New obsessions about bombs

(Baonghean) - In the first months of 2016, the world was continuously shaken by the fierce destructive power (literally and figuratively) of bombs, creating terrifying obsessions that show no signs of stopping.

H-Bomb - The Concern Named North Korea

News of North Korea's H-bomb test flooded South Korean media on January 6. Photo: Reuters.

The thermonuclear bomb (H-bomb) with destructive power many times stronger than the atomic bomb is the surprising and astonishing New Year's "gift" that the country of North Korea wants to send to the world on January 6. Using the excuse of "self-defense against the US", despite the Resolution of the United Nations Security Council, Pyongyang continues to consider this its legitimate right, an indispensable stepping stone on the way to the destination of becoming a nuclear power that North Korea has set.

The truth about the existence of the above-mentioned bomb has not been verified yet, and many people even suspect that this is just a "threat" that North Korea has made to other countries, aiming to increase their position at the negotiating table, putting pressure on foreign organizations and institutions. However, whether it is really present or simply an invisible bomb, with the recent move, North Korea has successfully taken the top spot on the list of the international community's greatest concerns. Meanwhile, information about the possibility that Pyongyang will continue to test other weapons in recent days has flooded the newspapers, heating up the political and security context of Northeast Asia in particular and the world in general.

Faced with an “unpredictable” entity like Pyongyang, the international community is always on high alert and has continuously voiced its opposition to North Korea’s actions that continue to increase tensions in the region, threatening the stable and peaceful atmosphere that humanity has always desired in its development process.

People gather to commemorate the victims of the bombings in Brussels. Photo: Businessinsider.

Terrorist Bombing - Brussels Tragedy

March 22 is probably the darkest day in the memory of many Brussels residents. Just four days after Salah Abdeslam - one of the key links in the series of terrorist attacks in Paris at the end of last year - was caught, it was thought that the security situation would develop in a more positive direction, but the heart of Europe was continuously shaken by suicide bombings at Zaventem International Airport and subway stations. More than 30 people were killed, more than 270 others were injured, the alarm level was raised to the highest - for the first time since World War II that Belgium fell into such a tragic and passive situation. Originally, after a series of terrorist attacks in France, not only Belgium but any country in the world was on high alert for the possibility of allowing bloody bombing and shooting scenarios by extremists to slip through, but the scale and damage of the incident were indeed somewhat beyond the expectations of the Belgian government and police force.

Up to now, the perpetrators have gradually been revealed thanks to the information and support of the people, airports and train stations have gradually reopened to welcome visitors, and the bustling life at the headquarters of many of the European Union's leading agencies has gradually returned to its previous rhythm. However, when notorious terrorist organizations are increasingly clustered, being attacked in all their dens, no one can predict the vicious "tricks" of those who have reached the end of their rope. The scar of the Brussels terrorist attack is still painful, a reminder for countries to prepare for what and how to respond in the fight against terrorism that spreads fear everywhere.

The Panama Papers are considered the biggest information bomb in years. Photo: New Yorker.

Information Bomb - Panama Papers

11.5 million documents, equivalent to 2.6 terabytes of data stored on computers, provided by an anonymous source to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung on April 3rd, are truly the biggest information bomb in history, exposing a series of big names including politicians and celebrities involved in tax evasion and money laundering over the past 40 years. The law firm Mossack Fonseca is the name that has received the most criticism from the public in recent days and is being investigated by authorities in many countries after the shocking disclosure of confidential documents.

Although it was considered a huge shock to many countries, in all fairness, the document leak with 1,000 times more information than the WikiLeaks case in 2010 that stirred up the world media also brought about many positive effects. Among them, it is necessary to mention the serious and determined participation of nearly 400 reporters from more than 100 newspapers worldwide, lifting one of the biggest mysteries of the era about what people often call "tax havens". And so, it would not be an exaggeration to say that this event has brought new breath, an unprecedented "revolution" to global journalism activities, demonstrating the cooperative trend of modern media.

After the Panama Papers, in order to maintain their image, many prestigious and powerful names have announced that they will publicly disclose their personal assets and make their income and expenditures transparent to the public. The above move is considered “better late than never”, and after all, if the tax evasion and money laundering networks are not exposed - which is what the Panama Papers are striving towards, then it is impossible to foresee the consequences in many different areas of social life such as economics, politics, sports, entertainment, etc.

Thu Giang