Top Asian News 8:05 a.m. GMT

Storm-triggered floods in Philippines spark frantic calls to rescue trapped people, some on roofs

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Torrential rain set off by an approaching tropical storm swamped eastern Philippine cities and towns overnight in widespread flooding that trapped people, some on their roofs, and sparked frantic appeals for rescue boats and trucks, officials said Wednesday. The government shut down public schools and government offices — except those urgently needed for disaster response — on the entire main island of Luzon to protect millions of people as Tropical Storm Trami blew closer from the Pacific. At least person died after being hit by a fallen tree branch in central Masbate province while seven others were reported missing, including three men who sailed to fish in the high seas from Masbate but haven’t returned, officials said.

Indigenous Australian senator intensifies criticism of King Charles III

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Indigenous senator has intensified her criticism of King Charles III, again accusing the British monarch of complicity in the “genocide” against Australia’s First Nations peoples and declaring on Wednesday she will not be “shut down.” Sen. Lidia Thorpe’s comments followed an encounter with the monarch at a parliamentary reception Monday where she was escorted out after shouting at him for British colonizers taking Indigenous land and bones. Despite facing political and public backlash, Thorpe was resolute in a television interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and said she would continue to press for justice. “The colonial system is all about shutting black women down in this country,” Thorpe said from Melbourne.

King Charles III’s Commonwealth visit to Samoa will highlight climate change ... and dance

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III should be prepared to dance when he visits Samoa this week. Freddie Tuilagi made sure of that when he visited St. James’ Palace recently wearing nothing but a bark cloth wrap and a necklace historically worn by orator chiefs. Charles, in a blue suit and carefully knotted tie, grinned while gamely trying to follow along as Samoa’s honorary consul to the U.K. moved through the steps of a traditional dance. “He loves it. He said he wants to learn the dance,” Tuilagi said afterward, showing off his moves once again. Tuilagi, who moved to Britain to play professional rugby, said the 75-year-old king can expect more of the same when he arrives in the South Pacific island nation on Wednesday.

How a nearly extinct crocodile species returned from the brink in Cambodia

PHNOM TAMAO, Cambodia (AP) — A tiny snout poked out to widen the crack of the slowly shattering eggshell. The Siamese crocodile was taking its time, lagging others that had already wriggled out, chirping, into the sand. Adults can be up to 4 meters (13 feet) long and weigh up to 350 kilogram (770 pounds). They have few natural predators. But these hatchlings — each roughly the size of a New York hotdog — are vulnerable and their chorus of shrill calls was a signal for mothers to protect them and for stragglers to catch up. Hor Vichet, a zookeeper at the nonprofit Fauna and Flora’s breeding center for the critically endangered reptiles in Cambodia’s Phnom Tamao, broke the rest of the shell.

Fresh tension grips Bangladesh as student protesters demand president’s resignation

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Political tension in Bangladesh was growing anew on Wednesday after a leading student group called for the country’s figurehead president to resign over comments he made that appeared to call into question former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation in August. The interim government was expected to hold a Cabinet meeting to discuss the issue on Thursday. The student group, known as the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, set a two-day deadline for President Mohammed Shahabuddin to step down. Hundreds of protesters rallied in the capital, Dhaka, on Tuesday while hundreds of others attempted to storm the presidential palace, Bangabhaban.

About 140 Rohingya Muslims on wooden boat off Indonesia’s coast as residents refuse to let them land

LABUHAN HAJI, Indonesia (AP) — About 140 weak and hungry Rohingya Muslims, mostly women and children, were on a wooden boat anchored about 1 mile (0.60 kilometers) off the coast of Indonesia’s northernmost province of Aceh on Tuesday, officials said, and local residents refused to allow them onto land. The blue-painted boat has been floating off the coast since Friday. Three Rohingya died during the nearly two-week-long trip from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh to the waters off Labuhan Haji in South Aceh district, local police said. Authorities have transferred 11 Rohingya to a government hospital since Sunday after their health worsened.

South Korea warns it can send arms to Ukraine after reports of North’s troops in Russia

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea warned Tuesday it could consider supplying weapons to Ukraine in response to North Korea allegedly dispatching troops to Russia, as both North Korea and Russia denied the movements. NATO’s secretary general said that would mark a “significant escalation.” South Korea’s statement was apparently meant to pressure Russia against bringing in North Korean troops for its war against Ukraine. South Korean officials worry that Russia may reward North Korea by giving it sophisticated weapons technologies that can boost the North’s nuclear and missile programs that target South Korea. In an emergency National Security Council meeting, top South Korean officials condemned North Korea’s alleged dispatch of troops as “a grave security threat” to South Korea and the international community.

Putin hosts Global South leaders at BRICS summit meant to counterbalance Western clout

KAZAN, Russia (AP) — China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi and other world leaders arrived Tuesday in the Russian city of Kazan for a summit of the BRICS bloc of developing economies that the Kremlin hopes to turn into a rallying point for defying Western influence in global affairs. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the three-day meeting also offers a powerful way to demonstrate the failure of U.S.-led efforts to isolate Russia over its actions in Ukraine. Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov called it “the largest foreign policy event ever held” by Russia, with 36 countries attending and more than 20 of them represented by heads of state.

Building collapses during heavy rains in southern India city, killing at least 5 workers

BENGALURU, India (AP) — A seven-story building under construction collapsed in southern India during heavy monsoon rains, killing at least five workers and trapping three others, police said Wednesday. Police said in a statement that 13 people have been rescued so far by fire and disaster response teams. The entire building collapsed Tuesday in the Babusapalya area of Bengaluru, one of India’s information and technology hubs. The cause of the collapse is still being investigated. Such accidents are common in India during the monsoon season from June to September. Regulations are poorly enforced, and some builders cut corners, use substandard materials, or add unauthorized extra floors, leading to structural collapses.

Hong Kong bars services like WhatsApp and Google Drive from government computers

HONG KONG (AP) — The Hong Kong government is barring most civil servants from using popular apps like WhatsApp, WeChat and Google Drive on their work computers due to potential security risks. The latest IT security guidelines from the Digitial Policy Office have many civil servants complaining about added inconvenience. Government workers will still be allowed to use the services from personal devices at work, and can get exceptions to the ban with approval from a manager. Information technology experts said companies have adopted similar policies due to increasing risks of data leaks and cybersecurity challenges. Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, said on a radio program Tuesday that the ban is needed as hacking is becoming a more serious problem.