Top Asian News 3:54 a.m. GMT

Pope marvels at Singapore’s skyscrapers and asks that the lowest migrant workers not be forgotten

SINGAPORE (AP) — Pope Francis on Thursday praised Singapore’s economic strength as a testament to human ingenuity but urged the city-state to look after the weakest, too, especially foreign workers, as he opened the final leg of his tour through some of Asia’s poorest countries in one of the world’s richest. Singapore celebrated his arrival by unveiling a new hybrid orchid named for him, the “Dendrobium His Holiness Pope Francis.” Presented during an official welcome ceremony, the orchid “exudes a serene and pure beauty” of ivory white petals with a pink tinge at the center, according to the National Parks Board.

North Korea launches multiple ballistic missiles after Kim vowed to bolster war readiness

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Thursday, its neighbors said, days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to put his nuclear force fully ready for battle with its rivals. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missiles launched from North Korea’s capital flying 360 kilometers (about 220 miles) before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed officials to ensure the safety of ships and aircraft, but there were no reports of damage. The reported fight distances suggest the missiles were designed to attack targets in South Korea.

The candidates to be Japan’s next leader include a former premier’s son and a defense expert

TOKYO (AP) — Japan will have a new leader after outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s governing Liberal Democratic Party holds a vote on Sept. 27 to choose his replacement. They hope to shake off scandals that have dogged his government and regain public support. A record nine candidates, including two women, seek the top job. Here are the main contenders: The son of popular former premier Junichiro Koizumi has been considered a potential prime minister candidate since he was elected to parliament in 2009. Despite his lack of experience, his background as a political blue blood, age and popularity are his strengths.

Flash flood sweeps away hamlet as Vietnam’s storm toll rises to 155 dead

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A flash flood swept away an entire hamlet in northern Vietnam, killing 30 people and leaving dozens missing as deaths from a typhoon and its aftermath climbed to 155 on Wednesday. Vietnamese state broadcaster VTV said the torrent of water gushing down from a mountain in Lao Cai province Tuesday buried Lang Nu hamlet with 35 families in mud and debris. Only about a dozen are known so far to have survived. Rescuers have recovered 30 bodies and are continuing the search for about 65 others. The death toll from Typhoon Yagi and its aftermath has climbed to 155.

Australia strips medals from military commanders over Afghanistan war crime allegations

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Several serving and former Australian military commanders have been stripped of medals over allegations of war crimes committed during the Afghanistan war, Defense Minister Richard Marles said Thursday. Holding commanders to account for alleged misconduct of Australian special forces between 2005 and 2016 was recommended by Maj. Gen. Paul Brereton in his war crime investigation. Brereton found that around 25 Australian Special Air Service Regiment and Commando Regiment troops were involved in the unlawful killings of 39 Afghans. “The allegations which are the subject of the Brereton Report are arguably the most serious allegations of Australian war crimes in our history,” Marles told Parliament.

Hong Kong hits out at US Congress for passing a bill that could close its representative offices

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s government on Wednesday said the U.S. House of Representatives twisted facts in an attack on the city as it passed a bill that could close its representative offices in America, while Beijing threatened to take countermeasures if they are shuttered. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act was part of a series of China-related legislative proposals being scrutinized by the House this week. Many of the proposals scheduled for a vote appear to have both Republican and Democratic support, reflecting a strong consensus that congressional actions are needed to counter Beijing. If approved, the measures would still need to clear the Senate and be signed by the U.S.

Anti-war protesters in Australia clash with police outside a weapons convention

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Anti-war protesters clashed with police on Wednesday outside a military arms convention in the Australian city of Melbourne. Protesters hurled bottles, rocks and horse manure, a police statement said. They also sprayed officers with liquid irritants, some of which were identified as acid, police said. Police retaliated with pepper spray, flash distraction devices and rubber bullets, which are designed to inflict pain without penetrating the skin. At least 24 officers required medical treatment. Police arrested 39 protesters for offenses such as assault, arson and blocking roadways. “Victoria Police is appalled at the behavior of some of the protesters,” the statement said, referring to the Victoria state force.

Malaysia’s police rescue 402 children after sex abuse allegations at Islamic welfare homes

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian authorities on Wednesday rescued 402 children and arrested 171 suspects after raiding 20 welfare homes linked to an Islamic business group, in which children were exploited and sexually abused, the national police chief said. Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said the raids were conducted after investigations into allegations of child abandonment, deviant teachings and sexual assault at the homes, run by the Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings. 201 boys and 201 girls, aged between 1 to 17 years, were rescued from 18 homes in central Selangor state and two in southern Negeri Sembilan state, he said.

Pakistan’s transgender community gets a ride-sharing service for safety

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s transgender community has gotten its first ride-sharing service in the latest effort to protect trans people from discrimination and harassment, the business’s founder said on Wednesday. The new ride-share was launched over the weekend in the country’s cultural capital of Lahore. It’s called SheDrives and will service only trans people and women, according to Ammaz Farooqi, the company’s chief executive. For now, it will service only Lahore, but expansion is possible, Farooqi said. The trans community welcomed the new ride-share, expressing hope it would help reduce harassment of trans people on the road. There are an estimated 30,000 trans people in Lahore, and organizations working for their welfare estimate that across Pakistan, the transgender community numbers about 500,000 out of the total population of 240 million.

Gunmen kill a polio worker and a policeman during a vaccination campaign in Pakistan

KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — Gunmen on motorcycles opened fire Wednesday on police escorting a team of polio workers during a door-to-door vaccination campaign in northwestern Pakistan, killing an officer and a polio worker, police said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Bajur, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, according to local police chief Abdul Aziz. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued a statement condemning the attack. Pakistan on Monday launched a nationwide polio campaign amid a spike in militant attacks. The potentially fatal, paralyzing disease mostly strikes children under age 5 and typically spreads through contaminated water.