News in Asia

Welcome to this week’s collection of news. 

China

China’s ex-security chief has been charged with bribery, abuse of power and exposing state’s secrets. The trial could shed light on China’s ruling Communist Party.

Malaysia

A prominent cartoonist has been jailed for sedition over his criticism of the imprisonment of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, nicknamed Zunar, was charged after he tweeted about the arrest. He’s facing nine charges, one for each tweet.

India

A new law meant to increase the number of women in India’s workforce has not gone as planned. The law called for businesses and corporations to appoint at least one female director. Those corporations that have complied have appointed the wives of the businessmen who own them.

There’s a move to repackage the state sponsored condoms to something that is more “attractive, but not too erotic.”

Thailand

The Thai military is lifting the martial law that’s been in place for ten months; however, the military government that’s replacing it is not popular with many people.

Vietnam

Thousands are protesting in Ho Chi Minh City, a rare event in Vietnam, over the implementation of a new social insurance law.

Myanmar

The government and more than a dozen rebel groups have signed a cease-fire deal.

South Korea

The government announced that they would pay 420 million won ($380,000) in compensation for each of the 250 students that died in the Sewol ferry disaster last year.

Afghanistan

A suicide blast killed 16 in Khost.

Pakistan

Muhanad Mahmoud al Farekh, a U.S. citizen who has been accused of training with al Qaeda, has been deported from Pakistan.

A commission has found that the young woman, Farkhunda, killed by a mob outside a mosque in Kabul was innocent of the charge of burning the Quran. They also found the police were negligent in their duty to protect Farkhunda.

Finally in cool news, a group of scholars are working to develop Pakistan Sign Language. The country’s national language is Urdu, but there are four other languages spoken, (Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto and Balochi) and 300 regional dialects, so developing a sign language is a bit of a challenge. There are an estimated 1.25 million deaf children in Pakistan.