Top Asian News 3:01 p.m. GMT

Protesters demanding Imran Khan’s release march on Pakistan’s capital. At least 6 people are killed

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Supporters seeking the release of imprisoned Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan broke through a ring of shipping containers blocking off the capital on Tuesday, and battled security forces despite a government threat to respond with gunfire. Six people have died in the violence. Thousands of security forces have poured into central Islamabad in an attempt to quell protests in support of Khan that have gripped the capital and its surrounding areas since Sunday. The popular politician has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases that his party says are politically motivated.

A strong quake hits Japan’s Noto region but there’s no tsunami danger

TOKYO (AP) — A strong earthquake late Tuesday struck Japan’s north-central region of Noto that’s still recovering from a deadly quake early this year. There was no danger of a tsunami. The Japan Meteorological Agency said a magnitude 6.4 quake struck just off the western coast of the Noto Peninsula at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). It said there was no tsunami danger. USGS put the magnitude at 6.1. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region on Jan. 1, killing more than 370 people and damaging roads and other infrastructure.

Philippine president and vice president clash in a feud that’s testing an Asian democracy

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A major political storm set off by a bitter feud between the Philippine president and the vice president is testing an Asian democracy that has long been troubled by rowdy politics, poor law enforcement and bareface impunity. Just over two years ago, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte won in landslide electoral victories on a campaign battle cry of national unity. But their fragile alliance rapidly floundered over major differences, including their leanings toward either the United States or China, and Marcos’ rejection of the bloody crackdown on illegal drugs launched by his predecessor and Duterte’s father, Rodrigo Duterte.

A violent showdown in Pakistan’s capital pits the government against Imran Khan supporters

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Thousands of people are in the heart of Pakistan’s capital to demand the release of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan. He has been behind bars since August 2023 on charges that he and his supporters say are politically motivated. Authorities have deployed thousands of security personnel to seal off the city, suspended phone services, used tear gas and threatened to fire live rounds. It’s the second time in as many months that the government has shut down Islamabad and mobilized massive resources to contain Khan’s supporters. Here is what’s behind the turmoil: Cricket legend Khan can mobilize huge rallies and whip crowds into a frenzy with his claim that he was ousted from power in a conspiracy hatched by the U.S.

Rebel group takes key Myanmar border town and rare earth mining hub in setback for military regime

BANGKOK (AP) — A powerful rebel group has seized a key trading town in northeastern Myanmar on the Chinese border, taking control of a lucrative rare earth mining hub in another setback for the military-led government, according to witnesses. The apparent loss of Kanpaiti to the Kachin Independence Army leaves Myanmar’s military in control of only one town with a border crossing, Muse, and deprives it of potential profits from the mines that provide China with rare earth minerals critical for electric motors and wind turbines, as well as high-tech weapons and a broad range of electronics. Neither Col. Naw Bu, the KIA’s spokesperson, nor Thet Swe, spokesperson for the military, responded to multiple requests for comment, but several local media outlets reported that Kanpaiti fell last week.

Chinese warplanes track US Navy aircraft through the sensitive Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China deployed military aircraft and ships to track and monitor a U.S. Navy plane transiting the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, Beijing said, as the two nations continue to spar over self-ruled Taiwan. The U.S. Navy’s 7th fleet said in a statement a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew through the strait’s international space “in accordance with international law.” The transit upheld navigational rights for all nations and “demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it added. The U.S. is Taiwan’s most important supporter and arms provider, and American military ships and aircraft regularly transit the waterway separating China from self-ruled Taiwan.

Philippine investigators summon VP Duterte over her public threats against President Marcos

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine authorities handed a subpoena to Vice President Sara Duterte’s office Tuesday, inviting her to answer investigators’ questions after she publicly threatened to have the president, his wife and the House of Representatives speaker assassinated if she were killed in an unspecified plot herself. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday described her threat as a criminal plot and vowed to fight it and uphold the rule of law in the country in a looming showdown between the country’s two top leaders. The national police and the military expressed alarm and immediately boosted Marcos’s security. National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said the threats were a national security concern.

Indonesia seizes more than a ton of endangered pangolin scales said to be meant for Chinese clients

MEDAN, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities said Tuesday they have foiled a plot to smuggle more than a ton of endangered pangolin scales worth over a million dollars. The 1.2 tons of scales worth $1.3 million were found Nov. 11 in Asahan district of North Sumatra province and apparently were meant to be sent to China via Malaysia and Singapore, said Rasio Ridho Sani, director general of law enforcement at the environment ministry. Sani told a news conference that four suspects, including three army members, were found with some of the scales and will be charged with illegal possession of carcasses of protected animals.

Bangladeshi court denies bail to Hindu leader who led rallies for minority protection

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A prominent Bangladeshi Hindu leader who has been leading rallies demanding security for Hindus in the overwhelmingly Muslim nation was ordered detained on charges of sedition Tuesday. The magistrate court of Kazi Shariful Islam denied bail to Krishna Das Prabhu and ordered him detained pending further proceedings. As police attempted to transport the Hindu leader to jail, hundreds of his supporters surrounded the van carrying him, forcing it to stop for over an hour before security officials fired teargas to disperse the crowd. Protesters threw stones at police during a brief confrontation, before the way was cleared and Prabhu was taken to jail.

South Korean man convicted for deliberately gaining weight to evade military service

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean man has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for deliberately gaining more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) to evade a tougher role in the country’s military conscription system, a Seoul court said Tuesday. In South Korea, all able-bodied men must serve in the military for 18-21 months, but individuals with health issues can instead carry out their duties at non-military facilities such as welfare centers and community service centers. If their problems are serious, they are exempted from their military duties. The Seoul Eastern District Court said it sentenced the man to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the country’s military service act.