COLU @ CONCEPTS

Image copyright REUTERS Image caption Reporters gathered outside the suspect's home on Tuesday Japanese police have arrested a man after finding parts of nine bodies in his apartment in Zama, near Tokyo. Police found two severed heads in a cold-storage container outside the flat of the suspect, named as Takahiro Shiraishi, while investigating the disappearance of a woman. They also found the body parts of seven other people, also stored in cool boxes, in his apartment. The 27-year-old is being held on suspicion of disposing of the bodies. Police had found the body parts of eight females and one male, some in varying stages of decomposition, Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun reported. Mr Shiraishi told police he had killed the nine and hid their bodies, broadcaster NHK reported, citing the Metropolitan Police Department. "I killed them and did some work on the bodies in order to hide the evidence," NHK quoted him as saying. Meanwhile, his next-door neighb...

Image copyright REUTERS Image caption Hundreds have died trying to reach Australia in inadequate and overcrowded boats Australia's policy on asylum seekers has come under intense scrutiny. The BBC explains why. Does Australia get a lot of asylum seekers? Australia's humanitarian intake has remained relatively steady over the last 20 years, with around 12,000 to 13,000 people typically accepted every year. In 2015-16, Australia accepted 13,750 people through its humanitarian programme and committed to a one-time acceptance of an additional 12,000 refugees fleeing Syria and Iraq. Asylum seekers have attempted to reach Australia on boats from Indonesia, often paying large sums of money to people smugglers. Hundreds have died making the dangerous journey. At its peak, 18,000 people arrived in Australia illegally by sea. However the numbers plummeted after the government introduced tough new policies to "stop the boats". Image copyright AFP Image caption Asylu...

Image copyright ABDUL AZIZ ADAM Image caption Many refugees do not want to leave an Australian detention centre, and are stockpiling food and water A controversial Australian detention centre that has held asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea is scheduled to close on Tuesday. First set up in 2001, the Manus Island centre was shut down in 2008 before the Australian government re-opened it in 2012. Last year,  Australia said it would again close  the facility after a PNG court ruled it was unconstitutional. Since 2013, Australia has detained all asylum seekers who arrive by boat on Manus Island and Nauru, a small Pacific nation. Canberra has said the policy deters people smuggling and prevents deaths at sea, but  the centres have been described by the UN  and human rights groups as cruel. Earlier this year,  Australia offered compensation totalling  A$70m (£41m; $53m) to asylum seekers and refugees detained on Manus Island who alleged they had suffere...

Image copyright HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Image caption Australia's detention centre in Papua New Guinea is due to close on Tuesday Refugees held by Australia in Papua New Guinea have launched legal action over the closure of a detention centre. Australia holds asylum seekers arriving by boat in camps on PNG's Manus Island and the small Pacific nation of Nauru. The Manus Island centre is scheduled to close on Tuesday after a PNG court ruled it was unconstitutional. Detainees argue the closure will breach their human rights by denying them access to water, electricity and security. Many are refusing to leave. 'Our situation is just like hell' UN fears 'humanitarian emergency' Australia asylum: Why is it controversial? The local authorities have warned that all electricity, drinking water and food at the centre will cease at 17:00 local time (07:00 GMT), and that PNG defence authorities could enter the centre as early as Wednesday. Refugees told the BBC ...