Top Asian News 3:36 a.m. GMT

Trash dropped by a North Korean balloon falls on South Korea’s presidential compound

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Trash from at least one North Korean balloon fell on the South Korean presidential compound Wednesday, raising worries about the security of key South Korean facilities from North Korean provocations. The rubbish that fell on the ground at the compound in central Seoul contained no dangerous material and no one was hurt, South Korea’s presidential security service said in a statement. But experts say South Korea needs to shoot incoming North Korean balloons at border areas next time, as it’s not clear whether North Korea would put in hazardous items in future campaigns. North Korea’s latest balloon launches came days after South Korea boosted its frontline broadcasts of K-pop songs and propaganda messages across the rivals’ heavily armed border.

Taiwan prepares for a strong typhoon that worsened monsoon rains in the Philippines, killing 12

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan shuttered offices, schools and tourist sites across the island Wednesday ahead of a powerful typhoon that already worsened seasonal rains in the Philippines, killed at least 12 people and displaced 600,000. Typhoon Gaemi’s outer skirt was bringing heavy rain to much of Taiwan, where a direct landfall was expected Wednesday evening in the northern county of Ylan. Fishing boats were recalled to port amid turbulent seas, while air travelers were rushing to board overseas flights before the storm arrives, amid numerous cancellations. On Wednesday morning, the typhoon was east of Taiwan moving at 13 kilometers (8 miles) per hour with maximum sustained wind speeds of 162 kilometers (100 miles) per hour, gusting at 198 kilometers (123 miles) per hour, the Central Weather Administration said.

As Harris eyes US presidency, reaction in her mother’s native India is muted but tinged with pride

NEW DELHI (AP) — When Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president in the U.S., residents in her maternal family’s ancestral village in southern India watched in real time, setting off fireworks, holding up portraits of her and wishing her a long life. But, four years later, as she works to become the Democratic nominee for president after President Joe Biden ended his campaign, reaction across the country has been more muted. While some residents in the capital, New Delhi, expressed pride when asked about her this week, a handful wondered who she was. At least partially, that could reflect how Harris — who is also Black, with a father born in Jamaica — has treated her origins.

India’s Modi focuses on jobs creation in first budget after winning polls

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s newly formed government presented an annual budget to Parliament that raises spending to generate more jobs and spur economic growth, while aiming to appease coalition partners it needs to stay in power. In her budget speech Tuesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is focused on driving domestic growth through jobs, training and small businesses. India’s inflation rate is stable and moving toward the government’s 4% target, she said, while the economy grew at a sizzling 8.2% rate in the last fiscal year. “India’s economic growth continues to be the shining exception and will remain so in the years ahead,” Sitharaman said.

Rivals Hamas and Fatah sign a declaration to form a future government as war rages in Gaza

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah agreed in Beijing to form a government together, the groups said Tuesday, in the latest attempt at resolving a longstanding rivalry that looms over any potential vision for the rule of Gaza after the war with Israel. Previous similar declarations have failed, raising doubts about whether the China-sponsored negotiations might lead to reconciliation between Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip for 17 years, and Fatah, the main force in the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority that administers parts of the occupied West Bank. The two groups issued a joint statement announcing the deal but gave no details on how or when the government would be formed, saying only that it would be done “by agreement among the factions.” Both sides said the accord, which provided no guarantees, was only an initial step, and they promised to follow up on previous reconciliation agreements signed in 2011 and 2022.

Belarus’ foreign minister arrives in North Korea for talks expected to focus on Russia cooperation

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Belarus’ foreign minister arrived in North Korea on Tuesday as experts predicted that he and North Korean officials would discuss forming a trilateral anti-Western front also involving Russia. Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov flew to Pyongyang from Beijing and was greeted by North Korean officials including Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu, according to video shot by Associated Press Television News. During his stay in North Korea, Ryzhenkov is expected to meet North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui and other senior officials. South Korean officials said Ryzhenkov is Belarus’ first foreign minister to travel to North Korea.

Malaysia evacuates 123 citizens from violence-hit Bangladesh

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia evacuated 123 of its citizens from Bangladesh on Tuesday in response to violent unrest that has killed dozens of people. Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution greeted the evacuees, including 80 students, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after they landed on a chartered AirAsia plane. More than 50 Malaysians opted to stay in the country due to work or study, officials said. A controversial system for allocating government jobs has triggered violent protests in Bangladesh, with clashes between police and mainly student protesters killing more than 100 people, according to local media. There was apparent calm after Bangladesh top court scaled back the quota in a ruling issued Sunday.

Kamala Harris is preparing to lead Democrats in 2024. There are lessons from her 2020 bid

ATLANTA (AP) — Kamala Harris was greeted by a massive, cheering crowd during the first rally of her newly announced presidential campaign in 2019. Speaking on a late January day outside city hall in her hometown of Oakland, California, she framed her bid as part of something bigger than simply winning an election. “We are here at this moment in time because we must answer a fundamental question,” Harris said, invoking Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 call for “moral leadership.” “Who are we as Americans?” The early days of Harris’ campaign were wrapped in historical significance. She formally launched her bid on Martin Luther King Jr.

Philippine president orders shutdown of Chinese-run online gambling industry employing thousands

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday ordered an immediate ban on widespread and mostly Chinese-run online gaming operations, accusing them of venturing into crimes, including financial scams, human trafficking, torture, kidnappings and murder. His move to ban the Chinese-run online gambling outfits — estimated to number more than 400 across the Philippines and employing tens of thousands of Chinese and Southeast Asian nationals— came amid a crackdown backed by Beijing. That has led to the shutdown of several sprawling complexes where authorities suspect thousands of Chinese, Vietnamese and other nationals mostly from Southeast Asia have been illegally recruited and forced to work in dismal conditions.

Internet is still down in Bangladesh despite apparent calm following deadly protests

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh remained without internet for a fifth day and the government declared a public holiday Monday, as authorities maintained tight control despite apparent calm following a court order that scaled back a controversial system for allocating government jobs that sparked violent protests. This comes after a curfew with a shoot-on-sight order was installed days earlier and military personnel could be seen patrolling the capital and other areas. The South Asian country witnessed clashes between the police and mainly student protesters demanding an end to a quota that reserved 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971.