Malaysia abolishes mandatory death penalty for serious crimes.

Malaysia's parliament has approved a bill that would scrap mandatory death penalties for a range of serious crimes, including murder, drug trafficking, treason, kidnapping, and acts of terror. The move is part of wide-ranging reforms that could bring possible reprieves to more than 1,300 prisoners on death row. Courts will now have the option of handing down jail sentences of between 30 and 40 years and caning. Natural life imprisonment will also be replaced with jail terms of 30 to 40 years. The bill has yet to go to the upper house and the king but is expected to become law.