US continues to support military coalition in Yemen; Korea and North Korea will jointly use the Han River estuary
(Baonghean.vn) - In the past 24 hours, there have been many outstanding news in the world such as: The US continues to support the military alliance in Yemen; The two Koreas promote a project to jointly use the Han River estuary; Canada - China relations may "deep freeze" because of the Huawei case; Luxembourg offers free trains and buses...
Russia: Three captured Ukrainian Navy ships were carrying unusually large quantities of weapons
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| Weapons and ammunition seized from a Ukrainian gunboat. Photo: FSB |
Three Ukrainian naval vessels were seized on November 25 after they violated Russian territorial waters for several hours, ignoring requests to stop by authorities, Russian border and security officials said. Speaking to reporters on December 8, Deputy Commander of the Russian Coast Guard, Aleksey Volsky, said the Berdyansk and Nikopol were carrying “amounts of weapons and ammunition exceeding the standards.” The artillery systems on the two ships were “loaded and on combat alert” when they approached the Russian vessels, according to Mikhail Shishov, head of the Investigative Department at the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
According to a document found on a Ukrainian gunboat, Mr. Shishov said three Ukrainian ships were instructed to “focus on finding a stealthy route” through the strait that separates mainland Russia and the Crimean peninsula.
Canada-China relations may be in "deep freeze" over Huawei case
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Meng Wanzhou (right) sits next to an interpreter during a bail hearing at a British Columbia court in Vancouver, Canada on December 7. Photo:AFP. |
Canada's former ambassador to China predicted that high-level exchanges between the two countries could be halted because of the arrest of Huawei's director. "High-level visits and exchanges with the Chinese side may be in a deep freeze," Reuters quoted David Mulroney, former Canadian ambassador to China from 2009 to 2012, as predicting today. "The possibility of discussing free trade will also be suspended for a while. But we will have to accept it. That is the price of dealing with a country like China."
Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer and vice chairwoman of Huawei, in Vancouver on December 1. The Canadian Justice Department said the arrest was made at the request of the United States, which alleges Meng concealed Huawei's ties to a company that sold equipment to Iran despite sanctions. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of "conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions," which carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
The US continues to support the military coalition in Yemen.
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| Saudi Arabian military forces intercepted an attack by Houthi rebels on the border with Yemen. Photo: Reuters |
The US government wants to continue supporting the military coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia that is intervening in the war in Yemen, said Timothy Lenderking, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Gulf and Arab Affairs, at a security forum held on December 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
At the forum, Mr. Lenderking admitted that the US government is facing great pressure to either withdraw from the conflict or not continue to support this military coalition. However, the US government believes that supporting the military coalition in Yemen is necessary. Not continuing to support would send the wrong message.
Two Koreas promote project to jointly use Han River estuary
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| View of the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
The South Korean government announced on December 9 that the two Koreas have completed a joint survey of the Han River along their western border to facilitate the joint use of the river mouth under a military agreement signed by the two sides in September. The Han River mouth has long been off-limits to civilians due to military tensions.
According to Yonhap news agency, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of National Defense announced that a 20-member team has officially concluded a 35-day survey of the Han River estuary. During the survey, the two sides measured the river, moving toward granting public access to the area and allowing private vessels to easily pass through. The survey also discovered 21 reefs, which will be marked on a map that a state-run research institute plans to release early next year.
British Prime Minister plans to postpone December 11 vote on Brexit
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British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the House of Commons session in London on November 28. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
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British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to postpone a crucial vote in Parliament on December 11 on the Brexit deal reached last month. According to the Sunday Times on December 9, Ms. Merkel will travel to Brussels next week to demand better terms from the EU.
Most public opinion believes that Mrs. May will lose the vote, and even ministers fear that the level of failure could be enough to collapse Mrs. May's government, which is deeply divided over the Brexit plan.
Luxembourg free trains and buses
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| A corner of Luxembourg city. Photo: Reuters |
From the summer of 2019, Luxembourg will become the first country in the world to make all public transport free. Accordingly, passengers will not have to buy tickets for trains, trams and buses when traveling in Luxembourg. According to The Independent, the new policy will help save costs of collecting and processing tickets, reduce private cars and limit traffic congestion.
The current public transport fare in this country is 2 euros (53,000 VND) for a 2-hour trip. To travel in first class, passengers must pay 3 euros. The second class ticket, which can be used on all types of public transport here, is 4 euros. Operating the transport system in Luxembourg costs nearly 1 billion euros a year, while ticket revenue is only about 30 million euros.
