Top Asian News 6:53 a.m. GMT

Powerful typhoon rips off roofs, floods parts of Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A powerful typhoon was blowing across the Philippines on Tuesday after slamming ashore overnight in an eastern province, damaging houses and an airport and knocking out power after tens of thousands of people fled for safer ground. Typhoon Kammuri blew into Gubat town in Sorsogon province before midnight then barreled westward through Quezon province Tuesday morning, ripping off roofs, knocking out power and flooding low-lying villages. It had maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers (96 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 235 kph (146 miles) as it headed toward a cluster of island provinces and coastal regions lying south of Manila.

Regular voting ends as Bougainville considers independence

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — They voted in highland villages and on remote atolls. Even 15 youth who live in the jungle and wear bright Upe hats as they undergo traditional training to become men had the chance to vote. All across the Pacific region of Bougainville, people have voted in a historic referendum to decide if they want to become the world’s newest nation by gaining independence from Papua New Guinea. Regular voting ends on Tuesday while any remaining postal votes will be accepted through Saturday. The results will be announced in mid-December. The referendum is nonbinding, and a vote for independence would then need to be negotiated by leaders from both Bougainville and Papua New Guinea.

North Korea says it’s up to US to choose ‘Christmas gift’

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Tuesday repeated its assertions the Trump administration is running out of time to salvage nuclear negotiations, saying it’s entirely up to the United States to choose what “Christmas gift” it gets from the North. The statement attributed to a senior diplomat came as North Korea continues to dial up pressure on Washington and Seoul ahead of leader Kim Jong Un’s end-of-year deadline for the U.S. to offer mutually acceptable terms for a deal. Negotiations have faltered since a February summit between Kim and President Donald Trump broke down after the U.S. rejected North Korean demands for broad sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities.

Man rescued after 13 nights stranded in Outback; 1 missing

PERTH, Australia (AP) — A second person missing in the punishing Australian Outback for almost two weeks was rescued Tuesday, while the search continued for their missing friend. Northern Territory Police said Phu Tran was found by a livestock farmer south of Alice Springs. He was taken to a hospital to be treated for exposure. Superintendent Pauline Vicary said Phu told the farmer he had survived after finding some water. The trio set out from Alice Springs for an afternoon drive on Nov. 19 when their car got stuck in a riverbed in the arid region. Tamra McBeath-Riley was found late Sunday near a waterhole where the trio had been staying.

Hong Kong leader says new US law, violence will harm economy

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday that clashes between protesters and police last weekend have dampened her hopes that a recent lull in the violence would allow the territory’s economy to recover. The government will soon launch a fourth round of measures to support business, protect jobs and offer economic relief, she told reporters after a weekly meeting with advisers. Six months of unrest have tipped an already weak economy into recession. The pro-democracy protests have become more violent over time, as the government has refused to give ground on most of the movement’s demands. The last two weeks have been relatively quiet, as activists focused on winning district council elections that became a referendum on public support for the protests.

Malaysia’s ex-PM Najib seeks to show he’s victim of fugitive

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak sought to show he was the victim of a cunning fugitive financier as he opened his defense Tuesday in his first corruption trial linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund. Najib is defending himself against seven charges of abuse of power, breach of trust and money laundering relating to 42 million ringgit ($10.1 million) that allegedly went into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB fund. The high court judge last month said it was clear Najib, who was also finance minister at the time, wielded “overarching authority and power” in SRC and had acted for personal gains.

Survey: Afghans’ fear for personal safety has increased

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghans are increasingly fearful for their personal safety, but slightly more believe their war-weary country is moving in the right direction, compared to previous years, according to a new survey released Tuesday. The Asia Foundation poll found that 74.5% of respondents say they always, often or sometimes fear for their personal safety, an increase of over 3 percentage points from 2018. “Increased optimism around the peace talks along with persistent fears about insecurity and the economy continue to influence Afghan views,” Abdullah Ahmadzai, The Asia Foundation’s country representative in Afghanistan was quoted as saying in the survey.

China’s climate paradox: A leader in coal and clean energy

WASHINGTON (AP) — As world leaders gather in Spain to discuss how to slow the warming of the planet, a spotlight falls on China — the top emitter of greenhouse gases. China burns about half the coal used globally each year. Between 2000 and 2018, its annual carbon emissions nearly tripled, and it now accounts for about 30% of the world’s total. Yet it’s also the leading market for solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles, and it manufactures about two-thirds of solar cells installed worldwide. “We are witnessing many contradictions in China’s energy development,” said Kevin Tu, a Beijing-based fellow with the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.

China, Russia launch massive joint gas pipeline

BEIJING (AP) — China and Russia launched on Monday a gas pipeline that is more than 6,000 kilometers (3,750 miles) long, an outcome of their long-planned energy partnership. As its relationships with Europe and the United States have grown more volatile, Russia is looking to bring its vast natural gas resources to the east. China is the world’s largest energy consumer and needs new supply sources to meet domestic demand. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated the pipeline — dubbed the “Power of Siberia” — through a joint video conference. “This step takes Russia-China energy cooperation to a whole new level and brings us closer to achieving the goal set together with Chinese President Xi Jinping of extending bilateral trade turnover to $200 billion in 2024,” Putin said.

Former governor of China’s Xinjiang sentenced in bribery

BEIJING (AP) — The former governor of China’s tense northwestern region of Xinjiang was sentenced Monday to life in prison on charges of taking bribes, becoming one of the highest-profile ethnic minority politicians to fall in an ongoing anti-corruption campaign. Nur Bekri had been among China’s most politically successful members of the Turkic Muslim Uighur (WEE-gur) ethnic minority, more than 1 million of whom have been detained in political re-education camps in recent years. State media reports said Bekri was sentenced Monday and showed pictures of him standing in the dock. A statement on the official microblog of the People’s Highest Court said Bekri had been sentenced by the Intermediate People’s Court in the northeastern city of Shenyang and had stated he would not appeal.