US to provide additional $140 million in aid to Ukraine; EU optimistic about orderly Brexit prospects
(Baonghean.vn) - The US will provide an additional 140 million USD in aid to Ukraine; the EU is optimistic about the prospect of an orderly Brexit; Indonesia closes many schools and airports due to forest fires; Google spends nearly 1 billion euros to settle a tax fraud investigation... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
The US will provide an additional $140 million in aid to Ukraine.
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| Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Photo: AP |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on September 13 that the US had not only disbursed $250 million in military aid to Kiev but would also provide an additional $140 million. Speaking at a press conference in Kiev, Mr. Zelenskiy said that Ukraine would receive the entire new amount that was announced a day earlier. He also announced that he welcomed the aid and thanked the US for supporting economic sanctions against Russia.
Previously, on September 12, the administration of US President Donald Trump announced the disbursement of $250 million in military aid to Ukraine, which had previously been suspended.
EU optimistic about prospects for orderly Brexit
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| Photo: UPI |
On September 13, Mr. Phil Hogan - who is preparing to take over the position of High Commissioner for Trade of the European Union (EU) said that he saw some reasons to be optimistic about a breakthrough in the negotiations between the UK and the EU to bring London out of the "common house" of Europe in an orderly manner. In an interview with Irish media outlet RTE, Mr. Hogan stated that recent developments in London have shown us some positive signs in finding a solution to the current chaotic situation. According to him, recent developments in the British Parliament have shown that the Brexit process (Britain leaving the EU) is likely to be prolonged.
On the same day, the British Prime Minister's Office said that the country's leader, Mr. Boris Johnson, will meet with President of the European Commission (EC) Jean-Claude Juncker on September 16 to seek a compromise on Brexit.
Indonesia closes many schools and airports due to forest fires
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| Firefighters try to extinguish a forest fire in Kampar, Riau, Indonesia, September 13, 2019. Photo: AFP/ VNA |
Indonesian authorities closed an airport on the island of Sumatra on September 13 due to low visibility from forest fires, while schools in several provinces were closed due to the risk of toxic smoke. Visibility at times dropped to 300 meters, forcing many airlines to delay flights to the main airport in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province on Sumatra. This also caused many delays at the airport in Dumai, another city in the province.
The worsening haze is forcing schools to close in Riau and Jambi. Health officials in both provinces say more than 300,000 people have suffered respiratory problems since the haze began. In recent weeks, more people have sought medical help for respiratory problems. Meanwhile, authorities in Central Kalimantan province, on the island of Borneo, said about 3,900 schools would be temporarily closed to protect students.
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| US President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters |
Following recent positive signals about the US-China trade negotiations, President Donald Trump said on September 12 (US time) that he did not rule out the possibility of accepting a limited agreement with Beijing. "A lot of people are talking about this, many analysts are talking about an interim deal - meaning we will proceed in parts, the easy things first. But nothing is easy or difficult, just a deal or no deal. But (an interim deal) is something I would consider" - CNBC quoted Mr. Trump.
Mr Trump's announcement came after mixed reports about the possibility of a limited deal between the two countries, which has caused confusion among investors, who are now nervous ahead of the next meeting between US and Chinese delegations in early October.
Google spends nearly 1 billion euros to settle tax fraud investigation
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| Google agrees to spend nearly 1 billion euros to settle tax dispute in France - Photo: AFP |
Google has agreed to pay a 500 million euro ($548 million) fine in France to settle a financial fraud investigation that began four years ago. The tech company later announced it would pay an additional 465 million euro ($514 million) in taxes to French tax authorities. The decision brings the total amount Google has spent to resolve the case to nearly 1 billion euros.
Google is under investigation for suspected tax evasion in France by failing to disclose some of its activities there, according to a French financial prosecutor's office. Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. The company pays very little tax in most European countries because it reports all its revenue in Ireland.
Russia allows police to shoot down drones
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A civilian UAV operating in Russia. Photo:AFP. |
The law, recently approved by the Russian State Duma, allows Russian police and security forces to control or shoot down any UAV that poses a safety risk. This law is a measure to protect important infrastructure as well as ensure the safety of people during events with large crowds and support Russia's investigation and counter-terrorism activities. The law does not provide additional provisions prohibiting or restricting people from using UAVs, but stipulates that those who want to operate UAVs weighing more than 250g must need a special license.
Russian lawmakers said that the country's citizens bought a total of 160,000 UAVs in 2018, so unsafe incidents from these vehicles are appearing more and more.
