US sends more troops to Syria to... withdraw; Malaysia elects new King

US sends more troops to Syria in preparation for withdrawal

US soldiers patrol in Syria. Photo:AFP

The US is deploying additional troops to Syria to protect its military forces there as they withdraw under orders from President Donald Trump, CNN reported on January 23, citing two US defense officials.

The troops could move in and out of Syria or go to various locations across the country to provide security for the withdrawal by land and air. The troops deployed to Syria are likely to be infantry, and their numbers are not known. US officials have not confirmed the start of the US withdrawal or given a future date for withdrawal, citing security concerns.

National Assembly President Juan Guaido declared himself interim President of Venezuela. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

According to AFP, on January 24, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for dialogue in Venezuela to avoid the political crisis getting out of control, after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr. Guterres said: "What we hope is that dialogue can take place, and that we avoid an escalation that leads to the kind of conflict that would be disastrous for the Venezuelan people and the region."

South Korea spends $25 million on inter-Korean cooperation projects

• Kaesong Inter-Korean Industrial Park. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

The South Korean government has approved a budget of 28.3 billion won (US$25 million) for six inter-Korean cooperation projects, the Unification Ministry said on January 24. The Council for the Promotion of Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation approved the budget, which includes 8.8 billion won for an organization that supports companies with factories in the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North Korean border city of Kaesong. The complex was closed in 2016 due to disagreements between the two Koreas over North Korea's controversial nuclear and missile programs.

In addition, the above budget includes 6.16 billion won for the joint office liaison office in Kaesong and 6.34 billion won for the Center for the Future of Unification of Korea, a unification-related educational institute.

President Trump postpones State of the Union address until government reopens

US President Donald Trump said on January 23 that he would postpone his State of the Union address until the government reopens. In a letter to President Trump last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged him to postpone his State of the Union address until the US government reopens. As Speaker of the House, Ms. Pelosi has the privilege of inviting the President to deliver the annual State of the Union address in the House of Representatives.

Responding to the decision of the Speaker of the House, US President Donald Trump said that this is Ms. Pelosi's prerogative, he will not look for another alternative location, because there is no more worthy and important location than the House of Representatives. He will give a speech after the government shutdown ends. President Trump also affirmed that he will give a "big" State of the Union speech in the near future.

EU ready to postpone Brexit deadline March 29

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Photo: THX/TTXVN

On January 24, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz informed the UK that the European Union (EU) was ready to postpone the UK's official departure from the union - which was scheduled to take place on March 29 - and affirmed that the EU wanted to postpone it until after the European Parliament elections in May.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Chancellor Kurz said the EU was prepared to do everything possible to avoid a no-deal Brexit scenario and was also prepared, if necessary, to postpone the official Brexit date if the UK also wanted this.

On January 24, the Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Abdullah, officially became the new king of Malaysia after a meeting of the royal families. Sultan Abdullah will replace Sultan Muhammad V, who unexpectedly abdicated earlier this month after getting married. According to a statement from the Malaysian Royal Family, the new King will rule the country for a five-year term, starting on January 31.

Malaysia is a monarchy, but it has a unique arrangement where the throne changes hands every five years, between the nine rulers of the nine Muslim states. All the rulers meet at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur, in a meeting called the Conference of the Kings, to elect a new king. Under the rotation system, the ruler of Pahang is currently at the top of the list.