Top Asian News 4:32 a.m. GMT

Why tens of thousands of Indian farmers are protesting again

NEW DELHI (AP) — Tens of thousands of Indian farmers are protesting for guaranteed crop prices, renewing a movement that succeeded in getting contentious new agricultural laws repealed in 2021. Earlier this week, they began marching toward New Delhi, but their efforts so far have been blocked by authorities, who have used tear gas, detained a number of farmers and heavily barricaded entry points into the capital. Talks between the farmers and government ministers have failed to reach a breakthrough after three rounds and they have agreed to continue their discussions this weekend. Meanwhile, some farmer and trade unions plan a countrywide rural strike on Friday.

Families of Indonesian activists tortured by soldiers 25 years ago shocked at general’s election win

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Families of Indonesian activists who were kidnapped and tortured by the military 25 years ago demanded justice in a protest Thursday and expressed shock over the apparent presidential victory of Prabowo Subianto, who they blamed for the atrocities. Currently the defense minister under outgoing President Jokowi Widodo, Subianto claimed victory in the presidential election on Wednesday, based on unofficial tallies showing he won by a big margin. Subianto, 72, was a top general and commander of the army’s special forces, called Kopassus. They were blamed for human rights abuses including the torture of 22 activists who had opposed Suharto, the authoritarian leader whose 1998 downfall amid massive protests restored democracy in Indonesia.

Who is Prabowo Subianto, the former general who’s Indonesia’s next president?

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A wealthy ex-general with ties to both Indonesia’s popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past looks set to be its next leader. He’s promised to continue the outgoing president’s widely popular policies, but his human rights record has activists and some analysts concerned about the future of Indonesia’s democracy. Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto presented himself as heir to the immensely popular President Joko Widodo, vowing to continue the modernization agenda that’s brought rapid growth and vaunted Indonesia into the ranks of middle-income countries. “We should not be arrogant. We should not be proud,” Subianto said in a speech broadcast on national television from a sports stadium on the night of the election.

‘Our gods were locked in the basement.’ Now Nepal is pursuing sacred items once smuggled abroad

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s gods and goddess are returning home. An unknown number of sacred statues of Hindu deities were stolen and smuggled abroad in the past. Now dozens are being repatriated to the Himalayan nation, part of a growing global effort to return such items to countries in Asia, Africa and elsewhere. Last month, four idols and masks of Hindu gods were returned to Nepal from the United States by museums and a private collector. Among them was a 16th century statue of Uma-Maheswora, an avatar of the gods Shiva and Parvati, that was stolen four decades ago. It was not clear who took it or how it ended up at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, which handed it over to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

AP Week in Pictures: Asia

Feb. 9-15, 2024 Indonesian voters chose a new president. Farmers marched to India’s capital asking for a guaranteed minimum support price for all farm produce. People celebrated the Lunar New Year and the start of the Chinese year of the dragon. This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images in the Asia-Pacific region made or published by The Associated Press in the past week. The selection was curated by AP photo editor Shuji Kajiyama in Tokyo. ___ Follow AP visual journalism: AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews AP Images on X: http://twitter.com/AP_Images

Japan slips into a recession and loses its spot as the world’s third-largest economy

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s economy is now the world’s fourth-largest after it contracted in the last quarter of 2023 and fell behind Germany. The government reported the economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.4% in October to December, according to Cabinet Office data on real GDP released Thursday, though it grew 1.9% for all of 2023. It contracted 2.9% in July-September. Two straight quarters of contraction are considered an indicator an economy is in a technical recession. Japan’s economy was the second largest until 2010, when it was overtaken by China’s. Japan’s nominal GDP totaled $4.2 trillion last year, while Germany’s was $4.4 trillion, or $4.5 trillion, depending on the currency conversion.

India’s top court strikes down system for anonymous political donations ahead of national elections

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top court on Thursday struck down a controversial election funding system that allowed individuals and companies to send unlimited donations to political parties without the need to disclose donor identity, a system critics have long said is undemocratic and favored Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party. A five-judge constitution bench on the Supreme Court ruled that “electoral bonds” are unconstitutional and violate citizens’ right to information held by the government. It ordered the government-owned State Bank of India to stop issuing these bonds and provide details of donations made through them to the Election Commission of India.

At least 11 dead and 4 injured in massive fire at paint factory in New Delhi

NEW DELHI (AP) — A massive fire swept through a paint factory in India’s capital, New Delhi, killing at least 11 people and leaving four others injured, news agency Press Trust of India reported. Fire officials said that the blaze started late Thursday on the ground floor of the factory, trapping the victims on the floors above with no way out. The building, which also houses a chemical warehouse, is located in the Alipur area in northern New Delhi. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. The charred bodies of the 11 victims were recovered from the rubble after 22 fire engines doused the flames after battling for more than five hours.

South Korea says opening diplomatic relations with Cuba would shock North Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s presidential office claimed Thursday that the country’s move to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba would deal a “political and psychological blow” to the South’s war-divided rival North Korea, whose diplomatic footing is largely dependent on a small number of Cold War allies. The comments followed an announcement by South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday night that it has agreed to open ambassador-level relations with Cuba following a meeting between their United Nations representatives in New York. With authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un embracing the idea of a “new Cold War,” North Korea has recently been boosting the visibility of its ties with Russia and China in an effort to break out of isolation and join a united front against Washington amid tensions over its nuclear weapons ambitions.

Proposing on Valentine’s Day, Albanese becomes Australia’s first leader to get engaged in office

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Anthony Albanese has become the first Australian prime minister to get engaged while in office, revealing Thursday that his partner accepted his marriage proposal on Valentine’s Day. He and Jodie Haydon, a financial services professional, have been together for three years. Albanese said he proposed on a balcony of his official residence, known as the Lodge, following a romantic dinner at an Italian restaurant. “She said yes,” Albanese posted with a love heart symbol on the X social media platform. The first-term prime minister said he had planned both the date and place of the proposal and even helped design Haydon’s diamond ring.