Muslims in Malaysia may be barred from the ancient practice of yoga if they engage in Hindu “religious elements” during the exercise, a top Islamic cleric said. Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, where more than 60% of the population of 27million are Muslim Malays who practice a conservative brand of the religion. The practice of yoga, a popular stress-buster in Kuala Lumpur, dates back thousands of years in India, where it was a favourite of holy men before becoming hugely popular internationally, especially among western celebrities.
KARACHI, Pakistan
A 17-year-old Pakistani village girl was falsely accused of immorality and had dogs set on her as a punishment before she was shot dead, the girl’s parents said. Gul Sher, father of the girl, Tasleem Solangi, demanded justice for the killing of his daughter after he said a council in their village in the southern province of Sindh falsely accused her of having sex with a man. “They made dogs run after her and bite her then she was shot dead,” Sher told reporters in Karachi, the capital of Sindh province.
SEOUL, S.Korea
A South Korean law which states that only the visually impaired can be licensed masseurs has been upheld in the country's Constitutional Court. The licensed masseurs - who must be registered blind - have been protesting against moves to change the law. The law goes back to 1912 when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule. The US military government abolished the protection in 1946 but it was reinstated in 1963. South Korea's estimated 200,000 unlicensed masseurs said the law denied them the right to practise their trade.
SHANGHAI, China
Police arrested 66 people and seized about US$100,000 at an illegal cricket fight in a raid that snared the city's most notorious handler of the insects, state media reported. The blood sport, which dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), is flourishing in China's financial hub particularly among middle-aged unemployed men who bet tens of thousands of yuan on bouts. Winning crickets can become famous and funerals have been known to be held for them when they are defeated. The prize fighters are fed special diets and are plied with female crickets to keep them in top form.
TOKYO, Japan
A Japanese woman kept her daughter prisoner in their home for eight years until she turned 19, leaving her too feeble to walk or talk properly. The daughter, now 21, had been under house arrest since she was an elementary school student in the northern city of Sapporo, municipal officials said. The woman, whose name was withheld, was rescued in 2006 after a neighbour told police about loud shouting coming from the house. Local authorities went public with the case after it was reported by one of Japan's national newspapers, the Mainichi Shimbun.
HANOI, Vietnam
Vietnam is considering banning small-chested drivers from its roads - a proposal that has provoked widespread disbelief in this nation of slight people. The Ministry of Health recently recommended that people whose chests measure fewer than 28 inches (or 72 centimetres) would be prohibited from driving motorbikes - as would those who are too short or too thin. The proposal is part of an exhaustive list of new criteria the ministry has come up with to ensure that Vietnam's drivers are in good health. Vietnamese bloggers have been poking fun at the plan, envisioning traffic police with tape measures eagerly pulling over female drivers to measure their chests.
KARACHI, Pakistan
A movie drama about the life of the Prophet Mohammad is to go into production soon, and will be only the second English-language film of its kind ever made, its producers said. "The Messenger of Peace" will be a remake of Moustapha Akkad's "The Message", a 1977 Hollywood classic starring Anthony Quinn which is often applauded by Muslims as an example of how commercial Western cinema can respect Islam. The events of the Prophet's life took place mainly in Mecca and Medina, Islamic holy cities in modern Saudi Arabia.
JAKARTA, Indonesia
Police are investigating a wealthy Muslim cleric who married a 12-year-old girl and is reportedly planning to wed others aged seven and nine. Pujiono Cahyo Widiyanto, a 43-year-old businessman and cleric from the Central Java city of Semarang, has courted nationwide controversy about his decision to marry the girl, who comes from a poor family. Widiyanto has defended the marriage, which is his second, saying the girl had already reached puberty. Child protection activists have also called for Widiyanto to be charged with child trafficking.
TAIPEI, Taiwan ----pix: Taiwan Indigenous Defence Fighter_bw.jpg
Taiwan has ordered all warplanes grounded for three days for safety inspections after a second crash in as many days. His comments came after opposition parliamentarians questioned him over the crash of a submarine-hunting helicopter during night training Tuesday, a day after a self-developed Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF) jet crashed. The navy S70-C helicopter with five officers on board crashed off the eastern county of Hualien, killing two and injuring two. The IDF, made by Taiwan with US technology, went missing along with its two pilots during a training flight over the sea off the island of Penghu.
MANILA, Philippines
Nine people were killed when a mini-bus that was part of a convoy transporting a dead body plunged into a ravine. Twelve people, including at least two children, were also injured in the accident in Tagaytay City, 45km south of Manila. Police said that based on initial investigation, the brakes of the mini-bus malfunctioned upon reaching a curve in the road, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The mini-bus then plunged into a 300-metre ravine.
