US plans to withdraw troops from Syria; Rumors of a Thai military “coup”
(Baonghean.vn) - The US military has implemented a plan to withdraw troops from Syria; Singapore calls on Malaysia to withdraw its ships from disputed waters; A record 44 candidates are running for the Ukrainian presidency; Rumors are circulating that the Thai military is sending armored vehicles into Bangkok to stage a "coup"... are the world's top news stories of the past 24 hours.
US-North Korea to continue expert-level talks
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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) during a summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12, 2018. (Source: EPA/VNA) |
The South Korean presidential office said on February 10 that the United States and North Korea plan to hold a new round of talks in a third country in Asia next week to prepare for the second summit between the two countries' leaders.
According to the spokesman of the President of South Korea - Mr. Kim Eui-kyeom, President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump also plan to have a phone call soon to discuss Mr. Trump's upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, scheduled to take place on February 27-28 in the capital Hanoi.
According to Mr. Kim Eui-kyeom, the new round of negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang will be conducted "in the week starting February 17 in a third country in Asia", but did not give further details.
Record 44 candidates running for Ukrainian presidency
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The presidential election campaign in Ukraine officially began on December 31, 2018. Photo: PNA |
A total of 44 out of 91 people who applied became candidates for the Ukrainian presidency at the end of March 2019. According to the Central Election Commission of Ukraine (CEC), this is a record number in the history of the country. The CEC stopped accepting applications on February 3 and, by law, it takes five days for the Commission to decide on the official list of candidates.
According to opinion polls, incumbent President Petro Poroshenko, opposition politician Yulia Tymoshenko and actor Volodymyr Zelensky are the most likely candidates. The presidential election in Ukraine is scheduled to be held on March 31. According to the rules of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, if no candidate wins a majority of votes (50% plus 1 vote), the second round of the presidential election will take place on April 21.
US military implements plan to withdraw troops from Syria
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The US military is said to have begun withdrawing from Syria. (Photo: Reuters) |
The US military is currently implementing a plan to withdraw all troops and military equipment from Syria within 120 days, until the end of April 2019. The withdrawal plan has been implemented although there has been no official decision from the White House.
Several US officials said the US military withdrawal plan is being carried out independently of the White House's efforts to seek assurances from Turkey that it will not attack America's Kurdish allies after the US military withdraws from Syria. So far, Turkey has rejected the White House's request. Only military equipment is continuing to be moved out of Syria, and US troops will not begin to withdraw until there is an official decision from the White House. The Pentagon said there is still no specific roadmap for the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.
Rumors spread that the Thai military brought armored vehicles into Bangkok to stage a "coup"
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| Military convoy appears on the road heading to Bangkok. Photo: Khaosod |
Rumors are spreading on social media in Thailand that there are "unusual events" and that the military is "preparing for a coup", causing panic among many people. The rumors originated from a video posted online on February 10, which recorded a convoy of armored vehicles appearing on an inter-provincial road and heading towards the capital Bangkok. The convoy was moving at a normal speed but more or less obstructed the flow of civilian vehicles.
Details about the purpose and activities of the convoy are still unclear, but the sudden appearance of military vehicles on the streets has caused confusion among Thai people, who have witnessed unusual demonstrations by the military and subsequent overthrows of governments. The rumors also did not mention the goal of the "coup" because Thailand is currently under the leadership of the military government. The political situation in this country has begun to heat up again when the parties announced the list of candidates for the March 24 election, especially the candidate for the prime minister's seat.
Venezuelan Army Colonel Turns His Back on Maduro
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Photo:AP. |
"Ninety percent of us in the armed forces are really unhappy," Colonel Ruben Paz Jimenez, a Venezuelan military doctor, said in a video released on February 9, according to AFP. "We are being used by them to maintain power."
Jimenez also called on his troops to help allow a shipment of U.S. humanitarian aid into Venezuela, which is currently in Cucuta, Colombia, on the border with Venezuela. President Nicolas Maduro has vowed to block the aid from entering the country, viewing it as a pretext for a U.S. invasion.
Last week, Air Force General Francisco Yanez also renounced his allegiance to Maduro, saying he opposed the president's "disturbing, dictatorial leadership" and calling on members of the military to stop supporting him. Military support is crucial to Maduro.
Singapore calls on Malaysia to withdraw ships from disputed waters
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| Malaysian ship (left) and Singapore Coast Guard ship in Singapore territorial waters off Tuas on December 6, 2018. Source: straitstimes.com |
According to Kyodo, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on February 10 that Malaysia should withdraw its ships from disputed waters because they pose a threat to maritime safety at the Lion City's ports. The warning came after a Malaysian government ship involved in a maritime border dispute collided with a Greek cargo ship a day earlier.
The ministry said the incident occurred in "an area outside Malaysia's 1979 claim, which Singapore has never recognized. The persistent presence of Malaysian government vessels clearly poses a threat to the safety of navigation in this area."
