China

london — With an escalating war in the Middle East, uncertainty over Western military aid for Ukraine, and the U.S. presidential election looming next month, new NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has no time to settle in. The former Dutch prime minister was appointed to the role at a ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, where he told delegates that “there can be no lasting …

new delhi / washington — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a Cabinet meeting on security Friday to address the escalating conflict in the Middle East. According to Press Trust of India, the meeting focused on the implications on trade and the supply of petroleum products. India expressed grave concern regarding the escalation of the security situation involving Israel and its neighbors, emphasizing that “the …

manila, philippines — The Philippines on Friday denounced China ‘s alleged assault of Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are also locked in violent confrontations that have led to fears of armed conflict. Vietnam has accused “Chinese law enforcement forces” of beating the 10 fishermen with iron bars and robbing them Sunday of thousands of dollars’ worth of fish and equipment …

kyiv, ukraine — Ukrainian feminist activists staged a topless protest Friday outside the Embassy of Iran, which Kyiv and the West say is arming Russia. Ukraine’s Femen group is a feminist art collective that has for years staged stunts in Ukraine and abroad, with its trademark move being women appearing with their chests bare, protest slogans written across their bodies. Kyiv has branded Iran an “accomplice” …

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Washington — As a nuclear standoff between the United States and North Korea continues with no diplomatic off-ramp in sight, some experts in Washington say an information campaign aimed at pressing North Korea should be considered as an alternative strategy, while others caution against such an approach. The discussion comes as the North escalates tensions while the U.N. Security Council remains split over how to respond …

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM — Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that Iran and its regional proxies will not back down from Israel hours after an Israeli attack on Beirut that is thought to have targeted the heir apparent to Tehran-backed Hezbollah’s slain secretary general. “The brilliant action of our armed forces a couple of nights ago was completely legal and legitimate,” Khamenei said in a rare …

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Work, classes and flights resumed across Taiwan on Friday after Typhoon Krathon brought torrential rainfall to the island but finally dissipated over a mountain range. A heavy rain advisory remained in place for the northern coast and mountainous areas, where two landslides occurred early Friday. Krathon had brought much of the island to a standstill for three days but weakened to a tropical …

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to use nuclear weapons and destroy South Korea permanently if provoked, state media reported Friday, after the South’s leader warned that Kim’s regime would collapse if he attempted to use nuclear arms. The exchange of such rhetoric between the rival Koreas is nothing new, but the latest comments come during heightened animosities over the North’s …

Cairo — The war unleashed by Israel after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has ravaged not only the people of Gaza but also taken a toll on neighboring Egypt, keeping its government officials busy and straining its economy — while also bringing some benefits. The conflict has spawned countless hours of diplomatic activity and a long list of visits by envoys from …

One year on, a conflict sparked by Hamas’ terror attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people has grown into a raging conflict that has killed more than 40,000 and threatens to engulf the Middle East. The warring parties have rebuffed peace deals and blown through pauses and cease-fires – and the next U.S. president will likely inherit the challenge. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Washington. …

Washington — The State Department has confirmed to VOA the success of a complicated mission to rescue an Iraqi national and former Islamic State sex slave from Gaza via Israel.  Because of a long-running diplomatic rift between Israel and Iraq, it took months of vigorous efforts by humanitarian activists and direct intervention from U.S. diplomatic missions in the region to coordinate the young woman’s rescue. Cooperation …

Johannesburg — In South Africa’s capital of Johannesburg, some of the most ubiquitous vehicles on the streets are the thousands of minibus taxis crammed tight with daily commuters traveling from the dusty townships into work. At the other end of the spectrum are souped-up sports cars and flashy convertibles zooming around the leafy suburbs that are home to the elite. Increasingly, however, there’s another kind of …

While China and the West have been pushing for more electric vehicles on the road, gas-powered cars still dominate in Africa. Chinese automakers are tapping into the South African car market, the largest on the continent, with prices so attractive that dealers say existing brands risk being pushed to the curb. Kate Bartlett has the details from Johannesburg. …

GENEVA  — The World Health Organization launched a global plan Thursday to address the growing threat of dengue and other deadly arboviruses, which have affected millions of people around the world and put billions more at risk.   “The rapid spread of dengue and other arboviral diseases in recent years is an alarming trend that demands a coordinated response across sectors and across borders,” said WHO Director-General …

The United States’ policy on China has been mostly consistent from the administration of Donald Trump to the White House of Joe Biden — with both presidents viewing China as America’s biggest competitor. But in the race for the next president, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have slightly different approaches toward the global superpower. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee explains. …

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SINGAPORE — A Singapore court on Thursday sentenced a former minister to 12 months in prison for obstructing justice and receiving more than $300,000 worth of gifts, in the first jailing of an ex-cabinet member in a city-state famous for its clean governance. S. Iswaran, who was a cabinet member for 13 years and has held the trade, communications and transport portfolios, pleaded guilty last week …

Bangkok — Cambodia this week has seen an outpouring of support from journalists, media groups and embassies for Mech Dara, one of the country’s last remaining independent journalists, who recently was taken into custody and charged with incitement. The U.S. Embassy in Cambodia posted on social media platform X that it was deeply troubled by Monday’s arrest and called for Dara’s release. “He is a leading …

WASHINGTON — Israel’s vow to make Iran pay a price for carrying out a large-scale missile strike on the Jewish state has prompted panic buying of gasoline in major Iranian cities and a day-long suspension of commercial flights in Iranian airspace.  Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel after nightfall on Tuesday, in a major escalation of a yearlong conflict between Israel and Iran’s regional …

washington — U.S. engagement with a string of Pacific Island nations must continue, regardless of which party wins the White House, the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation said in a newly published report. The islands, situated between Hawaii and Australia, are the latest front of competition between Washington and Beijing. In the 45-page report, Andrew Harding, a research assistant in the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, …

For months, U.S. President Joe Biden has warned Israel against allowing its war with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza to spread against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran itself. But with Israel fighting in Lebanon and vowing retaliation for Tehran’s missile attacks, many fear that moment has come. VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara looks at the potential for further escalation and the possibility of U.S. …