Top Asian News 3:48 a.m. GMT

Leaders of Russia and China meet at a Central Asian summit in a show of deepening cooperation

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met Wednesday for the second time in as many months as they visited Kazakhstan for a session of an international group founded to counter Western alliances. Putin and Xi last got together in May when the Kremlin leader visited Beijing to underscore their close partnership that opposes the U.S.-led democratic order and seeks to promote a more “multipolar” world. Now they’ll be holding meetings amid the annual session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization taking place Wednesday and Thursday in the Kazakh capital of Astana. A look at the summit: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region, Other members are Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Taiwan says it was warned by China to not interfere in the detention of Taiwanese boat crew

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan said Wednesday that China warned its coast guard against interfering in the detention of a Taiwanese fishing boat, in what was seen as Beijing’s latest attempt to assert its territorial claims in the Taiwan Strait. The incident comes as tensions have risen following the election of Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te, whose party rejects unification with the mainland, and an apparent threat by Beijing to execute supporters of Taiwanese independence. Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for China’s coast guard, said Wednesday that the Taiwanese fishing boat was detained on suspicion of illegal fishing. Liu said the boat violated a fishing moratorium in Chinese waters by trawling in a forbidden zone.

How did a religious gathering in India turn into a deadly stampede?

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — More than 120 people died Tuesday in a stampede after a large religious gathering in northern India, one of the deadliest such accidents in recent years. Authorities are investigating. The stampede among thousands of attendees is believed to have begun as the event, led by a Hindu guru known locally as Bhole Baba, was ending. Authorities believe massive overcrowding, insufficient exits, bad weather and other factors may have contributed to the high death toll. The event was held in a large tent in a village in Hathras district, located in Uttar Pradesh state, amid sweltering heat and high humidity.

New Zealand tourist killed in robbery attempt at Southern California mall

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 68-year-old tourist from New Zealand was struck and killed by a car during a botched robbery at an upscale mall in a popular Southern California beach city south of Los Angeles, police said. Violence broke out Tuesday afternoon at Newport Beach’s Fashion Island mall when two men, one with a gun, tried to rob a woman and her husband at a Barnes and Noble store, Newport Beach police Sgt. Steven Oberon said at a news conference. The woman was dragged into the street by one of the suspects and killed by a third man driving a white sedan, Oberon said, adding that the three men then fled in the sedan.

Japan’s top court orders government to compensate disabled people who were forcibly sterilized

TOKYO (AP) — In a landmark decision, Japan’s Supreme Court ordered the government Wednesday to pay suitable compensation to about a dozen victims who were forcibly sterilized under a now-defunct Eugenics Protection Law that was designed to eliminate offspring of people with disabilities. An estimated 25,000 people were sterilized between the 1950s and 1970s without consent to “prevent the birth of poor-quality descendants” under the law, described by plaintiffs’ lawyers as “the biggest human rights violation in the post-war era” in Japan. The court said the 1948 eugenics law was unconstitutional and rejected the government’s claim that the 20-year statute of limitations should prevent it from paying restitution.

‘Seven Samurai’ at 70: Kurosawa’s epic still moves like nothing else

NEW YORK (AP) — Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. But despite its age, the vitality and fleet-footed movement of Kurosawa’s epic is still breathtaking. To watch it again is to be swept along, all over again, by its flowing action and breadth of vision. Just as swiftly as Kambei Shimada (Takashi Shimura), the noble samurai leader of the seven, sprints this way and that in the climactic battle, “Seven Samurai” moves — man, does it move. It flies through rice fields and down wooded pathways. Kurosawa’s camera doesn’t anticipate where the action is running so much as chase headlong after it.

Jubilant Indian cricketers return home after winning the Twenty20 World Cup

NEW DELHI (AP) — Jubilant India cricketers have received a rousing welcome home from fans after winning the Twenty20 World Cup final in Barbados. India skipper Rohit Sharma held up the World Cup trophy after arriving at New Delhi International Airport early Thursday morning. Hundreds of supporters were gathered at the airport, many waving the national flag and chanting “India, India.” There were thousands more waiting to continue the celebrations, which started Saturday and were about to ramp up. Some of the players danced to drum beats when they reached their hotel. India pulled off a sensational seven-run win against South Africa in a gripping final last weekend, ending a drought in global International Cricket Council limited-overs competitions.

China is the runaway leader in generative AI patent applications followed by the US, the UN says

GENEVA (AP) — China has requested far more patents than any other country when it comes to generative AI, the U.N. intellectual property agency said Wednesday, with the United States a distant second. The technology, which offers the potential to boost efficiency and speed up scientific discoveries but also raises concerns about jobs and workers, was linked to about 54,000 inventions in the decade through 2023, the World Intellectual Property Organization reported. More than a quarter of those inventions emerged last year — a testament to the explosive growth and interest in the technology since generative AI vaulted into broad public consciousness in late 2022, WIPO said.

Turkmenistan and Iran sign deal to supply gas to Iraq. Iran will build pipeline to aid delivery

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan and Iran on Wednesday signed a contract for the delivery of 10 billion cubic meters a year of Turkmen gas that Iran will then ship on to Iraq. The deal was announced by Turkmenistan’s foreign ministry, which did not state the monetary worth of the contract. The ministry’s statement said Iranian companies will construct a new 125-kilometer (77-mile) pipeline to Iran to expand Turkmenistan’s delivery capacity. The ministry said Turkmenistan plans to increase its gas supplies to Iran to 40 billion cubic meters a year. Iraq last year faced disruptions in the supply of Iranian gas, which accounted for about 40% of its imports.

Japan issues new yen banknotes packed with 3D hologram technology to fight counterfeiting

TOKYO (AP) — Japan issued its first new banknotes in two decades Wednesday, yen packed with 3D hologram technology to fight counterfeiting. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida praised as historic the state-of-the-art anti-counterfeit traits of the new 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen and 1,000 yen bills. “I hope the people will like the new bills, and they will help energize the Japanese economy,” he told reporters at the Bank of Japan. While the new bills were released with fanfare, currency already in use will remain valid. In fact, people will still need older bills to use most vending machines and to pay bus fares, local media reported.