'Bloody Easter' in Sri Lanka; Ukraine Begins Second Round of Presidential Election
(Baonghean.vn) - More than 200 people died during Easter in Sri Lanka; Ukraine began the second round of presidential elections; Countries pledged to provide 5.7 million USD in aid to North Korea... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
“Bloody Easter” in Sri Lanka
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Grief in Sri Lanka on April 21. Photo: The Sun. |
Six explosions hit three luxury hotels and three churches, mostly in and around Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, on the morning of April 21, as Catholics celebrated Easter. Two more explosions followed in the afternoon on the outskirts of Colombo. The series of attacks left 207 people dead and 450 injured, including at least 35 foreigners. The death toll is expected to rise.
The locations targeted in the attacks are frequented by foreign tourists. Sri Lanka's defense minister confirmed that seven suspects have been arrested, but no group has yet claimed responsibility. All schools in Sri Lanka have been ordered closed for the first two days of next week, while security has been stepped up across the country, especially at sacred sites and crowded places.
Ukraine Presidential Election Round 2
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Candidate Zelensky has a very high chance of being elected President of Ukraine. Photo: CNN |
On April 21, a large number of Ukrainian voters went to the polls in the second round of the country's presidential election, with a fierce "boxing match" between the two leading candidates, incumbent President Petro Poroshenko and the first round leader Vlodymyr Zelensky. This is the first presidential election in Ukraine since the events on Maidan Square, marking a major turning point, a shift from East to West in this European country.
The latest polls ahead of the second round of voting all show that candidate Zelensky - a famous comedian in Ukraine - is leading the race, with more than 70% of the votes. According to many analysts, a victory is certain for Mr. Zelensky, something that was unthinkable nearly 5 months ago when he announced his decision to run for office. The results of the second round of the Ukrainian presidential election are expected to be announced on May 4. The new president of Ukraine will take office before June 3.
Trump angry about former aide giving information to Mueller
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US President Trump at the White House on March 6. Photo:AFP. |
The US Department of Justice has just released the report of special prosecutor Robert Mueller on Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Mueller did not conclude that Trump's campaign colluded with Russia, but he found "many actions by the President that were likely to exert undue influence on law enforcement investigations", such as asking witnesses not to cooperate with prosecutors or asking aides to provide "misleading" information to the public.
Sources close to Trump said that while he felt vindicated by the report on his campaign's alleged collusion with Russia, the president also felt betrayed by former aides who provided damaging information about him.
Countries pledge $5.7 million in aid to North Korea
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North Korean countryside. Photo: Boredpanda. |
According to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, countries around the world and international organizations have pledged $5.7 million in humanitarian aid to North Korea since the beginning of the year. Switzerland accounts for nearly half of the total global aid pledges to North Korea, at more than 49 percent, or $2.8 million. Sweden comes in second with 42.6 percent, followed by Germany in third with 6 percent and then Ireland with 2 percent. Sweden pledged more than $1 million while Switzerland donated $270,000 through the World Food Programme.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 33 percent of the total aid to North Korea will go toward food assistance and the rest will be used to improve water and sanitation and other recovery work.
Afghanistan Supreme Court Extends President Ghani's Term
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| Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
On April 21, the Supreme Court of Afghanistan announced that it had extended President Ashraf Ghani's term until a new presidential election is held. President Ashraf Ghani's term will expire on May 22.
The new presidential election was originally scheduled for April 20. However, Afghanistan held parliamentary elections in October 2018 and election officials were not ready to hold a new election so quickly. Therefore, the Afghan Election Commission decided to postpone the presidential election to July 20, then again to September 28, while waiting for some final results from the parliamentary election.
