Philippines withdraws from International Criminal Court; Maduro asks Venezuelan cabinet to resign
(Baonghean.vn) - The Philippines withdraws from the International Criminal Court; President Maduro asks the entire Venezuelan cabinet to resign; the French President considers banning protests on Champs Elysees Avenue; the US Federal Aviation Administration is under investigation for licensing the Boeing 737 MAX... are the world's top news in the past 24 hours.
China releases White Paper on counter-terrorism in Xinjiang
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Chinese police patrol in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Source: Kyodo/VNA |
On March 18, the State Council Press Office of China released a White Paper on combating terrorism and extremism and ensuring human rights in Xinjiang.
The White Paper, which consists of more than 15,000 words and is divided into seven main parts, affirms that Xinjiang is an inseparable part of China's territory, introduces the formation of terrorism and extremism in Xinjiang, the human rights violations of violent terrorist acts and religious extremism, and emphasizes that China will adhere to preventive counter-terrorism as its top priority, summarize experience, and continue to actively participate in international cooperation in counter-terrorism. The White Paper emphasizes that the fight against terrorism and extremism in Xinjiang is in line with the United Nations' principles and principles on counter-terrorism and protection of basic human rights.
French President Considers Banning Protests on Champs Elysees Avenue
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| Yellow Vest protesters burn barricades on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, March 16. Photo: THX/TTXVN |
According to Reuters, on March 18, an official from the French Presidential Office said that President Emmanuel Macron is considering banning all protests on the Champs Elysees Avenue after "Yellow Vest" rioters vandalized the iconic avenue of the capital Paris last weekend.
On March 16, protesters linked to the "Yellow Vest" movement vandalized the famous high-end restaurant Fouquet, as well as several newsstands, a Longchamp luxury store and several vehicles on the Champs Elysees. Following this latest riot, President Macron convened a meeting with the Interior Minister and Justice Minister to discuss this hot issue. President Macron pledged to take "strong measures" as soon as possible to prevent another riot on March 23.
President Maduro asks the entire Venezuelan cabinet to resign
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Photo: Tass |
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has asked members of his cabinet to resign in order to reform the government. "President Nicolas Maduro has asked the cabinet to resign in order to carry out a profound reform of the Venezuelan government," Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Twitter.
Mr. Rodriguez also added that the reforms were carried out to "protect the achievements of the Bolivarian revolution as well as to protect the country from all threats."
US aviation agency under investigation for licensing Boeing 737 MAX
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An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft at Miami airport, Florida, USA on March 14. Photo:AFP. |
The US Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General has opened an investigation into the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) licensing of Boeing's 737 MAX.Wall Street JournalMarch 18, citing a government official.
The investigation will focus on the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which was involved in the October 2018 Lion Air crash, when Flight JT610 from Jakarta, Indonesia, crashed into the Java Sea just 13 minutes after takeoff. MCAS is an advanced control system designed to prevent Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from stalling while flying. Meanwhile, data from the black box of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 that crashed in Ethiopia on March 10 showed that the incident on Flight ET302 had "clear similarities" to the Lion Air crash.
Philippines withdraws from the International Criminal Court
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| The ICC has opened an investigation into the drug war in the Philippines since February 2018. Photo: Reuters |
The Philippines officially withdrew from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 18, a year after President Rodrigo Duterte announced his opposition to the ICC investigating his war on drugs. With this decision, the Philippines became the second country in the world after Burundi to leave the ICC.
By law, defection only takes effect one year after a country notifies the UN Secretary-General of its decision in writing. However, all pending cases are not “dismissed,” meaning the investigation into the controversial anti-drug campaign in the Philippines, launched by prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in February 2018, continues.
US denies information about maintaining 1,000 troops in Syria
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Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford. Photo: Stars and Stripes |
The Middle East press reported on March 18 that the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, denied that there were still about 1,000 troops in Syria. Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported on March 17 that the US intended to continue cooperating with Kurdish forces in Syria when negotiations between Turkey, US-backed Kurdish forces and European allies failed to reach an agreement on a "safe zone" in northeastern Syria.
According to this plan, 1,000 US troops could remain in Syria. However, US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford said this information was incorrect. He affirmed that there was no change in the plan announced last February and the US continued to withdraw its forces from Syria.
