Asia Briefs: Women in HK overtake Japan in life expectancy

Women in HK overtake Japan in life expectancy

TOKYO • Women in Hong Kong enjoy the longest life expectancy in the world, overtaking the record held by Japanese women, according to official data released by Japan, as quoted by the South China Morning Post newspaper.

Women in Hong Kong have an average lifespan of 87.32 years, while those from Japan took second place at 87.05, according to Japan's Health and Welfare Ministry on Wednesday.


China gets tougher with polluters

SHANGHAI • Chinese firms guilty of exceeding emissions limits or building plants without environmental permits will face tougher punishments, including credit bans and land use restrictions, the Environmental Ministry said late on Wednesday.

China has been cracking down on polluting enterprises, raising fines and threatening criminal action against persistent offenders.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said it has signed a cooperation agreement with 30 government departments to broaden the range of punishments for offenders as well as improve information-sharing.

REUTERS


Duterte warns communist rebels

MANILA • Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned yesterday that he might call off a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels after a militiaman was killed in a guerilla ambush.

Mr Duterte said he wanted an explanation and expected rebel leaders to discipline guerillas involved in the killing on the southern island of Mindanao, two days after the government declared a unilateral truce to aid peace talks.

REUTERS


Violent passenger causes mid-air scare

MUMBAI • A plane from Indian budget airline IndiGo made an emergency landing at Mumbai Airport yesterday after a passenger turned violent and misbehaved with crew members and other passengers, triggering a security scare in mid-air.

The passenger "suddenly started misbehaving with the crew, jumped on a cart used for food and on-board merchandise and sat on it" in the flight from Dubai to Kochi, the airline said in a statement.

XINHUA


Close tiger farms in Asia, says World Wildlife Fund

GENEVA • The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) yesterday called on Asian states to close their tiger farms to boost efforts against the black-market trade in animal parts.

The conservation group said there are 200 tiger farms in Asia, mostly in China, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. The tiger population in farms is about 8,000, more than the estimated 3,900 living in the wild, the WWF said in a statement.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 29, 2016, with the headline Asia Briefs: Women in HK overtake Japan in life expectancy. Subscribe