Top Asian News 4:53 a.m. GMT

Mass evacuation of Philippine villages underway after a brief but major volcanic eruption

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — About 87,000 people were being evacuated in a central Philippine region Tuesday a day after a volcano briefly erupted with a towering ash plume and superhot streams of gas and debris hurtling down its western slopes. The latest eruption of Mount Kanlaon on central Negros island did not cause any immediate casualties, but the alert level was raised one level, indicating further and more explosive eruptions may occur. Volcanic ash fell on a wide area, including Antique province, more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) across seawaters west of the volcano, obscuring visibility and posing health risks, Philippine chief volcanologist Teresito Bacolcol and other officials said by telephone.

South Korean prosecutors seek to arrest ex-defense minister over martial law

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors are seeking to formally arrest the former defense minister alleged to have colluded with President Yoon Suk Yeol in imposing martial law last week, as both men are being investigated on rebellion and other charges. Martial law lasted only about six hours but was the first of its kind in more than 40 years and has caused a domestic firestorm and large street protests. Yoon and his associates face criminal investigations and impeachment attempts. The Justice Ministry has banned Yoon and eight others from leaving the country as authorities see them as key suspects in the martial law case.

Nauru gives Australia a veto right over a range of pacts with other nations including China

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia announced a multimillion-dollar agreement with Nauru on Monday that gives Australia a veto right over a range of pacts the tiny Pacific atoll might want to enter with third countries including China. Australia offered 140 million Australian dollars ($89 million) over five years to the remote nation’s population of 12,000 under the treaty to be implemented next year, including AU$40 million ($26 million) to enhance policing and security. “Recognizing the security of one of us affects the security of both of us, the treaty provides that Nauru and Australia will jointly agree to any engagement by other countries in Nauru’s security, banking and telecommunications sectors,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a joint statement with Nauru President David Adeang at Australia’s Parliament House.

Ethnic armed group claims capture of a strategic Myanmar town and control of border with Bangladesh

BANGKOK (AP) — One of the most powerful ethnic minority armed groups battling Myanmar’s army has claimed the capture of the last army outpost in the strategic western town of Maungdaw, gaining full control of the 271-kilometer (168-mile) -long border with Bangladesh. The capture by the Arakan Army makes the group’s control of the northern part of Rakhine state complete, and marks another advance in its bid for self-rule there. Rakhine has become a focal point for Myanmar’s nationwide civil war, in which pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority armed forces seeking autonomy battle the country’s military rulers, who took power in 2021 after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Australian synagogue fire declared terrorism in a decision that increases investigation resources

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian law enforcement authorities on Monday declared an arson attack on a synagogue last week a terrorist act in a decision that increases resources available to the investigation. Arson squad detectives have been investigating the blaze that extensively damaged the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on Friday. But the investigation was taken over on Monday by the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team which involves Victoria state Police and Australian Federal Police as well as the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the nation’s main domestic spy agency. “The decision ... to transition the Adass Israel Synagogue fire attack to the Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team is a crucial turning point in this investigation,” Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett told reporters.

Taiwan says China has sent naval ships into nearby waters ahead of anticipated drills

BEIJING (AP) — China’s military appears to be preparing for widely anticipated drills in response to a recent visit by Taiwan’s president to Hawaii and Guam. Taiwan’s defense ministry said Monday that it detected Chinese naval and coast guard ships entering the Taiwan Strait and the western Pacific and that China had restricted airspace along its southeast coast through Wednesday. There was no immediate confirmation from the Chinese side. It comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he would not commit to defending Taiwan if China were to invade during his presidency. China says Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes American support and military sales to the self-governing island.

Tonga’s prime minister quits moments ahead of no-confidence motion in parliament

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Tonga’s Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni abruptly resigned in parliament on Monday ahead of a planned no-confidence vote in his leadership, capping a period of fraught relations between his government and Tonga’s king. Sovaleni, who took office in 2021, did not specify a reason for his departure but his resignation halted the no-confidence motion expected on Monday. It was not immediately clear who would succeed him. His resignation comes less than a year before a national election in Tonga, a South Pacific island nation of 105,000 people, and it highlighted the occasional tensions between Tonga’s monarchy and elected lawmakers in a still-young democracy after reforms that transferred powers from the royal family and nobles to regular citizens in 2010.

Preserving Macao’s fusion cuisine with recipes passed down generations

MACAO (AP) — A crack of fire under a sprawling wok, a dab of soy sauce and a splash of Chinese rice wine. Bursts of aroma from spices sourced from around the world sizzle as a chef prepares Minchi, a dish of fried minced meat with diced potatoes topped with a sunny-side-up egg. This is one of the most iconic comfort foods for the Macanese. Restaurateur Manuela Sales da Silva Ferreira’s hopes to ensure her grandmother’s version of dishes like Minchi are not forgotten, using recipes passed down through generations at her eatery, Restaurante Litoral. In the 25 years since Portugal returned its trading outpost to China, Macau has become known for its glittering, luxurious casinos and nightlife.

Chinese gold mining threatens a protected UN heritage site in Congo

OKAPI WILDLIFE RESERVE, Congo (AP) — Scattered along the banks of the Ituri River, buildings cram together, cranes transport dirt and debris scatters the soil. The patches of trees are a scant reminder that a forest once grew there. Nestled in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, the Chinese-run gold mine is rapidly encroaching on an area that many say it shouldn’t be operating in at all - the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, an endangered World Heritage site. The original boundaries of the reserve were established three decades ago, by Congo’s government and encompassed the area where the Chinese company now mines. But over the years under opaque circumstances, the boundaries shrunk, allowing the company to operate inside the plush forest.

Nobel Peace Prize winner urges Putin to understand the destructiveness of nuclear weapons

OSLO, Norway (AP) — Terumi Tanaka, a survivor of the U.S. atomic bombings of Japan and the representative of an organization that won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, called on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to stop making nuclear threats. The 92-year-old spoke at a news conference in Oslo, Norway, a day before a ceremony where he is to deliver a lecture on behalf of Nihon Hidankyo, an organization of survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that won this year’s prize. Asked by a reporter if he had a message for Putin, Tanaka said that the Russian leader’s repeated nuclear threats convinced him that Putin must not understand how devastating the use of nuclear weapons would be.