World News – August 18th

EU

Attempts to save the Iran nuclear deal

There could be a meeting point between the EU and Iran on the nuclear issue. In fact, Brussels has received Tehran’s response to the draft understanding promoted by the EU to save the 2015 agreement carried out by Obama, from which Trump however called out the US in 2018. In the Iranian response, remarks and proposals demand to be respected. Meanwhile, the study by the EU and the confrontation with the other signatories continues. 

WESTERN EUROPE

Italy

Elections: centre-right meets for nominations, Letta running in Vicenza 

The centre-right leaders are meeting today to discuss the division of constituencies, according to sources within the coalition. In the meantime, Enrico Letta announces that he will run in Vicenza. “I think our election campaign should not be on defence but on the attack. I want to show that we can win these elections, so I have decided to make a foray where the game is most difficult and where the number of those who have betrayed Draghi is very high,’ so the Dem secretary. 

Germany

Berlin: Abbas against Israel in press conference, criticism of Scholz

‘Israel guilty of holocaust towards the Palestinians’. These were the words of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a press conference with Scholz during his visit to Berlin. “I want to make it clear that I do not agree with the use of the word used and I do not think it correctly describes the situation in Israel”. Thus the German Chancellor who said he was “outraged” by what had happened. 

United Kingdom

Gb, Truss decisive lead over Sunak according to polls 

According to a poll carried out by YouGov for SkyNews, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss is ahead of rival Rishi Sunak in the race for the Tory leadership and the post of new UK premier. According to the poll, 66% of the sample (all majority party members) are pro-Truss, while only 34% support Sunak. Another fact that emerges is a strong regret for Boris Johnson: for 55% of the respondents, the Conservatives were wrong to force the outgoing premier to resign. 

EASTERN EUROPE 

Ukraine 

Russian missiles on Mykolaiv university

The Russian army last night fired two missiles at the Black Sea National University named after Peter Mohyla, which is located in Mykolaiv. These are the words on Telegram of the city’s mayor Oleksander Sienkevych. “A few days ago I posted a video and showed that there is no military base there and that university employees work there,” the mayor specified, who added that fortunately there were no injuries. 

Zaporizhzhia: training for possible nuclear disaster

For Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, the country must “prepare for all scenarios” to cope with a possible nuclear disaster at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant. Drills with gas masks and fireproof suits began, covering the evacuation of the injured, carrying out radiation detection and washing contaminated vehicles. “As long as the plant is controlled by Russia there are great risks,” the minister added. 

WESTERN EUROPE

Italy

Elections: centre-right meets for nominations, Letta running in Vicenza 

The centre-right leaders are meeting today to discuss the division of constituencies, according to sources within the coalition. In the meantime, Enrico Letta announces that he will run in Vicenza. “I think our election campaign should not be on defence but on the attack. I want to show that we can win these elections, so I have decided to make a foray where the game is most difficult and where the number of those who have betrayed Draghi is very high,’ so the Dem secretary. 

Germany

Berlin: Abbas against Israel in press conference, criticism of Scholz

‘Israel guilty of holocaust towards the Palestinians’. These were the words of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a press conference with Scholz during his visit to Berlin. “I want to make it clear that I do not agree with the use of the word used and I do not think it correctly describes the situation in Israel”. Thus the German Chancellor who said he was “outraged” by what had happened. 

United Kingdom

Gb, Truss decisive lead over Sunak according to polls 

According to a poll carried out by YouGov for SkyNews, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss is ahead of rival Rishi Sunak in the race for the Tory leadership and the post of new UK premier. According to the poll, 66% of the sample (all majority party members) are pro-Truss, while only 34% support Sunak. Another fact that emerges is a strong regret for Boris Johnson: for 55% of the respondents, the Conservatives were wrong to force the outgoing premier to resign. 

EASTERN EUROPE 

Ukraine 

Russian missiles on Mykolaiv university

The Russian army last night fired two missiles at the Black Sea National University named after Peter Mohyla, which is located in Mykolaiv. These are the words on Telegram of the city’s mayor Oleksander Sienkevych. “A few days ago I posted a video and showed that there is no military base there and that university employees work there,” the mayor specified, who added that fortunately there were no injuries. 

Zaporizhzhia: training for possible nuclear disaster

For Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, the country must “prepare for all scenarios” to cope with a possible nuclear disaster at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant. Drills with gas masks and fireproof suits began, covering the evacuation of the injured, carrying out radiation detection and washing contaminated vehicles. “As long as the plant is controlled by Russia there are great risks,” the minister added. 

Latvia

Restrictions on renewal of Russian residence permits 

The country has decided that it will introduce new restrictions on the renewal of residence permits for citizens of the Russian Federation. This was announced by Krišjānis Kariņš, Latvia’s prime minister, who stressed that such permits will no longer be renewed automatically but will have to pass through new detailed checks and will be “rare exceptions”. 

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Kenya

Tensions fear after Ruto victory, Odinga seeks appeal 

With more than 7 million votes, William Ruto becomes the country’s new president, but the election is accompanied by much criticism and accusations of fraud. Opposition leader Odinga claims the electoral process is invalid, announcing that his coalition Azimio La Umoja will pursue all possible legal avenues to make its case. “What we saw yesterday was a travesty and blatant disregard for Kenya’s constitution,” Odinga added at a press conference the day after the elections. 

ASIA

Russia

Putin: 1 million roubles for those who have at least 10 children

As the country grapples with plummeting birth rates, Putin is reviving the Soviet-era ‘Heroine Mother’ title and award: according to The Moscow Times newspaper, the title will be awarded to women with at least ten children. The decree was signed by the Russian leader on Monday, reinstating the honour first established in 1944 by Josef Stalin in the wake of the heavy population decline during World War II. Under the decree, eligible mothers will receive a one-off payment of 1 million roubles (about $16,000) as soon as their tenth living child turns one year old. 

China

Sending troops to Russia for exercises in other countries 

The Ministry of Defence in Beijing announced that some Chinese troops will travel to Russia for a series of joint exercises with Russia itself and other countries including India, Belarus and Tajikistan. The ministry adds that the military operation ‘is not related to the current international and regional situation’ but is part of a collaboration agreement that aims to ‘deepen friendly and practical cooperation with the armies of the participating countries, improve the level of strategic collaboration between the parties, and strengthen the capacity to respond to various security threats’. 

Turkey

Ankara denies new S-400 missile contract from Russia

The government said that no new contract has been signed with Russia for the arrival of other components of the Russian S-400 missile system. “There is no new development,” so said Turkey’s Defence Industry Presidency, after Russian news agency Tass published rumours that a new deal was planned after the one signed between the two countries in 2017. 

Burma

San Suu Kyi: 6-year sentence for corruption 

Former leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to six years in prison by a Burmese military junta court on four corruption charges. said the source, who wished to remain anonymous. San Suu Kyi had already been sentenced to 11 years in prison. The new sentence represents ‘an affront to justice and the rule of law’, said a US State Department spokesman, who described the arrest and conviction as totally unjust.  

AMERICA

United States

Liz Cheney considers presidential run

During an interview with Nbc, Republican Liz Cheney said that she is considering running for president. She added that she will decide in the coming months. Cheney, in stark contrast to Donald Trump, was defeated in the Republican primary in Wyoming by the candidate backed by the former president. Trump: ‘now he can disappear’, commenting on his defeat. 

South America

Brazil

Bolsonaro vs Lula ahead of elections 2 October 

The electoral competition between the right-wing incumbent president, Jair Bolsonaro, and the left-wing ex-president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva The country will vote on 2 October. Numerous events have begun in strategic places to support the two rivals respectively.  Bolsonaro will travel to Juiz de Fora, a small town in the southeast where he was severely wounded by a knife during his 2018 campaign. Lula, on the other hand, leading in the polls, will go to a Volkswagen plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, the place where he began his political career as a trade unionist.

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