News Headlines - 21 May 2019
A Bangladeshi academic believed to have played a role in planning a July 2016 terror attack in Dhaka that killed 22 people, including seven Japanese, is being detained in northern Iraq, a Bangladesh intelligence official said Monday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said information received through informal channels suggests that Mohammad Saifullah Ozaki, who once taught at Japan’s Ritsumeikan University, is being held in the Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah.
Ozaki, alias Sujit Debnath, was among 10 Bangladeshi militants who surrendered to the Kurds in the former Islamic State stronghold of Baghouz, Syria, after it fell to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces on March 15, according to the information.
▽Japanese man gets 15-year prison sentence in China for spying - The Mainichi
A Chinese court on Monday sentenced a Japanese man convicted of spying to 15 years in prison, Sino-Japanese sources revealed Monday.
The man, in his 50s, was also fined 100,000 yuan (about 1.6 million yen) by the court in Hainan Province for having illegally obtained state secrets, analyzed them and disseminated them abroad. they said.
Since 2015, at least nine Japanese people have been indicted in China for alleged involvement in spying activities, and this marks the seventh time for a court to render a verdict.
▽Japan gov't decides on route of Oct. parade to celebrate imperial couple
The Japanese government said Tuesday it has decided on the October parade route to be taken by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to celebrate his enthronement earlier this month.
The open motorcade is expected to take 30 minutes to drive 4.6 kilometers through the capital on Oct. 22 from the Imperial Palace to the Akasaka Palace to be cheered by the public... The route for the imperial couple's wedding parade in 1993 was also considered but rejected.
▽Indonesia election: Joko Widodo re-elected as president - BBC News
Joko Widodo has been re-elected as Indonesia's president after last month's vote, beating former general Prabowo Subianto.
The result was released a day ahead of schedule in the early hours of Tuesday, amid fears of unrest... Mr Prabowo rejected the result and said he would pursue "legal avenues", but urged his supporters to stay calm.
▽Washington becomes first US state to legalise human composting - BBC News
Washington has become the first state in the US to legalise human composting.
Under the new law, people there can now choose to have their body turned into soil after their death.
The process is seen as an alternative to cremations and burials, and as a practical option in cities where land for graveyards is scarce.
