Russia accuses Syrian rebels of staging chemical attack; Trump cuts aid to Palestine

Russia says Syrian rebels preparing to stage chemical attack

Rebel positions hit by airstrikes by Syrian government forces earlier this year. Photo:AFP

"To stage a 'chemical attack', the Tahrir al-Sham militant group transferred eight vehicles carrying chlorine to a village near the city of Jusr al-Shughur in Idlib province. The group's fighters were trained by the British private military company Olive,"Sputnikquoted Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying today.

The Russian Defense Ministry believes that the rebels will use chemical agents to attack civilians and then blame the Syrian government army to create a pretext for the US and its allies to launch a new air campaign. "Western countries are trying to worsen the situation in the Middle East and prevent the peace process on Syrian territory," General Konashenkov said.

South Korea and the US pledge to work together to maintain dialogue with North Korea

Source: yonhapnews

Yonhap reported that the South Korean Foreign Ministry said that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha pledged on August 25 to work together to maintain the momentum of dialogue with North Korea, after Washington canceled Pompeo's visit to Pyongyang.

During the call, Secretary Pompeo informed Kang of the reasons for canceling his planned visit to Pyongyang and expressed the need for close consultations between the two sides to jointly chart a future course, according to the ministry. Kang, for her part, reaffirmed the strong determination of the two allies to thoroughly advance joint peace efforts. She also agreed to closely coordinate with Washington in maintaining dialogue with North Korea.

Türkiye stresses determination to counter economic attacks

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: THX/ VNA

On August 25, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that the commitment and determination of the Turkish people are the necessary guarantee against attacks on the country's economy.

In a statement on the occasion of the anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, President Erdogan stated that in the context of Turkey currently having to deal with attacks on its economy, Türkiye's greatest guarantee is the commitment and determination of each citizen to "preserve independence, nation and future".

Mr. Erdogan also affirmed that no one can stop Türkiye from achieving its goals for 2023, 2053 and 2071.

Trump cuts $200 million in aid to Palestine

Trump's decision to cancel a large amount of aid to Palestine was made in the context of the humanitarian crisis happening in the Gaza Strip. "US President Donald Trump has directed to cancel $200 million in aid to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The money will be redirected to other projects with higher priority,"Reutersquoted a senior US State Department official on August 25.

The decision comes after Trump reviewed his aid program for Palestine, as well as assessed the challenges the international community faces in providing assistance in Gaza, which is controlled by the Islamist movement Hamas.

Iran resumes talks with Russia on building new nuclear power plant

Tasnim news agency on August 25 quoted Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian as saying that the country has resumed negotiations with Russia on building a new nuclear power plant, with a possible electricity output of up to 3,000 MW.

According to Tasnim, Iran currently has the capacity to produce 1,000 MW of nuclear power and is operating a Russian-built reactor in Bushehr, the country's first nuclear power plant. In 2014, the two countries reached an agreement to build eight new reactors in Iran.

Mexican President-elect affirms maintaining military to fight crime

Mexican soldiers stand guard on the street. Source: AFP

On August 24, Mexican President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that he would continue to deploy the military to fight crime.

President Obrador stressed that he cannot stop mobilizing the army and marines to ensure security and support the police forces. In addition, he also affirmed that he will fulfill his campaign promises to adjust the security strategy. President-elect Obrador is expected to announce the rest of the security strategy in October.

Since deploying its army to fight crime in 2006, Mexico has killed scores of drug lords. But violence has continued to rise as gangs have become divided and fought for power. Last year, a record 28,702 people died in violence in Mexico.

Thailand increases fines for driving without a license

The Thai Legislative Assembly is considering a proposal to amend the Road Traffic Law, increasing penalties for those who do not have a driver's license.

Accordingly, the maximum fine for not having a driver's license will increase from 1,000 baht and 1 month in prison to 50,000 baht (equivalent to 36 million VND) and 3 months in prison; if the driver's license has expired or is being held, the maximum fine is 50,000 baht and 3 months in prison; if not carrying a driver's license, the maximum fine is 10,000 baht.

According to statistics from the National Traffic Safety Center of Thailand, there are currently up to 8 million people participating in traffic without a driver's license.

More than 21,000 Japanese people practice evacuation in simulated nuclear accident

Reactors 1 and 2 at the Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui, Japan. Source: Kyodo/VNA

On August 25, Japan held an evacuation drill in the central prefecture of Fukui, home to the country’s largest concentration of nuclear plants. About 21,600 people participated in the two-day exercise, including residents living within a 30-kilometer radius of two nuclear plants located just 14 kilometers apart.

The drill was aimed at testing simultaneous evacuation plans for residents living around Kansai Electric Power Company's Oi and Takahama nuclear power plants, assuming both plants lose power to cool their reactors after a strong earthquake.