North Korea says revised constitution now defines South as ‘hostile state’

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea confirmed Thursday that its recently revised constitution defines South Korea as “a hostile state” for the first time, two days after it blew up front-line road and rail links that once connected the country with the South. The back-to-back developments indicate North Korea is intent on escalating animosities against South Korea, increasing the danger of possible clashes at their tense …

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Japan’s ruling LDP at risk of losing majority in election, polls show

TOKYO — Japan’s ruling party may lose its majority in the lower house, according to media polling ahead of the October 27 election, meaning it would likely have to rely on coalition partner Komeito to stay in power. The Liberal Democratic Party may not reach the 233 seats it needs for an outright majority in the 465-seat chamber, the Nikkei newspaper said on Thursday. The LDP …

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China boosts funds for housing projects to support embattled sector

BEIJING — China will expand a “white list” of housing projects eligible for financing and increase bank lending for such developments to $562 billion by year-end, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong said on Thursday. Redevelopment of cities will also gather pace, with a million “urban villages” to be included in such plans, Ni said at a press conference, adding that people being resettled …

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Sydney beaches closed due to toxic ‘tar balls’

sydney — Beaches in Sydney including the iconic Bondi were closed to bathers on Thursday after hundreds of black balls suspected to be toxic washed up on the city’s shores. Waverley Council said it had closed Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches as a precaution, while neighboring Randwick Council has closed an additional four beaches to the south. Bondi and Maroubra Beach to the south were later …

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Iran FM slams Western sanctions as ‘hostile action,’ state media says

Tehran, Iran — Iran ‘s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that new Western sanctions against Iran were “hostile action” and would not help to resolve regional tensions, state media reported.    “The new Western sanctions against Iran are considered a hostile action and will not help the existing situation,” he told reporters in Jordan’s capital, Amman, according to IRNA state news agency.   On Monday, …

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Lebanese refugee crisis raises political tensions in Iraq and demographic concerns in Kirkuk

Washington/Kirkuk, Iraq — Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah are driving tens of thousands of Lebanese into Iraq — with more expected as the security situation deteriorates. The sudden influx is generating political concerns, especially in Iraq’s volatile Kirkuk region. Iraqi officials say that as of October 9, about 8,000 Lebanese refugees have entered Iraq. Kirkuk, a multi-ethnic province contested by Kurds, Arabs and Turkmens, is already burdened …

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Are growing tensions between Israel and Iran a nuclear threat?

Israel’s threat to retaliate for Iran’s October 1 missile strikes is raising concerns of a nuclear confrontation in the region. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Istanbul. …

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Israeli minister criticizes Macron over France defense show ban

Jerusalem — Israeli delegations taking part in the major defense show Euronaval in France next month will not be permitted to set up a stand or exhibit hardware following a decision by the French government, organizers said Wednesday, prompting outrage from Israel. The decision comes as tensions are rising between Israel and France following comments by President Emmanuel Macron criticizing the civilian casualties in the Israeli …

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Former Malaysian PM Mahathir, 99, hospitalized with respiratory infection

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been admitted to hospital for a respiratory infection, his office said on Wednesday after media reported the ex-premier missed a court hearing in a defamation case he has lodged. The 99-year-old Mahathir, who served as prime minister for more two decades, has a history of heart problems and has undergone bypass surgeries. He has been …

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Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut suburbs

Israeli forces carried out airstrikes Wednesday on Beirut’s southern suburbs, sending plumes of smoke rising from at least two neighborhoods. The Israel Defense Forces said its fighter jets struck a Hezbollah underground weapons warehouse. The attacks followed Israel’s latest evacuation order that warned people to leave areas in Beirut that the Israeli military said were near Hezbollah facilities. Israel also reported more than 50 projectiles …

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‘Age of electricity’ to follow looming fossil fuel peak, IEA says

LONDON — The world is on the brink of a new age of electricity with fossil fuel demand set to peak by the end of the decade, meaning surplus oil and gas supplies could drive investment into green energy, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday. But it also flagged a high level of uncertainty as conflicts embroil the oil and gas-producing Middle East and Russia …

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China says it will not renounce use of force over Taiwan

BEIJING/TAIPEI — China will not promise to renounce the use of force over Taiwan but this is aimed at external interference and a small minority of separatists, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday following the country’s latest war games around the island. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, staged a day of large-scale drills around the island on Monday it said …

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South Korea steps up commitment to South China Sea, with limits

washington — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s tour of Southeast Asian countries shows Seoul has stepped up the country’s role in supporting regional security, but there are limits to what it can do to help them push back against China’s growing aggression, analysts say. Yoon made several pledges to support regional security during visits to the Philippines, Singapore and Laos, where he attended the closing …

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British foreign secretary expected to visit Beijing, Shanghai

LONDON — British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is expected to visit Beijing and Shanghai, the highest-level trip to China since the Labour government came to power. Analysts say they will be watching the trip for signs of a possible reset in U.K.-China relations, which have been fraught in recent years.  Reuters reported last week that Lammy is expected to meet with Chinese officials in Beijing and …

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Report: Iran cyberattacks against Israel surge after Gaza war

Israel has become the top target of Iranian cyberattacks since the start of the Gaza war last year, while Tehran had focused primarily on the United States before the conflict, Microsoft said Tuesday. “Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Iran surged its cyber, influence, and cyber-enabled influence operations against Israel,” Microsoft said in an annual report. “From October 7, 2023, to July 2024, nearly …

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WHO: Gaza polio campaign starts well, despite Israeli strikes

Geneva — The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it had been able to start its polio campaign in central Gaza and vaccinate tens of thousands of children despite Israeli strikes in the designated protected zone hours before. As part of an agreement between the Israeli military and Palestinian militant group Hamas, humanitarian pauses in the year-long Gaza war had been due to begin early on …

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Chinese Pandas arrive in US, headed to National Zoo in Washington

Washington — The National Zoo’s long dark panda drought is coming to an end. Eleven months after the zoo sent its three wildly popular pandas — Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji — back to China, a new pair of bears arrived in the United States on Tuesday. They will be transported from Dulles International Airport in suburban Virginia to the zoo. …

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Pakistan hosts regional leaders for SCO summit under tight security

Islamabad — Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization of Eurasian countries gathered in Pakistan Tuesday for an annual, two-day meeting to discuss ways to enhance regional security, stability, and development cooperation. Authorities have placed Islamabad under a security lockdown for the SCO gathering, deploying thousands of forces, including troops, in and around the Pakistani capital to protect the high-profile event due to a recent surge in …

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Russia, China bolster defense ties at ‘substantive’ talks 

Russia and China held “substantive” defense and military talks to bolster ties, Russia’s defense minister said on Tuesday, as Moscow and Beijing cement a “no limits” partnership and step up criticism of U.S. efforts to extend its influence in Asia.  “The military departments of Russia and China are united in their assessments of global processes, and they have a common understanding of what needs to …

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Summit in Australia urges science to do more to embrace First Nations climate knowledge

SYDNEY — An international conference in Australia of First Nations people is calling on scientists to engage with Indigenous experts to find solutions to climate change. Indigenous Australians consider the land to be the mother of creation. To them, it is a living, breathing mass that contains secrets and wisdom. Tribal leaders have gathered in Dubbo, 390 kilometers northwest of Sydney, to urge governments and scientists …

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Son of Singapore’s founding PM Lee says plans to demolish family home

SINGAPORE — The youngest child of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said on Tuesday he would apply to demolish the statesman’s home in line with his wishes, following the death of Lee’s daughter last week. Lee Kuan Yew’s three children, one of whom is Singapore’s third Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, were split on what to do with their father’s home after his death …

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Israeli retaliation against Iran to include military sites, not nuclear or oil

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Joe Biden that an Israeli retaliatory attack on Iran would target only military targets, and not oil or nuclear facilities, according to U.S. officials. The officials were cited by the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, which both reported late Monday that Netanyahu made the pledge during a phone call between the leaders last week. A White …

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Hong Kong policy address seen pivoting from security to economic growth

HONG KONG — Hong Kong is expected to announce measures to boost the city’s economy in its annual policy address on Wednesday, including slashing liquor tariffs, as it seeks to revive the financial hub that has been struggling to recover since the pandemic. Hong Kong’s small and open economy has felt the ripple effects of a slowdown in the Chinese economy. The city’s economy expanded by …

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North Korea’s Kim holds security meeting as tensions with Seoul soar

SEOUL, SOuth Korea — North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un convened a top national security meeting Monday, state media reported, directing a plan of “immediate military action” at a time of spiking tensions with the South.   The meeting in Pyongyang was attended by the country’s top security officials, including the army chief and other military officials, as well as the ministers of state security and …

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