Top Asian News 2:51 a.m. GMT

Mongolia’s governing party wins only a slim majority in parliamentary election, early results show

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Mongolia’s governing party won parliamentary elections Friday but by only a slim margin as the opposition made major gains, according to tallies by the party and news media based on near-complete results. Preliminary results released early Saturday indicated the governing Mongolia People’s Party won 68 seats in the 126-seat body, “meaning we have won the election,” Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai said. The results were a setback for Luvsannamsrai and his party, which won 62 of the-then 76 parliament seats in the 2020 election. They will have a much less dominant position in the expanded parliament. Official results had not been announced, due to the difficulties of gathering results from far-flung corners of the nation.

What to know about Mongolia as it holds a democratic election in the shadow of authoritarian giants

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Mongolia, where parliamentary elections were being held Friday, is a sparsely populated and landlocked Asian nation known for its bitter winter cold and independent spirit. As a democracy of just 3.4 million people in the shadow of two much larger authoritarian states, China and Russia, it has taken on symbolic importance in an era when democracy is under pressure or in crisis in many countries, including the United States. In an earlier era, the fierce nomadic tribes of the Mongolian steppe were widely feared, at one point conquering China and expanding west across Asia to the edges of Europe.

Ballot box binge: Votes loom in coming days from Mongolia to Iran to Britain in a busy election year

Even in a busy year of elections around the world, the next few days stand out. Over the next week, voters go to the polls in fledgling democracies like Mauritania and Mongolia, the Islamic Republic of Iran and in stalwart democracies — former imperial powers — Britain and France. In the U.S., President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump were participating Thursday in the first of two TV debates before their expected November standoff. The voters in the upcoming elections face hard choices that could reorient the world at a time of war in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; mutual suspicion among some big powers; and growing public anxiety over things like jobs, climate change, taxes, inflation and the rise of AI.

Japan and Philippines trying to finish defense pact for signing in Manila as alarm grows over China

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Top defense and foreign affairs officials of Japan and the Philippines will meet in Manila next month to strengthen strategic ties and discuss regional concerns, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday at a time of escalating concerns over China’s actions in the disputed South China Sea. Details of the agenda of the July 8 meetings of Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Defense Minister Kihara Minoru with their Philippine counterparts were not immediately made public, but two officials of both countries told The Associated Press that efforts were underway to finalize a key defense pact which they hope could be signed during the meetings.

Research expert tells UN it has ‘irrefutably’ established missile debris in Ukraine is North Korean

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of a research organization that has been tracing weapons used in attacks in Ukraine since 2018 told the United Nations Security Council on Friday it has “irrefutably” established that ballistic missile remnants found in Ukraine came from North Korea. The United States and its Western allies clashed with Russia and North Korea at the meeting, saying both countries violated a U.N. embargo on arms exports from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the country’s official name. Russia dismissed the “baseless accusations,” and the DPRK dismissed the meeting as “an extremely brazen act” to discuss “someone’s alleged ‘weapon transfers.’”

Japan protests sex assault cases involving US military on Okinawa and their delayed disclosure

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government protested Friday to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo over at least two sexual assault cases involving American servicemembers on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa which were only recently made public. In one case, an Air Force member is accused of assaulting a 16-year-old girl in December, while the other, which dates from May, involves a Marine who is accused of assaulting a 21-year-old woman. The case involving the assault of the teenager is a reminder to many Okinawans of the high-profile 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemembers, which sparked massive protests against the heavy U.S.

Pakistani parliament denounces US congressional resolution calling for a probe into recent elections

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s lower house of Parliament on Friday denounced a U.S. congressional resolution that called this week for an independent investigation into allegations that Pakistan’s parliamentary elections earlier this year were massively rigged. The Pakistani resolution, introduced by ruling party lawmaker Shaista Malik, was adopted by the National Assembly despite objections from lawmakers from the party of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, who say the Feb. 8 vote was rigged. Malik in a televised speech said the U.S. resolution passed Wednesday was “completely against the facts.” She said Pakistan would not tolerate any such interference in its internal affairs.

Japan’s space agency delays launch of upgraded observation satellite on new H3 rocket due to weather

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s space agency said Friday its planned launch this weekend of a satellite on its new flagship H3 rocket will be postponed until Monday due to expected bad weather. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said it is postponing the launch because of rain and thunder predicted for Saturday night when the rocket was to be moved to the launch site at the Tanegashima Space Center on a southwestern Japanese island. The launch was initially scheduled for Sunday. The rocket will be carrying an Advanced Land Observation Satellite, ALOS-4, tasked primarily with Earth observation and data collection for disaster response and mapmaking, as well as with monitoring military activity, such as missile launches, with an infrared sensor developed by the Defense Ministry.

Days after heatwave, intense rain causes roof collapse at New Delhi airport, killing 1 person

NEW DELHI (AP) — A portion of a canopy at a departure terminal at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport collapsed Friday as monsoon rains lashed the Indian capital, killing one person and injuring six others, officials said. All flight departures from Terminal 1 were temporarily suspended as rescuers cleared the debris to rescue anyone trapped there, the airport authority said. Terminal 1 is used for domestic operations at New Delhi’s main airport. The fire services control room said the injured were taken to a hospital. “Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy of the old departure forecourt” collapsed at around 5 a.m., an airport authority statement said.

Tokyo’s old fish market makes way for skyscrapers, glitzy stadium to woo global spenders

TOKYO (AP) — The site of Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji fish market, left empty after it was razed six years ago, will be replaced by a scenic waterfront stadium and glistening skyscrapers according to plans for its redevelopment that are facing some staunch opposition. A computer graphic video of plans for the 900 billion yen ($5.7 billion) project made by property developer Mitsui Fudosan shows air taxis zipping above the Sumida river, famed for its scenic bridges. It’s the latest vision for what is to replace the old market famous for its tuna auctions and pre-dawn fresher-than-fresh sushi meals in shops nearby.