Top Asian News 4:58 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.

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. The Chinese coast guard and navy’s harassment of the Philippine vessels took place Friday near Sandy Cay, three small uninhabited sandbars planked by an artificial island base of Chinese forces and a Philippines-occupied island in the Spratlys archipelago, the coast guard said. The coast guard ships approached two larger vessels, which maneuvered to avoid a collision, and a Chinese navy helicopter flew low over two smaller boats deployed by the ships, forcing the survey to be called off.

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.

Fighting in Sudan’s civil war sets ablaze the country’s largest oil refinery, satellite photos show

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Fighting around Sudan ‘s largest oil refinery set the sprawling complex ablaze, satellite data analyzed by The Associated Press on Saturday shows, sending thick, black polluted smoke over the country’s capital. The attacks around the refinery, owned by Sudan’s government and the state-run China National Petroleum Corp., represent the latest woe in a civil war between the rebel Rapid Support Force and Sudan’s military, who blamed each other for the blaze. International mediation attempts and pressure tactics, including a U.S. assessment that the RSF and its proxies are committing genocide, have not halted the fighting.

Philippines launches comic book to counter China’s ‘disinformation’ in the disputed South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines launched a comic book on Friday to counter what the country says is China’s disinformation campaign to push its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea. The 40-page comic book, titled “The Stories of Teacher Jun,” was unveiled by Philippine officials. It contains colorful caricatures of a Filipino teacher and his young students discussing the complex territorial disputes in simple terms and highlights the Philippine position. One fictional student in the book describes China as a bully and another says Beijing’s “behavior is outrageous.” “Chinese officials, along with state-sponsored media and individuals, continue to spread distorted and twisted narratives to malign our efforts and justify their unilateral claims,” national security adviser Eduardo Ano said in a speech at the book launching in Manila.

Afghan refugees urge Pakistan to ease visa regime after Trump pauses US resettlement programs

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghan refugees on Friday appealed to Pakistan’s premier to ease a visa regime on humanitarian grounds after President Donald Trump paused the U.S. refugee programs. Many Afghans whose visas have either expired or will expire soon fear arrest and deportation. “We don’t know exactly when the pause of the U.S. refugee program will be lifted, but we request Pakistan to extend our stay for at least six months after the expiry of our visas,” said Ahmad Shah, a member of the Afghan USRAP Refugees advocacy group. An estimated 20,000 Afghans are currently waiting in Pakistan to be approved for resettlement in the U.S.

Cambodia’s Cabinet approves draft law toughening penalties for denying Khmer Rouge atrocities

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s Cabinet on Friday approved a draft bill that will toughen penalties for anyone denying atrocities were carried out in the late 1970s under the rule of communist Khmer Rouge, whose brutal policies are blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people. The Cabinet office said the proposed law aims to prevent the recurrence of such events and to provide justice for victims of the Khmer Rouge. The seven-article bill, which needs approval by parliament before becoming law, calls for violation of its terms to be punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of $2,500 to $125,000.

Indonesia agrees to repatriate ailing French national who has spent almost 20 years on death row

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia signed a deal on Friday to repatriate an ailing French national who has been on death row since 2007 for alleged drug offenses. In 2015 Serge Atlaoui won a last-minute reprieve from being executed by a 13-member firing squad. The transfer agreement was signed remotely by Indonesia’s senior minister of law Yusril Ihza Mahendra and France’s Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin, and was witnessed by delegations from both countries in Jakarta and Paris. It came after Atlaoui, 61, made a last-ditch plea to be returned home last month. The father of four, who is reportedly suffering from cancer, wrote to the Indonesian government requesting to serve the rest of his sentence in France.