Indian PM pledges Pakistan to stop importing Russian crude oil, record unemployment in South Africa

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some notable world news this morning, August 16.

Asia

PTI. In his address to mark India's 77th Independence Day at Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the country's freedom fighters and reaffirmed his commitment to fulfilling the country's vision.

“By 2047, when India celebrates its 100th Independence Day, we will be a developed nation.” (Prime Minister Modi)

ECONOMIC TIMES. India and UAE have made a groundbreaking move to trade crude oil in Indian Rupees and UAE Dirhams for the first time, saving on foreign exchange costs.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL. Pakistan has temporarily suspended crude oil imports from Russia after its refining process produced more oil than gasoline.

Xinhua News Agency. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said the country is ready to strengthen international cooperation on arms control.

Bộ trưởng Quốc phòng Trung Quốc Lý Thượng Phúc phát biểu tại Hội nghị An ninh quốc tế Moskva lần thứ 11 ở Moskva, Nga, ngày 15/8/2023. (Nguồn: AFP)

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu speaks at the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security on August 15. (Source: AFP)

YONHAP. South Korea expressed regret after Japanese politicians sent offerings or made visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, seen as a symbol of Japan's militaristic past.

JAPAN TIMES. The Japanese government held a ceremony to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the end of World War II, attended by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, along with many other guests and relatives of those who died in the war.

KYODO. Nearly 800 flights were canceled and tens of thousands of households lost power as Typhoon Lan moved from the Pacific Ocean, making landfall in the southernmost part of Wakayama Prefecture, about 400km southwest of the capital Tokyo.

JAKARTA POST. After years of research and study, the leading American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla will invest in materials for producing electric vehicle batteries in Indonesia.

ANTARA. The Indonesian National Police (Polri)'s anti-terrorism squad (Densus 88) announced the arrest of a man suspected of planning an attack on the Polri security headquarters.

TEMPO. Indonesian rescuers have found and rescued six people missing off the west coast of Sumatra island after their boat ran into bad weather.

Europe

AFP. In an overnight operation, Cypriot authorities rescued 60 migrants after their boat ran into trouble 15 nautical miles (about 27 km) off the southeast coast.

Người di cư được lực lượng bảo vệ bờ biển cứu sau khi thuyền chở họ gặp nạn tại bờ biển phía đông nam CH Cyprus, ngày 15/8/2023. (Nguồn: AFP)

The Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) said the rescue operation was successful, with 54 men, three women and three children brought safely to shore. (Source: AFP)

KCNA. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent congratulatory messages to each other on the 78th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese occupation.

SPUTNIK. Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said the US refused to issue visas and prevented Moscow from accessing APEC events online, within the framework of the APEC event in Seattle (USA).

TASS. The Tagansky District Court in the Russian capital Moscow fined social network Reddit 2 million rubles ($20,365) for failing to remove content banned in Russia.

REUTERS. Sweden plans to provide a new military aid package to Ukraine worth 3.4 billion Swedish kronor ($313.5 million), mainly ammunition and spare parts for previously delivered weapons systems.

UKRINFORM. President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the southeastern Zaporizhzhia province and met with soldiers taking part in the counteroffensive in the south.

AFP. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed "regret and apology" in a phone call with his Algerian counterpart over the Koran burnings that occurred in the capital Copenhagen.

GUARDIAN. The UK unemployment rate rose to 4.2% in the second quarter of this year, its highest level in two years, amid rising inflation and the cost of living.

FRANCE 24. More than 3,000 people were evacuated after a fierce forest fire broke out in the Saint-Andre area of the Pyrenees-Orientales department in southern France.

America

CNN. US, Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers Antony Blinken, Hayashi Yoshimasa and Park Jin held a video conference ahead of a trilateral summit between the leaders scheduled for later this week.

CNBC. Former US President Donald Trump is objecting to an indictment by prosecutors in the state of Georgia charging him with 13 crimes related to the 2020 election.

CBC. The government of Yellowknife - the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories - has declared a state of emergency due to wildfires breaking out around the city.

TELESUR. Authorities in Mexico's Veracruz state said police found the bodies of at least 13 people hidden in freezers in several buildings in the state, and six suspects were arrested.

AP. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said at least 10 people were killed in an explosion at a store in San Cristobal province, near the capital Santo Domingo, while 11 people were missing and 37 were injured.

TASS. Russian airline Rossiya will increase flights from Moscow to Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport near the popular Cuban tourist destination Varadero from next September.

ANADOLU. Representatives of the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) armed forces begin the fourth round of peace talks in Caracas, Venezuela.

Africa

SA PEOPLE. As South Africa grapples with a record unemployment rate of nearly 33%, the UN and experts have warned that it is a “ticking time bomb” with the potential to cause political instability.

Theo thống kê chính thức, tỷ lệ thất nghiệp trong thanh thiếu niên ở Nam Phi là 61%, và con số này lên đến 71% nếu tính cả những người từ bỏ ý định tìm việc. (Ảnh: Barbara Maregele)

According to official statistics, the youth unemployment rate in South Africa is 61%, and this figure rises to 71% when counting those who have given up looking for work. (Photo: Barbara Maregele)

ANADOLU. Military commanders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) plan to meet in Ghana from August 17-18 to discuss possible military intervention in Niger.

MNA. At least 26 people were killed in an airstrike in the Amhara region, where clashes are taking place between the Ethiopian army and local gunmen.

AFRICA NEWS. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry of South Sudan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) launched a $10 million project to establish a climate early warning system for South Sudan.

Oceania

SBS. Australia's largest warship, the HMAS Canberra, is on its way to the Philippines to participate in joint exercises with US and Philippine forces.

"The South China Sea has been a tense area for many years. We have continued to conduct operations and exercises with allies and partners safely despite these tensions." (Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Commander of the Australian Navy)

ABC. Australian police have charged a male passenger after he claimed he was carrying explosives on board a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330, during a flight from Sydney, Australia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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