Top Asian News 9:57 a.m. GMT

Bridge collapses in Beijing after fire breaks out, but no casualties reported

BEIJING (AP) — A bridge in Beijing’s northeastern Shunyi district collapsed Wednesday morning after a fire broke out in its structure, according to authorities and images circulating on social media. No casualties were reported on the bridge, which was already closed to traffic, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport wrote on the social media platform Weibo. The Chaobai River Bridge was damaged after a fire broke out in the morning, the commission said. The fire was later put out, and authorities were investigating its cause. A person answering the phone at Shunyi District Emergency Bureau said they didn’t have extra details about the incident.

US Treasury secretary says trade war with China is not ‘sustainable’

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tuesday speech that the ongoing tariffs showdown against China is unsustainable and he expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. But in a private speech in Washington for JPMorgan Chase, Bessent also cautioned that talks between the United States and China had yet to formally start. U.S. President Donald Trump placed import taxes of 145% on China, which has countered with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. Trump has placed tariffs on several dozen countries, causing the stock market to stumble and interest rates to increase on U.S.

Disputed Kashmir has witnessed worst attack on civilians in years, sparking fear of rising tensions

NEW DELHI (AP) — At least 26 people were killed and 17 others wounded after gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir, the worst assault in years targeting civilians in the restive region that has seen an anti-India rebellion for more than three decades. Tuesday’s attack took place in the picturesque town of Pahalgam in the Himalayan mountains, popular with Indian visitors. Police accused rebels of masterminding the attack, which sparked outrage and drew international condemnation, including from U.S. President Donald Trump. Pahalgam is in the Baisaran meadow, locally known as “mini Switzerland” and is accessible only on foot or horseback.

Indian-controlled Kashmir has been the scene of many violent attacks in past decades

NEW DELHI (AP) — At least 26 people were killed Tuesday and more than a dozen injured after gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. It was the worst assault targeting civilians in years, but the restive region has been the scene of much violence in the past. The attack came as U.S. Vice President JD Vance was in India, which evoked memories of an even deadlier attack in 2000 shortly before a visit to India by then-President Bill Clinton. Police called Tuesday’s incident in Pahalgam, in the Jammu-Kashmir territory, a “terror attack” and blamed militants fighting against Indian rule.

Militants kill at least 26 tourists at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Gunmen shot and killed at least 26 tourists Tuesday at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said, in what appeared to be a major shift in a regional conflict in which tourists have largely been spared. Police blamed militants fighting against Indian rule for the attack in Baisaran meadow, some 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the disputed region’s resort town of Pahalgam. At least three dozen people were wounded, many of them seriously, according to two senior police officers. “This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, wrote on social media.

Vance calls for greater ties with India, hails progress on trade talks

NEW DELHI (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday called for enhanced engagement with India and said the South Asian country should buy more defense equipment and energy from the U.S. and allow Washington greater access to its market, lending momentum to an expected bilateral trade deal. Vance, on a four-day visit to India, said he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi made progress on trade talks during their discussions on Monday, and confirmed that both sides had finalized the terms of reference for the trade negotiation — a vital step towards setting the road map for the final agreement.

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China reveals new team of astronauts for space station launch

BEIJING (AP) — China announced Wednesday the members of a three-person crew that will be launched to its space station as part of its growing exploration of space. The Shenzhou 20 mission’s astronauts are Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director general of China Manned Space Agency. They will replace three astronauts currently on the Chinese space station. Like those before them, they will stay there for roughly six months. The three will launch for space Thursday evening in China, from Jiuquan, on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China. The three-person crew were sent in October last year and have been in space for 175 days, said Lin.

Gunmen kill 2 security officials assigned to protect polio workers in southwest Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot and killed two security officials assigned to protect polio workers in restive southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday before fleeing the scene, police said. The attack occurred in a residential area of Mastung, a district in Balochistan, according to Mohammad Arif, a local police official. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The health workers, who were vaccinating children in a nearby street, were unharmed, the official said. Shahid Rind, a government spokesman in Balochistan, denounced the attack, which came two days after Pakistan launched a weeklong nationwide vaccination campaign aimed at protecting 45 million children from polio.

EVs in the spotlight as China claims a leading global role at Shanghai’s auto show

SHANGHAI (AP) — Leading automakers will be showcasing their latest designed-for-China models at the Shanghai auto show this week, struggling not to be edged aside in the world’s largest car market while watching for U.S. President Donald Trump’s next steps in his trade war. Some industry experts view this year’s show in the sprawling industrial outskirts of Shanghai as a tipping point. Three decades after Beijing set out to build a world-class auto industry, local manufacturers account for about two-thirds of sales inside China, and a growing share of global exports. The exhibition opens to the public on Thursday and runs until May 2.