10 outstanding international events last week

(Baonghean.vn) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's brother was assassinated in Malaysia; Samsung Vice President was officially arrested; North Korea launched a ballistic missile; Trump's security advisor resigned after a scandal with Russia;... are notable events in the world last week.

1. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's brother was assassinated in Malaysia

Mr. Kim Jong-nam. Photo: Internet

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, has been assassinated in Malaysia.

Kim Jong-nam is the eldest son of the late leader Kim Jong-il. In addition to Yonhap news agency reporting on this incident, cable TV channel Chosun TV also said that Kim Jong-nam was believed to have died at the airport in Malaysia.

Before his alleged assassination, Kim Jong-nam had been living outside the country since his younger brother Kim Jong-un took power in late 2011. He also held no official position in Pyongyang. His mother, Sung Hae-rim, was a South Korean-born actress who died in Moscow, Russia.

Malaysian police have arrested four suspects in connection with the death of Kim Jong-nam. The case is under further investigation.

2. Samsung Vice President Officially Arrested

On the morning of February 17, the Seoul Central District Court approved an arrest warrant for Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on charges of bribery and involvement in the political scandal of President Park Geun-hye.

Lee Jae-yong (48 years old) is the heir and only son of Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

The court said the newly added evidence showed there were sufficient grounds to arrest Lee Jae-yong. Prosecutors could detain Mr. Lee for 20 days before formally charging him.

Lee is accused of paying bribes worth $36 million to help President Park Geun-hye and her friend Choi Soon-sil win a government transfer of power. They are also investigating and gathering more evidence that Lee embezzled Samsung funds and hid assets overseas.

3. By launching ballistic missiles, who does North Korea want to "threaten"?

A North Korean long-range missile launch. Photo: Yonhap

“The launch, which took place right after the meeting between the two US and Japanese leaders, is clearly a provocative act towards Japan and the region,” said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

US officials said the projectile launched by North Korea was an intermediate-range ballistic missile. The missile flew 500km before falling into the Sea of ​​Japan. Intermediate-range ballistic missiles typically have a range of 3,000-5,000km, far enough to cover South Korea but not reach US territory.

“This is clearly an action aimed directly at Japan,” said Carl Schuster, a professor at Hawaii Pacific University and former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center.

Although South Korea is most concerned about North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs, analysts say Pyongyang has relented in its aggressive stance, especially after the impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

“Over the past month, North Korea has been very careful to avoid raising tensions with South Korea,” former US Ambassador to the United Nations Christopher Hill told CNN. “This kind of North Korean provocation only serves the interests of South Korea and the tough response.”

4. Trump's security adviser resigns after Russia scandal

Advisor Flynn is one of President Trump's closest and long-time associates in the current White House. Photo: Getty.

On the evening of February 13 (local time), CNN cited two anonymous sources as saying that Flynn had resigned, three weeks after he officially assumed this position in the administration of President Donald Trump.

The resignation comes after a series of criticisms of Mr. Flynn's close ties to the Russian government. Before officially taking the position of national security adviser (January 20), he is said to have spoken with the Russian ambassador to Washington, Mr. Sergey Kislyak, about lifting the US sanctions imposed on Russia.

He also lied to Vice President Mike Pence about the conversation. Flynn's discussion of foreign policy with Russia, a country considered a US adversary, was considered a serious breach of protocol.

The Trump administration has repeatedly denied the allegations in public. After the conversation with the Russian ambassador was made public, Flynn initially denied that the conversation had discussed lifting sanctions. But his spokesman later said Flynn "cannot be certain that the topic never came up."

5. America's tallest hydroelectric dam is about to break, thousands of people urgently evacuated

On February 12, thousands of people living near Oroville, the tallest hydroelectric dam in the United States, were ordered to evacuate immediately after authorities warned that the dam could burst at any time.

“An emergency evacuation order has been issued for areas downstream. This is not a drill. People are not to go near the Oroville Dam,” the sheriff of Butte County, California, emphasized in a notice posted on social media.

The dam is now just 6 feet from its crest. California state officials say engineers have begun carefully releasing water from Lake Oroville to ease the strain on the hydroelectric dam. The dam has reached its maximum capacity after weeks of heavy rain and snow, threatening to wash away massive concrete blocks and cause the dam to collapse, potentially unleashing an uncontrollable flood across northern California.

Last week, California Governor Jerry Brown asked the federal emergency management agency to declare a state of disaster due to flooding and mudslides after the storm. About 16,260 people currently live in the area around the Oroville Dam. The 230-meter-high dam, built between 1962 and 1968, is the tallest hydroelectric dam in the United States.

6. Former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was elected as the new President of Germany.

On February 12, former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was elected as the new President of Germany after winning 931 out of 1,239 valid votes from parliamentarians and representatives from 16 states of the country. In the above voting round, 103 people abstained and 14 ballots were deemed invalid.

Mr Steinmeier, 61, is a member of the Social Democratic Party and one of Germany's most prominent politicians. He served two terms as foreign minister, leaving the post in January.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Mr. Steinmeier on his victory and expressed confidence in the new President's leadership: "I trust that he will lead the country through this difficult period."

In the German political system, the President is the head of state but is not given much power in running the country. Mr. Steinmeier is expected to officially take office on March 18 after the current President Joachim Gauck leaves office.

7. Russia declares it will not return Crimea to Ukraine

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Photo: Sputnik

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced on February 15 that Moscow will not "return" Crimea to Ukraine as previously proposed by the White House.

“We will not return our territory. Crimea is part of the territory of the Russian Federation,” RT quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying at a weekly briefing on issues related to Russia’s foreign policy.

The statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry representative is believed to be in response to the White House's previous comments regarding the Crimea issue. Specifically, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters at a press conference on February 14 that President Donald Trump expressed a tough stance towards Russia and hoped that Moscow would return the Crimean peninsula, an area that it annexed into its territory since 2014.

Mr. Spicer's statement immediately met with opposition from Russian parliamentarians, including Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the Russian Federation Council (Russian Senate) Viktor Ozerov.

8. Banning Valentine's Day in Palestine

Pakistani people protest against celebrating Valentine's Day. Source: Daily Mail

Exactly one day before Valentine's Day, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has banned all Valentine's Day celebrations across the country.

This is the first country in the world to ban Valentine's Day. Accordingly, all activities related to this love holiday will not be able to take place in public places in Pakistan. The above decision was issued by the Islamabad High Court after receiving a petition from a citizen named Abdul Waheed, who soon became famous.

The petitioner argued to the court that Valentine’s Day is not a Muslim tradition and that its promotion in the media and on social media should be stopped. The court eventually accepted the petition and ordered local authorities to take action to stop the celebration of Valentine’s Day nationwide.

The court said the ban must be implemented immediately. It also asked the Ministry of Information, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and the Islamabad mayor to ensure strict implementation of the ban.

9. The US claims to have killed more than 60,000 IS militants

US-led coalition airstrikes destroy a target in Raqqa, Syria.

On February 15, General Raymond Thomas, commander of the US Special Forces Command, announced that the US and its allies had destroyed more than 60,000 militants of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

US special forces have played a key role in counterterrorism operations, including those targeting senior IS leaders. In recent weeks, the US-led coalition has stepped up airstrikes against the group in Raqqa, Syria.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, the US-backed army continues its campaign in Mosul and has taken control of many areas in the east of the country's second largest city. According to estimates, thousands of IS militants have been killed in the fighting in Mosul.

The figures for militants killed by the US differ from the figures given by British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon in December last year. According to Mr. Fallon, more than 25,000 IS members have been killed, much lower than the number announced by the US.

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