Top Asian News 3:41 a.m. GMT

Voting begins in the last round of India’s election, a referendum on Modi’s decade in power

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indians began voting Saturday in the last round of a six-week-long national election that is a referendum on Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decade in power. The election is considered one of the most consequential in India’s history. If Modi wins, he’ll be only the second Indian leader to retain power for a third term after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister. The seventh round of voting in 57 constituencies across seven states and one union territory will complete polling for all 543 seats in the powerful lower house of parliament. Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10% of the world’s population — were eligible to elect a new parliament for five years.

US defense secretary says war with China neither imminent nor unavoidable, stressing need for talks

SINGAPORE (AP) — United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a gathering of top security officials Saturday that war with China was neither imminent nor unavoidable, despite rapidly escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, stressing the importance of renewed dialogue between him and his Chinese counterpart in avoiding “miscalculations and misunderstandings.” Austin’s comments at the Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore came the day after he met for more than an hour on the sidelines with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, the first in-person meeting between the top defense officials since contacts between the American and Chinese militaries broke down in 2022 after then-U.S.

Modi touts India’s roaring economy as he seeks reelection, but many feel left behind

SAMASTIPUR, India (AP) — Narendra Modi swept to power a decade ago on promises to transform India’s economy, and it would be hard to argue he hasn’t made strides. As he seeks a third term as prime minister, the country’s economic growth is the envy of the world, its stock markets are booming, and new buildings and highways are popping up everywhere. There are cracks in the facade, though, that his political challengers hope to benefit from, including high unemployment, persistent poverty and the sense that only a small portion of India’s 1.4 billion people has been able to cash in on the good fortune.

A scorching heat wave kills 14 in India ahead of a final round of election voting on Saturday

PATNA, India (AP) — A blistering heat wave has killed at least 14 people, including 10 election officials, in eastern India with temperatures soaring up to 49.9 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the country this week, officials said Friday. The weeklong heat wave has forced schools to close at several places and raised the risk of heatstroke for outdoor laborers. A statement by the Bihar state government said 14 people have died in the state, including five in Bhojpur and three in Rohtas districts, with day temperatures rising to 44 Celsius (111 Fahrenheit). The heat wave came as hundreds of millions of Indians have been voting in a 6-week long general election, increasing health risks as they waited in long lines to cast their ballots.

15 years on, the Tamil survivors of Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war live in fear — and disempowerment

MULLAITIVU, Sri Lanka (AP) — At the site of a bloody battlefield that marked the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war, Singaram Soosaimuthu fishes every day with his son, casting nets and reeling them in. It is a skill he has known for much of his life — and one that he had to relearn after a devastating injury. The former Tamil fighter lost both legs in 2009 as the nation’s generation-long civil war drew to a close and the Tamils retreated in defeat. Making something of himself despite his injuries brought Soosaimuthu success — an achievement in which he finds profound meaning.

1 Malaysian climber dead, 1 rescued near the top of Denali, North America’s tallest mountain

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A climber from Malaysia who was stranded for three days near the top of North America’s tallest mountain following a summit push was rescued Friday, but his partner was dead, officials said. A third member of their team had been rescued this week after descending lower on Denali in Alaska. After days of cloudy, windy conditions, personnel from Denali National Park and Preserve on Friday morning were able to rescue the surviving climber at 19,600 feet (5,974 meters), where he and his partner had been holed up in a snow cave since late Tuesday, according to the park.

North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un supervised drills simulating preemptive attacks on South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised drills involving the firing of nuclear-capable multiple rocket launchers to show the country’s ability to carry out a preemptive attack on rival South Korea, state media reported Friday. North Korea has simulated nuclear strikes on South Korea numerous times, but the latest drills came after animosities on the Korean Peninsula rose over North Korea’s recent failed spy satellite launch. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency reported that the rocket firing drills were meant to demonstrate North Korea’s resolve not to hesitate in launching a preemptive strike on South Korea if threatened.

Papua New Guinea’s prime minister visits the site of a landslide estimated to have killed hundreds

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Papua New Guinea’s prime minister on Friday visited the site of a major landslide, which is estimated to have buried hundreds of villagers in the South Pacific island nation’s mountainous interior a week ago and left the ground too unstable for heavy earthmoving machines to help clear up the mess. James Marape told hundreds who had gathered near the devastated Yambali village that the list of governments and world leaders who had sent their condolences included the United States, China, India, France, Malaysia and the Czech Republic. First on the list was U.K. King Charles III, Papua New Guinea’s constitutional head of state.

US plans to impose new visa restrictions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials after security verdicts

HONG KONG (AP) — The United States on Friday expressed its deep concerns about the convictions of 14 pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong under a Beijing-imposed national security law, saying it’s taking steps to impose new visa restrictions on mainland Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for the implementation of the sweeping legislation. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called for the release of the detained activists a day after the United Kingdom made a similar appeal following the landmark verdicts on Thursday. “The defendants were subjected to a politically motivated prosecution and jailed simply for peacefully participating in political activities protected under the Basic Law of Hong Kong,” Miller said in a statement.

China says ‘hard to meet’ discussions on Russia-Ukraine war, citing problems with arrangements

BEIJING (AP) — China said Friday it would be “’hard to meet” calls for discussions on the Russia-Ukraine war, citing problems with arrangements that appear to point to Beijing’s strongly pro-Moscow stance. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that “China’s hopes appear to be hard to meet at the meeting. “There is still a clear gap between the arrangements for the meeting and the demands of the Chinese side, as well as the general expectations of the international community,” Mao said. Mao gave no details, but said that China has “informed parties concerned about our considerations and concerns.” and would keep in touch with all parties concerned.