China

TOKYO — A frog holding a taro-leaf umbrella. A parade of frolicking animals. An Ukiyo-e style Mount Fuji. Giant waves. A Japanese artist who goes by the name Lito carves these delicate designs on fallen leaves, giving life back to them. The world of Lito’s delicate art, which he began in 2020 and posts on social media almost daily, has won fans from around the world. …

BEIRUT — The fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government Sunday brought to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power as his country fragmented amid a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Assad’s downfall came as a stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be …

Syria’s government appears to have fallen after opposition fighters said they entered Damascus following a stunning advance. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government. “I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country,” Jalili …

beirut — Lebanon’s health ministry said Saturday that Israeli strikes killed six people in the country’s south, 10 days into a ceasefire between the Hezbollah group and Israel.  Both Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah face accusations of having breached the truce that took effect on November 27 to end a war that has killed thousands in Lebanon and sparked mass displacements on both sides.  “The Israeli enemy’s …

BEIRUT — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country.  The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and …

South Korean lawmakers failed Saturday to impeach conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol for declaring martial law — which was lifted within hours — this week. But opposition lawmakers say they will hold another impeachment vote as soon as next week. VOA’s Bill Gallo reports from Seoul. …

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday the U.S. should not be involved in the conflict in Syria, where rebel forces are threatening the government of President Bashar Assad. “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!,” Trump said in …

SYDNEY — Australian authorities are being criticized for ruling out drug decriminalization at an international summit in Sydney this week, ignoring a call by many experts and health groups for a health care response to drug use and addiction rather than criminal penalties. Several hundred politicians, policy experts, police officers and health professionals gathered this week for a summit on drug reform in Sydney. The New …

CAIRO — Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 20 Palestinians on Saturday, local health officials said, as Qatar voiced hope of fresh momentum in efforts to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the reported strikes in Gaza City and Rafah. At least eight of the fatalities were civilians, according to residents and medics. It was …

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — The impeachment effort against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared uncertain on Saturday, as opposition forces made an emotional, last-minute effort to convince their conservative colleagues to support the measure. During a tense session at South Korea’s National Assembly, nearly all conservative lawmakers of the governing People Power Party, or PPP, walked out of the legislative chamber just minutes before the …

AMMAN, JORDAN/BEIRUT — Syrian rebels said they seized control of the southern city of Daraa on Saturday, the birthplace of a 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad and the fourth city his forces have lost in a week. Rebel sources said the military agreed to make an orderly withdrawal from Daraa under a deal giving army officials safe passage to the capital Damascus, about 100 kilometers …

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA   — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday apologized for causing public anxiety and vowed he would not attempt a second martial law decree, in an apparent last-minute bid to save his presidency ahead of an impeachment vote. In a televised address, Yoon said his decision to impose martial law late Tuesday was a “desperate decision made by me, the president, …

WASHINGTON — Lost in much of the debate over “hostage diplomacy” after last week’s rare prisoner swap between the U.S. and China is that in addition to the three Americans, three Uyghurs were on the flight from China. The exchange highlights Beijing’s persecution of ethnic minorities prompting renewed international scrutiny. A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed to VOA that the three Uyghurs were on the flight …

washington — Turkey, Russia and Iran are expected to meet this weekend in Qatar to discuss their response to a shock rebel advance that has dramatically altered the front lines in Syria’s 13-year civil conflict. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, an annual event that attracts senior officials, academics and business leaders from more than 150 countries to discuss common …

WASHINGTON — Following its recent capture of major cities in Syria, the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, pledged to respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. Rights experts, noting the group’s extremist ideology and history of brutality, caution that these promises must be backed by tangible actions. HTS, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, along with a coalition of Turkish-backed armed groups, has in …

ANKARA, TURKEY — The foreign ministers of Turkey, Iran and Russia will meet in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday to discuss a lightning rebel advance in Syria, a Turkish diplomatic source said Friday. Syrian rebels have made their biggest battlefield gains since the civil war began 13 years ago, striking a devastating blow to President Bashar Assad. After years of being locked behind frozen front lines, the …

Officials of Hamas and Israel say Gaza peace talks have resumed in Egypt after mediators from Qatar and the United States suspended them in frustration last month. Hamas political official Bassem Naim told The Associated Press Thursday there has been a “reactivation” of efforts in recent days to end the fighting, release hostages from Gaza and free Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Another source told the …

Seoul, South Korea   — The head of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party has announced support for suspending the duties of President Yoon Suk Yeol – a stunning, last-minute move to abandon his fellow conservative leader that analysts say greatly increases the chances of Yoon’s impeachment over his failed attempt at martial law. At a party meeting on Friday, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon called for …

BANGKOK — China is fine-tuning policies to rev up its economy as it braces for uncertain relations with the United States under President-elect Donald Trump, giving manufacturers a 20% made-in-China price advantage in sales to the Chinese government. The moves come ahead of a top-level annual economic planning conference scheduled for next week that will help set China’s strategy for the coming year. The Ministry of …

Beit Lahia, Palestinian Territories — The director of north Gaza’s Kamal Adwan hospital and the territory’s civil defense agency said Israel conducted several strikes on Friday that hit the facility, one of the last functioning health centers in the area. “There was a series of air strikes on the northern and western sides of the hospital, accompanied by intense and direct fire,” Hossam Abu Safieh said, …

Tehran, Iran — Iran successfully launched on Friday its heaviest space payload, which includes a satellite and a space tug, using a domestically developed satellite carrier, official media reported. Weighing 300 kilograms, the payload consisted of the Fakhr-1 telecommunications satellite and the Saman-1 space tug, according to state television. The Saman-1 is an “orbital transmission system” designed to transport satellites from lower orbits to higher ones, …

BEIRUT — Airstrikes targeted a bridge on the highway linking the Syrian cities of Homs and Hama, a war monitor said Friday, as government forces scramble to secure Homs after Islamist-led rebels captured Hama and commercial hub Aleppo. “Fighter jets executed several airstrikes, targeting Al-Rastan bridge on (the) Homs-Hama highway … as well as attacking positions around the bridge, attempting to cut off the road between …

LONDON — The human rights group Amnesty International accused Israel of committing acts of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, in a report published on Thursday. It’s the first time the organization has leveled such an accusation during an active conflict.   Israel strongly rejected Amnesty’s claim, labeling its investigation “fabricated.”  Genocide claims  Amnesty’s report says that since the Hamas deadly cross-border attack on October …

WASHINGTON — Iran is likely to respond to new attacks from Israel or additional Western sanctions by edging ever closer to crossing the nuclear threshold, according to a just-released U.S. intelligence assessment. The unclassified report, issued Thursday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, finds that while Tehran is not currently poised to build a nuclear weapon, it is undertaking activities “that better position …