Top Asian News 11:16 p.m. GMT

Uyghurs detained in Thailand say they face deportation and persecution in China

BANGKOK (AP) — A group of Uyghur men who were detained in Thailand over a decade ago say that the Thai government is preparing to deport them to China, alarming activists and family members who say the men are at risk of abuse and torture if they are sent back. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, 43 Uyghur men held in Bangkok made a public appeal to halt what they called an imminent threat of deportation. “We could be imprisoned, and we might even lose our lives,” the letter said. “We urgently appeal to all international organizations and countries concerned with human rights to intervene immediately to save us from this tragic fate before it is too late.” The Uyghurs are a Turkic, majority Muslim ethnicity native to China’s far west Xinjiang region.

Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s forces have captured two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Russia’s Kursk border region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday, the first such claim by Kyiv since North Korea sent thousands of troops to shore up Moscow’s war effort on the other side of the world. Zelenskyy made the comments days after Ukraine, facing a slow Russian onslaught in the east, began pressing new attacks in Kursk to retain ground captured in a lightning incursion in August — the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II. Moscow’s counterattack has left Ukrainian forces outstretched and demoralized, killing and wounding thousands and retaking more than 40% of the 984 square kilometers (380 square miles) of Kursk Ukraine had seized.

Black boxes from South Korea plane crash failed to record final 4 minutes, officials say

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The black boxes of a Boeing jetliner that crashed in South Korea last month stopped recording about four minutes before the accident, South Korean officials said Saturday, possibly complicating investigations into the cause of the disaster that killed 179 people. After analyzing the devices, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board concluded that both the flight data and cockpit voice recorders stopped working about four minutes before the crash, the South Korean Transportation Ministry said. The Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air skidded off a runway in the South Korean town of Muan on Dec. 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames, killing all but two of the 181 people on board.

China and the UK restart economic and financial talks after a 6-year hiatus

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China and Britain restarted economic and financial talks on Saturday after a six-year hiatus during a visit by Britain’s Treasury chief to Beijing, as the U.K.’s Labour government seeks to reset strained ties with the world’s second-largest economy. Accompanied by a delegation of British business executives and finance officials, Chancellor Rachel Reeves met with Chinese leaders, including Vice Premier He Lifeng and Vice President Han Zheng. Reeves emphasized the need for a “stable, pragmatic” U.K.-China relationship as she wrapped up talks in Beijing. “Our two countries can work together on areas of mutual interest in the interests of our citizens, whilst also being frank and open with each other when we disagree,” she said.

South Korea’s acting leader accepts resignation of presidential security chief

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s acting leader on Friday accepted the resignation of the chief of the presidential security service, Park Jong-joon, as he faced police questioning over how his forces blocked law enforcement efforts to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol last week. The acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, also expressed regret over the clashes between law enforcement officials and the presidential security service and called for lawmakers to reach a bipartisan agreement to launch an independent investigation. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials and police are planning a second attempt to bring Yoon into custody as they jointly investigate whether his brief martial law declaration on Dec.

AP PHOTOS: Warm clothing, hot pot and even ice cream bars feature at China’s ice capital

HARBIN, China (AP) — Faced with temperatures dipping to -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit), visitors to China’s wintertime resort city of Harbin often make a beeline for stalls selling padded clothing to augment their wardrobes. Oddly perhaps for some, frozen ice cream bars are also considered a key part of the visit. Each winter, the industrial city in China’s northeast turns into a magnet for those from China’s balmier regions wanting to experience the extreme cold and take in the sculptures built from ice blocks carved from the Songhua River, which freezes from late October to late March. “I searched for tips on the internet and am now wearing knitted wool pants and the thickest sweater possible,” said Jin Yiting, who was visiting with her parents from the financial hub of Shanghai, where a light jacket is usually sufficient winter garb.

Indonesia and Japan promise deeper defense and economic ties as regional tensions spike

BOGOR, Indonesia (AP) — Japan and Indonesia pledged on Saturday to deepen economic and defense ties during a visit by the Japanese prime minister, seen as promoting regional cooperation as China flexes its muscle and Donald Trump prepares to take over as the next U.S. president. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba arrived in Jakarta on Friday from Kuala Lumpur after meeting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He said he hopes to meet Trump at the earliest possible timing after his Jan. 20 inauguration, and plans to convey the importance of engaging with the region. “I don’t know how much interest Mr. Trump has in this region until I actually talk with him,” Ishiba told reporters.

Police arrest student suspected of hammer attack at a Tokyo university

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese police arrested a student suspected of a hammer attack at a Tokyo university, which local media said left several injured. The 22-year-old South Korean sociology student was apprehended on the spot for allegedly attacking a male student during class at Hosei University’s Tama campus in Tokyo’s western suburbs on Friday, causing him minor injuries, according to the Tokyo metropolitan police. Japanese media said seven more students suffered minor injuries as the suspect allegedly hit them in succession. It was not clear whether her actions were premeditated. Kyodo News agency reported that the suspect told investigators she felt “frustrated” after being ignored and bullied by her classmates and used a hammer she found on campus.

An albatross couple shares egg duty in this captivating low-drama reality show

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — It’s a reality show about a loving couple waiting to welcome their new arrival, watched by thousands of ardent fans. But the stars of Royal Cam, now in its 10th season, aren’t socialites or hopefuls in love but northern royal albatrosses — majestic New Zealand seabirds with 10-foot (3-meter) wingspans. The 24-hour livestream of the birds’ breeding season at Taiaroa Head — a rugged headland on New Zealand’s South Island — was established to raise awareness of the vulnerable species, numbers of which have grown slowly over decades of painstaking conservation measures. Millions have watched the stream since it began in 2016.

Bodies found after gas explosion causes coal mine to collapse in southwest Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — At least three miners have died after a methane gas explosion caused a coal mine to collapse in a remote area of southwest Pakistan, officials said Friday, as authorities launched an operation to rescue nine other missing workers. Abdul Ghani, a mines inspector, said the blast happened on Thursday night in Singidi, a town in Balochistan province. He said rescuers had retrieved the bodies of three peoples and were carefully removing debris from the mine as part of a rescue effort. Shahid Rind, a Balochistan government spokesman, said all available resources are being used in the rescue operation.