“Yellow Vest” Protests Call for Netherlands to Leave EU; Philippines’ Internal Disarray Over the South China Sea

Russia and Iran discuss launching Syrian Constitutional Committee

Overview of the Syrian peace talks mediated by Iran, Russia and Türkiye in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 15, 2018. Photo: AFP/VNA

On February 3, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the Russian delegation led by Russian Presidential Envoy Alexander Lavrentyev and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin discussed the establishment of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Tehran, Iran. The announcement stated that officials of the two countries discussed the task of quickly establishing and launching the Constitutional Committee in Geneva. In addition, preparations for the upcoming trilateral summit in the Astana framework were also mentioned. The parties exchanged views on a range of issues related to the developments in Syria as well as the Middle East region.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Deputy Foreign Minister Vershinin and Special Envoy Lavrentyev, along with representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry, met with Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani and consulted with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jabari Ansari. The ministry said the talks took place on February 2.

1 million Venezuelans march in support of President Nicolas Maduro

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (center) speaks to supporters during a rally marking the 20th anniversary of the Bolivarian Revolution, initiated by late President Hugo Chavez, in Caracas on February 2, 2019. Photo: AFP/VNA

Tensions in Venezuela's political arena escalated to a climax on January 23, after opposition leader Guaido, who is also the President of the National Assembly, declared himself "interim president" until a transitional government is established and elections are held.

'Yellow Vest' protests call for Netherlands to leave European Union

Photo: International News

About 800 "Yellow Vest" protesters took to the streets on February 2 in the southern Dutch city of Maastricht to call on the Western European country to follow Britain's lead in leaving the European Union (EU). Protesters in the Netherlands, wearing yellow vests, similar to the "Yellow Vest" movement in France, carrying national flags and banners with anti-EU content, marched for 6km to call on the Netherlands to leave the EU like the United Kingdom.

According to the protesters, the main reason for holding the march was because of the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in this city, an event that laid the foundations for the creation of the EU and the common European currency (euro). Some protesters from Belgium, Germany and France also took part.

Yemeni government and Houthi forces negotiate ceasefire

• UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths (2nd right) at a press conference at peace talks between the Yemeni Government and Houthi rebels at Johannesberg Castle, 60km north of Stockholm, Sweden. File photo: THX/TTXVN

The head of the United Nations (UN) mission in Yemen on February 3 launched talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels to discuss the implementation of a ceasefire agreement, thereby ending the bloody and protracted war in the country. The meeting took place on a UN ship off the coast of the "hotspot" city of Hodeida, because the Houthi forces did not agree to negotiate in the government-controlled area. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert chaired the meeting.

The meeting is scheduled to discuss the implementation of an agreement reached in Sweden in December 2018, which called for a ceasefire in Hodeida, which is under Houthi control, the withdrawal of military forces from the port city and the opening of humanitarian corridors. This is the third meeting of a joint committee on the implementation of the agreement.

Khashoggi murder: Türkiye still targeting Saudi Crown Prince

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman remains the prime suspect in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, an adviser to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said after meeting with the United Nations investigating the killing.

Türkiye will allow UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard to listen to the audio recording of Khashoggi's final moments, said Yasin Aktay, an adviser to the Turkish president in the ruling AK Party. Callamard is in Turkey to examine the circumstances surrounding Khashoggi's murder at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Türkiye.After much controversy, Saudi Arabia finally admitted that Mr. Khashoggi was killed by the hands of its officials but did not return the body and denied the role of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

EU to compensate Irish farmers if no Brexit deal reached

Illustration photo: agriland.ie

According to Reuters, the Irish Sunday Times on February 3 quoted sources from the European Union (EU) and the Irish Government as saying that the European Commission (EC) has agreed to compensate Irish farmers for the fall in market prices in the event that Britain leaves the EU, also known as Brexit, without reaching an agreement.

Farmers will be compensated with hundreds of millions of euros in emergency aid due to the collapse in beef and dairy prices, the Sunday Times reported. Details of the plan were agreed by Irish Agriculture Minister Michael Creed and EC Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan.

Philippines' internal turmoil over the East Sea

Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin. Photo: Facebook

Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said the country would protest China's opening of a maritime rescue center in the South China Sea. Locsin said he supported Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio's position that the Philippines should protest the rescue center built by China on Fiery Cross Reef (belonging to Vietnam). "We will protest if the news is true. However, I am inclined to address them publicly at the UN General Assembly," Locsin wrote on Twitter.

According to the Philippine Foreign Minister, they are waiting for the assessment of National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon because the government cannot handle the work based on information in the press. It is known that the news of China building a rescue center was reported by Xinhua News Agency on January 29. It is worth noting that last week, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said that the Philippines should feel "grateful" to China because the rescue center can help everyone.