warships including nuclear submarines and destroyers at a parade next week marking 70 years since its navy’s founding, a senior commander said, as Beijing flexes its increasingly well-equipped military muscle.

Asean+

Thai Navy to remove ‘sea home’

Bangkok: The Thai Navy will begin removing a “seastead” home built by an American bitcoin investor and his partner off the coast of Thailand, an official said, as the couple remain in hiding from charges accusing them of violating the country’s sovereignty.

Asean+

Indian extradited to US from Singapore in call centre fraud

Washington: Singapore has extradited an Indian national to the United States to face charges in a call centre fraud that scammed millions of dollars from victims in the United States, the Justice Depart­ment announced.

Asean+

Nine Indonesia cops die whileon polls duties

Jakarta: Nine Indonesian police officers died while carrying out election-related duties this week, including some who collapsed from exhaustion.

Asean+

Group: Laos deported three US missionaries

BANGKOK: A US-based Christian evangelical organisation says three of its American volunteers who were detained in Laos more than a week ago for proselytising have been freed and deported.

Asean+

Hidden, hopeful youth of Wa

Panghsang: High up in the eastern mountains of Myanmar bordering China, Wa is one of Asia’s most remote areas – and not an easy place to grow up.

Asean+

Vietnam cops seize a tonne of meth stashed in loudspeakers

Hanoi: Police in southern Vietnam have seized more than a tonne of methamphetamine after uncove­ring a smuggling operation involving at least two Taiwanese nationals and a Vietnamese man, the third massive bust in a week in the communist state.

Asean+

‘State security funding Huawei’

Beijing: US intelligence has accused Huawei Technologies of being funded by Chinese state security, The Times said, adding to the list of allegations faced by the Chinese technology company in the West.

Asean+

Germany’s Leica latest to draw fire in China over advert

Shanghai: German camera maker Leica has become the latest company to draw fire over an advertisement deemed offensive in China, distancing itself from a short film that broaches the taboo subject of the 1989 Tiananmen protest crackdown.

Asean+

Hundreds sign JD.com CEO rape claim petition

SHANGHAI: Hundreds of people have added their names to an online petition in support of a University of Minnesota student who said she was raped last August by Richard Liu, the chief executive officer of China’s e-commerce retailer JD.com Inc.

Asean+

Nine Indonesian police officers died carrying out election work

JAKARTA (BLOOMBERG): Nine Indonesian police officers died while carrying out election-related duties this week, including some who collapsed from exhaustion.

Asean+

US Embassy helps citizen threatened with death penalty over ‘seastead’ off Phuket

PHUKET (ANN): The United States Embassy in Bangkok is providing assistance to its citizen who was accused of violating Thailand’s sovereignty by building a “seasteading” structure off the coast of Phuket.

Asean+

Hong Kong superstar Sammi Cheng sparks debate about Chinese traditions by forgiving husband Andy Hui for fling

Queen of Canto-pop reconciles with Hui after video shows him kissing actress ‘Men cheat; women forgive’ – on social media, Cheng’s followers hit at traditions

Asean+

Migrant worker detained in China over song about man being beaten by officials

Huang Ming spent two weeks in custody after he posted lyrics on WeChat and said he wanted to find a singer and make a video about the incident He wrote that his county was ‘so full of corruption I can’t bear it any longer’

Asean+

Top monk jailed26 years for helping to ‘embezzle’ temple funds

BANGKOK: A senior monk has received a 26-year jail term for colluding with a former National Buddhism Office (NBO) chief to embezzle temple funds.