Kuala Lumpur Comprehensive News,June 18th, MalaysiaPrime Minister Anwar told the media after attending the Hachi Festival celebration at the foot of Penang's mountains that Malaysia has expressed its intention to join the BRICS countries to Brazilian President Lula and will apply according to the procedures. AnhuaexpressTwo months ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began studying how to apply to join the BRICS countries.Previously,Adjacent toMalaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia are also interested in joining this emerging international organization with deep influence in China. Thailand has submitted a formal application. Indonesia was originally rumored to have applied to join last year, but President Joko later said that Indonesia would not decide whether to join until later.

It is understood that,The earliest BRICS countries were Brazil, Russia, India, and ChinaThe cooperation mechanism was established in 2009, with South Africa joining in April 2011, and Egypt, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia joining on January 1 of this year. These 10 member countries are all representative emerging markets and developing countries.

Bloomberg reported that on June 18th, a four month long wave of doctor strikes in South Korea escalated. At the call of the largest local doctor group, the Korean Doctor Association, about 10000 doctors participated in a strike rally held in Seoul to protest against government healthcare reform plans such as expanding enrollment in medical schools.

South Korean Minister of Health and Welfare, Cao Guihong, said that South KoreaAbout 4% of 36000 private medical institutions have declared closure to the government. In order to reduce the negative impact of medical vacancies, the government has issued "work orders" for these institutions and plans to sue doctors for unilateral refusal of diagnosis and other behaviors. In response, South Korean President Yoon Seok yeol stated that the government must crack down severely on this illegal behavior of ignoring patients, but if doctors return to work, the government is willing to work with them to solve the problem. The Korean Medical Association has warned that if the government does not accept the doctors' demands, they plan to go on strike indefinitely from the 27th.

military

01More than 20 North Korean soldiers have once again crossed the military demarcation line between South and North Korea

According to Yonhap News Agency, on June 18th, the Joint Staff Headquarters of South Korea stated that more than 20 North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line between South and North Korea in the demilitarized zone last week and were warned by the South Korean army with a gun fired warning. Around 8:30 am on June 18th, another 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers working in the demilitarized zone crossed the military demarcation line between South and North Korea. After South Korea fired a gun and broadcasted a warning, these North Korean soldiers immediately turned north and returned.

Yonhap News Agency pointed out that North Korean soldiers frequently cross military demarcation lines, which seems to be related to North Korea's recent construction in the demilitarized zone. In recent days, several North Korean soldiers working in the demilitarized zone have been injured or killed due to landmine explosions. Although the construction and laying of landmines in the frontline areas have led to multiple landmine explosions, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries, the North Korean military still seems to be working in an unreasonable manner.

It is understood that after North Korea announced the abolition of the September 19 Military Agreement between South and North Korea on November 23 last year, starting from January this year, it has gradually resumed frontline outposts, planted landmines near the South Korea North Korea connection road, and dismantled the railway tracks and street lights connecting the two countries. Meanwhile, since April this year, North Korea has deployed a large number of troops in various frontline areas, including the northern border, and has continued to carry out various tasks, including clearing wasteland to strengthen surrounding capabilities, laying landmines, strengthening tactical roads, and installing unclear structures that appear to be obstacles to anti tank warfare.

According to Xinhua News Agency,On June 18th, the Israeli military stated in a statement that in response to the tense situation on the Israeli Lebanese border, the commander of the Northern Command of the Israeli Defense Forces, Golding, and the director of the Operations Bureau, Basiuk, approved the plan to carry out military operations in Lebanon and conducted a situation assessment at the Northern Command. The Israeli military will continue to improve the combat readiness level of frontline troops. The statement did not mention specific details of the combat plan.

Since the new round on October 7th last yearThe conflict between Israel and KazakhstanSince the outbreak, Hezbollah in Lebanon has occasionally launched attacks on northern Israel, retaliating by Israeli air strikes and shelling targets in southern Lebanon. The conflict between the two sides on the Lebanese Israeli border has continued to this day, and the situation between Israel and Lebanon has continued to escalate in recent days. The northern region has been repeatedly attacked by rockets from Lebanon. A large number of residents in the southern and northern border areas of Lebanon have evacuated.

01Vietnam's chili pepper export reached 16 million US dollars

According to preliminary statistics from the Vietnam Pepper Association, the export volume of Vietnamese chili peppers reached 6511 tons in the first five months of this year, with an export value of over 16 million US dollars, an increase of 10.1% and 36.5% year-on-year, respectively, according to the electronic report of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Among them, the export volume of Vietnamese chili peppers reached 1435 tons in May this year, with an export value of 3.3 million US dollars, a decrease of 25.8% compared to the previous month. China is the largest export market for Vietnamese chili peppers, with an export volume of 1273 tons, accounting for 88.7% of Vietnam's total chili pepper exports.

It is reported that the Jiulong River Plain is the capital of chili pepper cultivation in Vietnam, mainly distributed in Tongta, Anjiang, Qianjiang, Shuozhuang, Yonglong, and Charong, with a total planting area of7000 hectares, with an annual output of 100000 tons. Vietnam has been allowed to export fresh chili peppers to China since March 2022. Fresh Vietnamese chili peppers must meet the quarantine standards of Vietnamese functional departments and authorized units, and relevant parameters must be indicated on the plant quarantine certification. The rich variety and high spiciness of Vietnamese chili peppers are the main reasons why China is increasing its chili pepper import efforts to Vietnam.