Assam's draft list of citizens excludes 4m

MUMBAI • Over four million people were excluded from a draft list of citizens released yesterday by a census official for India's north-eastern border state of Assam, in a long-running campaign against immigrants, sparking uncertainty about their future.

Assam, which borders Muslim-majority Bangladesh, is in the grip of social and communal tension as residents campaign against illegal immigrants, a fight backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

REUTERS

Jail for Viet spy who 'divulged state secrets'

HANOI • A fugitive spy was jailed for nine years in Vietnam yesterday for "divulging state secrets" after he tried to flee to Europe using a forged passport, in a rare case involving a high-ranking intelligence officer.

Phan Van Anh Vu, a property developer and spy, was arrested in Singapore in January with two passports - one fake, one real - and swiftly deported back to Vietnam, where he was charged with espionage.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

S. Korea's Lotte may sell some malls in China

SEOUL • Lotte Group, reeling from a wave of anti-Korean sentiment in China for over a year, is considering selling some of its department stores in the country, a move that would accelerate its withdrawal from the world's second-largest economy.

The sale of some of Lotte Shopping Co's five malls in China is among options being reviewed, a spokesman said. Lotte Confectionery, which has three factories in China, is also reviewing its business there.

BLOOMBERG