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Human rights

Logo of Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group is pictured on a store in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Swatch wins court battle over seized LGBTQ-themed watches in Malaysia

The decision comes after the government banned LGBTQ references on Swatch products, citing concerns about morality and public interest.

Malaysia

Outcry after Malaysian state issues public caning order under sharia law

Canada

Canada apologises to Inuit communities for mass killing of sled dogs decades ago

Malaysia

‘Don’t have a choice’: Rohingya child brides trapped in Malaysia’s refugee crisis

Rohingya girls as young as 12 are being forced into marriage in Malaysia, escaping dire conditions in Bangladesh refugee camp.

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Nor Anis Syazwani collects preliminary health data upon patients’ arrival at an MSF mobile clinic in Penang, Malaysia. Photo: Steven Ooi/MSF
Myanmar

Beheadings, rapes, torture: Myanmar’s junta unleashes violence on rebel areas

A UN expert said the situation was most ‘desperate and dangerous’ in Rakhine where thousands of people were threatened by starvation.

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US-China relations

US blacklists 29 more Chinese companies over alleged forced labour in Xinjiang

Products of offending firms range from hi-tech inputs such as polysilicon to food products like tomato paste, according to Homeland Security.

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Singapore

Singapore executes third drug trafficker in a week as UN urges end to hangings

Rosman Abdullah’s execution was the eighth this year in the city state, seven for drug trafficking and one for murder.

People protest against the death penalty in Singapore in 2022. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

Little room to mend EU-China ties amid differences over trade, Ukraine

Dialogue and action urged ahead of Donald Trump’s return and as mainland ship is detained by Danish coastguard over cut undersea cables.

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Israel-Gaza war

UN says its officials could meet with Israel’s Netanyahu despite warrant

Despite no-contact rules, UN officials may still meet with Israel’s Netanyahu under limited circumstances, spokesman says.

South Korea

Telegram to delete deepfakes targeting South Koreans

This comes as South Korea’s media regulation agency pushes the company to boost its monitoring of such content.

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Activists hold posters reading “Repeated deepfake sex crimes, the state is an accomplice too’”during a protest against deepfake porn in Seoul. Photo: AFP
European Union

Will Andrew Tate’s human trafficking trial collapse after evidence removal?

A Romanian court found flaws in the indictment, giving prosecutors five days to decide whether to proceed with the trial or withdraw the case.

Social media influencer Andrew Tate is seen near the French Embassy in Bucharest, Romania on July 28. Photo: AP
American cinema

Jennifer Lawrence-produced film shows women’s torment in Afghanistan

Apple TV+ documentary Bread & Roses, co-produced by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, was shot entirely on smartphones.

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New Zealand

Tens of thousands of Maori, supporters march on New Zealand’s parliament

Protesters oppose a bill drafted by a minor coalition party that aims to redefine a founding treaty of the country dating back to 1840.

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Jimmy Lai

Opinion | Those sympathetic to Jimmy Lai must stick to the facts

A London-based legal team’s claims about the treatment of the former media tycoon in prison ignore salient information.

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Former media mogul Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, arrives at the Court of Final Appeal by prison van in on February 9, 2021. Photo: Reuters
Israel-Gaza war

US hits Israeli settler group with sanctions over West Bank violence

US Treasury sanctioned Amana, the largest organisation involved in illegal settlement development in the West Bank, and its subsidiary Binyanei Bar Amana.

Palestinians look through a window after an Israeli settler attack in Al-Bireh city, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on November 4. Photo: Reuters
US-India relations

As US and India line up in a second Trump administration, China could be targeted

Trump nominees for high-level positions suggest Washington will lean more toward New Delhi and further from Beijing, analysts say.

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The Philippines

Filipinos back ICC probe of Duterte’s drug war, but will it sway midterm voters?

While his anti-narcotics campaign once had widespread support, a survey indicates 59 per cent now approve of the investigation into it.

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Taliban

Taliban seeks international aid for Afghanistan’s reconstruction

Emphasising destruction caused by decades of conflict, Taliban called for technical help and economic development initiatives.

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A Taliban security guard stands guard with with a whip in front of Afghan men waiting outside a bank to withdraw money. Photo: dpa
Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s Yunus urges ‘patience’ for election after 100 days in power

The Nobel laureate was appointed to lead the government as ‘chief adviser’ on August 9 following a student-led uprising.

Middle East

Saudi Arabia executes more than 100 foreigners in 2024

The latest execution was of a Yemeni national convicted of smuggling drugs, after a three-year moratorium on executing drug offenders ended in 2022.

Israel-Gaza war

Pope Francis calls for genocide investigation into Israel’s attacks in Gaza

The pontiff makes the call in excerpts released on Sunday from a new book ahead of his jubilee next year.

Pope Francis leads mass for the World Day of the Poor at St Peter’s basilica in The Vatican, on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Americas and the Caribbean

Venezuela frees more than 200 prisoners detained after election

The releases come after President Maduro said authorities would review the cases of those who might have been mistakenly arrested.

People receive their loved ones following their release after being arrested during protests over the disputed Venezuelan elections. Photo: Reuters
Africa

Gabon’s ruling junta praises constitutional referendum as a ‘turning point’

The vote follows a military coup that overthrew the Bongo family, which ruled the central African nation from 1967 to 2023.

Myanmar

Asian Angle | Is Myanmar’s Arakan Army capable of governing Rakhine state?

The Arakan Army has made military gains in Rakhine but it’s likely to face challenges in addressing residents’ socio-economic needs.

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Israel-Gaza war

UN special committee says Israel warfare in Gaza ‘consistent with genocide’

UN report said Israel was ‘using starvation as a method of war and inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian population’.

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A fire at a school sheltering displaced people, after it was hit by an Israeli strike, in Gaza City. Photo: Reuters
Women and gender

Opinion | Faster, bolder action needed to empower women across the Asia-Pacific

Great strides made since 1995 Beijing Declaration of women’s rights but progress still uneven and often fragile. True equality remains elusive.

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A woman operates a drone under the government-backed “Drone Sister” programme, at a training centre in Manesar in the northern Indian state of Haryana. Women’s empowerment is key to unlocking the full potential of Asia-Pacific economies. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Xi arrives in Peru for Apec, ready to sign 30 bilateral deals for China

A focal point of his visit will be the virtual inauguration of the South American country’s US$3.5 billion port funded by Beijing.

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Singapore

Singapore’s workplace fairness law hailed but rights group points to gaps

Employers who discriminate against workers based on characteristics such as race, age, sex and nationality could be prosecuted under the proposed law.

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Human rights
Latest news, features and analysis on human rights, with a focus on civil liberties in Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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