UN adopts refugee pact; US approves $12 billion in aid for farmers

UN General Assembly adopts Global Compact on Refugees

Libyan children at a refugee camp in Bani Walid. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

On December 17, the vast majority of United Nations member states voted to adopt the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), affirming the spirit of international cooperation and solidarity to protect migrants and develop welcoming communities. The Global Compact on Refugees, which aims to reduce the burden on destination countries, received 181 out of 193 votes in favor. The United States and Hungary voted against, while three other countries, the Dominican Republic, Eritrea and Libya, abstained.

The Global Compact on Refugees is not legally binding, but instead seeks to establish an implementation framework for national and regional solutions, discuss financing and potential partnerships, and share relevant data between countries. It also establishes systems for monitoring progress, including the convening of a ministerial-level Global Refugee Forum every four years.

Russia prepares to respond in case the US withdraws from the INF Treaty

Russia's Novator 9M729 ballistic missile system is introduced at the International Military-Technical Forum in Kubinka, outside Moscow on June 17, 2015. Source: Reuters/VNA

Commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel General Sergey Karakaev, in an interview with the Red Star newspaper of the Russian Armed Forces, said that all the impacts of the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty, the deployment of intermediate-range missiles in Europe and the risks arising from them threatening Russia's security have been taken into account. Accordingly, one of the countermeasures is that from now until the end of the year, Russia plans to introduce into the Army about 100 new weapons models, including the Yars fixed and mobile missiles.

This is also a response to the US deployment of missile defense systems in Eastern European countries. Mr. Karakaev said that Russia has taken many military-technical measures that will significantly reduce the effectiveness of the US missile defense system in Europe.

WEF: The world will need more than 100 years to achieve gender equality

Illustration photo. Source: Institute of Entrepreneurship Development

A new report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) released on December 18 warned that it will take centuries for the world to achieve gender equality in the workplace, despite the efforts of women. The WEF report said there had been some improvement in pay equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global wage gap widened for the first time in a decade. But the WEF said the improvement was offset by declining representation of women in politics, along with greater inequality in access to health and education.

The WEF report also points out that the situation of gender equality varies between countries and regions. According to the report's estimates, while Western European countries can close the gender gap within 61 years, countries in the Middle East and North Africa will take 153 years.

China celebrates 40 years of reform and opening up, aiming for 100 years

The venue for the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up.

On the morning of December 18, China solemnly held a ceremony to celebrate the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. About 3,000 delegates attended the ceremony. At the ceremony, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping delivered an important speech reviewing China's achievements over the past 40 years and affirming his determination to continue reform and opening up to successfully achieve the two 100-year goals set by the Communist Party of China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping affirmed that over the past 40 years, China has persistently liberated its thoughts, been open-minded with Marxism as its guiding doctrine, persistently focused on economic construction, persistently followed the path of political development of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the "independent and autonomous foreign policy of peace"....

US approves second $12 billion aid package for farmers

Checking USD. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

On December 17, US President Donald Trump approved the second payment from a $12 billion aid package to help farmers who have been hit hard by the trade war with China. On Twitter, President Trump said he was fulfilling his commitment to protect American farmers from foreign trade retaliation by allowing the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to deploy the second payment in the relief package.

The USDA approved the aid program for farmers in July after China imposed a 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans in response to Washington’s tariffs on Chinese goods. The agency disbursed the first round of aid in late August.

Court opens pre-trial hearing for 18 Catalan leaders

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Catalonia Oriol Junqueras. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Spain's Supreme Court on December 18 opened a preliminary hearing ahead of the start of the public trial of 18 Catalan separatist leaders accused of participating in last year's failed independence plot. However, the 18 defendants, including former Catalan Deputy President Oriol Junqueras, were not present at the hearing in Madrid, which focused mainly on technical issues.

The sensitive trial is expected to begin in late January or early February 2019, more than a year after Catalan leaders declared independence from Spain in October 2017.

Japan strengthens military power to deal with Russia and China

A Lockheed Martin F-35B stealth fighter jet aboard the amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp in waters off the southernmost island of Okinawa, Japan. Photo: Reuters

The Japanese government on December 18 approved a new defense plan, affirming that the country will increase the purchase of stealth fighters, long-range air defense missiles and many modern weapons in the next 5 years to support its US ally in dealing with challenges in the Western Pacific. This is the clearest sign showing Tokyo's ambition to become a regional power, in the context of Moscow and Beijing expanding their influence in East Asia and the Pacific.

Japan will buy 45 more F-35 stealth fighters worth $4 billion, in addition to the 42 it has already ordered, the Defense Program Guidelines revealed. Eighteen of the planes will be the F-35B version with short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, allowing them to operate from aircraft carriers and islands in the East China Sea.

German police raid mosque on suspicion of terrorism financing

On the morning of December 18, German police raided a mosque in the north of the capital Berlin, after suspecting that the preacher at the mosque transferred money to an Islamic militant in Syria with the aim of carrying out "terrorist acts".

According to the German Prosecutor's Office, police searched the As-Sahaba mosque in the Wedding district, north of Berlin, where Ahmad Abul, 45, was preaching, on charges that he had transferred money to an Islamist militant who carried out terrorist activities. There has been no comment from Ahmad Abul's lawyer or anyone else involved.

France announces heavy tax on Google, Facebook, Amazon...

Major US technology companies including Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon will be taxed by France. Photo: DPA

On December 17, French Economy Minister Le Maire confirmed that France's plan to tax major US technology companies including Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon (also known as the GAFA group) will be implemented from January 1, 2019. Mr. Le Maire expects the new tax policy to add 500 million euros (570 million USD) to the French budget in 2019.

The European Commission estimates that while traditional businesses pay tax at a rate of 23% of their profits, Internet companies are paying only 8 or 9%, with some not even paying any tax at all.