7 'hot' events of the world in the past 24 hours

(Baonghean.vn) - North Korea is suspected of trying to put anthrax bacteria on missiles; The White House appoints a female diplomat in charge of the Asia region; More than 80% of Russians are ready to vote for President Putin;... ; are the outstanding international news of the past 24 hours.

1. North Korea is suspected of trying to put anthrax bacteria on missiles.

North Korea's Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile. Photo: KCNA.

North Korea is conducting tests to study the survival of anthrax bacteria under high pressure and temperature conditions when an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) re-enters the atmosphere, Asahi Shimbun reported on December 20, citing South Korean intelligence sources.

North Korea may want to put anthrax on missiles because the ICBMs they are developing are not yet capable of attacking the entire US territory.

Previously, the new US National Security Strategy announced on December 18 also accused North Korea of ​​developing chemical and biological weapons that could threaten Washington's safety.

2. White House appoints female diplomat in charge of Asia region

Ms. Susan Thornton, acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. Photo: Reuters

The White House has appointed Susan Thornton as the new diplomat in charge of East Asia and the Pacific.

According to Buzzfeed, the decision to appoint Ms. Susan Thornton is a great victory for US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and at the same time a heavy blow to the nationalist faction in President Donald Trump's administration.

Previously, some close advisers of President Trump tried every way to remove Ms. Susan Thornton from the US State Department.

Ms. Thornton, currently acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, is one of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's most trusted diplomats. She is fluent in Mandarin.

3. More than 80% of Russians are ready to vote for President Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Reuters

News agencyTASSAccording to a survey conducted by VTsIOM released on December 20, if the Russian presidential election takes place next Sunday, 83.3% of respondents are ready to vote for President Putin. About 70% of respondents said they would definitely vote.

Meanwhile, the support rate for Mr. Putin's opponents in the race to the Kremlin is quite modest, ranging from 0.3% to 4%.

According to the VTsIOM survey, Mr. Putin received the support of 82.2% of young people, 83.3% of voters aged 45-59, and 88.8% of voters aged 60 and over.

About 12% of respondents said they were still undecided about who they would vote for, while 4% said they would not vote. The VTsIOM survey was conducted among 1,800 Russian voters from December 15 to 17.

4. Philippines suddenly fires navy commander

Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado. (Photo: The Philippines Star)

Reuters reported that Philippine military spokesman Colonel Edgard Arevalo confirmed to reporters that Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado is no longer in charge of the 23,000-member navy. However, Averalo did not give a reason, saying only that "the reason for the change of command will be explained in due course."

According to a defense official familiar with the decision to fire Mercado, the issue involved equipment that would be purchased for the frigates. The official told Reuters that the vice admiral had lost the “confidence” of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Lorenzana did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rear Admiral Robert Empedrad was appointed as navy chief in a ceremony at military headquarters in Manila.

5. South Korean patrol ship fired 200 shots to chase away Chinese ship

South Korean patrol boat collides with Chinese fishing boat. Illustration photo: Getty

The South Korean Coast Guard said on December 20 that its ships fired about 200 shots to chase away dozens of Chinese fishing boats illegally fishing in the country's waters.

According to Yonhap, the incident occurred on the morning of December 19 when 44 Chinese fishing boats were operating illegally in the waters belonging to the exclusive economic zone of South Korea. The incident occurred about 98km from Gageo Island.

The coast guard vessels issued warnings to the Chinese fishing boats to leave the area, and were forced to open fire at 9:15 a.m. local time when the Chinese fishing boats attempted to ram a South Korean patrol boat, the statement said.

6. Cambodian Prime Minister affirms that dissolving the National Rescue Party is necessary.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

To guide public opinion, on December 20, Prime Minister Hun Sen reaffirmed that there was no plan to restore the National Salvation Party, and that dissolving the National Salvation Party was necessary to respond to the wishes of the Cambodian people.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said that colluding with foreigners to overthrow the legitimate government is a serious crime that cannot be pardoned, and the banning of 118 senior party officials from politics for five years has come into effect.

Prime Minister Hun Sen also sent a message to some National Salvation Party officials who wish to serve the people and those who are not prohibited by law from engaging in politics, to gather to form another opposition party to run for election in 2018./.

7. US Senate passes biggest tax reform bill in 30 years

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks after the tax reform bill was passed in the Senate on December 20. Photo: AFP.

The US Senate passed the Republican tax reform bill on December 20 by a vote of 51-48, CNN reported. The vote was chaired by US Vice President Mike Pence, with all Democratic senators opposing the bill.

The US House of Representatives previously passed the bill by a vote of 227 - 203, but a senator said that there were three provisions that violated the principles of the Senate that needed to be removed. Therefore, the bill will be sent to the House of Representatives for a second vote today. After the two houses agree, the bill will be sent to US President Donald Trump to sign into law.

The main contents of the bill include tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy, changes to the way the US taxes multinational companies, and tax cuts for owners of "generational" businesses.

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