VOA60 Africa - Ivory Coast: The trial of the 2016 Grand-Bassam jihadist attack opens in Abijan
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Tokyo court ruling upholds ban on same-sex marriage but leaves door open for legislative change | South China Morning Post
A district court in Tokyo has ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional. But the decision, handed down on November 30, 2022, added that the lack of legal protection for same-sex families violates their human rights. Plaintiffs in the case said the ruling signifies “progress”, saying they could pave the…
Hong Kong leader to ask Beijing to interpret national security law amid Jimmy Lai trial | South China Morning Post
Hong Kong’s leader said on November 28, 2022, that he would seek an interpretation of the city’s national security law from the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, after the city’s top court upheld a decision allowing a British barrister to defend jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying against charges of…
Taiwan elections: DPP's Tsai announces resignation as party chief after KMT wins big | South China Morning Post
Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen has announced she's stepping down as chairwoman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party after it suffered major losses to the main opposition Kuomintang in local elections on November 26, 2022. Tsai will stay on as president of the self-ruled island. Analysts say many voters sought…
Retired Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen fined for failing to register protester legal defence fund | South China Morning Post
A Hong Kong court has fined retired Hong Kong Cardinal Zen and five other trustees up to HK$4,000 (US$512) each for failing to properly register a fund set up to provide legal defence for 2019 anti-government protesters. The now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund was established by Zen and his co-defendants. The c…
Former Apple Daily staff plead guilty to conspiracy under Hong Kong national security law | South China Morning Post
Six former senior executives of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper have admitted conspiring with their ex-boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in seeking international sanctions on Beijing and Hong Kong officials in breach of the city’s national security law. The High Court on November 22, 2022, recorded the first conviction…
Tesla safety and regulation in the spotlight at South Korean trial over deadly crash | South China Morning Post
The safety and regulation of Tesla in South Korea has been put in the spotlight at a criminal trial involving a deadly crash on December 19, 2020. Choi Woan-jong was behind the wheel of the Model X that smashed into a parking lot, killing the car owner, Yoon Hong-geun. Prosecutors say Choi floored the accelerator, w…
Presidents Xi and Widodo watch Chinese-built Indonesian bullet train make first trial run | South China Morning Post
Indonesia's first high-speed railway has passed a decisive stage ahead of its commercial debut. The Chinese-made bullet train successfully completed its first trial run on November 16, 2022. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Joko Widodo were on hand for the test of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed …
Court Finds Rebels Guilty of Murder in Downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17
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· Henry Ridgwell
Taliban rulers go hardline in Afghanistan ordering full implementation of sharia law | South China Morning Post
Nearly 15 months after they returned to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have ordered full implementation of sharia law in the country. The group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote in a tweet on November 13, 2022, that judges have been asked to follow punishments prescribed by the Islamic legal code, including ex…
Anti-junta fighters risk their lives making weapons from YouTube videos | South China Morning Post
The People's Defence Force in Myanmar has been battling the military that overthrew the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi with home-made weapons. But to churn out rockets, mines and mortars, the group fighting the ruling junta undertakes risky trial-and-error operations. Several fighters have suffered …
Sri Lankan cricket star jailed in Australia on sexual assault charges and suspended from sport | South China Morning Post
Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka was denied bail by a court in Australia on November 7, 2022, after being charged with sexual assault. Gunathilaka was in Sydney to play in the T20 World Cup. His defence lawyer Ananda Amaranath said the court refused his client’s bid for bail, and a further application to a …
Iran orders probe into police brutality after protester beating caught on video | South China Morning Post
Iran’s police force said it will investigate a video posted on social media on November 2, 2022, showing officers beating and shooting an anti-government protester. Iran is now in its seventh week of protests, which was initially sparked by the death in custody of the Iranian woman Mahsa Amini. Worldwide demonstrati…
Tokyo issues same-sex ‘partnership certificates’ amid cheers from LGBTQ community | South China Morning Post
Many in the Japanese capital Tokyo are celebrating as city authorities began issuing long-awaited ‘partnership certificates’ to same-sex couples on November 1, 2022. The certificates do not grant the same legal rights as a marriage, but expand access for LGBTQ couples to public services in healthcare, medicine and w…
Japanese fugitive on the run for 46 years pleads not guilty in Shibuya case | South China Morning Post
Masaaki Osaka has evaded police capture for 46 years after his role in the 1971 Shibuya riot incident. He was found and arrested in 2017, but in his first trial hearing on October 25, 2022, he pleaded not guilty. Osaka is accused of killing a 21-year-old officer during a rival gang clash on November 14, 1971.
Jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai found guilty of fraud in office lease case | South China Morning Post
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was convicted of fraud on October 25, 2022, in connection with an office lease case. Lai was found guilty of concealing a private consultancy firm that was operating from the Apple Daily headquarters without the proper licences from April 1988 to May 2020. Next Digital’s fo…
‘One of us’: Indians thrilled as Rishi Sunak set to become UK’s first leader of South Asian descent | South China Morning Post
Rishi Sunak’s selection as new British prime minister on October 25, 2022, drew praise from thousands of people in India, where many were ecstatic about seeing the first UK leader of South Asian descent. After being selected head of the ruling Conservative Party, the 42-year-old will become the youngest prime minist…
VOA60 Africa - Nigerian Appeals Court Drops Charges Against Separatist Nnamdi Kanu
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· VOA
Hijab ban remains after India’s top court split on verdict over headscarves in classrooms | South China Morning Post
India’s top court has delivered a split verdict on a petition appealing a lower court’s refusal to force authorities to withdraw a ban on schoolgirls wearing hijab in classrooms. In a ruling on October 13, 2022, a Supreme Court panel remained divided on the controversial restriction imposed in the southern state of …
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un converts military base to greenhouse to celebrate founding of ruling party | South China Morning Post
On October 10, 2022, North Korea celebrated the opening of a new greenhouse farm built on a former airbase, which was used to test missiles. Supreme leader Kim Jong-un attended the opening ceremony of the Ryonpho Greenhouse Farm, which state media called a “highly automated farm”. Its opening marked the 77th anniver…
Malaysian prime minister dissolves parliament, paving way for snap elections | South China Morning Post
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of parliament on October 10, 2022, setting the stage for a general election which is expected to be held in November. The United Malays National Organisation (Umno), the nation’s de facto ruling party, had been pushing for a snap election in orde…
Elon Musk promises Tesla humanoid robot won’t be like the ‘Terminator’ | South China Morning Post
Tesla CEO Elon Musk teased his company's latest humanoid robot in its annual event in Palo Alto, California on September 30, 2022. The world’s richest man, who once warned of artificial intelligence being a threat to humanity, said that Tesla wants to ensure robots safely enter society to avoid ‘Terminator’-style vi…
King Charles featured on UK coins for the first time | South China Morning Post
Britain’s Royal Mint has unveiled the official effigy of King Charles that will appear on coins following his accession to the throne. The king’s portrait, unveiled on September 29, 2022, will appear on special £5 and 50 pence coins commemorating the life of Queen Elizabeth. The effigy was created by British sculpto…
Japan bids farewell to former prime minister Shinzo Abe at controversial state funeral | South China Morning Post
Japan bid farewell to Shinzo Abe on September 27, 2022, at the country’s first state funeral for a former prime minister in 55 years. The ceremony sparked controversy for its high cost and for the ruling party’s links to the Unification Church. More than 4,300 guests, including US Vice-President Kamala Harris and In…
90-year-old retired cardinal Joseph Zen arrives for trial over role in protester relief fund | South China Morning Post
Retired Hong Kong Catholic leader Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and five other activists arrived at the West Kowloon Court on September 26, 2022. They appeared for a hearing in their trial for allegedly failing to register the now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund that helped protesters facing charges related to th…
Does slain former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe deserve a state funeral? | South China Morning Post
Japan is set to hold a state funeral for the nation’s slain former prime minister Shinzo Abe on September 27, 2022. But the Japanese public and political parties are divided about the plan. Leading up to the event for the country’s longest-serving prime minister, many are questioning the legal basis for the ceremony…
VOA60 America - Federal Court Lifts Hold on Classified Records Found at Mar-a-Lago
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· VOA
Badminton players run for their lives as ceiling collapses during 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Taiwan | South China Morning Post
At least one person died and 79 others were injured when a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Taiwan on September 18, 2022, rattling bridges, buildings and cracking roads across the country. The epicentre of the quake was near Chishang township, but was powerful enough to damage the ceiling of a badminton cou…
‘Chinese mentality must be respected’: Pope Francis on Vatican’s relationship with China | South China Morning Post
On board the papal plane to Rome, Pope Francis answered journalists' questions concerning China. He declined to weigh in on the upcoming trial of Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, saying he did not feel qualified to determine if China was democratic or not. Pope Francis also explained that the Vatican was intent on pur…
Supreme Court Sends Abortion Decision Back to US States
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· Katherine Gypson, Katherine Kenton
Role of royals across Commonwealth questioned as Charles proclaimed king | South China Morning Post
King Charles’s ascension to the throne has stirred up a debate over whether the British monarchy still should have a global role in the 21st century. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth on September 8, 2022, Charles immediately became king of the United Kingdom and head of state of 14 Commonwealth realms. But som…
VOA60 Africa - Angolan court rejects UNITA's challenge of election results
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· VOA
Myanmar junta reportedly breaks ceasefire with armed militia | South China Morning Post
The ruling military junta in Myanmar reportedly broke a ceasefire deal when it clashed with armed opposition forces along the border of Bangladesh on August 31, 2022. The tensions are a sign the junta is losing its grip on power, according to the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, which is led by former UN human …
Russian journalist Ivan Safronov sentenced to 22 years in prison for alleged treason | South China Morning Post
A Russian court has sentenced journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison for alleged treason on September 5, 2022. The former defence reporter for the Kommersant and Vedomosti dailies was tried on secret evidence not made public. He denied the charges and earlier rejected a plea bargain, which could have almost …
VOA60 Africa - Kenya's Supreme Court upholds election of William Ruto as president
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Man tried to shoot Argentine Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner | South China Morning Post
Argentina’s politically powerful vice-president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, was unharmed after a man tried to shoot her at point-blank range on September 1, 2022. The loaded gun “did not fire despite being triggered”, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said. The gunman has been arrested and a weapon was foun…
VOA60 Africa - Angola: UNITA files legal complaint challenging election integrity
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2 Months After US Court Overturns Abortion Rights, Emotions Still Run High
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Malaysia's former first lady sentenced to 10 years in jail for bribery | South China Morning Post
A Malaysian court has sentenced Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, to 10 years in prison for seeking and receiving bribes in exchange for government contracts. The judgment handed down on September 1, 2022, came just days after her husband was jailed for corruption. A flamboyant figure by …
VOA60 Africa - Kenya's Supreme Court begins hearing on election challenge
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Traditional Myanmar ‘Ywal’ juggling passed down generations | South China Morning Post
Ohn Myint is a traditional “Ywal” juggling master, with over 30 years of experience, who has passed down the disappearing art form to his 12-year-old granddaughter. The tradition is believed to date back to the early 19th century, when performers at the royal court started to juggle with balls made of blown, coloure…
3,700kg of explosives used to demolish illegal skyscrapers in Noida near India’s capital | South China Morning Post
A pair of illegal skyscrapers were razed in a controlled explosion near the Indian capital New Delhi on August 28, 2022, ending a 9-year court battle over building and fire safety law violations. Nearly 3,700kg (8,160lbs) of explosives was used to turn the 32-storey and 29-level residential towers to dust in about 1…
Hearing Scheduled in Legal Battle over Classified Documents at Trump's Florida Residence
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· Arash Arabasadi
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha suspended from official duties pending term-limit review | South China Morning Post
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha from official duties on August 24, 2022, to consider whether the leader has breached an eight-year term limit for the country’s prime ministers. The former army chief came to power when he staged a coup in 2014. Opposition considered 2014…
‘No rule of law’: former Pakistan PM Imran Khan reacts to terrorism charges | South China Morning Post
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan hit back again terrorism charges laid against him on August 22, 2022, saying that Pakistan has “no rule of law”. Police filed terrorism charges against the former leader for allegedly escalating political tensions during mass rally speeches, during which he vowed to sue pol…
VOA60 Africa - Kenya opposition leader Raila Odinga challenges presidential election in Supreme Court
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· VOA
Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan charged with terrorism, supporters gather to block his arrest | South China Morning Post
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been charged with breaking anti-terrorism laws, according to authorities on August 22, 2022. Dozens of Khan supporters gathered outside his home, vowing to prevent his arrest. The charges were based on a speech Khan gave during a public rally in the capital Islamabad on …
Singapore to scrap anti-gay sex law, but upholds ban on same-sex marriage | South China Morning Post
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on August 21, 2022, that the city state will repeal a British-colonial era law criminalising sex between men. It will, however, amend its constitution to uphold the definition of a legal marriage between a man and a woman. LGBTQ organisations welcomed the anti-gay s…