Opening of the Two Sessions of China, Russia-Slovakia high-level contacts, Iranian President visits Algeria

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some notable world news this morning, March 4.

Asia

JAKARTA POST. The Bali provincial government, Indonesia, continues to implement a program to allocate a subsidy of Rp 300 million (US$19,090) to each traditional village in 2024.

A total of 1,493 villages will receive support to preserve and promote Balinese customs, traditions, arts and culture, with an estimated budget of nearly 448 billion Rupiah (nearly 30 million USD) in 2024. (Source:

THE STAR. About 500 relatives and supporters gathered at the Kuala Lumpur Mall to attend the “Day of Remembrance” for the ill-fated passengers of flight MH370 that went missing 10 years ago.

NST. The US Coast Guard cutter Bertholf (WMSL-750) made its first port call at Port Klang as part of a professional exchange with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to improve the maritime capabilities of the two countries.

BERNAMA. Malaysia launches repatriation program for undocumented foreign workers , effective from March 1 to December 31.

According to preliminary statistics, Malaysia has about 600,000 undocumented foreign workers and currently only has a total of 848 cases registered to participate in the migrant repatriation program.

Xinhua News Agency. China is focusing on preparing for the annual session of the Two Sessions of the National People's Congress , which opens today, March 4, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

KYODO. Japan's lower house of parliament has approved a 112.57 trillion yen ($750 billion) budget for the next fiscal year starting in April 2024, which includes a goal of strengthening the country's defense capabilities.

YONHAP. Tens of thousands of doctors held a large-scale march in western Seoul to protest the government's decision to increase the number of medical students by 2,000 starting next year.

DAWN. With 201 votes in favor and 92 votes against, Mr. Shehbaz Sharif was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly, marking his second time in this position.

BROOKINGS INSTITUTE. India has officially eliminated “extreme poverty,” as evidenced by a sharp decline in poverty rates and an increase in household consumption.

MINT. The Indian Navy is beefing up its presence on “strategically important” islands near the Maldives, with a new base set to become operational just days before Male begins sending Indian forces home.

KHAAMA PRESS. The EU contributes 21 million euros ($22.8 million) to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund to improve food security and nutrition, benefiting some 300,000 people.

DAILY MIRROR. A pilot program on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools will be implemented in 20 educational institutions in Sri Lanka from March 19.

KUNA. The Kuwaiti Cabinet has approved a draft decree from the King calling on voters to vote in the parliamentary elections on April 4, with candidate registration starting today.

ARAB NEWS. A Hamas delegation led by Deputy Leader Khalil Al-Hayya arrived in Egypt to negotiate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Europe

REUTERS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met his Slovakian counterpart Juraj Blanar on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Türkiye, discussing a number of major international issues, including the conflict in Ukraine.

This is a rare high-level contact between an EU member state and Russia since the conflict in Ukraine broke out two years ago. (Source: Reuters)

DAILY SABAH. Turkey hopes ceasefire talks in Ukraine will start soon, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at the closing ceremony of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum 2024.

GUARDIAN. The Bulgarian government has decided to stop importing Russian oil as part of EU sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine.

REUTERS. Hungarian Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover signs a bill approving Sweden's application to join NATO and sends the document to the President's Office for promulgation.

ANADOLU. Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to resume peace talks after a fresh attempt in Berlin this week to resolve the decades-long conflict between the Caucasus countries.

AFP. Belgian police arrested four people, including three minors and an 18-year-old, on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack .

SWISS INFO. The Swiss government announced plans to invest 988 million francs in cultural activities in the period 2025-2020 to develop sustainable long-term goals.

WYF. The World Youth Festival (WYF) took place from March 1-7 in Sochi, Russia with the participation of 20,000 people, including 10,000 Russian youth and a similar number of youth from 188 countries and territories.

AFP. French farmers may stage more protests and roadblocks in the coming weeks to push the government to deliver on its pledge to support the sector, according to the FNSEA farmers union.

America

NBC NEWS. US President Joe Biden signed a short-term spending bill to avoid the risk of a partial government shutdown at the end of the week.

CNN. Former US President Donald Trump continues to win the Republican primary election, in the form of secret ballots, in the state of Idaho.

REUTERS. US military planes have dropped the first aid shipments into the Gaza Strip, kicking off an emergency humanitarian aid drive ordered by President Joe Biden.

Three C-130 aircraft of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) dropped 66 cargoes containing about 38,000 meals on the beaches southwest of Gaza, along the Mediterranean coast. (Source: New York Post)

AFP. The United States and several other countries are considering the possibility of establishing a maritime corridor from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip to deliver international humanitarian aid to people affected by the conflict.

CBC. At a meeting in Toronto, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed to establish a roadmap for enhanced cooperation.

AP. Millions of Mexican voters are campaigning for three coalitions in the general election to choose the head of government and representatives in the legislative, judicial and executive branches.

RIO NEWS. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro hold talks on the sidelines of the Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

AP. A small plane crashed in a forested area in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, killing three people, with initial investigations suggesting the plane may have encountered problems during takeoff.

Africa

REUTERS. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune held talks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on bilateral relations, energy cooperation, trade and the Gaza issue.

Điểm tin thế giới sáng 4/3: Khai mạc kỳ họp Lưỡng hội Trung Quốc, Nga-Slovakia tiếp xúc cấp cao

The talks between the two presidents in the capital Algiers aimed to focus international attention on the humanitarian aspect of the conflict, support an end to hostilities and promote new peace in the region. (Source: Reuters)

XINHUA. During an extraordinary meeting in the Algerian capital Algiers, members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) unanimously approved Senegal's membership.

UNHCR. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is deeply concerned about the escalating humanitarian crisis in Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique following an outbreak of violence between armed groups.

WFP. Some 6.9 million Somalis are expected to need humanitarian and life-saving assistance in 2024, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).

AFP. The attacks on three villages of Komsilga, Nodin and Soroe in Yatenga province, Burkina Faso on February 25 left 170 people dead , Prosecutor Aly Benjamin Coulibaly informed.

Oceania

BERNAMA. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim paid an official visit to Australia from March 4-7, attending the annual Malaysia-Australia leaders' meeting and the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.

STRAITS TIMES. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is scheduled to meet his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the 9th Singapore-Australia Leaders' Meeting in Melbourne.

ABF. Australian authorities seized a record amount of ketamine in 2023 (about 882 kg) in the context of transnational criminal organizations applying many sophisticated ways to illegally transport drugs.

SBS. The Australian Government has updated its Covid-19 vaccination guidance, saying all adult Australians should continue to receive a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine .

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