Top Asian News 3:58 a.m. GMT

India kicks off a massive Hindu festival touted as the world’s largest religious gathering

PRAYAGRAJ, India (AP) — Millions of Hindu devotees, mystics and holy men and women from all across India flocked to the northern city of Prayagraj on Monday to kickstart the Maha Kumbh festival, which is being touted as the world’s largest religious gathering. Over about the next six weeks, Hindu pilgrims with gather at the confluence of three sacred rivers — the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati — where they will take part in elaborate rituals, hoping to begin a journey to achieve Hindu philosophy’s ultimate goal: the release from the cycle of rebirth. Here’s what to know about the festival: Hindus venerate rivers, and none more so than the Ganges and the Yamuna.

North Korean troops in Ukraine gain battlefield experience, cementing alliance with Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — For weeks, Ukrainian troops braced for an unfamiliar enemy: North Korean soldiers sent to bolster Moscow’s forces after Ukraine launched a lightning-fast incursion and seized territory in Russia’s Kursk region over the summer. Their arrival marked a new and alarming phase in the war. And while initially inexperienced on the battlefield, North Korean troops have adapted quickly — a development that could have far-reaching consequences as they gain combat knowledge in the war against Ukraine. Unlike the Russian troops Ukraine has been battling for nearly three years, Kyiv’s forces were uncertain about what to expect from this new adversary, drawn into the war after Moscow and Pyongyang signed an agreement pledging military assistance using “all means” if either were attacked.

The rate of HMPV infections in northern China is declining, Chinese health official says

BEIJING (AP) — The rate of infections with the flu-like human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in northern China is declining, a health official said Sunday, amid some international concern over a potential pandemic. HMPV, which belongs to the same family as the respiratory syncytial virus, causes flu or cold-like symptoms including fever, cough and nasal congestion. The symptoms often clear up by themselves, though they can cause lower respiratory tract infections among children, older adults and those immunocompromised. “The human metapneumovirus is not a new virus, and has been with humans for at least several decades,” said Wang Liping, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, during a press briefing by China’s National Health Commission.

China’s exports in December grew 10.7%, beating estimates amid uncertainty over trade tariffs

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s exports in December grew at a faster pace than expected, as factories rushed to fulfill orders amid uncertainty over trade tariffs that could be imposed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Exports in December grew 10.7% compared to the same period last year, beating estimates of about 7%. Imports also beat estimates, growing 1%. Analysts expected imports to shrink about 1.5% compared to the same period last year. Trump has pledged to impose 10% tariffs on Chinese goods and close some loopholes that exporters currently use to sell their products more cheaply in the U.S. If enacted, his plans would likely raise prices in America and squeeze sales and profit margins for Chinese exporters.

Uyghurs detained in Thailand say they face deportation and persecution in China

BANGKOK (AP) — A group of Uyghur men who were detained in Thailand over a decade ago say that the Thai government is preparing to deport them to China, alarming activists and family members who say the men are at risk of abuse and torture if they are sent back. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, 43 Uyghur men held in Bangkok made a public appeal to halt what they called an imminent threat of deportation. “We could be imprisoned, and we might even lose our lives,” the letter said. “We urgently appeal to all international organizations and countries concerned with human rights to intervene immediately to save us from this tragic fate before it is too late.” The Uyghurs are a Turkic, majority Muslim ethnicity native to China’s far west Xinjiang region.

Black boxes from South Korea plane crash failed to record final 4 minutes, officials say

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The black boxes of a Boeing jetliner that crashed in South Korea last month stopped recording about four minutes before the accident, South Korean officials said Saturday, possibly complicating investigations into the cause of the disaster that killed 179 people. After analyzing the devices, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board concluded that both the flight data and cockpit voice recorders stopped working about four minutes before the crash, the South Korean Transportation Ministry said. The Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air skidded off a runway in the South Korean town of Muan on Dec. 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames, killing all but two of the 181 people on board.

China and the UK restart economic and financial talks after a 6-year hiatus

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China and Britain restarted economic and financial talks on Saturday after a six-year hiatus during a visit by Britain’s Treasury chief to Beijing, as the U.K.’s Labour government seeks to reset strained ties with the world’s second-largest economy. Accompanied by a delegation of British business executives and finance officials, Chancellor Rachel Reeves met with Chinese leaders, including Vice Premier He Lifeng and Vice President Han Zheng. Reeves emphasized the need for a “stable, pragmatic” U.K.-China relationship as she wrapped up talks in Beijing. “Our two countries can work together on areas of mutual interest in the interests of our citizens, whilst also being frank and open with each other when we disagree,” she said.

Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s forces have captured two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Russia’s Kursk border region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday, the first such claim by Kyiv since North Korea sent thousands of troops to shore up Moscow’s war effort on the other side of the world. Zelenskyy made the comments days after Ukraine, facing a slow Russian onslaught in the east, began pressing new attacks in Kursk to retain ground captured in a lightning incursion in August — the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II. Moscow’s counterattack has left Ukrainian forces outstretched and demoralized, killing and wounding thousands and retaking more than 40% of the 984 square kilometers (380 square miles) of Kursk Ukraine had seized.

AP PHOTOS: Warm clothing, hot pot and even ice cream bars feature at China’s ice capital

HARBIN, China (AP) — Faced with temperatures dipping to -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit), visitors to China’s wintertime resort city of Harbin often make a beeline for stalls selling padded clothing to augment their wardrobes. Oddly perhaps for some, frozen ice cream bars are also considered a key part of the visit. Each winter, the industrial city in China’s northeast turns into a magnet for those from China’s balmier regions wanting to experience the extreme cold and take in the sculptures built from ice blocks carved from the Songhua River, which freezes from late October to late March. “I searched for tips on the internet and am now wearing knitted wool pants and the thickest sweater possible,” said Jin Yiting, who was visiting with her parents from the financial hub of Shanghai, where a light jacket is usually sufficient winter garb.

Indonesia and Japan promise deeper defense and economic ties as regional tensions spike

BOGOR, Indonesia (AP) — Japan and Indonesia pledged on Saturday to deepen economic and defense ties during a visit by the Japanese prime minister, seen as promoting regional cooperation as China flexes its muscle and Donald Trump prepares to take over as the next U.S. president. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba arrived in Jakarta on Friday from Kuala Lumpur after meeting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He said he hopes to meet Trump at the earliest possible timing after his Jan. 20 inauguration, and plans to convey the importance of engaging with the region. “I don’t know how much interest Mr. Trump has in this region until I actually talk with him,” Ishiba told reporters.