Russia and Iran may hold military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz; US demands 5-fold increase in defense costs for South Korea
(Baonghean.vn) - The US plans to increase the cost of protecting South Korea by 5 times; Russian and Iranian warships may conduct joint exercises in the Strait of Hormuz; the British Prime Minister is criticized for not sincerely seeking a Brexit agreement... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
US plans to increase defense costs for South Korea by 5 times
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| US-South Korean military. Photo: AFP |
During a meeting between senior officials of the two countries during US National Security Advisor John Bolton's visit to Seoul last week, the two sides agreed that negotiations would take place in a "reasonable and fair" spirit to decide on the costly costs amid tensions on the Korean peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported on July 30, citing the country's Foreign Ministry.
The source did not mention the cost required to maintain the 28,500-strong US-South Korean force in 2020, nor the request from Washington to share the defense budget burden with Seoul. However, the local dailyJoongAng IlboWashington has temporarily asked Seoul to contribute $5 billion, five times higher than last year, it was revealed.
Russian and Iranian warships may hold joint exercises in the Strait of Hormuz
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Iranian warships during a 2011 exercise in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: IRIN. |
"A joint Russian-Iranian exercise is expected to be held soon in the Indian Ocean, possibly in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, including the Strait of Hormuz," Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, commander of the Iranian Navy, said. He revealed that the two sides are negotiating the possibility of increasing coordination in the defense sector in the Caspian Sea. According to Admiral Khanzadi, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and the Russian Defense Ministry have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand bilateral relations. This document is considered a turning point in relations between Moscow and Tehran in the defense sector.
Khanzadi's statement comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran after a series of incidents in the Gulf. While the US has called for an international naval coalition to patrol the Strait of Hormuz to counter Iran, Russia believes that the US is the one causing regional tensions with baseless accusations stemming from "Iranophobia".
British Prime Minister criticized for not genuinely seeking Brexit deal
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| New British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Scottish First Minister Sturgeon. Photo: Politics Home |
Immediately after meeting with new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon publicly criticized Mr. Johnson for not genuinely seeking a Brexit deal with the European Union but only wanting to take the UK out of the bloc without an agreement. Ms. Nicola Sturgeon said that the new British Prime Minister was deliberately pursuing a dangerous path for both Scotland and the UK.
“The position that the UK government has taken is one that I find hard to see how they can get a deal with the EU, and that would be a disaster for Scotland and for the UK. I have been very clear to Boris Johnson about my opposition to Brexit and to no-deal Brexit, and that the people of Scotland must have the right to choose their own path and their own future, not a future imposed on them by others,” Sturgeon said.
Israel destroys Palestinian tents and camps in the West Bank |
| A Palestinian building in Sur Baher, East Jerusalem was demolished on July 22, 2019. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
Palestinian sources said on July 30 that Israeli soldiers destroyed Palestinian tents and cattle camps in the Ras al-Ahmar neighborhood in the Jordan Valley this morning. This was the second demolition operation by Israeli forces in the area since June, in which an Israeli bulldozer accompanied by soldiers destroyed tents and several cattle camps, forcing 17 people to leave.
The Jordan Valley, located in the eastern part of the West Bank bordering Jordan, is home to about 65,000 Palestinians and accounts for nearly 30% of the West Bank, according to official data. Israel has repeatedly said it will not relinquish control of the strategic Jordan Valley, while Palestinians say the area should be part of their future state.
Indonesia returns 7 containers of garbage to France and Hong Kong
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Garbage in containers at an Indonesian port. Photo: AFP. |
According to Susia Brata, a representative of the authorities of Indonesia's Batam Island, on July 30, a ship carrying containers of plastic waste and waste banned from import into Indonesia left the port, while 42 other containers were waiting to be shipped.
A total of seven containers of waste, five destined for France and two for Hong Kong, China, were shipped. Indonesian officials determined that the containers contained mostly plastic waste and some other prohibited waste. In addition to the above waste, Indonesia still has 42 containers of waste at ports waiting to be sent back to the US, Australia and Germany.
