World Briefs: Russia unveils green target for 2030

ST PETERSBURG • Fossil fuel-rich Russia has for the first time set out a greener economic path for the coming three decades in a long-term, low-carbon development plan released this week.

It pledges to cut planet-warming emissions by a third by 2030 from levels in 1990, around the time the heavily industrial Soviet Union collapsed, although that represents an increase in Russia's greenhouse gas pollution from today.

Climate experts said the strategy and 2030 target were not ambitious enough, but did signal growing political and business interest in tackling climate change in an economy that is one of the world's biggest suppliers of oil, gas and coal.

REUTERS

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Trump signs Act to support Taiwan

TAIPEI • United States President Donald Trump has signed into law an Act that requires increased US support for Taiwan internationally, which will likely infuriate a China already angry with Mr Trump's criticism of its handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (Taipei) Act, signed by Mr Trump into law on Thursday with strong bipartisan support, requires the US State Department to report to Congress on steps taken to strengthen Taiwan's diplomatic relations.

REUTERS

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Indonesia's Merapi erupts

JAKARTA • Indonesia's most active volcano, Mount Merapi, erupted yesterday, shooting a column of ash some 5,000m into the air in its second major eruption this month.

Ash and sand covered areas several kilometres from the peak of the rumbling crater near Indonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta. But the authorities did not raise Merapi's alert level.

"There has been no report of damage from the eruption. We urge people to stay calm and not panic," national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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Sex abuse ring probe to go public

SEOUL • Seoul prosecutors have said the investigation into a South Korean man who allegedly ran an online sexual abuse ring targeting girls and women will go public.

According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, a committee mandated to review the propriety of disclosing information about criminal cases decided on Wednesday to open up the ongoing probe into Cho Ju-bin.

This marks a rare exception to a Justice Ministry directive in effect since last December that forbids publicising criminal cases until the investigation is concluded and guilt is established.

THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK