World Tour: China tightens controls on fentanyl

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LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: World Tour.

From China’s crackdown on fentanyl to wildfires in Greece, war in Ukraine, and tensions rising in Syria—here is WORLD’s Mary Muncy with this week’s report.

MARY MUNCY: We begin today in China, where officials say they will strengthen controls on chemicals used to make fentanyl.

Earlier this year, the White House accused the Chinese Communist Party of subsidizing companies that make so-called “precursor chemicals.” It imposed a series of tariffs to stem the flow to the United States.

GUO JIAKUN: (Mandarin) This measure is an independent initiative taken by the Chinese government to fulfill its obligations as a party to the United Nations drug control conventions.

But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun says the country’s move is “independent” and to “fulfill its obligations as a party to the United Nations.”

GUO JIAKUN: (Mandarin) Fentanyl is a problem for the U.S., not China, and the responsibility lies with the U.S. itself.

Jiakun says fentanyl is a problem for the United States, not China.

U.S. officials say since at least 2016 in the past six years, Chinese traffickers have been making precursor chemicals and shipping them to Mexico, where they’re turned into fentanyl and smuggled across the border. The drug killed almost 50,000 Americans last year.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands...Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed world leaders at the NATO summit at the Hague. He told his audience that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no interest in peace with Ukraine.

ZELENSKYY: Putin only thinks about war. That's a fact.

Zelenskyy went on to say that Ukraine wants to cooperate with NATO in any way possible.

Elsewhere aboard Air Force One...President Donald Trump told reporters:

TRUMP: As you know Vladimir called me up. He said, "Can I help you with Iran?" I said, "No, I don't need help with Iran. I need help with you." And I hope we're gonna be getting a deal done with Russia.

That may be an uphill climb, however. Ukrainian officials say Russian drones killed more than 20 civilians—injuring hundreds more during a recent strike.

Next, a church in Syria is still reeling from a suicide bombing that claimed the lives of at least 25 people on Sunday.

An unidentified gunman entered a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus and opened fire. The congregation tried to stop him, but the terrorist detonated an explosive vest. 63 people were wounded.

SOUND: Singing in church

Mourners carried the coffins of loved ones during the funeral procession Sunday evening. At the service, the Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch said the Syrian government should take full responsibility for the attack, and called for protection from religious extremism.

SOUND: Vigil

In a rare show of unity, Syrian Christians and Muslims held a candlelight vigil for the victims, where many spoke out against the violence.

AUDIO: (Arabic) To first say that we are against any action, against any violence, against any terrorism that is happening in Syria, or will happen because this violence does nothing but spread and destroy ,

A priest in attendance says here that religious violence has no place in Syria, as attacks have increased in recent months.

A small Muslim extremist group claimed responsibility for the bombing yesterday.

Over to Europe’s southernmost tip,

SOUND: FIRES BURNING

Greece’s government has declared a state of emergency on the Mediterranean island of Chios as a fire burns out of control. More than 400 firefighters have arrived from across Greece to battle the flames. Local villagers are also lending a hand.

PSILOS: (Greek) A lot of people from the nearby village gathered together here to help, we filled up tanks. The images were terrifying. But thank god everything will be ok and the fire will not progress more towards the south of Chios.

This resident thanks God—saying many are terrified but glad to help fill water tanks in hopes of preventing the fire from spreading further south.

Greece is often hit by wildfires during its hot and dry summers. Athens has hired a record 18,000 firefighters this year—expecting a particularly challenging fire season.

And finally to Italy. Security camera footage from Florence’s Uffizi Gallery this weekend shows a clumsy visitor damaging a 300-year old portrait.

In the video, a tourist is seen striking a similar pose for a photo, when he trips backward—catching himself with his hand against the painting—ripping the unprotected canvas in the process.

The visitor quickly stands up, puts his hands behind his back, and then pretends to study the painting before moving away.

Earlier this year a similar incident occurred at a nearby museum when a visitor pretended to sit on a crystal chair for a photo, but then slipped, crushing the artwork.

The chair was repaired and the painting is expected to be back on display next week, but both museums are reviewing new guidelines to keep careless patrons from damaging priceless works of art.

That’s this week’s World Tour, I’m Mary Muncy.

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