SUVA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A scholar on Tuesday slammed Japan's planned discharge of radioactive wastewater from its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

"The contamination will affect the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty areas as well when it eventually flows there," said Kalinga Seneviratne, a visiting lecturer at the University of the South Pacific, in an interview with Xinhua in Suva, capital of Fiji.

"Also, since fish stocks are migratory, contaminated fish could be caught within the treaty area," Seneviratne added.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jun 13 (NNN-ANTARA) – Boeing announced yesterday that, the company has signed an agreement with AirNav Indonesia, to explore initiatives to further enhance the safety and efficiency of Indonesia’s national air traffic management system.

Improving airport and flight operations can help increase the safety and sustainability of Indonesia’s aviation system, through more efficient movement of aircraft and reduced fuel use, Boeing said.

JOHANNESBURG, June 13 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. lawmakers is calling for a U.S.-Africa trade summit planned for later this year to be moved from South Africa in response to what they said was the country's "deepening military relationship" with Russia.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior officials, they also suggested South Africa is in danger of losing its benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) - Washington's flagship trade programme.

June 13 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry released video footage on Tuesday of what it said were German-made Leopard tanks and U.S.-made Bradley Fighting Vehicles captured by Russian forces in a fierce battle with Ukrainian troops.

Reuters was able to confirm that the vehicles seen in the video were Leopard tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, but was not able to independently verify the location or date of the footage.

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 13 (APP): The United Nations will help Pakistan and India in whatever way it can in dealing with the impacts of the approaching cyclone Biparjoy, a U.N. spokesman said on Tuesday.

“I have had no doubt that our country teams both in India and Pakistan and other countries that may be impacted are very much tracking the storm and doing whatever they can do to prepare for the aftermath,” Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in response to a question at the regular noon briefing in New York.

CAIRO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Egypt and the Republic of Korea have signed a financing deal worth 460 million U.S. dollars on manufacturing 40 trains that include 320 carriages for the second and third lines of the metro in Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation announced Tuesday.

The agreement was signed in Cairo by the Egyptian ministry and the ROK's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) on Monday.

Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat said the deal is part of the soft finance provided by the EDCF to Egypt.

MOSCOW, June 13. /TASS/: Russia is considering withdrawing from the grain deal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with military reporters on Tuesday.

He drew attention to the fact that most of the Ukrainian grain, contrary to the agreements, goes to quite prosperous countries of the European Union. "We understand this. We deliberately agreed to it (grain deal - TASS) in order to support developing countries - our friends, and in order to lift sanctions on our agricultural sector. We were deceived once again," he said.

12 June 2023; MEMO: Deputy Secretary-General of Lebanon's Hezbollah group, Sheikh Naim Qassem, has affirmed the group's support for the head of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Franjieh, to become Lebanon's next president.

NEW DELHI (AP) — An earthquake struck the eastern India-controlled Kashmir region Tuesday, sending tremors throughout New Delhi and parts of northern India. The quake was also felt in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan.

The quake had a 5.4 magnitude and its epicenter was in Doda, a small town in India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, according to India’s National Center for Seismology. The quake was at a depth of 6 kilometers (3.7 miles).

In Pakistan, many people fled their homes and offices in the capital, Islamabad, and the city of Lahore.

TEHRAN, Jun 13 (NNN-IRNA) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, yesterday, rejected the U.S. claim that Iran is sending materials to Russia, to help Moscow build a drone manufacturing plant.

Nasser Kanaani made the remarks, at a weekly press conference, in response to the White House’s allegation that Tehran “provided hundreds of armed drones to Russia last month, for Moscow’s war in Ukraine,” according to a statement on the website of Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

13 June 2023; MEMO: Israeli defence technology company, Elbit Systems, intends to open two sites in Morocco, according to Shai Cohen, head of the liaison office in Morocco.

Cohen told reporters on Friday that the two branches will produce "defence systems", pointing out that "one of the branches will be opened in the city of Casablanca".

The announcement comes as Moroccan-Israeli relations are witnessing rapid developments in various fields, especially in the field of defence and security.

JERUSALEM (AP) — The World Bank and Jordan are using a “flawed” algorithm to calculate aid for the kingdom’s citizens, excluding some people who are impoverished, hungry or otherwise struggling, a leading rights group said Tuesday.

Human Rights Watch reported that the automated program ranks the income and socioeconomic status of Jordanian families, a practice known as “poverty targeting.” The report said that approach leaves out some needy people — such as the owners of modest businesses — increasing poverty in a nation of 10 million citizens.