HONG KONG China must reprioritize economic growth and reforms and boost investor confidence by leveling the playing field for all companies in the country, a European business group said Wednesday.With "business confidence now at an all-time low" over lagging domestic demand and overcapacity in certain industries, the annual European Business in China Position Paper called on China to open its economy and allow a more free market to determine resource allocation. It also recommended introducing policies to boost domestic demand.Profit margins in China are at or below the global average for two-thirds of the companies surveyed earlier in the year, according to the paper published Wednesday by the European Chamber of Commerce in China.In August, China filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization over European Union tariffs on electric vehicles made in China. It also launched anti-dumping and subsidies investigations of European dairy products, brandy and pork exports. The tit-for-

LONDON/DAKAR Among the dozens of Wagner mercenaries presumed dead after a lethal battle with Tuareg rebels during a desert sandstorm in Mali in July were Russian war veterans who survived tours in Ukraine, Libya and Syria, according to interviews with relatives and a review of social media data.The loss of such experienced fighters exposes dangers faced by Russian mercenary forces working for military juntas, which are struggling to contain separatists and powerful offshoots of Islamic State and Al Qaeda across the arid Sahel region in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.The Mali defeat raises doubts over whether Moscow, which has admitted funding Wagner and has absorbed many of its fighters into a defense ministry force, will do better than Western and U.N. troops recently expelled by the juntas, six officials and experts who work in the region said.By cross-referencing public information with online posts from relatives and fighters, speaking to seven relatives and using facial recognition

Taipei, Taiwan As China is set to host bilateral talks with the Philippines this month, their South China Sea dispute is expanding from sea to air, increasing the risk of military confrontation, analysts warn.The Chinese Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper on Monday published an article warning that "China-Philippines relations stand at a crossroads" over the South China Sea dispute.The warning came after Filipino Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo told reporters at a diplomatic reception on September 4 that Beijing will host the next round of the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism meetings designed to manage differences between the two countries.Manalo did not say on which date the talks would start this month but expressed hope the two countries would discuss an incident in late August when coast guard ships from both sides collided at a disputed shoal. Both countries blame the other for the collision, though video released by the Philippine coast guard appears to show the

KARAWANG, Indonesia Rahmat Hidayat lost his job when the shoe factory he worked for closed down last year in the industrial town of Karawang in Indonesia's West Java. The 44-year-old now earns less than half of what he used to make by selling grilled meatballs. Unable to afford his wife's diabetes medication, Rahmat picks herbs to make a tonic instead.Like Rahmat, millions of working to middle class Indonesians have become poorer, largely due to an increase in layoffs and a drop in the number of job opportunities since the pandemic.This trend bodes ill for the outlook for Southeast Asia's biggest economy household consumption accounts for over half of gross domestic productas well as the widely held investment thesis that an expanding middle class will drive Indonesia's ambition to become a high-income nation by 2045.It also poses a challenge for the incoming administration of President Prabowo Subianto, who won a February election by a landslide on promises to boost economic growth an

BATON ROUGE, La. Hurricane Francine barreled early Wednesday toward Louisiana and is expected to make landfall in coming hours as forecasters raised threats of potentially deadly storm surge, widespread flooding and destructive winds on the northern U.S. Gulf coast.Francine drew fuel from exceedingly warm Gulf of Mexico waters to jump from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday night. The National Hurricane Center said Francine might even reach Category 2 strength with winds of 155 to 175 kph before crashing into a fragile coastal region that still hasn't fully recovered from a series of devastating hurricanes since 2020.Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry warned at midday Tuesday when Francine was still a tropical storm that residents around south Louisiana and in the heavily populated state capital of Baton Rouge and nearby New Orleans should "batten down all the hatches" and finish last preparations before a 24-hour window to do so closed.Once Francine makes landfall, Land

In the U.S. presidential election, the Republican Party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump, clashed with his Democratic Party rival, Kamala Harris, Tuesday evening over issues such as abortion, immigration and foreign policy. VOA's chief national correspondent Steve Herman has details from the candidates' first debate in Philadelphia.

JERUSALEM Israel's military conducted a missile strike early Tuesday that targeted a humanitarian area in the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians there, authorities said.Details about the strike in the Mawasi coastal community just west of Khan Younis that the Israeli military has designated as a humanitarian zone remained unclear. The area is home to many Palestinians displaced by the Israel-Hamas war in which the Israeli military has devastated the wider Gaza Strip after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.Footage circulating on social media showed deep craters at the site of the attack, the strewn ruins around it covered in shredded tents, a bicycle and other debris. Rescue workers used shovels to shift through the sand. Bystanders used their hands to dig, illuminated by mobile phone light. At least one crater at the site looked to be as deep as 10 meters (32 feet).The Israeli military described the strike as hitting "significant Hamas terrorists who were operating wi

SEOUL, South Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to redouble efforts to make his nuclear force fully ready for combat with the United States and its allies, state media reported Tuesday, after the country disclosed a new platform likely designed to fire more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles targeting the mainland U.S.Kim has repeatedly made similar pledges, but his latest threat comes as outside experts believe Kim will perform provocative weapons tests ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. In recent days, North Korea has also resumed launches of trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea.In a speech marking the 76th founding anniversary for his government on Monday, Kim said North Korea faces "a grave threat" because of what he called "the reckless expansion" of a U.S.-led regional military bloc that is now developing into a nuclear-based one. Kim said such a development is pushing North Korea to boost its military capability, according to the offic

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona There has been another fatality at Grand Canyon National Park, authorities announced Monday.Park officials said Patrick Horton, 59, of Salida, Colorado, was on the 10th day of a noncommercial river trip along the Colorado River and was discovered dead by members of his party Saturday morning.Officials said the National Park Service was investigating Horton's death in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office.Horton was believed to have been the seventh person to die at the canyon since July 31 and the 15th this year.Park officials reported 11 fatalities in 2023 and say there are usually about 10 to 15 deaths per year.

NOWY DWOR MAZOWIECKI, Poland The new privates received their ranks amid military pomp in a town near Warsaw where a Napoleonic fortress attests to a long military history. The group was made up of a German shepherd, a Dutch shepherd and two Belgian Malinois.The dogs Einar, Eliot, Enzo and Emi were bestowed with their ranks Friday as part of a new Polish program aimed at honoring the service of dogs used to detect explosives, a job valued for its role in protecting human life.General Wiesaw Kukua, chief of the general staff of the Polish army, decided last year that dogs serving in the army would qualify for six military ranks ranging from private through corporal to sergeant.The change has been welcomed by their loyal human handlers."The rank is meant to honor the hard work of the dog in service," said Lance Corporal Daniel Ksicki, who recently completed a five-month training course with Eliot, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois. "To me it's a symbolic recognition that the dog is serving

washington The U.S. Justice Department announced September 4 that two Russian nationals, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, had been charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering in the Southern District of New York."The Justice Department has charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. "The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to exploit our country's free exchange of ideas in order to covertly further its own propaganda efforts, and our investigation into this matter remains ongoing."That same day, the Justice Department announced the seizure of 32 internet domains used in the Russian government-directed "Doppelganger" foreign malign influence campaign, which it said violated U.S. money-l

NEW YORK He had some help: Morgan Wallen tops the 2024 Country Music Association Awards nominations with seven.For a third year in a row, Wallen is up for both the top prize entertainer of the year and the male vocalist categories.Rounding out the entertainer of the year categories are Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson.Post Malone's massive radio hit, "I Had Some Help," which features Wallen, is the main reason why the country singer leads the pack this year. It is up for single, song, musical event and music video of the year. His last nomination is a second one in the musical event category, for his collaboration with Eric Church, "Man Made a Bar."Single of the year is awarded to the artist, producer and mix engineers; song of the year is given to the songwriters.Ahead of the nominations announcement, some fans speculated that Beyonc, whose landmark country-and-then-some reclamation Cowboy Carter was released during the eligibility window, could receive a no

washington Donald Trump has signaled support for a potentially historic federal policy shift to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, putting his position in line with that of his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.The commonality reflects a major shift toward broad public support for legalization in recent years and marks the first time that both major-party presidential candidates support broad cannabis reform, according to the U.S. Cannabis Council.The Republican presidential nominee posted on his social media platform late Sunday that he would "continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug," and also said he would be voting "yes" on a proposal to allow the sale of marijuana to adults for any reason in Florida.Coming shortly before the two will meet for a pivotal debate, Trump's post sets up the possibility that he could criticize Harris for her past cannabis prosecutions when she was district attorney in San Francisco. Because

STOCKHOLM An exiled Iranian opposition group said Monday that its offices in Stockholm were firebombed overnight, with police saying they had opened an investigation into arson.According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the political wing of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK), the building had been hit "with several Molotov cocktails" in what the group dubbed a "terrorist attack.""Several windows of the building were shattered, and the outer wall caught fire," the NCRI said in a statement.It said residents put out the fire and "no one was injured."Police said in a statement they had opened an investigation into arson, but police spokeswoman Anna Westberg told AFP she could not comment on details about how the fire was started."We are still gathering information, and a technical examination will be done during the day," Westberg said, adding that no arrests had been made.In its statement, the NCRI accused agents of Iran's intelligence service of carrying out the

beijing Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday urged visiting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to play a "constructive role" in improving strained ties between Bejing and the European Union.Sanchez for his part said he hoped the EU could avoid a trade war with China, even as Brussels weighs imposing tariffs on China-manufactured electric vehicles.In their meeting, Xi also talked up deepening commercial ties between China and Spain in sectors such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, new energy and other high-tech fields.The Chinese leader said Beijing wanted to work with Brussels to further develop a China-EU relationship where the two maintain their independence and autonomy but also succeed together and bring benefit to the world, a Chinese readout said."It is hoped Spain will continue to play a constructive role in this regard," Xi added.Sanchez responded: "Spain wants to work constructively so that relations between the two are closer, richer and more balanced."Beijing

Beijing China's Defense Ministry on Monday announced joint naval and air drills with Russia starting this month, underscoring the closeness between their militaries as Russia presses its grinding invasion of Ukraine.The ministry said the "Northern United-2024" exercises would take place in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk farther north, but gave no details.It said the naval and air drills aimed to improve strategic cooperation between the two countries and "strengthen their ability to jointly deal with security threats."The notice also said the two navies would cruise together in the Pacific, the fifth time they have done so, and together take part in Russia's "Great Ocean-24" exercise. No details were given.China has refused to criticize Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year, and blamed the U.S. and NATO for provoking President Vladimir Putin.While China has not directly provided Russia with arms, it has become a crucial economic lifeline as a top custo

Washington Leading terror groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State, once pushed to the brink after years of military pressure from the United States and its allies, have found ways to recover and once again represent a serious and lethal threat, according to a top U.S. counterterrorism official.The rare public assessment from the acting director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center comes just days before the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida terror attacks on the U.S. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, and emphasized the impact of more recent terror strikes and of technology in galvanizing the terror landscape."We are today in the midst of another transformative moment in the global terrorism threat landscape," said the NCTC's Brett Holmgren, speaking to a counterterrorism symposium in New York."Groups like ISIS just a few years ago were at their nadir," he said, using an acronym for the Islamic State terror group, also known as IS or Daesh.But now the U.S. se

Washington The transfer of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia would signify a "dramatic escalation" of Tehran's support for Moscow, and the United States is prepared to respond with "significant consequences," the State Department said Monday.U.S. media outlets reported last week that Washington believed Iran had transferred the weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, and the European Union has said allies shared "credible" intelligence that Tehran had done so."Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran's support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told journalists."We have been clear ... that we're prepared to deliver significant consequences," he said.Tehran has rejected the accusation that it transferred the missiles, but the Kremlin has not explicitly denied it.Faced with punishing Western sanctions, Moscow has turned to Iran and North Korea for weapons supplies to keep

London U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived late Monday in London at the start of a week of diplomacy with the new U.K. government expected to touch on Ukraine and the Middle East.Blinken's visit comes ahead of a trip to Washington on Friday by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, his second meeting at the White House since his Labour Party won July elections, sweeping out the Conservatives after 14 years.Blinken the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit London since Labour's triumph is expected to meet Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy during his talks Tuesday.The top U.S. diplomat will discuss Asia, the Middle East and "our collective efforts to support Ukraine," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement announcing Blinken's trip.The United States and Britain cooperate in lockstep on most global issues, and Starmer has made clear that he will maintain the U.K. role as one of the most assertive defenders of Ukraine as it pushes back against the Russian

Husband, father, journalist, advocate: Pavel Butorin spent nine long months fighting to secure the release of his wife, U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, from a Russian prison. His journey shows the challenges American families confront when a loved one is taken hostage or wrongfully detained by a foreign government.

WASHINGTON Two people who prosecutors say were motivated by white supremacist ideology have been arrested on charges that they used the social media messaging app Telegram to encourage acts of violence against minorities, government officials and critical infrastructure in the United States, the Justice Department said Monday.The defendants, identified as Dallas Erin Humber and Matthew Robert Allison, face 15 federal counts in the Eastern District of California, including charges that accuse them of soliciting hate crimes and the murder of federal officials, distributing bomb-making instructions and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.Humber, 34, of Elk Grove, California, and Allison, 37, of Boise, Idaho were arrested Friday. It was not immediately clear if either had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.The indictment accuses the two of leading a transnational group known as Terrorgram that operates on Telegram and espouses white supremacist ideology and violence

WASHINGTON Americans were duped out of more than $5.6 billion last year through fraud schemes involving cryptocurrency, the FBI said in a report released Monday that shows a 45% jump in losses from 2022.The FBI received nearly 70,000 complaints in 2023 by victims of financial fraud involving bitcoin, ether and other cryptocurrencies, according to the FBI. The most rampant scheme was investment fraud, which accounted for $3.96 billion of the losses."The decentralized nature of cryptocurrency, the speed of irreversible transactions, and the ability to transfer value around the world make cryptocurrency an attractive vehicle for criminals, while creating challenges to recover stolen funds," wrote Michael Nordwall, assistant director of the FBI's criminal investigative division.Scammers will often make contact through dating apps or social media to build trust over several weeks or months before suggesting cryptocurrency investing, the FBI said. Once the relationship is built, they convinc

More than 1.2 million Vietnamese immigrants live in the United States, many of them having settled after the Vietnam war. More recently, a new wave of Vietnamese migration has sparked debate in the community about immigration and has become one of the main talking points this election season. VOA's Elizabeth Lee has the details from Texas, the state with the second-largest Vietnamese immigrant population in the country.

Nairobi, Kenya The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote Wednesday on whether to renew existing sanctions that prevent the transfer of military equipment to Sudan's western Darfur region. The pending vote comes as Human Rights Watch calls on the council to expand an existing arms embargo, currently on the restive region, to the rest of the country.The western Darfur region has been the epicenter of Sudan's current civil war, which pits the Sudanese armed forces, or SAF, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, and other militias against each other. U.N. agencies and rights groups say the parties involved have committed war crimes and other human rights violations during the conflict, which has lasted nearly 18 months.Ahead of Wednesday's vote, Human Rights Watch is urging the council to consider imposing an arms ban on the entire country to stop the ongoing rights violations and the suffering of the people. The Sudanese government opposes expansion of the embargo.Hu

Nairobi, Kenya Kenya begins three days of national mourning Monday following the deaths of at least 21 students in a boarding school inferno in central Kenya.Distraught parents and relatives gathered to give samples for DNA testing Monday at the Naromoru hospital in Kenya, four days after the fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy, where some of the deceased were burned beyond recognition.The dormitory housed 156 students, the majority of whom escaped. However, officials say 17 children remain unaccounted for following the tragedy, which has devastated the school community.John Mwangi said he still does not know the whereabouts of his child, a student at the school."At least it'll be a reprieve to 20 parents. I might be among them, I don't know that's why we are here. We are hanging on hope," he said.Some parents and relatives have been camping at the school to demand answers.Chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor said DNA testing will help families getclosure."We'll be undergoing a

nicosia, cyprus Cyprus and the United States have signed a defense cooperation framework agreement that outlines ways the two countries can enhance their response to regional humanitarian crises and security concerns, including those arising from climate change.Cyprus Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander hailed the agreement Monday as another milestone in burgeoning Cypriot-U.S. ties in recent years that saw the lifting in 2022 of a decades-old U.S. arms embargo imposed on the east Mediterranean island nation."The Republic of Cyprus is a strong partner to the United States, in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, and plays a pivotal role at the nexus of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East," Wallander said after talks with Palmas.The U.S. official praised Cyprus for acting as a haven for American civilians evacuated from Sudan and Israel last year and for its key role in setting up a maritime

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana Tropical Storm Francine formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and was expected to drench the Texas coast with rain before coming ashore in Louisiana as a hurricane on Wednesday night."We're going to have a very dangerous situation developing by the time we get into Wednesday for portions of the north-central Gulf Coast, primarily along the coast of Louisiana, where we're going to see the potential for life-threatening storm surge inundation and hurricane force winds," said Michael Brennan, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.Heavy rain was already falling in northeastern Mexico and deep South Texas, where some places could get up to 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) into Monday night, Brennan said.Francine is taking aim at a stretch of coastline that has yet to fully recover since hurricanes Laura and Delta decimated Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 2020, followed a year later by Hurricane Ida. Over the weekend, a 22-story building in Lake Charles that

DAKAR, Senegal A boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Senegal over the weekend, leaving at least four people dead and several others missing, local authorities said Monday.The artisanal fishing boat left the town of Mbour, nearly 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the capital, Dakar, heading to Europe on Sunday afternoon before capsizing a few miles off the coast, Amadou Diop, the district's prefect, told The Associated Press.Local fishermen rescued three people who were brought back to shore by naval authorities.Senegal's navy is looking for those missing, Diop said, adding that the exact number of passengers remained unknown.In recent years, the number of migrants leaving West Africa through Senegal has surged with many fleeing conflicts, poverty and the lack of job opportunities. Most head to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of West Africa, which is used as a stepping stone to continental Europe.Since the beginning of the year, more than 22,300 peop

london Kate, the princess of Wales, has completed chemotherapy and will make a limited number of public appearances in the coming months, bolstering Britain's royal family after it was rocked by the twin cancer diagnoses of the princess and King Charles III.The 42-year-old wife of Prince William on Monday released a video in which she appeared alongside her husband and children as she described how difficult the past nine months have been for her family and expressed "relief" at completing her course of treatment."Life as you know it can change in an instant, and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown,'' she said in the video, which was shot in a woodland near the family's summer home in Norfolk. "The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on e

WARSAW, Poland Poland's security officials said Monday they have foiled cyberattacks and online blackmail attempts by groups acting for Russian and Belarusian services.Poland has registered up to 1,000 online attacks daily targeting government institutions and agencies, officials said, linking them to the country's support for neighboring Ukraine in its 2 1/2-year war against Russia's invasion.The group that was broken up was seeking access to information in state and individual companies with the goal of blackmailing them, said Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski.He said that in the first half of 2024, more than 400,000 attempted or successful cyberattacks were recorded, compared to 370,000 in all of last year.The government plans new legislation to increase Poland's cybersecurity, Gawkowski said. The government would like internet operators to store data on servers in Poland, not abroad, to ensure better internal protection and oversight by national authorities.

Washington Being able to open a door whenever she wants is one of the many freedoms Alsu Kurmasheva is enjoying after months of wrongful detention in Russia."I'm enjoying freedom. I'm loving every minute of it," the American journalist told VOA, just a few weeks after she was freed as part of a historic prisoner swap between the United States and Russia.An editor with VOA's sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague, Kurmasheva was back in Washington late last month to accept an award from the National Press Club. The visit was the start of what she described as her "thank you tour."A dual U.S.-Russian national, Kurmasheva traveled to Russia in May 2023 to visit her ailing mother in the Tatarstan city of Kazan. But authorities blocked her from leaving and later jailed her for more than nine months on bogus charges."What happened to me was so wrong, and it shouldn't happen to any innocent person. It shouldn't happen to any journalist," Kurmasheva said. "I was jailed for 288

RABAT, Morocco Torrential downpours hit North Africa's normally arid mountains and deserts over the weekend, causing flooding that killed more than a dozen people in Morocco and Algeria and destroyed homes and critical infrastructure.In Morocco, officials said the two days of storms surpassed historic averages, in some cases exceeding the annual average rainfall. The downpours affected some of the regions that experienced a deadly earthquake one year ago.Meteorologists had predicted that a rare deluge could strike North Africa's Sahara Desert, where many areas receive less than an inch of rain a year.Officials in Morocco said 11 people were killed in rural areas where infrastructure has historically been lacking, and 24 homes collapsed. Nine people were missing. Drinking water and electrical infrastructure were damaged, along with major roads.Rachid El Khalfi, Morocco's Interior Ministry spokesperson, said Sunday in a statement that the government was working to restore communication a

BERLIN Germany's interior minister on Monday ordered temporary controls at all German land borders as a response to irregular migration and to protect the country from extremist threats.Nancy Faeser said at a news conference that the government is extending temporary border controls to all German land borders."We are strengthening our internal security through concrete action and we are continuing our tough stance against irregular migration," Faeser said.The ministry said that it notified the European Union on Monday of the order to set up border controls at the land borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark for a period of six months. They will begin next week on September 16.This adds to restrictions already in place on the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.

A lack of opportunities has resulted in underrepresentation of Black designers, stylists and other creatives in the fashion industry. It's also created a new wave of Black entrepreneurs who are passing on lessons of the business. Tina Trinh reports. (Camera and Produced by: Tina Trinh)

They call themselves Bucha Witches - an all-female volunteer air defense unit near Kyiv targeting the Iranian Shahed dronesthat Russia fires at Ukraine. They operate 24/7 and are using unconventional but effective weapons to bring down the deadly aerial vehicles. Anna Kosstutschenko has their story. VOA footage and video editing by PavelSuhodolskiy.

Seoul, South Korea Less than two years after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged his country would not seek nuclear weapons, his newly appointed defense minister is openly envisioning scenarios in which South Korea might reconsider that stance.The comments by Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who took office on Friday, are the latest evidence that the once-taboo idea of nuclear armament has gone mainstream in Seoul, amid growing concerns about North Korea's rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal and the long-term reliability of U.S. protection.As an academic and retired military officer, Kim has long argued that South Korea may need nuclear weapons in some form to counter North Korea. In recently unearthed footage from a 2020 seminar, Kim warned South Korea has "no survival or future" without such a deterrent.During his confirmation process last week, Kim stood by those comments, saying "all options" should remain open if the U.S. nuclear umbrella proves insufficient.It appears to be

For the first time in over 20 years, there were two American semifinalists in both men's and women's tournaments at the U.S. Open. One of them was Frances Tiafoe, an alumnus of the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland. VOA Russian visited the center, where Tiafoe still trains between tennis tournaments. Rafael Saakyan and Karina Bafradzhian have the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Sergii Dogotar.

NABLUS, West Bank The Western-backed Palestinian Authority held a funeral procession Monday for a U.S.-Turkish dual national activist who a witness says was shot and killed by Israeli forces while demonstrating against settlements in the occupied West Bank.Dozens of mourners including several leading PA officials attended the procession. Security forces carried the body of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi which was draped in a Palestinian flag while a traditional black-and-white checkered scarf covered her face. The 26-year-old's body was then placed into the back of a Palestinian ambulance.Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli said Turkey was working on repatriating Eygi's remains for burial in the Aegean coastal town of Didim as per her family's wishes, but "because the land crossing from the Palestinian territories to Jordan was closed as of Sunday, the ministry was trying to have the body flown directly to Turkey."U.S. officials did not respond to a request for comment.Jonathan Pollak

ALEXANDRIA, Va. One month after a judge declared Google's search engine an illegal monopoly, the tech giant faces another antitrust lawsuit that threatens to break up the company, this time over its advertising technology.The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintains a monopoly over the technology that matches online publishers to advertisers. Dominance over the software on both the buy side and the sell side of the transaction enables Google to keep as much as 36 cents on the dollar when it brokers sales between publishers and advertisers, the government contends in court papers.Google says the government's case is based on an internet of yesteryear, when desktop computers ruled and internet users carefully typed precise World Wide Web addresses into URL fields. Advertisers now are more likely to turn to social media companies like TikTok or streaming TV services like Peacock to reach audiences.In recent years, Google Networks, the division o

Taipei, Taiwan Efforts to maintain exchanges between Taiwanese and Chinese citizens face new challenges after Beijing last month sentenced a Taiwanese activist to nine years in jail, a move that analysts say will create a chilling effect within Taiwan's civil society.On September 6, China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) confirmed that a court in the eastern city of Wenzhou earlier had sentenced Taiwanese political activist Yang Chih-yuan to nine years in jail under secession charges.TAO said Yang, who was arrested in 2022 while teaching and participating in competitions for the board game Go, has long been involved in secessionist activities, playing a key role in organizations that advocate Taiwan's independence. "His acts are egregious and the court reached the decision according to law," the office said in a statement.Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees cross-strait exchanges, condemned the Chinese court's ruling and asked Beijing to make public the verdict and the evide

HANOI A bridge collapsed and a bus was swept away by flooding Monday as more rain fell following a typhoon Vietnam that has caused at least 59 deaths in the Southeast Asian country and disrupted businesses and factories in the export-focused northern industrial hubs, state media reported.Nine people died when Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Vietnam on Saturday before weakening to a tropical depression, and at least 50 others have died in the consequent floods and landslides, state media VN Express reported. The water levels of several rivers in northern Vietnam were dangerously high.A passenger bus carrying 20 people was swept into a flooded stream by a landslide in mountainous Cao Bang province Monday morning. Rescuers were deployed but landslides blocked their path.In Phu Tho province, rescue operations were continuing after a steel bridge over the engorged Red River collapsed Monday morning. Reports said 10 cars and trucks along with two motorbikes fell into the river. Three people we

New York A poignant phrase echoes when 9/11 victims' relatives gather each year to remember the loved ones they lost in the terror attacks."I never got to meet you."It is the sound of generational change at ground zero, where relatives read out victims' names on every anniversary of the attacks. Nearly 3,000 people were killed when al-Qaida hijackers crashed four jetliners into the twin towers, the Pentagon and a field in southwest Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001.Some names are read out by children or young adults who were born after the strikes. Last year's observance featured 28 such young people among more than 140 readers. Young people are expected again at this year's ceremony Wednesday.Some are the children of victims whose partners were pregnant. More of the young readers are victims' nieces, nephews or grandchildren. They have inherited stories, photos, and a sense of solemn responsibility.Being a "9/11 family" reverberates through generations, and commemorating and understandin

DILI, East Timor Pope Francis arrived in East Timor on Monday to encourage its recovery from a bloody and traumatic past and celebrate its development after two decades of independence from Indonesian rule.Francis arrived in Dili from Papua New Guinea to open the third leg of his trip through Southeast Asia and Oceania. He'll meet with Timorese leaders and diplomats later Monday.The overwhelmingly Catholic East Timor, one of the world's poorest countries, eagerly awaited Francis' arrival, which came on the heels of the 25th anniversary of the U.N.-backed referendum that paved the way for independence from Indonesia."Our great hope is that he may come to consolidate the fraternity, the national unity, peace and development for this new country," said Estevo Tei Fernandes, a university professor.It was a far different atmosphere than when the last pope visited. St. John Paul II came in 1989, when Timor was still an occupied part of Indonesia and fighting for its freedom. As many as 200,

Manila, Philippines The Philippines is not currently looking to extradite a Filipino pastor wanted for child sex trafficking in the United States, President Ferdinand Marcos said Monday after the suspect's arrest.Apollo Quiboloy, a self-proclaimed "Appointed Son of God" and ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, surrendered in the southern city of Davao on Sunday amid a massive two-week police search of his sect's sprawling compound.The U.S. charged the Kingdom of Jesus Christ preacher in 2021 with sex trafficking of girls and women aged 12-25 to work as personal assistants, who were allegedly required to have sex with him."For the moment, we are not looking at extradition. We are focusing on the cases filed in the Philippines," Marcos told reporters on the sidelines of a Manila conference.It is not known if the United States has formally sought the extradition of Quiboloy, aged at least 74, according to the FBI.Quiboloy, whose sect claims millions of followers, is facing charges in

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA South Korea convened an international summit on Monday seeking to establish a blueprint for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the military, though any agreement is not expected to have binding powers to enforce it.More than 90 countries including the United States and China have sent government representatives to the two-day summit in Seoul, which is the second such gathering.At the first summit, held in Amsterdam last year, the United States, China and other nations endorsed a modest "call to action" without legal commitment."Recently, in the Russia-Ukraine war, an AI-applied Ukrainian drone functioned as David's slingshot," South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said in an opening address.He was referring to Ukraine's efforts for a technological edge against Russia by rolling out AI-enabled drones, hoping they will help overcome signal jamming as well as enable unmanned aerial vehicles to work in larger groups."As AI is applied to the military

TOKYO Japan's economy grew at an annual rate of 2.9%, slower than the earlier report for 3.1% growth, in the April-June period, boosted by better wages and spending, revised government data showed Monday.That shows clear risks remain, including U.S. economic growth, which greatly affects export-reliant Japan. Political uncertainty in Japan is another risk as the ruling party picks a new leader.About a dozen candidates are seeking to succeed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as head of the Liberal Democratic Party. The winner of its Sept. 27 vote is a near-certainty to be the next prime minister since the party controls parliament.The world's fourth-largest economy grew 0.7% in the fiscal first quarter, according to the Cabinet Office, rebounding from the contraction in the previous quarter.Seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product, or GDP, measures the value of a nation's products and services. The annual rate shows how much the economy would have grown or contracted, if the quarterly

WASHINGTON How to curb and counter China's influence and power through its biotech companies, drones and electric vehicles will dominate the U.S. House's first week back from summer break, with lawmakers taking up a series of measures targeting Beijing.Washington views Beijing as its biggest geopolitical rival, and the legislation is touted as ensuring the U.S. prevails in the competition. Many of the bills scheduled for a vote this week appear to have both Republican and Democratic support, reflecting strong consensus that congressional actions are needed to counter China.The legislation "will take meaningful steps to counter the military, economic and ideological threat of the Chinese Communist Party," said Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and a Michigan Republican. "There's a bipartisan goal to win this competition."Advocacy groups worry about the impact, warning against rhetoric that hurts Asian Americans and could create "an

President Joe Biden's poor performance during the debate against Donald Trump in June led to his withdrawal from the race and the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Here's a look at other presidential debates in history that shifted the direction of the campaign.

WASHINGTON House Republicans on Sunday issued a scathing report on their investigation into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, blaming the disastrous end of America's longest war on President Joe Biden's administration and minimizing the role of former President Donald Trump, who had signed the withdrawal deal with the Taliban.The partisan review lays out the final months of military and civilian failures, following Trump's February 2020 withdrawal deal, that allowed the Taliban to sweep through and conquer all of the country even before the last U.S. officials flew out on Aug. 30, 2021. The chaotic exit left behind many American citizens, Afghan battlefield allies, women activists and others at risk from the Taliban.But House Republicans' report breaks little new ground as the withdrawal has been exhaustively litigated through several independent reviews. Previous investigations and analyses have pointed to a systemic failure spanning the last four presidential administrations and

FRANKFURT, Germany German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agree that Russia should be included in a future peace conference aimed at ending Russia's war against Ukraine. He called for stepped up efforts to solve the conflict.A previous peace conference June 15-16 in Switzerland ended with 78 countries expressing support for Ukraine's "territorial integrity" but otherwise left the path forward unclear. Russia did not participate."I believe that now is the moment when we must discuss how we get out of this war situation faster than the current impression is," Scholz said in an interview with Germany's ZDF public television aired Sunday."There will certainly be a further peace conference, and the president and I agree that it must be one with Russia present," Scholz said.Scholz is facing more political discontent at home over his government's support including money and weapons for Ukraine after populist parties that oppose arming Ukraine

Seoul, South Korea Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the occasion of North Korea's founding anniversary, state media KCNA said on Monday."I am sure that the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and the DPRK will be strengthened in a planned way thanks to our joint efforts," Putin said, according to KCNA.DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.Xi called for deeper strategic communication and cooperation with North Korea in his message, KCNA said.Last year, Kim marked the country's founding day on Sept. 9 with a parade of paramilitary groups and diplomatic exchanges in which he vowed to deepen ties with China and Russia.

Havana, Cuba Socialist Cuba, the birthplace of salsa and other rhythms that have conquered the world, is now surrendering to the invasion of South Korean pop music.Thirteen thousand kilometers of distance separate the Asian nation and the communist-run island, as well as a different language and cultural traditions. However, all of these barriers would seem to vanish in a split second thanks to K-pop's infectious beat and elaborate choreography.Korean popular music, or K-pop, has spread far and wide from its Asian roots as boy bands like BTS and NCT and their female counterpart Blackpink rival Taylor Swift for downloads and album sales globally.But it was slow to catch on in Cuba, where salsa is king and internet speeds were glacial until recently.On Saturday, far from Seoul, dozens of teenagers clad in plaid, prep school skirts, baggy bomber pants and heavy black eyeliner busted their best moves as images of the genre's idols were projected on a large screen of a Havana dance club."K-