Top Asian News 4:12 a.m. GMT

Impeached South Korean president to appear in court hearing to argue against his arrest

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s impeached president will appear at a hearing in a Seoul court on Saturday to oppose a formal arrest over last month’s imposition of martial law, his lawyers said. Yoon, who has been in detention since he was apprehended on Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residence, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which set off the country’s most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and the military, requested the Seoul Western District Court to grant a warrant for Yoon’s formal arrest.

What lies ahead for South Korea’s impeached president as investigators seek his arrest?

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Law enforcement authorities on Friday requested a court warrant to formally arrest South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, who was in his third day at a detention center after his lawyers failed in a last-minute effort to secure his release. Yoon, who was apprehended on Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residence, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which set off the country’s most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s. Yoon’s detention, authorized by a court warrant compelling him to face investigation after repeatedly ignoring summonses from law enforcement, was valid until 9:05 p.m Friday.

Pakistani court sentences ex-PM Imran Khan and his wife to 14 and 7 years in prison in graft case

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani court on Friday sentenced the country’s already-imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife to 14 and seven years in jail after finding them guilty of corruption, officials and his lawyer said. It’s yet another blow for the former premier who has been behind the bars since 2023. The couple are accused of accepting a gift of land from a real estate tycoon in exchange for laundered money when Khan was in power. Prosecutors say the businessman, Malik Riaz, was then allowed by Khan to pay fines that were imposed on him in another case from the same laundered money of 190 million British pounds ($240 million) that was returned to Pakistan by British authorities in 2022 to deposit with the national exchequer.

Trump and Chinese leader Xi talk about trade, fentanyl and TikTok

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed trade, fentanyl and TikTok in a phone call Friday, just days before Trump heads back to the White House with vows to impose tariffs and other measures on America’s biggest rival. Despite that, Xi congratulated Trump on his second term and pushed for improved ties, the Chinese foreign ministry said. The call came the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court backed a law banning TikTok unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company. “We both attach great importance to interaction, hope for a good start of the China-U.S.

Former Vice President Pence calls on Trump to renew US support for Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called on President-elect Donald Trump to renew his pledge to support Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Speaking during a visit Friday to Taipei, Pence said China’s annexation of the island would impact global trade, technology and nuclear proliferation. “The fall of Taiwan would likely spark a new nuclear arms race,” he said. “Smaller Asian nations concerned about Chinese aggression would no longer be confident of American deterrence. American security commitments would be viewed as empty promises, destabilizing not only this region but the wider world.” He added nations would feel “they had no choice but to develop their own nuclear arsenal,” which would increase the risk of global nuclear confrontation.

YouTube election fraud conspiracy theories fuel impeached South Korean president and his supporters

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Thousands have braved the frigid January weather in Seoul protests, waving South Korean and American flags and shouting vows to protect their embattled conservative hero, the impeached South Korean president facing imprisonment over potential rebellion charges. The swelling crowds in South Korea’s capital are inspired by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s defiance, but also by the growing power of right-wing YouTubers who portray Yoon as a victim of a leftist, North Korea-sympathizing opposition that has rigged elections to gain a legislative majority and is now plotting to remove a patriotic leader. “Out with fraudulent elections and a fake National Assembly!” read one sign, brandished by an angry man in a fur hat during a recent protest near Yoon’s presidential residence, the site of a massive law enforcement operation Wednesday that made Yoon the country’s first sitting president to be detained in a criminal investigation.

Hundreds of dead sea turtles are washing ashore on India’s coast

BENGALURU, India (AP) — Over 400 endangered sea turtles have washed ashore on India’s east coast near the city of Chennai in the last two weeks in an event not witnessed in over two decades. Olive ridley turtles travel thousands of miles for ideal nesting conditions on India’s coast. But the species has been threatened for years as the number of nesting beaches around the world shrinks, and mass deaths like these can be caused by fishing nets that can catch and harm the species. In a typical year, the city’s coastline can expect between 100 to 200 adult turtle deaths, said Shravan Krishnan, a volunteer with Chennai-based Students Sea Turtles Conservation Network.

China’s population falls for a third straight year, posing challenges for its government and economy

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China’s population fell last year for the third straight year, its government said Friday, pointing to further demographic challenges for the world’s second most populous nation, which is now facing both an aging population and an emerging shortage of working age people. China’s population stood at 1.408 billion at the end of 2024, a decline of 1.39 million from the previous year. The figures announced by the government in Beijing follow trends worldwide, but especially in East Asia, where Japan, South Korea and other nations have seen their birth rates plummet. China three years ago joined Japan and most of Eastern Europe among other nations whose population is falling.

More countries, including China, are grappling with shrinking and aging populations

BEIJING (AP) — A growing number of countries are confronting the dual challenges of population decline and aging, as younger generations opt to have fewer children and advances in healthcare extend life expectancy. China said Friday that its population fell for the third straight year in 2024, falling by almost 1.4 million to 1.408 billion. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan’s population has been falling for 15 years, while South Korea’s growth turned negative in 2021. In Italy, the number of births has fallen below 400,000 for the first time since the 19th century. The population has peaked in 63 countries and territories, about half in Europe, the United Nations says.

More than 40 Pakistanis feared drowned in the capsizing of a migrant boat off African coast

ISLAMABAD (AP) — More than 40 Pakistanis were feared to have drowned in the capsizing of a boat off West Africa’s Atlantic coastline, which has emerged as a primary point of departure for migrants aiming to reach Europe. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the deaths and stressed the need for strict measures to curb human trafficking. Zardari’s comments in a statement late Thursday came after a Spain-based migrant rights group, Walking Borders, said that 50 people had died on their way to the Canary Islands and that 44 of them were Pakistanis. The group said that the migrants began their journey on Jan.