Russia, Türkiye and Iran discuss Idlib; Tham Luang cave rescue exhibition
(Baonghean.vn) - The world in the past 24 hours has seen many events such as: Russia, Türkiye and Iran discuss the recovery process in Idlib; US Secretary of Defense makes a surprise visit to Afghanistan; Thai youth soccer team attends exhibition on the rescue at Tham Luang cave; Former Russian spy may have worked for European intelligence before being poisoned...
Russia, Türkiye and Iran discuss recovery process in Idlib
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| From left: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at the Trilateral Summit on Syria in Tehran (Iran) on September 6. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
On September 7, the leaders of Russia, Türkiye and Iran discussed ways to gradually restore stability in Idlib province, northwestern Syria.
Speaking to reporters after a trilateral summit with his Iranian counterparts Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran, President Putin said the three leaders discussed specific measures related to the process of gradually stabilizing the Idlib de-escalation zone, thereby promoting the possibility of reconciliation with rebel groups ready for dialogue.
The Russian leader stressed the need to review the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone, saying that the three countries had decided to seek a solution in accordance with the principles and spirit of cooperation that are characteristic of the Astana format.
US Defense Secretary makes surprise visit to Afghanistan
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Afghanistan battlefield. Photo: LobeLog. |
US Defense Secretary James Mattis made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on September 7 and met with the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General Austin Scott Miller, to discuss progress in talks with the Taliban.
The US is trying to increase pressure on the Taliban by increasing air strikes and sending thousands of additional US troops to train and advise Afghan forces. However, these efforts have not yet ensured stability in the southwest Asian country. Speaking this week, US Defense Secretary James Mattis expressed hope for peace talks with the Taliban.
Japan strives to search for victims and overcome earthquake consequences
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Searching for earthquake victims. (Source: AFP) |
Japanese authorities said on September 7 that the death toll from the 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Hokkaido in the early morning of September 6 has risen to 16, while nearly 120 people were injured and 26 people are still missing.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces and search dogs are racing against time to search for and rescue victims in Atsuma town, where many houses were buried in landslides after the earthquake. Rescuers say it is difficult to reach and rescue victims.
Only 1.4 million households (about 40% of Hokkaido's population) have had their electricity restored after the power supply to the area was cut off due to thermal power plants in the province automatically shutting down due to the earthquake.
Former Russian spy may have worked for European intelligence before being poisoned
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Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Photo: BBC. |
Sergei Skripal, a former colonel of Russia's General Intelligence Directorate (GRU), cooperated with Spanish intelligence (CNI) after being taken to Britain under a spy swap deal between Moscow and Washington.NYTimesSeptember 7, citing an anonymous senior Madrid official.
According to this official, before being poisoned in Salisbury, England on March 4, Skripal met with several Spanish intelligence officers, but the content and timing of these contacts were not disclosed.
Thai youth soccer team attends exhibition on Tham Luang cave rescue
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A mannequin of a diver wearing an oxygen mask, along with artifacts and photos from the rescue operation in early July, are on display at an exhibition area in Bangkok. Photo: Facebook/Siam Paragon. |
The boys from the Wild Boars soccer team who were rescued from the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province, Thailand, yesterday attended an exhibition to commemorate the dramatic rescue operation in early July that was watched around the world.AFPreport
The exhibition, held at Siam Paragon, a famous shopping mall in Bangkok, is elaborately designed, recreating in detail the process of international experts rescuing 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach from the flooded cave.
The exhibits include a model of the narrow tunnel that divers had to skillfully navigate through to get the boys out, as well as a mannequin of a diver wearing an oxygen mask. The exhibition also features a statue commemorating Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy SEAL who died during the rescue.
Canada and the United States continue negotiations on NAFTA
The United States and Canada will resume talks on September 7 after making “good progress” in efforts to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), amid Washington’s possible move to impose more tariffs on Chinese goods. Speaking to reporters after meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said the two sides were making good progress and she would continue discussions with Mr. Lighthizer on September 7.
Negotiations between the US and Canada have reached a deadlock as Ottawa insists on keeping the dispute resolution mechanism stipulated in Chapter 19, while Washington objects to Canada's tight control over the dairy market.
British Airways to compensate all passengers affected by data breach
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| Passengers queue at the British Airways check-in counter at Heathrow Airport, London, UK. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
British Airways (BA) said on September 7 that it had contacted all customers affected by the latest information leak on its website and mobile application.
Speaking to the BBC, BA CEO and Chairman Alex Cruz said that as soon as the incident was discovered, the airline's top priority was to immediately contact customers to inform them of the incident. He also confirmed that the airline would reimburse any customers who suffered financial losses as a result of the incident. He also revealed that the attack did not target the company's security system, the company's data remained encrypted, and said that the hackers had used other, more sophisticated methods to illegally obtain customer data.
Earlier, on the afternoon of September 6, BA said data related to customers' financial information had been stolen. Preliminary estimates included hundreds of thousands of customers who had booked tickets online with the airline in the past few weeks between August 21 and September 5.
