Aug 31 (Reuters) - A newly released video of Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin purports to show him in Africa only days before his death, addressing speculation about his wellbeing and possible threats to his security.

"For those who are discussing whether I'm alive or not, how I'm doing - right now it's the weekend, second half of August 2023, I'm in Africa," Prigozhin says in the short video published by the Grey Zone Telegram channel which is linked to his Wagner Group.

TOKYO, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Japan's agriculture minister on Thursday referred to the Fukushima nuke wastewater released into the ocean as "contaminated water" instead of the term "treated water" insisted by the Japanese government, which triggered criticism from the government.

"We exchanged information on the subsequent evaluation of contaminated water," Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tetsuro Nomura told the reporters after his meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the latter's official residence.

LONDON, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Grant Shapps, who has been serving as Britain's energy secretary, has replaced Ben Wallace as Britain's new defense secretary, the office of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday.

It is the fifth cabinet job for Shapps, 54, in a year. His previous roles were energy secretary, transport secretary and home secretary.

"I'd like to pay tribute to the enormous contribution Ben Wallace has made to UK defense & global security over the last 4 years," Shapps wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, following the appointment.

UNITED NATIONS, August 31. /TASS/: There is no sign of the Ukrainian conflict ending currently in sight, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.

"Hope never ends, but I would of course be lying if I would say that I believe we are seeing in the immediate horizon a possibility of peace in Ukraine," he noted.

TOKYO (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to Japan visited a city in Fukushima on Thursday and had a seafood lunch with the mayor, talked to fishermen and stocked up on local produce to show they are safe after the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, backing Japan while criticizing China’s ban on Japanese seafood as political.

MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/: The deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, believes that the world may see the emergence of new viruses "of not only natural but also of artificial origin." He was speaking at the opening of a meeting of the presidium of the Presidential Council on Science and Education.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday its latest missile launches simulated “scorched earth” nuclear strikes on South Korea and that it’s also been rehearsing an occupation of its rival’s territory in the event of conflict.

SAVAGE, Md. (AP) — One person died and 18 others were injured in a wrong-way crash involving a Greyhound passenger bus on a Maryland highway, police said.

The driver of an SUV died early Thursday when the vehicle, which driving on the wrong side of the highway, hit the bus, according to police. The crash injured the bus driver and 17 bus passengers.

BEIRUT, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Beirut Thursday for an official visit to Lebanon after wrapping up his tour in Syria, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Upon his arrival at the airport, the Iranian diplomat told the press that his country called on the international community to help Lebanon, which has been mired in a major financial crisis and political impasse, according to the NNA.

MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/: Russia has made it clear to the Turkish side what the West needs to do in order for the grain deal to be resurrected, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference following talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

"Of course, we talked about the problem that arose after the termination of the Black Sea Initiative for the export grain from Ukrainian ports on July 18. We conveyed to our Turkish partners our vision for what needs to be done in the West, first of all, to restore the viability of this initiative," he said.

DAR ES SALAAM, Aug 31 (NNN-GNA) — The entry of Ethiopia into Brics is likely to spur increased trade and investment relations with the East African Community (EAC) bloc, according to Ethiopia’s ambassador to Tanzania.

The Horn of Africa country, the second most populous in sub Saharan Africa, is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the continent.

Shibru Mamo Kedida said Ethiopia’s entry into Brics would have a positive impact on the Horn of Africa and East Africa.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has delivered a recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Administration on marijuana policy, and Senate leaders hailed it Wednesday as a first step toward easing federal restrictions on the drug.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said Wednesday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the agency has responded to President Joe Biden’s request “to provide a scheduling recommendation for marijuana to the DEA.”