US accuses Russia of violating North Korea sanctions; Protests spread in Iran
(Baonghean.vn) - The world in the past 24 hours has been highlighted by many notable events such as: The wave of protests in Iran is at risk of spreading; The two Koreas exchanged lists of families that are about to be reunited; UN peacekeeping forces returned to the Golan Heights; The number of people in the UK dying from heatwave increased...
US accuses Russia of violating embargo, allowing North Korean workers to enter
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| US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Russia of violating international sanctions. Photo:AP |
ReutersUS Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said many credible reports show that Russia is creating employment opportunities for North Korean workers, violating UN sanctions.
Previously,Wall Street JournalMoscow has allowed 10,000 North Korean workers to enter the country since September 2017 and issued work permits to them, the newspaper reported, citing several US officials as saying the move likely violated international sanctions imposed on North Korea to force it to abandon its nuclear and missile programs.
Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora denied that Moscow had allowed more workers to enter from North Korea. Matsegora said the US reports were based on old data, which included people who had worked in Russia before.
Wave of protests in Iran threatens to spread
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Protest against high inflation in Mashhad, Iran, August 3. Photo: AFP/VNA |
On August 4, several protests continued to erupt in many cities in Iran, signaling that the wave of protests has entered its fourth day in the country and is at risk of spreading to many provinces and cities.
Images and videos posted on social media showed hundreds of protesters marching in cities across the Middle Eastern country, including the capital Tehran, Isfahan and Karaj, to protest high inflation, devaluation of the currency and rising prices. On the same day, Iran's Fars news agency reported that protesters in the country attacked a religious school in the town of Ishtehad in Karaj province, near the capital Tehran.
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| A daughter in South Korea reunites with her 88-year-old father in North Korea at a reunion of families separated by the Korean War at the Mount Kumgang resort in October 2015. Photo: AFP/ VNA |
South and North Korea have exchanged final lists of people who will participate in the reunion of families separated by the Korean War, scheduled for August 20-26 at Mount Kumgang.
The South Korean Unification Ministry said on August 4 that the exchange took place at the truce village of Panmunjom. The two sides had previously agreed to hold a reunion for 100 people from each side, but the final list of people has not yet been announced.
UN peacekeepers return to Golan Heights
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| United Nations peacekeeping force in the Golan Heights. Source: Flash 90 |
UN peacekeepers have conducted their first patrol since 2014 at the key Quneitra crossing between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights, following talks with Russia, Israel and Syria, UN spokesman Farhan Haq said on August 3.
In 2014, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Mission (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights was forced to withdraw after rebel fighters linked to the international terrorist network Al-Qaeda took over the area.
China rejects US request to cut oil imports from Iran
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| Source: Reuters/aljazeera |
Bloomberg news agency quoted two officials familiar with the matter as saying that China has rejected US demands to cut its imports of Iranian oil, despite Washington’s efforts to bring Tehran’s oil sales to zero. The US has failed to convince China to cut its imports of Iranian oil, and Beijing’s purchases from Tehran last month remained unchanged, according to the news agency.
This is a blow to US President Donald Trump's efforts to isolate Iran after he withdrew the US from the Tehran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Chile issues law imposing fine of $370 for each plastic bag put on the market
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| Using nylon bags to wrap goods at a supermarket in Santiago, Chile on July 18. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has just signed a law banning the use of plastic bags in all commercial establishments across the country, making Chile the first Latin American country to adopt this environmental protection policy in the region.
For six months from the date the law comes into effect, Chilean businesses will still be allowed to use a maximum of two plastic bags per customer. After that date, the use of plastic bags will be completely banned in all supermarkets, pharmacies and large shopping centers. Meanwhile, for small businesses in the city, a complete ban on plastic bags will be applied within two years after the law comes into effect.
This new law also stipulates that any facility that violates the law will have to pay a fine of 370 USD for each plastic bag issued.
Heatwave Deaths Rise in UK
Two elderly people sunbathe in Blackpool. Photo: theguardian.com
During a 15-day heatwave in England and Wales from June to July, around 700 people died above average, many of them elderly people. The average for the same period in the previous five years was 663. The number of heat-related deaths in the UK this year is expected to reach 1,000.
A cross-party committee of the British Parliament has found that the authorities and the British public are not adequately prepared to cope with heatwaves. According to MPs, the government has ignored the warnings of climate change experts. The committee warned that without appropriate measures, the death toll from heatwaves in the UK could rise to 7,000 a year by the 1940s.
Egypt opens Rafah border crossing with Gaza Strip for Hajj pilgrimage
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| Palestinian people wait to cross the Rafah border gate. Source: AFP/VNA |
Egyptian state media reported that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has ordered the opening of the Rafah border crossing into the Gaza Strip for four days, starting August 4, to facilitate Muslim pilgrimages.
Every year, millions of Muslims from all over the world, including from Gaza, flock to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj, one of the world's largest pilgrimages. For most Muslims, it is a religious duty to perform at least once in their lifetime.
Egypt regularly closes the Rafah border crossing due to security concerns, and periodically opens it for short periods, including during major Muslim holidays.
