From around Asia, this is a round-up of some bits of news from this week that you may have missed:
In China, a record number of students have taken part in China's college entrance exams, known as Gaokao. This year, nearly 12 million candidates were registered, with 300,000 examination sites nationwide. In Beijing, more than 54,000 students were registered. The government set up special sites for examinees under quarantine or COVID-19 treatment.
Moving to Southeast Asia, Vietnam's health minister Nguyen Thanh Long was arrested over price gouging of COVID-19 tests. He was dismissed from his ministry post and is being investigated for abuse of power, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
Reuters reports that the minister, along with capital city Hanoi's mayor and chairman of the People's Committee of Hanoi, Chu Ngoc Anh was also sacked from their roles in the scam.
Nearly 60 suspects, including ministry officials, public health leaders and military generals have been detained or are being investigated for their alleged involvement.
A former Thai police chief has been sentenced to life in jail after being found guilty of murder by torture in a case that sparked national outrage over police brutality. Thitisan Utthanaphon was nicknamed Joe Ferrari for his many luxury cars. The Straits Times reported that Thitisan is at the center of a corruption scandal rocking Thailand's law enforcement authorities.
And staying on in Thailand, the country has legalized the cannabis trade while still keeping recreational use illegal. It is now legal to grow cannabis plants and buy marijuana-infused dishes in Thailand. However, tough penalties will still apply to those who use the drug to get high. Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he expected legal cannabis production to boost the economy but cautioned that recreational use of the drug remains illegal.
And in South Asia, an Indian ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma opened Pandora's box by making a gaffe about the Prophet Muhammed during a live televised debate. She had made the comment a week ago but police in the Indian capital, New Delhi, registered a case against her controversial comments. It also blew up this week when countries in the Middle East began condemning her statement. Kuwait, Iran and Qatar summoned Indian ambassadors, and Saudi Arabia issued a strong statement.
Even the UAE, which has a strong relationship with India, criticized the comments. She has since been suspended from her party position, but calls have grown for her to be arrested for her "blasphemous comments" and police in several states (regions) have opened investigations against her. On Tuesday, Delhi Police had to tighten her security, citing a threat to her life from a militant group.
(Cover: Candidates outside test center-Beijing Number 55 Middle School, after completing China's college entrance examination, June 10, 2022. Jia Tianyong/China News Agency)