Top Asian News 4:48 a.m. GMT

South Koreans turn funeral wreaths and K-pop light sticks into political protest tools

SEOUL (AP) — South Koreans are repurposing flower wreaths and K-pop light sticks as political protest tools amid the nation’s deepest political crisis in decades, sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration in December. Hundreds of wreaths, predominantly directed at Yoon himself, have been sent to his residence and government buildings connected to the impeachment proceedings, with some targeting other officials involved in the martial law controversy. Local media estimate the number of wreaths delivered to government offices as several thousand. While many wreaths carry moderate messages supporting Yoon or opposing impeachment, several contain extreme rhetoric directed at recipients.

The CIA believes COVID most likely originated from a lab but has low confidence in its own finding

WASHINGTON (AP) — The CIA now believes the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory, according to an assessment released Saturday that points the finger at China even while acknowledging that the spy agency has “low confidence” in its own conclusion. The finding is not the result of any new intelligence, and the report was completed at the behest of the Biden administration and former CIA Director William Burns. It was declassified and released Saturday on the orders of President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency, John Ratcliffe, who was sworn in Thursday as director.

Australians celebrate and protest the anniversary of British colonization

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australians celebrated and protested across the country on Sunday as Australia Day drew attention to political differences over Indigenous rights months out from a federal election. Australia Day marks a British colony being established at Sydney Cove on Jan. 26, 1788, which eventually led to Britain claiming the entire country without a treaty with its Indigenous inhabitants. Indigenous rights advocates call Jan. 26 “Invasion Day” and protest rallies have been held in major cities. Many argue that Australia’s national day should not commemorate such a divisive event. Australia Day is usually a public holiday and because it fell on a Sunday this year, Monday has been declared a holiday.

North Korea says it tested cruise missile system and vows ‘toughest’ response to US

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Sunday it tested a cruise missile system, its third known weapons display this year, and vowed “the toughest” response to what it called the escalation of U.S.-South Korean military drills that target the North. The moves suggested North Korea will likely maintain its run of weapons tests and its confrontational stance against the U.S. for now, even though President Donald Trump said he intends to reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim observed the test of sea-to-surface strategic cruise guided weapons on Saturday.

Philippines accuses China’s forces of harassing fisheries vessels in the South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Chinese coast guard ships and a Chinese navy helicopter harassed a group of Philippine fisheries vessels conducting a scientific survey in a hotly disputed area of the South China Sea, forcing them to cancel the operation, the Philippine coast guard said Saturday. Beijing has repeatedly asserted sovereignty over most of the South China Sea and accused rival claimant states, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia of encroachment. China has demarcated its territorial claims with a 10 dashed-line printed on maps but has not provided the exact coordinates. The incident took place Friday near Sandy Cay, three small uninhabited sandbars flanked by an artificial island base of Chinese forces and a Philippines-occupied island in the Spratlys archipelago, the coast guard said.

Pakistani court sentences 4 people to death for blasphemy

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani court Saturday sentenced four people to death for blasphemy, allegedly because they posted sacrilegious material on social media about Islamic religious figures and the Quran. Their lawyer said appeal preparations are underway. Under the country’s blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or its religious figures can be sentenced to death. Authorities have yet to carry out such a penalty, although the accusation of blasphemy and opposition to the law can incite mob violence or reprisals. Judge Tariq Ayub in the city of Rawalpindi declared that blasphemy, disrespect to holy figures, and desecration of the Quran were unforgivable offenses and left no room for leniency.

Thai authorities seek to ease air pollution in capital by offering free public transport

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities have made travel by public transport in Bangkok free for a week starting Saturday, the latest tactic to try to tackle soaring levels of air pollution that have already seen hundreds of schools closed and employees working from home. The travel concession allows passengers to ride buses and elevated and underground electric trains in the capital without charge. Authorities hope the move will cut the number of private cars on the road, to reduce one key factor driving the surge in pollution. On Friday, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her concern in a statement on her Facebook page.

Taliban reject court move to arrest top officials for persecuting Afghan women and girls

The Taliban Friday rejected a court move to arrest two of their top officials for persecuting women, accusing the court of baseless accusations and misbehavior. The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced Thursday he had requested arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials, including the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Since they took back control of the country in 2021, the Taliban have barred women from jobs, most public spaces and education beyond sixth grade. A Foreign Ministry statement condemned the ICC request. The court was making baseless accusations against Afghanistan’s leadership at a time of peace in the country and people had “breathed a sigh of relief.” The ministry alleged the court had turned a blind eye to decades of war and crimes against humanity committed by foreign forces and their allies.

Indonesia showcases returned artifacts it had sought for decades from the Netherlands

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Centuries-old stone Buddha statues and precious jewelries repatriated by the Dutch government to its former colony are on display at Indonesia’s National Museum, providing a glimpse into the country’s rich heritage that the government had struggled to retrieve. The collection is part of more than 800 artifacts that were returned under a Repatriation Agreement signed in 2022 between Indonesia and the Netherlands, said Gunawan, the museum’s head of cultural heritage. The objects are not just those looted in conflict, but also seized by scientists and missionaries or smuggled by mercenaries during the four centuries of colonial rule.

North Korea prepares to send more troops to Russia after suffering casualties, South Korea says

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military said Friday it suspects North Korea is preparing to send additional troops to Russia after its soldiers fighting in the Russian-Ukraine war suffered heavy casualties. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff also assessed in a report distributed to journalists that North Korea is continuing its preparations to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile intended to reach the United States. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House may brighten Pyongyang’s prospects for high-level diplomacy with Washington, as he met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un three times during his first term. Many experts say Kim likely thinks his evolving nuclear program and expanding military cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin could give him a greater leverage than during his 2018-19 summits with Trump.