Top Asian News 4:28 a.m. GMT

South Korea says North Korea fired several cruise missiles, adding to provocative weapons tests

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military said Sunday that North Korea fired several cruise missiles that flew over waters near a major military shipyard on the country’s eastern coast, extending a streak in weapons tests that are worsening tensions with the United States, South Korea and Japan. The launches followed a separate round of North Korean cruise missile tests last week and a Jan. 14 test-firing of the country’s first solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile. Those tests reflect North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s efforts to expand his arsenal of weapons designed to overwhelm missile defenses in South Korea and Japan and remote U.S.

Beijing steps up military pressure on Taiwan after the US and China announce talks

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China sent more than 30 warplanes and a group of navy ships toward Taiwan, the island’s defense ministry said Saturday. The military pressure comes on the heels of an announcement that senior American and Chinese representatives were expected to meet in the Thai capital as the two countries seek to cool tensions. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army sent 33 aircraft, including SU-30 fighters, and six navy vessels around Taiwan, between 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday. Of these, 13 warplanes crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait — an unofficial boundary that’s considered a buffer between the island and mainland.

Philippine troops kill 9 suspected Muslim militants, including 2 involved in Sunday Mass bombing

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine troops killed nine suspected Muslim militants in the volatile south, including two key suspects in a bomb attack last month that left four Christian worshippers dead, the army said Saturday. Four army scout rangers were slightly wounded in Thursday’s operation against the Dawlah Islamiyah, a small outfit aligned with the Islamic State group, in the hinterland village of Taporug near Piagapo town in Lanao del Sur province, army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala said. Army forces clashed with about 15 militants in a series of shootouts from Thursday to Friday after some villagers tipped off the military of their presence, Dema-ala, adding that the surviving militants escaped and were being pursued.

Tuvalu’s prime minister reportedly loses his seat in crucial elections on the Pacific island nation

SYDNEY (AP) — Prime Minister Kausea Natano reportedly lost his seat in parliament in elections on the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu. The election for the 16-seat parliament, which could have implications for China, Taiwan and Australia, saw eight newcomers win seats, according to Radio New Zealand. The report couldn’t be independently confirmed. Tuvalu, with just over 11,500 people, is one of the smallest nations in the world. But the election has gained international attention because Tuvalu, a British colony until 1978, is one of only 12 countries that have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that China claims as its territory.

Biden aide urges Bejing to press Iran over Houthi attacks. China warns US over Taiwan independence

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan pressed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during talks in Thailand to use China’s influence with Iran to ease tensions in the Middle East. The officials also agreed to work toward arranging a call between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The meetings Friday and Saturday in Bangkok, which followed up on the presidents’ discussions in November in California, took place after a ruling-party candidate opposed by Beijing won Taiwan’s recent presidential election and U.S. and Chinese military officials resumed a once-frozen dialogue. They played out as attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen continue to threaten global shipping in the Red Sea.

China orders a Japanese fishing boat to leave waters near Japan-held islands claimed by Beijing

BEIJING (AP) — China’s coast guard said Saturday its officers ordered a Japanese fishing vessel and several patrol ships to leave waters surrounding tiny Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea. It marked the latest incident pointing to lingering tensions between the sides. China says the islands belong to it and refuses to recognize Japan’s claim to the uninhabited chain known as the Senkakus in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. Taiwan also claims the islands, which it calls Diaoyutai, but has signed access agreements for its fishermen with Japan and does not actively take part in the dispute. Coast guard spokesperson Gan Yu said in a statement that the vessels “illegally entered” the waters, prompting its response.

Tensions simmering in the South China Sea and violence in Myanmar as Laos takes over ASEAN chair

BANGKOK (AP) — Simmering tensions in the South China Sea between China and several Southeast Asian nations now regularly spark direct confrontation. Fighting in Myanmar against the military government that seized power three years ago has grown to the point that most say the country is now in a civil war. Hopes were high that Indonesia might be able to make significant inroads on both issues during its 2023 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, using its clout as the bloc’s largest country, but little progress was made. Now Laos, the bloc’s poorest and one of its smallest countries, has taken over the rotating chair.

Liquefied Natural Gas: What to know about LNG and Biden’s decision to delay gas export proposals

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Friday it is delaying consideration of new natural gas export terminals i n the United States, even as gas shipments to Europe and Asia have soared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision by President Joe Biden, announced as the 2024 presidential election year kicks off, aligns the Democratic president with environmentalists who fear the huge increase in exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is locking in potentially catastrophic planet-warming emissions when Biden has pledged to cut climate pollution in half by 2030. Industry groups and Republicans condemned the pause as a “win for Russia,” while environmentalists cheered it as a way to address climate change and counter Biden’s approval of the huge Willow oil project in Alaska last year.

Australians protest British colonization on a national holiday some mark as ‘Invasion Day’

SYDNEY (AP) — Thousands of Australians protested the anniversary of British colonization of their country with large crowds Friday urging for Australia Day to be moved and for a day of mourning on the holiday some call “Invasion Day.” The holiday marks the arrival of 11 British ships carrying convicts at Port Jackson in present-day Sydney on Jan. 26, 1788. For many activists, the day marked the beginning of a sustained period of discrimination and expulsion of Indigenous people from their land without a treaty. Thousands of people, many of whom waved Indigenous flags, rallied in front of the Victoria state parliament in Melbourne, calling for an official day of mourning to be declared across Australia.

French President Macron joins India’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guest

NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of people lined a ceremonial boulevard in the heart of India’s capital on Friday to watch a colorful parade showcasing the country’s military power and cultural heritage to mark its 75th Republic Day. French President Emmanuel Macron attended the parade as the chief guest at the celebration of the adoption of the country’s Constitution on Jan. 26, 1950, following India’s independence from British colonial rule. Indian President Draupadi Murmu escorted Macron in a ceremonial British-era horse-drawn carriage from the nearby president’s palace to the viewing stand. It was the first time the carriage has been used at the parade since it was abandoned by the government 40 years ago in favor of an automobile.