The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some notable world news this morning, August 21.
Asia
KYODO. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the Fukushima nuclear power plant as the Japanese government prepared to release treated radioactive water from the facility into the sea, amid protests from fishermen and some neighboring countries.
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| The visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Kishida’s planned meeting with ministers on August 22 to discuss when the wastewater discharge will begin. (Source: AP) |
YONHAP. South Korea and the United States will conduct the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise from August 21-31 as the two allies seek to enhance their defense readiness.
KOREA TIMES. South Korean authorities have approved a plan to mass produce medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by the end of 2028 to enhance the Air Force's surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
EMPO. The government of Indonesia's capital Jakarta plans to build 800 green open spaces to improve the environment and reduce air pollution that is negatively affecting people's lives.
THE STAR. Malaysian police raided an entertainment venue in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan state and arrested 103 people, including 52 men and 51 women, who tested positive for drugs.
VIENTIANE TIMES. The Lao government has decided to increase the minimum wage for workers from 1,300,000 Kip to 1,600,000 Kip/month (over 83 USD), starting from October 1; the second adjustment to the basic wage in nearly 4 months.
MINT. The Indian Finance Ministry has announced a 40% export duty on onions, effective till the end of this year, in a move to ensure supply of the commodity in the domestic market.
Europe
REUTERS. Ukraine has reached a “groundbreaking agreement” with the Netherlands on the supply of 42 F-16 fighter jets to Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.
GUARDIAN. A raid in London has recovered a 15th-century vase worth £2 million ($2.5 million) and dismantled a suspected crime ring that stole artifacts from a museum in Switzerland.
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| An ancient Ming Dynasty vase was one of three items stolen from an art museum in Geneva in 2019. (Source: PA) |
REUTERS. Russia's national space agency Roscosmos said an "abnormal situation" had occurred with the country's Luna-25 spacecraft as it prepared to enter orbit ahead of landing.
SPUTNIK. Russia has announced sanctions against an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor and several British ministers, saying they have strongly opposed Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
GREEK TIMES. Greece says it has rescued nearly 60 migrants on rubber boats from Turkey trying to reach islands in the eastern Aegean Sea near Greece.
AFP. The Swedish government is considering changing a law that would give police the power to refuse actions such as burning the Koran if they believe it could threaten national security.
AP. Hungary has signed an agreement to produce unmanned combat drones in cooperation with Israeli and German companies as part of efforts to develop and modernize its military and defense industry, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced.
BBC. The UK has detected the first case of the BA.2.86 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the country, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
AFP. The Czech Republic plans to end energy price subsidies for households and businesses by the end of the year, and is considering the possibility of continuing to tax extraordinary profits for energy companies and banks.
America
AP. Ecuadorian voters head to the polls to elect a successor to President Guillermo Lasso and 137 members of the new National Assembly.
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| In Ecuador, voting in the presidential election is compulsory for those aged 18-64 whose names are on the voter list. (Source: AFP) |
INE. Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) approved a draft budget for next year's national elections totaling 23 billion pesos ($1.3 billion), with a contingency of 3.5 billion pesos ($205,000).
CBC. The shortage of family doctors in Canada is becoming more evident, with half of respondents saying they either don't have a personal doctor or have difficulty getting an appointment.
Africa
PRENSA LATINA. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel will visit Angola, Mozambique and Namibia from August 20, and is expected to attend the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 21-24.
| "Cuba will participate for the first time in the BRICS Summit... as the chair of the Group of 77 and China. We will speak in favor of promoting effective coordination between the two mechanisms to protect the interests of the Global South." (Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel) |
AFP. A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has arrived in Niger to hold talks with military officers who took power in the country after a coup.
REUTERS. Gang violence has wreaked havoc in Haiti, killing more than 2,400 people since the start of the year, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
AFRICA NEWS. In order to cut public spending, Gambian President Adama Barrow has suspended all foreign travel by officials, including his own.
EAST AFRICAN. Somalia is taking a major step towards becoming the eighth member of the East African Community (EAC) in 2023, according to EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki.
Xinhua News Agency. UN humanitarian agencies are assisting Ethiopia in fighting a cholera outbreak that has killed 212 people and a malaria outbreak that has killed 200.
Oceania
ABC. Retail petrol prices in Australia are now at record highs compared to July last year and are expected to continue rising in the coming period.
SBS. New Zealand is adjusting its roadside screening rules to ensure officers have the right tools to keep drugged drivers off the road.
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