Iran passes anti-terrorism financing bill; China pumps $110 billion into economy
(Baonghean.vn) - The world over the past 24 hours has been filled with many outstanding news such as: Iran's parliament passed a bill against terrorism financing; China injected 110 billion USD in cash into the economy; Israeli Prime Minister's wife appeared in court on charges of public fund fraud;...
US Secretary of State meets North Korean leader to discuss denuclearization
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met in Pyongyang on October 7. Photo:Twitter. |
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Pyongyang on the morning of October 7 for his fourth trip to North Korea. He and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un discussed for about two hours. The US Secretary of State affirmed that he had a "great trip" and a "very successful morning". An official in the US Secretary of State's working group said that this visit to North Korea was "more positive than the last time" but still needed more efforts from both sides.
According to the South Korean presidential press office, Secretary Pompeo and the North Korean leader agreed to arrange the second summit between the US and North Korea at the earliest possible date. The two sides also agreed to establish a working group to discuss the denuclearization process and the summit.
Iran's parliament passes bill against terrorism financing
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| Panoramic view of a National Assembly session in Tehran. Photo: AFP/VNA |
Iran's parliament on October 7 passed a bill to combat terrorism financing, which is seen as an important move to salvage the Iran nuclear deal with European and Asian partners. According to Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency, the Iranian parliament passed the bill to combat terrorism financing by a vote of 143 to 120. The bill is one of four government proposals to meet the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), thereby allowing Tehran to join the United Nations Convention Against the Financing of Terrorism.
Speaking before the vote, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed that although he could not confirm that all problems would be solved if Iran joined the treaty, he said that not participating would only give the US an excuse to cause more trouble for Tehran.
China pumps $110 billion in cash into economy
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110 billion USDCash will be released to boost China's economy amid the trade war. Photo:AFP |
China announced on October 7 that it would cut the amount of cash commercial banks must hold as reserves at the central bank. The move will free up some110 billion USDfor these banks. The People's Bank of China said it would cut the reserve requirement ratio by about one percentage point from October 15. This is to ensure "reasonable growth" of credit.
According to China's central bank, the country's commercial banks will have an additional 1.2 trillion yuan thanks to the above cuts, of which 450 billion yuan (65 billion USD) was used to repay the central bank, and 750 billion yuan (110 billion USD) The remaining will be used for lending.
Israeli Prime Minister's wife appears in court on charges of embezzlement
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Sara Netanyahu (blonde), wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appears in court in Jerusalem today. Photo: Reuters. |
Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appeared in court in Jerusalem today for her first hearing on charges of misuse of public funds. Prosecutors have accused her and a government official of misusing more than $100,000 in public funds to pay for hundreds of restaurant meals, while the prime minister had a personal chef at his residence.
Sara Netanyahu denies the charges. If convicted, she could face up to five years in prison.
The hearing is largely a procedural matter. The judge announced that prosecutors and Sara’s lawyers will meet on November 13 to try to narrow their differences or even “resolve the case.”
Indonesia will stop searching for missing victims from October 11
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| People wait to be evacuated by military plane from Palu city, Central Sulawesi province, Indonesia on September 30, 2018. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
In a statement on October 7, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that the large-scale search operation involving many personnel and rescue equipment will end on October 11 and that victims whose bodies have not been found will be declared missing. However, small-scale searches may still take place.
As of the afternoon of October 7, nearly 10 days after the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Indonesia, authorities have found 1,763 bodies. There are currently reports that about 5,000 people are still unaccounted for, according to reports from the authorities in the villages of Balaroa and Petobo, two localities right next to Palu - the city most heavily affected by the tsunami disaster on September 28.
Taliban increases attacks ahead of Afghan parliamentary elections
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| Afghan soldiers conduct a security check at a checkpoint in Jalalabad city, Nangarhar province on August 1, 2018. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
Taliban militants set fire to a police station in Wardak province's Sayeed Abad district, killing 10 policemen, including the district police chief, a senior Afghan police official said on October 7. The Taliban then raided several homes, destroyed newly erected security posts and cut off power to several areas of the city. The Taliban are currently blocking the Kabul-Kandahar highway, the main route linking Kabul with Afghanistan's southern and western provinces, while fighting between government forces and the Taliban continued throughout the day, according to local council official Husain Ali Baligh.
Clashes between security forces in Afghanistan and Taliban insurgents have increased recently as Afghanistan prepares to hold parliamentary and local elections on October 20.
Wildfire rages in Sintra-Cascais Natural Park (Portugal)
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| Aircraft extinguish fires in the Charneca village area in the Sintra National Park, west of Lisbon. Source: AP |
More than 700 firefighters and police were mobilized to extinguish wildfires that broke out in Portugal’s Sintra-Cascais Natural Park on October 7. The fires began overnight on October 6 and spread due to strong winds, injuring 18 people, including nine firefighters, according to the country’s civil protection agency.
The Sintra-Cascais Natural Park was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995 for its natural landscape and centuries-old architecture. This place has now become a popular tourist destination.
