China’s response to Russia’s growing influence over North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un, likely combines “exasperation” and “panic” as Beijing appears to be losing control over its client state, according to former U.S. policy and intelligence officials. They noted that the explicit security partnership between China’s two neighbors —Russia and North Korea — could undermine China’s strategic position in East Asia and has …
France allows six Russian army deserters, and partners, to enter country, apply for asylum
London — Thousands of Russians, including soldiers, have fled their country to seek asylum in the West since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, although only a fraction of asylum applications has been approved. However, in a landmark case, France has allowed several Russian army deserters to enter the country to seek refugee status. Anti-war activists hope it will prompt more Russian soldiers to flee. Alexander, who …
Beijing files WTO complaint over EU’s new taxes on Chinese EVs
Beijing — Beijing said Wednesday it had lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization over the European Union’s decision to impose hefty tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars. The extra taxes of up to 35% were announced Tuesday after an EU probe found Chinese state subsidies were undercutting European automakers, but the move has faced opposition from Germany and Hungary, which fear provoking Beijing’s ire and …
China stimulus should go hand in hand with reforms, ex central bank adviser says
BEIJING — China’s stimulus efforts could come with a cost and they must be carried out alongside reforms to ensure sustainable economic growth, Liu Shijin, a former central bank adviser, said in remarks published Wednesday. “Stimulus could come with a cost and we should combine stimulus with reforms,” Chinese media outlet Yicai quoted Liu as saying at a forum on Tuesday. Liu said funds should be …
Israel orders evacuations in eastern Lebanon
Israel’s military issued new evacuation warnings Wednesday for people in parts of eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, warning of military actions against Hezbollah targets in the area. An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said people in Baalbek, Ain Bourday and Douris should leave their homes. Israeli forces have frequently followed such warnings with airstrikes as they carry out a campaign Israeli officials say is meant to push …
KDP wins Iraqi Kurdish parliamentary election
BAGHDAD — The ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) came first in a parliamentary election in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, winning 39 seats, the election commission said on Wednesday, positioning it to lead the next regional government. The KDP’s historic rival and junior coalition partner in government, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was second with 23 seats, the commission told a news conference. It …
Bodies found as torrential rains slam Spain
MADRID — Several bodies have been recovered by emergency service workers in Spain’s eastern region of Valencia after torrential rains triggered flash floods, the head of the regional government said Wednesday. “We can confirm that some bodies have already been found,” Carlos Mazon told reporters, without saying how many. Authorities could not give further details until relatives had been informed, he added. Heavy rain lashed much …
In Georgia, some voters balanced EU hopes with the fear of war with Russia
TBILISI, Georgia — For some Georgians who supported the ruling Georgian Dream party in Saturday’s disputed parliamentary election, the aspiration to go West toward the European Union had to be balanced by the brutal reality of the need to keep the peace with Russia. The opposition and foreign observers had cast the election as a watershed moment that would decide if Georgia moves closer to Europe …
China launches new crew to its space station as it seeks to expand exploration
JIUQUAN, China — China declared a “complete success” after it launched a new three-person crew to its orbiting space station early Wednesday as the country seeks to expand its exploration of outer space with missions to the moon and beyond. The Shenzhou-19 spaceship carrying the trio blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 4:27 a.m. local time atop a Long March-2F …
Indonesia arrests former trade minister in sugar import graft case
JAKARTA, INDONESIA — Indonesian authorities investigating graft have arrested a former trade minister turned government critic on suspicion of improperly granting a sugar import permit in 2015 that led to losses of $25 million. Thomas Trikasih Lembong was named a suspect and arrested late on Tuesday by prosecutors from the attorney general’s office, accused of giving the permit to a private company at a time when …
North Korea’s troop deployment to Ukraine could test Beijing-Pyongyang ties
WASHINGTON — As Ukraine braces to face North Korean troops who are believed to be in the Russian border region of Kursk, analysts say China should be concerned about stronger pressure and responses from NATO, which sees Beijing as an enabler of Pyongyang and a supporter of Russia’s war against Ukraine. South Korea’s National Intelligence Agency said on Tuesday it has obtained information that North Korean …
Prosecutor tells jury of 9/11-style plot thwarted in the Philippines
NEW YORK — A Kenyan man who plotted a 9/11-style attack on a U.S. building was training as a commercial pilot in the Philippines when his plans were interrupted, a federal prosecutor told a New York jury Tuesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Bodansky told a federal jury in Manhattan that Cholo Abdi Abdullah plotted an attack for four years that he hoped to carry out on …
For expats in Ukraine, election back in US hits home
The outcome of the U.S. election and the possible changes in Washington’s foreign policy are of special significance to the 3 million American expatriates eligible to vote in next week’s U.S. presidential elections. In few places is that outcome more tangible than in Ukraine, where a few thousand Americans have, for various reasons, chosen to live after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. Lesia Bakalets speaks to …
Russian army deserters hope French asylum decision will encourage others to flee
Thousands of Russians, including soldiers, have sought asylum in the West since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — though only a fraction of their applications have been approved. This month, however, France allowed several Russian army deserters to enter the country to seek refugee status. Henry Ridgwell reports. …
Russia’s refusal to return body of Ukrainian journalist slows death investigation
washington — Investigations into the death in Russian custody of Viktoria Roshchyna are being hampered by Moscow’s refusal to return the body of the 27-year-old Ukrainian journalist. Ukraine earlier this month announced that Roshchyna had died in Russian custody on September 19. She had been due to be returned as part of a prisoner release. Petro Yatsenko, from the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of …
Thailand gambling on casinos to boost economy, but risks remain
Bangkok — Thailand is hoping that a new draft bill that aims to introduce entertainment complexes and casinos throughout the country will give its economy and tourism a much-needed boost. Experts say the prospect of building casinos brings both benefits and risks to the Southeast Asian country. Thai officials announced last week that they expect a draft of the Entertainment Complex Act will be submitted to …
EU slaps tariffs on Chinese EVs, risking Beijing backlash
brussels — The European Union has decided to increase tariffs on Chinese-built electric vehicles to as much as 45.3% at the end of its highest profile investigation that has divided Europe and prompted retaliation from Beijing. Just over a year after launching its anti-subsidy probe, the European Commission will set out extra tariffs ranging from 7.8% for Tesla to 35.3% for China’s SAIC, on top of …
Georgian opposition takes to streets to challenge election results
TBILISI, GEORGIA — Georgians flooded the streets of the capital, Tbilisi, late Monday, protesting what they see as a fraudulent election that secured another term for the ruling Georgian Dream party. Tens of thousands gathered outside the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, with Georgian, U.S. and European flags waving and voices calling for new elections. The rally, which opposition leaders called a show of defiance, came …
Authorities in Shanghai crack down on Halloween celebrations
In Shanghai, police, not trick-or-treaters and partygoers, are taking to the streets this week as the city approaches Halloween. The strengthened police force accompanies official notices prohibiting citizens from “role-playing” on Halloween, signaling the government’s paranoia over the social instability the holiday’s festivities could bring. Videos online show police cars lining the streets of Shanghai, with some officers approaching crowds and instructing them to disperse …
UK, EU, Canada unveil new sanctions on Myanmar military
London — The European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada on Tuesday announced fresh sanctions targeting the Myanmar junta’s access to “military materiel, equipment and funds.” The new curbs, against entities supplying aviation fuel and equipment to Myanmar’s military, were aimed at constraining its “ability to conduct airstrikes on civilians,” according to Britain. It said the month of August saw the highest number of airstrikes on record …
Saudi energy minister commits to crude capacity levels and climate targets
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia is “committed” to maintaining crude capacity at 12.3 million barrels per day, Energy Minister Prince Abulaziz bin Salman said on Tuesday. Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh, he said the world’s largest oil exporter would maintain its crude targets while also pursuing its climate aims. “We will monetize every molecule of energy this land has, period,” Prince Abdulaziz …
Germany recalls ambassador to Iran over execution of German-Iranian national
Berlin — Germany has recalled its ambassador to Iran over the reported execution of German-Iranian national Jamshid Sharmahd and summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires to voice Berlin’s protest against the killing, the German foreign office said on Tuesday. “We have sent our strongest protest against the actions of the Iranian regime & reserve the right to take further action,” the foreign ministry said in a post …
Malaysian landslide victims sue, accusing officials of negligence
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Survivors and family members of campers killed in a 2022 landslide at an agritourism farm in Malaysia have filed a lawsuit contending the disaster was caused by negligence – not only excessive rainfall as an earlier government report concluded. “We want this lawsuit to bring to the public’s attention the real reasons why this tragedy happened,” said Tan Ei Ein, whose 7-year-old …
Germany needs reform and investment to overcome recession, says IMF Europe head
Berlin — Germany needs both structural reforms and more investment in public infrastructure to overcome recession, the European head of the International Monetary Fund said in an interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung. “Without a functioning infrastructure, there can be no productive economy,” Alred Kammer told the paper in an interview published on Tuesday. In order to mobilize more money, it would also make sense to revise the …