* At least five people were killed and 40 others wounded as quakes measuring 6.5 and revised 6.9 magnitude rocked again Lombok Island in central Indonesia on August 19 morning and evening, a senior disaster agency official said on August 20. * Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to comprehensively strengthen the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Party building in the country's armed forces to ensure a solid political guarantee for the building of a strong military. * Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday (August 19) that his government would provide further support for the people in public housing and health care. * The upgraded heavy Mi-26T2V helicopter developed for the Russian Aerospace Forces has performed its first flight, Russian Helicopters affiliated with Russia's Rostec said Sunday. * Hajj season started on August 19 with the Day of Tarwiyah ritual with 1,966,461 pilgrims. * US National Security Advisor John Bolton … [Read more...] about World News in Brief: August 20
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World news agencies discuss future of journalism
The event, sponsored by Russia’s TASS news agency, was attended by representatives from nearly 30 major news outlets around the world, including Russia Today, AP of the United States, ANSA of Italy, AFP of France, Kyodo News of Japan, Xinhua of China, EFE of Spain, PA of the United Kingdom, IRNA of Iran and Prensa Latina of Cuba. Speaking at the summit, TASS Director General Sergei Mikhailov stressed there is a need to develop verification mechanisms to counter fake news. Deputy Director General of the Vietnam News Agency Le Quoc Minh (L) talks to leaders of IRNA of Iran on the sidelines of the summit in St. Petersburg "It is no news that media outlets have been using social media as sources of information, it is also no news that social media users learn about various events, particularly incidents, before the media do," he said. "It is impossible and wrong to ignore this, so professional media outlets should learn to make the most of it," Mikhailov added. He … [Read more...] about World news agencies discuss future of journalism
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The Vietnamese Embassy in Canada is participating in the 2018 Travel and Vacation Show in Ottawa on March 17-18, to promote the image of the land and people of Viet Nam.The central city of Da Nang has overtaken HCMC and Ha Noi, Viet Nam’s two biggest cities, to become the only Vietnamese candidate listed in the world’s top 10 worth-living destinations for expats in 2018, according to a survey conducted by Live and Invest Overseas travel magazine.Viet Nam’s Dat Tham beach in Con Dao has been listed among the top ten eco-friendly beaches in South-east Asia by the UK’s Independent Newspaper.As winter's cold grip loosens on Ha Noi, the city has been named one of the ideal travel destinations for March by American-based Business Insider.Viet Nam is among the world’s 25 best travel destinations for international visitors to enjoy warm spring sunshine as the tropical country is in the most beautiful season of the year with the northern and central regions … [Read more...] about World News
World News in Brief: March 18
* The US Commerce Department said it will begin accepting requests on March 19 for product exclusions from President Donald Trump's new steel and aluminum import tariffs, but it could take up to 90 days for the agency to make determinations. * Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel has said that the European Union (EU) is now in a critical phase and Germany wanted to address major European issues quickly together with France. The European Council set for next week will be the first time to talk about the idea of EU's future relations with Britain after the latter quits the bloc. * As many as 30,000 civilians evacuated from rebel-held areas in the Syrian capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta area on March 17, state news agency SANA reported. The mass evacuation took place through two crossings, one in the Hamouriyeh area and the other near the Water Resources facility in Harasta area in Eastern Ghouta. * The African Union (AU) has decided to deploy about 40 observers in Egypt for the … [Read more...] about World News in Brief: March 18
World News in Brief: March 17
* Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, told the Security Council that a cease-fire, although fragile, has been holding for the past six days in one part of the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta. He voiced concern over the humanitarian situation in Eastern Ghouta, Afrin and across the country. * The Space Industry Bill, which will unlock an exciting era of British space innovation, exploration and investment, has been signed by Queen Elizabeth on March 15. The government believes it will create the potential for hundreds of highly-skilled jobs and bringing in billions of US$ for the economy. * Austria's economy is maintaining its strong growth momentum and will expand even more this year than previously expecte. According to the Austrian Institute for Economic Research (WIFO) and the Institute of Advanced Studies (IHS), two leading economic research institutes, Austria's economy to reach 3.2 percent and 2.8 percent respectively in 2018. *FIFA has approved the use of … [Read more...] about World News in Brief: March 17