Top Asian News 3:19 a.m. GMT

North Korea says it tested solid-fuel missile tipped with hypersonic weapon

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Monday said it flight-tested a new solid-fuel intermediate-range missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead as it pursues more powerful, harder-to-detect weapons designed to strike remote U.S. targets in the region. The report by North Korea’s state media came a day after the South Korean and Japanese militaries detected the launch from a site near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, in what was the North’s first ballistic test of 2024. The launch came two months after North Korea said it successfully tested engines for a new solid-fuel intermediate-range missile, which reflected a push to advance its lineup of weapons targeting U.S.

War of words after Taiwan election highlights the intractable divide over the island’s fate

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A war of words erupted the day after Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary elections, with Taiwan on Sunday accusing China of making “fallacious comments” and China criticizing the U.S. for congratulating the winner. The verbal sparring highlighted the seemingly intractable divide over Taiwan’s fate, a major flashpoint in U.S.-China relations that risks leading to an actual war in the future. The victory of Lai Ching-te in Saturday’s election was a setback for China’s efforts to bring Taiwan under its control. His Democratic Progressive Party advocates maintaining the status quo, in which Taiwan governs itself but refrains from declaring formal independence — a move that could trigger a Chinese military response.

India’s main opposition party begins a cross-country march ahead of a crucial national vote

NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of members of India’s main opposition Congress party and its supporters began a 2-month cross-country march Sunday in a bid to regain some of the popularity it has lost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party ahead of a crucial national vote this year. The march led by Rahul Gandhi, scion of the influential Gandhi family, began from the northeastern Manipur state’s Thoubal district. The “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,” or “Unite India Justice March,” is scheduled to cover 6,713 kilometers (4,171 miles) in 67 days, mostly in buses but also on foot, while passing through 110 districts in 15 states, the party said in a statement.

Maldives leader demands removal of Indian military from the archipelago by mid-March amid spat

MALE, Maldives (AP) — Maldives’ President Mohamed Muizzu wants the Indian military personnel stationed in his archipelago nation withdrawn by March 15, an official with his office said Sunday. Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, a presidential aide, told reporters that Muizzu proposed the removal at a meeting with officials of the Indian Embassy in the Maldives and other visiting Indian officials. The move comes a day after Muizzu returned from China, India’s regional rival, and made comments critical of India. Muizzu said his county’s small size is not a license for anyone to bully the Maldives. His comments were an apparent response to social media calls in India to boycott Maldives tourism after three Maldives deputy ministers made derogatory posts on social media against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A Japanese domestic flight returns to airport with crack on a cockpit window. No injuries reported.

TOKYO (AP) — An All Nippon Airways domestic flight turned back to Japan’s northern airport of Sapporo after a crack was found on the cockpit window, according to the airline and media reports. ANA Flight 1182 was en route to Toyama airport in central Japan on Saturday but had to return to the New Chitose airport for repairs, the airline said. There were no reports of injuries among the 65 people on board. The crack was found on one of the cockpit windows and the cause is under investigation, according to local media reports. The plane involved is a Boeing 737-800 — a different model from the Boeing 737 Max 9 jet that is under investigation by the U.S.

A royal first: Australia celebrates Princess Mary’s historic rise to be queen in Denmark

SYDNEY (AP) — For the first time, Australians find themselves on the brink of witnessing one of their own, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, rise to the rank of queen when her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, is proclaimed king of that European nation Sunday. He will become King Frederik X of Denmark two weeks after his 83-year-old mother, Queen Margrethe II, announced she would be the first Danish royal to abdicate in some 900 years. The 51-year-old Crown Princess Mary’s unlikely journey from Tasmania to European royalty as the world’s first Australian-born queen has captivated Danes and Australians alike for over two decades.

Indonesia’s Mount Marapi erupts again, leading to evacuations but no reported casualties

AGAM, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Mount Marapi erupted again on Sunday, spewing smoke and ash high into the air, but no casualties were reported. The Marapi Volcano Observation Post in West Sumatra province recorded an eruption with an ash column about 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) high from its peak, followed by ash rain. Sprays of ash from the eruption were seen blanketing roads and vehicles in nearby villages. At least 100 residents have been evacuated since Friday after Indonesian authorities raised the alert level of the volcano from Level 2 to Level 3, or the second-highest level, on Wednesday. Marapi is known for sudden eruptions that are difficult to predict because they are not caused by a deep movement of magma, which sets off tremors that register on seismic monitors.

Kashmir residents suffer through a dry winter waiting for snow. Experts point to climate change

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — A prolonged dry spell is sweeping across the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir during the harshest phase of winter, leaving many people sick and farmers worried about impending water shortages. Daytime temperatures have been high for about a month now, sometimes at least 6 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) above the norm, according to Indian meteorological officials. The daytime temperatures usually hover around 5 Celsius (41 Fahrenheit) during this harsh winter period. Nights, however, continue to be freezing, and have become piercingly cold amid the dry weather. Officials say the region witnessed about 80% rain deficit in December, while there was no precipitation in January’s first week.

Japan’s Kishida vows more funds to quake-hit zone as worry over diseases in evacuation centers rises

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he was “speechless” by the severity and immense destruction of the disaster zone he saw during the helicopter ride on his first visit to the country’s north-central region of Noto since the deadly Jan. 1 earthquakes, amid worries about spreading diseases in evacuation centers. Kishida pledged to do his utmost to improve the living conditions of the evacuees and to rebuild their homes and restore their livelihoods as soon as possible. The magnitude 7.6 earthquake left 221 dead and more than 20 others still missing while injuring hundreds. More than 20,000 people, many of whom had their homes damaged or destroyed, are taking refuge at about 400 school gymnasiums, community centers and other makeshift facilities, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency report.

Death toll rises to 13 in a coal mine accident in central China

BEIJING (AP) — The death toll has risen to 13 in a coal mine accident in central China, state media said Sunday. Three people remain missing after Friday’s accident in the city of Pingdingshan in Henan Province, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the owner of the mine. Preliminary investigation indicates the cause was a coal and gas explosion, Xinhua said. China had a series of fatal coal mine accidents last year despite efforts to improve mine safety. Coal remains a major source of electricity in the country, even as China far outpaces the rest of the world in installing solar and wind facilities to combat climate change.