Top Asian News 3:04 a.m. GMT

North Korea’s Kim enjoys a Russian luxury limousine gifted by Putin as the two nations expand ties

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used a Russian luxury limousine gifted by President Vladimir Putin, Kim’s sister said Saturday, praising the car’s “special function” and the two countries’ deepening bilateral ties. In February, Putin sent Kim a high-end Aurus Senat limousine, which he had shown to the North Korean leader when they met for a summit in Russia in September. Observers said the shipment violated a United Nations resolution aimed at pressuring the North to give up its nuclear weapons program by banning the supply of luxury items to North Korea. In a statement carried by state media, Kim’s sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, said that her brother used that limousine for the first time during an open event Friday.

Australia resumes funding for UNRWA and pledges more Gaza aid

SYDNEY (AP) — Australia will restore funding to the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians, weeks after the agency lost hundreds of millions of dollars in support following Israeli allegations that some of its Gaza-based staff participated in the Oct. 7 attack. The Australian government also pledged Friday to increase aid for the besieged enclave, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressing horror at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Australia’s move follows Sweden, the European Commission and Canada in reinstating funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which had seen its international funding frozen while the allegations were investigated.

India’s new citizenship law excludes Muslims. Here’s what to know

NEW DELHI (AP) — India has implemented a citizenship law that excludes migrants who are Muslims, a minority community whose concerns have heightened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government. The rules for the law were announced Monday. It establishes a religious test for migrants from every major South Asian faith other than Islam. Critics argue that the law is further evidence that Modi’s government is trying to reshape the country into a Hindu state and marginalize Muslims. The Citizenship Amendment Act provides a fast track to naturalization for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who fled to Hindu-majority India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before Dec.

Thousands of Indian farmers protest in New Delhi demanding a law guaranteeing minimum crop prices

NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of farmers protested in India’s capital on Thursday to press their demand for a new law that would guarantee minimum crop prices, after weeks of being blocked from entering the city. They rode crowded buses and trains instead of their tractors to New Delhi after authorities barricaded highways into the capital with cement blocks and barbed wire. Police also banned use of farm vehicles as a condition for granting permission for the rally in the city. Participants were also barred from carrying sticks or swords to avoid clashes with police. The protesters held placards demanding free electricity for farming.

McDonald’s apologizes for global system outage that shut down some stores for hours

LONDON (AP) — McDonald’s apologized Friday for a global technology outage that shuttered some restaurants for hours. The company said the outage was caused by a third-party technology provider and was not a cybersecurity issue. It started around 12 a.m. CDT during a configuration change and was close to being resolved about 12 hours later, the Chicago-based company said. “Reliability and stability of our technology are a priority, and I know how frustrating it can be when there are outages. I understand that this impacts you, your restaurant teams and our customers,” Brian Rice, the company’s global chief information officer, said in a statement.

Japan lawyers’ group urges Tokyo to halt park development, calling its impact review unscientific

TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese bar association is urging Tokyo’s metropolitan government to suspend a disputed redevelopment of the city’s beloved park area, saying that its environmental assessment by developers lacked objective and scientific grounds. The metropolitan government approved the Jingu Gaien redevelopment project in February of 2023 based on the environmental assessment submitted by the developers, allowing the start of construction. The plan involves razing a famous baseball stadium and rebuilding it, as part of a vast construction project that critics say would threaten thousands of trees in a city of meager green space. Hundreds of outside experts, including architects, environmentalists and academics, have demanded the suspension of the project in open letters and petition campaigns.

Japanese table tennis star reaches an agreement with ex as parliament considers a joint custody bill

TOKYO (AP) — A once-beloved Japanese table tennis star said Friday she has reached a settlement with her ex-husband, a Taiwanese star in the sport, ending a high-profile battle over custody of their 4-year-old son. The move comes at a time when Japan’s parliament is discussing legislation to introduce a dual custody system following similar high-profile custody cases brought by foreign husbands against Japanese women. “From now on, I will cooperate with Mr. Chiang in raising our children,” Ai Fukuhara said at a news conference announcing that she and former husband Chiang Hung-chieh had reached an agreement on their son’s custody.

AP Week in Pictures: Asia

March 8-14, 2024 Muslims in Indonesia and Indian-controlled Kashmir prayed at mosques to mark the holy month of Ramadan. China’s annual political meetings closed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Philippine activists marched on International Women’s Day. 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

Biden opposes plan to sell US Steel to a Japanese firm, citing the need for ‘American steel workers’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden came out in opposition to the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, saying on Thursday that the U.S. needs to “maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers.” In a statement, Biden added: “U.S. Steel has been an iconic American steel company for more than a century, and it is vital for it to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated.” By opposing the merger, Biden has chosen to support unionized workers in a critical election year at the risk of upsetting the business community and an essential ally in Japan.

A Japanese court says denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and calls for urgent change

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese high court ruled Thursday that denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and called for urgent government action to address the lack of any law allowing for such unions. Plaintiffs and the LGBTQ+ community in Japan cheered it as giving them hope for change toward equality. The court does not have the power to overturn the current marriage law, which has been interpreted to restrict marriage as between a man and a woman. Government offices may continue to deny marriage status to same-sex couples unless the existing law is revised to include LGBTQ+ couples or a new law is enacted that allows for other types of unions.