Hong Kong yoga ball: Man found guilty of killing wife and daughter Image copyright AFP Image caption As the verdict was read out, Mr Khaw (centre) shook his head and one of his children burst into tears An anaesthetist has been jailed for life for killing his wife and 16-year-old daughter using a yoga ball filled with carbon monoxide in Hong Kong. Prosecutors said Khaw Kim-sun, a Malaysian national, left the inflatable ball in the boot of a car where the gas leaked out and killed them in 2015. Police were initially baffled when they found the pair dead inside the vehicle. Mr Khaw denied the murders, and told police he had been planning to use the ball at home to get rid of rats. After almost seven hours of deliberation, the jury of five men and four women reached a guilty verdict. Doctor 'used gas-filled yoga ball to kill'A post-mortem examination showed his wife and eldest daughter had died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Police found a deflated yoga ball in the back of t..

North Korea summit: Diplomacy is back on track Image copyright Reuters Image caption All smiles and optimism in Pyongyang between Moon Jae-in (left) and Kim Jong-un The year of dramatic inter-Korean diplomacy continues apace. On Wednesday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un surprised the world with a set of summit outcomes that exceeded expectations, writes North Korea analyst Ankit Panda. Symbolically, both leaders conveyed a sense that their rapprochement was destined to continue. Beyond the practical outcomes on economic co-operation and reduction of military tensions, Kim announced he would accept an invitation to visit the South Korean capital, Seoul, and that he and Moon on Thursday would travel to Mount Paektu, which holds a central place in the country's mythology. Moon, meanwhile, achieved an important objective by securing concessions from Kim related to limiting his country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Diplomatic pr..

South Africa gangs 'threaten' rare sea snail existence Image copyright AFP Image caption Conservationists have called for the species of abalone known as Haliotis midae should be give special protection Poachers linked to South African drug gangs are threatening the existence of a species of abalone, a sea snail that is highly prized by restaurants in China, a new report says. Stocks of abalone are declining at an unprecedented rate, according to research by conservation group Traffic. The affected abalone species, Haliotis midae, is only found in the waters off the coast of South Africa. Traffic wants it to be put on the global list of endangered species. About 96 million abalone are thought to have been poached since 2000. Abalone are large and round, and cling to rocks in the shallow, shark-infested waters off Cape Town. Every year some 2,000 tonnes of abalone flesh are dried, and smuggled abroad, mostly by air to Hong Kong and beyond, where they are re-hydrated and serve..

South Korean director Lee Yoon-Taek jailed for sex assaults Image copyright PA Image caption Lee Yoon-taek, here appearing for police questioning on 17 March, has been found guilty of sexually abusing nine women A prominent South Korean theatre director has been jailed for six years for sexually assaulting nine women. Lee Yoon-taek was accused of abusing the actresses during training sessions at the renowned theatre group he was artistic director of. In total 17 women came forward to accuse him of sexual violence. He was also accused of rape, which he denied. He is one of a number of high profile South Korean men accused as part of the worldwide #MeToo movement. Image copyright AFP Image caption Hundreds of South Korean women spoke out against sexual abuse as the #MeToo movement swept the country earlier this year A provincial governor once tipped as a presidential contender, Ahn Hee-jung, was forced to resign in March after his secretary publicly accused him of repeatedly raping her...

Cathay Pacific spells own name wrong on new plane Image copyright Cathay Pacific Image caption The Hong Kong-based airline joked "Oops this special livery won't last long" after the error was pointed out An airline has had to send a new plane back to the paint shop after the company's name was spelled incorrectly on it. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific painted its name as "Cathay Paciic" on the side of the jet. Eagle-eyed travellers spotted the mistake at Hong Kong International Airport and contacted the airline. "Oops this special livery won't last long! She's going back to the shop!" the company joked on Twitter. Image Copyright @cathaypacific @cathaypacific Report Image Copyright @cathaypacific @cathaypacific Report The airline said it was a genuine mistake, although some in the industry said it was inexplicable. "The spacing is too on-point for a mishap," an engineer for Haeco, a sister company of the airline, told the South China Morning Post. "There should be..

Nawaz Sharif: Pakistan court orders ex-PM's release Image copyright Reuters Image caption Nawaz Sharif was jailed alongside his daughter in July A Pakistani court has ordered the release of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, two months after he began a 10-year jail sentence over corruption. The court suspended the sentences of Mr Sharif and his daughter Maryam who were convicted in July, shortly before the country held general elections. The decision came during their appeal. They have denied wrongdoing. The ruling comes just a week after Mr Sharif's wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, died from cancer in London. They were briefly allowed out of prison to attend her funeral, but were later returned. They are expected to be released later on Wednesday. Mr Sharif was charged with corrupt practices in July related to ownership of four luxury properties in central London linked to his family. He says the charges are political motivated. His daughter, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, received seven years ..

Strawberry needle scare: Australia PM vows crackdown on 'cowards' Image copyright EPA Image caption Authorities are investigating more than 100 reports of fruit tampering The Australian government says it will introduce stricter criminal penalties in response to a fruit contamination scare that has alarmed the country. Authorities are investigating more than 100 reports of people finding needles concealed within strawberries and other fruits since last week, officials said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said culprits would face 15-year jail terms. That would make the penalty on par with crimes such as child pornography and financing terrorism, he said. "That's how seriously our government takes it," Mr Morrison said on Wednesday, urging parliament to pass the new laws this week. Currently, the maximum sentence for contaminating food is 10 years. The Labor opposition said it would support the change. Needle scares spread to apple and banana Strawberry contaminations now..

China won't devalue yuan to boost exports, says Premier Li Image copyright Getty Images China has hit back at accusations that it is using its currency as a tool in the trade war with the US. At a forum in Tianjin, China's Premier Li Keqiang said Beijing will not actively weaken the yuan to boost exports. President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused China of manipulating its currency to combat US tariffs. Mr Li's comments come amid an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies. The Chinese premier also said at the World Economic Forum it was essential that the basic principles of "multilateralism and free trade" were upheld. China hits back at Trump with new tariffs US trade: A tale of two Chinas The US has engaged in a protectionist agenda since Mr Trump took office in 2016, challenging the global system of free trade which has prevailed for decades. His accusation that China has manipulated the yuan raised concerns that the currency market ..

India man held for 'inhumane torture' of sister Image copyright Amit Mishra/Twitter Image caption The woman was found in "extremely poor" health A man has been arrested in India's capital Delhi for locking up and torturing his sister for two years. Police and officials from the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) broke into his house and rescued her in a dramatic operation on Tuesday. The woman, who has not been identified, had been starved and was so emaciated that she could not walk, talk or even recognise people, officials said. "She is 50 years old, but she looks 90," DCW chief Swati Maliwal said. "When we rescued her from the terrace, she was lying in her excreta. Her starvation is so extreme that she was unable to look after her basic needs." Indonesian woman 'held captive in cave for 15 years' The children accused of witchcraft and murder Does the death penalty actually deter rape? The DCW acted after a neighbour complained. Ms Maliwal said she personally ..