Top Asian News 12:54 p.m. GMT

Indian military says Pakistani troops fired at positions along the border in disputed Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Pakistani soldiers fired at Indian posts along the highly militarized frontier in disputed Kashmir for a second consecutive night, the Indian military said Saturday, as tensions flared between the nuclear-armed rivals following a deadly attack on tourists last week. India described the massacre, in which gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian tourists, as a “terror attack” and accused Pakistan of backing it. Pakistan denies the charge. The assault, near the resort town of Pahalgam in India-controlled Kashmir, was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance. It was the restive region’s worst assault targeting civilians in years.

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain’s Prince Andrew in Epstein sex trafficking scandal, has died

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain’s Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein, has died. She was 41. Giuffre died by suicide Friday at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed. “Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors,” her family said in a statement. “Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.” Her publicist Dini von Mueffling described Giuffre as “deeply loving, wise and funny.” “She adored her children and many animals.

Here’s why a flare-up between India and Pakistan over Kashmir matters

NEW DELHI (AP) — India and Pakistan have intensified their hostilities over the hotly contested Kashmir region following a massacre of 26 mostly Indian tourists, which New Delhi linked to Pakistan. Pakistan denies it was behind Tuesday’s attack by gunmen on a group of tourists in Kashmir. Both sides have since escalated the tensions by exchanging diplomatic and trade sanctions against each other and raising fears of a military conflict. Here are five reasons why a flare-up between India and Pakistan matters: Under intense domestic pressure, India has hinted at the possibility of a limited military strike on Pakistan in response to what it called the “terror attack” with “cross-border links.” Pakistan made it clear that it will respond militarily to an attack.

North Korean leader Kim touts new naval destroyer, blames US for tensions

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled a new naval destroyer, claiming it as a significant advancement toward his goal of expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, state media said Saturday. North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Kim attended the launching ceremony for the 5,000-ton warship on Friday at the western port of Nampo. Kim framed the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the United States and its allies in Asia, who have been expanding joint military exercises amid rising tensions over the North’s nuclear program.

Former South Korean President Moon calls his bribery indictment ‘unjust’

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday called his indictment on bribery charges “unjust,” accusing prosecutors of abusing their power in what he called a politically motivated investigation. Moon’s comments came a day after prosecutors in the southern city of Jeonju announced his indictment over allegations that a budget airline gave his son-in-law a lucrative no-show job during his presidency. Meeting with National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik, Moon said he feels that prosecutors are “pushing forward in a predetermined direction, no matter what” and that his case was an example of “how politicized the prosecution has become and how prosecutorial power is being abused.” The former liberal leader was visiting the National Assembly for an event marking the seventh anniversary of his 2018 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, held during a brief period of engagement between the rival Koreas.

Nepal marks 10-year anniversary of earthquake that killed thousands

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal marked the 10th anniversary of the devastating 2015 earthquake with a memorial service on Friday that was attended by top officials who pledged to be better prepared to face future disasters. At exactly 11:56 a.m., which was the time of the earthquake on April 25, 2015, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, top ministers, officials and diplomats stood up and held a minute of silence in memory of those killed at the site of a tower that collapsed and crushed 180 people. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed early 9,000 people, wounded more than 22,000 and damaged some 1 million houses and buildings.

Australian prime minister condemns anti-Indigenous rights protests during war dead commemorations

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned anti-Indigenous rights protesters who disrupted two Anzac Day dawn services on Friday as hundreds of thousands gathered across the nation to commemorate their war dead. “The disruption of Anzac Day is beyond contempt and the people responsible must face the full force of the law,” Albanese told reporters. “This was an act of low cowardice on a day when we honor courage and sacrifice,” he added. The protests come during a heightened political atmosphere ahead of general elections on May 3 in which Indigenous rights are a campaign issue. April 25, 1915 was the day when the newly-formed Australia and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the beaches of Gallipoli, in northwest Turkey, in an ill-fated campaign that was the soldiers’ first combat of World War I.

A Thai police plane crashes in the sea, killing all 6 on board

BANGKOK (AP) — A small police plane crashed into the sea near a popular beach town in Thailand, killing all six people on board, officials said Friday. The plane was conducting a test flight to prepare for parachute training in Hua Hin district before it crashed around 8 a.m., Royal Thai Police spokesperson Archayon Kraithong said. Officials did not immediately share the model of the propeller plane, but photos from the scene appear to show a Viking DHC-6 Twin Otter. The plane crashed near Hua Hin Airport, said the public relations department of Prachuab Kiri Khan province. The photos show the plane in the sea about 100 meters (330 feet) offshore.

Roadside bomb targeting security vehicle kills 4 troops in restive southwest Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A powerful roadside bomb exploded near a vehicle carrying security personnel in Pakistan’s restive southwest on Friday, killing four troops and wounding three others, police said. The attack occurred in Quetta, the capital of the Balochistan province, according to a local police chief, Naveed Ahmad. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but suspicion is likely to fall on ethnic Baloch separatists, who frequently target security forces and civilians in the province as well as other parts of the country. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a statement, denounced the bombing and paid tribute to the security forces for sacrificing their lives to restore peace in the country.

Ahmadi community says gunmen killed one of their members and wounded another in eastern Pakistan

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Gunmen shot and killed a member of the minority Ahmadi community and wounded another person in eastern Pakistan, police said on Friday, the second such killing in a week. The motive behind the attack was not immediately known and police said they have arrested two suspects following the previous day’s shooting in Bhulair, a village in Punjab province. Amir Mahmood, a spokesperson for the Ahmadi community, said that the victim, identified as Muhammad Asif, was killed because of his faith, while another man was wounded in the assault. In a statement, Mahmood said such assaults and hate campaigns were also ongoing against Ahmadis in various other parts of the country.