washington — This week, as Taiwan was preparing for the start of its Han Kuang military exercises, its air defense system detected a Chinese drone circling the island. This was the sixth time that China had sent a drone to operate around Taiwan since 2023. Drones like the one that flew around Taiwan, which are tasked with dual-pronged missions of reconnaissance and intimidation, are just a …
North Korean charged in ransomware attacks on US hospitals
Kansas City, Kansas — A man who officials say worked for one of North Korea’s military intelligence agencies has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to hack American health care providers, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. A grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, indicted Rim Jong Hyok, who is accused of laundering ransom money and using the money to fund additional cyberattacks on defense, …
China seeks to boost influence by playing peacemaker
Taipei, Taiwan — China hosted a series of high-profile diplomatic meetings this week aimed at projecting an image as a global peacemaker in two major global crises, the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the southern city of Guangzhou, his first trip to China since Russia invaded Ukraine in February …
Mourners gather in Vietnam for leader’s funeral
Hanoi, Vietnam — Thousands of black-clad mourners including top Vietnamese officials gathered Thursday in Hanoi for the funeral of Communist party leader Nguyen Phu Trong as two days of national mourning began. The 80-year-old, who died at a military hospital in the capital Hanoi last week “due to old age and serious illness,” was the most powerful leader the country had seen in decades. Trong, who …
Some US states purge Chinese companies from investments amid tensions with China
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — As state treasurer, Vivek Malek pushed Missouri’s main retirement system to pull its investments from Chinese companies, making Missouri among the first nationally to do so. Now Malek is touting the Chinese divestment as he seeks reelection in an August 6 Republican primary against challengers who also are denouncing financial connections to China. The Missouri treasurer’s race highlights a new facet of …
North Korea seen unlikely to engage US after fall election, regardless of winner
washington — North Korea’s broadening ties with Russia make a possible re-engagement with the U.S. less appealing for Pyongyang despite an apparent overture from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, analysts said. A delegation from the Russian prosecutor’s office wrapped up a three-day visit to Pyongyang and headed home Wednesday, North Korea’s state-run KCNA said. Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov, the head of the delegation, and Kim Chol …
Blinken heads to Asia after Thursday’s meeting between Biden, Netanyahu
State Department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will depart for Asia on Thursday to reaffirm ties with strategic allies, following his attendance at a highly anticipated White House meeting between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The secretary will now depart tomorrow for Asia, instead of tonight, as we had originally planned, so he can attend the meeting between the president …
Taiwan hosts largest military and air raid drills amid threat from China
As Taiwan hosts annual military exercises this week, it is also holding air raid drills to raise public awareness about how to respond to an attack from China and where to seek shelter. Officials want this year’s exercises to be as realistic as possible. VOA’s William Yang has more from Taipei. (Camera: William Yang) …
Russia bans entry of top Japanese executives
TOKYO — Russia has banned the head of Toyota and 12 other senior Japanese business figures from entering the country, prompting a protest by Tokyo on Wednesday. The list published by Russia’s foreign ministry on Tuesday includes Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, Rakuten chief Hiroshi Mikitani and Akihiko Tanaka, president of the government-backed Japan International Cooperation Agency. The decision was a “response to Japan’s ongoing sanctions against …
New Zealand finds state, religious institutions failed to stop decades of abuse
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s wide-ranging independent inquiry into the abuse of children and vulnerable adults in care over the span of five decades released a blistering final report Wednesday that the country’s state agencies and churches failed to prevent, stop or admit the abuse of those they were supposed to look after — even when they knew about it. The scale of the abuse …
Demonstrators protest Netanyahu’s US visit, military aid to Israel
washington — Protesters against the Gaza war staged a sit-in at a U.S. congressional office building on Tuesday, ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. Capitol Police made multiple arrests. Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Monday for a visit that includes meetings with President Joe Biden and a Wednesday speech before a joint session of Congress. Dozens of protesters rallied outside his hotel …
Polio at high risk of spreading within Gaza Strip
Geneva — A senior World Health Organization official expressed alarm Tuesday at the high risk of polio spreading within the Gaza Strip because of dire sanitary conditions in the war-wracked enclave, and that the paralytic disease it causes could spill across borders without prompt action to stem the outbreak. “I am, like, super worried,” Dr. Avadil Saparbekov, team lead for health emergencies at the WHO in …
Iran condemns Israel participation in Paris Olympics
tehran, iran — Iran condemned on Tuesday the “reception and protection” of Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris, demanding their exclusion over Israel’s handling of the Gaza war. Israel’s delegation, which headed to France on Monday ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony, is being tightly protected in the French capital amid growing international outrage over the high civilian casualties and unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza. …
A look at Harris’ views on US policy toward China
WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has not yet won the Democratic Party’s support for her presidential candidacy, but she has the endorsement of U.S. President Joe Biden, along with several senior Democrats, after his withdrawal from the race on Sunday. If chosen by the party, and elected president, analysts agree Harris would likely continue the Biden administration’s foreign policy, including the management of one …