Russia opens secret town; Traffic violations in Laos face 10 times fines

Russia opens secret town that UK suspects of producing Novichok

A corner of Shikhany town. Photo: Sputnik.

The Russian government has decided to open up the secret town that was once the centre of the Soviet chemical weapons programme – where the UK is suspected of producing the nerve agent Novichok.

The announcement of the change in the restricted status of the town of Shikhany in the Saratov region, 930 km southeast of Moscow, was confirmed by a decree of President Vladimir Putin on July 17.

US politicians "hunt" for woman who knows all the secrets of Trump-Putin Summit

US State Department interpreter Marina Gross attends a closed-door meeting between President Trump and his counterpart Putin. Photo: Tass

Two senior Democratic lawmakers have called for congressional hearings to question interpreter Marina Gross, the only American accompanying President Donald Trump to a closed-door meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey urged Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, to bring in Gross. Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also urged the panel to hold a hearing on Gross. According to the two senators, if the two leaders agreed on something in a closed-door meeting that they did not publicly disclose, Gross would be the one who would know.

The call was made after President Trump's statements at a joint press conference with his counterpart Putin on July 16 made him the focus of criticism from both US political parties and public opinion.

South Korean court orders state to pay compensation for Sewol ferry sinking

Relatives of the victims watch the salvage process of the Sewol ferry in March 2017 - Photo: AFP

The Seoul Central District Court in South Korea on July 19 issued a ruling requiring the state and the shipping company to compensate the families of victims of the Sewol ferry sinking that killed more than 300 passengers in 2014.

The Sewol ferry sank off the southwestern coast of South Korea on April 16, 2014, while en route to the resort island of Jeju. The accident claimed the lives of 304 passengers, most of them high school students.

The state and the shipping company Cheonghaejin Marine Co. will pay 200 million won (over 4 billion VND) in compensation to each deceased passenger, Yonhap reported, citing the ruling. The parents of each student who died in the ferry sinking will receive an additional 40 million won. The court also ordered compensation of 5-20 million won to the siblings and grandparents of the deceased.

Israel passes controversial Jewish nation-state law

Israelis watch fireworks during the 70th anniversary of the founding of the nation on April 18. Photo:AFP

The Israeli parliament on July 19 passed a new bill with 62 votes in favor, 55 votes against and 2 abstentions, making Hebrew the national language and defining the establishment of Jewish communities as a national interest, according toAFPThe new bill states that Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and that only the Jewish people have the right to self-determination of their nation-state. Arabic, once an official language, is downgraded to a “special status”.

The controversial bill was passed after the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. Many opposition members condemned the vote, calling it racist against Arabs. When the United Nations granted Israel statehood in 1948, the displaced Jews returned and built the country as it is today. Arabs make up about 17.5% of Israel's more than 8.5 million people.

Two Koreas prepare for joint inspection of railway lines

Photo for illustration purposes only: nytimes.com

South Korea and North Korea plan to conduct joint inspections of railways this week as part of efforts to modernize and connect them across the inter-Korean border, Yonhap news agency reported on July 19.

The field operation will be launched on July 20 for the railway running along the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, and on July 24 for the western region railway.

China continues to pump another 100 billion yuan into the market

Chinese Yuan. Source: AFP/VNA

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) continued to inject cash into the country's financial system through open market operations on July 19.

Specifically, the PBOC injected another 100 billion yuan (about 14.9 billion USD) into the market through reverse repurchase agreements after injecting 80 billion yuan on July 18. Of which, 70 billion yuan was injected into the market through 7-day reverse repurchase agreements at an interest rate of 2.55% and 30 billion yuan was injected through 14-day reverse repurchase agreements at an interest rate of 2.7%.

Türkiye lifts state of emergency

Turkish police stand guard in Istanbul. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency on July 20, 2016, five days after a group within the country's military attempted a failed coup.

The measure was meant to last only three months but had been extended seven times. It was suspended at 1am on July 19 (05:00 Hanoi time) after Ankara decided not to extend it for the eighth time. In nearly two years of the state of emergency, about 80,000 people have been arrested in Türkiye.

White House boasts $1.4 billion savings on new presidential plane contract

The current Air Force One for the US president is believed to be about 28 years old.

In a statement released on July 18 (US time), the White House said the US Air Force has signed a contract with Boeing to design, modify, test and deliver two completed aircraft by 2024, with a total contract value of 3.9 billion USD. The current US Air Force One has been in operation for 28 years.

The new plane will be based on Boeing's 747-8. This is the latest version of the Boeing 747, announced in November 2005 to compete with the Airbus A380. The 747-8 is the largest version of the 747, the largest commercial aircraft produced in the United States, and the longest passenger aircraft in the world.

According to the White House, the contract to buy two new Air Force Ones has saved taxpayers up to $1.4 billion, compared to the original proposed $5.3 billion deal.

Violating traffic laws in Laos will result in a fine 10 times higher.

The Lao Ministry of Public Security's Traffic Police Department and Vientiane capital authorities plan to increase fines for speeding and drunk driving in the capital by tenfold.

According to Major Sangkhom Phommalath - Deputy Director of the Traffic Police Department of Vientiane Capital, if approved by the People's Council of Vientiane Capital, drivers of private cars such as four-seater cars, pickup trucks, small trucks... who violate the speeding law will be fined 500,000 kip (about 1,500,000 VND), instead of the current fine of 50,000 kip.

Lao authorities hope that imposing these harsh penalties will help reduce accidents related to the use of alcohol, as well as help reduce the number of deaths and injuries in traffic accidents.