Netherlands pays people to ride bicycles; US continues to withdraw troops from Afghanistan
(Baonghean.vn) - The Netherlands spends money for people to ride bicycles; "Yellow Vest" protests begin to appear in Portugal; Russia "touches the neck" of British media company BBC; After Syria, the US continues to withdraw troops from Afghanistan; South Korea wants to reduce the scale of military exercises with the US next year... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
After Syria, the US continues to withdraw troops from Afghanistan
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| US soldiers in Afghanistan. Photo: Hürriyet Daily News |
A day after announcing the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, US President Donald Trump surprised everyone on December 20 by deciding to withdraw a large number of troops from the battlefield in Afghanistan. This is seen as the latest sign that President Donald Trump's patience with both the war in Afghanistan and US military intervention abroad is gradually fading.
With the latest decision by US President Trump, about 7,000 of these soldiers may be brought home in the next few months after careful consideration by the US President. The above information immediately caused a strong reaction among the American public and Afghan diplomatic officials.
"Yellow Vest" protests begin in Portugal
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| The "Yellow Vest" movement is starting to take shape in Portugal. Source: Alton Telegraph |
The “Yellow Vest” protest movement, which originated in France in mid-November, has spread to Portugal. On December 21, in the capital Lisbon, hundreds of protesters demanding tax cuts took to the streets, disrupting traffic.
About 100 protesters clashed with police in a central square in Portugal. Meanwhile, several roads were blocked in the northern city of Braga. Protesters expressed their opposition to corruption and high taxes.
Russia "touches the neck" of British media company BBC
Russia's communications regulator Roscomnadzor said on December 21 that it has begun checking Internet sources of British media outlet BBC and BBC World News channel to determine whether they comply with Russian law.
In the announcement, Roscomnadzor said this was in response to the UK's media regulator Ofcom saying that Russia's RT TV channel violated media regulations in some of its news and current affairs programs.
US House passes bill to keep government running until February
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| US Treasury Department headquarters in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP/VNA |
On the morning of December 21 (Vietnam time), the US House of Representatives passed a temporary spending bill for the US government, which includes funding for the construction of the US-Mexico border wall as requested by President Donald Trump.
The House of Representatives passed a temporary spending bill to keep the US government running until February 2019 with 217 votes in favor and 185 against. The bill will then be sent back to the US Senate for consideration and approval before the deadline of the night of December 21 to avoid a partial government shutdown due to lack of funds.
Türkiye declares to "wipe out Kurds and IS forces from Syria"
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| After the US withdrew its troops, Türkiye threatened to “bury” the Kurds in Syria. Illustration photo: AFP). |
AFP and Reuters both reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on December 21 announced that he would wipe out US-backed Kurdish militia and Islamic State (IS) militants from Syria after the US decided to withdraw its troops from the country.
Speaking in Istanbul, Mr. Erdogan emphasized: "In the coming months, we will see a style of action to eliminate the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units) and Daesh (IS) fighters on the Syrian battlefield."
South Korea wants to scale down military exercises with the US next year
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US and South Korean soldiers during a joint exercise. Photo: WSJ. |
South Korean Defense Minister Song Young Moo said that in order to improve diplomatic relations with North Korea on the nuclear issue, in 2019, South Korea will reduce the scale of some annual military exercises with the United States.
Accordingly, the two major exercises, Foal Eagle and Ulchi Freedom Guardian, will be reorganized at a level that does not harm diplomatic relations with North Korea. This is also the spirit that US Defense Secretary James Mattis previously stated.
The Netherlands pays people to ride bicycles
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A bicycle parking lot in the Netherlands. Photo: CNN. |
With a population of 17 million and 23 million bicycles, the Netherlands is a country with more bicycles than people. According to statistics, in 2016, more than a quarter of Dutch people's outdoor trips were by bicycle. But only a quarter of people cycle to work, while half of those who live less than 7.5km from work commute by car.
This is a good distance to cycle. To encourage employees to cycle to work, the Dutch government rewards cyclists with a tax credit of 0.22 USD for every kilometer cycled to work.
