WASHINGTON — A recent report by the U.S. Institute of Peace highlights the resurgence of scam hubs, particularly in Myanmar’s Karen State, due to China’s softened stance toward the country’s military regime. China’s posture has shifted, said Jason Tower, co-author of the report and the country director for Burma at the institute. “They’re now much more focused on regime survival, looking at how they can prevent …
Israel-Iran escalation heightens fears of widening war, direct US involvement
WASHINGTON — Since the start of Israel’s war with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza in October 2023, President Joe Biden has warned the U.S. ally against widening the conflict with Tehran’s other proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, and with Iran itself. Many fear that moment has come. In the past 10 days, Israel has unleashed an air campaign on Lebanon, striking over 3,600 Hezbollah-linked targets, according to …
CIA makes it easier for potential informants to share tips
washington — The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) wants to make it easier — and safer — for people in Iran, China and North Korea to share information with America’s premier spy agency. The agency on Wednesday posted online instructions in Korean, Mandarin and Farsi detailing steps that potential informants can take to contact U.S. intelligence officials without putting themselves in danger. The instructions include ways to …
A year after Gaza war started, Turkey battles isolation
Israel’s campaign against Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7 attack has seen Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the forefront of condemning Israel. However, analysts say Turkey is becoming increasingly sidelined from efforts to end the crisis in a region where Erdogan once sought to play a leading role. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …
Israel makes rehabilitation of wounded soldiers a priority
Thousands of Israelis, most of them soldiers, have been wounded in fighting over the past year and face a long rehabilitation. Israel is one of the world’s leaders in rehabilitation, but the ongoing war in Gaza has strained the country’s resources. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem. Please note, this story contains simulated images of war injuries that some may find disturbing. Camera: Ricki Rosen …
Israel strike on Syria capital kills three, war monitor says
Beirut, Lebanon — An Israeli airstrike killed three people Wednesday in Damascus, a monitor said, in the second strike in as many days on a neighborhood that is home to security headquarters and embassies. “An Israeli airstrike targeted a flat in a residential building in the Mazzeh neighborhood frequented by Hezbollah leaders and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It …
Weakening Krathon expected to hit land early on Thursday
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Taiwan shut down on Wednesday, grounding hundreds of flights and closing schools, offices and financial markets ahead of the arrival of a weakening Typhoon Krathon with one person reported dead and torrential rain lashing the island’s south. Officials in the key port city of Kaohsiung, set to be in the eye of the storm, told people to stay home and avoid the sea, …
South Korea’s Yoon, Japan’s Ishiba agree united response needed against North Korea
SEOUL — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held his first telephone call with Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday and agreed a united response together with the United States is needed to counter North Korea’s threats, his office said. South Korea last week welcomed Ishiba’s election as the head of Japan’s ruling party, saying it looked forward to the two countries continuing to …
Thai police arrest driver, try to identify victims of school bus fire that killed 23
Bangkok — Thai police have arrested the driver of a bus carrying young students and teachers that caught fire and killed 23 in suburban Bangkok, as families arrived in the capital Wednesday to help identify their loved ones. The bus carrying six teachers and 39 students in elementary and junior high school was traveling from Uthai Thani province, about 300 kilometers north of Bangkok, for a …
Analysts expect strong Israel reaction to Iran attack, uncertain of wider conflict
Washington — Iran’s brazen missile attack on Israel has heightened tensions across the Middle East, with some analysts predicting a powerful Israeli response. What is less certain is whether this will be a one-off exchange or ignite a series of tit-for-tat strikes that could engulf the entire Middle East in conflict. “It could go either way,” said Shaan Shaikh, a fellow at the Center for Strategic …
Political parties in Kurdistan Region seek female, minority candidates
washington — With a parliamentary election in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq scheduled for October 20, interest is growing among major political parties for candidates who are women or members of ethnic and religious minorities. Whatever the outcome of the election, the region’s quota system has guaranteed 30 seats for women and five for Turkmen, Christians and Armenians out of a total of 100 seats in …
Australia’s online dating industry agrees to code of conduct to protect users
MELBOURNE, Australia — A code of conduct will be enforced on the online dating industry to better protect Australian users after research found that three-in-four people suffer some form of sexual violence through the platforms, Australia’s government said on Tuesday. Bumble, Grindr and Match Group Inc., a Texas-based company that owns platforms including Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid and Plenty of Fish, have agreed to the code that …
US special envoy for Taliban-ruled Afghanistan moved to different role
ISLAMABAD — The United States has reassigned its special representative for Afghanistan, leaving vacant a key position in its efforts to engage with the Taliban-ruled country. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the decision Tuesday to reassign Tom West, while emphasizing that Washington’s commitment to the South Asian nation “remains an enduring priority.” Blinken said West would serve in a new role as the acting …
Former US ‘China House’ official: Taiwan conflict not inevitable
Washington — China has been one of the most-discussed international topics during the U.S. presidential campaign. VOA spoke with Rick Waters, former head of the Office of China Coordination at the State Department and deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan, about the Biden administration’s China policy. Waters spoke about his experience dealing with his Chinese counterparts, and how he thinks Vice President Kamala …
Shooting, stabbing attack in Tel Aviv kills at least 6, Israeli police say
JERUSALEM — At least six people were killed and nine wounded in a suspected shooting and stabbing terror attack in the Tel Aviv area on Tuesday, Israeli police said. They said that two “terrorists” started a killing spree on the Tel Aviv light rail and continued on foot before being killed by civilians and inspectors using personal pistols. The attack took place minutes before Iran launched …
UN appeals for aid for Lebanon as regional conflict looms
GENEVA — Responding to the growing humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, the United Nations and the Lebanese government launched a $426 million flash appeal Tuesday to provide emergency assistance to support 1 million people directly affected by the rapidly escalating conflict in Lebanon. “In just the past two weeks, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives, over 6,000 have been injured, and an estimated 1 million …
New leader of Japan says security environment ‘most severe since end of WWII’
Tokyo — Japan’s new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, said Tuesday that his nation faces its “most severe” regional security situation in the post-WWII era, without naming any specific threats. “The security environment surrounding our country is the most severe since the end of World War II,” he said in his first press conference after being approved as prime minister by parliament earlier in the day. Ishiba, …
North Korean defector in South stole bus in bid to return home, media reports say
SEOUL — A North Korean defector living in South Korea was detained on Tuesday after ramming a stolen bus into a barricade on a bridge near the heavily militarized border, in an apparent attempt to get back to the North, Yonhap news agency reported. The incident took place at around 1:30 a.m. (16:30 GMT on Monday) at the Tongil Bridge in Paju, northwest of the capital …
School bus catches fire outside Bangkok and more than 20 are feared dead, officials say
BANGKOK — A bus carrying young students with their teachers caught fire in suburban Bangkok on Tuesday, with more than 20 of those on board feared dead, officials and rescuers said. The bus was carrying 44 passengers from central Uthai Thani province for a school trip in Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungruengkit told reporters at the scene. Videos posted on social media showed …
Shanghai knife attack kills three, wounds 15 others, Xinhua reports
BEIJING — Three people were killed and 15 others injured in a knife attack at a supermarket in Shanghai on Monday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, extending a series of stabbing incidents across China this year. The victims were immediately rushed to hospital for treatment, according to Xinhua on Tuesday, but three died. The assailant, a 37-year-old man surnamed Lin, was detained by the police who …