Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Morning Edition

NEW YORK (AP) - A sell-off for stocks is slamming into Wall Street Tuesday after wrapping around the world, as oil prices leap even higher with worries that the widening war with Iran may do more sustained damage to the economy than feared. The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% in midday trading after falling as much as 2.5% in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 840 points, or 1.7%, as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.7% lower. It was just a day ago that U.S. stocks opened with sharp losses, only to recover all of them and end the day with slight gains.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - Afghan forces attacked Pakistani military positions along the border early on Tuesday, triggering intense clashes that left 67 Afghan troops and one Pakistani soldier dead, officials in Islamabad said as cross-border fighting between the two countries entered its fifth day. The Taliban defense ministry in Kabul, the Afghan capital, rejected Pakistan's claim. A ministry spokesman said Afghan forces in the past 24 hours repelled Pakistani attacks, destroying about a dozen military posts and killing four Pakistani soldiers. The latest Afghan-Pakistan escalation erupted last week with Afghanistan launching attacks on Thursday in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous weekend.

BEIJING (AP) - China's progress in building a modern economy, evident in its kung-fu fighting robots and self-parking cars, is hitting limits as a downturn in its housing industry drags on, small businesses suffer and young people struggle to find jobs. The gap between Chinese leader Xi Jinping's high-tech, artificial intelligence-driven ambitions and the hard realities of slowing growth is the backdrop for the annual meeting of the country's largely ceremonial national legislature, the National People's Congress, which begins Thursday. During the meetings, which draw about 3,000 deputies to Beijing, top leaders will outline China's annual target for growth and the congress will endorse a five-year blueprint of policy priorities until 2030.

BEIJING (AP) - The day the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, China waited several hours before taking its first official position. It said it was "highly concerned" and called for an immediate halt to military operations and the resumption of dialogue. The next day, Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the strikes as unacceptable and again called for more talks. There were no indications of direct intervention - but such an expectation wouldn't be realistic. As in other recent conflicts, including last year's attack on Iran, China has condemned the use of force while remaining on the sidelines, keeping in mind its long-term interests.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) - Nepal is holding parliamentary elections Thursday, a year after a youth-led uprising forced out the government chosen in the last elections. Here are some figures about the election: The election is being held just three years after Nepal's previous national vote, following the political upheaval that led to the government's collapse in 2025. That paved the way for an interim government, which later called for fresh elections. Nearly 19 million people are registered to vote in Nepal, according to the Election Commission. About 966,000 are men and 924,000 are women. Another 200 voters are registered under the "others" category, which includes people who do not identify as male or female and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

MATHURA, India (AP) - Holi celebrations in the north Indian town of Mathura filled the air with music, dance, and clouds of colored powder. Hundreds of men and women gathered at a temple in the north Indian town of Mathura, believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna, one of the most revered Hindu gods with whom this festival is closely associated, to celebrate the festival marking the arrival of spring. Their faces smeared with colored powder and their wet clothes hanging to their bodies, they swayed to the rhythm of beating music. Holi colors represent spring's bounty and the festival is seen as a time to forget old grudges and renew friendships.

Pakistan's president on Monday defended his country's ongoing military strikes in neighboring Afghanistan, saying Islamabad tried all forms of diplomacy before targeting militants operating from Afghan territory, and called on the Taliban government in Kabul to disarm groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan. Pakistan earlier said it is in "open war" with Afghanistan, alarming the international community. The border area remains a stronghold for militant organizations including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. "(The Afghan Taliban) must choose to dismantle the terror groups that survive on conflict and its war economy," Asif Ali Zardari said during a speech to lawmakers, adding that "no state accepts serial attacks on its soil." Afghanistan on Thursday launched attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday.

NEW DELHI (AP) - India and Canada on Monday agreed to strengthen their economic partnership, in a move aimed at boosting ties after two years of strained relationship. Speaking after talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the two countries would soon finalize a "comprehensive economic partnership" which is expected to increase bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030. India and Canada began advancing negotiations on a long-pending trade agreement last year, as Carney moved to re-engage with New Delhi, restore diplomatic channels and stabilize ties between the two countries. Carney said the two sides were aiming to conclude the deal by the end of the year.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - A civilian helicopter made an emergency landing Tuesday in a grassy clearing near a village east of the Philippine capital, killing two people and injuring the three others onboard. It was not immediately clear what caused the forced landing in clear weather about 50 meters (164 feet) from the nearest cluster of houses in a village in Pililla town in Rizal province, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and other officials said. The Bell 505 helicopter took off from Manila and was enroute to Quezon province, more than 400 kilometers (248 miles) southeast of the capital, when it made a forced landing, aviation officials said.

Holi, widely known as the Hindu festival of colors, is a joyful annual celebration at the advent of spring with cultural and religious significance. Typically observed in March in India, Nepal, other South Asian countries and across the diaspora, the festival celebrates love and signifies a time of rebirth and rejuvenation - a time to embrace the positive and let go of negative energy. For one of Holi's most well-known traditions, celebrants clad in all white, come out to the street and throw colored powders at each other, leaving behind a kaleidoscope of pigments and joy. Festivities with music, dancing and food ensue.