China

Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday rejected the notion that the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad represented a defeat for Russia. Putin said during his annual news conference that Russia had “achieved our goals” in Syria, where it rushed to provide direct military support for Assad’s government more than nine years ago to help push back rebel fighters. Russian forces operated out of a network …

Hanoi — Police in Vietnam have arrested a man suspected of starting a blaze that killed 11 following an argument with staff in a Hanoi cafe, authorities said on Thursday, while two of seven pulled from the flames were admitted to hospital.  In a statement, police said the man had confessed to using gasoline to set Wednesday’s fire on the ground floor of the three-story cafe, …

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Malaysia’s High Court on Thursday acquitted Rosmah Mansor, the wife of jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak, of money laundering and tax evasion, citing insufficient grounds to charge her. Najib and Rosmah have been the subject of multiple graft investigations since Najib’s surprise election defeat in 2018, when voters’ fury over his alleged role in a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia …

Israel’s military said Thursday it carried out airstrikes against Houthi militant targets in Yemen. A military spokesperson said the strikes targeted energy and port infrastructure used by the Houthis as part of their “military action.” Houthi-run media reported attacks in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, and that the strikes hit a power station and an oil facility. A …

UNITED NATIONS — An independent weapons expert told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that North Korea is procuring parts for missiles from third countries and producing and transferring them to Russia faster than previously thought, for use in its war against Ukraine. Jonah Leff, who heads Conflict Armament Research (CAR), an independent organization that tracks weapons used in conflicts, said his researchers documented remnants of …

Bangkok — For many countries in Southeast Asia, Chinese investment and tourism are key to their economies. However, cheap low-quality Chinese products that are flooding markets across the region are also raising concerns about how they are undercutting local businesses, experts say. That is forcing countries like Thailand to find ways to combat onslaught of low-priced goods. Last year, bilateral trade between Thailand and China was …

NEW YORK — A Manhattan resident has pleaded guilty to helping establish a secret police station in New York City on behalf of the Chinese government. Chen Jinping, 60, entered the guilty plea on a single count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday. Matthew Olsen, an assistant attorney general in the U.S. Justice Department, said …

Turkey is chief among local, regional and global powers seeking to fill the power vacuum following the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8. Ankara is poised to be one of the biggest winners in post-Assad Syria. Despite being in a military alliance with the United States via the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Turkey’s main target in Syria is also the United States’ …

WASHINGTON — The United States has transferred two Malaysian detainees at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. military prison to their home country after they pleaded guilty to charges related to deadly 2002 bombings in Bali and agreed to testify against the alleged ringleader of that and other attacks, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Prosecutors say Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep worked for years with …

Washington — While the international community is setting conditions for the new rulers in Syria, the leading rebel group has taken a conciliatory approach, similar to one the Taliban adopted in Afghanistan, to seek international recognition, say analysts. Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, met with the U.N. special envoy for Syria on Sunday and emphasized “rapid …

The American Corner, sponsored by the U.S. Consulate General, opened an exhibition at Sulaimani University, showcasing the works of young entrepreneurs. The event featured products created by young business owners, with many items sold and new business opportunities generated for aspiring entrepreneurs.    Click here to see the full story in Kurdish.  …

Maher al-Assad, the brother of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and commander of the Syrian army’s fourth armored division, has not fled to Sulaymaniyah, according to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).   Saadi Ahmed Pira, PUK spokesman, dismissed the reports as politically motivated, emphasizing that Sulaymaniyah is not geographically accessible from Syria.  “Sulaymaniyah airport has no direct flights to Damascus, and the city is not …

After the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the value of the Syrian currency increased against the U.S. dollar, but the price of goods remains high. Residents say that traders are exploiting this situation and that official monitoring institutions are not properly preventing this. Click here to see the full story in Kurdish. …

MACAU — China’s President Xi Jinping arrived in Macau on Wednesday to mark a quarter century of Beijing’s rule over the former Portuguese enclave, and is likely during his three-day visit to urge further diversification from its casino industry.  Xi’s trip to the world’s biggest gambling hub is his third as president, during which he will attend the inauguration of the territory’s new chief executive, elected …

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Vanuatu’s capital was without water on Wednesday, a day after reservoirs were destroyed by a violent magnitude 7.3 earthquake that wrought havoc on the South Pacific island nation, with the number of people killed and injured expected to rise.  The government’s disaster management office said early Wednesday that 14 deaths were confirmed, but hours later said nine had been verified by the …

Rescuers in Vanuatu on Wednesday searched for people still trapped after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific nation’s capital, Port Vila, on Tuesday, killing 14 people and damaging reservoirs, commercial buildings, embassies and a hospital.  At least 200 people were being treated for injuries at the capital’s main hospital and other medical centers, a Red Cross official said on X, citing the Vanuatu government.  …

Following the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, military rebels and the Israeli military have targeted strongholds throughout the country. VOA’s Joan Cabases Vega visited Qatana, Syria, a military base just outside the capital, for this story, narrated by Veronica Villafane. …

WASHINGTON — The 2025 defense spending authorization bill is coming up to a final vote in the U.S. Senate. As the American Northeast buzzes with drone sightings and fears of foreign surveillance, the bill moves to ban products from the world’s largest drone-maker: China. In a procedural vote on Monday, senators voted 83-12 in favor of moving to a full vote on the National Defense Authorization …

The Pacific Islands increased their engagement and advocacy on the global stage in 2024 — whether through climate action or by taking advantage of U.S.-China geopolitical competition. The two countries have been vying for influence in the region. VOA’s Jessica Stone reports. Videographer: Jessica Stone, Charley Piringi …

China has fully rolled out its “private pension” system this week. According to the plan, each person can deposit no more than $1,600 every year to invest in financial products as a supplementary source of basic pension. However, Chinese people interviewed by VOA bluntly said that this is a “Ponzi scheme” because China’s economy is in a slump, and that the medical insurance and social …

Sednaya prison, notorious for its history of torture and mass executions under the Assad regime, has become one of the last stops for families searching for traces of their missing loved ones. After Bashar al-Assad fled the country, rebels freed thousands of inmates and uncovered a grim reality — corpses buried within its walls — leaving families with hope but more often heartbreak. Marcus Harton …

The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign reported that at least 40 people were executed in Iran in recent days. The group released a statement, obtained by VOA, that comes amid the 47th consecutive week of a hunger strike involving prisoners across 27 prisons nationwide. The imprisoned members of the campaign have also expressed concern about the possibility of the confirmation of death sentences of two …

Washington — The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on two people and one entity based in the United Arab Emirates, accusing them of being involved in a network that launders millions of dollars generated by IT workers and cybercrimes to support the North Korean government.  The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement that the two people hit with sanctions worked through a UAE-based front …

Taipei, Taiwan — Australia signed two multi-million dollar deals with Nauru and Papua New Guinea last week that analysts say will help Canberra counter China’s growing influence in the Pacific. The deals, which support development in Nauru and pledge to pour hundreds of millions over the next 10 years into the establishment of a rugby team in Papua New Guinea, also give Australia some power to …