Kim has not decided to visit Russia; Thailand calls for “no clickbait” on rescue

Leader Kim Jong-un (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a meeting in Pyongyang. Source: Yonhap/VNA

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 5 that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not yet made any decision regarding his invitation to visit Russia.

Responding to a reporter's question about whether the two Russian and North Korean leaders would meet on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September, spokesman Peskov said: "There is no final confirmation yet. As you know, we invited Mr. Kim Jong-un to visit Russia, but the North Korean side has not yet made a decision. As soon as everything becomes clear, we will make an announcement."

Two Britons poisoned near Salisbury may have been 'unlucky'

Police stand guard outside the house in Amesbury on July 5, where two victims were found unconscious after being suspected of being poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on July 5 that the poisoning of two British citizens with the nerve agent Novichok near the town of Salisbury, southern England, appeared to be just "unfortunate" following the effects of the failed poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal in March this year.

Speaking to Sky News, Minister Jeremy stressed that "this incident seems very unfortunate" and hoped that it was not a consequence of the poisoning in March.

The head of the British Ministry of Health also said that although there is no suspicion that this is a deliberate murder plot, the authorities will consider it based on the evidence provided by the police.

Syrian army seizes many weapons from rebels in Daraa

Smoke rises after airstrikes by Syrian government forces on rebel-held areas in Daraa on June 26. Source: AFP/VNA

On July 5, the Middle East media reported that the Syrian army seized many types of weapons and ammunition from rebel forces opposing the Damascus government in a large-scale anti-terrorism campaign in the southern province of Daraa.

Tanks, machine guns, portable radio transmitters and missiles were displayed at a military camp in Daraa on July 4. An unnamed military commander said some of the weapons were extremely rare in the Arab country and were left behind by fleeing rebels.

Türkiye arrests 33 IS suspects in Istanbul

Türkiye arrests 33 IS suspects in Istanbul. (Source: Daily News)

On July 5, Turkish media reported that the country's police arrested 33 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) organization in Istanbul.

According to the IHA news agency, Turkish police launched simultaneous operations at 11 locations in the city, seizing many files and digital documents related to the group. Among the arrested subjects, 28 were foreigners, but IHA did not disclose their nationalities.

Thailand calls for "no clickbait" on rescue

Relatives of the boys trapped in the cave are protected by police from the media. Photo: Reuters

In recent days, Thai social life, on the surface of the media, seems to revolve around the discovery and rescue of 12 boys and their coach who survived many days in a cave.

The event created a wave of emotions with many levels depending on the development of the situation and also a race between media agencies in exploiting information that competitors do not have. That also hindered the rescue work, which still has a lot of work to do and challenges as big as mountains.

In a new statement, the National Press Council of Thailand (NPCT) and the country's authorities have called on and advised the media to have a healthy approach, not to follow trends that could affect the rescue work as well as the psychology of the children trapped in Tham Luang cave and their families.

Somali Islamist group defends environment

Militants of the extremist Islamist group al-Shabaab.

The notorious Somali Islamist extremist group al-Shabaab has banned single-use plastic bags in territories under its control in a bid to protect the environment.

In a statement broadcast on Radio Andalus, al-Shabaab’s radio station, the group said discarded plastic bags “pose a serious threat to human and animal health” and cause pollution in southern Somalia. The al-Qaeda-linked group also banned the felling of rare trees in the region.

Previously, al-Shabaab banned people in the area from listening to music, watching Western movies or using smartphones.

Macedonian parliament approves country's name change agreement for second time

Macedonia's parliament approved the country's name change agreement for the second time. Photo: sputniknews.com

On July 5, the Macedonian Parliament once again approved the historic agreement between the country and Greece on changing Macedonia's name to the Republic of North Macedonia, despite President Gjorge Ivanov's refusal to ratify the agreement.

In the second vote, 69 out of 120 MPs voted in favor of the historic deal, similar to the first vote. Members of the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party, the main opposition party in Macedonia, which opposed the deal, did not vote.

Singapore fines both Grab and Uber over merger deal

People come to register to cooperate with Grab in Singapore. Photo: Reuters

In a statement issued on the afternoon of July 5, the Competition and Markets Commission of Singapore (CCCS) affirmed that the merger of Grab and Uber essentially prevents competition and proposed to fine both transportation service companies.

The Singapore commission said it had conducted investigations from both parties and third parties to obtain evidence to confirm this. CCCS also said it had filed a fine against both Uber and Grab for carrying out the transfer instead of anticipating the possibility of competition.

The agency's announcement also confirmed that the merger of Grab and Uber, which are direct competitors, has increased service prices, making it difficult for other competitors to enter the market.