Asian Politics Headlines at 4:10 p.m. GMT
India announces 6-week general elections starting April 19 with Modi's BJP topping surveys
Latest stories
Cinema OnlineGrace Wong reveals pregnancy in stunning Santorini announcement
The former TVB actress shares that she and husband will be welcoming a baby after eight years of marriage
- Associated Press
China's Xi is likely to decline Trump's inauguration invitation, seeing it as too risky to attend
Chinese leader Xi Jinping would likely see President-elect Donald Trump’s invitation to attend his inauguration as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Trump’s incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Thursday that Trump extended an invitation to the Jan. 20 ceremony.
- The Independent
Thai masseuse tells her side of story after singer’s death linked to ‘neck-twisting’ massage
Autopsy confirms Chayada Prao-hom, 20, died due to sepsis, fungal infection, and swollen spinal cord
- The Independent
Elizabeth Hurley reveals Hugh Grant’s response when he saw her in ‘that dress’ for the first time
Hurley was an unknown name when she appeared at the 1994 premiere for ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’
- Associated Press
2 Vietnamese police officials sexually attacked young women on visit to New Zealand, authorities say
New Zealand authorities have “no doubt” that two Vietnamese officials sexually attacked two young female servers at a restaurant during a visit to the country, but were unable to charge the men before they returned to Vietnam, police said Thursday. Vietnam and New Zealand do not have an extradition treaty so the alleged attackers cannot be forced to face charges. One of the women said they were attacked at a restaurant in Wellington in March days before Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính was due to visit New Zealand.
- The Independent
Boy, 5, stuck in 150ft well for three days declared dead after being pulled out
He was pulled out after a 56-hour rescue operation
- The Hill
Gingrich: Xi attending Trump inauguration would be ‘signal to the planet’
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) responded to President-elect Trump’s invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend Inauguration Day in January, saying his acceptance would send a global “signal.” “Look, I think Trump believes in constant offense, constant momentum, keeping things going forward,” Gingrich told Fox New’s Jesse Watters in an interview Wednesday. “I…
- The Telegraph
Israeli troops can remain in Gaza after war, Hamas concedes in major U-turn
Hamas has reportedly agreed to allow Israeli troops to remain in Gaza in a major about-turn that could unblock a hostage deal.
- The Telegraph
Hannah Kobayashi found alive after father’s suicide
A missing Hawaiian woman whose father killed himself during an extensive search for her has been found safe.
- BBC
Bloody siege ends Myanmar army control of western border
Insurgents seized Myanmar's border with Bangladesh in one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war.
- Evening Standard
'Please give me my life back': British teen makes emotional plea after being jailed in Dubai for holiday romance
Marcus Fakana and his family have urged foreign secretary David Lammy to intervene in the case
- The Hill
Bill Clinton says he’s open to talking to Biden about preemptive pardon for Hillary Clinton
Former President Clinton said he is open to having a conversation with President Biden about a potential preemptive pardon for his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Bill Clinton joined “The View” on Wednesday, where he was discussing President-elect Trump taking office early next year and the threat of him going after political enemies…
- People
Jennifer Lopez Is Trying to Convince Us That Super Low-Rise Jeans Are Back and It’s Working
The 'Unstoppable' star may be reviving a highly-debated denim trend
- The Daily Beast
Trump Has Invited China’s Xi Jinping to Inauguration: Report
President-elect Donald Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration in January, multiple sources told CBS News on Wednesday. The president-elect reportedly sent the invite to the leader of China, a nation he has threatened with tariffs for months, shortly after his electoral victory in November, the sources told the network. It is unclear if the Chinese government has accepted the invite, and the Chinese Embassy has not commented on the invitation. A Chinese head of stat
- People
80-Year-Old Woman Dies from Injuries After Getting Trapped in Sleep Number Bed for 2 Days, Lawsuit Alleges: 'Suffered the Entire Time'
Rosalind Walker's daughter has filed a lawsuit after her mother died in April 2023, a month after she became trapped in the bed
- AFP News
China jails former Premier League star Li Tie 20 years for corruption
China on Friday jailed former Premier League star and men's national coach Li Tie for 20 years for bribery, snaring one of the country's greatest football figures in a sweeping government crackdown on corruption in sport.The 47-year-old is one of China's biggest football names, serving as national team coach from January 2020 to December 2021, after racking up nearly 100 international caps and playing as a midfielder for English Premier League side Everton.
- CNN
She took a DNA test for fun. Police used it to charge her grandmother with murder in a cold case
It was the middle of Jenna Gerwatowski’s workday at the local flower shop in Newberry, Michigan, when she got a call from an unknown number.
- HuffPost
Blue Ivy Carter Sparks Controversy By Wearing What Some Call A ‘Wildly Inappropriate’ Dress
Certain social media users criticized the outfit, but many others voiced support for the 12-year-old daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
- INSIDER
A top Chinese economist just said what many people suspected: China's official GDP numbers may not be accurate
China's GDP growth rate is likely to be between 3% to 4% for the next three to five years, said Gao Shanwen, a prominent economist.
- The Independent
Biden commutes 1,500 sentences and issues 39 pardons in biggest single-day act of clemency in history
‘America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,’ Biden said in a statement