Top Asian News 4:58 a.m. GMT

India begins to flex its naval power as competition with China grows

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — For decades, India has focused its defense policy on its land borders with rivals Pakistan and China. Now, as its global ambitions expand, it is beginning to flex its naval power in international waters, including anti-piracy patrols and a widely publicized deployment close to the Red Sea to help protect ships from attacks during Israel’s war with Hamas. India sent three guided missile destroyers and reconnaissance aircraft in November when Yemen-based Houthi rebels began targeting ships in solidarity with Hamas, causing disruptions in a key trading route that handles about 12% of global trade. The deployment highlights the country as a “proactive contributor” to international maritime stability, said Vice Adm.

North Korea tests more cruise missiles as leader Kim calls for war readiness

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean on Friday extended a provocative run in weapons tests by firing cruise missiles into the sea, as leader Kim Jong Un called for his military to step up war preparations while touring a shipyard. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the U.S. and South Korean militaries were analyzing the North Korean launches into its western sea. It said the South’s military detected multiple missiles but it did not immediately provide a specific number or an assessment of their flight characteristics. The launches, which were the North’s fourth round of cruise missile tests in 2024, came hours after state media reported that Kim reiterated his focus on strengthening his naval forces as he inspected unspecified naval projects at a shipyard in Nampho, on the west coast.

Myanmar resistance movement senses the tide is turning against the military 3 years after takeover

BANGKOK (AP) — When the army overthrew Myanmar’s elected government on Feb. 1, 2021, it looked like a walkover that could entrench the military in power indefinitely. Three years later, a poorly armed grassroots resistance movement has shaken the military’s grip in a modern-day David vs. Goliath conflict. Overshadowed by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Myanmar’s civil war is no longer on the front pages, even as violence perpetrated under the military government has risen. Air strikes on villages have increased and civilian casualties have grown, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, and Myanmar Witness, a project headquartered in Britain.

A ship carrying thousands of livestock returns to Australia after month-long ordeal

PERTH, Australia (AP) — A ship carrying thousands of livestock that has been stranded at sea for almost a month has finally docked in Australia, where welfare concerns mean some of the animals are expected to be offloaded. About 16,500 sheep and cattle have been stowed on the MV Bahijah since Jan. 5, when it sailed for the Middle East from the western Australian port of Fremantle before it was ordered by the government, two weeks into its journey, to turnaround due to the ongoing Yemen Houthi rebels attacks in the Red Sea. Since Monday the vessel had been sitting off the west Australian coast as concerns grew for the welfare of the animals on board.

Out of options, Rohingya are fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat despite soaring death toll

SYDNEY (AP) — Across a treacherous stretch of water, the Rohingya came by the thousands, then died by the hundreds. And though they know the dangers of fleeing by boat, many among this persecuted people say they will not stop — because the world has left them with no other choice. Last year, nearly 4,500 Rohingya — two-thirds of them women and children — fled their homeland of Myanmar and the refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh by boat, the United Nations’ refugee agency reported. Of those, 569 died or went missing while crossing the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, the highest death toll since 2014.

Indian police clear a suspected Chinese spy pigeon after 8 months in bird lockup

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian police cleared a suspected Chinese spy pigeon after eight months’ detention and released it into the wild Tuesday, news agency Press Trust of India reported. The pigeon’s ordeal began in May when it was captured near a port in Mumbai with two rings tied to its legs, carrying words that looked like Chinese. Police suspected it was involved in espionage and took it in, later sending it to Mumbai’s Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals. Eventually, it turned out the pigeon was an open-water racing bird from Taiwan that had escaped and made its way to India.

AP Week in Pictures: Asia

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2024 This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images in the Asia-Pacific region made or published by The Associated Press in the past week. Republic Day parade celebrations were held across India. A protest in Bangkok marked the third-year anniversary of the military takeover in Myanmar that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi. Rohingya refugees arrived by boat in Kuala Parek Beach, Aceh province. Jannik Sinner of Italy won the men’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne. The selection was curated by AP photo editor Shuji Kajiyama in Tokyo. ___ Follow AP visual journalism: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews AP Images on X: http://twitter.com/AP_Images AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com

Fears grow that dam across Mekong River in Laos could harm World Heritage site of Luang Prabang

LUANG PRABANG, Laos (AP) — Landlocked Laos doesn’t have the famous beaches of its neighbors to attract tourists, but instead relies on the pristine beauty of its mountains and rivers and historical sites to bring in visitors. The crown jewel is Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where legend has it that Buddha once rested during his travels. It brings all the elements together, with its mix of historic Laotian and French colonial architecture on a peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers. But a multibillion-dollar dam project underway 25 kilometers (15 miles) upstream has prompted concerns that it could result in the city losing its UNESCO status, and broader questions about what the government’s ambitious plans to build multiple dams across the Mekong will do to the river, the lifeblood of Southeast Asia.

Toddler gets stuck climbing into claw machine looking for a toy in Australian shopping mall

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Australian police came to the aid of a 3-year-old boy after he became trapped inside a claw machine at a suburban shopping mall on Saturday. Queensland Police shared a video of the unusual rescue on social media Thursday. It showed the toddler sitting inside the glass-walled box filled with plush toys, blissfully unaware of his predicament. The boy’s father, Timothy Hopper, said his son had disappeared into the claw machine’s prize dispenser and inside it in a “split second.” “I had zero chance to react to it, it was unbelievable how fast he climbed up there,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported Hopper saying.

Indonesian security minister quits Cabinet to focus on running for vice president

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s top security minister has resigned from the Cabinet of President Joko Widodo to focus on running for vice president in this month’s election. Mohammad Mahfud M.D. said he was resigning to concentrate on the Feb. 14 election in which he is the running mate of former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo — who has been campaigning against Widodo’s record. Mahfud announced the resignation Wednesday and said Thursday it was accepted by the president. “Due to political developments, I had to focus on other duties and had to resign from the Cabinet,” Mahfud said at a news conference after meeting with Widodo.