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07
December
December
Palestinians seek slivers of safety as Israel battles Hamas in south Gaza city
Written by nuke Published in International News
A picture taken in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on Dec 7, 2023, shows smoke billowing during Israeli bombardment on Gaza, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo: AFP/Menahem Kahana) -
Voinews, Jakarta - Israel battled Hamas militants in Gaza's biggest cities on Thursday (Dec 7) and said it had attacked dozens of targets, leaving Palestinians struggling to survive, a situation the United Nations described as "apocalyptic".
Gazans crammed into neighbouring Rafah on the border with Egypt on the basis of Israeli leaflets and messages saying that they would be safe in the city. But they remained fearful after an Israeli strike on a house there killed 15 on Wednesday, according to health officials in Rafah.
Israel said on Thursday it had killed a number of gunmen in southern Gaza's largest city, Khan Younis, including two militants who emerged firing from a tunnel, a day after Israeli troops entered the heart of the city. Hamas' armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said earlier that combat was fierce.
Palestinian health officials said an Israeli air strike had killed four people in a house in Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip overnight and another strike killed two people in Khan Younis on Thursday morning.
Residents in Gaza City in the north reported all-night bombing and fierce gunbattles in Shejaia, east of the centre and the Jabalia refugee camp further north as well as bombing in another district, Sabra.
Israel said it had raided a Hamas compound in Jabalia, killing several gunmen and locating a network of tunnels, a training area and a weapons cache.
In Khan Younis, Israeli forces had encircled the house of Hamas leader Yahya Al-Sinwar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday evening.
"His home may not be his castle, and he can escape, but it's only a matter of time before we get him," he said in a video statement.
Khan Younis residents said Israeli tanks had neared Sinwar's home but it was not known whether he was there. Israel has said it believes many Hamas leaders and fighters are holed up in underground tunnels.
Israeli warplanes also bombed targets across the densely populated coastal strip in one of the heaviest phases of the two-month-old war. WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency, said late on Wednesday at least 17 were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Maghazi in Central Gaza.
Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network said an Israeli bombardment of Jabalia Camp in northern Gaza killed 22 relatives of its Gaza correspondent Moamen Al-Sharafi.
In Geneva, the UN human rights chief said the situation in Gaza was "apocalyptic" with the risk that serious rights violations were being committed by both sides.
Hundreds of thousands of people made homeless in north Gaza during the war were desperately seeking shelter in the few places in the south designated as safe by Israel.
The UN humanitarian office said on Wednesday that most of the homeless people in Rafah, about 13km south of Khan Younis, were sleeping rough due to a lack of tents although the UN had managed to distribute a few hundred.
While some aid had entered Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah crossing, the surge in hostilities since a week-long truce collapsed on Dec 1 was hindering its distribution, the UN report said//CNA-VOI
07
November
November
Saudi Arabia Hosts International Conference on Women in Islam
Written by Nur Yasmin Published in International News
VOINews, Jakarta - King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Monday opened the International Conference on Women in Islam in the city of Jeddah.
According to a press statement posted on the Union of the OIC News Agencies website on Monday, the three-day international conference has been organized by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The conference aims to highlight the successes of Muslim women and their role and contribution to the development of OIC member states.
The conference also aims to counter the negative propaganda that portrays Islamic religion as an obstacle to women's rights and to demonstrate that Islamic teachings have always been just toward women.
The conference will seek to create a detailed plan for legal reforms and political initiatives to foster justice and empower women in Islamic societies. The participants of the conference are also expected to adopt a comprehensive document entitled The Jeddah Document for Women in Islam.
The conference comprises five working sessions during which ministers, officials, scholars, and thinkers of both genders will delve into the status of women and their rights in Islam in addition to various issues related to women in contemporary societies.
During his speech at the opening session of the 49th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on March 16–17, 2023, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, presented the Kingdom's initiative to host the International Conference on Women in Islam.
In his presentation, he underlined the Kingdom's commitment and active role in promoting the status and empowerment of women across all development sectors.
It is said that Saudi Arabia continuously supports the OIC's objectives and its efforts to preserve the rights of Muslim women and enhance their role in the development of member countries. (Antaranews)
06
November
November
China, Australia agree to turn the page as tensions ease
Written by Nur Yasmin Published in International News
VOI, Jakarta - President Xi Jinping said on Monday stable ties between China and Australia served each other's interests and both should expand their cooperation, sending a clear signal that Beijing was ready to move on from recent tensions.
China and Australia should promote the development of their strategic partnership as they build up mutual understanding and trust, Xi told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the first Australian leader to visit Beijing since 2016, at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of the Chinese capital.
A strong relationship "will be beneficial into the future," Albanese told Xi in their second face-to-face talks in a year, a meeting that lasted more than an hour.
For decades, China and Australia built a relationship on trade, with Beijing becoming Canberra's biggest commercial partner with purchases of Australian food and natural resources.
But ties soured after Australia in 2017 accused China of meddling in its politics. The following year, Australia banned equipment from Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co (HWT.UL) for its 5G network out of national security fears.
An Australian call in 2020 for an international inquiry into the origin of the COVID pandemic, which emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, infuriated Beijing, which responded with blocks on various Australian imports.
As relations deteriorated, China warned its students against studying in Australia, citing racist incidents, threatening a multi-billion-dollar education market.
Earlier on Monday, Albanese stopped by Beijing's iconic Temple of Heaven and posed for a photograph at the circular Echo Wall where Australia's then prime minister, Gough Whitlam, stood in 1973, a year after the two countries established ties. (Reuters)
06
November
November
Australia's PM Albanese says important to have communication with China
Written by Nur Yasmin Published in International News
VOI, Jakarta - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday that Australia has an interest in the continued stable growth of China's economy and its ongoing engagement with the world.
In opening remarks as the two leaders met at the Great Hall of the People, Albanese said a strong relationship between the two countries was "beneficial into the future".
"Australia, along with other countries in the region, has an interest in continued stable growth in the Chinese economy, and its ongoing engagement with the world ," he said, according to an official transcript from the Australian Prime Minister's Office.
Albanese said it was "important that we have communication" where differences arise. (Reuters)
06
November
November
New Delhi to restrict use of vehicles to curb air pollution
Written by Nur Yasmin Published in International News
VOI, Jakarta - India's Delhi city will restrict use of vehicles next week to curb rising pollution as air quality in the capital remained dangerously unsafe for a third consecutive day despite mitigation efforts.
New Delhi ranks among the world's top polluted cities every year ahead of the onset of winter, when calm winds and low temperatures trap pollutants from sources including vehicles, industries, construction dust, and crop residue burning in nearby fields.
A thick smog shrouded the federal secretariat and president's palace in the heart of the city early on Monday, and lowered visibility in other parts, as public outrage over hazardous air quality grew and the city extended closure of primary schools until Nov. 10.
The local government said that it will impose the "odd-even" vehicle rule from Nov. 13-20 to mitigate pollution levels that are expected to rise after the Hindu festival of Diwali on Nov. 12, when firecrackers are often set despite a ban.
The rule will allow vehicles with odd registration numbers on the road on odd dates and similarly vehicles with even numbers on alternate days.
Environmental experts have previously said that the rule, which has been imposed multiple times with some variations since 2016, has been more effective in de-congesting roads and less effective in bringing down pollution.
"In view of rising pollution, odd-even will be imposed in Delhi," Gopal Rai, the local environment minister, told reporters, adding that a meeting will be held with police and transport department on Tuesday to decide on the implementation.
Air quality was "severe" for a third consecutive day in the city on Monday, making it the second most polluted city in the world, behind Lahore in Pakistan, according to a real-time compilation by Swiss group IQAir.
A cricket World Cup match involving Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, however, went ahead in the city on Monday with organisers installing air purifiers in the players' dressing rooms and using water sprinklers to reduce pollutants in the air.
Curbs on vehicles are in addition to a ban on construction work for public projects in the national capital region, and restrictions on entry of trucks and heavy vehicles in Delhi, imposed by a federal pollution control watchdog on Sunday.
An analysis of 25 research studies by the Down To Earth magazine, published on Sunday, showed that poor air quality was linked to low birth weight, preterm delivery, stillbirth, developmental delay, restricted growth in children and even death. (Reuters)
06
November
November
China urges Myanmar to cooperate on maintaining stability on border
Written by Nur Yasmin Published in International News
VOI, Jakarta - Myanmar should cooperate with China to maintain stability on their common border, a Chinese official said on Monday, after a surge of fighting in Myanmar between junta forces and insurgents rocked the region.
Last week, Myanmar's ruling military said it was trying to restore order near the border after an alliance of ethnic minority armies battling for self-determination launched a series of coordinated attacks on junta targets.
"Myanmar is called on to cooperate with China to maintain stability along the China-Myanmar border, earnestly ensure the safety of the lives and property of Chinese border residents, and take effective measures to strengthen the security of Chinese personnel," said Nong Rong, assistant Chinese foreign minister.
A spokesperson for Myanmar's ruling military was not immediately available for comment.
The Asia Times news site reported that one Chinese citizen was killed and several were wounded on Saturday when a shell fired by the Myanmar military over-shot its target and struck on the Chinese side of the border.
Nong, who visited Myanmar on Nov. 3-5, said China hoped Myanmar would restore stability, and it supported all parties to properly handle differences and achieve reconciliation through dialogue as soon as possible.
Thailand is trying to bring home 162 of its nationals trapped by the fighting in Myanmar.
Myanmar has been in chaos since a military coup in February 2021 unseated a democratically elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. (Reuters)
06
November
November
US, South Korea, Japan to launch consultative group on North's cyber threats
Written by Nur Yasmin Published in International News
VOI, Jakarta - The United States, South Korea and Japan have agreed to launch a high-level consultative group on countering North Korean cyber activities that they say finance its unlawful weapons programs, South Korea's presidential office said on Monday.
Anne Neuberger, U.S. deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, held talks with her South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Washington last week. They agreed to hold quarterly meetings under the new framework, the presidential office said.
"It is aimed at strengthening the three countries' effective response capabilities against global cyber threats, including jointly countering North Korea's cyber activities that are abused as a key source funding its nuclear and WMD programs," the office said in a statement.
The announcement comes after the leaders of the three countries agreed at a summit in August at Camp David that they would establish a new trilateral working group for the North's cyber threats.
Sanctions monitors have accused North Korea of using cyberattacks to gather funds for its nuclear and missile programs, and a United Nations report said the North stepped up its cryptocurrency theft last year, using sophisticated techniques to steal more in 2022 than any other year.
North Korea has denied allegations of hacking or other cyberattacks. (Reuters)
06
November
November
Thai Inflation Falls for First Time in 25 Months
Written by Nur Yasmin Published in International News
VOINews, Jakarta - Thailand's inflation rate fell for the first time in 25 months, thanks to falling energy prices due to government support measures and lower food prices, the commerce ministry said on Monday.
Thailand's consumer price index (CPI) (THCPI=ECI) fell 0.31% in October from a year earlier, versus a 0.3% year-on-year rise in the previous month, according to data.
The figure compared with a forecast for 0.0% for October in a Reuters poll. The core CPI (THCPIX=ECI) was up 0.66% year-on-year in October.
Headline inflation has been below the central bank's target of 1% to 3% for the sixth consecutive month.
In the January-October period, the headline CPI rose an average 1.60% from the same period a year earlier, with the core CPI up 1.41%.
The ministry still sees headline inflation at 1.0% to 1.7% this year.
In September, the Bank of Thailand's monetary policy committee unexpectedly raised the key interest rate (THCBIR=ECI) by a quarter point to 2.50%, the highest in a decade, saying growth and inflation should pick up next year. It will next review policy on Nov. 29. (Reuters)
06
November
November
Philippines' Marcos Condemns Killing of Journalist, Orders Investigation
Written by Nur Yasmin Published in International News
VOINews, Jakarta - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of a Filipino journalist and ordered the police to conduct an investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The journalist, Juan Jumalon, also known as "DJ Johnny Walker", was shot by unidentified assailants while broadcasting from his home in a southern Philippine town on Sunday morning, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said in a statement, citing initial reports.
"Attacks on journalists will not be tolerated in our democracy, and those who threaten the freedom of the press will face the full consequences of their actions," Marcos said in a post on X platform.
Media watchdog NUJP also condemned the "brazen killing" which it said was caught on a livestream of Jumalon's show. Jumalon's home in Calamba, Misamis Occidental served as his radio station.
Jumalon's killing brings to four the number of journalists killed since Marcos took office in June 2022, and to 199 since democracy was restored in the Philippines in 1986. That figure included 32 killed in a single incident in 2009.
The Philippines has one of Asia's most liberal media environments, but it remains one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists, particularly in its provinces.
It ranked as the eighth worst country when it comes to prosecuting killers of journalists, according to 2023 Global Impunity Index released by the Committee to Protect Journalists released this week. (Reuters)
06
November
November
Australia's Albanese Seeks Dialogue, Cooperation in China Visit
Written by Nur Yasmin Published in International News
VOINews, Jakarta - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, starting the first visit to China by a leader of his country in seven years, said on Sunday it was "in all our interests" to have a bilateral relationship with dialogue and cooperation.
Australia will continue to work constructively with China, he said in a short speech to the annual China International Import Expo in Shanghai, which was opened by Premier Li Qiang.
Albanese is the first Australian leader to visit China since 2016, part of an effort to patch up relations that had deteriorated over several years due to disputes over Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, espionage and COVID-19.
After the speech, addressing media alongside Trade Minister Don Farrell, Albanese said he welcomed Li's comments at the Expo and described them as "very positive". Li said China will further expand market access and imports.
Farrell said after meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Saturday he expected impediments on Australian seafood and red meat products to be removed "in a very short space of time".
Albanese, in his speech, described the relationship between the two countries as "mature" and said it was "energised by the complementary nature of our economies".
"Along with the other economies in our region, Australia and China have prospered thanks to the certainty and stability that is made possible by rules-based trade," Albanese said, according to an official transcript.
Albanese's government has worked to stabilise ties with China since coming to office last year, and China has lifted most trade blocks imposed in a 2020 diplomatic dispute that cost A$20 billion in commodity and food exports.
"We continue to highly value the World Trade Organisation, whose role as an independent and respected umpire benefits us all," Albanese said, without directly mentioning any disputes.
Albanese, on Monday, will meet President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where the prime minister has said he will raise concerns over rising tensions in the South China Sea.
On arriving in Shanghai late on Saturday, Albanese said it was in Australia's interests to have a positive and constructive dialogue with its major trading partner.
Albanese said on Saturday, before leaving for China, that the much-anticipated visit to meet with Xi and Li marked a "very positive step" in stabilising strained bilateral ties. (Reuters)