DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Donetsk attack: Is peace in Eastern Ukraine doomed? Dmitry Peskov made it clear on Monday that Moscow will not withdraw from the Minsk peace agreement, even if it is "very difficult" to hold talks with Ukraine after the attack on Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the Donetsk pro-Russian separatists. Earlier, the Russian presidentʼs press spokesman had said the attack would have "inevitable" consequences and that it wasnʼt helpingthe Minsk peace process. His remarks gave rise to speculation about the consequences for the peace plan for parts of eastern Ukraine, not yet implemented but agreed in 2015 in the Belarusian capital under German and French mediation. Kyiv considers the region an area occupied by Russia
Taliban: Haqqani network leader dead The founder and head of theHaqqani network insurgent group, Jalaluddin Haqqani, has passed away after a long illness, according to a Taliban statement. "Just as he endured great hardships for the religion of Allah during his youth and health, he also endured long illness during his later years," thenetworkʼs allies in the Talibanannounced. The statement did not disclose Haqqaniʼs time or date of death. Media reports had reported Haqqaniʼs death back in 2015, but the Taliban and family members denied those claims. The Afghan militant group has in the past covered up the deaths of previous leaders, such as that of Taliban supreme commander Mohammed Omar, which was kept under wraps for two years.
203/2018 • 05 SEPTEMBER, 2018
Typhoon Jebi hits Japan Strongest in 25 years
More than 600 flights have been cancelled as Tokyo urged people in the path of the storm to evacuate. Authorities are preparing for the worst. Japanese authorities on Tuesday urged nearly 300,000 people to evacuate as typhoon Jebi made landfall. At least 600 flights, along with dozens of ferries and trains, were cancelled as Jebi — Korean for "swallow" — continued on course for the western part of Honshu, Japanʼs largest main island. Japanese weather bureau chief forecaster Ryuta Kurora issued a warning, saying Jebi could trigger landslides, flooding and tornadoes. Other meteorologists gave similar predictions. Read more:Will extreme weather become even deadlier? ʼWinds and floodingʼ Damaging winds and coastal flooding may be the most significant impacts with this storm," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Adam Douty. He added that high winds "will have the potential to cause significant damage." Authorities recorded winds gusts of up to 216 kilometers per hour (135 miles per hour) as Jebi plowed into Japanʼs Honshu island. Far from the eye of the storm, the capital of Tokyo was set to receive heavy rains in the afternoon.
Deadly yearThis year, Japan has been hit by several deadly weatherrelated disasters: an unprecedentedly severe heat wave in July, followed by torrential rains that triggeredlandslides and flooding later in the same month, leaving more than 220 people dead. The floods were the deadliest of their kind in more than 30 years. Widespread flooding At least 100 people have died or are presumed dead, with dozens still missing, after torrential rains pummeled wide areas of western Japan. "Weʼve never experienced this kind of rain before," an official at the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) told media. Search for survivors Rescue workers have spent the past few days digging through mud and debris, searching for signs of life in flood-damaged homes. More than 70,000 emergency workers, including soldiers and police, have been deployed to assist in the mission. "It has been three days... Itʼs possible that survivors will be found, but as the days pass the likelihood becomes slimmer," a soldier at the scene told AFP.
Argentinaʼs Macri imposes new austerity measures Argentine President Mauricio Macri on Monday announced his government would implement new austerity measures aimed atstabilizing the countryʼs economy. "We must confront a fundamental problem: to not spend more than we have, to make efforts to balance the stateʼs accounts," Macri said. The measures include taxes, massive spending cuts and an export tax on primary exports, including agricultural goods. "We know itʼs a bad, terrible tax that goes against what we want to foster: more exports to create more quality jobs," Macrci said. "Itʼs an emergency." The centerright president came to power in 2015 on promises to cut taxes. On his first day in office,he announced sweeping cuts to agricultural taxes. But economic woes have pushed down Argentinaʼs currency, withthe peso losing roughly 50 percent of its value to the US dollarsince January.
Mexicoʼs Enrique Pena Nieto blames police for crime surge Outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Monday blamed surging violence across the country on state and local policeʼs inability to deal withsmaller criminal networksthat emerged aftermajor cartel leaders were captured. The federal government "had success in significantly reducing the capacity and size" of drug cartels, Nieto said in his final state of the union address.
weather today BUDAPEST
16 / 24 °C Precipitation: 0 mm