Top Asian News 8:01 a.m. GMT

An elevated part of a highway being built in South Korea collapses, killing 4 workers

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Elevated parts of a highway under construction collapsed in South Korea on Tuesday, killing four workers and injuring six others, officials said. Ten people were working on the site near the city of Cheonan, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of Seoul. They fell when it collapsed and were trapped in the rubble, the National Fire Agency said. One was found dead in the rubble. Eight injured workers were sent to hospitals before two of them were declared dead there later. The 10th worker who was missing for hours was eventually discovered dead, according to fire agency officials.

‘Puppy Mountain’ photo draws onlookers to a Chinese riverside

When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain,” it became a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination. Guo had gone on a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central China’s Hubei province in late January. When reviewing the photos, he saw something he hadn’t noticed before: A mountain shaped like a dog’s head rested on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water’s edge. “It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo said.

Russia and Indonesia hold talks to strengthen ties on defense and security

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Russia and Indonesia took steps on Tuesday to strengthen their defense ties with a meeting between a top Russian security official and Indonesia’s defense minister in the capital of Jakarta as Moscow’s war on Ukraine entered its fourth year. Ahead of the visit by Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti said he would discuss ways to deepen a defense partnership with Indonesia’s Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. The two officials would also discuss “cooperation in other areas of mutual interest,” the agency said, citing a Russian government statement. Shoigu’s visit, the first stop in a five-day Asia tour that also includes Malaysia, comes after Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country and Southeast Asia’s largest economy — was admitted as full member to the BRICS bloc of developing economies, an alliance where Russia is one of the founding members.

Trump’s abrupt change of US policy on Ukraine raises questions about Taiwan support

BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s abrupt reversal of three years of American policy toward Ukraine has raised concerns China might become emboldened to push its territorial claim on Taiwan, though experts say Beijing is most likely in a wait-and-see mode right now to see how the situation in Europe plays out. In the past two weeks, Trump has falsely claimed Ukraine “should have never started the war,” said Ukraine “may be Russian someday” and questioned the legitimacy of President Volodmyr Zelenskyy’s government, while upending the longstanding American position of isolating Russia over its aggression by beginning direct talks with Moscow and voicing positions sounding remarkably like the Kremlin’s own.

Here’s why Chinese warships near Australia and New Zealand have prompted alarm

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Leaders in Australia and New Zealand say China should have given them more warning before its navy conducted an unusual series of live fire exercises in the seas between the two countries, forcing flights to divert on short notice. The drills by three naval ships happened in international waters beneath a busy commercial flight path over the Tasman Sea on Friday and Saturday, and at least once involved live fire. There’s no suggestion China broke any laws, but analysts say the episode highlights escalating regional tensions over China’s influence. The Tasman Sea spans 1,200 miles (2,000 km) between Australia and New Zealand, the largest Western powers in the South Pacific Ocean.

Chinese fishing vessels used North Korean crews in breach of UN bans, a report says

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A fleet of Chinese fishing vessels used North Korean crews between 2019 and 2024 in violation of U.N. bans, and many people were apparently subjected to abuses including being trapped at sea for years, a report said Monday. The Environmental Justice Foundation, a London-based group specializing in environmental and human rights issues, said it identified the presence of North Koreans on 12 Chinese tuna long-liners operating in the southwest Indian Ocean. The report was mostly based on interviews with 19 Indonesians and Filipinos who worked alongside them. “The testimony received from Indonesian and Filipino crew members suggests that concerted efforts were made to hide the presence of North Koreans on these vessels, and that those North Koreans on board were forced to work for as many as 10 years at sea — in some instances without ever stepping foot on land,” the report said.

China holds live-fire exercises in Gulf of Tonkin after Vietnam marks its territorial claims

BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese authorities said they began live-fire exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin on Monday, only days after Vietnam announced a new line marking what it considers its territory in the body of water between the countries. China’s Maritime Safety Administration said the exercises would be focused on the Beibu Gulf area, closer to the Chinese side of the Gulf of Tonkin, and would run through Thursday evening. It gave no further details, but the drills follow an announcement last week by Vietnam establishing a baseline used to calculate the width of its territorial waters in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Taliban confirm British couple in their 70s arrested in Afghanistan as family call for their release

The Taliban on Monday confirmed the arrest of a British couple in their 70s in Afghanistan after a plea from their children for their release. The four adult children of Peter and Barbie Reynolds said their parents have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years, remaining after the Taliban toppled the Western-backed government in 2021. The couple run Afghanistan-based Rebuild, an organization that provides education and training programs for businesses, government agencies, educational organizations and nongovernmental groups. The Sunday Times, which first reported the arrests, said one project was for mothers and children. The Taliban has severely restricted women’s education and activities.

Judge tosses part of a lawsuit against UK band The 1975 for gay kiss at Malaysian music festival

LONDON (AP) — Members of the British band The 1975 cannot be held personally liable for losses of a Malaysian music festival that was shut down by authorities after lead singer Matty Healy kissed a male bandmate on stage, a London judge ruled Monday. The organizer of the Good Vibes Festival is seeking 1.9 million pounds ($2.4 million) in losses after Healy criticized the country’s anti-homosexuality laws and then kissed bassist Ross MacDonald at the Kuala Lumpur show in July 2023. Footage of the kiss sparked a backlash in the predominantly Muslim country, where homosexuality is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and caning.

Residents attack Bangladesh air force base and clash with soldiers, leaving 1 dead

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Residents in southern Bangladesh on Monday attacked an air force base following an altercation, prompting soldiers from the base to open fire, killing at least one person and injuring several others, local media reported. The military in a statement blamed “miscreants” for attacking the base in the city of Cox’s Bazar. The country’s largest English-language newspaper, the Daily Star, reported one dead. The violence broke out after soldiers challenged a man on a motorbike for not wearing his helmet, according to the Bengali-language Prothom Alo newspaper. The military in a later statement said a local had been brought inside the base for questioning as he did not have the necessary documents for his motorbike.