China

United Nations — The head of the World Food Program said Wednesday that the agency is indefinitely suspending the movement of its staff in Gaza, after one of its teams came under repeated Israeli gunfire near a military checkpoint the previous day.  “This is totally unacceptable and the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have endangered the lives of WFP’s team in Gaza,” …

SINGAPORE  — Pope Francis will embark on the longest overseas tour of his papacy next week, as he visits four countries across Asia and Oceania on a grueling 11-day trip. The 87-year-old pontiff is scheduled to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore on a journey emphasizing economic and religious diversity. The pope has faced recent health challenges and concerns and this is set to …

BEIJING — Air China and China Southern Airlines will become the second and third Chinese carriers to fly China’s homegrown COMAC C919 passenger jet when their first planes are delivered on Wednesday, state-run Chinese Central TV said. Chinese planemaker COMAC is trying to break into a passenger jet market dominated by Western manufacturers Airbus and Boeing that has been strained by aircraft shortages and a Boeing …

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Heavy flooding caused by torrential rains in Yemen overnight has destroyed homes and left at least 24 people missing, authorities said on Wednesday. The floods in Al-Mahwit, a province west of the capital Sanaa controlled by Iran-backed Huthi rebels, triggered landslides that swept through several homes, police said in a statement carried by rebel media. At least 24 people are missing …

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Taipei, Taiwan — Din Tai Fung, a popular Michelin-starred Taiwanese restaurant known for its long lines and hot dumplings, says it is closing more than a dozen stores in China as the world’s second-largest economy loses steam and thrifty consumers seek out cheaper options for dining out. The company’s subsidiary, Beijing Hengtai Feng Catering Company, announced Monday that it plans to close all its 14 restaurants …

Jakarta, Indonesia — When the wife of Indonesian snack seller Surya asked why he stopped sending money home to his West Java village, he broke down, confessing to a gambling addiction that had cost him more than $12,000. “When I lost big I was determined to win back what I lost. No matter what — even if I had to borrow money,” the 36-year-old father of …

Washington — U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Tuesday in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in an attempt to manage tensions between Washington and Beijing ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. Sullivan’s visit, which ends on Thursday, also aims to set the stage for President Joe Biden to hold his final summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping before Biden leaves office …

Nuku’alofa, Tonga — Papua New Guinea said Wednesday it supported the creation of a multinational Pacific police force, a landmark proposal pushed by Australia that could significantly blunt China’s regional ambitions. Under the so-called Pacific Policing Initiative, a multinational force would be drawn from across the Pacific islands and based in northern Australia. The creation of such a force could seriously hamstring China’s own efforts to …

New York — More than two dozen international aid groups warned Tuesday that the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip is at risk of “imminent collapse” due to Israel’s continued operational restrictions and the shrinking of its so-called safe zone for Palestinian civilians. “Humanitarian efforts in Gaza are stretched to the breaking point, leaving thousands without basic services,” Camilla Dogliotti, Humanity & Inclusion/Handicap International’s Palestine country …

Tehran, Iran — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday urged the new government to impose controls over the Islamic republic’s cyberspace, which has already been under heavy restrictions in recent years. “What matters is for the rule of law to be applied in the virtual space,” said Khamenei during his first meeting with the new cabinet of president Masoud Pezeshkian. “If you don’t have …

As Israel approaches the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza, the site of the Nova music festival has become a place of pilgrimage. At the site, Hamas killed 364 people and took 44 hostage. Linda Gradstein and Ricki Rosen report on Israelis and tourists visiting the memorial. Videographer: Ricki Rosen …

Vatican City — China’s government has recognized the authority of the Catholic bishop of Tianjin, Melchior Shi Hongzhen, the Vatican said on Tuesday, who had previously been placed under house arrest for refusing to join China’s state-backed church structure.  “This development is a positive fruit of the dialog established in recent years between the Holy See and the Chinese Government,” the Vatican said in a statement. …

MANILA — The U.S. military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed South China Sea, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Tuesday amid a spike in hostilities between Beijing and Manila in the disputed waters. Adm. Samuel Paparo’s remarks, which he made in response to a question during a news conference in Manila with Philippine Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner …

Beijing — U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said on Tuesday they were hoping for productive talks as they met in Beijing. Washington allies Japan and the Philippines have blamed China in recent days for raising regional tensions, with Tokyo accusing Beijing of violating its airspace and Manila calling it the “biggest disruptor” of peace in Southeast Asia. Sullivan said …

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was charged Tuesday with sedition over a speech he made that allegedly questioned the integrity of the country’s previous king. Muhyiddin, who led Malaysia from March 2020 until August 2021, pleaded not guilty in a court in northeast Kelantan state. According to the charge sheet, Muhyiddin made the seditious remarks last month during a by-election campaign …

JAKARTA, Indonesia — When Pope Francis begins his Asia tour next week, one of his early stops will be at Indonesia’s iconic Istiqlal mosque. The 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church will hold an interfaith meeting with representatives of the country’s six officially recognized religions as the populous Southeast Asian nation faces growing challenges to its tolerant image. Francis, who has suffered a slew of health …

GENEVA — Sea level rises in the Pacific Ocean are outstripping the global average, a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report showed Tuesday, imperiling low-lying island states.  Globally, sea level advances are accelerating as higher temperatures driven by the continued burning of fossil fuels melt once-mighty ice sheets, while warmer oceans cause water molecules to expand.  But even compared to the global average rate rise of 3.4 …

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga — As leaders of Pacific nations were welcomed to their annual meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on Monday, they were greeted first by torrential rain and then by an earthquake. The magnitude 6.9 quake was deep enough not to cause damage, but the long shudder and ankle-deep water served as a reminder of the natural vulnerabilities of many of the member countries of the Pacific …

United Nations — The United Nations said Monday that the Israeli military’s latest evacuation orders have halted their aid operations in the Gaza Strip.  “As of this morning, we are not operating in Gaza,” a senior U.N. official told reporters, adding that they would not be leaving the beleaguered territory.  On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces issued new evacuation orders for parts of Deir al-Balah in …

Tokyo — Japan scrambled fighter jets on Monday after a Chinese military aircraft “violated” Japanese airspace, the defense ministry said.    The Chinese aircraft was “confirmed to have violated the territorial airspace off the Danjo Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture,” the ministry said in a statement, adding it had launched “fighter jets on an emergency basis.”   China’s “Y-9 intelligence-gathering” aircraft entered Japanese airspace at 11:29 am …

Sidoarjo, Indonesia — Thousands of military personnel from Indonesia, the U.S., and eight other countries began two weeks of exercises Monday, focused on joint capabilities in the Asia-Pacific.   The region, particularly in the South China Sea, has seen tensions rise this year with flashpoints between littoral states claiming sovereignty over disputed islands and waterways. The annual exercises — known as Super Garuda Shield — started …

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Sydney — Australian employees now have the right to ignore their bosses outside working hours thanks to a new law which enshrines the “right to disconnect.” The legislation, which passed in February and came into force Monday, protects workers who refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from their employers after the hours of work. More than 20 countries, including France, have brought in similar …