Russia, Türkiye and Iran discuss Idlib; Tham Luang cave rescue exhibition

Russia, Türkiye and Iran discuss recovery process in Idlib

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 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 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

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 and rescue victims and overcome earthquake consequences

Japanese authorities said on September 7 that the death toll from the 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Hokkaido province in the north of the country early on September 6 had risen to 16, while nearly 120 people were injured and 26 people were still missing.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces and search dogs are racing against time in search and rescue efforts 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

Thai youth soccer team attends exhibition of Tham Luang cave rescue

The boys from the Wild Boars soccer team rescued from 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.

Among the exhibits on display are 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 operation.

Canada and the United States continue negotiations on NAFTA

The United States and Canada will continue negotiations on September 7 after the two sides made “good progress” in efforts to revise 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 US 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 of the dairy market.

British Airways to compensate all passengers affected by data breach

Passengers queue at the check-in counter of British Airways at Heathrow Airport, London, UK. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

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 recent incident. He also revealed that the attack did not target the company's security system, the company's data was still encrypted, and said that the hackers had used other, very sophisticated methods to illegally obtain customer data.

Earlier, on the afternoon of September 6, BA announced that data related to customers' financial information had been stolen. Preliminary estimates indicate that there were hundreds of thousands of customers who had booked tickets online with the airline in the past few weeks between August 21 and September 5.