JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Four Australian tourists and two Indonesians were rescued after being missing for two days in the waters off Indonesia’s Aceh province, officials and the father of one of the Australians said Tuesday.

Peter Foote, the father of Elliot Foote, who had traveled to Indonesia to celebrate his 30th birthday with friends, said he received a text message from his son saying he is okay.

LVIV, Ukraine, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russian air strikes hit two western regions of Ukraine bordering NATO member Poland and other areas on Tuesday, killing three people in a factory and wounding more than a dozen, Ukrainian officials said.

Local media said the attacks were the largest air assault on the Lviv region since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

YELLOWKNIFE (Northwest Territories, Canada), Aug 15 (NNN-XINHUA) — Yellowknife, the capital city of the Northwest Territories, Canada, declared a state of local emergency due to surrounding wildfires on Monday night.

The declaration was passed at an emergency council meeting Monday evening. The city said on its official social media that it can exercise precautionary practices and acquire the equipment and resources needed to keep Yellowknife safe.

Aug 15 (Reuters) - The death toll after an explosion near the Dominican Republic capital on Monday has risen to at least 12, CNN said in a news report, citing the Dominican Red Cross.

Initial victims included a four-month-old baby and two adults, the national health service said in a statement on Monday.

Another 65 people were injured and some 55 people are missing after the explosion at a business in San Cristobal, west of the country's capital Santo Domingo, the CNN report said.

TAIPEI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Tuesday it has not seen large-scale exercises or any other action by the Chinese military near the island after China condemned a brief U.S. visit by Taiwan Vice President William Lai.

China on Sunday denounced Lai's U.S. stopover on his way to Paraguay, saying that he was a separatist and "troublemaker through and through", and that it would take strong steps to protect its sovereignty.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 15 (APP): The Embassy of Pakistan in Hungary has announced to arrange the first-ever four-day art exhibition of Pakistani artists from September 5, in connection with the 76th anniversary of Independence Day.

The exhibition titled “Chaharbagh” will display the work of eight artists interpreting their thoughts in different mediums from traditional miniatures to contemporary mix media, a press release on Tuesday said.

The artists will include Alefiya, Javaria Ahmad, Maryam Cheema, Minaa Haroon, Murad Khan, Mumtaz, Sakina Akbar, Sana Durrani and Sundas Azfer.

15 August 2023; MEMO: Rabbi Yaakov Israel Herzog lives in the capital of Saudi Arabia and has granted himself the title of the “First Rabbi of Riyadh” after opening the first Chabad Movement house in Saudi Arabia to serve the thousands of Jewish expatriates living there. “One man isn’t waiting for peace to become official,” reported Israeli channel I24.

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/: Most countries are prepared to stand up for their sovereignty and the times call for the international community to work together in shaping the world of the future, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video address to participants and guests of the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.

"We are seeing consistent movement toward the emergence of a multipolar world order. Most countries are prepared to stand up for their sovereignty, national interests, traditions, culture and way of life," he emphasized.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president called for deeper security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan to address North Korean nuclear threats, saying Tuesday that his upcoming summit with the U.S. and Japanese leaders at Camp David will “set a new milestone in trilateral cooperation.”

SUVA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A total of 19 Fijian students were awarded the 2023 Chinese Government Scholarship on Tuesday by the Chinese Embassy in Fiji.

Of the recipients, three have been admitted in PhD program, three in Master's program and 13 in Bachelor's program, covering a wide range of domains, including clinical medicine, physical training, international finance, software engineering, and civil engineering.

RAMALLAH, Aug 15 (NNN-WAFA) – Two more Palestinians, including a teenager, were killed today, during clashes with Israeli soldiers in Aqabat Jabar refugee camp, close to the West Bank city of Jericho.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that, Qusai Al-Walaji, 16, and Mohammad Najoum, 25, died after Israeli soldiers shot them during clashes in the refugee camp.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that, two other Palestinians were injured during the clashes and were sent to a local hospital.

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — The military junta that seized power in Niger said it plans to prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for “high treason” and undermining state security, an announcement that came hours after the mutinous officers said they were open to dialogue with West African nations to resolve the regional crisis.

If convicted, Bazoum could face the death penalty, according to Niger’s penal code.