Iran stays in nuclear deal; China tests domestic aircraft carrier
(Baonghean.vn) - The world over the past 24 hours has had many outstanding news such as: China's first self-built aircraft carrier is testing at sea; the US asks North Korea to transfer nuclear weapons abroad; Argentina calls for financial support from the IMF; the UN and Congo step up control of the spreading Ebola epidemic...
China conducts sea trials for first domestically built aircraft carrier
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Type-001A aircraft carrier built by China. Photo: IC. |
China's first domestically built aircraft carrier was put into sea trials on the morning of May 13.
The aircraft carrier, currently known as Type-001A and without an official name, is China's second aircraft carrier and the first to be built domestically. The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, was purchased from Ukraine.
APThe Type 001A left the northern Chinese port of Dalian early on May 13, Chinese state media reported. The Liaoning Provincial Maritime Safety Administration has ordered ships to stay away from waters southeast of Dalian from May 13 to 18.
Both the Liaoning and the new ship are based on Soviet models and are diesel-powered. China is said to be planning a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
US asks North Korea to transfer nuclear weapons abroad
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| US President Donald Trump (right) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: Reuters/AP |
The United States has demanded that North Korea move part of its nuclear arsenal, fissile material and long-range missiles out of the country within months of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on June 12 in Singapore.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted sources today as saying that the US side made this request during discussions with the North Korean side in preparation for the US-North Korea summit. According to the US request, sanctions against North Korea will not be eased if the above request is not met. It is not yet clear how the North Korean side will react to this US request.
Iran will likely remain part of the nuclear deal.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (Illustration photo: KT) |
Speaking on state television, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani today reaffirmed that his country will remain in the 2015 nuclear deal if the five remaining countries of the deal (except the US) comply with their signed commitments and Tehran's interests are not violated.
Mr. Rouhani criticized the US for "violating morality" by withdrawing from the nuclear deal, causing the Middle East to face the risk of instability as well as negatively affecting the international oil market.
Meanwhile, on the same day, during a visit to China, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that Iran will redesign the Iran nuclear deal with five powers: Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany without the US.
It is expected that after China, the Iranian Foreign Minister will go to Russia and Belgium to meet with partners from the remaining countries of the agreement to discuss this issue.
Argentina calls for financial aid from IMF to avoid economic crisis
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| Central Bank of Argentina. Source: Reuters |
Argentine President Marcos Pena's chief of staff said he has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial support to avoid an economic crisis in the country.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Pena said that the negotiations between Buenos Aires and the IMF focused on the request for financial assistance without mentioning the IMF's request for an economic program.
The Argentine government is in talks with the IMF to seek financial assistance after the peso currency continued to lose value over the past two weeks, with the local currency trading at 23.73 pesos per dollar, its lowest level this year.
Argentina's central bank has been forced to intervene in the domestic foreign exchange market to curb the peso's slide, including raising its key interest rate to 40%.
The majority of Thai people oppose the call for protests.
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29% of Thai people surveyed believe that the election could be held early due to pressure from some sections of the population. (Photo: Rerteus) |
This is the survey result just announced by Suan Dusit Poll Survey Center, Thailand on May 13.
The survey was conducted from May 8 to May 12, with the participation of nearly 1,200 people, aged 18 and above, in various professions across the country. When asked whether the general election could be held by the end of this year, although Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced that it will be held in February 2019; up to 29% said that the election could be held early due to pressure from some segments of the population.
Regarding the plan of some activists to call for early elections, nearly 71% said they have the right to do so in a democratic country; over 22% were unsure; and approximately 7% said they are not allowed because the National Council for Public Order (NCPO) still prohibits political activities. However, when asked if they agree with the protest plan, over 52% opposed it, wanting them to take peaceful measures to avoid tarnishing the country's image, while about 48% supported it because they want elections as soon as possible.
UN and Congo step up control of spreading Ebola epidemic
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United Nations, Congo step up efforts to control spreading Ebola (Illustration photo: KT) |
According to sources from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Congolese Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga and officials from the two organizations inspected the epidemic situation in Equateur province - the latest province confirmed to have a new suspected case of Ebola in the country. Congolese authorities and related parties said they will step up efforts to effectively deal with the epidemic.
Earlier this week, Congolese authorities officially confirmed for the first time that an Ebola outbreak had broken out in the country, with the outbreak centering on the village of Ikoko Impenge with 32 cases of infection and 18 deaths since the beginning of April.
Congolese officials are racing against time to prevent the Ebola virus from spreading out of control as it did in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, killing more than 11,300 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The Pope's Guard has new hats.
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| Papal Guard. |
The Pope's Guard (also known as the Vatican's Swiss Guard) will soon replace their traditional steel helmets with PVC helmets produced by 3D printers.
For Guard members who are often on guard outside, the new helmet is much more convenient because it will help them avoid the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. Moreover, the new helmet is not more expensive than the steel helmet. According to The Daily Mail, both helmets cost 836 euros.
Consecutive bombings at churches in Indonesia, 11 people dead
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The scene of the bombing at a church in Surabaya city. Photo: BBC. |
According toRTAll three bombings occurred on Sunday morning, May 13, at three churches in Surabaya city (Java island, Indonesia), and only a few minutes apart.
As of now, the number of casualties in the series of bombings has increased sharply, up to 13 people killed (including 6 suspects) and more than 40 others injured.
Notably, the suspects who caused the bombing were identified as the husband, wife, and children of a family affected by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), who had just returned from Syria.
Specifically, the father drove a car filled with explosives into the main door of a church, then “called for everyone to calm down”. His wife and two daughters (12 and 9 years old) participated in the attack on the second church. Meanwhile, two sons (18 and 16 years old) drove a motorbike to attack the third church with explosives on them.
IS has claimed responsibility for the attack, but has not provided specific evidence.
Paris stabbing suspect born in Chechnya in 1997
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Police block off a street in the second district, near the Opera House, after a knife attack left one person dead. Photo: Reuters. |
A French judicial source said the man shot dead by police after a knife attack on Saturday night in central Paris was born in 1997 in Russia's Chechnya region, but did not reveal his identity or nationality.Reutersreport
French police have detained the suspect's parents for questioning. Paris prosecutors cited witnesses as saying the suspect shouted "Allah Akbar" (God is great) as he attacked passersby with a knife. Authorities are investigating the incident as a terrorist attack.
The stabbing took place in the second district of Paris, near the Opera House, where many tourists gather to have fun on a weekend night. Two of the four injured people are still in critical condition.
The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but has not provided evidence that the suspect is a member of the organization.
