Top Asian News 4:46 a.m. GMT

Ex-defense chief in South Korea tried to kill himself after being arrested over martial law case

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s previous defense minister was stopped from attempting suicide while in detention over last week’s martial law, officials said, as police were trying to search President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office Wednesday in their intensifying investigation. The main liberal opposition Democratic Party also plans to submit a new motion to impeach Yoon for his Dec. 3 declaration that imposed martial law in South Korea for the first time in more than 40 years. Its first impeachment attempt against Yoon last Saturday failed, with ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote. Yoon’s ill-conceived power grab has paralyzed South Korean politics, frozen its foreign policy and rattled financial markets, greatly reducing his chances of completing his five-year term and casting a turbulent shadow over one of Asia’s most robust democracies.

Japanese survivor of atomic bomb recalls its horrors in Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech

OSLO, Norway (AP) — A 92-year-old Japanese man who lived through the American atomic bombing of Nagasaki described on Tuesday the agony he witnessed in 1945, including the charred corpses of his loved ones and the ruins of his city, as he accepted this year’s Nobel Peace Prize on his organization’s behalf. The prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of Japanese atomic bombing survivors who have worked for nearly 70 years to maintain a taboo around the use of nuclear weapons. The weapons have grown exponentially in power and number since being used for the first and only time in warfare by the United States on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945.

Vandals burn a car and spray graffiti in latest antisemitic attack in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Vandals torched a car and sprayed graffiti with anti-Israel slogans including an apparently misspelled “Kill Israiel” on Wednesday in a Sydney suburb that is home to Australia’s largest Jewish community. Officials condemned the attack as antisemitic. The incident in the eastern suburb of Woollahra came after federal police this week established a task force to investigate increasing antisemitic crimes across the country. Police were searching for two male suspects, aged between 15 and 20, who were seen running from the scene of the attack, wearing face masks, or balaclavas, and dark clothing, New South Wales state Police Commissioner Karen Webb said.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry says a large Chinese military force has been detected near island

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China’s secretive military appears to be up to something around Taiwan, but it’s unclear whether it’s a formal military drill. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it has detected a dozen Chinese naval ships and 47 military planes in the past 24 hours but no live-fire activity as in previous military exercises. The deployment covers a wider area this time, with additional ships going beyond Taiwan into other parts of the Pacific, defense officials said at a news conference. Lt. Gen. Hsieh Jih-sheng said China’s navy is creating two walls — one at Taiwan’s perimeter and another outside the first island chain, which extends south from Japan and through Taiwan to the Philippines.

Former chairman of state-owned bank China Everbright Group jailed for 12 years for corruption

BEIJING (AP) — A former chairman of the state-owned bank China Everbright Group was jailed 12 years for embezzlement and bribery, official broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday. Tang Shuangning, who had also held senior posts at the People’s Bank of China and the China Banking Regulatory Commission, was arrested in January, part of a wider wave of prosecutions of senior officials accused of financial crimes. A court in the city of Tangshan, about 100 miles (160 kms) east of Beijing, found him guilty of taking advantage of his position at the state-owned bank in “seeking convenience for others” in jobs and loans, in exchange for illegal payments.

AP PHOTOS: In India’s northeast, Nagas showcase traditional culture at Hornbill Festival

KOHIMA, India (AP) — The men were dressed like warriors as they stabbed their spears in the air, reenacting a form of tribal warfare their ancestors used in battles. Many others, wearing tribal costumes, sang and danced, keeping alive customs that have passed down through generations. These were among the scenes at the 10-day Hornbill Festival in Kohima, the capital of India’s remote Nagaland state, which borders Myanmar. Nagaland, which was a frontier during World War II and where Allied troops fought against the Japanese, is home to Nagas, an Indigenous people who inhabit several northeastern Indian states. The festival, which ended Tuesday, brought together a collection of traditional arts, cuisine and folklore, spotlighting the diverse Naga heritage.

Greyhound racing is increasingly rare worldwide. New Zealand now plans to outlaw the practice

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand plans to outlaw greyhound racing because too many dogs are hurt or killed, the government said Tuesday, spelling an end to the practice in one of the few countries where it still operates. The racing of greyhounds as a betting sport was wildly popular at times last century. But the number of dogs euthanized due to race-day injuries, or because homes cannot be found for them after their short careers end, has provoked animal welfare campaigns and growing public distaste for the sport. Commercial greyhound racing continues in the United States, Australia, the U.K.

Pakistan’s military court indicts a former spy chief for abuse of power

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A retired Pakistani army general who served as the spy chief in the government of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been indicted by a military court over charges of indulging in politics, violating the Official Secrets Act and misusing his authority, the military said Tuesday. The move comes three months after the military announced the arrest of Faiz Hamid following an investigation into allegations relating to a private company, called the Top City. Hameed is also accused of causing financial loss to the company, which was developing land near Islamabad for a private housing project. He became the head of ISI, in June 2019 when Khan approved his appointment.

Hundreds protest in New Delhi against reported attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

NEW DELHI (AP) — Hundreds of protesters rallied near the Bangladesh diplomatic mission in the Indian capital on Tuesday, pressing for an end to reported attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh after former premier Sheikh Hasina fled into exile in India in August. The protesters demanded an intervention by the United Nations, carrying banners and placards that criticized the world body for not doing more to address the problems in Bangladesh. They also rejected claims by interim government officials in Bangladesh that the targeting of minorities was an internal matter. “It’s a very serious attack, a very sustained attack on the lives of the (Hindu) minority,” said Veena Sikri, a former Indian ambassador to Bangladesh.

AP photos from Asia in 2024 show changes in government, natural disasters and moments of joy

Dozens of Rohingya refugees stood huddled on the remains of a ship days after it capsized at sea, seeing the Indonesian coast guard vessel that was approaching for a miraculous rescue. An Associated Press photographer was on deck to capture the moment, as others were at scenes of political turmoil, sudden tragedy and age-old traditions that played out across Asia in 2024. AP photojournalists witnessed mass movements across Asia change governments, from student protests in Bangladesh that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country, to Korean lawmakers and citizens gathering at the National Assembly to reject President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law.