Qatar criticizes Israeli Prime Minister, Austria "purchases" 225 armored vehicles, G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting is coming soon

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some notable world news this morning, February 20.

Asia

KYODO. Japan will continue to provide aid for reconstruction in Ukraine as the conflict there prepares to enter its third year.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal at a bilateral conference on promoting Ukraine's economic reconstruction and development in Tokyo, February 19. (Source: Kyodo)

JAPAN TIMES. Japan Airlines has begun operating a dedicated cargo plane for the first time in more than 13 years, hoping to tap into growing demand for online shopping.

KYODO. The University of Tokyo plans to launch a five-year undergraduate and master's joint training program starting in 2027, with a teaching capacity of 100 students per course, 50% of whom will be international students.

YONHAP. South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo chaired a meeting of relevant ministers to discuss solutions to deal with the situation of resident doctors resigning en masse in protest of plans to increase enrollment quotas for medical schools.

BERNAMA. Mr Mutang Tagal was elected as the 20th President of the Senate, replacing Dr Tan Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar - who resigned after being appointed as Governor of Sarawak on 26 January.

EMPO. In order to boost the national economy, Indonesia aims to build 6,000 tourism villages this year, which could contribute up to 4.5% of GDP, according to Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno.

MANILA TIMES. Philippine authorities have announced the discovery of a huge stash of giant clam shells on a westernmost island, a global hotspot for marine wildlife trafficking.

STRAITS TIMES. Singapore plans to require all flights departing from the country to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2026, contributing to reducing carbon emissions in the aviation industry.

AL JAZEERA. Dubai International Airport recorded a 31.7% increase in passenger numbers to 86.9 million last year, surpassing pre-Covid-19 levels, with India the top destination (11.9 million).

TIMES OF ISRAEL. Qatar has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments asking Qatar to pressure Hamas to release Israeli hostages, calling it a new attempt to delay and prolong the conflict.

ANADOLU. Qatari Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi has called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to end unrest in the Red Sea that is disrupting commercial shipping in the waterway.

ARAB NEWS. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres chaired a meeting from 18-19 in Doha, Qatar, with the participation of special envoys from countries and regions to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

Europe

AFP. The Norwegian government said it had brokered a temporary plan between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to help the territory avoid financial collapse.

REUTERS. The EU has formally launched a mission to help protect shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by Houthi forces in Yemen.

EURO NEWS. President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen , 65 years old, announced that she will run for a second term as President of the EC.

REUTERS. The European Commission (EC) has opened proceedings against TikTok owned by ByteDance under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to assess whether the platform is taking strong action to protect children.

AFP. Austria will buy 225 Pandur armoured personnel carriers worth around 1.8 billion euros ($1.94 billion) to strengthen its army, Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner announced.

BLOOMBERG. Auto parts maker Forvia plans to cut 13% of its European workforce, aiming to boost competitiveness and profitability in a stagnant and changing auto market.

America

AFP. The situation in the Middle East, the conflict in Ukraine, reform of the UN, WHO and multilateral banks are the key topics to be discussed at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting from February 21-22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

AP. The US Commerce Department said the country plans to provide $1.5 billion in direct support to chipmaker GlobalFoundries to boost domestic chip production.

BNN BREAKING. Mexican border guards killed 12 armed criminals in a shootout in Tamaulipas state, one of the country's hot spots for gang violence.

REUTERS. The poverty rate in Argentina in January reached 57.4% - the highest level in the past 20 years, according to the survey results announced by the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA).

Africa

AFP. Leaders attending the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) inaugurated a statue of late Tanzanian President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.

A life-size statue of the late President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere is erected on the grounds of the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Source: AFP)

Xinhua News Agency. The AU is determined to achieve the target that by 2040, 60% of vaccines used in Africa will be produced within the bloc, Kenyan President William Ruto said.

AFRICA NEWS. At least 10 people have died in Ebonyi state from Lassa fever since the beginning of the year, Nigerian health officials say.

ENCA. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture in South Africa has reported a new outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in the city of George, killing at least 45 pigs.

AP. The Moroccan navy rescued 141 migrants from a flimsy boat off the Atlantic coast, all from sub-Saharan African countries.

Oceania

ABC. Papua New Guinea is deploying extra security personnel to the highlands region where dozens of people have been killed in violent tribal clashes.

SBS. Affirming the massacre in Papua New Guinea is “very disturbing”, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia is providing significant assistance, especially training for police and security forces.

Source