ASIA

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Sri Lanka's new president is seeking a more flexible approach from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as his country navigates a $2.9 billion bailout package. The president, who took office amid a severe economic crisis and sovereign default, expressed concern about the impact of the IMF's stringent austerity measures. He has urged the IMF to consider "alternative means" to continue supporting Sri Lanka's recovery while mitigating the hardships imposed by the austerity program.

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Iwao Hakamata, who spent more than five decades on death row, was acquitted by a Japanese court on September 12, 2024. Hakamata, now 88, was sentenced to death in 1968 for the murder of a family, a case that has long drawn global attention due to claims of forced confessions and fabricated evidence. Hakamata's release comes after a marathon legal battle and significant new evidence that cast doubt on his guilt.

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Shigeru Ishiba, a former defense minister, has been elected Japan's next prime minister after narrowly winning the leadership contest of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Ishiba, 67, triumphed over rival Sanae Takaichi in a highly competitive race, which saw a record nine candidates vying for the leadership of the ruling party. With the LDP's majority in parliament, Ishiba is set to take office on Tuesday, following a parliamentary vote.

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Sri Lanka's parliament has been dissolved by their newly elected president, Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake. He dissolved the 225-member parliament in which his left-leaning National People's Power (NPP) alliance had just three seats. He dissolved to make way for a snap general election.

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On Thursday, Pakistan announced that it would experience some "transitional pain" following the International Monetary Fund's approval of a new $7 billion relief package aimed at strengthening its struggling economy.

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Despite a court order to end the nationwide strike, Junior doctors in Kolkata are defying the court order to continue protests against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in the city.