India's Semiconductor Ambitions, Russia Sends Crude Oil to Cuba, Chinese Foreign Minister Visits New Zealand

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some notable world news this morning, March 19.

Asia

AKP. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra highly appreciated the bilateral relationship, which has been upgraded to a strategic partnership.

Pheu Thai Party President Paetongtarn Shinawatra is visiting Cambodia at the invitation of the President of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council to Cambodian King Hun Sen. (Source: Thai PBS)

KHMER TIMES. Cambodian authorities rescued 19 Thais from a phone scam gang in Oddar Meanchey province, which borders several northeastern provinces of Thailand.

THE STAR. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on Muslims to uphold the spirit of Ramadan by promoting discipline, self-awareness and helping the less fortunate.

AL JAZEERA. The Taliban government in Afghanistan fired heavy weapons at Pakistani forces along the border, in response Pakistan carried out two air strikes on positions inside Afghanistan.

CNBC. India has an ambition to become one of the top five semiconductor manufacturers in the world in the next five years, Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a televised address.

KYODO. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio spoke out against North Korea's ballistic missile launches, considering them a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

YONHAP. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called on doctors to trust the government and engage in dialogue, as thousands of interns and residents remain on strike to protest the government's healthcare reform plan.

YONHAP. South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an on-site inspection of Netflix's video streaming platform Wavve over suspicions that it failed to properly notify users about its early cancellation terms.

Xinhua News Agency. China will consider participating in a peace conference to end the conflict in Ukraine that Switzerland plans to host in the coming months, according to Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Wang Shihting.

NATURE SUSTAINABILITY. Chinese scientists have developed a set of high-performance ion exchange membranes and electrodes to be installed at estuaries to capture osmotic energy and promote hydrogen production.

IRNA. Iran's Oil Ministry and businesses have signed deals worth $13 billion with domestic companies to boost oil production amid Western sanctions.

UNICEF. More than 13,000 children have died in Gaza during the Israeli offensive, many of whom are severely malnourished and “don’t even have the strength to cry”.

Europe

REUTERS. Polish farmers have begun blocking two major border crossings with Germany to protest against agricultural imports from outside the EU.

The blockade at the Swiecko and Gubinek border crossings is expected to last until the evening of March 20 and according to Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski, new negotiations will take place today, March 19. (Source: EPA-EFE)

LE PAIS. Hundreds of Spanish farmers marched in the capital Madrid, even using tractors, to protest the crisis in the agricultural sector.

URO NEWS. More than 50% of EU member states, including Germany and France, have called on the European Investment Bank (EIB) to increase financial support for the bloc's defence sector.

AFP. The EU and the Philippines have resumed negotiations on a free trade agreement, with EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis saying the right conditions would take their trade relations to new heights.

GUARDIAN. The European Council has agreed to increase aid to the Ukrainian armed forces by 5 billion euros ($5.44 billion), through a separate support fund.

TASS. “It is clear to everyone that World War III is just one step away. I think hardly anyone cares about this,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said after winning the election.

“China congratulates this result. China and Russia are the largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners in the new era.” (Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian)

TVP WORLD. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel, from the center-right "Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria" bloc, agreed to form a new government after Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov resigned on March 5.

BBC. The cost of the UK's plan to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda could rise to £3.9bn ($5bn) over five years, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

FRANCE 24. Paris police (France) arrested 9 people after an attack on a police station in the suburb of La Courneuve on the evening of March 17.

SWISS INFO. The Swiss defense procurement agency Armasuisse has delivered the first decommissioned F-5 Tiger fighter jet to the US military - part of a 22-plane contract signed in 2020.

America

NEW YORK TIMES. Combating disinformation, including content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), is a “vital” national security interest and a diplomatic priority for the United States.

This was the affirmation made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on March 18 at an event in Seoul during his visit to South Korea. (Source: AFP)

NEW YORK TIMES. Mexico has received 13 precious artifacts from the pre-Columbian Mayan civilization that private collectors volunteered to return to the country's diplomatic mission in the United States.

FOX 5. The Mexican government will invest $1.3 billion to build the largest power plant cluster in Latin America in the state of Baja California, bordering the United States.

AP. The Haitian government has extended a curfew in the western part of the capital Port-au-Prince until March 20, with protests banned day and night.

RIO NEWS. Brazilian President Lula de Silva has called for strengthening democracy after the country faced a “potential coup threat” led by far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro.

NBC. In February, at least five official candidates running in Mexico's June general election were murdered, bringing the number of candidates killed in the first two months of 2024 to 10.

AP. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a ceasefire with the Estado Mayor Central armed group, a breakaway from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

PRENSA LATIONA. Cuba will continue to strengthen relations with Russia in many areas for the happiness of its people, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a congratulatory message to Putin on his re-election as Russian President.

TASS. Russia sent a ship carrying 650,000 barrels of crude oil (worth nearly $50 million) to Cuba to ease the energy crisis that has left about half of the country without electricity for more than 10 hours a day.

CBC. Canada signs agreement with Germany to accelerate progress toward commercial-scale production and distribution of clean hydrogen fuel .

Africa

EGYPT NEWS. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen signed a Joint Declaration on the Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership between Egypt and the EU.

Oceania

NZ HERALD. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in New Zealand, stressing that the visit aims to further strengthen bilateral relations amid the volatile international situation.

During a meeting with New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters in Wellington, Wang Yi stressed his desire to strengthen communication with New Zealand. (Source: NZ Herald)

CHINA DAILY. China's Foreign Ministry said the country is willing to work with Fiji to further strengthen friendly exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including police.

SBS. Uber has agreed to pay $271.8 million (US$178.3 million) to settle a lawsuit brought by taxi operators and drivers who said Uber's operations in Australia caused them to lose income.

ABC. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said Tropical Cyclone Megan made landfall in the Northern Territory, prompting authorities to issue flood warnings due to heavy rain in areas where the storm passed.

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