JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — Israeli forces appeared Friday to have withdrawn from the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, after a more-than weeklong military operation that has left dozens dead and a trail of destruction. Overnight, Israeli armored personnel carriers were seen leaving the camp from a checkpoint set up on one of the main roads, and an Associated Press reporter inside …
China, US at odds over war-torn Myanmar’s future as geopolitical tensions rise
washington — China recently warned against what it described as “external interference” in Myanmar, a country increasingly caught in the crossfire of escalating geopolitical rivalry between Beijing and Washington. This warning came as the United States has been deepening its engagement with Myanmar’s pro-democracy forces, raising concerns in Beijing, where experts suggest there is deep skepticism about Washington’s intentions in Myanmar. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi …
Floods in northern Thailand seen as test for new prime minister
BANGKOK — Northern Thailand’s worst floods in years are causing significant damage, and experts say this could be the first real test for the country’s new prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The floods, caused by seasonal monsoon rain in August, have killed at least 22 people, injured others and damaged upwards of 30,000 homes across more than a dozen provinces, authorities said on August 26. The bad …
Influx of cheap Chinese goods a spoiler for local businesses in Thailand
Taipei, Taiwan — China is defending itself against accusations that it is flooding the Thai market with cheap goods and hurting local businesses. In a post on its official Facebook account on September 4, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand called the trade between the two countries “mutually beneficial and win-win.” “Almost 80% of the goods that Thailand imports from China are capital goods and intermediate goods …
‘Business is business’ at bustling China-Africa summit
Beijing — Hundreds of African political and business leaders filed into China’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday eager to forge new partnerships, sign contracts and make industry connections. “Business is business, we’ll buy from anywhere. In China, the price is right,” Abakar Tahir Moussa, a Chadian construction firm owner, told AFP, showing off the business card of a potential new Chinese partner. He hoped …
Students in Bangladesh forced out country’s leader a month ago. Where do things stand now?
DHAKA, Bangladesh — A month ago, a student-led movement ousted Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people and pushed the country to the brink of chaos. What began as student protests over government jobs became a large-scale revolt against the country’s longest-serving prime minister. Hasina, 76, fled to India on Aug. 5 as anger against her government …
Pope, imam make joint call to fight violence, protect planet
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Pope Francis and the grand imam of Southeast Asia’s largest mosque vowed Thursday to fight religiously inspired violence and protect the environment, issuing a joint call for interfaith friendship and common cause at the heart of Francis’ visit to Indonesia. In an encounter rich with symbolic meaning and personal touches, Francis traveled to Jakarta’s iconic Istiqlal Mosque for an interreligious gathering with representatives …
China’s envoy not expelled; he left because term ended, says US
washington — China’s consul general in New York left his post as scheduled after completing his posting last month, the State Department said on Wednesday, hours after New York’s governor said she asked for his expulsion in the aftermath of the arrest of a former aide who was accused of secretly acting as a Chinese agent. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that Consul General …
US dismisses concerns indictment of Hamas leaders will complicate cease-fire talks
The United States on Wednesday dismissed concerns that criminal charges brought against Hamas leaders in connection with the October 7 attack in Israel would complicate talks on a Gaza cease-fire in return for the release of Hamas’ hostages. VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports. Contributor: Guita Aryan. …
Africa needs strategic, disciplined approach with China, experts say
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA / WASHINGTON — China has been establishing closer cooperation with Africa, a relationship some view as fraught with debt burden while others hail as Africa leveraging its strategic importance globally. This week’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing carries benefits for both Africa and China, officials and African affairs experts say. Countries like Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya have been on the receiving …
Britain defends Israeli weapons export bans as Europe mulls sanctions
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended his government’s decision to suspend some arms shipments to Israel on Wednesday, saying the move was necessary to comply with international law. It could have wider consequences among European allies. Henry Ridgwell reports. Camera: Henry Ridgwell. …
Netanyahu calls for Israel to maintain military presence in Gaza
Jerusalem — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel must remain in a strip of land between the Gaza Strip and the Egyptian border to prevent Hamas from rearming. He spoke as the White House said Israel must withdraw at least partially from the area. The Israeli army published a picture Wednesday of the opening of the tunnel in Gaza where the bodies of six Israeli …
South Korea: North Korea again launches suspected trash-carrying balloons across border
Seoul — South Korea says it has detected suspected trash-carrying balloons launched by North Korea, in the latest round of a Cold War-style psychological warfare between the war-divided rivals. The metropolitan government of Seoul, South Korea’s capital, issued text alerts Wednesday saying that objects likely to be North Korean balloons were spotted in regions north of the city. It advised people to stay indoors and beware …
In Asia, pope urges Indonesia to live up to promise of ‘harmony in diversity,’ fight extremism
JAKARTA — Pope Francis urged Indonesia to live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance on Wednesday, as he set a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health. Despite the grueling itinerary, an energetic Francis joked and laughed his way through a packed first full day in Indonesia, …
Myanmar junta chief warns of ‘counterattacks’ in opponent-held areas
Yangon, Myanmar — Myanmar’s embattled junta chief has warned civilians in territory recently captured by ethnic minority armed groups to prepare for military counterattacks, state media reported on Wednesday. The military has lost swaths of territory near the border with China in northern Shan state to an alliance of armed ethnic minority groups and “People’s Defence Forces” battling to overturn the junta’s 2021 coup. The …