French Parliament Passes Anti-Fake News Bill; Thaksin's Son Charged with Money Laundering
(Baonghean.vn) - The world in the past 24 hours has seen many events such as: The French National Assembly passed a bill against fake news; South Korea considers lifting most of the sanctions against North Korea; Japanese and Singaporean passports are the most and second most powerful in the world...
South Korea considers lifting most sanctions on North Korea
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South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. Photo: Reuters. |
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said on October 10 that South Korea is considering whether to lift sanctions on North Korea, amid warming relations between the two countries following the September 18 inter-Korean summit. The South Korean Unification Ministry is primarily responsible for this issue.
The sanctions, known as the “May 24 Measures,” were imposed after a North Korean torpedo attack on a South Korean warship in 2010 that resulted in multiple casualties. The “May 24 Measures,” implemented under the Lee Myung-bak administration, barred almost all contact between South Korea and North Korea except humanitarian assistance. Kang Kyung-wha said the government was considering lifting most of the May 24 Measures as a symbolic step to improve inter-Korean relations.
French lower house passes bill against fake news
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| A session of the French National Assembly. Screenshot from the Guardian |
The French National Assembly on October 10 voted to pass two bills aimed at preventing the spread of fake news during election campaigns.
The remaining bill would force social media companies like Facebook and Twitter to disclose the identities of individuals and companies that sponsor advertisements.
Thaksin's son charged with money laundering
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| Panthongtae Shinawatra arrives at court to hear the decision to prosecute. Photo: Matichon |
On the morning of October 10, Panthongtae Shinawatra, the only son of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, along with several key members of the Pheu Thai Party, appeared at the Supreme Prosecutor's Office in Bangkok to hear the agency's decision to prosecute at the request of the Department of Special Investigation.
Panthongtae, 38, and two others were charged with money laundering for accepting 36 million baht (over 25 billion VND) in remittances, which were said to be “unclear” loans from Krungthai Bank. Thaksin’s son was accused of laundering 10 million baht (7 billion VND). With the above accusation, Panthongtae faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years and the restriction of some civil rights.
US Ambassador to the United Nations suddenly resigns
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US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. (Photo: AP/Richard Drew) |
According to RT, US President Donald Trump accepted the resignation of US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in a meeting in the Oval Office on the morning of October 9 (local time). Ms. Haley is said to have discussed leaving the position with President Trump since last week. Ms. Nikki Haley will end her work as US Ambassador to the United Nations at the end of 2018.
Ms. Haley was elected as the 29th US Ambassador to the United Nations "the voice of the American people has become stronger". She is famous for her tough statements on the issue of imposing sanctions on Russia, criticizing China's trade policy, the North Korean denuclearization program, the Iran nuclear deal, and the situation in Syria.
Kenya: Bus overturns, killing 51 people
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| The scene of the accident. Source: standardmedia.co.ke |
The death toll from a tragic road accident that occurred on the morning of October 10 in northeastern Kenya has risen to 51. According to Kenyan police, the accident occurred in Kericho province, when a bus carrying 52 people, departing from the capital Nairobi, overturned while en route to Kakamega, in the west of the country. The cause of the accident is currently unknown.
According to official statistics from the Kenyan government, about 3,000 people die each year in road traffic accidents in the country. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the actual number could be as high as 12,000.
Afghanistan sentences officials to 20 years in prison for leaking state secrets
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| Photo for illustration purposes only: MPR News |
An Afghan prosecutor announced on October 10 that two military officials had been sentenced to 20 years in prison after a two-year trial on charges of leaking state secrets to Pakistan.
Shah Mohammad and Nazirullah were detained in 2016 after travelling to Pakistan to pass information to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). They pleaded guilty before a military court in the western city of Jalalabad.
Japanese and Singaporean passports are the most and second most powerful in the world
CNNJapan now has the most powerful passport in the world, according to the Henley Passport Index released on October 9. After gaining visa-free access to Myanmar earlier this year, Japanese citizens can travel to 190 countries around the world without a visa or with a visa on arrival.
With this result, Japan ranked above Singapore, where citizens can travel freely to 189 countries.
Germany, which had the most powerful passport at the start of the year, dropped to third place with 188 destinations, tied with France and South Korea. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden and Spain share fourth place.
The US and UK, which have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 186 destinations, came in fifth place and did not have any additional visa-free agreements with any country over the past year.
