US asks China to “open up” Tibet; “Yellow Vest” protests spread to UK
(Baonghean.vn) - The US passed a law requiring China to 'open' the Tibet region; The "Yellow Vest" protest movement spread to the UK; Ukraine may soon launch a major campaign against separatists in the east; Russia reacts to the case of a "female spy" confessing her guilt in the US... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
Kosovo forms army, increasing tensions with Serbia
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The Kosovo army is said to consist of 5,000 active soldiers and 3,000 reservists. Photo: Reuters |
Kosovo on December 14 officially established its own army to assert its sovereignty, with the support of the United States. This move is expected to increase tensions with Serbia, which has not yet recognized Kosovo as an independent state. The Kosovo army is said to consist of 5,000 active soldiers and 3,000 reservists. This force will receive 300 million euros ($340 million) in funding over three years to equip and train the force. According to the Kosovo government, the newly established army is intended to serve all people, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
Western countries that backed Kosovo, which recognized it as an independent state in 2008, have been hesitant about the government's immediate creation of an army, concerned about the message such a move would send to Serbia and the more than 100,000 ethnic Serbs still living in Kosovo.
Russia reacts to "female spy" pleading guilty in the US
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| Maria Butina. Photo: Reuters |
The Kremlin on December 14 asserted that the allegations against Maria Butina, after she admitted to spying in the United States, were "absolutely groundless." "We repeat that all the accusations against her are considered by us to be absolutely groundless," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed to reporters, according to Reuters.
Mr. Peskov made the statement a day after Ms. Butina, 30 years old, confessed to conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign government agency, a crime that usually refers to working as a foreign intelligence agent, according to AFP.
Ukraine may soon launch a major campaign against separatists in the east
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (second from right) with Ukrainian paratroopers, December 6. Photo: AFP. |
"International observers say the Ukrainian army has massed troops in the area it controls in the east of the country. According to some reports, Ukraine will launch a military operation into the separatist area in the coming days,"RTDecember 13 quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Russia believes that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko imposed martial law after the incident to gain an advantage in the upcoming elections, and that the campaign against the separatists in the east could serve that purpose. Poroshenko’s approval ratings are low, so a military campaign in the east would give him an advantage when Ukraine holds presidential elections in March 2019, Zakharova said. In case Poroshenko loses, martial law could become a legal basis for annulling the election results, she said.
"Yellow Vest" protests spread to the UK
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| Brexit supporters on Westminster Bridge. Source: Twitter |
On December 14, Brexit activists, dressed in "Yellow Vests" similar to the recent protests in France, marched on Westminster Bridge, causing traffic jams on the entire road. The marchers on Westminster Bridge then moved towards Whitehall, gathering outside Downing Street to demand a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May.
Several images posted on social media by users on their personal pages showed many marchers chanting "Brexit now". According to a spokesperson for the London Metropolitan Police, the authorities were aware of the march, and no arrests were made.
22 Democratic congressmen send letter protesting Trump's deportation of Vietnamese Americans
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US President Trump at a meeting at the White House in October. Photo: AFP |
AtlanticAt least 22 Democratic lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have signed a letter to the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department expressing "deep concern" about the administration's efforts to reinterpret a 2008 agreement with Vietnam.
Under the agreement, Vietnamese immigrants who arrived in the United States before the two countries normalized diplomatic relations on July 12, 1995, would not be deported. However, the Trump administration is reportedly seeking to overturn the agreement in order to send thousands of Vietnamese immigrants back to their home country, despite having lived in the United States for decades.
Walmart and Target sued for selling Chinese goods containing lead
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Illustration photo. Source: Reuters |
The government of New York state, USA announced that it has filed a lawsuit against two major retail corporations Walmart and Target for selling toys made in China containing lead 10 times higher than the allowable standard.
In a lawsuit filed on December 13, New York state authorities accused the two major retailers of violating numerous state laws, including regulations regarding the sale of toxic toys, as well as deceptive and false advertising practices. The lawsuit asks Walmart and Target to each pay a $6,000 fine for selling thousands of Cra-Z-Jewelz toy jewelry pieces that contained ingredients containing 120-980 ppm of lead, exceeding the legal limit of 100 ppm.
US passes law requiring China to 'open up' Tibet region
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| Two Chinese police officers patrol in the Tibetan region. Photo: AFP |
The US Congress has just unanimously passed a bill requiring China to allow American diplomats, journalists and tourists to freely travel to Tibet. According to the bill, if China continues to prevent foreigners from traveling to Tibet, the US government will "ban" Chinese officials in charge of this policy.
The bill, which received overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans, comes after years of US government concerns about alleged human rights abuses in Tibet.
Japan discovers 9 medical universities altering female applicants' entrance scores
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| The investigation into the exam score manipulation scandal at Tokyo Medical University has revealed more dark corners that had been hidden for a decade. Photo: AP |
After conducting a nationwide investigation, on December 14, the Japanese Ministry of Education announced that it had discovered nine medical universities cheating on female candidates' entrance exams.
The nine universities, including Tokyo Medical University, Juntendo University and Kitasato University, have all admitted to cheating and apologized. Other medical universities, such as St Marianna University, have also been suspected of similar cheating, but have denied the allegations.
Fire at an oil well in Egypt
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Fire at Ras Sidr oil well in Egypt's South Sinai province. Photo: Masrawy |
On the evening of December 14, a fire broke out at an oil well in the city of Ras Sidr in Egypt's South Sinai province. According to Egyptian sources, the fire occurred at the Um Asal oil well, 20 km from the village of Abu Suwayra and far from residential areas. Security, military, and civil forces were mobilized along with fire trucks and helicopters to quickly control and deal with the fire.
The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are still unknown. The governor of Ras Sidr, Ali Hamada, said there were no casualties in the fire. The main road from Cairo to the southern Sinai city of Sharm el-Sheikh has been temporarily closed.
