Top Asian News 1:03 p.m. GMT

India, China agree to disengage thousands of border troops

NEW DELHI (AP) — The Indian and Chinese foreign ministers have agreed that their troops should disengage from a tense border standoff, maintain proper distance and ease tensions in the cold-desert Ladakh region where the two sides in June had their deadliest clash in decades. India’s S. Jaishankar and China’s Wang Yi met in the Russian capital on Thursday night and concurred that "the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side,” according to a joint statement issued Friday. Since last week, the Asian giants have accused one another of sending soldiers into the other's territory and firing warning shots for the first time in 45 years, threatening a full-scale military conflict.

Rio Tinto CEO to leave over destruction of Indigenous sites

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques will leave the Anglo-Australian mining giant by March over the destruction of Australian Indigenous sacred sites to access iron ore, the company said on Friday. “Significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability for the failings identified,” Rio Tinto said in a statement. By mutual agreement, Jacques will step down once a replacement has been appointed or on March 31, whichever happens sooner, the statement said. Executives Chris Salisbury and Simone Niven will leave the company on Dec. 31. Rio Tinto announced last month that Jacques would lose $3.5 million in bonuses and Salisbury and Niven around $700,000 each over the destruction in May of two rock shelters in Juukan George in Western Australia state that had been inhabited for 46,000 years.

Study finds India missed early cases, lockdown was leaky

NEW DELHI (AP) — Results of India’s first nationwide study of prevailing coronavirus infections found that for every confirmed case detected in May, authorities were missing between 82 and 130 others. At the time, India had confirmed around 35,000 cases and over 1,000 deaths. The study released Thursday showed that 6.4 million people were likely infected. And the virus had already spread to India’s villages, straining fragile health systems. Experts say the study confirms India’s limited and restrictive testing masked the actual toll and underlines the fact that the harsh lockdown was only able to slow the spread of the virus, not sever the chain of transmission.

Young protesters force Nepal to better manage virus crisis

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — On a sunny June day in Nepal, hundreds of young people in face masks stood a meter apart behind the barbed-wire barricades and rows of riot police guarding the prime minister's residence, shouting slogans demanding a better government response to the coronavirus pandemic. In a rare show of young people humbling a powerful government to action in Asia, they got one. But not before hundreds of protesters were doused with water cannons, some beaten with police batons and others detained. A charismatic young leader nearly died on hunger strike. “Governments have mishandled the coronavirus situation in many countries but it was unique for youths in Nepal to come together for non-political peaceful protests to point out the wrongdoings, make them admit it and then correct it,” said Dinesh Prasain, sociologist at the the prestigious Tribhuvan University.

Myanmar bans flights, travel from Yangon as virus spreads

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar on Friday reimposed its toughest measures so far to control the spread of the coronavirus, banning travel out of the country’s biggest city, Yangon, and grounding all domestic flights. Both measures, announced just hours before taking effect, will be in place until Oct. 1. An upsurge in coronavirus cases that began in August in the western state of Rakhine has since spread to other parts of the country. Until the latest outbreak, Myanmar appeared to have largely been spared from the pandemic. Health authorities had already ordered partial lockdowns in 29 of Yangon’s 44 townships, including 20 on Thursday.

Asia Today: India adds 96K virus cases, orders some retests

NEW DELHI (AP) — India edged closer to recording nearly 100,000 coronavirus cases in 24 hours as it ordered retesting of many people whose first results were from the less reliable rapid antigen tests being widely used. There were a total of 96,551 confirmed cases, taking the tally to over 4.56 million. The Health Ministry on Friday also reported another 1,209 deaths for a total of 76,271. India has the second-highest caseload behind the United States, where more than 6.39 million people have been confirmed as infected. The Health Ministry has asked states to allow testing on demand without a doctor’s prescription.

UK inks Japan trade deal in principle just as EU talks sour

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. secured its first major post-Brexit trade deal on Friday after signing an agreement with Japan just as discussions with the European Union appeared to be teetering on the brink of collapse. The deal, which has so far only been agreed upon in principle and for which details are thin, will increase commerce with Japan by around 15 billion pounds ($19 billion), the U.K. said. “The agreement we have negotiated — in record time and in challenging circumstances — goes far beyond the existing EU deal, as it secures new wins for British businesses in our great manufacturing, food and drink, and tech industries," said Britain's international trade secretary, Liz Truss, who pointed to concessions on English sparkling wine and Wensleydale cheese.

Taliban say peace talks with Afghan team to start Saturday

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The long-awaited peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government's negotiating team are to begin on Saturday in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, the Taliban and Qatar's foreign ministry said Thursday. The talks — known as intra-Afghan negotiations — were laid out in a peace deal that Washington brokered with the Taliban and signed in February, also in Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. At the time, the deal was seen as Afghanistan’s best chance at ending more than four decades of relentless war. Shortly after the announcement, President Donald Trump said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would travel to Qatar, to attend the start of the negotiations.

Malaysia's ex-finance minister faces 2 fresh graft charges

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s former finance minister pleaded not guilty Friday to two new corruption charges, saying the legal moves against him were politically motivated ahead of impending elections. Lim Guan Eng was charged last month with three counts of corruption linked to his tenure as Penang state chief minister from 2008-2018, before he became finance minister. His lawyer wife is also accused of receiving unlawful proceeds linked to a Penang project. Lim said two new charges against him Friday for misappropriating Penang state property worth 208.7 million ringgit ($50.2 million) were a desperate act timed ahead of Sept.

Japan ship operator to pay $9M over Mauritius oil spill

TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese operator of a bulk carrier that struck a coral reef and caused a widespread oil spill off the coast of Mauritius said Friday it will provide 1 billion yen ($9 million) to fund environmental projects and support the local fishing community. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said the Mauritius Natural Environment Recovery Fund will be used for mangrove protection, coral reef recovery, protection of seabirds and rare species, and research by private and governmental groups. The environmental disaster began on July 25 when the ship MV Wakashio strayed off course and struck a coral reef a mile offshore.