Top Asian News 4:31 p.m. GMT

Christmas typhoon leaves 20 dead in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A strong typhoon that barreled through the central Philippines left at least 20 people dead and forced thousands to flee their homes, devastating Christmas celebrations in the predominantly Catholic country. Typhoon Phanfone stranded many people in sea and airports at the peak of holiday travel, set off landslides, flooded low-lying villages, destroyed houses, downed trees and electrical poles and knocked out power in entire provinces. One disaster response officer described the battered coastal town of Batad in Iloilo province as a “ghost town” on Christmas Day. “You can’t see anybody because there was a total blackout, you can’t hear anything.

Indonesia, Thailand mark 15th anniversary of massive tsunami

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — Thousands of people knelt in prayer in Indonesia's Aceh province at ceremonies Thursday marking the 15th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, one of modern history's worst natural disasters. The massive Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami was triggered by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island. The giant wall of water killed about 230,000 people in a dozen countries as far away as East Africa. Indonesia's Aceh province, which was closest to the earthquake, was hit first and hardest. More than 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone, about three-quarters of the overall death toll. "No words can describe our feelings when we tearfully saw thousands of corpses lying on this ground 15 years ago," acting Aceh Gov.

Australia firefighters brace for extreme heatwave at weekend

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Firefighters battling wildfires in Australia’s most populous state attempted to make headway Thursday amid favorable conditions, before an "extreme heatwave" hits embattled areas on the weekend. Thousands of firefighters in New South Wales took advantage of cooler weather and continued to strengthen containment lines. More than 70 fires, however, were still burning across the state with areas in the south coast currently at the “watch and act” level issued by fire services. About 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned nationwide over the past few months, with nine people killed and more than 950 homes destroyed.

Taliban target Afghan army in country's north, kill 6 troops

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A powerful suicide car bombing targeted an Afghan army compound in the country's north on Thursday morning, killing six Afghan soldiers, the defense ministry said. The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. Shortly after the bomber detonated his car laden with explosives outside the small military base in Balkh province, a group of insurgents stormed into the compound, setting off a shootout with Afghan forces. The defense ministry said in a statement that three Afghan soldiers were also wounded in the explosion and the ensuing “terrorist attack.” The provincial governor's spokesman, Munir Farhad, said fighting inside the compound continued for hours before the attackers were repelled.

China's November soybean imports rise after US trade deal

BEIJING (AP) — China's imports of soybeans surged in November following the announcement of an interim trade deal with the United States. Imports rose 53.7% over a year earlier to 5.4 million tons, according to customs data. Imports of U.S. soybeans more than doubled from the previous month to 2.6 million tons, according to AWeb.com, a news website that serves the Chinese farming industry. China cut off purchases of American soybeans, the country's biggest import from the United States, after President Donald Trump raised import duties on Chinese goods in a dispute over Beijing's technology ambitions and trade surplus. The two governments announced an interim “Phase 1” agreement in October but have yet to release details.

Afghan activist says Taliban freed 27 members of his group

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban released 27 peace activists Thursday, a day after they were abducted in an ambush on their convoy in western Afghanistan, a leader of the activist organization said. Phone lines were down in the region, making communication difficult and the reason for the activists' abduction was still unclear, said Bismillah Watandost of the People's Peace Movement of Afghanistan. The insurgents ambushed the group in the district of Bala Buluk in Farah province Tuesday. Insurgents forced the six-vehicle convoy to a halt, then got into the cars and drove them and the activists to an unknown location.

Thousands in Asia marvel at 'ring of fire' solar eclipse

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — People along a swath of southern Asia gazed at the sky in marvel on Thursday at a “ring of fire” solar eclipse. The so-called annular eclipse, in which a thin outer ring of the sun is still visible, could be seen along a path stretching from India and Pakistan to Thailand and Indonesia. Authorities in Indonesia provided telescopes and hundreds of special glasses to protect viewers' eyes. Thousands of people gazed at the sky and cheered and clapped as the sun transformed into a dark orb for more than two minutes, briefly plunging the sky into darkness.

Kashmir border shootings kill 2 Pakistani, 2 Indians

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan and India traded fire in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, with the latest exchang es killing two Pakistani troops, an Indian soldier and a civilian woman, officials on both sides said Thursday. The Pakistani military said in a statement that its troops came under attack Wednesday in the Dewa area, where the two soldiers died, and returned fire. There was also a cross-border shooting in the Haji Pir region. The Pakistani military called it an “unprovoked ceasefire violation.” In India, army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia said an Indian soldier was killed when Pakistani forces targeted their positions Wednesday in the area of Rampur, in the Indian-administered Kashmir.

Japan executes first foreigner in 10 years in family murder

TOKYO (AP) — Japan executed its first foreigner in 10 years on Thursday, a Chinese man convicted in the 2003 murder and robbery of a family of four. Wei Wei, 40, was hanged Thursday at a detention center in Fukuoka where he had been on death row for more than 16 years, Justice Minister Masako Mori said. Wei was convicted of robbing and killing a clothing store owner and his wife and two children at their home in Fukuoka. He and two Chinese accomplices dumped the bodies into the ocean after attaching weights to them, Mori said at a news conference.

Indonesia ends search for victims of bus crash; 35 dead

PALEMBANG, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities on Thursday ended their search for victims on a bus that plunged into a ravine on Sumatra island after its brakes apparently malfunctioned, killing at least 35 people and injuring 13 others. The accident occurred just before midnight Monday on a winding road in Pagaralam. The bus, which was headed for the provincial capital of Palembang from neighboring Bengkulu province, fell into a 80-meter (262-foot) -deep ravine and crashed into a fast-flowing river after the driver lost control of the vehicle in an area with a number of sharp declines. The head of Palembang's Search and Rescue agency, Berty Kowaas, said the decision to call off the three-day search was made after all people reported missing were accounted for.