French government postpones fuel tax hike; Ukraine holds major military exercise near Russian border
(Baonghean.vn) - In the past 24 hours, many events have taken place in the world such as: Ukraine mobilized reserve troops, conducted large-scale military exercises near the Russian border; The French government made concessions to postpone fuel tax increases; President Trump appointed "hawk" officials to negotiate with China; The Israeli army neutralized a tunnel to infiltrate the territory from Lebanon...
Russia-US dialogue remains "at a standstill"
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| Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and US President Donald Trump at the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 30, 2018. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
On December 4, the Kremlin expressed regret that Russia and the United States have so far failed to develop bilateral dialogue, despite careful preparation by each side.
The Russian news agency TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that the dialogue process between Russia and the US is still "stuck in place", even though both sides have certain plans and preparations. The official stressed that decisions to organize bilateral contacts have been "reversed at the last minute" on many occasions, "despite the existence of many strategically important issues". He admitted: "This is regrettable".
French government concedes to delay fuel tax hike
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Protesters burned cars and threw petrol bombs in the middle of the street. Photo:Reuters |
AFP quoted a government source saying that the French prime minister will announce the suspension of the fuel tax increase, which has been the direct cause of the riots in Paris in recent days. According to government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux, President Emmanuel Macron is open to dialogue, but will not withdraw the policy reform.
The French government's decision to raise gas prices, citing its commitment to combating climate change, sparked anger among the public and sparked the "yellow vest" protests across Paris last week. Protesters set up makeshift barricades and barricades made of wooden tables and chairs and scrap metal, set fire to vehicles, threw rocks at riot police, and looted local stores. Three people were killed, more than 260 injured, and at least 400 arrested. Security forces used more than 10,000 tear gas grenades, stun grenades, and water cannons to quell the protesters.
Ukraine mobilizes reserve troops, holds large-scale military exercises near Russian border
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Image:Reuters |
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry began large-scale live-fire exercises and mobilized reservists on the training ground on December 3. The exercises were carried out after martial law came into force in 10 of Ukraine's 27 regions. The exercises were held at brigade level for 15 days and at training centers for 20 days.
Previously, the Verkhovna Rada - the name of the Ukrainian parliament - on November 26 gave the green light to implement President Petro Poroshenko's decree to impose martial law in a series of provinces bordering Russia to deal with "a significant increase in Russian armed forces along the border and in Crimea". This order took effect from 2:00 p.m. on November 26 to 2:00 p.m. on December 26. Many regular and reserve army units were deployed to the Ukrainian Infantry Training Center near Honcharivske, Chernihiv province.
Trump appoints "hawk" official to negotiate with China
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US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (center) is a hardliner on trade with China. Photo:Getty |
On December 3, the White House announced that President Donald Trump had appointed Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to lead further negotiations with China. According toPoliticoMr Lighthizer is a hawk on US-China trade and could help the US president achieve some of his goals. In a separate statement, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the final agreement between the two sides could address issues such as intellectual property, technology and currency.
After the dinner between Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina, the US temporarily suspended the promotion of increasing import tariffs from 10% to 25% on200 billion USDChinese goods. However, Washington set a 90-day deadline for the two sides to negotiate on a number of issues that have been considered difficult to reach an agreement on in the past.
Israeli army neutralizes infiltration tunnel from Lebanon
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| Israeli soldiers and a tunnel discovered originating from the Gaza Strip. Photo: Polaris |
The Israeli military said its security forces had discovered Hezbollah tunnels dug from Lebanon across the border with Israel. On December 4, the Israeli military also confirmed that it had begun an operation called “Intercept and Expose” to neutralize these underground structures.
The tunnels discovered have not yet been put into use, according to Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, who declined to say how many tunnels had been discovered or how they would be neutralized. According to Conricus, all operations would take place within Israeli territory and the Israeli military has used various methods to collapse or fill tunnels from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory.
Italian police arrest new mafia boss in major raid in Sicily
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| Source: vistanet.it |
Italian police have arrested the new mafia boss Settimino Mineo and dozens of other suspects in a massive raid, Italian media reported on December 4. Police arrested jeweler Mineo and at least 45 other suspects in Sicily just before the 80-year-old boss was officially recognized by the Cupola Mafia Godfathers. Investigators said the suspects were accused of extortion, illegal possession of weapons, arson and other crimes.
According to Italian media, criminal gangs in Sicily have tried to re-establish the "Godfather" Cupola after many years of unsuccessful plans. Cupola intends to install Mineo to replace notorious boss Toto Riina, who died of illness last year while in prison.
New Delhi fined $3.5 million for failing to reduce toxic smog
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Smog in New Delhi, India on October 25, 2018. Photo: AFP/VNA |
India's National Green Tribunal (NGT) on December 4 fined the New Delhi government $3.5 million for failing to enforce regulations aimed at reducing toxic smog in the city. Concluding a hearing on a complaint filed by New Delhi residents over factories violating waste burning laws, the National Green Tribunal ruled that the Delhi government had failed to provide adequate oversight after several polluting companies continued to burn toxic waste in the open. The ruling asked the Delhi government to submit to the court a plan to address the crisis.
Toxic smog is blamed for causing illness in the city of 20 million people. Every winter, New Delhi is blanketed in a thick layer of smog, with levels 30 times higher than safe levels. An estimated 1.1 million Indians die prematurely each year because of air pollution.
