Kim Jong-un may soon visit Russia; Venezuela arrests opposition “chief of staff”
(Baonghean.vn) - Ukrainian President signs decree to sanction Russia; Opposition leader accuses Venezuelan intelligence of arresting chief of staff; North Korean leader likely to visit Russia soon; Egypt will test state employees for drugs... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
Yonhap: North Korean leader likely to visit Russia soon
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| North Korean President Kim Jong-un (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right). Photo: EXPRESS/TTXVN |
On March 21, Yonhap news agency quoted several sources as saying that Kim Chang-son, a close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has been staying in Moscow since the beginning of this week, opening up the possibility that leader Kim Jong-un may soon visit Russia. Kim Chang-son traveled via Beijing to Moscow on March 19 and is currently in the Russian capital.
Kim Chang-son is an official in charge of logistics ahead of leader Kim Jong-un’s overseas visits. Before Kim Jong-un visited Singapore in June 2018 and Vietnam in February 2019 for talks with US President Donald Trump, Kim Chang-son visited these two countries to prepare diplomatic and logistical protocols.
Ukrainian President signs decree on sanctions against Russia
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Photo: Reuters |
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree imposing new sanctions on Russian companies and individuals involved in construction and other activities in Crimea.
The sanctions targeted individuals and entities involved in the construction of the Kerch Bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula with mainland Russia, and the November 2018 incident in the Black Sea when Russia seized Ukrainian naval vessels and sailors.
Opposition leader accuses Venezuelan intelligence of arresting chief of staff
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Roberto Marrero, chief of staff of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. Photo:Infobae. |
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on March 21 that his chief of staff Roberto Marrero was arrested by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) that morning, according toAFPMarrero also posted a voice message on social media saying he had been arrested.
SEBIN agents allegedly raided Marrero’s home in the capital Caracas before dawn. Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Sergio Vergara said intelligence agents also searched his home but did not arrest him.
Egypt to test state employees for drugs
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| Drug testing of school bus drivers in Egypt. Photo: Al Ahramonline. |
The Egyptian government has approved a bill requiring drug testing for all state employees before they are hired, promoted, contracted, or renewed. For employees working in state agencies, the testing will be done without prior notice. Those who test positive will be suspended from work.
The new rules also apply to those working in orphanages, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools and private hospitals. The bill requires that employees who refuse to undergo testing or deliberately avoid it without a valid reason will be terminated. The draft law will be submitted to parliament for approval.
Thailand clamps down on fake news on social media ahead of election
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Thai voters cast their ballots during early voting in Bangkok on Sunday ahead of the March 24, 2019 general election. (AFP Photo) |
To prevent fake news that could affect the election scheduled for March 24, Thai authorities have set up a monitoring unit called the “Electronic War Room”. Employees of this unit will scan thousands of social media posts every day, looking for false posts, posts that insult candidates or posts with inappropriate language. These posts will be printed out, stamped and sent to Facebook for review and removal.
Mr. Sawang Boonmee - Deputy Secretary General of the Election Commission of Thailand affirmed that this is part of the Government's campaign to remove obstacles that could affect the first democratic election in Thailand since 2014.
