Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Latest Updates

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) - An unstable ice block dangerously hanging over the key trail on Mount Everest, high travel costs and increased permit fees haven't deterred hundreds of climbers from attempting to scale the world's highest mountain. Around 464 climbers and an equal number of their Nepali climbing guides are at the base camp gearing up for the ascent to the nearly 8,850-meter (around 29,000-foot) high peak this month during the much anticipated window of good weather on the mountain. Climbers began gathering last month at the base camp, which is at an altitude of 5,300 meters (17,340 feet.) But for more than two weeks, a massive and unstable block of ice, or serac, stalled them from moving further up the peak.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Southeast Asian leaders plan to issue a contingency plan that upholds international law, sovereignty and freedom of navigation in what could be seen as a veiled rebuke to the United States, Israel and Iran over the Middle East war which has impacted their region, according to a draft declaration seen Thursday by The Associated Press. The declaration is set to be issued by the leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations when they meet in an annual summit on Friday in the central Philippine island province of Cebu. It also outlines a crisis plan to deal with the energy shortages and other global problems caused by the war.

BEIJING (AP) - China again signaled that Taiwan would be a priority topic ahead of a highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, saying that U.S. must adhere to the "one China principle" for a stable relationship with Beijing. Last week, China's top diplomat Wang Yi said he hopes the U.S. would make the "right choices" relating to the self-ruled island when he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not excluded the use of force to take it. Beijing has been ramping up its military pressure by sending warplanes and naval vessels around the island almost daily.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Three women who were among 13 Australians returning home from Syria were arrested at airports on Thursday on allegations of slavery and terrorism inside the Islamic State group's former so-called caliphate, police said. The four women and nine children, who have spent years in Roj Camp in the Syrian desert, landed on two Qatar Airways flights from Doha Thursday, a day after the Australian government announced their intention to return. Stephen Nutt, the Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner for Counter Terrorism, said a 53-year-old woman who arrived at Melbourne Airport would be charged by Friday with four crimes against humanity including possessing a slave and engaging in slave trading.

BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese military court gave suspended death sentences Thursday to two former defense ministers who were accused of bribery, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The court said Wei Fenghe was guilty of accepting bribes and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. It said Li Shangfu was guilty of accepting and offering bribes, and handed him the same sentence. Suspended death sentences are often commuted to life in prison in China. The sentences are the latest in Chinese President Xi Jinping's campaign of purging senior officials. Xi started an anti-corruption drive more than a decade ago and his drive has continued unabated, culminating in the removal of China's highest ranking general and military leadership in January.

LONDON (AP) - A U.K. border official and former Hong Kong police officer were convicted Thursday of spying for China by carrying out what prosecutors called "shadow policing" operations in Britain. Peter Wai and Bill Yuen, both dual Chinese and British nationals, posed as legitimate police or intelligence officers to conduct surveillance and gather information about Hong Kong dissidents and pro-democracy supporters, prosecutors said. A jury in the Central Criminal Court in London found them guilty on charges they violated the National Security Act by assisting a foreign spy service. Wai was also convicted of misconduct in a public office. "These convictions send a clear message that transnational repression, foreign interference, unauthorized surveillance, and attempts to operate outside the law will not be tolerated on British soil," said Bethan David, head of counterterrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - Paraguay's President Santiago Peña arrived in Taiwan on Thursday for his first visit to the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own territory. Paraguay is the only remaining country in South America and one of 12 worldwide to recognize Taiwan. China, which has not ruled out force in annexing Taiwan, has ramped up a campaign over the past few years to lure Taiwan's diplomatic allies. Paraguay maintains a solid trade relationship with China but has nevertheless reaffirmed its commitment to Taipei as its diplomatic partner. Peña is leading a business delegation from areas such as agriculture and finance to Taiwan from Thursday until Sunday, according to Taiwan's Foreign Ministry.

The European fishing fleet has long been a powerhouse at catching tuna, with a fleet of massive vessels known as purse seiners that can hold as much as 4 million pounds (1.8 million kilograms) of fish at a time. Dozens of them roam the Indian Ocean, fishing for skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna destined for cans on grocery store shelves. So when Jess Rattle began seeing purse seine ships fishing the Indian Ocean under the flags of Mauritius, Tanzania and Oman, she wondered whether European corporations might be involved. "We wanted to understand who really owned these vessels," said Rattle, head of investigations at the London-based environmental charity Blue Marine Foundation.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - An South Korean appeals court has reduced the prison sentence of a former prime minister convicted of rebellion for his role in then President Yoon Suk Yeol's ill-fated imposition of martial law in December 2024. Ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, a Yoon appointee, was sentenced to 23 years by a Seoul court in January. Yoon was sentenced to life in prison for rebellion the next month. On Thursday, the Seoul High Court upheld most of Han's convictions, but reduced his sentence to 15 years. It upheld charges including that Han tried to create the appearance of legitimacy for Yoon's illegal decree by getting it endorsed at a Cabinet meeting and discussing plans to cut off of water and electricity to critical media agencies.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan's military warned Thursday it would respond strongly against any attack as it marked the anniversary of last year's four-day conflict with neighboring India that brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted the fighting. The military said that any "hostile design" against Pakistan would be countered with "greater strength, precision and resolve" than what India witnessed during the May 2025 conflict, which Islamabad named "Marka-e-Haq," or "Battle of Truth." Pakistan and India had exchanged tit-for-tat strikes following an attack by gunmen in the Indian-controlled part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them Hindu tourists.