Top Asian News 1:35 a.m. GMT

The Lunar New Year of the Dragon flames colorful festivities across Asian nations and communities

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — With fireworks, feasts and red envelopes stuffed with cash for the kids, numerous Asian nations and overseas communities have welcomed Saturday the Lunar New Year. It begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends 15 days later on the first full moon. The dates of the holiday vary slightly each year, falling between late January and mid-February as it is based on the cycles of the moon, Festivities to mark the Year of the Dragon in Taiwan were marked by appearances by newly elected president Lai Ching-te and the speaker of the Legislature, Han Kuo-yu, who represents the opposition Nationalist Party that favors political unification with China.

Pakistan hits back at criticism of election conduct and insists cellphone curbs were necessary

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan on Saturday hit back at criticism over the conduct of its parliamentary elections, which were held amid sporadic militant attacks and an unprecedented stoppage of all mobile phone services. The strongly worded reaction from the Foreign Ministry insisted the vote was peaceful and successful. The U.S. State Department said that Thursday’s vote was held under undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly. The European Union has also said it regrets the lack of a level playing field due to the inability of some political actors to contest the elections. The ministry said it was surprised by “the negative tone of some of these statements, which neither take into account the complexity of the electoral process, nor acknowledge the free and enthusiastic exercise of the right to vote by tens of millions of Pakistanis”.

As Indonesia goes to the polls, women and minority candidates face challenges

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — With a broad smile on his face, Jakarta city council candidate Rian Ernest answers almost every question about his faith with the same line. “I’m Christian, but my wife and children are Muslims, so pray for me to get the guidance,” Ernest said. Ernest is one of thousands of candidates facing the contradictions of seeking office as a member of a minority in the world’s third-largest democracy, which is holding national elections on Wednesday. Elections in the country often reveal a tension between pluralism and the power of conservatives from its Muslim majority. Nearly 90% of Indonesia’s 277 million people are Muslims.

Indonesians join the final campaign events before the presidential election

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The three candidates in Indonesia’s presidential election held their final campaign events in front of tens of thousands of people on Saturday, four days before more than 200 million citizens cast their votes in the world’s third-largest democracy. The frontrunner, former special forces general Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, 36-year-old Surakarta mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, held their final rally at a Jakarta stadium. “On Feb. 14, we will all determine the future of our children and grandchildren. ... We strive to bring prosperity to all Indonesian people. We will continue what has been built by previous presidents,” Subianto said.

AP PHOTOS: Asia welcomes Lunar New Year of the Dragon with temple visits and celebrations

People across Asia welcomed the Lunar New Year on Saturday with family gatherings, festivals and temple visits to ask for blessings. The Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China, a time for reunions with relatives and friends and to enjoy festive feasts. Each year is named after one of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, with this year being the Year of the Dragon — widely considered the most auspicious zodiac sign in Chinese communities. The Year of the Dragon is also a popular year to give birth for Chinese because many couples hope their children will possess remarkable qualities symbolized by dragons, including strength, power and success.

Delays, deals, nepo babies, trends and vote rigging: Five takeaways from Pakistan’s elections

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan held parliamentary election l ast Thursday, with 44 parties fighting for a share of 266 seats in the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament. A further 70 seats have been reserved for minorities and women. If no party wins a majority of 169 seats, the one with the biggest share can form a coalition government. The vote was overshadowed by violence, an unprecedented national shutdown of all mobile phone services and allegations of vote rigging. Here are the five main takeaways from the election. DELAYS, DELAYS, DELAYS The national mobile shutdown was aimed at maintaining law and order following several attacks, but it was also responsible for a delay in the communication of results, according to authorities.

Taylor Swift reaches LAX in journey from Tokyo to Super Bowl, online sleuths say. Will she make it?

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will she make it in time? Intrepid flight trackers online seem to think so. On social media, fans of Taylor Swift and aviation journalists believe they’ve identified Swift’s private jet, labeled “The Football Era.” It arrived from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Los Angeles’ LAX airport just after 3:30 p.m. local time. Her transportation plans onward to Las Vegas, where her boyfriend, NFL star tight end Travis Kelce, will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl, have yet to be revealed. Representatives for Swift and VistaJet, the world’s only global private aviation company, did not immediately respond to AP’s request for comment.

Facing setbacks against resistance forces, Myanmar’s military government activates conscription law

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government on Saturday activated for the first time a decade-old conscription law that makes young men and women subject to at least two years of military service if called up, effective immediately. The announcement of the measure on state television amounts to a major, though tacit, admission that the army is struggling to contain the nationwide armed resistance against its rule. Under the 2010 People’s Military Service Law, passed under a previous military government, males between the ages of 18 and 45 and females between 18 and 35 can be drafted into the armed forces for two years, extendable to five years during national emergencies.

Indonesian presidential vote highlights tradeoffs between fast growth and a healthy environment

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A presidential election in Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, is highlighting choices to be made as the country seeks to profit from its rich reserves of nickel and other resources that are vital to the global transition away from fossil fuels. President Joko Widodo capitalized on Indonesia’s abundant nickel, coal, oil and gas reserves as he led Southeast Asia’s biggest economy through a decade of rapid growth and modernization that vastly expanded the country’s networks of roads and railways. Increasingly, voters are demanding that the men vying to succeed him address the tradeoffs between fast growth and a healthy environment in the world’s fourth most populated country.

Malaysia’s top court invalidates state’s Islam-based laws on incest, sodomy and other offenses

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s top court on Friday struck down Shariah-based criminal laws in an opposition-run state, saying they encroached on federal authority. Islamists denounced the decision and said it could undermine religious courts across the Muslim-majority nation. In an 8-1 ruling, the nine-member Federal Court panel invalidated 16 laws created by the Kelantan state government, which imposed punishments rooted in Islam for offenses that included sodomy, sexual harassment, incest, cross-dressing and destroying or defiling places of worship. The court said that the state could not make Islamic laws on those topics because they are covered by Malaysian federal law.