World Briefs

South Korean chemical tanker capsizes off Japan; 8 killed

tokyo: A South Korean chemical tanker capsized off an island in southwestern Japan on Wednesday, authorities said, killing eight people on board. One crew member survived, and the fate of two others was unknown. Officials said the tanker was carrying 980 tons of acrylic acid, a corrosive organic compound that is used in adhesives, paints and polishes. No leak has been detected, and officials are studying what environmental protection measures may be needed in case there is a leak. The Japan Coast Guard said it received a distress call from the chemical tanker Keoyoung Sun, saying that it was tilting while seeking refuge from the weather near Japan’s Mutsure Island, about 1,000 km (620 miles) from Tokyo in southwestern Japan.

Vietnamese Presz Vo Van Thuong resigns after just over a year

hanoi: Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned after a little over a year in the job, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Communist Party. His resignation takes place amid an intense anti-corruption campaign that has hit the highest echelons of the party. The party’s Central Committee approved his resignation, writing in a statement that “violations by Vo Van Thuong have left a bad mark on the reputation of the Communist party”. Thuong, 54, became president in March 2023, two months after his predecessor Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned to take “political responsibility” for corruption scandals during the pandemic. He was the youngest president since modern day Vietnam emerged from war in the mid-1970s. The position of president in Vietnam is largely ceremonial and ranks third in the country’s political hierarchy.