beirut — Twelve pro-Iranian fighters have been killed in airstrikes in eastern Syria, a war monitor said Sunday, adding that a large number of people were wounded. Twelve pro-Iranian fighters were killed in airstrikes of unknown origin targeting their positions in the city of Deir El Zour and to the east of the city, as well as the Boukamal region, near the border with Iraq, the …
Europeans, Arab and Muslim nations launch initiative for Palestinian state
UNITED NATIONS — European, Arab and Islamic nations have launched an initiative to strengthen support for a Palestinian state and prepare for a future after the war in Gaza and escalating conflict in Lebanon, Norway’s foreign minister said Friday. Espen Barth Eide told The Associated Press that “there is a growing consensus in the international community from Western countries, from Arab countries, from the Global South, …
Hezbollah deputy Qassim tapped to replace slain Nasrallah
CAIRO — Lebanese media is reporting that Hezbollah has named its deputy leader, Naim Qassim, to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed after Israeli planes bombed the organization’s headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs Friday. It wan’t clear if the interim appointment would be revised, amid reports that another Hezbollah leader, Hashim Safieddine, is seeking the position. Hezbollah officially announced the death of its veteran leader Hassan …
Thai MP Rome urges reform to fix Myanmar migration crisis, corruption
Bangkok — As Thailand faces a growing influx of refugees from Myanmar following the military coup, MP Rangsiman Rome, chair of the Thai House Committee on National Security and deputy leader of the People’s Party, emphasizes the need for urgent reform. “The immediate step is to register the people,” Rome tells VOA, citing corruption and the lack of legal recognition that leave many refugees vulnerable. “By …
China warns against ‘expansion’ of Ukraine war
United Nations — China ‘s Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Saturday against the expansion of the war in Ukraine, which has accused Beijing of assisting Russia in its war. Kyiv has been particularly scornful of Beijing’s calls for talks to resolve the conflict, but Wang reiterated China ‘s offer to help broker an end to fighting. “The top priority is to commit to no expansion of …
Nasrallah, who Israel says it has killed, led Hezbollah to become regional force
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who Israel said on Saturday it has killed, has led Hezbollah through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a military force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations — with Iranian backing. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, who has led the …
China calls for stable Japan relations after Ishiba election victory
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — China has urged Japan to maintain a “healthy and stable” relationship with Beijing after former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race Friday. Ishiba is set to become Japan’s next prime minister when Japanese lawmakers convene on October 1. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters Friday that the “sustained, sound and steady” development of China-Japan …
Landslide leaves 12 dead, 2 missing at illegal gold mine in Indonesia
SUNGAI ABU, Indonesia — Mud, rugged terrain and lack of telecommunications hampered rescue efforts Saturday after a landslide set off by torrential rains smashed down into an unauthorized gold mining operation on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, killing at least 12 people. Villagers had been digging for grains of gold in the remote village in the Solok district of West Sumatra province when mud plunged down the surrounding …
Cambodia’s new canal could boost trade but risks harming key river
PREK TAKEO, Cambodia — The Mekong River is a lifeline for millions in the six countries it traverses on its way from its headwaters to the sea, sustaining the world’s largest inland fishery and abundant rice paddies on Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Cambodia’s plan to build a massive canal linking the Mekong to a port on on its own coast on the Gulf of Thailand is raising …
Israeli airstrikes rock Beirut; Hezbollah command center hit
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM — A wave of air raids hit Beirut’s southern suburbs early Saturday as Israel stepped up attacks on Hezbollah, after a massive strike on the Iran-backed movement’s command center that apparently targeted leader Hassan Nasrallah. Reuters witnesses heard more than 20 airstrikes before dawn on Saturday. Abandoning their homes in the southern suburbs, thousands of Lebanese congregated in squares, parks and sidewalks in downtown Beirut …
Australian treasurer, visiting Beijing, welcomes Chinese efforts to stimulate its economy
BEIJING — Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Friday welcomed Chinese efforts to stimulate its slowing economy, noting that its recent weakness has hurt Australia. Chalmers was wrapping up a two-day visit to Beijing, the first to China by an Australian treasurer in seven years, as strained bilateral relations mend. He told reporters that Australia’s economy was slowing because of global economic uncertainty, high interest rates and …
US-led coalition ending operations against Islamic State in Iraq
The global coalition to ensure the defeat of Islamic State group terrorists is ending its military mission in Iraq. U.S. officials said a two-phased plan would not hinder counter-IS operations elsewhere in the region but did not detail how, or if, U.S. troop numbers would change. Carla Babb reports. …
Myanmar military urges armed groups to stop fighting, join elections
washington — Myanmar’s military has called on ethnic armed groups and anti-junta resistance forces to end their armed struggle and participate in proposed national elections. While this call to cease fighting was quickly rejected by opposition forces, it marked a significant development in Myanmar’s three-year civil war. Ye Myo Hein, a senior expert on Myanmar at the United States Institute of Peace, said the military’s call …
US, Taiwan look to boost drone collaboration
taipei, taiwan — Drone companies from Taiwan and the U.S. are exploring ways to work together in a market dominated by China, bringing together Taiwanese enterprises and more than two dozen American companies and officials this week in Taipei. Attacks by swarms of drones have become an almost daily occurrence in Russia’s war in Ukraine, with both Kyiv and Moscow using unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, …
A defiant Netanyahu addresses UN General Assembly
United Nations — Israel’s prime minister told the U.N. General Assembly Friday that Israel is “winning” in its fight against terrorists and their patrons in Iran who perpetrated the October 7 terror attacks on his country. “I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran,” Benjamin Netanyahu said. “If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place – there is no place in Iran …
Ethnic Chin refugees in Malaysia accuse UN agency of mistreatment
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Ethnic Chin refugees from Myanmar in Malaysia are accusing the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR of abuse and of not providing necessary protection, potentially putting lives at risk. Hundreds of members of the Alliance of Chin Refugees held a demonstration Thursday outside the UNHCR office in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. Chins, most of whom are Christians, are an ethnic and religious minority …
Israel to continue cease-fire discussions for Lebanon, Netanyahu says
JERUSALEM/BEIRUT — Israel will continue to discuss cease-fire proposals for Lebanon in the days ahead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, as Washington warned that further escalation would only make it harder for civilians on both sides to return home. Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday rejected global calls for a cease-fire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and pressed ahead with airstrikes that have killed hundreds …
Shigeru Ishiba to become Japan’s next PM
TOKYO — Shigeru Ishiba, a veteran politician with a reputation for irking his conservative colleagues, is set to become Japan’s next prime minister after winning the leadership race for the Liberal Democratic Party Friday. Ishiba, a 67-year-old former defense minister, defeated socially conservative foreign policy hawk Sanae Takaichi in the second round of an internal party vote. The LDP’s parliamentary majority means he will become prime …
At UN, Palestinian president demands end to Gaza’s suffering
The war in Gaza returned to center stage at Thursday’s United Nations General Assembly, with a speech from the Palestinian president. VOA’s U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer has more. …
Hong Kong court jails former editor, releases another on health grounds
HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court on Thursday night sentenced a former editor to jail for 21 months and immediately released another after both had earlier been found guilty of conspiring to publish seditious articles. In a landmark case about media freedom, Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam of the now-defunct Stand News media outlet were convicted last month — the first time journalists have been …
Oxfam: ‘Oligarchy’ of super-rich undermining cooperation to tackle poverty, climate change
London — As world leaders gather for the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, the charity Oxfam says they are being undermined by what it calls a “global oligarchy” of the super-rich who exert considerable control over the global economy – and who it blames for exacerbating problems like extreme inequality and climate change. “Today, the world’s richest 1% own more wealth …