Top Asian News 1:46 a.m. GMT

14 missing from fishing boat after Philippine sea collision

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine coast guard was searching on Monday for 14 people missing since a fishing boat and cargo vessel collided in choppy waters two nights earlier. It was not immediately clear if the fishing boat sank and the search for its occupants was being hampered by strong waves, officials said. The Philippine coast guard said the cargo vessel MV Vienna Wood collided with the FV Liberty 5 for unclear reasons after midnight in the early morning hours of Sunday about 27 kilometers (17 miles) off Mamburao town in Mindoro Occidental province south of the capital, Manila. A coast guard light plane and a helicopter joined the search Monday for the 12 fishermen and two passengers on board the Liberty 5, coast guard spokesman Armando Balilo said.

Summer may decide fate of leading shots in vaccine race

People on six continents already are getting jabs in the arm as the race for a COVID-19 vaccine enters a defining summer, with even bigger studies poised to prove if any shot really works -- and maybe offer a reality check. Already British and Chinese researchers are chasing the coronavirus beyond their borders, testing potential vaccines in Brazil and the United Arab Emirates because there are too few new infections at home to get clear answers. The U.S. is set to open the largest trials -- 30,000 people to test a government-created shot starting in July, followed about a month later with another 30,000 expected to test a British one.

Apple, AT&T, Jack Daniel's: Fed issues details on bond buys

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve on Sunday released a list of roughly 750 companies, including Apple, Walmart and ExxonMobil, whose corporate bonds it will purchase in the coming months in an effort to keep borrowing costs low and smooth the flow of credit. The central bank also said it has, so far, purchased nearly $429 million in corporate bonds from 86 of those companies, including AT&T, Walgreen's, Microsoft, Pfizer and Marathon Petroleum. The Fed announced in March that it would, for the first time in its history, purchase corporate bonds as the intensifying viral outbreak caused panicked investors to dump most types of securities in a rush to hold cash.

World hits coronavirus milestones amid fears worse to come

ROME (AP) — The world surpassed two sobering coronavirus milestones Sunday -- 500,000 confirmed deaths, 10 million confirmed cases -- and hit another high mark for daily new infections as governments that attempted reopenings continued to backtrack and warn that worse news could be yet to come. “COVID-19 has taken a very swift and very dangerous turn in Texas over just the past few weeks,” said Gov. Greg Abbott, who allowed businesses to start reopening in early May but on Friday shut down bars and limited restaurant dining amid a spike in cases. California Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled back reopenings of bars in seven counties, including Los Angeles.

China reviews heavily criticized Hong Kong security bill

BEIJING (AP) — China’s legislature on Sunday began reviewing a controversial national security bill for Hong Kong that critics worldwide say will severely compromise human rights in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. The National People’s Congress Standing Committee took up the bill at the start of a three-day session, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported. China has said it is determined to enact the law, and its passage is expected by Tuesday. The U.S. says it will respond by ending favorable trading terms granted to the former British colony after it passed to Chinese control in 1997. The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a bill to impose sanctions on businesses and individuals — including the police — that undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy or restrict freedoms promised to the city's residents.

Bangladesh's northern regions brace for monsoon floods

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — With the monsoon setting in and waters from India rushing downstream, Bangladesh is facing a serious threat of floods that could cause extensive damage to farmlands across the delta nation’s vast northern regions, officials said Sunday. The country’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said water levels in many rivers were continuing to rise, posing threats to flood protection embankments that could burst, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of people in more than 20 districts. Abdur Rahim, a disaster management official in northern Sirajganj district, said about 50,000 families have already been affected after the Jamuna River swelled.

Taiwan parade celebrates LGBT Pride, island's virus success

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The Taiwanese capital held its annual LGBT Pride parade on Sunday, making it one of the few places in the world to proceed with such an event in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The parade in Taipei has drawn tens of thousands of people in the past, but participant numbers Sunday were reduced by both virus concerns and heavy rain. Taiwan's Central News Agency said that over 1,000 attended. Those who did take part said it was a testament both to Taiwan’s ability to contain the pandemic and its commitment to rights for people of all sexual orientations.

Asia Today: Sri Lanka lifts coronavirus curfew

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's government on Sunday lifted a curfew imposed to contain the spreading of the coronavirus. The curfew was first imposed on March 20 and was in effect 24 hours a day for more than a month across the country. The government began to ease the curfew after health authorities said the virus was under control in the Indian Ocean island nation. Since April, it was mostly confined to nighttime. The curfew had been in effect from midnight to 4 a.m. since June 13. Sri Lankan health officials say they have prevented a community spread of the coronavirus and new patients belong to two known clusters.

Trump denies briefing on reported bounties against US troops

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday denied that he was made aware of U.S. intelligence officials’ conclusions that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan. The Trump administration was set to brief select members of Congress on the matter on Monday. The intelligence assessments came amid Trump’s push to withdraw the U.S. from Afghanistan, and suggested that Russia was making overtures to militants as the U.S. and the Taliban were holding talks to end the long-running war. The assessment was first reported by The New York Times and then confirmed to The Associated Press by American intelligence officials and two others with knowledge of the matter.

AP Interview: Delhi minister says city faces virus challenge

NEW DELHI (AP) — The acting health minister of India's capital said that New Delhi is facing a shortage of “trained and experienced” health care workers, providing a major challenge in a city that is the epicenter of the country's coronavirus outbreak. With over 77,000 cases, New Delhi has been hit harder than any other Indian city. Infections had been projected to rise to half a million by the end of July in Delhi, the territory that includes the capital. With the rate of infections slowing down, the number has been revised to 400,000, and Acting Health Minister Manish Sisodia said he was hopeful that it could be less.