Top Asian News 3:54 a.m. GMT

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A Myanmar judge delayed the verdict that had been expected Monday against two Reuters journalists accused of possessing official documents illegally in a case that has drawn attention to the faltering state of press freedom in the troubled Southeast Asian nation. The verdict was postponed to Sept. 3. The judge who announced the delay did not give a reason. Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone have pleaded not guilty to violating Myanmar's colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. They were arrested in December and have been detained since then after being denied bail.

TOKYO (AP) — North Korea has expelled a Japanese tourist who had been detained by authorities on unspecified charges, the official Korean Central News Agency said late Sunday. A two-sentence report said that Tomoyuki Sugimoto had been "kept under control" for questioning about "his crime." It did not say what he had been accused of. Authorities decided "to leniently condone him" and expel him on the principle of humanitarianism, the North Korean news agency said. The Japanese government confirmed about two weeks ago that it was looking into reports that one of its citizens was being held. It has not identified him by name.

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Ostrich skin ready for tailoring, huge flat-screen TVs, "Neo-Viagra" and a cure for cancer? North Korea's official shopper's guide is glossy and full of testimonials from satisfied customers and phone and email contact information for the dozens of companies pitching their latest products — though good luck reaching any of them. The "2018 Korea Commodities" catalog, produced by the North's Committee for the Promotion of International Trade, reflects a side of North Korea often lost in the shadow of its nuclear weapons. Leader Kim Jong Un and many other North Koreans firmly believe their country needs to make more and better consumer goods and sell them to the outside world if it is ever going to have a strong — or even sustainable — economy.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — In October 1967, John McCain was a 31-year-old Navy lieutenant commander on his 23rd bombing round over North Vietnam when he was shot out of the sky and taken prisoner. McCain, who died Saturday at age 81, was held 5½ years as a prisoner of war. The following story was written by Associated Press photojournalist Horst Faas on March 14, 1973 when McCain was released: ____ The North Vietnamese officer called out to each group of American prisoners arriving at Gia Lam Airport for their flight to freedom: "Step forward when your name is called and go home." One by one they obeyed, 107 U.S.

DONGDUCHEON, South Korea (AP) — Ninety-three-year-old Ham Sung-chan's eyes widen with excitement as he describes the shock and euphoria of reuniting with his baby brother, now 79, during three days of family reunions in North Korea. But there's a deep and bitter regret, too, and it stems from a simple bit of math: After nearly 70 years of a separation forced by a devastating 1950-53 war that killed and injured millions and cemented the division of the Korean Peninsula into North and South, Ham and his North Korean brother got a total of only 12 hours together. Ham was one of the 197 South Koreans who visited North Korea's scenic Diamond Mountain resort from last Monday to Wednesday for rare reunions with relatives in the North.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's new prime minister announced a peace-making Cabinet on Sunday that does not punish his rivals in a bruising power struggle that ousted his predecessor days ago and divided a government that lags in opinion polls. The fractured conservative coalition government needs to present a united front to voters ahead of elections due by May. Prime Minister Scott Morrison won a ballot of government lawmakers for the leadership on Friday against rival Peter Dutton. Morrison had been loyal to his predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, whom Dutton had demanded prove he had the support of ruling Liberal Party lawmakers in a ballot.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has fired two executives and will suspend one of its carpooling services nationwide starting Monday after a woman was raped and killed allegedly by a driver in eastern China, the company said Sunday. The moves come as the country's largest online ride-hailing platform scrambles to address public complaints that it isn't doing enough to ensure the safety of its users who it says book 30 million rides daily. The killing of the female passenger on Friday was the latest violent crime involving a Didi driver, only three months after another Didi driver allegedly killed a flight attendant.

BEIJING (AP) — Police in northeastern China have detained the owner of a resort hotel where a fire killed 19 people and injured 23 others. The public security bureau of the city of Harbin said on its official social media account it was questioning the legal representative of the Beilong Hot Spring Leisure Hotel on suspicion of negligence leading to Saturday's fire. The disaster added to a string of deadly blazes that have plagued China despite official efforts to improve public safety over the past two decades. The fire broke out at the four-story hotel in Harbin's Sun Island recreation area at 4:36 a.m.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — There was no dividing them. The folk song Arirang played and the "unification" flag was raised to celebrate the first gold medal by a combined Koreas team at a major multi-sport event. The crew comprising South Koreans and North Koreans won the 500-meter dragon boat final on Sunday at the Asian Games co-host city of Palembang, a day after the paddlers delivered the historic first medal for a combined Koreas team by taking bronze in the 200-meter dragon boat competition. The gold was awarded to Korea — the name for the joint teams that are entered in rowing, canoeing and women's basketball — rather than being added to the tally of either North or South Korea.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — China on Saturday lashed out at President Donald Trump for accusing Beijing of not being supportive in efforts to denuclearize North Korea, while South Korea called the U.S. decision to call off a trip to the North by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "unfortunate." The reaction in Seoul and Beijing came hours after President Donald Trump directed Pompeo to delay his trip because of what he saw as a lack of progress on nuclear disarmament talks with the North. Trump also said the nuclear negotiations with North Korea have been hampered by a lack of support from China, which is the North's only major ally and is engaged in an intensifying trade dispute with the United States.