Top Asian News 3:26 p.m. GMT

Glimmer of hope seen in India, but virus crisis not over yet

BENGALURU, India (AP) — For the first time in months, Izhaar Hussain Shaikh is feeling somewhat optimistic. The 30-year-old ambulance driver in India’s metropolis of Mumbai has been working tirelessly ever since the city became the epicenter of another catastrophic COVID-19 surge slashing through the country. Last month, he drove about 70 patients to the hospital, his cellphone constantly vibrating with calls. But two weeks into May, he’s only carried 10 patients. Cases are falling and so are the phone calls. “We used to be so busy before, we didn’t even have time to eat,” he said. In the last week, the number of new cases plunged by nearly 70% in India’s financial capital, home to 22 million people.

India braces for powerful cyclone amid deadly virus surge

NEW DELHI (AP) — A powerful cyclone roaring in the Arabian Sea was moving toward India's western coast on Monday as authorities tried to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people and suspended COVID-19 vaccinations in one state. Cyclone Tauktae, which had already killed 12 people, was expected to make landfall on Monday evening in Gujarat state with winds of up to 175 kilometers (109 miles) per hour, the India Meteorological Department said. Forecasters warned of possible extensive damage from high winds, heavy rainfall and flooding in low-lying areas. The massive storm comes as India is battling with a devastating coronavirus surge — and both the storm and the virus could exacerbate the effects of the other.

AP Exclusive: Full-blown boycott pushed for Beijing Olympics

Groups alleging human-rights abuses against minorities in China are calling for a full-blown boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, a move likely to ratchet up pressure on the International Olympic Committee, athletes, sponsors and sports federations. A coalition representing Uyghurs, Tibetans, residents of Hong Kong and others issued a statement Monday calling for the boycott, eschewing lesser measures that had been floated like “diplomatic boycotts" and further negotiations with the IOC or China. “The time for talking with the IOC is over,” Lhadon Tethong of the Tibet Action Institute said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. “This cannot be games as usual or business as usual; not for the IOC and not for the international community.” The Beijing Games are set to open on Feb.

Court clears way for Samoa to get its first woman leader

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Samoa appeared set to get its first woman leader after the nation's top court on Monday reinstated the results of a knife-edge election last month. Two decisions by the Supreme Court have paved the way for Fiame Naomi Mata’afa to become prime minister of the small island nation. Her ascent is a milestone for the South Pacific, which has had few female leaders. Samoa and its neighbors tend to be Christian and traditional. An advocate for women's equality, Fiame, who was born in 1957, broke new ground during her campaign by going on the road and robustly criticizing the incumbent, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who had been in power for 22 years.

Election watchdog says no credible proof of Myanmar fraud

BANGKOK (AP) — Last November’s election results in Myanmar were “by and large, representative of the will of the people,” an independent election monitoring organization said Monday, rejecting the military’s allegations of massive fraud that served as its reason for seizing power. While there were flaws in the election process, “there were a number of procedural safeguards implemented throughout the polling process, which ... was found to be transparent and reliable,” the Asian Network for Free Elections said in a report. It noted, however, that Myanmar’s electoral process is “fundamentally undemocratic” because its 2008 constitution, written during army rule, grants the military an automatic 25% share of all parliamentary seats, enough to block constitutional changes.

Pope taps fellow Jesuit to lead sensitive Hong Kong church

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Monday named a new bishop for Hong Kong, tapping the head of his own Jesuit order in the region, the Rev. P. Stephen Chow Sau-Yan, for the politically sensitive position that has been vacant for two years. Chow, a native of Hong Kong, was educated in the U.S. and Ireland before professing his final vows in 2007. He headed two Jesuit-run schools while also teaching at the University of Hong Kong before being made provincial of the Jesuits in the China region in 2018. He replaces the late Bishop Michael Yeong Ming-cheung, who died in 2019.

The Latest: Ontario opens up vaccine shots to all adults

Next Digital trading halted after Jimmy Lai's assets frozen

HONG KONG (AP) — The Hong Kong stock exchange halted trading of Next Digital shares Monday at the media company's request after authorities froze assets belonging to its founder, Jimmy Lai, who has been a high-profile voice in the the territory's pro-democracy movement. Later in the day, the media tycoon and nine other pro-democracy activists pleaded guilty to taking part in an unlawful assembly in 2019. Lai is already serving a 14-month sentence for his role in two other unauthorized assemblies during a period when Hong Kong residents were involved in mass anti-government protests. Next Digital said in a filing that it requested the trading halt after authorities announced the freeze on Lai’s assets Friday under a national security law that critics say is meant to snuff out dissent in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

China urges US to play constructive role in Gaza diplomacy

BEIJING (AP) — China on Monday renewed calls for the U.S. to play a constructive role in ending the conflict in Gaza and stop blocking efforts at the United Nations to demand an end to the bloodshed. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China, as rotating head of the Security Council, has urged a cease-fire and the provision of humanitarian assistance, among other proposals, but that obstruction by “one country” has prevented the council from speaking with one voice. “We call on the United States to assume its due responsibility and take an impartial position to support the council and play its due role in cooling down the situation and rebuilding trust for a political solution,” Zhao said at a daily briefing.

Ransomware attack hits 4 Asian countries of AXA subsidiary

PARIS (AP) — A targeted ransomware attack hit four countries among the Asian operations of AXA Partners, the international subsidiary of AXA insurance group, with some data in Thailand accessed, AXA Partners said. The criminals claimed to have stolen 3 terabytes of data, including medical records and communications with doctors and hospitals. The attack and its full impact were being investigated. If the investigation “confirms that sensitive data of any individuals have been affected, the necessary steps will be taken to notify and support all corporate clients and individuals impacted,” the company said a brief statement Sunday. It noted the attack was recent, but did not specify when exactly it occurred.