DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — On a darkened road beside the Caspian Sea last month, Iranian police officers opened fire on a 31-year-old woman who had tried to speed away likely knowing they wanted to seize her vehicle. Police had been ordered to impound her car, activists say, because of an earlier violation of Iran’s headscarf law for showing her hair in public while driving. Now …
Australian opposition lawmakers call for ban on visas for Palestinians fleeing Gaza
SYDNEY — Newly released statistics from the Australian government show that thousands of Palestinians have had their visa applications rejected since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last October. Australia’s conservative opposition said Wednesday that it was “not prudent” for any Palestinians to be allowed into the country because of national security concerns. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the leader of the center-right opposition, Peter Dutton, …
White House projects confidence on Gaza cease-fire talks
The United States and key mediators Egypt and Qatar are intensifying efforts to push Israel and Hamas toward a cease-fire deal. Talks are scheduled in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Thursday. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports. …
Chinese foreign minister meets with Myanmar leader amid strain of civil war
BANGKOK — China’s top diplomat on Wednesday visited Myanmar and met with the leader of its military government as growing instability from the neighboring country’s civil war causes concern in Beijing. Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit came after Myanmar’s army has suffered unprecedented battlefield defeats from powerful ethnic militias, especially in the northeast along the border with China. The visit also came a week after Senior …
UN report accuses Myanmar military of war crimes and crimes against humanity
GENEVA — A newly released report from a group of independent human rights experts says there is “substantial evidence” that Myanmar’s military junta has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, with civilians deliberately targeted in violation of international human rights law. “Our mandate is to collect evidence of the most serious international crimes in Myanmar. Our report shows that the number of these crimes is …
Taiwan chipmaker breaking ground in Europe amid China threat
Helsinki, Finland — Next week, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, TSMC, the world’s top advanced computer chipmaker, is expected to break ground on its first European factory in Dresden, Germany, as it seeks to diversify production from Taiwan and threats from China. TSMC is the biggest supplier of semiconductor chips used in everything from computers to cars and medical equipment. The company will run the nearly $11 …
China’s latest blockbuster casts rare, harsh light on gig economy
SHANGHAI/BEIJING — One of the biggest movies to hit China’s cinemas this summer tackles several of its biggest economic pain points: an uncertain job market, downward mobility and the hardscrabble life of millions working gig jobs. “Upstream” tells the story of a middle-aged programmer who is laid off, shut out of white-collar jobs because of his age and pushed into the perilous food-delivery gig economy to …
No respite for Chinese officials as economy shows new signs of weakness
BEIJING — A recent string of dismal indicators have dulled expectations for China’s economic performance in July, in an ominous sign for the rest of 2024 and pointing to the need for more stimulus measures beyond plastering over pain points in the world’s second-largest economy. Calls for more growth boosting measures for the $19 trillion economy have dogged officials after a widely expected post-pandemic recovery failed …
High-wire diplomacy on possible Iran retaliation in the Israel-Hamas war draws in world
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s threatened retaliatory strike on Israel over the assassination of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh drew major world powers into a high-wire act of diplomacy Tuesday. Halting or limiting an Iranian strike in some eyes could bolster a monthslong effort to reach a cease-fire in a war that’s devastated the Gaza Strip and killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s health …
Myanmar military denies junta chief detained by generals
Yangon, Myanmar — Myanmar’s military on Wednesday said rumors top generals had detained the embattled junta chief in a new coup were “propaganda” spread by “traitors” ahead of a visit by China’s foreign minister. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has faced public criticism from military supporters in recent weeks as government troops lose territory to ethnic minority armed groups and other opponents battling to overturn its …
Meth found in sweets handed out by New Zealand charity
Wellington, New Zealand — Pineapple sweets dished out by a New Zealand charity have tested positive for potentially lethal amounts of methamphetamine, police said Wednesday, sparking an urgent race to remove them from the streets. A child, a teenager and a charity worker have already been taken to the hospital after they tasted the candies. Although none are seriously ill, police have launched a criminal investigation …
China resubmitted plans for a super embassy in London
LONDON — The Chinese government has resubmitted its plans to build a “super embassy” in London, a decision testing the new British government’s strategy for dealing with China after the victory of the Labour Party in the general election last month. According to the new plan, the super embassy will be built on the former Royal Mint Court site near the Tower of London, with a …
Israeli hardliner Ben-Gvir draws anger with Jerusalem prayer call
JERUSALEM — Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Tuesday Jews should be allowed to pray at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, known to Jews as Temple Mount, launching a fresh challenge to rules covering one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly denied there would be any change to rules that prohibit Jews from praying at the site, which …
Ankara hosts Abbas in bid to break diplomatic isolation
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas is to travel to Turkey on Wednesday for a two-day visit. Observers say Ankara will seek to use the visit to reassert its regional influence in the wake of growing isolation and the assassination of key ally Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …
Israelis brace for expected missile strikes from Iran, Hezbollah
Almost two weeks after the assassinations of two senior militant leaders, allegedly by Israel, Israelis are on edge, waiting for expected retaliation. Both Hamas and Hezbollah have the potential to strike most of Israel with long-range missiles and cause widespread damage. But they also do not want an all-out war with Israel. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem. …
US adds census category for Americans of Middle Eastern, North African descent
The next time there is a census in the United States in 2030, Americans who trace their ancestral roots to the Middle East and North Africa will have their own demographic category – MENA. VOA’s Genia Dulot went to the Little Arabia neighborhood of Anaheim, California, to see what people think about the change. …
Fiji leader visits China ahead of Pacific Islands Forum
Taipei, Taiwan — Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is in China for a 10-day visit that includes meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Rabuka is the third South Pacific leader to visit China since early July as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive with leaders and governments in the region. Analysts say Rabuka is likely to use his trip to promote his …
China says FM Wang to visit Myanmar, Thailand this week
BEIJING — China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will visit Myanmar and Thailand from Aug. 14 to 17, Beijing’s foreign ministry said Tuesday. “Wang Yi will visit Myanmar and travel to Thailand to co-chair the ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. Wang will also attend an “informal discussion” between counterparts from Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, Lin said. Last week, China’s special …