Briefly

RUSSIA

Proof of US, UK role in pipeline blasts claimed

Russia has evidence of the involvement of the United States and Britain in the explosions of the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. Russia will release the evidence based on what is most practical and on how the situation around the investigation into the incident will develop, Zakharova noted. The spokesperson added that Moscow has repeatedly offered to cooperate with relevant parties on the investigation but received no response. Previously, Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, said the US and Britain were directly involved in the explosions of the pipelines.

UNITED STATES

Early in-person voting begins in Arizona

Early in-person voting began on

Wednesday in Arizona, making it the first of this year's presidential battleground states where all residents can cast a ballot at a traditional polling place ahead of the Election Day. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes visited a voting center in suburban Phoenix on Wednesday and encouraged people to vote early. Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, is scheduled to host a rally in Phoenix on Thursday, while former president Donald Trump will hold one Sunday in Prescott Valley, about 150 kilometers north of Phoenix. Wednesday's voting overlaps with campaign stops by both vice-presidential nominees.

SOUTH KOREA

Carmakers to recall 607,000 vehicles

Three domestic and foreign carmakers in South Korea will voluntarily recall some 607,000 vehicles for manufacturing defects, the transport ministry said on Thursday. Hyundai Motor will recall 312,744 units of two different models, including the Sonata sedan, to fix a design error in the airbag control unit, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The airbag control unit's design error prompted a recall of 285,327 units of four different models such as the Forte from Kia affiliated with Hyundai, while Kia will repair the software error of the electronic brake system in 8,592 units of its EV9.

Agencies - Xinhua