Top Asian News 4:31 a.m. GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — China's president will visit the Philippines for the first time in a high point of a love-hate relationship with an American treaty ally with offers of infrastructure loans and new accords to prevent clashes and possibly explore for oil and gas in the disputed South China Sea. A red-carpet welcome awaits President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Manila, the last stop in a three-nation swing through Asia where he's offering infrastructure loans and aid and championing free trade in a rivalry for influence with the United States. Two Philippine officials tell The Associated Press that President Rodrigo Duterte's administration will likely sign an accord to support Beijing's "Belt and Road Initiative" loan program and but won't immediately accede yet to proposals for oil and gas exploration in disputed waters.

TOKYO (AP) — The arrest of Nissan Motor Co.'s chairman Carlos Ghosn on charges he underreported his income and misused company funds caused the company's shares to tumble and shocked many in Japan who view him as something of a hero. Prosecutors said they were holding Ghosn and another Nissan executive for allegedly collaborating to falsify securities statements and underreport Ghosn's income for five years. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday that the government was watching for economic fallout from the scandal at one of the world's biggest automakers. Ghosn was arrested Monday and Nissan's CEO said the company's board will meet on Thursday to approve his dismissal.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Fiji's leader was sworn in for four more years Tuesday after winning an election with a reduced majority, after earlier lashing out at his opponents. Voreqe Bainimarama was affirmed prime minister in a ceremony in the capital Suva after his FijiFirst Party won just over half the votes in last week's election, giving them 27 seats in Fiji's 51-seat parliament. Bainimarama first seized power in a military coup in 2006 and refashioned himself as a legitimate leader after winning an election in 2014. Many people in the nation of 920,000 seem appreciative of the economic gains they've made in recent years.

The 8,000 residents of a remote tribal village in northeastern India are busy hosting millions of migratory Amur falcons from Siberia who roost by a massive reservoir before taking off for their final destinations — Somalia, Kenya and South Africa — traversing up to 22,000 kilometers (13,670 miles). Surrounded by hills, the reservoir and a hydroelectric dam, Pangti village inhabited by Lotha Naga tribespeople became notorious in 2012 for killing up to 15,000 migratory Amur falcons per day. The villagers were either consuming or selling the birds. "Our people have transformed and today my village of Pangti is called the falcon capital of the world because it is believed the world's largest congregation of this exotic bird takes place right here between October and December every year," said Nyimthungo Yanthan, 52, a former falcon hunter turned conservationist.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Three men inspired by the Islamic State group were charged on Tuesday with planning a mass-casualty attack in Australia's second-largest city, police said. The Australian citizens of Turkish descent were arrested in their Melbourne homes, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said. All had had their passports cancelled this year because of security concerns. Ashton said the trio communicated with encrypted messages, which made it difficult for police to determine when and where the attack was to take place. "Whilst a specific location was not finalized, there was a view toward a crowded place," where they could kill more victims, Ashton told reporters.

BANGKOK (AP) — The sight of two preteen boys pummeling each other with fists, elbows, knees and feet as a boisterous crowd shouts wagers at each other is considered good, clean sport in Thailand. However, the death earlier this month of a 13-year-old Muay Thai contender may push forward changes to protect other youngsters in Thai kickboxing. Anucha Tasako died of a brain hemorrhage two days after he was knocked out in a bout on Nov. 10, his 174th match in a career that began at age 8. His death was a fluke, said some of the sport's boosters. They said that the referee did not stop the fight soon enough, and that no doctor was available.

BANGKOK (AP) — In the ring, the two boxers spar furiously with blows delivered by fists, elbows, knees and feet to virtually any part of the opponent's body. Those in the crowd furiously make wagers with each other as the battle rages. The Muay Thai — or Thai kickboxing — competitors are as young as 8 years old. But the tragic death of 13-year-old Anucha Tasako after being knocked out in a match earlier this month has brought into focus whether youngsters should be taking and giving such brutal punishment in the name of sports. Anucha, who fought an incredible 174 bouts in a career that started at age 8, died of a brain hemorrhage two days after his Nov.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The new president of the Maldives has decided that the country will rejoin the Commonwealth group of former British colonies following a two-year absence, his office said a statement Monday. The decision was made Monday after the Cabinet of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's recommended the move, the statement said. Former strongman Yameen Abdul Gayoom pulled the Maldives out of Commonwealth in 2016. He had accused the group of interfering with the country's internal affairs after it raised concerns over democracy and human rights. Solih's ministers believe being part of the 53-member Commonwealth will provide young Maldivians with opportunities to get educational scholarships and for the country's athletes to play internationally.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. authorities accused a Russian-born citizen of South Africa on Monday of taking part in a scheme to help North Korea evade sanctions aimed at curbing its nuclear weapons program. The Treasury Department said Vladlen Amtchentev worked with Singapore-based front companies to launder millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system on behalf of sanctioned North Korean banks. Amtchentev was placed on an international financial blacklist by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Contol that lists the 49-year old as residing in Singapore. The action freezes any U.S. assets Amtchentev may have and bars any U.S. organizations from conducting financial transactions with him.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto turned to his country's masters for inspiration for his latest work, "Killing," his first samurai movie. But he also emulated the way Martin Scorsese gave free rein to his actors, a technique Tsukamoto learned when he was cast in "Silence" as a Christian martyr. "Killing," a poetic but brutal story about the horrors of violence, premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year and opens in Japan on Nov. 24. Overseas release dates have not been announced. "This film is the total antithesis to the heroism depicted in usual samurai films," Tsukamoto, who wrote, directed and edited "Killing," said at a recent preview screening at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Tokyo.