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Category: World

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

Editor05 mins

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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Hanoi floods again amid typhoon-spawned rains

Editor02 mins

Residents and businesses in Hanoi on Tuesday were coping again with flooding as storms triggered by Typhoon Matmo have submerged major roads, particularly in inner-city districts. Commuters pushed motorbikes through calf-deep water in some areas. Several schools closed or moved classes online. Some flights from Noi Bai International Airport have been rescheduled or delayed. For many, it’s an unpleasant return to the flooding just last week from Typhoon Bualoi, which killed at least 51 people in Vietnam and caused around $600 million in damage. People push a motorcycle as they wade through a flooded street amid heavy downpours from Typhoon Matmo, which stranded vehicles, closed schools, moved classes online, and delayed flights to and from Noi Bai International Airport, in Hanoi, Vietnam, October 7, 2025.(THINH TIEN NGUYEN/Reuters) “It’s a loop — rains come, streets flood and people desperately try to get by,” Hanoi resident Nguyen Ngoc Long told Reuters. “I fear this will soon become a norm for us.” Meanwhile, local media reported that a storm-swelled section of the Bac Khe 1 hydropower dam burst in northern Vietnam in mid-afternoon Tuesday, raising flood potential for nearby villages. Includes reporting from 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

Editor04 mins

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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‘This is fake’ — How North Korea uses AI and deepfakes as a weapon

Editor03 mins

RFA Perspectives — Deepfake and AI videos are created from tools anyone can download. North Korean hackers are already using the same tools as a weapon. Video: ‘This is fake’ How North Korea is weaponizing AI and deepfake technologyRecently, South Korea’s cybersecurity firm Genians revealed that a North Korean hacking group used AI-generated deepfake military IDs to impersonate defense agencies and launch phishing attacks. Their targets? Officials, journalists, human-rights activists, and researchers. This isn’t new. North Korean IT workers have long used AI and deepfakes to build fake identities—sometimes even stealing U.S. identities to apply for jobs. They appear in video interviews with AI-made faces and voices. Cybersecurity expert Dawid Moczadło, co-founder of Vidoc, shared a video on LinkedIn that experts believe shows these workers in action. At first glance it looks real, but if you watch closely—something feels off. If these workers get hired, they don’t just collect a paycheck. They can plant malware, steal company data, and funnel money back to North Korea’s weapons programs—helping the regime dodge sanctions. AI can make life easier for everyone. But in North Korea’s hands, it becomes a weapon—one that threatens your personal data, private companies, and even national security. For more on North Korea hackers, watch RFA Korean’s three-part series “Whack a Mole”: Part One: Kim Jong Un’s secret soldiers — the hackers Part Two: Cryptocurrency heist Part 3: Are you a North Korean worker? We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Chinese Influence Operations in Sri Lanka

Chinese Influence Operations in Sri Lanka

Editor059 mins

This comprehensive report examines China’s growing influence operations in Sri Lanka, particularly in the media landscape. From pro-China narratives in leading newspapers to state-owned collaborations with Xinhua and CGTN Sinhala, Beijing has entrenched its presence across print, broadcast, and digital platforms. The report also highlights the role of local influencers, think tanks, and Confucius Institutes in amplifying China’s soft power. While these efforts project a positive image of Beijing, they raise serious concerns about press freedom, debt dependency, and the erosion of independent discourse in Sri Lanka.

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

Editor03 mins

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