Top Asian News 1:20 a.m. GMT

South Koreans vote for new president in wake of Yoon’s ouster over martial law

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Millions of South Koreans are voting Tuesday for a new president in a snap election triggered by the ouster of Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who now faces an explosive trial on rebellion charges over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December. Pre-election surveys suggested Yoon’s liberal archrival, Lee Jae-myung, appeared headed for an easy win, riding on deep public frustration over the conservatives in the wake of Yoon’s martial law debacle. The main conservative candidate, Kim Moon Soo, has struggled to win over moderate, swing voters as his People Power Party remains in a quagmire of internal feuding over how to view Yoon’s actions.

South Korea holds a snap presidential election Tuesday. Here’s what to know

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — After months of political turmoil, South Korea will elect a new president this week to succeed conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted over his brief but shocking imposition of martial law. Surveys suggested liberal Lee Jae-myung is heavily favored to win Tuesday’s snap election, riding on a wave of public disappointment of Yoon’s martial law debacle in December. The main conservative candidate, Kim Moon Soo, wants a come-from-behind victory, but observers say his refusal to directly criticize Yoon made it difficult for him to narrow the gap with Lee. The winner will be sworn in as president on Wednesday without the typical two-month transition period.

Meet the candidates who hope to become South Korea’s president

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Months of a political drama in South Korea is drawing to a close with the country poised to elect a new president this week to succeed Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative leader who was toppled over his ill-fated imposition of martial law. Surveys show liberal Lee Jae-myung maintaining a solid lead over his main conservative rival Kim Moon Soo, who wants an upset victory. Whoever wins, the new president will forgo the usual two-month transition and serve one full, five-year term at a time when South Korea faces crucial challenges including a severe left-right political divide, the Trump administration’s tariff policy and North Korea’s expanding military partnership with Russia.

China says US moves on computer chips and student visas ‘seriously violate’ tariffs truce

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China criticized the U.S. on Monday over moves it alleged harmed Chinese interests, including issuing AI chip export control guidelines, stopping the sale of chip design software to China, and planning to revoke Chinese student visas. “These practices seriously violate the consensus,” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement, referring to a China-U.S. joint statement in which the United States and China agreed to slash their massive recent tariffs, restarting stalled trade between the world’s two biggest economies. But last month’s de-escalation in President Donald Trump’s trade wars did nothing to resolve underlying differences between Beijing and Washington and Monday’s statement showed how easily such agreements can lead to further turbulence.

Mongolia’s prime minister resigns after losing a parliament vote of confidence after protests

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mongolia ‘s prime minister resigned early Tuesday after he failed to receive enough support in a vote of confidence in parliament, Mongolian media reported. The country’s embassy in Washington confirmed it. Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai received 44 votes, well short of the 64 needed, according to news site ikon.mn. The vote followed weeks of protests sparked by reports of lavish spending by the prime minister’s son. Some called for the prime minister to step down. Before the vote, Oyun-Erdene warned that the vote could lead to instability and shake Mongolia’s fledgling democracy. “If governance becomes unstable, the economic situation deteriorates, and political parties cannot come to consensus.

Swedish inquiry finds abuse and fraud in international adoptions dating back decades

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish commission recommended Monday that international adoptions be stopped after an investigation found a series of abuses and fraud dating back decades. Sweden is the latest country to examine its international adoption policies after allegations of unethical practices, particularly in South Korea. The commission was formed in 2021 following a report by Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter detailing Sweden’s problematic international adoption system. Monday’s recommendations were sent to Minister of Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, who said her department would review the report. “The assignment was to investigate whether there had been irregularities that the Swedish actors knew about, could have done and actually did,” Anna Singer, a legal expert and the head of the commission, told a news conference.

Xu Qiliang, former top Chinese general close to Xi, dies in Beijing

BEIJING (AP) — Xu Qiliang, a former air force general who was reportedly close to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, has died at age 75, according to the Defense MInistry. Xu had been a vice commissioner of the body that overseas the People’s Liberation Army, the military branch of China’s ruling Communist Party, during Xi’s first few years in government. China’s ultimate leader was at the time incorporating the army and navy into leadership bodies long dominated by the land forces. Xu was an “excellent Communist Party of China member, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier, a proletarian military strategist, and an outstanding leader of the People’s Liberation Army,” said a statement issued by the ministry.

3 Indian Army troopers die in a landslide following torrential rains in the northeast

GUWAHATI, India (AP) — Three Indian Army troopers died and six others, including an officer and his family, were missing after a massive landslide hit a forward military post in northeastern India’s Sikkim state along the border with China, a statement from local defense authorities said on Monday. The incident happened Sunday night after a “catastrophic landslide,” triggered by heavy rainfall, struck the army camp at Chaten in north Sikkim, around 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the state capital, Gangtok, the statement said. The army is working round the clock to locate the six missing persons, including the commanding officer of the post, his wife, and daughter, the statement said.

Cambodia says it will take border dispute with Thailand to top UN court

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia said it plans to seek a ruling from the U.N.’s International Court of Justice over border disputes with Thailand, one of which triggered a fatal military clash last week. Cambodia’s National Assembly, where Prime Minister Hun Manet’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party holds all but a handful of seats, voted on Monday to support the government’s decision. In 1962, the ICJ awarded to Cambodia the disputed territory on which a historic temple is located, rankled Thailand and to this day remains a major irritant in bilateral relations. The ICJ reaffirmed its ruling in 2013. Speaking on Monday at a meeting of the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Cambodia has the right to file a case with the court, but that would not affect talks between the two countries under existing mechanisms He said Thai officials will meet later this week to issue a clear stance on the matter.

An Australian woman on trial for triple murder testifies over mushroom poisoning

NEWCASTLE, Australia (AP) — The woman accused of murdering three members of her ex-husband’s family by serving them poisonous mushrooms has taken the stand at an Australian court on Monday as the highly publicized triple murder trial nears its conclusion. Erin Patterson, 50, is accused of killing her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail Patterson’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, and also of attempting to murder Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, 68 after the four consumed a meal at Patterson’s home in Victoria state in July 2023. She could face up to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder charge, while murder in the state of Victoria carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.