Kuwaiti Cabinet Resigns, Moldova Plans to Leave CIS, Guinea-Bissau "Unexpectedly" Has New Prime Minister

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some notable world news this morning, December 21.

Asia

BANGKOK POST. The Thai government has officially issued a regulation to stop issuing new gun licenses for one year, in order to improve security and reduce crime rates.

THE NATION. Thailand is embarking on an ambitious goal of setting up 1,500 digital classrooms for schools nationwide to train at least 100,000 workers in the field each year.

BERNAMA. In the next 4-6 weeks, the number of Covid-19 cases in Malaysia will increase rapidly, possibly up to 25,000 cases/week, Dr. Tan Seok Hong, public health expert, Ministry of Health Malaysia warned.

MANILA TIMES. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law a 5.7 trillion peso ($103.3 billion) budget for 2024, up nearly 10 percent from the previous year and at a record high.

KYODO. Japan has officially handed over a coastal surveillance radar system to the Philippines, marking Tokyo's first complete defense export since easing its ban on arms sales in 2014.

JAPAN NEWS. The number of foreign visitors to Japan as of the end of November 2023 reached a total of 22.332 million , surpassing the 20 million mark per year for the first time since 2019.

This is the latest evidence that tourism is booming again in Japan after the Covid-19 pandemic. (Source: Japan News)

YONHAP. A US B-1B bomber participates in a joint air exercise with South Korea and Japan conducted over waters around the Korean Peninsula.

MINT. The New Delhi city government (India) warned ride-hailing companies Uber and Ola about violating local traffic regulations when providing two-wheeler calling services.

KUNA. The Kuwaiti cabinet submitted its resignation to Emir Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who was sworn in to parliament hours earlier.

ANADOLU. The first aid convoy to travel directly from Jordan to the Gaza Strip has delivered 750 tonnes of food to the strip, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced.

AP. The UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling for a halt to the war between Hamas and Israel has been postponed again as members failed to reach a consensus on the wording.

ARAB NEWS. Qatar and Egypt are continuing to push for talks aimed at finding a new ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip.

Europe

SPUTNIK. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin met with Turkish Ambassador to Russia Tanju Bilgic to urge the parties to seek an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

TASS. Russia and China have achieved good results in the field of investment, with a total of 80 joint projects worth nearly 20 trillion rubles ($220 billion) being implemented, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said during a meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on December 20.

TASS. New EU sanctions against Russian diamonds will not bring any benefits as Russia's share in the diamond market is quite stable, according to Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.

BLOOMBERG. Finance ministers from the 27 EU member states have agreed to reform financial rules under the EU's Stability and Growth Pact to curb debt and deficit spending in member states.

REUTERS. Moldova plans to leave the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) by the end of 2024, the head of the Moldovan parliament's foreign policy committee, Doina Gherman, said.

The CIS currently has nine full member states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

AFP. Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East and artificial intelligence (AI) will be three priorities during Italy's term as G7 President in 2024.

FRANCE 24. With 349 votes in favor and 186 votes against, the French National Assembly passed the immigration bill supported by President Emmanuel Macron's government.

XINHUA. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis issued a decision to establish the National Program for the Protection of Cultural Heritage at Risk (PNSP).

America

NBC NEWS. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will establish a team of experts responsible for overcoming the fatigue of air traffic controllers that affects aviation safety.

CNN. The US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on 10 entities and four individuals in Iran, Malaysia, Hong Kong (China) and Indonesia, for allegedly supporting the production of drones for Iran.

AP. The US government announced an action plan to preserve and restore old-growth forests , contributing to carbon absorption and responding to climate change.

GLOBAL NEWS. Canada has enacted regulations requiring that by 2035, all passenger cars, SUVs, crossovers and light trucks sold must be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).

CBC. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada's relationship with India has changed over the "murder" controversy in British Columbia.

"We don't want to be in a position of conflict with India on this issue. We want to do trade. We want to advance our Indo-Pacific strategy. But the fundamental task is for Canada to stand up for the rights of its people, for the safety of its people, and for the rule of law. That's what we will do." (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau)

BLOOOMBERG. China has blocked $6.5 billion in trade payments with Argentina through a currency swap mechanism set up between the two countries before President Javier Milei took office.

RIO NEWS. Brazilian President Lula da Silva is optimistic about the prospects of Latin America's largest economy in 2024, amid a forecast of 3% GDP growth this year, higher than the previous forecast of 2.4%.

Africa

AP. Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo fired Prime Minister Geraldo Joao Martins and immediately appointed Rui Duarte Barros to replace him.

AFP. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for peaceful, transparent and inclusive elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

REUTERS. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "very concerned" about the continued escalation of fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF, spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.

AP. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to end the mission of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).

XINHUA. Zambia's anti-drug agency has arrested a British citizen of Tanzanian origin at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola, Copperbelt province, on charges of trafficking 5.7 kg of cocaine.

DAILY POST NIGERIA. Nigerian police say at least 23 people, including the head of a county government, have been kidnapped in Taraba state, with gunmen believed to have attacked local communities.

Oceania

NZ HERALD. New Zealand's new Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will consider the benefits of joining part of the Australia-UK-US Enhanced Security Partnership (AUKUS), which focuses on shared military technology.

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