China

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 …

ISLAMABAD — The United States has reassigned its special representative for Afghanistan, leaving vacant a key position in its efforts to engage with the Taliban-ruled country. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the decision Tuesday to reassign Tom West, while emphasizing that Washington’s commitment to the South Asian nation “remains an enduring priority.” Blinken said West would serve in a new role as the acting …

Washington — China has been one of the most-discussed international topics during the U.S. presidential campaign. VOA spoke with Rick Waters, former head of the Office of China Coordination at the State Department and deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan, about the Biden administration’s China policy. Waters spoke about his experience dealing with his Chinese counterparts, and how he thinks Vice President Kamala …

JERUSALEM — At least six people were killed and nine wounded in a suspected shooting and stabbing terror attack in the Tel Aviv area on Tuesday, Israeli police said. They said that two “terrorists” started a killing spree on the Tel Aviv light rail and continued on foot before being killed by civilians and inspectors using personal pistols. The attack took place minutes before Iran launched …

GENEVA — Responding to the growing humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, the United Nations and the Lebanese government launched a $426 million flash appeal Tuesday to provide emergency assistance to support 1 million people directly affected by the rapidly escalating conflict in Lebanon. “In just the past two weeks, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives, over 6,000 have been injured, and an estimated 1 million …

Tokyo — Japan’s new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, said Tuesday that his nation faces its “most severe” regional security situation in the post-WWII era, without naming any specific threats. “The security environment surrounding our country is the most severe since the end of World War II,” he said in his first press conference after being approved as prime minister by parliament earlier in the day. Ishiba, …

SEOUL — A North Korean defector living in South Korea was detained on Tuesday after ramming a stolen bus into a barricade on a bridge near the heavily militarized border, in an apparent attempt to get back to the North, Yonhap news agency reported.  The incident took place at around 1:30 a.m. (16:30 GMT on Monday) at the Tongil Bridge in Paju, northwest of the capital …

BANGKOK — A bus carrying young students with their teachers caught fire in suburban Bangkok on Tuesday, with more than 20 of those on board feared dead, officials and rescuers said.  The bus was carrying 44 passengers from central Uthai Thani province for a school trip in Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungruengkit told reporters at the scene.  Videos posted on social media showed …

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BEIJING — Three people were killed and 15 others injured in a knife attack at a supermarket in Shanghai on Monday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, extending a series of stabbing incidents across China this year. The victims were immediately rushed to hospital for treatment, according to Xinhua on Tuesday, but three died. The assailant, a 37-year-old man surnamed Lin, was detained by the police who …

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s Defense Ministry denounced the United States’ deployment of nuclear strategic assets in South Korea, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday, as Seoul was gearing up for a rare military parade marking Armed Forces Day. Kim Kang Il, North Korea’s vice defense minister, accused Washington of running a “reckless military bluff” and stoking tension by sending a nuclear-powered submarine recently to …

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian freelance reporter Mech Dara, noted for investigative reporting in a country with limited press freedom, was arrested Monday, a leading local human rights organization and a journalists association said.  Known especially for investigating online scam centers, Mech Dara’s arrest followed posts he made about a rock quarry — that local officials denounced Monday as an attempt to foment dissent. Mech Dara …

Tehran — At least three policemen were killed in separate attacks by jihadists and gunmen in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, state media reported Monday.  One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan on the border with Pakistan has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baluchi minority and Sunni extremists.  “A border guard was killed a few hours ago in a clash with gunmen …

tehran, iran — Iran will not deploy forces to Lebanon or Gaza to confront Israel, its foreign ministry said Monday, as Israeli strikes target its allies in the region.  “There is no need to send extra or volunteer forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, adding that Lebanon and fighters in the Palestinian territories “have the capability and strength to …

Taipei, Taiwan — As Israel continues to launch airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, China is stepping up its efforts to play the role of peacemaker in the Middle East, issuing statements of condemnation, but Beijing’s actions are also exposing the limits of its ability to de-escalate tensions, analysts say. “Beijing wants to create an impression that it is pushing for greater peace and stability in …

The closure of media outlets and jailing of journalists has become a reality in Hong Kong as the government there cracks down on the press in the name of national security. Some Hong Kong journalists exiled to other countries are trying to push back against the threats to press freedom from overseas. VOA’s William Yang reports from Taipei. Camera: Katie Tam, Jonathan Spier …

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Washington — The U.S. is sending an additional “few thousand” troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if necessary, the Pentagon said Monday. The increased presence will come from multiple fighter jet squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. It follows recent strikes in Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a significant escalation in the …

Bangkok — A Thai court Monday approved the extradition of a human rights activist to his native Vietnam, where rights groups say he faces a high risk of torture and cannot be guaranteed a fair hearing from his country’s courts.  Y Quynh Bdap says he fled to Thailand in 2018 to evade arrest for his human rights work on behalf of the Montagnards, a predominantly Christian …

London — Oil prices were steady on Monday and on track to fall for the third month in a row as a strong supply outlook and questions around demand outweighed fears that Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Yemen could escalate conflict in the Middle East. Brent crude futures LCOc1 for November delivery, expiring on Monday, lost 10 cents to $71.88 a barrel as of 0933 GMT. …

Hong Kong — A British judge on Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal will step down after his term ends on Monday, the city’s judiciary said, the fifth foreign justice to leave the bench this year. Judges from common law jurisdictions are invited to sit as non-permanent members in the former British colony’s top court. Their presence has long been considered by authorities as a sign …

SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean court gave three police officers prison sentences on Monday over their botched handling of a 2022 Halloween crush in a Seoul nightlife district that killed nearly 160 people.  It was the first conviction of officials over the failure by authorities to prevent or adequately respond to the overcrowding that occurred in the popular Itaewon district. No top-level officials have …

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