Top Asian News 4:56 a.m. GMT

Pakistan is electing a new parliament. Here are the key players ahead of the vote

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan is holding elections for a new parliament on Thursday. No less than 44 political parties are vying for a share of the 266 seats that are up for grabs in the National Assembly, or the lower house of parliament, with an additional 70 seats reserved for women and minorities. But in a country where civilian governments have been upended by military takeovers and where the army has ruled the nation for half of its 76 years of independence, it’s often the traditional elites that have called the shots. Here are the key players ahead of the country’s elections.

UN rights body warns of ‘pattern of harassment’ against Imran Khan’s party ahead of election

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United Nation’s top human rights body warned Tuesday of a “pattern of harassment” against members of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party ahead of this week’s parliamentary election. During a news briefing in Geneva, Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged Pakistani authorities to ensure a fully free and fair voting process. This came amid complaints by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of harassment and the inability to hold rallies similar to the former ruling party and its candidate Nawaz Sharif. Authorities have denied such claims. Khan has been sentenced to 34 years in jail after being convicted in four cases and has been disqualified from running.

South Koreans stay calm as they see showmanship in the North’s escalating threats

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s recent escalation of threats and more tests of weapons aimed at South Korea haven’t done much to upset the calm in the nation’s capital. “We learned to be numb,” said Renee Na, a 33-year-old office worker in Seoul who was one of a dozen South Koreans who sounded more indifferent than scared when talking with The Associated Press. “Our generation grew up seeing North Korea use nuclear provocations as showmanship to maintain the stability of its regime,” Na said. “When they act up, it doesn’t feel like a real threat, but more like an annual event they stage when they need to shore up internal unity or want outside help.” That’s a stark contrast to recent comments from Pyongyang, where leader Kim Jong Un said in January that his nation was abandoning its fundamental objective of peaceful reconciliation with South Korea.

Azerbaijan holds snap presidential vote as Aliyev rides support from retaking of Karabakh

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Azerbaijanis are voting Wednesday in an election almost certain to see incumbent President Ilhan Aliyev chosen to serve another seven-year term, following his government’s retaking of a region formerly controlled by ethnic Armenian separatists. Aliyev, 62, has been in power for more than 20 years, and this is his fifth election cycle. He ordered an early presidential election in December, shortly after his government retook the Karabakh region in a lightning military operation against ethnic Armenian forces. Analysts suggested Aliyev moved the election forward from October 2025 to capitalize on his burst in popularity following the successful offensive.

Thai prosecutors say former Prime Minister Thaksin is being investigated for royal defamation

BANGKOK (AP) — State prosecutors in Thailand said Tuesday they have revived an investigation into whether former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra almost nine years ago violated the law against defaming the monarch, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Thaksin had been charged in 2016 with violating the law on royal defamation — also known as Article 112 — for remarks he made to journalists the previous year when he was in Seoul, South Korea, said Prayut Phetcharakun, a spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General, at a news conference. Thaksin, who was ousted by a 2006 military coup, is currently confined to a police hospital in Bangkok where he is serving time for convictions related to corruption and abuse of power.

Sri Lankan Cabinet minister resigns after being arrested in a counterfeit drugs scandal

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A Sri Lankan Cabinet minister has resigned after being arrested in a scandal over the government’s alleged purchase of counterfeit drugs during the country’s economic crisis. A government statement Tuesday confirmed that Environment Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who previously served as health minister, has resigned. He was arrested on Friday for alleged involvement in the procurement of counterfeit intravenous human immunoglobulin, which is used to help fight infections and cancer, and was ordered held for investigation until Feb. 15. His resignation follows mounting pressure from opposition lawmakers, activists and health groups for him to be removed and for a transparent investigation to be held into the scandal.

India’s clean energy boom slows as new solar projects get delayed. Experts say it can pick back up

BENGALURU, India (AP) — For years, renewable projects in India have been growing steadily, from small-town rooftop solar installations to large-scale projects across the desert and long stretches of wind turbines and solar panels on farmland all contributing to the country’s climate goal of transitioning to clean energy. But a mix of policy decisions, politics and supply chain issues meant solar projects in 2023 have been marred in delays and uncertainty, making the country fall short of its annual clean energy installation target in a year that saw heat records topple and devastating floods batter the country. Experts say this is a significant dent in the country’s ambitions, but some are confident that the shortfall can be made up this year.

9 UN Security Council members urge a halt to airstrikes by Myanmar’s military

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Nine members of the United Nations Security Council condemned “indiscriminate” airstrikes by Myanmar’s military against civilians before an envoy briefed the council Monday as part of regional efforts to implement a peace plan that has so far been largely ineffective. The plan, adopted in April 2021 shortly after the military seized power in a takeover that sparked a civil war, calls for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, a dialogue among all concerned parties, mediation by a special envoy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, provision of humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels, and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties.

A blaze in a fireworks factory in central India kills 11 people and injures scores of others

NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire raced through a fireworks factory in central India on Tuesday, killing 11 people and injuring about 150 others as it sparked other explosions, officials said. Videos on social media showed smoke and flames billowing from the factory as people fled the area in fear. The cause of the fire in Harda in Madhya Pradesh state was not immediately clear. Pawan Kumar Sharma, the area’s top administrative officer, told reporters that at least 11 people died in the blaze and rescuers were scouring the debris to check whether anyone was trapped. About 150 people were injured, senior police officer Ishad Wali said.

Ukrainian-born Miss Japan gives up her title after an article reveals her affair with a married man

TOKYO (AP) — The Ukrainian-born winner of this year’s Miss Japan beauty pageant and the contest’s organizers say she has renounced her title after a magazine published an article about her affair with a married man. Karolina Shiino was crowned Miss Japan on Jan. 22, setting off renewed public debate over what it means to be Japanese in a country where homogeneity and conformity are still valued. In a message posted on Instagram on Monday, Shiino said that after the article came out, she offered to give up her crown and resign from her modeling agency. She said her offers were accepted.