Top Asian News 4:58 a.m. GMT

Explosion at Taiwan department store kills 1 and leaves 10 others hospitalized

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — An explosion at a department store in Taiwan on Thursday killed one person and left 10 others hospitalized, fire authorities said. The blast occurred at the food court on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung city. Among the 10 people who were hospitalized, four had no vital signs, authorities said.

Seoul says North Korea is destroying facility that hosted reunions of war-separated families

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea is demolishing a South Korea-built property that had been used to host reunions of families separated during the 1950-53 Korean War, the South’s government said Thursday, as it continues to eliminate symbols of engagement between the war-divided rivals. Relations between the Koreas are at their worst in years, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continuing to flaunt his expanding nuclear weapons program and declaring to abandon long-standing goals of inter-Korean reconciliation, while describing the South as a permanent enemy. The 12-story building at the North’s scenic Diamond Mountain resort, which has 206 rooms and banquet facilities for hosting meetings, had been used for family reunions since 2009.

Modi and Trump’s friendly rapport may be tested as Indian prime minister visits Washington

NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s longstanding bonhomie with President Donald Trump could be tested as the Indian leader kicks off a visit to Washington on Wednesday, eager to avoid tariffs that have been slapped on others and threats of further taxes and imports. India, a key strategic partner of the United States, has so far been spared any new tariffs, and the two leaders have cultivated a personal relationship. Modi — a nationalist criticized over India’s democratic backsliding — has welcomed Trump’s return to the White House, seeking to reset India’s relationship with the West over his refusal to condemn Russia for its war on Ukraine.

AP PHOTOS: Defying gravity and other highlights of the Asian Winter Games

HARBIN, China (AP) — Associated Press photographers captured the most exciting moments of the first six days of the Asian Winter Games, including some gravity-defying moves from ice hockey, figure skating and the Alpine skiing events teams. Spectators wearing heavy winter clothes flocked to the city of Harbin in northeast China, which is hosting the Games. The home-court advantage went, expectedly, to the Chinese team with the loudest cheers from the stands. Some also took photos with much-loved mascots, and beaming athletes stood proudly on podiums as they received their medals. These games follow the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in 2022, held in a bubble because of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elephants trumpet, squeak and flap their ears after their complex move across an Australian city

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Elephants trumpeted, touched trunks and flapped their oversized ears upon reuniting with their herd after a complex, five-day move from an urban Australian zoo to a much larger enclosure. The nine Asian elephants were transported 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Melbourne Zoo in the heart of the city to an enclosure 10 times bigger at the Werribee Open Range Zoo, Zoos Victoria said on Thursday. Police escorts and synchronized traffic lights aided their journey in three convoys of trucks. The animals’ reactions demonstrated they were happy with their move, the elephants’ manager Erin Gardiner said. “The behaviors that we saw that indicated to us that they felt really comfortable and also excited to see each other were lots of ear flapping, trunk touching, lots of vocalizations,” Gardiner said.

Thousands in Taiwan and China celebrate the Lantern Festival with high hopes and rice dumplings

NEW TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Thousands in Taiwan and China celebrated the Lantern Festival on Wednesday by releasing paper lanterns into the night sky, visiting light installations and snacking on glutinous rice dumplings. The holiday marks the end of the Lunar New Year period and is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar. At the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in northern Taiwan, thousands lined up in the rain to light up and observe wish lanterns. Among them were Mae Alegonero and Shine Ceralvo, friends from the Philippines who work in central Taiwan. They decided to join the event after seeing images of the floating lanterns trending on TikTok.

Myanmar bids to put traditional thanakha face powder on UN heritage list to boost cultural profile

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Supporters and opponents of Myanmar’s military government are engaged in a bloody civil war, but a celebration Wednesday feted something almost all find worthy: the use of thanakha, a yellowish-white paste made from ground tree bark as a traditional natural cosmetic. Thanakha-painted cheeks are ubiquitous in Myanmar, where women and children apply the paste on their cheeks, nose, forehead, neck, forearms and shins after their morning showers, during the day and before bed. It’s not unusual for men to apply it on their faces. Now the tradition will be considered by the U.N.’s cultural agency. Myanmar is applying to add thanakha to UNESCO’s world Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Australian hospital examines patient records after nurse claims to have killed Israelis

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian hospital is examining patient records after a nurse claimed online to have killed Israelis, officials said Wednesday, stressing that no evidence of harm to patients was uncovered. The claim appears to have been the latest in a surge antisemitic attacks and rhetoric that have roiled Australia as homes, offices and businesses have been vandalised and a school and two synagogues were torched in just over a year with crimes targeting Jews. A police strike force, established to focus on the antisemitic crimes in Sydney since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023, was investigating potential offenses stemming from the online video, including breaches of hate speech law, New South Wales state Health Minister Ryan Park said.

Takeaways: Tesla has sued Chinese customers and journalists — and won almost every time

BEIJING (AP) — Tesla has embraced an aggressive legal strategy in China to stifle its critics — suing its own customers. That’s left some Tesla owners desperate. Zhang Yazhou protested publicly that her Model 3’s brakes had failed and caused an accident in 2021 that sent her parents to the hospital. Tesla said that wasn’t true and sued her for defamation. A Chinese court ordered Zhang to pay the $1.1-trillion company more than $23,000 in damages and publicly apologize for her criticism. “I refuse to accept it,” said Zhang, who appealed the verdict. “As a consumer, even if I said something wrong, I have the right to comment and criticize.

Her parents were injured in a Tesla crash. She ended up having to pay Tesla damages

BEIJING (AP) — Zhang Yazhou was sitting in the passenger seat of her Tesla Model 3 when she said she heard her father’s panicked voice: The brakes don’t work! Approaching a red light, her father swerved around two cars before plowing into an SUV and a sedan and crashing into a large concrete barrier. Stunned, Zhang gazed at the deflating airbag in front of her. She could never have imagined what was to come: Tesla sued her for defamation for complaining publicly about the car’s brakes — and won. A Chinese court ordered Zhang to pay more than $23,000 in damages and publicly apologize to the $1.1 trillion company.