Türkiye prepares to deal with US sanctions; People sue Indonesian government over pollution
(Baonghean.vn) - Türkiye prepares to deal with US sanctions related to S-400; Germany cuts defense spending; People file lawsuit against Indonesian government for pollution; Tanker truck explodes in Nigeria... are the world's top news in the past 24 hours.
Türkiye prepares to deal with US sanctions related to S-400
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Turkish tanks. Photo: Tank Enclopedia. |
The Turkish military is stockpiling spare parts for US-made weapons once the US bans are lifted, Bloomberg news agency quoted two Turkish officials as saying. These include parts for F-16 fighter jets and other military equipment. The US government also imposed a three-year arms embargo on Turkey in 1975.
The information comes in the context that Türkiye and Russia finalized the agreement on the transfer of S-400 in December 2017, that is, two years after the US decided to withdraw the Patriot surface-to-air missile system from the border between Turkey and Syria. Since then, the US has warned Türkiye of the consequences of continuing to buy the S-400, including the threat of removing the country from the US multilateral program to produce F-35 fighter jets. Despite US pressure, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that the S-400 missile systems would start arriving in the country in July.
Germany cuts defense spending
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| German army soldiers. Photo: Reuters |
The bill provides for 44.9 billion euros for the German military in 2020, but this is expected to fall to 43.9 billion euros in 2021. This will reduce Germany's defense budget as a share of GDP from 1.37 percent in 2020 to 1.24 percent in 2023, well below the NATO target of 2 percent of GDP. The cuts will free up the country's budget for other purposes to "achieve its national ambitions" in the future, according to the German Finance Ministry.
The German military is expected to lose 33 billion euros between 2020 and 2023, according to a confidential document titled “Financial Needs Analysis 2020” by the German Defense Ministry, revealed by the country’s media. In the analysis, defense officials also warned that the above-mentioned reduction plan directly affects NATO’s goals.
People sue Indonesian government over pollution
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| Smog "surrounded" Jakarta in June. Photo: Reuters |
Suffocating with the polluted air in the capital Jakarta, a group of environmentalists have decided to sue the Indonesian government and demand that the authorities take action. Air quality in Jakarta has dropped sharply over the past month and at times was worse than cities like Delhi (India) and Beijing (China). Many social media users in Jakarta simultaneously posted photos of the capital covered in smog with the hashtag #SetorFotoPolusi.
The lawsuit names the Indonesian president, the health minister, the environment minister, and the governors of Jakarta, Banten, and West Java. “We hope this lawsuit will force the government to reform its current policies and take effective action to address air pollution,” said lawyer Ayu Eza Tiara of the Jakarta Institute of Justice, which is handling the case. “The current policies are ineffective.”
Iran threatens to execute more "American spies"
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An execution of a prisoner in Iran. Photo: ISNA. |
Iran's judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said on July 2 that several suspects arrested last year on charges of spying for the United States could be sentenced to death by military courts. "Two non-military defendants received long prison sentences," he added, without giving details. Tehran announced in August last year it had arrested "dozens of spies" in its nuclear and military agencies, including many with dual nationality. Iran's ISNA news agency reported last month that Jalal Hajizavar, a former contractor for the Defense Ministry's aerospace research organization, had been executed for collaborating with the CIA.
Iran's threat comes amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran's nuclear program. Tehran announced yesterday that it had stockpiled more than 300 kg of uranium hexafluoride (UF6), an action considered a "breakthrough" of the provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six world powers in 2015.
Tanker truck explodes in Nigeria, 50 people stealing gasoline died
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Scene of a petrol tanker explosion in Ahumbe village, Benue state, Nigeria. Photo: Updatenaija |
A petrol tanker crashed and overturned in Ahumbe village in Benue state, central Nigeria, on Monday. Villagers who witnessed the accident rushed to the scene to collect the petrol. Aliyu Baba, head of the Benue State Road Safety Commission, said the leaked petrol then caught fire, causing a huge explosion that killed at least 50 people. Many people with severe burns in the explosion were rushed to nearby hospitals.
A local government spokesman said the death toll exceeded 64, but police refused to confirm this. Witness Paul Otukpa said a 14-seater vehicle was destroyed by the explosion and only one person in the vehicle survived.
People sue Indonesian government over pollution
Tuesday, July 2, 2019 20:08
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Too suffocated by polluted air in the capital Jakarta, a group of environmentalists decided to sue the Indonesian government and demand that authorities take action.
Jakarta’s air quality has deteriorated sharply over the past month, at times worse than cities like Delhi and Beijing. Many social media users in Jakarta have been posting photos of the smog-covered capital with the hashtag #SetorFotoPolusi.
On June 25, Jakarta recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 240, while in comparison, London (UK)'s AQI was 12 and San Francisco (USA) was 26.
The suffocating situation caused by air pollution has led many environmentalists, artists, businessmen, civil servants... in the capital Jakarta to join forces to file a lawsuit against the Indonesian government.
The lawsuit names the Indonesian President, the Minister of Health, the Ministry of Environment and the governors of Jakarta, Banten and West Java.
“Hopefully this lawsuit will make the government reform its current policies and take effective action to address air pollution. The current policies are ineffective,” said lawyer Ayu Eza Tiara of the Jakarta Institute of Justice, which is handling the case.
