Top Asian News Stories

HONG KONG (AP) – The deadliest fire in Hong Kong in decades is piling pressure on Beijing’s “patriots-only” governance system, casting a shadow on elections widely seen as a further step to tighten control over the city’s legislature. Sunday’s vote to elect new lawmakers to Hong Kong’s 90-member Legislative Council comes just 11 days after a massive fire engulfed seven towers in a high-rise apartment complex, killing at least 159 people in the financial hub’s worst blaze since 1948. With many voters in the city grown politically apathetic since China’s crackdown shut out the pro-democracy camp in recent years, Sunday’s turnout rate will be a key barometer of public sentiment toward the government and its handling of the fire.

NEW DELHI (AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday at an annual summit aimed at expanding defense and trade ties, as the United States presses New Delhi to revise its decades-old partnership with Moscow. The 23rd Russia-India Summit comes at a pivotal moment as the United States pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation. It will test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine grinds on. Putin was received by Modi at an airport in New Delhi on Thursday, who gave the visiting leader a bear hug and a tight handshake with the gusto of an old friend.

NEW DELHI (AP) – Chaos gripped major Indian airports Friday as passengers of the country’s biggest airline, IndiGo, scrambled to cope up with widespread flight disruptions and cancellations triggered by newly enforced rules limiting working hours for crew and pilots. Scenes of frustration played out as passengers slept on airport floors, queued for hours at customer service counters and waited without clear communication from the airline. Friday was the fourth straight day of disruptions as the low cost carrier struggles with new regulations that mandate longer rest periods and limit night flying hours to address concerns about fatigue and safety. The first phase of the rules came into effect in July while the second phase kicked in November.

BEIJING (AP) – China and France pledged deeper cooperation on global issues like the war in Ukraine and trade, as France prepares to take on the presidency of the Group of Seven next year. French President Emmanuel Macron met with China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday morning as part of a three-day state visit focusing on trade and diplomacy. The French leader is seeking to involve Beijing in pressuring Russia toward a ceasefire with Ukraine after a recent burst of diplomacy around a U.S.-led peace plan. “We are facing the risk of the disintegration of the international order that brought peace to the world for decades, and in this context, the dialogue between China and France is even more essential than ever,” Macron said Thursday.

ACEH TAMIANG, Indonesia (AP) – Emergency crews were racing against time on Friday after last week’s catastrophic floods and landslides struck parts of Asia, killing more than 1,500 people. Relief operations are underway, but the scale of need is overwhelming the capabilities of rescuers. Authorities said 867 people were confirmed dead in Indonesia, 486 in Sri Lanka and 185 in Thailand, as well as three in Malaysia. Many villages in Indonesia and Sri Lanka remained buried under mud and debris, with nearly 900 people still unaccounted for in both countries, while recovery was further along in Thailand and Malaysia. As the waters recede, survivors find that the disaster has crippled their villages’ lifelines.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – New Zealand Police said Friday they have recovered a James Bond-inspired Fabergé pendant after six days of closely watching the man accused of swallowing the jewelry in an Auckland store. They said the pendant was recovered Thursday night after it exited the suspect’s gastrointestinal tract naturally without medical intervention. The limited-edition, Fabergé egg pendant was inspired by the 1983 James Bond film “Octopussy,” in which a jewel-smuggling operation involves a fake Fabergé egg. A less glamorous photo supplied by New Zealand’s police Friday showed a gloved hand holding the recovered pendant and its long, gold chain with an intact price tag showing the jewelry’s 33,000 New Zealand dollar ($19,000) value.

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) – An Afghan national charged in the shooting of two U.S. National Guard members last week had been previously trained by American forces, and his actions should not reflect on the people of Afghanistan, the country’s foreign minister said. The remarks by Amir Khan Muttaqi were the first public comments on the case by Afghanistan’s Taliban government. Muttaqi spoke during a meeting of community elders on Wednesday, according to a statement released by his ministry. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, has been charged with first-degree murder after one of the two victims, West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of wounds sustained in the Nov.

JERUSALEM (AP) – Remains that militants in Gaza handed to Israel were those of Thai agricultural worker Sudthisak Rinthalak, Israeli and Thai officials said Thursday. The confirmation brought the first phase of Gaza’s tenuous 8-week-old ceasefire a step closer to completion, with one more hostage’s remains still to be returned. The subsequent phases under a U.S.-drafted, U.N.-backed plan for Gaza remain deeply uncertain. There has been no word on how provisions for Hamas’ disarmament will be carried out, or how a planned international administration and security force will be established. Both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the truce since it began Oct.

TOKYO (AP) – The pledge by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “work, work, work, work and work” for her country has been named the catchphrase of the year, recognizing the effort Japan’s first female leader had to make to reach the top. The ultraconservative Takaichi uttered the phrase in October when she was elected as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Many were initially as worried about her work ethic as supportive of her enthusiasm. In a country notorious for long working hours, especially for working women who are also burdened with homemaking and caregiving, overwork is a sensitive topic.

ISLAMABAD (AP) – Pakistan’s widely popular army chief was confirmed to the newly created post of chief of defense forces, a position that was established last month to improve coordination among the army, navy and air force. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said in a statement that a summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir as both chief of army staff and chief of defense forces had been sent to President Asif Ali Zardari for approval. The president then approved the appointment, confirming Munir’s expanded role. “The appointment is for a period of five years,” the statement said. Sharif also approved a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar, the statement said.