Russia Will Retaliate If US Withdraws From INF Treaty; France Considers Restoring “Rich People’s Tax”

Russia holds missile drills in Black Sea amid tensions with Ukraine

Russia dispatches submarines to the Black Sea to participate in military exercises. TASS screenshot

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Rostov-on-Don B-237 and Stary Oskol B-262 submarines practiced emergency mobilization to search for and destroy underwater and coastal targets with missiles. At the same time, the Russian military deployed the Pantsir medium-range surface-to-air missile system in eastern Crimea to practice shooting down targets, according to Interfax news agency.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not specify the start and end times or the scale of the exercises, but Türkiye warned ships to be cautious when moving in the Black Sea area from December 3 to 9.

Türkiye seeks arrest of top Saudi official

Journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a press conference in Bahrain. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Turkish officials said on December 5 that the Istanbul prosecutor's office had requested arrest warrants for Saud al-Qahtani, a top aide to Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, and the deputy head of the country's intelligence agency, General Ahmed al-Asiri, on suspicion of planning the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Istanbul prosecutor's office has concluded that the two Saudi officials were among those who planned the murder of journalist Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, according to the source.

Turkish officials say the international community remains skeptical about Saudi Arabia's commitment to investigating and prosecuting those involved in Khashoggi's murder, and insist Riyadh can only resolve this doubt by extraditing all suspects to Türkiye.

Russian President Warns He Will Be Forced to Retaliate If US Withdraws From INF Treaty

An Iskander-M missile fires during exercises near St. Petersburg in September 2017. Photo: Russian Defense Ministry

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 5 that Russia would be forced to retaliate if the United States withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Speaking on television, Putin said that Moscow was against scrapping the agreement, but the United States had long wanted to withdraw from the agreement and blamed Russia for violating the document as an excuse to withdraw.

Previously, the US issued a 60-day "ultimatum" for Russia to "return" to full and verifiable compliance with the INF. If after this deadline nothing changes, the US will begin a six-month process to withdraw from the treaty.

French government considers reinstating 'wealth tax' to cool down protests

French President Emmanuel Macron (center) inspects the scene of violent protests against fuel price increases by the "Yellow Vest" forces in Paris, December 2, 2018. Photo: Reuters

In hopes of easing tensions caused by the wave of "Yellow Vest" protests that have lasted for weeks, the French government announced on December 5 that it would consider reinstating the "Wealth Tax" (ISF) targeting high-income households. The reinstatement of the tax on the wealthy has become one of the key demands of the "Yellow Vest" protesters, along with the demand for an end to fuel tax hikes and an increase in the minimum wage.

In place since 1982, the ISF requires French households with assets worth more than 1.3 million euros ($1.4 million) to pay additional taxes, even if they are already subject to personal income tax. In his first year in office, President Macron decided to abolish the ISF as part of a plan to stimulate the French economy, prompting critics to accuse him of favoring the rich while raising taxes on pensioners and others.

British Prime Minister denies allegations of concealing information about Brexit

British Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on December 5 that she had not hidden from parliament details of the legal advice given to her government on the Brexit deal. Speaking in parliament, May said: "We did not hide information about the Brexit deal from members of parliament."

Cuba provides 3G Internet for mobile phones for the first time

A Cuban YouTuber introduces her YouTube channel on her mobile phone - Photo: AFP

Cuba announced that from December 6, all citizens will be invited to register for 3G Internet access on their mobile phones. Mayra Arevich, president of Cuba's only state-owned telecommunications company, announced this information on national television on the evening of December 4.

Until now, Cubans have only been able to access their state-run email accounts on their personal mobile phones. Cuba has one of the lowest rates of internet penetration in the world, but that has changed, and it has grown rapidly, since President Barack Obama and President Raul Castro announced the normalization of relations in 2014.

Iran threatens to block oil exports from Gulf countries

An oil refinery on Iran's Khark Island off the Gulf. Photo: AFP/VNA