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 …
South Korean court gives prison sentences to 3 police officers over deadly 2022 Halloween crush
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 …
Taiwan on alert over ‘multiple waves’ of missile firings in inland China
Taipei, Taiwan — Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Sunday it was on alert after detecting “multiple waves” of missile firing deep in inland China, days after Beijing said it had carried out a successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, keeps a close watch on Chinese military drills given Beijing’s regular activities around the island, but …
China hails ‘Queen Wen,’ the tennis star who fulfilled a dream
Beijing — Zheng Qinwen’s parents sold the family home to fund her tennis dreams and now she is an Olympic champion and China’s biggest current sports star. The 21-year-old is playing at home for the first time since becoming the first Chinese player to win an Olympic singles tennis gold when she triumphed in Paris. She did not disappoint in her opening match at the China …
China cutting mortgage rates by end-October as cities ease home-buying curbs
Beijing — China’s central bank said Sunday it would tell banks to lower mortgage rates for existing home loans before Oct. 31, as part of sweeping policies to support the country’s beleaguered property market as the economy slows. Commercial banks should, in batches, reduce interest rates on existing mortgages to no less than 30 basis points (bps) below the Loan Prime Rate (LPR), the central bank’s …
Israeli strikes in Lebanon aim to destroy Hezbollah network
Israel unleashed a series of overnight attacks in Lebanon, and it announced the killing of another high-level Hezbollah commander. The strikes aim to further rattle Hezbollah after airstrikes that killed the group’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has this story. …
Israel kills another Hezbollah commander as it continues strikes in Lebanon
JERUSALEM — Israel’s military continued strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon Sunday and announced the death of another high-ranking official with the Iran-backed militant group, days after Israel killed long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel’s army Sunday said a strike killed Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council on Saturday. A day earlier, Hezbollah confirmed that an Israeli strike in Beirut Friday killed Nasrallah. …
US airstrikes on Syria kill 37 militants affiliated with extremist groups
BEIRUT — In Syria, 37 militants affiliated to the extremist Islamic State group and an al-Qaida-linked group were killed in two strikes, the United States military said Sunday. Two of the dead were senior militants, it said. U.S. Central Command said it struck northwestern Syria on Tuesday, targeting a senior militant from the al-Qaida-linked Hurras al-Deen group and eight others. They say he was responsible for …
Japan’s Ishiba opts for continuity in early Cabinet picks
TOKYO — Japan’s incoming prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, signaled continuity this weekend in his early decisions on key posts for his government, suggesting a desire for stability after an unpredictable leadership race. His picks for finance, defense and foreign minister, as well as the pivotal post of chief cabinet secretary, appear to draw on seasoned veterans from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, as he prepares …
Israel says it has killed another high-ranking Hezbollah official in an airstrike
JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said Sunday that it killed another high-ranking Hezbollah official in an airstrike as the Lebanese militant group was reeling from a string of devastating blows and the killing of its overall leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The military said Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, was killed on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, and it was not …
Israel strikes ‘dozens’ of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after Nasrallah killing
beirut — Israel said on Sunday it was carrying out new air raids against “dozens” of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, after killing the Iran-backed group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader, Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli strike a day earlier on Beirut’s southern suburbs, dealing a massive blow to the group he had led for decades. His killing marks a sharp …
12 dead in strikes targeting pro-Iranian fighters in Syria, monitor says
beirut — Twelve pro-Iranian fighters have been killed in airstrikes in eastern Syria, a war monitor said Sunday, adding that a large number of people were wounded. Twelve pro-Iranian fighters were killed in airstrikes of unknown origin targeting their positions in the city of Deir El Zour and to the east of the city, as well as the Boukamal region, near the border with Iraq, the …
Europeans, Arab and Muslim nations launch initiative for Palestinian state
UNITED NATIONS — European, Arab and Islamic nations have launched an initiative to strengthen support for a Palestinian state and prepare for a future after the war in Gaza and escalating conflict in Lebanon, Norway’s foreign minister said Friday. Espen Barth Eide told The Associated Press that “there is a growing consensus in the international community from Western countries, from Arab countries, from the Global South, …
Hezbollah deputy Qassim tapped to replace slain Nasrallah
CAIRO — Lebanese media is reporting that Hezbollah has named its deputy leader, Naim Qassim, to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed after Israeli planes bombed the organization’s headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs Friday. It wan’t clear if the interim appointment would be revised, amid reports that another Hezbollah leader, Hashim Safieddine, is seeking the position. Hezbollah officially announced the death of its veteran leader Hassan …
Thai MP Rome urges reform to fix Myanmar migration crisis, corruption
Bangkok — As Thailand faces a growing influx of refugees from Myanmar following the military coup, MP Rangsiman Rome, chair of the Thai House Committee on National Security and deputy leader of the People’s Party, emphasizes the need for urgent reform. “The immediate step is to register the people,” Rome tells VOA, citing corruption and the lack of legal recognition that leave many refugees vulnerable. “By …
China warns against ‘expansion’ of Ukraine war
United Nations — China ‘s Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Saturday against the expansion of the war in Ukraine, which has accused Beijing of assisting Russia in its war. Kyiv has been particularly scornful of Beijing’s calls for talks to resolve the conflict, but Wang reiterated China ‘s offer to help broker an end to fighting. “The top priority is to commit to no expansion of …
Nasrallah, who Israel says it has killed, led Hezbollah to become regional force
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who Israel said on Saturday it has killed, has led Hezbollah through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a military force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations — with Iranian backing. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, who has led the …
China calls for stable Japan relations after Ishiba election victory
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — China has urged Japan to maintain a “healthy and stable” relationship with Beijing after former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race Friday. Ishiba is set to become Japan’s next prime minister when Japanese lawmakers convene on October 1. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters Friday that the “sustained, sound and steady” development of China-Japan …
Landslide leaves 12 dead, 2 missing at illegal gold mine in Indonesia
SUNGAI ABU, Indonesia — Mud, rugged terrain and lack of telecommunications hampered rescue efforts Saturday after a landslide set off by torrential rains smashed down into an unauthorized gold mining operation on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, killing at least 12 people. Villagers had been digging for grains of gold in the remote village in the Solok district of West Sumatra province when mud plunged down the surrounding …
Cambodia’s new canal could boost trade but risks harming key river
PREK TAKEO, Cambodia — The Mekong River is a lifeline for millions in the six countries it traverses on its way from its headwaters to the sea, sustaining the world’s largest inland fishery and abundant rice paddies on Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Cambodia’s plan to build a massive canal linking the Mekong to a port on on its own coast on the Gulf of Thailand is raising …