Asia in 3 minutes: Don’t go boozing with a sumo in Japan, or begging before Ivanka in India
British tourist sues for jail ordeal over Buddha tattoo; Pope told not to use the word ‘Rohingya’; Japanese fishermen seek ‘North Korea insurance’
Mongolian sumo champions involved in brutal drunken brawl
Police in Japan have launched an inquiry into claims sumo grand champion Harumafuji assaulted fellow Mongolian competitor Takanoiwa during a drunken brawl in October that left the victim with serious injuries and unable to compete. Harumafuji was drinking with about 10 other sumo wrestlers in Tottori, western Japan, when he hit Takanoiwa with a beer bottle for looking at his smartphone while he was being scolded for his behaviour. Harumafuji punched him up to 30 times. Takanoiwa has a fractured skull, leaking cerebrospinal fluid and other injuries, and was not fit to continue in the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.
What next? Harumafuji apologised and pulled out of the tournament. The incident sent shock waves across Japan, reminding fans the ancient sport’s reputation is tainted by scandals over match-fixing, violence and bullying. In 2010, former stable master Tokitsukaze was sentenced to five years in prison for instructing seniors to beat up a 17-year-old wrestler. The same year, grand champion Asashoryu retired following an investigation into reports of a drunken scuffle in Tokyo.
Indian city rounds up beggars before Ivanka Trump visits for summit
Authorities in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad are clearing the streets of beggars in time for a visit by Ivanka Trump, who is due to speak at an entrepreneur summit at the end of the month, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend. Beggars were being moved to shelters on the grounds of two prisons. Begging is a criminal offence in India and can be punished by up to 10 years in prison, although the law is rarely enforced. The crackdown seems to have worked, with most of Hyderabad’s thousands of beggars seemingly vanishing.
What next? “We will complete the clearing of beggars from the city roads by the end of the month,” said V.K. Singh, a top police officer. The beggars are being offered clean clothes, a shower and a bed. But they are also being fingerprinted before they are allowed to leave and told they could face jail time if they are found begging again. More than 20 per cent of India’s 1.3 billion people live on less than US$2 a day. For many, begging is survival. Singh said the city will start offering cash rewards to people who spot beggars and tell the police where they are.
Briton wrongfully arrested over tattoo, Sri Lankan court rules
