Top Asian News 4:36 a.m. GMT

Fire at shopping mall in Bangladesh’s capital kills at least 43 people

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A fire at a six-story shopping mall in the Bangladeshi capital overnight killed at least 43 people and injured dozens of others, with several people escaping to the building’s roof, officials said Friday. The fire started late Thursday at a restaurant on the first floor of the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall in downtown Dhaka. Fire Service and Civil Defense Director General Brig. Gen. Md. Main Uddin said more than a dozen firefighting units were deployed to douse the fire. Firefighters rescued survivors and pulled out bodies, and by early Friday, at least 43 people died. Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen said the toll could rise as at least 18 critically injured people were being treated in two state-run hospitals.

New Zealand tour operators told to pay $7.8 million in fines and reparations over volcanic eruption

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Tour booking agents and managers of a New Zealand island where a volcanic eruption killed 22 people in 2019 were ordered Friday to pay nearly $13 million (US$7.8 million) in fines and reparations. The holding company of the island’s owners, a boat tour operator and three companies that operated helicopter tours had been found guilty of safety breaches at a three-month trial last year. White Island, the tip of an undersea volcano also known by its Indigenous Māori name Whakaari, was a popular tourist destination before the eruption. There were 47 tourists and tour guides on the island when superheated steam erupted on Dec.

Young South Korean doctors resist back-to-work orders, risking prosecution

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — As South Korea’s government made a last plea for junior doctors to end a walkout hours before a Thursday deadline, many were expected to defy orders to return to work, risking suspensions of medical licenses and prosecution. Thousands of medical interns and residents have been on strike for about 10 days to protest the government’s push to boost medical school enrollments. Government officials have warned that strikers would face legal repercussions if they don’t return to their hospitals by Thursday. As of Wednesday night, about 9,076 of the country’s 13,000 medical interns and residents were confirmed to have left their hospitals after submitting resignations, according to the Health Ministry.

AP Week in Pictures: Asia

Feb. 23-29, 2024 A Hindu devotee performed rituals during Maghi Purnima in Prayagraj, India. South Korean doctors protested the government’s medical policy near the presidential office in Seoul. Farmers and other borrowers protesting the alleged excesses of private lenders gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal. 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. The selection was curated by AP photo editor Masayo Yoshida in Tokyo. ___ Follow AP visual journalism: AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews AP Images on X: http://twitter.com/AP_Images

India begins replacing military personnel with civilians in response to Maldives’ demand

NEW DELHI (AP) — India on Thursday said it has begun replacing dozens of its military personnel in Maldives with civilian technical staff who will operate three aircraft given by India to provide humanitarian services. The first batch of technicians to operate a helicopter has reached Maldives, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The decision comes after new Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu demanded that the Indian military personnel be withdrawn by March 15. At least 75 Indian military personnel are believed to be in Maldives. Their known activities include transporting patients from remote islands and rescuing people at sea.

How Chinese science fiction went from underground magazines to Netflix extravaganza

CHENGDU, China (AP) — For a few days in October 2023, the capital of the science fiction world was Chengdu, China. Fans traveled from around the world as Worldcon, sci-fi ’s biggest annual event, was held in the country for the first time. It was a rare moment when Chinese and international fans could get together to celebrate the arts without worrying about the increasingly fraught politics of China’s relationship with the West or Beijing’s tightening grip on expression. For Chinese fans like Tao Bolin, an influencer who flew from the southern province of Guangdong for the event, it felt like the world finally wanted to read Chinese literature.

Pakistan swears in new parliament amid chaotic scenes as Imran Khan’s followers protests vote count

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s National Assembly swore in newly elected members of parliament on Thursday in a chaotic scene as allies of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan shouted and protested what they claim was a rigged election. Lawmakers from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party repeatedly chanted “Vote-thief!” as Shehbaz Sharif, who’s expected to form the next government, entered the parliament with his brother Nawaz Sharif. Both men are former premiers. Outgoing National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf administered the oath to incoming legislators at noon. The parliament will elect a new prime minister on Sunday, with Shehbaz Sharif facing only one rival in the vote — senior leader Omar Ayub of Khan’s PTI.

Biden orders US investigation of national security risks posed by Chinese-made ‘smart cars’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Citing potential national security risks, the Biden administration says it will investigate Chinese-made “smart cars” that can gather sensitive information about Americans driving them. The probe could lead to new regulations aimed at preventing China from using sophisticated technology in electric vehicles and other so-called connected vehicles to track drivers and their personal information. Officials are concerned that features such as driver assistance technology could be used to effectively spy on Americans. While the action stops short of a ban on Chinese imports, President Joe Biden said he is taking unprecedented steps to safeguard Americans’ data. “China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices,’' Biden said in a statement Thursday.

Kishida vows no more fundraising parties at Parliament’s ethics hearing over a funds scandal

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s beleaguered prime minister renewed his apology over his governing party’s corruption scandal, promising to not hold any more parties himself as leader during a political ethics committee Thursday. Fumio Kishida has fought against plummeting support ratings since his governing party’s corruption scandal rocked the government. The scandal, considered the biggest in decades, centers on political funds raised through party event tickets bought by individuals, companies and organizations. It led to 10 people — lawmakers and their aides — being indicted in January. While Kishida himself is not the focus of the scandal and was not even invited to the hearing, the surprise announcement of his personal appearance broke a deadlock between the opposition lawmakers and his governing party Wednesday when the five implicated attendants refused to go public, holding up a hearing.

Fired scientists in Canada failed to acknowledge links to China, newly released records say

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Two scientists at a high-security infectious disease laboratory in Canada lost their jobs after reviews found they failed to protect sensitive material and information and did not acknowledge links with China, newly released records show. The scientists, Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, were stripped of their security clearances in 2019 at Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory over questions about their loyalty to Canada and the potential for coercion or exploitation by a foreign entity, the documents say. More than 600 pages were made public Wednesday following a special all-party review of the records. The records show Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, assessed that Qiu repeatedly lied about the extent of her work with institutions of the Chinese government and refused to admit involvement in various Chinese programs, even when evidence was presented to her.