Russia begins production of S-500; Iran demands US respect if it wants to negotiate
(Baonghean.vn) - Russia begins production of S-500; Afghanistan is engulfed in violence at a crucial time for peace negotiations; Iran asks the US to respect it if it wants to negotiate; European Union countries still disagree on high-level personnel... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
Russia begins production of S-500
 |
| The S-500 system is said to have a longer range than the current S-400 system. Photo: Reuters |
Russia has begun production of the S-500 missile defense system and will soon be put into service, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov said. “This is a superior system to the S-400 system, but I will not talk about it now because it has not yet been delivered to the military,” Chemezov said. Rostec CEO said the S-500 system will be put into service after tests, but did not specify when.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov announced that the country's military would receive the S-500 systems earlier than expected after successful tests. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the manufacturer would begin delivering the S-500 to the military in 2020 and that the system could operate for 25 years.
South Korea detects strange flying object at inter-Korean border
 |
The South Korean military announced that it had detected an unidentified flying object over the inter-Korean border. Photo: US Air Force |
The South Korean military deployed multiple aircraft to search for an unidentified flying object that appeared near the border shortly after the meeting between the US and North Korean leaders, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on July 1. The flying object was flying at an altitude of about 4.5 kilometers, inside the no-fly zone that the two countries established along the border under a military agreement signed in September 2018, according to the JCS.
The news of the strange object came less than a day after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had a surprise meeting at the DMZ. During the meeting, Trump crossed the demarcation line into North Korean territory and shook hands with Kim Jong-un. The two leaders then went to Freedom House on the South Korean side for a closed-door meeting.
Afghanistan engulfed in violence at pivotal moment for peace talks
|
Victims injured in a bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, are transported to a hospital on July 1. Photo: AFP/VNA |
At least 34 people were killed and 68 injured in a major bomb attack in the Afghan capital Kabul on the morning of July 1 in a densely populated area near the headquarters of the country's Defense Ministry and Intelligence Agency, said Wahidullah Mayar, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Health. Many of the casualties were children. Fighting broke out between gunmen and Afghan special forces afterward, causing fear among many residents.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted logistics facilities of the Afghan Ministry of Defense. The United Nations, NGOs and the Afghan government have condemned the Taliban for carrying out the attack, which caused many civilian casualties.
Iran asks US to respect if it wants to negotiate
|
Illustration photo: indianexpress.com |
Iran's foreign minister said the country can overcome the pressure of US sanctions with its own strength. "Iran will never surrender to US pressure. They should show respect to Iran if they want to negotiate," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on television. He called for increased domestic production to reduce US influence on Iran's economy, as well as promoting foreign transactions without using the US dollar.
The statement comes amid high tensions between Washington and Tehran, raising concerns about the risk of a military conflict after Iran shot down a US unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on June 20. Tehran accused the UAV of violating its airspace and ignoring warnings, but Washington insisted the aircraft was still operating in international airspace.
EU countries still at odds over senior personnel
 |
| Former Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmemans, a leading candidate for the presidency of the European Commission. Photo: EPA |
A deal reached among several key European leaders to give former Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmemans the presidency of the European Commission collapsed at an extraordinary summit on the evening of June 30 after Eastern and Central European leaders rejected the plan.
Frans Timmermans of the Dutch Socialist Party has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission after the leaders of Germany, France and Spain agreed to back him. However, the decision has met with unexpectedly strong opposition from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The deadlock has revealed a broader problem of decision-making for the 28 EU governments. The governments come from different political groups and have been at odds over a series of crises in recent years, from migration to the economy.
New Zealand begins banning plastic bags, fines up to $67,000
 |
| Single-use plastic bags are defined as any plastic bag with a handle and less than 70 micrometres thick - Photo: STUFF |
With the Waste Reduction Regulations 2018 officially coming into effect on July 1, New Zealand retailers such as supermarkets, shops and restaurants will not be allowed to sell or give out single-use plastic bags to customers.
Single-use plastic bags are defined as any plastic bag with a handle and less than 70 micrometers thick. Plastic shopping bags in the fruit and vegetable section and certain other supermarket areas are the only bags exempted. Companies that break the ban face hefty fines, including up to NZ$100,000 ($67,000).
