By GERRY SHIH Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — A gay man in central China has successfully sued a mental hospital over forced conversion therapy, in what activists are hailing as the first such victory in a country where the LGBT rights movement is gradually emerging from the fringes. A court in Zhumadian in Henan province […]
Toilet charity’s plan for Trump-named Indian village blocked
By VAISHNAVEE SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Local officials are blocking a toilet-building charity’s effort to rename a north Indian village after U.S. President Donald Trump, the group said. District officials did not immediately return calls for comment, but were quoted by the Press Trust of India news agency as saying the renaming […]
India launches new single nationwide tax
By ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s Parliament held a special midnight session on June 30 to introduce a new single nationwide tax, replacing a complicated mix of state and federal taxes that will change the cost of nearly everything people buy. India’s president and the prime minister pressed a button heralding […]
Chinese parents alarmed by miniature crossbow craze
BEIJING (AP) — Powerful mini-crossbows that shoot toothpicks and needles are the new must-have toy for schoolkids across China — and a nightmare for concerned parents and school officials. Several cities including Shenzhen and Qingdao have reportedly banned sales of the palm-sized contraptions, which sell for about $1 and are powerful enough to puncture soda […]
Teenage boy from Mumbai slum dances way to NY ballet school
By MANISH MEHTA Associated Press MUMBAI, India (AP) — The son of a welder from this city’s slums had a dream few Indians dared to dream — to dance with the New York City Ballet. In a few months, that dream may be a little bit closer as 15-year-old Amiruddin Shah begins four years of […]
Tokyo’s governor decides to keep famous Tsukiji fish market
By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo’s giant Tsukiji fish market, popular with tourists, won’t be destroyed, although it will be closed for up to five years while it is modernized and turned into a “food theme park,” the capital’s governor said. The market will move to a state-of-the-art $6 billion facility […]
Hong Kong’s mini apartments boom as property prices soar
By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer HONG KON.G (AP) — With its marble-clad lobby, sweeping balcony views and sleek, modern decor, Donny Chan’s apartment building would seem the kind of upscale tower most young Hong Kong professionals aspire to live in. But not for Chan, 39, who avoids spending time in his 19th-floor apartment because […]
Dried lizard penises from India sold as good luck charms
By NIRMALA GEORGE Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Wildlife investigators from India and Britain said last week they have uncovered an international fraud in which dried penises of endangered monitor lizards are being sold as a plant root regarded as a good luck charm and used in religious rituals. The London-based group World Animal […]
China approves 9 Trump trademarks previously rejected
By ERIKA KINETZ Associated Press SHANGHAI (AP) — The Chinese government has granted preliminary approval for nine Donald Trump trademarks it had previously rejected, in whole or in part, The Associated Press found, a turn that is likely to fuel further allegations that Beijing may be giving the president’s family business special treatment. Trump’s decision […]
Netflix theater debate hits S. Korea as ‘Okja’ boycott looms
By YOUKYUNG LEE Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho has an answer to where the controversy over the theatrical releases of Netflix movies started: his cinematic ambition. Bong said last week that Netflix never pushed for the theatrical release of his “Okja,” but he did so himself so people […]