Allegations that China is overseeing the forced labor of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang are credible and persuasive, a UN expert on slavery has found. In a report to the UN General Assembly, Tomoya Obokata, the special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, said it was “reasonable to conclude” that forced labor was … Read more
UN rights chief says return of Rohingya refugees is not possible currently due to concerns about their safety in Myanmar. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has told the UN rights chief that hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh must return home to Myanmar, from where they had fled waves … Read more
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA August 17, 2022 GMT https://apnews.com/article/sacred-rivers-religion-nepal-kathmandu-trending-news-eb979fe5f88881b5273ad8bcd63dd3f2 KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — High on a mountain in the Himalayas, pristine drops fall from the mouth of a tiger statue installed at a stream thought to form the headwaters of the Bagmati River, long revered as having the power to purify souls. From there it wends … Read more
South Korea says it is investigating launches after it detected two missiles fired from the North’s west coast into the sea. North Korea has fired two cruise missiles into the sea, according to South Korean officials, in Pyongyang’s first weapons test since early last month. “Early this morning, we detected that North Korea fired two … Read more
WASHINGTON (AP) — Taiwan is high on the summer travel list for US members of Congress on their August recess this year, as US lawmakers make a point of asserting American support for the self-governed island despite objections from China. The payoff photos from this week’s five-member congressional visitlike that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi … Read more
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban on Monday marked a year since they seized the Afghan capital of Kabul, a rapid takeover that triggered a hasty escape of the nation’s Western-backed leaders, sent the economy into a tailspin and fundamentally transformed the country . Bearded Taliban fighters, some hoisting rifles or the white banners of … Read more
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China announced more military drills around Taiwan as the self-governing island’s president met with members of a new US congressional delegation on Monday, threatening to renew tensions between Beijing and Washington just days after a similar visit by the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered China. Pelosi was the highest-level member … Read more
LONDON (AP) — It’s not just the economy. While inflation and recession fears weigh heavily on the minds of voters, another issue is popping up in political campaigns from the UK and Australia to the US and beyond: the “China threat.” The two finalists vying to become Britain’s next prime minister, Liz Truss and Rishi … Read more
By RAHIM FAIEZ and SIDDIQULLAH ALIZAI August 12, 2022 GMT https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-one-year-later-girls-education-50fabcb133db9f5f7c2b0559534d1eb7 KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — For most teenage girls in Afghanistan, it’s been a year since they set foot in a classroom. With no sign the ruling Taliban will allow them back to school, some are trying to find ways to keep education from stalling … Read more
BEIJING (AP) — Latvia and Estonia say they have left a Chinese-backed forum aimed at boosting relations with Eastern European countries, in what appears to be a new setback for China’s increasingly assertive diplomacy. The move follows China’s boosting of its relations with Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine is seen as a possible first step … Read more