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

(Baonghean.vn) - US General warns 'war is coming'; President Duterte's son resigns as Mayor of Davao;Passenger car collides with bus in Philippines, 20 people die... is international news in the past 24 hours.

1. US general warns 'war is coming'

The commander of the US Marine Corps, General Robert Neller, declared to US soldiers stationed in Europe that "war is imminent".

According to Military.com, during a visit to US troops stationed in Norway last week, General Robert Neller said so and also said that "a big battle is coming. He also told the soldiers about the importance of readiness in peacetime operations, which can change depending on the situation.

Speaking to 300 troops stationed at the Norwegian Home Guard base near Trondheim, General Neller said US military planners were focusing on Russia and the Pacific, as those were the likely areas of conflict.

2. President Duterte's son resigns as Mayor of Davao

Mr. Paolo Duterte (right) is the eldest son of President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: AP

On December 25, Paolo Duterte, son of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has recently been embroiled in controversy over his alleged involvement in a drug smuggling ring through the Philippine Bureau of Customs, resigned as Vice Mayor of Davao City. The decision will take effect immediately.

The announcement by Paolo Duterte stunned many members of the Davao City Council, who had just met after a fierce fire broke out at a shopping mall and killed more than 30 people over the weekend.

3. Passenger car collides with bus in Philippines, 20 people die

The passenger car was badly damaged after the accident. Photo: CNN/LTRB

CNN quoted police sources as saying that the accident happened early on the morning of December 25 on MacArthur Road in Agoo town, 200km north of the capital Manila, Philippines.

Agoo police official Eugenio Balagot said the accident involved a coach carrying 29 passengers and a bus carrying 31 passengers. Initial investigations showed that the coach was overtaking recklessly and crashed into the bus coming from the opposite direction.

The collision killed 20 people - all of them passengers on the coach, including a 5-month-old baby, a first-grader and two teenagers. Nine passengers on the coach and 17 passengers on the bus were also injured, but the bus passengers mostly suffered only minor injuries and have been released from hospital.

4. US President Trump decided to cut ties with Palestine

US President Donald Trump. Source: Reuters

Debkafile, an Israeli website closely linked to the country's military intelligence agency, said the Trump administration has decided to carry out a series of sanctions against the Palestinian Authority (PA), after the PA had a successful campaign on the Jerusalem issue at the United Nations General Assembly.

In a news release on December 23, Debkafile cited several sources from Washington saying that President Trump had decided to cut off all relations and communications with the PA as well as with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

5. North Korea defends the right to space development

North Korea has defended its right to develop space. Getty Images

North Korea on December 25 defended its space development program as a legitimate right - a move that has led to speculation that Pyongyang could conduct missile and nuclear tests under the cover of satellite launches.

An article published in the Rodong Sinmun daily - the mouthpiece of the Workers' Party of Korea - said that with the launch of the Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite in February 2016, Pyongyang entered the era of developing applied satellites.

The article emphasized: “Our launching of satellites is an exercise of legitimate rights that is completely consistent with the United Nations Charter, which stipulates the fundamental rights of respect for sovereignty and equality, as well as international law regulating the peaceful use of outer space.”

6. Russia receives signal that the US is ready to talk with North Korea

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: rferl.org

Sputnik reported that on December 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow had received signals from the US showing that Washington was ready to dialogue with North Korea.

In another development on the same day, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said that his country is closely monitoring the situation surrounding North Korea's nuclear program.

Mr. Abdrakhmanov criticized Pyongyang's "irresponsible policy, which is undermining collective efforts towards a nuclear-free future."

Foreign Minister Abdrakhmanov said that North Korea's missile program is "one of the threats to regional security".

7. Bus crashes into pedestrians in Russian capital, causing many casualties

On December 25, a bus suddenly crashed into an underground pedestrian crossing in the west of the Russian capital Moscow, killing at least 5 people and injuring more than 10 others.

Police said the victims included both passengers on the bus and passers-by. The bus driver has been detained for investigation.

Russia's TASS news agency quoted sources from the country's security agencies as saying that they do not rule out the possibility of a terrorist attack in the incident. Authorities are currently investigating the cause.

Peace

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