Asia in 3 minutes: Pompeo has a rocket (man) in his pocket for Kim Jong-un
Australian basketball players leave Manila after their bust-up with the Philippines. Photo: AFP
Australian basketball players are concerned for their safety after a World Cup qualifier in the Philippines descended into a mass brawl. The international governing body, FIBA, has opened an investigation. The chief executive of Basketball Australia, Anthony Moore, said he regretted Australia's involvement in the "unacceptable" incident and players and coaches stayed on the court after the match was called off because it was deemed the safest place in a "tinderbox" atmosphere in the arena in Bulacan. "While we accept our role in the incident, what we don't accept is when fans and officials get involved."
Cambodia on Wednesday reopened the final stretch of a railway running from Phnom Penh to the border with Thailand. The Asian Development Bank provided US$13 million in 2009 to rebuild the missing link which aims to slash travel time between the two countries and boost trade. Cambodian transport minister Sun Chanthol said a train ran on Wednesday from the northwestern province of Pursat to Phnom Penh, the last remaining section of the track between the two countries to be finished. "This is a historic day for our nation," he said.
An ambulance carries one of the 11 bodies found in Burari village, north Delhi, India. Photo: AP
Police in New Delhi are investigating the mysterious deaths of 11 members of a deeply religious family, 10 of whom were found bound and hanging in their home with handwritten notes detailing a mystical suicide ritual. An 11th family member, a 77-year-old woman, was found dead in an adjacent room. Senior police official Alok Kumar said "on the face of it" the deaths of four male and seven female members of the Bhatia family "looks like a case of suicide".
People supporting LGBT rights take part in a Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade. Photo: Xinhua
A Japanese women's university said it will admit transgender students who were born male but identify as female, a rare move in a country that critics complain lags behind other developed nations when it comes to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. An official at the education ministry said the move by Ochanomizu University in Tokyo was "likely unprecedented" but could not confirm whether it was a national first. "It is desirable that many universities take steps in the direction of understanding the needs of sexual minorities, though making such a decision is up to each university," he said.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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