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LONDON — Renewable energy sources are set to meet nearly half of all electricity demand by the end of the decade, but to fall short of a U.N. goal to triple capacity to reduce carbon emissions, an International Energy Agency (IEA) report showed on Wednesday. The world is set to add more than 5,500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity between now and 2030, almost three times the increase between 2017 and 2023, the IEA Renewables 2024 report said. It said the increase is equivalent to the current power capacity of China, the European Union, India and the United States combined, but not enough to meet a target set at the COP28 U.N. climate conference. For the world to triple capacity, governments need to intensify efforts to integrate renewables into power grids. This requires the building and modernizing of 25 million kilometers of electricity grids and reaching 1,500 GW of storage capacity by 2030, the IEA said. Solar photovoltaic (PV) is set to account for 80% of the growth in renewable energy capacity to 2030. The wind sector is also forecast to recover and double its rate of expansion to 2030 compared with 2017-2023. Global solar manufacturing capacity is expected to be more than 1,100 GW by the end of 2024, more than double the estimated demand by then. This supply glut has helped to cheapen solar module prices but also means many manufacturers are experiencing large financial losses, the report added. While the U.N. target is a challenge, national governments are hitting their goals, with 70 countries, accounting for 80% of global renewable power capacity, estimated to reach or surpass their renewable energy targets for 2030. "Renewables are moving faster than national governments can set targets for," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. "This is mainly driven not just by efforts to lower emissions or boost energy security: it's increasingly because renewables today offer the cheapest option to add new power plants in almost all countries around the world."

Vientiane, Laos — Southeast Asian leaders met in Laos on Wednesday for a summit expected to find ways of tackling a worsening civil war in Myanmar, with Thailand set to propose a new path for a political solution after a regional peace effort made scant progress. Chaos has prevailed in Myanmar since a 2021 military coup sparked a nationwide rebellion and a civil war that has ravaged the nation of 55 million. The ruling junta has so far refused to hold talks with its opponents, whom it calls terrorists. Thailand offered this week to host an "informal consultation" of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in December to try to find a way out of the intractable conflict that has displaced millions of people. "We want to see a political solution," Nikorndej Balankura, a spokesperson of Thailand's foreign ministry, told reporters. "Thailand is ready to coordinate with all other member countries so there would be a concerted ASEAN effort that could lead to peace in Myanmar." Thailand's initiative would complement existing ASEAN peace efforts, but may not immediately involve countries beyond the region, he added. The proposal, floated at Tuesday's meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, comes as the bloc runs low on options to tackle the Myanmar crisis. There has been no progress on its "Five-Point Consensus" peace plan unveiled months after the coup, or a drive by Indonesia to persuade anti-junta groups to start dialog. In previous months, Thailand has suggested that Myanmar's other influential neighbors, China and India, might play a role in the peace effort, but the latest plan is limited to the ASEAN bloc. Any decision on whether Myanmar's ruling generals or their opponents would be invited to the informal talks would be up to ASEAN chair Laos and the other member states, Nikorndej added. Myanmar's civil war and troubles in the disputed South China Sea are key issues set to dominate the ASEAN leaders' meeting in Vientiane, which will be followed by two days of summits with premiers and top diplomats from regional and world powers. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese premier Shigeru Ishiba, Chinese premier Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are among those set to attend. Opening Wednesday's summit, Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said ASEAN faced many challenges and had its own ways to tackle them. "Laos deems that ASEAN's past successes are due to our understanding of each other," he said. "We help each other, and co-operate with each other, with an ASEAN way and principles. " Ahead of Blinken's trip, the United States' top diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, told reporters there had been "virtually zero progress" in efforts to get Myanmar's junta to reduce violence, free political prisoners and talk to the democratic opposition. "The secretary will continue to emphasize to partners in the region that we must keep up pressure on the regime," he said, of Blinken's visit. Since ASEAN has barred the Myanmar generals from its summits until they can meet requirements of the peace plan, the country is represented in Laos by a senior foreign ministry official. Nikorndej said Myanmar's representative urged ASEAN foreign ministers on Tuesday to understand and sympathize with the military government and use more "moderate language" in discussing the crisis. ASEAN must not bend to accommodate the junta's demands, including recognizing its own five-step "roadmap" for what is expected to be a one-sided election, however, former Thai diplomat Korbsak Chutikul warned. "Care must be exercised not to be roped into going along with Myanmar's own five-point plan, like to hold elections next year for a semblance of legitimacy," Korbsak said.

SINGAPORE — The estranged sister of Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong died on Wednesday at 69, after being diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020. The death of Lee Wei Ling, a doctor, was announced by her younger brother Lee Hsien Yang on Facebook. The siblings are the children of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and have been embroiled in a public dispute around what to do with their late father's house after the elder Lee died in 2015. The former PM Lee, now a senior minister in the cabinet, wrote on Facebook that despite the rift between him and his siblings, "I held nothing against Ling, and continued to do whatever I could to ensure her welfare." He described his sister as a fighter who was "fiercely loyal to friends, sympathized instinctively with the underdog, and would mobilize actively to do something when she saw unfairness, or suspected wrongdoing." The late doctor earned the prestigious President's scholarship and topped her cohort in medical school. Lee never married and stayed with her parents until their deaths. She helped set up Singapore's National Neuroscience Institute and served as its director for 11 years. She also regularly contributed columns to the national newspaper, The Straits Times. Senior minister Lee said his sister had diagnosed herself before the doctors did. "She took it with her usual fortitude and stoicism and posted about it as one of those things in life to be borne and endured. She knew what it meant, and made the most of the time she had, even as her health declined," he wrote. When announcing her illness, Wei Ling wrote: "My immediate reaction to the news was 'ren', or endure in Chinese, of which the traditional character has a knife above a heart. I have been practicing 'ren' since I was in Chinese school, recognizing that life has many unpleasant, unavoidable situations."

Wisconsin, a Midwestern U.S. state known for its dairy farms and beer production, has emerged as a crucial battleground in the 2024 presidential election. With a history of extremely close races, Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes could determine who becomes the next president. The state's unique mix of urban and rural voters, along with key issues like the economy and abortion rights, make it a microcosm of the nation's political divide.

As fighting rages on, the deputy chief of Hezbollah says he is open to discuss a cease-fire with Israel. VOA goes to Arizona to talk with voters about immigration, and President Joe Biden cancels his trip to Europe and Africa to stay in Washington and supervise storm relief efforts. Cholera is on the rise in Nigeria and the EU sues Hungary over its controversial media law.

Yaounde, Cameroon — Cameroon government officials said the central African state’s 91-year-old president, Paul Biya, is in good health, contrary to information circulating on social and mainstream media. Biya has not been seen in public since his official visit to China more than 1 month ago. Citizens say they want proof that their longtime leader is well. Biya is in excellent health, according to a statement issued Tuesday by Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, director of the Civil Cabinet.   Ayolo said Biya is in Geneva, Switzerland, where he has been granting audiences and working for the development of Cameroon.    The statement comes after social media reports on Tuesday said Biya was dead but gave no details as to where and when the long-serving leader had died.  Biya was last seen in Beijing over a month ago during a China-Africa leaders forum. In the meantime, some citizens said they do not believe Biya is alive.    One of those is Gloria Wirkom, a businessperson in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde.   "He is our president, and if there is something wrong with him, we have the right to know," she said. "So we are pleading with the government of Cameroon to let us know the health state [state of health] of our president."  Wirkom said she does not trust government officials' declarations that Biya is in good health. Wirkom said she will believe Biya is alive only when she sees him. On Cameroon State TV, government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi said he unequivocally affirms that the rumors of Biya’s death are pure imagination.  Sadi said the day after the China-Africa summit, Biya stayed briefly in Europe, and that wherever he might be, Biya is attentive to the well-being of Cameroonians.  Akongnwi Neba, a merchant, said it is wrong for the government to wait until a rumor spreads before explaining where Biya is.   "We are asking the government to prove to us where he [Biya] is," said Neba. "We need to know his whereabouts, whether he is alive or dead. It is our right as citizens of the country to know where our president is."  Cameroon officials have not said whether Biya will appear in public in Geneva. VOA could not independently confirm whether Biya was in the Swiss city.     Biya is the oldest leader in the world. He has ruled Cameroon for more than four decades, and his supporters have been holding public rallies asking him to be a candidate in elections expected in October 2025. Biya has not said whether he will run for president again.  

TAIPEI, Taiwan — China's stock rally resumed Tuesday after the weeklong National Day holiday but lost some steam on mainland markets after a press conference by the country’s economic planning agency disappointed hopes for more fiscal stimulus measures. In Hong Kong, the day ended with chunky losses of nearly 10%.  Early in the day, the Shanghai Composite Index rose more than 10%, the Shenzhen Component Index was up more than 12%, and the ChiNext Index rose 18%, continuing a rise that began late last month with the announcement of stimulus measures, ranging from rate cuts to looser curbs on house buying. The rally stalled, however, as the National Development and Reform Commission, at a press conference intended to further boost market confidence, failed to announce any specific stimulus measures. By day’s end, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 4.59%, the Shenzhen Component Index was up 9.17%, and the ChiNext Index rose 17.25% to mark its largest-ever, single-day increase. But in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index traded low throughout the day, returning the gains registered before the National Day holiday and closing down 9.41%. Investors hoped the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s state economic planning body, would roll out more detailed stimulus measures at the Tuesday briefing. Chairman Zheng Shanjie told reporters that he had “full confidence” the economy would reach its official full-year growth target of about 5%. He said China will introduce policies to specifically strengthen or stabilize five aspects in the early stage, including the economic downturn, insufficient domestic demand, the difficulties of some enterprises, the continued weakness of the property market and the capital markets. Chin-Yoong Wong, a professor of economics at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia, said the NDRC's target issues are “very to the point but insufficient in implementation," because the NDRC has not proposed precise and feasible countermeasures, and the scale of implementation is unclear. Wong said much of what has been promised by the NDRC includes spending plans that were already in place "rather than additional fiscal stimulus for China's economic downturn." He said the NDRC has talked a lot about boosting consumer confidence but has not issued any specific practical policies to achieve that, leaving shareholders to question whether the talk will be backed with action. Liu Meng-Chuh, director of the First Research Division at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research in Taipei, said external factors are contributing to the volatility of China's stock markets. He told VOA, "On the one hand, China's [favorable policies] are not so strong; [on the other hand], the U.S. economy is not so bad, so maybe much international hot money has begun to flow back [to the U.S.]." However, Liu believes that there is still room for development in green industries and infrastructure for an aging society. He said that China's urban population is about 60% to 70% of its entire population, which is lower than the average of about 80% in mature economies, meaning that the dividends of China's "urbanization" have not yet been exhausted. But he stressed that the feasibility has to be well-assessed to avoid repeating mistakes made in the past. Tsai Ming-Fang, a professor of industrial economics at Tamkang University, said China's foreign relations are not improving, causing foreign trade issues that are difficult to solve, such as the new tariffs imposed by Canada and the European Union on Chinese electric vehicles.  Tsai said the stimulus measures in the past two weeks are not designed to revive the economy but to beautify the data to achieve the economic growth target of 5% this year, which may allow some shareholders and even foreign investors to liquidate their positions and take profits.  "China's only goal now is to reach the economic growth rate of 5%,” Tsai said. “Many problems arise from the drastic changes in Chinese laws [in recent years], which have led to a lack of confidence of manufacturers in China.” Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

washington — The FBI has arrested an Afghan man who officials say was inspired by the Islamic State militant organization and was plotting an Election Day attack targeting large crowds in the United States, the Justice Department said Tuesday. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, told investigators after his arrest Monday that he had planned his attack to coincide with Election Day next month and that he and a juvenile co-conspirator expected to die as martyrs, according to charging documents.  Tawhedi, who entered the U.S. in 2021 on a special immigrant visa, had taken steps in recent weeks to advance his attack plans, including by ordering AK-47 rifles, liquidating his family's assets, and buying one-way tickets for his wife and child to travel home to Afghanistan.  "Terrorism is still the FBI's number one priority, and we will use every resource to protect the American people," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.  After he was arrested, the Justice Department said, Tawhedi told investigators he had planned an attack for Election Day that would target large gatherings of people.  Tawhedi was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group, which is designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization.  It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. 

President Joe Biden postponed his trip to Germany and Angola Tuesday to oversee the response to Hurricane Milton, which is heading toward Florida just days after Hurricane Helene ravaged the southeastern United States. Patsy Widakuswara reports. Jose Pernalete contributed to this report.

Washington — The number of madrassas, or religious schools, has increased fourfold under the Taliban in Afghanistan as experts worry that the rise could fuel extremism in the country and limit opportunities for younger Afghans, particularly girls.   "In the past year, at least 1 million children have been enrolled in madrassas for religious education," said Karamatullah Akhundzada, the deputy minister of education, in a September news conference.   The year’s new enrollments brought the total to 3.6 million students at more than about 21,000 madrassas registered in the country,  This shift marks a change in the educational landscape in Afghanistan, where madrassas now outnumber the more than 18,000 public and private schools.   Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, founding director of the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh, told VOA that the increase in the number of madrassas is part of the Taliban's effort to establish control.   "It's important to look at madrassas together with local governance. Under the republic [former Afghan government], there was no formal village governance, but the Taliban have replaced that with religious leaders who now hold local power," Murtazashvili said.  Before the Taliban seized power in 2021, there were about 5,000 madrassas registered across Afghanistan.   After returning to power, the Taliban aimed to transform the education system.   Officials at the Taliban Ministry of Education said they have taken steps to "revise and reform" textbooks and curricula in the schools in the past three years.   Before the Taliban, more than 9 million students were enrolled in all types of schools, with 39% of them girls.   Following the Taliban's return to power, the group imposed a ban on girls' secondary education, making Afghanistan the only country in the world to restrict girls from attending secondary school.   The Taliban ban on secondary education deprived about 1.5 million girls of going to school.   Murtazashvili sees the ban on girls attending school beyond the sixth grade as a clear sign of extremism.   "By robbing girls of education, they are robbing the country of its future," Murtazashvili said, adding that "you're not going to have a future of women nurses and doctors. You're going to see mortality increase."   One young woman who spoke to VOA but did not want her name used was in 11th grade when the Taliban took power in 2021 and banned secondary education for girls.   She said she enrolled in a madrassa in Herat City, hoping to continue her education, but was "disappointed."   "At first, I thought I could learn and reconnect with friends, but it felt more like brainwashing," she said, adding that "they kept telling us education wasn't for us. We should become good housewives and give birth to future Islamic leaders."  After three months, "disheartened with the restrictive environment," she quit the madrassa.  Mohammad Moheq, former Afghan ambassador to Egypt and author of many books on Islam and Afghanistan, told VOA the Taliban push their strict interpretation of Islam through these madrassas.   "Their goal is to stop people from thinking for themselves and push their strict version of Islam that fits their political agenda," Moheq said.   Madrassas played an important role in the Taliban's rise to power in the late 1990s as many of the Taliban were graduates of madrassas in neighboring Pakistan.   In April 2022, the Taliban announced their plan to open three to 10 new madrassas in every district in Afghanistan.   "Religious sciences should be further taught throughout Afghan society," said Noorullah Mounir, the then-minister of education, as he urged Afghan teachers to instill an "Islamic belief" in their students.  Saba Hanif, a professor at the University of Education in Lahore, Pakistan, told VOA that there is a need for the international community to talk to the Taliban to find "a middle ground" and blend religious and "worldly" education.   "They should agree on certain terms and show the Taliban how purely religious education could harm the country's future, particularly in terms of job opportunities and economic growth," Hanif said.  She added that if children are exposed to "only one way of thinking and one way of living life," it will perpetuate extremism.   "This will be quite obvious. And it could be very dangerous for the region because, you know, of their past practices. They try to force it on others, and they also don't hesitate in using power to control others," Hanif said.

Back-to-back monster hurricanes across the eastern coast of the United States brings another glaring reminder of the ominous threat of global warming. Storms and weather events all over the world are becoming more and more extreme. We talk to Kim Cobb, Director of the Institute at Brown University for Environment and Society and Michael Wehner, senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory about why the planet’s weather is becoming more and more destructive and deadly.