Ukraine to implement land reform; US bans government agencies from buying Huawei equipment
(Baonghean.vn) - The President of Ukraine announced to implement land reform this year; the US banned government agencies from purchasing Huawei equipment; Israel joined the Gulf alliance... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
Ukrainian President Announces Land Reform This Year
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Photo: Ynetnews |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on August 8 that Ukraine will carry out land reform this year and his government will carry out major privatization plans. In a speech to investors in Türkiye broadcast on Ukrainian television, Mr. Zelenskiy emphasized: "We will definitely take advantage of the opportunity to change the country. This year we will definitely carry out land reform and next year we plan to create a land market of 40 million hectares."
The Ukrainian leader also pledged to lift a long-standing ban on the sale of agricultural land, a move that is expected to please investors but risks facing strong opposition from Ukrainians worried that speculators will start buying up land at bargain prices. Land reform was one of the tough conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Ukraine to receive aid from the financial institution.
US bans government agencies from buying Huawei equipment
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Logo at an office of Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. Photo:AFP. |
The US government has issued a rule that will bar any contractor of US federal agencies from purchasing technology and telecommunications equipment that is considered a "critical component or critical technology of any system" made by Chinese companies including Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hangzhou Hikvision and Dahua. The rule is an implementation of a ban in the National Defense Authorization Act passed by the US Congress earlier this year. Exemptions will be considered "on a case-by-case basis" by a US government agency for up to two years, or by the director of national intelligence.
This is the latest move by the administration of US President Donald Trump in an effort to curb the influence of Huawei, which US officials have said is linked to the Chinese government.
Israel joins Gulf alliance
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| Israeli soldiers. Photo: Reuters |
Ynet News yesterday quoted Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz as saying that his country has joined the US-led coalition to protect maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Foreign Minister Katz said that Israel is providing intelligence support and other activities, but did not specify whether the country will send warships to escort ships in the area.
The US administration has called on countries to join the coalition after Iran seized foreign oil tankers passing through the region. So far, the UK has announced its participation while other European countries such as Germany and France are hesitant because of conflicts with the US over the Iran nuclear deal.
Russia investigates lawsuit against Apple for violating antitrust laws
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| Illustration: softpedia.com |
The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia on August 8 opened a criminal case against the US technology corporation Apple following a complaint filed by the Russian company "Kaspersky Lab" regarding the corporation's activities in the popular market of applications for the iOS operating system. According to the FAS, the agency has begun investigating Apple for "signs of violation of Part 1 of Article 10 of the Law on Protection of Competition."
The company "Kaspersky Lab" accused Apple of groundlessly rejecting versions of the online child monitoring program Kaspersky Safe Kids (KSK) developed by the Russian company, which led to the new version of KSK losing most of its functionality. Meanwhile, Apple launched its own application Screen Time in iOS version 12, which has similar functionality to KSK.
Indonesia's capital will move to Borneo island
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| Jakarta is the fastest sinking city in the world - Photo: BBC |
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on August 8 that the country will move its capital from Jakarta to the island of Borneo. The Indonesian leader announced the plan on his personal Twitter page that the new location will be Kalimantan Island (the Indonesian name for Borneo). Borneo is the third largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. According to the newspaperThe Straits TimesAccording to Mr. Widodo's announcement, the capital could be located in Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan or South Kalimantan on the island.
Experts say that unlike other parts of Indonesia, much of Borneo is not affected by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. The Indonesian government wants to start planning for the new capital by 2024, before Widodo finishes his second five-year term. National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro has previously said the move could cost around $33 billion.
