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Showing posts with the label Asia

Singapore ex-minister goes on trial for corruption

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Singapore delivered a thrilling, star-studded Grand Prix for international and local fans of Formula One over the weekend. But 36 hours after the chequered flag was waved, the man who was instrumental in bringing the night race to the country has gone on trial for corruption. Former cabinet minister Subramnian Iswaran faces 35 charges, including receiving gifts as a public servant, corruption and obstructing the course of justice - all of which he denies. Charge sheets released by prosecutors revealed allegations that he was gifted more than S$403,000 ($311,882; £234,586) worth of flights, hotel stays, musicals and grand prix tickets. Iswaran, 62, will be charged under a provision that criminalises a public servant accepting anything of value from someone they are involved with in an official capacity. If convicted, he could be fined up to $100,000 or face seven years in prison. The case  has gripped Singapore , a financial hub that prides itself on its squeaky-clean image, where...

Sri Lanka election goes to historic second count

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For the first time in the country's history, Sri Lanka's presidential election has gone into a second round of counting after no single candidate won more than 50% of the vote. The election commission will now count voters' second and third choices for president - people were asked to mark up to three candidates in order of preference during the election. The first round, which saw the counting of people's primary choice of candidate, had Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a leftist politician in the lead with 42.31%.   Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa  is in second place with 32.76%. In a press conference, the election commission said that all other candidates apart from Dissanayake and Premadasa have been eliminated The eliminated candidates' ballots will now be checked to see if secondary or third preferential votes were given to the two frontrunners. To be declared the winner, Sri Lanka's election laws say that a candidate must win 50% plus a single vote. The ele...