Indian Kashmir sees more than $2.4 billion losses since lockdown: group
A lockdown in Indian-administered Kashmir has cost its economy more than $2.4 billion since the government stripped it of its special status, officials of the Himalayan region’s main trade organization said on Wednesday.
Indonesia faces backlash over baby lobster export ban
A proposal by Indonesia’s new fisheries minister to remove a cap on exporting baby lobsters has come under fire, with critics saying it could deplete stocks around the archipelago and boost the fishing industry in competitor countries.
Hong Kong’s New Year’s fireworks canceled amid security concerns
Hong Kong’s popular New Year’s Eve fireworks will be canceled for the first time in a decade, as more than six months of protests heighten security concerns, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said on Wednesday.
Kazakh president reshuffles senior officials
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday named Kanat Bozumbayev, previously energy minister, a presidential aide, and reshuffled a number of other senior officials.
Japanese man sentenced to life in prison for fatal stabbing on bullet train
A Japanese man was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday after a stabbing attack on a speeding bullet train in 2018 that left one dead and two others inured, sparking a national debate about safety as Tokyo prepares to host the 2020 Olympics.
Indian court turns down petition to stop implementation of citizenship law
India’s top court on Wednesday refused to stall the implementation of a new law that lays out a path for non-Muslim minorities from some neighboring countries for Indian citizenship, despite violent protests across the country.
Two Indonesian soldiers killed in separatist attack in Papua
Two Indonesian soldiers have been shot dead in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua, ambushed by separatist rebels while transporting goods to a village in a remote area, a military spokesman said on Wednesday.
France appoints new politician to examine tricky pensions reforms
France appointed Laurent Pietraszewski on Wednesday as the new politician tasked with examining reforms to the country’s pension system, following the resignation of previous pensions tsar Jean-Paul Delevoye.
New Zealand PM Ardern staffer’s abuse claims dismissed in report
Sexual assault allegations made against a member of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s staff could not be established, an independent report into the incident found on Wednesday.
Muslim leaders gather in Malaysia for summit shunned by Saudi
Leaders and senior representatives from some 20 Muslim nations flocked to the Malaysian capital on Wednesday to discuss issues agitating Muslims globally at a summit Saudi Arabia decided to snub, and Pakistan ducked out of attending.
