Asia in 3 minutes: suicide surge in Singapore, goat rapists on the run in India
Police in northern India said that a major manhunt was underway for eight men accused of having sex with a pregnant goat that later died. The suspects face prosecution under the Indian Penal Code that outlaws "intercourse against the order of nature" " the same provision that criminalises gay sex. Police raids were conducted in Haryana state, around 100km from Delhi. "We have identified three of the eight accused and the police teams are out on raids to arrest them as soon as possible," said police official Naazneen Bhasin.
The number of suicides among elderly Singaporeans rose to a record 129 in 2017. Photo: AFP
The number of elderly people committing suicide in Singapore reached a record high last year, a non-government group said, urging stronger support for the over-60s in the rapidly ageing city state. Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), which focuses on preventing suicides, said fear of becoming a burden to family, social disconnection, physical impairment and deteriorating mental health were the most common challenges faced by the elderly.
China works on land reclamation of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Photo: AP
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which includes four rival claimants to territories in the South China Sea, have made a "breakthrough" in negotiating a "code of conduct" to set rules aimed at preventing a war. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan announced at the start of an annual meeting of top diplomats that both sides have agreed on an initial draft that will be the basis of future negotiations. He called the development a "milestone".
Tokyo Medical University. Photo: AP
A Japanese medical university systematically discriminated against female applicants because women tend to quit as doctors after starting families, causing hospital staff shortages, media reports said. The Yomiuri newspaper said Tokyo Medical University manipulated entrance exam results after the share of successful female applicants reached 38 per cent in 2010. NHK public television said female scores were slashed by about 10 per cent in some years, quoting unnamed sources.
An elderly man reads a newspaper as he steps into a public toilet in Beijing. Photo: AFP
Beijing has issued guidelines for restaurant toilets to improve sanitary conditions in thousands of eateries in the city, according to Beijing Youth Daily. Restaurant staff must check sanitary conditions every hour and every 15 minutes at meal times. All toilets should be disinfected at least once a day, with taps, sinks, handrails, hand dryers and air vents disinfected at least four times a day. Restaurant toilets should also have partitions, mirrors and disposable toilet seat covers.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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