EU again "deploys" sanctions package against Russia, US-Denmark "upgrades" defense cooperation, Germany-Georgia sign migration agreement

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some notable world news this morning, December 20.

Asia

PTI. The Indian Parliament has suspended 78 opposition lawmakers, including 33 Lok Sabha members and at least 45 Rajya Sabha members, for "repeatedly disrupting the winter session of Parliament" while trying to discuss the security breach in Parliament on December 13.

ISRAEL HAYOM. The Israeli military (IDF) announced that it had killed Subhi Ferwana, who Israel believes was a major financier of the Hamas movement, in an airstrike on the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

TIMES OF ISRAEL. Israel is preparing for a second ceasefire in exchange for the release of more hostages held in the Gaza Strip, President Isaac Herzog told diplomats from 80 countries in Israel.

ANADOLU. 19,667 people have been killed and 52,586 injured in Israeli attacks on the territory since October 7, according to the Hamas-run Health Authority in the Gaza Strip.

YONHAP. South Korean police recorded a record number of drug crimes in 2023, with the number of minor suspects tripling compared to 2022.

KOREA TIMES. The number of foreign nationals residing in South Korea hit a record high of 1.43 million in May 2023, according to data from Statistics Korea (KOSTAT).

JAPAN TIMES. Two leading Japanese companies, telecommunications group NTT and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), will jointly develop data centers using renewable energy sources.

Xinhua News Agency. China's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Emergency Management have allocated 200 million yuan ($28.18 million) to Gansu and Qinghai provinces after an earthquake killed more than 100 people.

Xinhua News Agency. China-Russia cooperation is not aimed at any third party and will not be disturbed by any third party, Premier Li Qiang said when meeting his counterpart Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin meets with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on December 19, 2023. (Source: Xinhua)

Europe

ANADOLU. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would soon hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to urge Moscow to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

AFP. The European Council adopted the 12th package of sanctions against Russia , focusing on imposing a ban on the import of diamonds of Russian origin, and imposing additional import and export bans on Russian goods.

VRT. Belgium opens drug trial with 124 defendants - one of the largest drug trials in Belgian history.

DW. Germany and Georgia signed an agreement to combat illegal migration to strengthen bilateral cooperation on this issue.

BLOOMBERG. 2023 will mark the first time that more than half of Germany's electricity consumption will come from renewable sources, according to the German Energy Association (BDEW).

AFP. Britain and France will support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia "for as long as necessary", Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said.

REUTERS. The Czech Republic became the member state with the highest inflation rate in the entire EU in November 2023 at 8%, according to the European statistical agency (Eurostat).

AFP. The 2022 census results from the Italian National Statistics Office (ISTAT) show that the country's population decreased by nearly 33,000 people and the median age increased to 46.4 years.

EURO NEWS. The EU will suspend tariffs on imports from the US for another 15 months, until the end of March 2025.

BLOOMBERG. Denmark has reached a defense agreement with the United States that will allow American troops and military equipment to be deployed on Danish territory, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced at a press conference.

Prime Minister Frederiksen said the agreement will be signed this week and will come into effect after the legislatures of the two countries approve it in about a year from December 19. (Source: AFP)

America

CNN. In an effort to prevent attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, the US and its partners have formed a security alliance including the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.

CNBC. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill that makes illegal immigrants in the state criminals.

FINANCIAL TIMES. Technology giant Apple has suspended sales of some Apple Watch models in the US as it continues a dispute over patents for technology that measures blood oxygen levels.

AP. The Costa Rican government and the United Nations signed an agreement to support and promote harmony between local communities, migrants and refugees living in the area bordering Nicaragua.

Africa

AL JAZEERA. An explosion at a fuel depot at a port in Guinea's capital Conakry has killed 14 people and injured 190, and could cause widespread power outages as most of the fuel tanks are no longer operational.

REUTERS. The suspected hijacking of the Maltese-flagged merchant ship Ruen off the coast of Somalia by pirates is raising concerns about global shipping security.

AHRAM. The fourth round of negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the participation of ministerial delegations from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

SKY NEWS. Botswana's Department of Wildlife and National Parks has recorded a number of elephant deaths in the past three months in its northwestern wildlife area, with the initial cause determined to be a lack of food.

Wildlife coordinator Dimakatso Ntshebe stressed that the lack of forage in the area was due to persistent heatwaves due to relentless climate change. (Source: Sky News)

Oceania

SBS. The Australian government's eSafety agency has announced five new digital safety rules , which will come into effect in March 2024, to help eliminate online abuse and curb illegal online content.

ABC. Air quality in the Australian city of Sydney has plummeted to one of the worst levels in the world, as smoke from bushfires in the north blankets the harbour city.

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