Indonesia sex laws Indonesia’s Parliament has passed a long-awaited and controversial revision of its penal code that criminalises extramarital sex and applies to citizens as well as visiting foreigners. The amended criminal code includes several revised articles that make sex outside marriage punishable by a year in jail and cohabitation by six months, but adultery charges must be based on police reports lodged by their spouse, parents or children. It also says the promotion of contraception and religious blasphemy are illegal, and it restores a ban on insulting a sitting president and vice president, state institutions and national ideology. The code maintains that abortion is a criminal offence, but it adds exceptions for women with life-threatening medical conditions and for rape survivors. Sudan coup deal Sudan’s coup leaders and the main pro-democracy group signed a deal yesterday to establish a civilian-led transitional government following the military takeover last year. But key players refused to pa

• Published date: 07 December 2022
• Publication title: New Zealand Herald, The (Auckland, New Zealand)

Iranians ‘poisoned’ More than 1000 Iranian university students appear to have been poisoned the night before they were to attend mass anti-regime protests being held across the country this week. According to ISNA, an Iranian news agency, 1200 students at Kharazmi and Ark universities were taken ill with vomiting, severe body aches and hallucinations. Similar illnesses were reported by at least four other universities. The Iranian science ministry confirmed that the students...