Türkiye fires more than 18,000 officials; Thailand rescues first 4 teenagers

UK reassures people about risk of exposure to Novichok poison

On July 8, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid affirmed that the risk of exposure to the potentially deadly nerve agent Novichok for the communities of the two towns of Amesbury and Salisbury is very low, despite the recent poisoning that left two people in critical condition.

Thailand: First 4 teenagers rescued from cave

Ambulances take the rescued teenagers to hospital. Photo: Reuters

The Thai Navy SEALs announced the temporary end of the rescue effort on July 8. The first four boys were brought out of the cave and were taken to hospital safely. The Thai Navy SEALs said the rescue effort was temporarily ended today.

According to Narongsak Osottanakorn, former governor of Chiang Rai province, the commander of the rescue operation, at the press conference, the oxygen tanks had to be replaced, the old ones could not be used. He also confirmed that only 4 boys had been rescued, the rest were still in the cave.

There were 90 people involved in the rescue, including 50 foreign divers and 40 Thais. The first boy was released from the cave at 5:04 p.m., the second about 20 minutes after the first. The third and fourth boys came out at 7:40 p.m. and 7:50 p.m.

South Korea postpones deployment of special command to deal with North Korea

South Korean special forces during an anti-terrorism drill in Goyang, north of Seoul. Source: EPA/VNA

South Korea's Army is preparing to postpone plans to launch a new command, initially designed to counter growing military threats from North Korea, amid signs of improvement in inter-Korean relations, government sources said on July 8.

The South Korean Army is aiming to merge its First and Third Commands into a single ground operations command by October under a five-year defense consolidation plan. Defense Minister Song Young-moo recently ordered a review of the plan, sources said.

Thousands protest against NATO Summit in Brussels

Protest against the NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: AFP/VNA

The protest took place in the Belgian capital Brussels to protest the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit scheduled to be held here from July 11-12.

Thousands of people from various public organizations and associations participated in this demonstration with banners supporting peace, opposing war, opposing the policies of US President Donald Trump, including the issue of immigration, opposing the arming of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Israel, opposing the White House owner's request to increase military spending...

Protesters said NATO was wrong to focus on militarization while "forgetting" real wars such as fighting poverty, protecting the Earth from the risk of climate change, migrants...

At least 82 people died due to heavy rain in Japan

Floodwaters submerged many vehicles in Hiroshima - Photo: Getty Images

At least 82 people have died and 58 remain missing after unprecedented rains triggered landslides and floods in western Japan, forcing 5.9 million people to evacuate.

A rescue force of about 54,000 people, including police, firefighters, defense and coast guards, has expanded the search for missing and stranded people. Evacuation orders and advisories have been issued for 5.9 million people in 19 regions.

According to the Disaster Management and Fire Department, as of 3 p.m., more than 30,000 people were taking temporary shelter in evacuation centers. Many people are still trapped in their homes due to flooding.

More than 18,500 Turkish officials fired in new decree

Turkish police arrest suspects linked to Gulen supporters in Ankara. Photo AFP/TTXVN

According to a decree published on July 8, the Turkish government has ordered the dismissal of 18,632 officials; including 8,998 police officers and 6,152 soldiers, 1,052 officials of the Ministry of Justice and related institutions, 199 scholars... due to suspected links to terrorist organizations and groups with "actions against national security."

According to Turkish media, the decree could be the final one as Turkish officials previously said the state of emergency could end as early as July 9, the day President Tayyip Erdogan will be sworn in after winning the presidential election last June.

Tunisia: Terrorist attack kills many security personnel

Tunisian police investigate at the scene of an attack in Tunis. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Six Tunisian security personnel were killed on July 8 in a terrorist attack in the west of the country, near the border with Algeria, the Tunisian Interior Ministry said.

According to the Interior Ministry, the national border patrol team in the Ain Sultan area in the Jenduba border province fell into an ambush, killing six security personnel.

Ministry spokesman General Sufyan al-Zaq said it was a terrorist attack and the attackers opened fire on security forces after a patrol fell into a booby trap.

Paris airports adopt new identification system

International airports in Paris have just been equipped with a new facial recognition system. Photo: vaaju.com

Paris international airports have just been equipped with a new facial recognition system to speed up immigration control while ensuring reliability.

Thanks to these new generation devices, passengers' faces are "scanned" to compare with their passport photos within 10 to 15 seconds, much faster than the previous fingerprint check technique which required 30 to 45 seconds.

Currently, 15 scanners are in operation at Orly airport and 21 at Roissy Charles-De-Gaulle. A total of 95 will be installed by the end of the year.