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Here are a few stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.
Indian naval speedboat crashes into ferry, killing 13
A military helicopter flies over a ferry during a rescue operation after a passenger boat capsized off the coast of India's financial capital, Mumbai, India, December 18, 2024. /Reuters
At least 13 people died when an Indian naval speedboat collided with a passenger ferry carrying more than 100 passengers, which then capsized off the coast of the country's financial capital, Mumbai, on Wednesday.
"An Indian Navy craft lost control while undertaking engine trials in Mumbai Harbour due to an engine malfunction. As a result, the boat collided with a passenger ferry, which subsequently capsized," the navy said in a statement on X. The privately owned passenger boat was heading towards the Elephanta caves, a popular tourist destination off the coast of Mumbai, when it capsized.
Taikonauts undertake record-breaking space walk
Shenzhou-19 crew members aboard China's orbiting space station completed a record-breaking nine-hour spacewalk on Tuesday. This extravehicular activity (EVA) was not only the longest by taikonauts, but also included the first spacewalk by a taikonaut born in the 1990s.
"Congratulations to 02 (Song Lingdong) for completing your first spacewalk and moreover, for becoming the first Chinese astronaut born after 1990 to carry out EVAs. My appreciation also goes to the full collaboration of 03 (Wang Haoze) inside the module and to the extensive support of....the entire technical team," said Cai Xuzhe, commander of the Shenzhou-19 crew. At the end of the mission, before closing the hatch, the Shenzhou-19 crew expressed their joy at completing the mission and their gratitude to the ground team.
Bangladesh elections could be held late 2025
Chief advisor to Bangladesh's interim government Muhammad Yunus gestures during a meeting in Dhaka, August 13, 2024. /CFP
Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, who heads the caretaker government, said on Monday that a general election would be held in late 2025 or early 2026.
Bangladesh has been ruled by an interim government led by Yunus, a Nobel laureate, since August, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country amid mass protests. Pressure has been growing on the Nobel Peace Prize winner – appointed the country's "chief advisor" after the student-led uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina in August – to set a date.
Thailand bans import of plastic waste
A person holds a bag full of plastic trash, such as plastic bags, bottle caps, milk cotton and fishing nets, at the Bangkok Design Week festival in Bangkok, Thailand, January 12, 2022. /Reuters
Thailand will stop the import of plastic waste from January 1, 2025. Importers in Thailand will not be allowed to bring plastic waste into the country from that date, as the country moves to prevent hazards to the environment and public health, the Department of Foreign Trade announced on Tuesday.
"Thailand must not be a dump site for plastic waste," Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa said last September, when plans for the ban were first announced. "By the end of the next three years, we will not allow any import of plastic scraps from around the world. We need to protect our country."
Japan breaks annual tourist inflow record
Tourists gather to see maple leaves at Toji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, November 30, 2024. /CFP
Japan has set a new annual record for foreign tourists with a whole month left in the year, data showed on Wednesday.
November saw 3.19 million foreign visitors, data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation showed, bringing the total this year to 33.4 million. The previous annual record of 31.9 million was set in 2019.
(Cover: Indian defense personnel launched a rescue operation after an Indian Navy ship lost control and crashed into a passenger ship, killing 13 people, in Mumbai, India, December 18, 2024. /CFP)