Top Asian News 3:42 a.m. GMT

Prabowo Subianto’s election as Indonesia’s next president is official. Why is it being challenged?

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s electoral commission announced on Wednesday that Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a former general linked to past human rights abuses, was elected president. The results immediately drew allegations of fraud from Subianto’s political rivals. Former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo have said they plan to challenge the official results at the country’s highest court. The Feb. 14 election was Indonesia’s fifth since shaking off a dictatorship in 1998. The archipelago of more than 270 million people is Southeast Asia’s most populous country and its biggest economy. Here’s what you need to know about the results and why they are being challenged.

Indonesia’s defense minister, accused of abuses under dictatorship, is declared election winner

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto was announced the winner of the presidential election in the world’s third-largest democracy Wednesday over two former governors who vow to contest the result in court over alleged irregularities. Subianto, who was accused of abuses under the past dictatorship and chose the son of the popular outgoing president as his running mate, won 58.6% of the votes. Former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan received 24.9% and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo got 16.5%, the General Election Commission said. It posted polling stations’ tabulation forms on its website, allowing for independent verification.

Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter fired by Dodgers after allegations of ‘massive theft’ from Japanese star

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter and close friend has been fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers following allegations of illegal gambling and theft from the Japanese baseball star. Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, 39, was let go from the team Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker. The team is in Seoul, South Korea, this week as Ohtani makes his Dodgers debut, and Mizuhara was in Los Angeles’ dugout during their season-opening win. Mizuhara was seen regularly chatting with Ohtani, who was the Dodgers’ designated hitter, seemingly discussing his at-bats over a tablet computer.

South Korea will suspend the licenses of striking junior doctors starting next week

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s government will start suspending the licenses of striking junior doctors next week as they refuse to end their weekslong walkouts that burdened the country’s medical services, officials said Thursday. More than 90% of the country’s 13,000 medical interns and residents have been on strike for about a month to protest the government’s plan to sharply increase medical school admissions. Their strikes have caused hundreds of cancelled surgeries and other treatments at hospitals. Officials say the recruitment plan is aimed at adding more doctors to prepare for South Korea’s rapidly aging population in a country whose doctor-to-population ratio is one of the lowest in the developed world.

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigns amid anti-corruption campaign

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned after a little over a year in the position, the Communist Party said Wednesday, making him the latest senior official to leave office after likely being implicated in an intense anti-corruption campaign. The party said it had accepted his resignation, writing in a statement that “violations by Vo Van Thuong have left a bad mark on the reputation of the Communist party.” Thuong is the second president to resign in two years, something analysts called a worrying sign for political stability in a country that plays a key role in the middle of U.S.-China competition and a growing one in global manufacturing.

AP finds grueling conditions in Indian shrimp industry that report calls ‘dangerous and abusive’

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Noriko Kuwabara was excited to try a new recipe she’d seen on social media for crispy shrimp spring rolls, so she and her husband headed to Costco’s frozen foods aisle. But when she grabbed a bag of farm-raised shrimp from the freezer and saw “Product of India,” she wrinkled her nose. “I actually try to avoid shrimp from India,” said Kuwabara, an artist. “I hear some bad things about how it’s grown there.” She sighed and tossed the bag in her cart anyway. Kuwabara’s dilemma is one an increasing number of American consumers face: With shrimp the leading seafood eaten in the United States, the largest supplier in this country is India, where the industry struggles with labor and environmental problems.

Afghanistan’s school year starts without more than 1 million girls barred from education by Taliban

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The school year in Afghanistan started Wednesday but without girls whom the Taliban barred from attending classes beyond the sixth grade, making it the only country with restrictions on female education. The U.N. children’s agency says more than 1 million girls are affected by the ban. It also estimates 5 million were out of school before the Taliban takeover due to a lack of facilities and other reasons. The Taliban’s education ministry marked the start of the new academic year with a ceremony that female journalists were not allowed to attend. The invitations sent out to reporters said: “Due to the lack of a suitable place for the sisters, we apologize to female reporters.” During a ceremony, the Taliban’s education minister, Habibullah Agha, said that the ministry is trying “to increase the quality of education of religious and modern sciences as much as possible.” The Taliban have been prioritizing Islamic knowledge over basic literacy and numeracy with their shift toward madrassas, or religious schools.

A wooden boat carrying dozens of Rohingya Muslim refugees capsizes off Indonesia’s coast

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — A wooden boat carrying dozens of Rohingya Muslims capsized off Indonesia’s northernmost coast on Wednesday, according to local fishermen who rescued six people. The survivors said more people were still on the boat. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The six, four women and two men, were moved to a temporary shelter in the Samatiga sub-district. The fishermen told The Associated Press the refugees’ boat capsized about 16 miles (25 Kilometers) from the coastline of Kuala Bubon Beach in Aceh province. Amiruddin, a tribal fishing community leader in Aceh Barat district, said those rescued indicated that the boat was sailing east when it started leaking and then strong currents pushed it toward the west of Aceh.

Australia and U.K. sign defense and security treaty to meet ‘contemporary challenges’

SYDNEY (AP) — Australia and the United Kingdom signed a new defense and security cooperation agreement with the defense ministers of both countries saying it was required to meet ‘contemporary challenges’ to maintain a global rules-based order. The treaty was signed by Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and his U.K. counterpart Grant Shapps following annual bilateral ministerial defense talks at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, as part of the Australia-UK Ministerial (AUKMIN) meeting, which was first held in 2006. “Australia’s relationship with the UK is dynamic and enduring,” Marles said in a written statement Thursday. “From the UK’s leadership of support for Ukraine and efforts to address the Houthi threat, to increasing contributions in the Pacific and the Indo-Pacific, we continue to work closely together to support a global rules-based order.” “As the world becomes more complex and uncertain, we must modernize our most important partnerships,” the statement said.

Thailand’s national police chief is suspended amid concerns about a possible power struggle

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s national police chief and one of his deputies were temporarily suspended under the order of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday, as accusations that the deputy was involved in an illegal online gambling ring sparked concerns about a possible power struggle in the police department. Torsak Sukvimol, who was appointed to the top police post in October last year, and Surachate Hakparn, one of his deputy chiefs, were temporarily moved to inactive posts in the Office of the Prime Minister, which directly supervises the police department. Surachate has been accused of involvement with illegal online gambling websites, a charge he denies.