Top Asian News 3:56 a.m. GMT

Hopes of finding more survivors in the mud and debris wane after landslides in India kill 194

WAYANAD, India (AP) — Hopes of finding more than 180 missing people alive waned as rescue workers searched through mud and debris for a third day Thursday after landslides set off by torrential rains killed at least 194 people in southern India. The rescue work was challenging in a forested, hilly area while more rain fell, said PM Manoj, a spokesperson for Kerala state’s top elected official. Nearly 40 bodies were found some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the area in Wayanad district where the main landslides occurred, after being swept along the Chaliyar River. Torrents of mud and water swept through tea estates and villages in hilly areas in the district early Tuesday.

Japan Osprey crash caused by cracks in a gear and pilot’s decision to keep flying, Air Force says

WASHINGTON (AP) — A deadly Osprey aircraft crash last November off Japan was caused by cracks in a metal gear and the pilot’s decision to keep flying rather than heed multiple warnings that he should land, according to an Air Force investigation released Thursday. The CV-22B Osprey crash killed eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members and led to a monthslong military-wide grounding of the fleet. There have been four fatal Osprey crashes in the past two years, driving investigations into the Osprey’s safety record and creating a split among the services about the future role of the unique aircraft that can fly like an airplane but land like a helicopter.

As India ages, a secret shame emerges: Elders abandoned by their children

GARHMUKTESHWAR, India (AP) — They were found in gutters, on streets, in bushes. They were boarded on trains, deserted in hospitals, dumped at temples. They were sent away for being sick or outliving paychecks or simply growing too old. By the time they reached this home for the aged and unwanted, many were too numb to speak. Some took months to mouth the truth of how they came to spend their final days in exile. “They said, ‘Taking care of him is not our cup of tea,’” says Amirchand Sharma, 65, a retired policeman whose sons left him to die near the river after he was badly hurt in an accident.

Bangladesh bans Jamaat-e-Islami party following violent protests that left more than 200 dead

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh on Thursday banned the Jamaat-e-Islami party, its student wing and other associate bodies as “militant and terrorist” organizations as part of a nationwide crackdown following weeks of violent protests that left more than 200 people dead and thousands injured. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her political partners blamed Jamaat-e-Islami, its Islami Chhatra Shibir student wing and other associate bodies for inciting violence during recent student protests over a quota system for government jobs. In an official circular seen by The Associated Press, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs said Thursday the ban was imposed under an anti-terrorism law.

Amid global turmoil Blinken aims to ease anxiety over US election on 6-nation Asia tour

SINGAPORE (AP) — With large parts of the world in turmoil and deep uncertainty over the future direction of America’s global role, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought this week to project an aura of calm normalcy as he traveled through Asia on his first overseas mission since President Joe Biden jolted the 2024 presidential race with his withdrawal. Whether he succeeded or not remains an open question. On a trip to Laos, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia that was punctuated by several potential escalatory developments in the Middle East, an uptick in Russian attacks in Ukraine and overshadowed by persistent fears about China’s increasingly aggressive actions, he could not escape questions and comments about domestic U.S.

Montenegro court approves extradition of cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon to native South Korea

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — A Montenegrin appeals court on Thursday upheld a ruling by a lower court to hand over a South Korean mogul known as “the cryptocurrency king” to his native country, rejecting a bid to extradite him to the United States. The move follows a months-long legal saga in the case of Do Kwon, the Terraform Labs founder who was arrested in Montenegro last year. Both South Korea and the U.S. had requested Do Kwon’s extradition from Montenegro. Various Montenegrin courts in the past months have brought and overturned multiple rulings to extradite Kwon either to U.S. or South Korea.

Death toll jumps to 30, with 35 others missing, in an area hit by heavy rains in southeastern China

BEIJING (AP) — At least 30 people have died and 35 others are missing in a city in southeastern China after days of heavy rains tied to a tropical storm, state media said Thursday. The death toll rose sharply from a previously reported four deaths in villages in Zixing, a city in Hunan province. In addition, a mudslide from the same rains killed 15 people on Sunday in another part of the province. Earlier this week, state broadcaster CCTV showed helicopters being used to get relief supplies into severely flooded areas in Zixing. By midday Thursday, roadways, electricity and communications had been largely restored in the city’s eight most affected townships, state media said.

India offers $300 million loan to build up Vietnam’s maritime security, saying it is a key partner

NEW DELHI (AP) — India on Thursday offered a $300 million loan to build up Vietnam’s maritime security, as the two sides said they want to double their trade and investment within five years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh that India considers Vietnam a key pillar of its policy toward Southeast Asian nations and an important partner in its Indo-Pacific vision. After their talks, Chinh told reporters the world faces fierce security challenges but there are opportunities for cooperation. “The Asia Indo-Pacific region is a locomotive for growth, but it is also where major politics is taking place fiercely,” he said.

South Korea offers humanitarian aid to flood-hit North Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea on Thursday offered to send aid supplies to North Korea to help the country recover from heavy rains and floods that submerged thousands of homes and huge swaths of farmland. It’s unclear whether North Korea would accept South Korea’s proposal for help. Animosity between the war-divided rivals is at its highest in years over the North’s growing nuclear ambitions and the South’s expansion of combined military exercises with the United States and Japan to counter the North’s threats. South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said the South was willing to swiftly provide supplies to address the “humanitarian difficulties” facing North Korean residents following the recent storms.

Pakistan’s cultural capital sees record rainfall, flooding streets and affecting daily life

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s cultural city of Lahore saw record-high rainfall early Thursday, leaving at least three people dead, while flooding streets, disrupting traffic and affecting daily life, officials said, as the death toll from rain-related incidents over the past month surpassed 100. In July, 99 people died in rain-related incidents and most of the deaths were reported in eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, the National Disaster Management Authority said. The latest spell of downpours started before dawn and is expected to continue for a week at intervals, according to the NDMA. In an advisory, it said the rains are likely to cause flash flooding and landslides.