China

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s Defense Ministry denounced the United States’ deployment of nuclear strategic assets in South Korea, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday, as Seoul was gearing up for a rare military parade marking Armed Forces Day. Kim Kang Il, North Korea’s vice defense minister, accused Washington of running a “reckless military bluff” and stoking tension by sending a nuclear-powered submarine recently to …

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian freelance reporter Mech Dara, noted for investigative reporting in a country with limited press freedom, was arrested Monday, a leading local human rights organization and a journalists association said.  Known especially for investigating online scam centers, Mech Dara’s arrest followed posts he made about a rock quarry — that local officials denounced Monday as an attempt to foment dissent. Mech Dara …

Tehran — At least three policemen were killed in separate attacks by jihadists and gunmen in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, state media reported Monday.  One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan on the border with Pakistan has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baluchi minority and Sunni extremists.  “A border guard was killed a few hours ago in a clash with gunmen …

tehran, iran — Iran will not deploy forces to Lebanon or Gaza to confront Israel, its foreign ministry said Monday, as Israeli strikes target its allies in the region.  “There is no need to send extra or volunteer forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, adding that Lebanon and fighters in the Palestinian territories “have the capability and strength to …

Taipei, Taiwan — As Israel continues to launch airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, China is stepping up its efforts to play the role of peacemaker in the Middle East, issuing statements of condemnation, but Beijing’s actions are also exposing the limits of its ability to de-escalate tensions, analysts say. “Beijing wants to create an impression that it is pushing for greater peace and stability in …

The closure of media outlets and jailing of journalists has become a reality in Hong Kong as the government there cracks down on the press in the name of national security. Some Hong Kong journalists exiled to other countries are trying to push back against the threats to press freedom from overseas. VOA’s William Yang reports from Taipei. Camera: Katie Tam, Jonathan Spier …

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Washington — The U.S. is sending an additional “few thousand” troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if necessary, the Pentagon said Monday. The increased presence will come from multiple fighter jet squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. It follows recent strikes in Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a significant escalation in the …

Bangkok — A Thai court Monday approved the extradition of a human rights activist to his native Vietnam, where rights groups say he faces a high risk of torture and cannot be guaranteed a fair hearing from his country’s courts.  Y Quynh Bdap says he fled to Thailand in 2018 to evade arrest for his human rights work on behalf of the Montagnards, a predominantly Christian …

London — Oil prices were steady on Monday and on track to fall for the third month in a row as a strong supply outlook and questions around demand outweighed fears that Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Yemen could escalate conflict in the Middle East. Brent crude futures LCOc1 for November delivery, expiring on Monday, lost 10 cents to $71.88 a barrel as of 0933 GMT. …

Hong Kong — A British judge on Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal will step down after his term ends on Monday, the city’s judiciary said, the fifth foreign justice to leave the bench this year. Judges from common law jurisdictions are invited to sit as non-permanent members in the former British colony’s top court. Their presence has long been considered by authorities as a sign …

SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean court gave three police officers prison sentences on Monday over their botched handling of a 2022 Halloween crush in a Seoul nightlife district that killed nearly 160 people.  It was the first conviction of officials over the failure by authorities to prevent or adequately respond to the overcrowding that occurred in the popular Itaewon district. No top-level officials have …

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Taipei, Taiwan — Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Sunday it was on alert after detecting “multiple waves” of missile firing deep in inland China, days after Beijing said it had carried out a successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.  Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, keeps a close watch on Chinese military drills given Beijing’s regular activities around the island, but …

Beijing — Zheng Qinwen’s parents sold the family home to fund her tennis dreams and now she is an Olympic champion and China’s biggest current sports star. The 21-year-old is playing at home for the first time since becoming the first Chinese player to win an Olympic singles tennis gold when she triumphed in Paris. She did not disappoint in her opening match at the China …

Beijing — China’s central bank said Sunday it would tell banks to lower mortgage rates for existing home loans before Oct. 31, as part of sweeping policies to support the country’s beleaguered property market as the economy slows. Commercial banks should, in batches, reduce interest rates on existing mortgages to no less than 30 basis points (bps) below the Loan Prime Rate (LPR), the central bank’s …

Israel unleashed a series of overnight attacks in Lebanon, and it announced the killing of another high-level Hezbollah commander. The strikes aim to further rattle Hezbollah after airstrikes that killed the group’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has this story. …

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JERUSALEM — Israel’s military continued strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon Sunday and announced the death of another high-ranking official with the Iran-backed militant group, days after Israel killed long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel’s army Sunday said a strike killed Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council on Saturday. A day earlier, Hezbollah confirmed that an Israeli strike in Beirut Friday killed Nasrallah. …

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BEIRUT — In Syria, 37 militants affiliated to the extremist Islamic State group and an al-Qaida-linked group were killed in two strikes, the United States military said Sunday.  Two of the dead were senior militants, it said.  U.S. Central Command said it struck northwestern Syria on Tuesday, targeting a senior militant from the al-Qaida-linked Hurras al-Deen group and eight others. They say he was responsible for …

TOKYO — Japan’s incoming prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, signaled continuity this weekend in his early decisions on key posts for his government, suggesting a desire for stability after an unpredictable leadership race.   His picks for finance, defense and foreign minister, as well as the pivotal post of chief cabinet secretary, appear to draw on seasoned veterans from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, as he prepares …

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said Sunday that it killed another high-ranking Hezbollah official in an airstrike as the Lebanese militant group was reeling from a string of devastating blows and the killing of its overall leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The military said Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, was killed on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, and it was not …

beirut — Israel said on Sunday it was carrying out new air raids against “dozens” of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, after killing the Iran-backed group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader, Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli strike a day earlier on Beirut’s southern suburbs, dealing a massive blow to the group he had led for decades. His killing marks a sharp …