Top Asian News 3:57 a.m. GMT

Death toll in Myanmar from Typhoon Yagi reaches 74. Dozens of other people are missing

BANGKOK (AP) — The death toll in Myanmar from flooding and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi has reached at least 74, with 89 people missing, Myanmar’s state television said Saturday. Difficulties in compiling information have raised fears that the number of casualties may be higher. The new official death toll announced by the country’s military government was more than double the 33 reported on Friday. Typhoon Yagi earlier hit Vietnam, northern Thailand and Laos, killing more than 260 people and causing major damage. The new totals were announced after state media reported that Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the ruling military council, said that Myanmar was requesting relief aid from foreign countries.

IS militants kill 14 in a Shiite area of Afghanistan in one of the deadliest attacks this year

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Islamic State militants killed 14 people in a Shiite-majority area in central Afghanistan in one of the deadliest attacks in the country this year. The militant group claimed responsibility for the shooting, which took place on Thursday and targeted a group of minority Hazaras traveling between the provinces of Ghor and Daikundi. Six other people were wounded in the attack. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the shootings before the Taliban authorities in Kabul acknowledged the attack. The IS said its fighters used a machine gun in the assault, and claimed inflicting a higher death toll than the Taliban later reported.

Pope makes new overture to China, calling Beijing ‘a promise and hope’ for the church

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis declared Friday that China was “a promise and a hope” for the Catholic Church, offering extensive praise for Beijing at the end of a four-nation tour through Asia and again expressed hope to one day visit. Francis’ comments, during an in-flight press conference en route home from Singapore, came as the Vatican enters into the final weeks of negotiations to renew a 2018 agreement over the contentious issue of bishop nominations. Francis declared himself “happy” with the process, saying both sides were engaging in negotiations in a spirit of good will. “I’m happy with the dialogue with China,” he said.

North Korea gives a glimpse of a secretive uranium-enrichment facility as Kim pushes for more nukes

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea offered a rare glimpse into a secretive facility to produce weapons-grade uranium as state media reported Friday that leader Kim Jong Un visited the area and called for stronger efforts to “exponentially” increase its number of nuclear weapons. It’s unclear whether the site is at North Korea’s main Yongbyon nuclear complex, but it’s the North’s first disclosure of a uranium-enrichment facility since it showed one at Yongbyon to visiting American scholars in 2010. While the latest unveiling is likely an attempt to apply more pressure on the U.S. and its allies, the images released by North Korean media of the area could provide outsiders with a valuable source of information for estimating the amount of nuclear ingredients that North Korea has produced.

What to know about North Korea’s unveiling of its uranium enrichment facility

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In a significant show of defiance against the United States, North Korea on Friday provided the outside world with a rare view into a secretive facility built to enrich uranium for nuclear bombs as leader Kim Jong Un called for a rapid expansion of his nuclear weapons program. Here’s a look at what we know about the facility and North Korea’s capabilities for producing bomb fuel. North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmum newspaper published several photos showing Kim talking with scientists and military officials in a hall tightly packed with gray centrifuge tubes that were about the height of his shoulders.

China is raising its retirement age, now among the youngest in the world’s major economies

BEIJING (AP) — Starting next year, China will raise its retirement age for workers, which is now among the youngest in the world’s major economies, in an effort to address its shrinking population and aging work force. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s legislature, passed the new policy Friday after a sudden announcement earlier in the week that it was reviewing the measure, state broadcaster CCTV announced. The policy change will be carried out over 15 years, with the retirement age for men raised to 63 years, and for women to 55 or 58 years depending on their jobs.

Cambodia decries US sanctions against one of its top tycoons implicated in forced labor

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia on Friday decried newly imposed U.S. sanctions on one of the country’s top tycoons who has been implicated in allegations of forced labor, human trafficking and lucrative online scams. Cambodia’s foreign ministry expressed “deep regret over the unjust decision” to sanction Ly Yong Phat and suggested that the action could hurt bilateral relations. Ly Yong Phat, one of Cambodia’s richest men, is also a Cambodian senator and a leading member of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party of Prime Minister Hun Manet. The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on Ly Yong Phat and five of his businesses “for their role in serious human rights abuses related to the treatment of workers subjected to forced labor in online investment scam operations.” “Victims forced to run virtual currency investment scams and other online schemes are often lured by fraudulent jobs and promises of free housing,” said the statement.

A review of some of Pope Francis’ most memorable quotes over his papacy

On Friday, flying back to Rome from a lengthy trip to Asia, Pope Francis criticized both U.S. presidential candidates for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and migration. He advised American Catholics to choose who they think is the “lesser evil” in the upcoming U.S. elections. “Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,″ Francis said. Neither Republican candidate Donald Trump nor the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, was mentioned by name. It was the latest in a long string of memorable — and sometimes controversial — comments from the pope, who throughout his 11-year papacy has often been willing to speak out in impromptu fashion.

China hands PwC a 6-month ban and fine over audit of the collapsed developer Evergrande

HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese authorities have banned the accounting firm PwC for six months and fined it over 400 million yuan ($56.4 million) over its involvement in the audit of collapsed property developer Evergrande. The punishment is the heaviest yet for international accounting firms operating in China. PwC will be banned from signing off on any financial results in the country for six months. Already, it has been losing clients. China’s Ministry of Finance said in a statement Friday that it was imposing 116 million yuan ($16.35 million) in fines and confiscation of illegal gains on PwC Zhong Tian, also known as PwC China, as well as a six-month business suspension, revocation of PwC’s Guangzhou branch and an administrative warning.

Sri Lankans’ fury forced the powerful Rajapaksa clan out. Now its heir is running for president

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — When an uprising ousted Sri Lanka’s president, many saw it as the end of his powerful family’s hold on the island nation after more than 12 years of rule. Now, as Sri Lanka prepares to elect a new leader, Namal Rajapaksa is running for president. The 38-year-old is the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the nephew of the ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Namal Rajapaksa is presenting himself as an agent of change, but many see his bid for presidency as an attempt by the controversial political dynasty to regain power. By mid-2022, the clan’s political career seemed in ruins.