China

GENEVA  — The World Health Organization launched a global plan Thursday to address the growing threat of dengue and other deadly arboviruses, which have affected millions of people around the world and put billions more at risk.   “The rapid spread of dengue and other arboviral diseases in recent years is an alarming trend that demands a coordinated response across sectors and across borders,” said WHO Director-General …

The United States’ policy on China has been mostly consistent from the administration of Donald Trump to the White House of Joe Biden — with both presidents viewing China as America’s biggest competitor. But in the race for the next president, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have slightly different approaches toward the global superpower. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee explains. …

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SINGAPORE — A Singapore court on Thursday sentenced a former minister to 12 months in prison for obstructing justice and receiving more than $300,000 worth of gifts, in the first jailing of an ex-cabinet member in a city-state famous for its clean governance. S. Iswaran, who was a cabinet member for 13 years and has held the trade, communications and transport portfolios, pleaded guilty last week …

Bangkok — Cambodia this week has seen an outpouring of support from journalists, media groups and embassies for Mech Dara, one of the country’s last remaining independent journalists, who recently was taken into custody and charged with incitement. The U.S. Embassy in Cambodia posted on social media platform X that it was deeply troubled by Monday’s arrest and called for Dara’s release. “He is a leading …

WASHINGTON — Israel’s vow to make Iran pay a price for carrying out a large-scale missile strike on the Jewish state has prompted panic buying of gasoline in major Iranian cities and a day-long suspension of commercial flights in Iranian airspace.  Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel after nightfall on Tuesday, in a major escalation of a yearlong conflict between Israel and Iran’s regional …

washington — U.S. engagement with a string of Pacific Island nations must continue, regardless of which party wins the White House, the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation said in a newly published report. The islands, situated between Hawaii and Australia, are the latest front of competition between Washington and Beijing. In the 45-page report, Andrew Harding, a research assistant in the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, …

For months, U.S. President Joe Biden has warned Israel against allowing its war with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza to spread against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran itself. But with Israel fighting in Lebanon and vowing retaliation for Tehran’s missile attacks, many fear that moment has come. VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara looks at the potential for further escalation and the possibility of U.S. …

WASHINGTON — A recent report by the U.S. Institute of Peace highlights the resurgence of scam hubs, particularly in Myanmar’s Karen State, due to China’s softened stance toward the country’s military regime. China’s posture has shifted, said Jason Tower, co-author of the report and the country director for Burma at the institute.  “They’re now much more focused on regime survival, looking at how they can prevent …

WASHINGTON — Since the start of Israel’s war with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza in October 2023, President Joe Biden has warned the U.S. ally against widening the conflict with Tehran’s other proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, and with Iran itself. Many fear that moment has come. In the past 10 days, Israel has unleashed an air campaign on Lebanon, striking over 3,600 Hezbollah-linked targets, according to …

washington — The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) wants to make it easier — and safer — for people in Iran, China and North Korea to share information with America’s premier spy agency.    The agency on Wednesday posted online instructions in Korean, Mandarin and Farsi detailing steps that potential informants can take to contact U.S. intelligence officials without putting themselves in danger.  The instructions include ways to …

Israel’s campaign against Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7 attack has seen Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the forefront of condemning Israel. However, analysts say Turkey is becoming increasingly sidelined from efforts to end the crisis in a region where Erdogan once sought to play a leading role. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …

Thousands of Israelis, most of them soldiers, have been wounded in fighting over the past year and face a long rehabilitation. Israel is one of the world’s leaders in rehabilitation, but the ongoing war in Gaza has strained the country’s resources. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem. Please note, this story contains simulated images of war injuries that some may find disturbing. Camera: Ricki Rosen …

Beirut, Lebanon — An Israeli airstrike killed three people Wednesday in Damascus, a monitor said, in the second strike in as many days on a neighborhood that is home to security headquarters and embassies.  “An Israeli airstrike targeted a flat in a residential building in the Mazzeh neighborhood frequented by Hezbollah leaders and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.  It …

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KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Taiwan shut down on Wednesday, grounding hundreds of flights and closing schools, offices and financial markets ahead of the arrival of a weakening Typhoon Krathon with one person reported dead and torrential rain lashing the island’s south. Officials in the key port city of Kaohsiung, set to be in the eye of the storm, told people to stay home and avoid the sea, …

SEOUL — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held his first telephone call with Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday and agreed a united response together with the United States is needed to counter North Korea’s threats, his office said.  South Korea last week welcomed Ishiba’s election as the head of Japan’s ruling party, saying it looked forward to the two countries continuing to …

Bangkok — Thai police have arrested the driver of a bus carrying young students and teachers that caught fire and killed 23 in suburban Bangkok, as families arrived in the capital Wednesday to help identify their loved ones. The bus carrying six teachers and 39 students in elementary and junior high school was traveling from Uthai Thani province, about 300 kilometers north of Bangkok, for a …

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Washington — Iran’s brazen missile attack on Israel has heightened tensions across the Middle East, with some analysts predicting a powerful Israeli response. What is less certain is whether this will be a one-off exchange or ignite a series of tit-for-tat strikes that could engulf the entire Middle East in conflict. “It could go either way,” said Shaan Shaikh, a fellow at the Center for Strategic …

washington — With a parliamentary election in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq scheduled for October 20, interest is growing among major political parties for candidates who are women or members of ethnic and religious minorities.  Whatever the outcome of the election, the region’s quota system has guaranteed 30 seats for women and five for Turkmen, Christians and Armenians out of a total of 100 seats in …

MELBOURNE, Australia — A code of conduct will be enforced on the online dating industry to better protect Australian users after research found that three-in-four people suffer some form of sexual violence through the platforms, Australia’s government said on Tuesday. Bumble, Grindr and Match Group Inc., a Texas-based company that owns platforms including Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid and Plenty of Fish, have agreed to the code that …