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Category: Europe

Myanmar junta admits it’s unable to conduct election across entire country

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The European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights Kajsa Ollongren said on Thursday that they would not send observers to an election in military-ruled Myanmar, as it was unlikely to result in a credible outcome, according to the Reuters news agency. It follows Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing admitting on Wednesday that the military-backed administration will be unable to conduct an upcoming general election across the entire country, as a civil war triggered by a 2021 coup rages on. Detained Myanmar State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi and president Win Myint during their first court appearance in Naypyidaw, May 24, 2021.(Myanmar Ministry of Information via AFP) The military doesn’t control all of Myanmar. Vast swaths are administered by a range of armed militias, ethnic groups and pro-democracy fighters, some in open, armed conflict with the ruling junta. The junta has invited ASEAN countries to send observers for the election, due to start on December 28 and to continue in phases into January. With reporting by Reuters We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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US, UK sanction Cambodian conglomerate, alleging role in scam networks

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The U.S. and British governments on Tuesday announced a sweeping crackdown on cyber-scam networks in Southeast Asia accused of luring workers with fraudulent job ads or fake romantic relationships, forcing them to extract billions from people across the world through a range of deceptions, then laundering the money they received. The U.S. Treasury Department said it had targeted 146 people in the Prince Group, a multibillion-dollar Cambodian conglomerate, including its 38-year-old leader Chen Zhi. “The rapid rise of transnational fraud has cost American citizens billions of dollars, with life savings wiped out in minutes,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. U.S. citizens lost $10 billion to Southeast Asian scammers in 2024 alone, the statement said. Chen was charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering in an indictment unsealed Tuesday in a federal court in Brooklyn. The U.S. seized around $15 billion in bitcoin allegedly used in money laundering operations. In a statement, the U.S. Justice Department called the move its largest-ever forfeiture action. British officials say they have frozen Prince Group assets that include a mansion, an office building and other properties in London, with a goal of “locking Chen and his network out of the UK’s financial system,” the U.K.’s foreign office said in a statement. “The masterminds behind these horrific scam centres are ruining the lives of vulnerable people and buying up London homes to store their money,” U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. An email sent to the Prince Group’s press inbox requesting comment was returned as undeliverable. An RFA investigation last year detailed allegations of brutal treatment of workers at the Golden Fortune Science and Technology Park, a Prince Group-linked compound in Chrey Thom, a border town in southeast Cambodia. Employees and former employees described workers enticed with promises of high-paying jobs who were allegedly confined and beaten if they underperformed or tried to escape. RFA reporters charted the rise of Chen from his emigration from China to Cambodia, his founding of the Prince Group in 2015, its role in growing the coastal city of Sihanoukville into a haven for Chinese casinos, its deepening political connections and allegations of criminality. The investigation also found that Prince Group moved millions of dollars around the world in a way that experts said bears hallmarks of money laundering. Golden Fortune Resorts World is among the companies that were impacted by the U.S. and U.K. sanctions Tuesday. Also impacted were the Jin Bei Group, an entertainment and hospitality business that owns a casino in Sihanoukville and is alleged to also operate scam centers, and Byex Exchange, a cryptocurrency platform. Includes reporting from Reuters. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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North Korean soldiers who fought with Russian troops against Ukraine celebrated

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North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Russian troops against Ukraine marched through Kim Il Sung Square on Friday, carrying the flags of Russia and North Korea as part of the Workers’ Party 80th Anniversary celebrations. Video: North Korea soldiers who fought alongside Russia celebrated at Workers’ Party anniversary The soldiers marched to the Russian patriotic song “To Serve Russia,” a rare and symbolic display of solidarity between Pyongyang and Moscow. According to estimates, around 2,000 North Korean soldiers were killed while supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. And reports say that under a new deployment plan, North Korea recently sent another 1,000 combat engineers to Russia. Although the event marked the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party, it was also a display of military cooperation between the two countries. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, attended the celebrations in Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks with Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and leader of the United Russia political party Dmitry Medvedev as he visits the country for an event marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), in Pyongyang, North Korea, October 9, 2025, in this pictured released October 10, 2025 by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency.He thanked North Korea for what he called its “steadfast support” for Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine. At Pyongyang’s May Day stadium Russian singer Shaman performed a tribute to the soldiers who fought in Kursk. Kim Jong Un and the audience rose from their seats to honor the soldiers. The parade highlighted the partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang. As the song “To Serve Russia” played across the square, the message was clear: an old alliance is being reshaped for today. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Strike on festival protest in Myanmar kills at least 20, residents say

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A military strike on Monday night hit a group in central Myanmar’s Chaung U township who were gathered to mark the Thadingyut full moon festival and to demonstrate against the military junta that rules the country. Video: Myanmar junta bombs full moon gatheringThe attack killed at least 20 people, according to a Reuters report that cited an eyewitness, the human rights group Amnesty International, and members of the shadow National Unity Government and an armed resistance group in the area. An event organizer told Agence France-Press that 40 people were killed, including children, while 80 others were wounded. Screams for help could be heard in bystander video taken at nighttime after the attack, which also showed a burning fire. Another video, recorded in daylight, shows a building that was destroyed and a young man who said he was collecting body parts in the attack’s aftermath. Hundreds of people had been gathered for the event when the bombs struck after 7 p.m., a member of the committee that organized the event said. She was not at the scene, but she attended funerals on Tuesday. “The committee alerted people and one-third of the crowd managed to flee,” she told AFP. “But immediately, one motor-powered paraglider flew right over the crowd,” dropping two bombs in the middle of the gathering. “Children were completely torn apart,” she said. This image courtesy of Yebaw Hlyat Cee taken on October 7, 2025 shows damage to vehicles next to the site of a military strike in central Myanmar’s Chaung U township.(Yebaw Hlyat Cee, Facebook via AFP) Paramotors, or motor-powered paragliders, are used by one or two soldiers to drop explosives, to fire weapons, or to conduct low-altitude surveillance, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. The junta has expanded their use this year, the group said. Amnesty International said that Myanmar’s ruling junta is taking advantage of reduced international scrutiny “to carry out war crimes with impunity.” “As the military attempts to solidify power with a stage-managed election later this year, it is intensifying an already brutal campaign against pockets of resistance,” Joe Freeman, Myanmar researcher for Amnesty International, said in a statement. Myanmar’s military leaders, who have ruled the country since the 2021 coup that overthrew the last elected government and kicked off a brutal civil war against rebel groups, have framed the upcoming election, set for Dec. 28, as a transition point. Critics say the election is a sham aimed to keep the military in power. Before it was shuttered in May, RFA’s Burmese Service reported daily on a steady drumbeat of bombings by the junta. Among the service’s final stories in English were bombings of a rebel-controlled village in western Myanmar that killed more than a dozen people; a school in central Myanmar, killing at least 20 students; four insurgent-controlled villages in northern Myanmar; and a strike on villages in southeast Myanmar that destroyed a hospital and forced 8,000 people to flee their homes. Includes reporting from Agence France-Presse and Reuters. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Two suspects at large as Thai court sentences hitman for Cambodian politician killing

Editor04 mins

BANGKOK — A Thai gunman was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the killing of a Cambodian opposition politician in Bangkok, with the former lawmaker’s widow left questioning who ordered the killing. Lim Kimya, 74, a former legislator and member of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) as well as an outspoken critic of veteran Cambodian leader Hun Sen, was shot dead by Aekaluck Paenoi, a former Thai Marine, in footage captured on closed circuit television in the afternoon of Jan. 7 on a busy street in Bangkok. Two Cambodian suspects remain wanted by Thai authorities for their alleged involvement. Arrest warrants and Interpol “red notices” were issued in January. Pich Kimsrin, inset photo, is wanted as an accomplice in the killing of Lim Kimya and is believed to be pictured following Lim Kimya on a bus from Cambodia to Thailand.(Pich Kimsrin via Facebook, inset, and Amarin TV) Days after the killing, following media reports that Ratanakrasksmey was a former adviser to Hun Sen, Cambodia’s ruling party released a statement saying he was dismissed from the role in March 2024. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who is the eldest son of Hun Sen, and other government officials have denied any official involvement. Lawyer Nadthasiri Bergman speaks to reporters outside the court in Bangkok, Oct. 3, 2025.(Pimuk Rakkanam/RFA) “I still also feel that there is something the police could do in investigating and try to get the additional two people that (are) already identified into a justice process,” Bergman told reporters. In February, Lim Ani told RFA Khmer that her husband’s killing was “definitely political.” “He exposed the injustices that happened in Cambodia,” she said. Thai officials earlier this year issued arrest warrants for two suspected Cambodian accomplices in the shooting. A Ministry of Interior spokesman told RFA Khmer that the Cambodian constitution doesn’t allow for the extradition of Cambodian nationals. Am Sam Ath, operations director of Cambodian rights group Licadho, told the AFP news agency that the life sentence for the Thai gunman offered partial justice for Lim Kimya, who was a dual French and Cambodian citizen. “Since Lim Kimya is also a Cambodian, we want to see that Thai authorities and the Thai court conduct further investigations in order to render full justice for him,” Am Sam Ath said. “We want to see an investigation into people involved (in the killing).” With reporting by AFP and Reuters. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Trial begins in killing of former Cambodian lawmaker

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BANGKOK – A trial began Tuesday for a man alleged to have shot and killed Cambodian opposition politician Lim Kimya during a brazen daytime attack in the Thai capital earlier this year. Lim Kimya’s widow, Lim Ani, told reporters outside the courthouse that she wanted to know why her husband was murdered. “I want to know the story behind the case. Who the masterminds were. I believe the judicial system here could help,” she said through a translator. “His death has turned everything upside down in my daily life,” she said. In this Oct. 17, 2017, photo, Lim Kimya, a member of the National Assembly from Cambodia National Rescue Party, speaks during an interview with AFP in Phnom Penh.(Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP) Lim Kimya, 74, a former legislator and member of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party as well as an outspoken critic of veteran Cambodian leader Hun Sen, was shot in the afternoon of Jan. 7 on a busy street in Bangkok’s old quarter. He died at the scene. Authorities arrested Aekaluck Paenoi, a former Thai marine who worked as a motorcycle taxi driver, in Cambodia’s Battabang province the following day. He was extradited to Thailand three days later and charged with premeditated murder. He later confessed to the crime. One of Lim Ani’s lawyers, Nadthasiri Bergman, said outside the courthouse Tuesday that she believed the alleged gunman would be convicted because he had already confessed. “But our concern is that we might not get to the bottom of why the assassination happened, and we hope to find that answer today during the witness examination.” In February, Lim Ani told RFA Khmer that her husband’s killing was “definitely political.” “He exposed the injustices that happened in Cambodia,” she said. In February, Thai officials issued arrest warrants for two suspected Cambodian accomplices in the shooting. A Ministry of Interior spokesman told RFA Khmer that the Cambodian constitution doesn’t allow for the extradition of Cambodian nationals. Cambodian opposition figures have accused Hun Sen of ordering the shooting. Cambodian leader Hun Manet has denied that his government or Hun Sen, his father, were involved in the killing. Other officials have also denied allegations of involvement. The trial is expected to conclude in March. Includes reporting by Pimuk Rakkanam in Bangkok and Agence France-Presse. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Hong Kong, parts of southern China shut down ahead of typhoon

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Residents and businesses hunkered down in Hong Kong and at least 10 cities in southern China on Tuesday as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the most powerful tropical cyclone of the year, barreled toward land. Authorities urged residents to stay in their homes, where people taped up windows to protect against high winds. Supermarket shelves emptied in some areas as panicked residents stocked up on supplies. Residents in Hong Kong stock up on supplies at a supermarket to prepare for the approaching Typhoon Ragasa on Sept. 22, 2025.(Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Packing winds of up to 220 km per hour, or 137 miles per hour, Ragasa is expected to pass around 100 km to the south of Hong Kong on Wednesday, the Hong Kong Observatory reported just before 1 a.m. local time. Residents should prepare for “heavy squally showers and thunderstorms” and “overtopping waves over the shoreline,” particularly on the eastern and southern coasts, the Observatory said. A reporter for Agence France-Presse saw waves nearly five meters high crash into the seaside promenade of the city’s Heng Fa Chuen residential district around nightfall. The storm is expected to make landfall from midday to late Wednesday along the coast of Guangdong, where authorities evacuated more than 770,000 people, according to state broadcaster CCTV. On Monday, Ragasa tore through the northern Philippines, where thousands sought shelter in schools and evacuation centers. In Taiwan, officials said that 30 people were missing in the eastern county of Hualien, where a barrier lake in the mountains burst as Ragasa stormed through. Includes reporting from Agence France-Presse and Reuters. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Kim open to talks if U.S. drops denuclearization demand

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he is open to talks with the United States, but only if Washington drops its demand that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons program. Kim made the remarks during a recent session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, state-run Korean Central Television (KCTV) reported Monday. He said he has “good memories” of President Trump from their previous summits and would consider talking if the United States changes its stance. The statement marked Kim’s first public response to Trump’s recent overtures and underscored the gulf between the two sides. Dropping the U.S. goal of North Korean denuclearization would represent a major shift in American policy and a significant concession to Pyongyang. Trump has continued to tout his personal rapport with Kim, but the White House told Reuters in July that the ultimate objective of U.S. policy remains the complete denuclearization of North Korea. The two leaders surprised the world with an impromptu meeting at the Demilitarized Zone in 2019, when Trump briefly stepped across the border into North Korea to shake Kim’s hand — a symbolic moment that underscored their unconventional diplomacy. Kim also stressed he has no intention of resuming dialogue with South Korea, a key U.S. ally that helped arrange the earlier Trump-Kim summits during Trump’s first term. Tensions on the peninsula have deepened as Kim accelerates weapons development and strengthens ties with Russia amid the war in Ukraine. In a separate interview with the BBC, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said he would support a deal in which North Korea freezes production of its nuclear weapons rather than fully dismantling them, if such an agreement could be reached between Trump and Kim. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Investigative Journalism Reportika © March 2022 by Ij-Reportika is licensed under CC BY 4.0