Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Morning Edition

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has claimed victory in the country's first election since the 2024 uprising, positioning itself to form the next government and potentially reshape Bangladesh's political landscape after years of intense rivalry and disputed polls. The party's media unit said on X Friday that it had secured enough seats in Parliament to govern on its own, though rival group Jamaat-e-Islami raised concerns over delayed results. The final tally has not yet been announced by the Election Commission, but several local media outlets reported the BNP crossing the 151-seat threshold needed for a majority in the 350-member Parliament.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - Tarique Rahman spent 17 years in self-imposed exile. Now, he is poised to become the prime minister of Bangladesh - and follow in the footsteps of his mother. Thursday's national election seemed to hand Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party a majority, according to local media reports, marking a significant political shift in the South Asian nation of more than 170 million people. The BNP has also claimed victory. For Rahman, the turnaround is dramatic. The 60-year-old returned from London in December to a country in turmoil. Within days, his mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, died from long illness.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Friday it was "sensible" for a South Korean government official to express regret for alleged civilian drone flights over North Korea but warned of counterattacks if they recur. The statement by Kim Yo Jong came after South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Tuesday expressed "deep regret" over the alleged flights and stressed that Seoul's liberal government seeks "mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence" between the war-divided rivals. North Korea threatened retaliation last month after accusing South Korea of launching a surveillance drone flight in September and again in January.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesia has begun training a contingent of up to 8,000 soldiers it plans to send as part of an international peacekeeping force to Gaza, the first firm commitment to a critical element of U.S. President Donald Trump's postwar reconstruction plan. Indonesia has experience in peacekeeping operations as one of the top 10 contributors to United Nations missions, including in Lebanon, and has been deeply involved in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, including funding a hospital. But many Indonesians are skeptical of President Prabowo Subianto 's plans to join Washington's proposed Board of Peace and participate in the International Security Force with only vague details so far on how they will operate, seeing it as simply kowtowing to Trump's agenda as the two countries negotiate a trade deal.

GENEVA (AP) - The return of millions of Afghans from neighboring Pakistan and Iran is pushing Afghanistan to the brink, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday, describing an unprecedented scale of returns. A total of 5.4 million people have returned to Afghanistan since October 2023, mostly from the two neighboring countries, UNHCR's Afghanistan representative Arafat Jamal said, speaking to a U.N. briefing in Geneva via video link from Kabul, the Afghan capital. "This is massive, and the speed and scale of these returns has pushed Afghanistan nearly to the brink," Jamal said. Pakistan launched a sweeping crackdown in Oct. 2023 to expel migrants without documents, urging those in the country to leave of their own accord to avoid arrest and forcible deportation and forcibly expelling others.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - In a near-empty courthouse, in front of almost no one, the appeal by New Zealand's most reviled killer was heard in muted fashion with little mention of the details of the country's deadliest mass shooting. Such is New Zealand's desire to smother the racist motivations of Brenton Tarrant, who murdered 51 Muslims praying at two mosques in the city of Christchurch in 2019. Tarrant, a self-professed white supremacist, referred to other perpetrators of hate-fueled massacres when he committed his attack and other mass shooters have cited his actions since. Yet it's rare to encounter the Australian man's words in New Zealand, the country where he migrated with a plan to amass semiautomatic guns and carry out the slaughter.

BANGKOK (AP) - Thailand's ruling conservative Bhumjaithai Party on Friday moved closer to forming a new government after the Pheu Thai Party, the third place finisher in the country's general election, agreed to join it in a proposed ruling coalition. Bhumjaithai won 193 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives in Sunday's election, according to unofficial results from the Election Commission, positioning it to return incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnviraku l to office with a Cabinet of his choosing. The populist Pheu Thai Party, backed by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, finished third with 74 seats. Together, the two parties would command 267 seats, surpassing the 251 seats required for a majority.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) - Thousands of supporters of Nepal's former king gathered outside Kathmandu airport Friday to greet him and demand the restoration of abolished monarchy in the Himalayan nation. Gyanendra Shah waved to the cheering crowd from the sunroof of his car as hundreds of police officers in riot gear struggled to control the supporters crowding the main entrance at Tribhuvan International Airport. "Bring back the king. We love our king more than our own selves. Restore constitutional monarchy," the crowd chanted. More supporters lined the route from the airport to the former king's private residence. The crowds were peaceful and no arrests were made.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration reached a trade deal with Taiwan on Thursday, with Taiwan agreeing to remove or reduce 99% of its tariff barriers, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative said. The agreement comes as the U.S. remains reliant on Taiwan for its production of computer chips, the exporting of which contributed to a trade imbalance of nearly $127 billion during the first 11 months of 2025, according to the Census Bureau. Most of Taiwan's exports to the U.S. will be taxed at a 15% rate, the USTR's office said. The 15% rate is the same as that levied on other U.S.

BEIJING (AP) - It's not just people - in China, the robots are also getting ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Friday was dress rehearsal day for four cute humanoid robots, each about 95 centimeters (3 feet) tall at a mall in western Beijing. Curious onlookers stopped to watch. Each robot got a colorful lion costume and within minutes the moves started: Bend the knees, up, to the left, to the right, shake the mask, and do it all again! Ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrated next week, and as part of different "fairs" and activities around Beijing, some venues have been busy setting up their stages and props.