Indonesian judge held in bribery probe

JAKARTA • An Indonesian Constitutional Court judge has been detained for allegedly accepting US$160,000 (S$228,600) in bribes, officials have said, the latest blow to the country's graft-riddled judiciary.

Patrialis Akbar, who also used to be Indonesia's justice minister, was detained on Wednesday for allegedly receiving the money from a meat importer who was seeking to influence a review.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Foreign workers in Japan exceed 1m

TOKYO • The number of foreign workers in Japan surpassed one million for the first time last year, as the labour-strapped country struggles to find enough Japanese workers.

Slightly over a million foreigners from countries such as China and Vietnam were working in Japan as of last October, Labour Ministry data showed yesterday.

That was up nearly 20 per cent from the previous year and a new record for the fourth straight year.

REUTERS

Sri Lankan hunger strikers seek answers

COLOMBO • A group of hunger strikers in Sri Lanka have gripped the public's attention as they tried to get answers to what happened to their family members who went missing in a 26-year war with the Tamil Tigers that ended in 2009.

The condition of the strikers grew so grave on Thursday that State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene flew from the capital to meet them.

NYTIMES