Hot world events in the past 24 hours

1. North Korea cuts number of flights to China

Flight attendants of North Korea's Air Koryo. Photo: Paul Filmer

Kyodo reported that on January 4, an official of North Korea's national airline Air Koryo said the airline had cut the number of weekly flights linking Pyongyang with Beijing from three to two since early January 2018, but did not give a reason for the decision.

Air Koryo is likely cutting the number of flights due to lower travel demand in winter, and the need to conserve jet fuel, an export banned by the United Nations as part of sanctions against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

The official said Air Koryo will continue its twice-weekly flight schedule until the end of February.

2. Turkey coup attempt: Dozens more soldiers arrested

Turkish police participate in a raid on suspected terrorists in Ankara. (Source: AFP/VNA)

On January 4, Türkiye's Anadolu news agency reported that the country's prosecutors had ordered the arrest of 70 people, including 58 active-duty soldiers.
This is part of an investigation into supporters of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in exile in the US and is accused by Ankara of being behind a failed coup attempt in 2016.
The operation focused on the central Turkish province of Konya and included simultaneous raids at locations across all 27 provinces. Twelve of the 70 suspects had previously been discharged from the Turkish armed forces.

3. South Korea and North Korea communicate via inter-Korean hotline

South Korean officers inspect the inter-Korean hotline at the Joint Security Area in the truce village of Panmunjom on January 3, 2018. Source: Yonhap/VNA

According to Yonhap news agency, on January 4, South Korea and North Korea contacted via the inter-Korean hotline that was reconnected the day before, in the context that the two sides are seeking to negotiate the possibility of Pyongyang participating in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

South Korea's Unification Ministry said a North Korean liaison officer called his South Korean counterpart at the truce village of Panmunjom on the border at 9:30 a.m.

4. Fire at former US President Bill Clinton's private home

Former US President Bill Clinton's family home in Chappaqua. Photo: AFP/Getty.

New York City police said firefighters were called yesterday (January 3) to extinguish a fire at the private home of former US President Bill Clinton's family in the Chappaqua area.

According to police, the number of casualties and damage caused by the fire is still unknown. Meanwhile, local media, citing emergency services sources, said the fire broke out in a bedroom and has now been extinguished.

Chappaqua is located about 64km north of New York City./.

5. What did the Russian Ministry of Defense say about the destruction of 7 planes in Syria?

Russian Defense Ministry denies information that 7 planes were destroyed in Syria

The Russian Defense Ministry on January 4 called the information about seven Russian planes at the Hmeymim base in Syria being destroyed by rebel artillery fire as fake media reports.

“The information published by Kommersant newspaper on January 3 about seven Russian aircraft stationed at the Hmeymim military base in Syria being destroyed by an artillery attack by rebels is completely fake,” the Russian Defense Ministry statement said.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the country's air force group in Syria is currently always in a state of combat readiness and continues to complete all missions fully and in the best way.

6. The terrorist boss's nephew was killed.

Osama bin Hamza bin Laden, nephew of terrorist Osama bin Laden. Photo: The Sun.

On January 3, Hindustan newspaper cited information from a leaked letter written to Hamza bin Laden's son, saying that Osama bin Hamza bin Laden, 12 years old, died in 2017 in the border area between the two countries.

The letter, titled “Letter from Sheikh Mujahid Hamza Bin Laden,” was published on the Al Qaeda terrorist organization’s website, the Global Islamic Media Front. Along with a photo of his son’s body, the letter read: “We are deeply saddened by the death of our martyr. Son of courage. Our son Osama. Allah protect you always.”

7. Russian planes bombed Syria, more than 60 people were killed or injured

Smoke rises after an airstrike in Syria. Source: AFP/TTXVN

According to Reuters, witnesses and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that warplanes believed to be Russian bombed two residential buildings in a rebel-besieged area east of the Syrian capital Damascus on the morning of January 4, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens.

At least four bombs flattened buildings in the town of Misraba, killing 11 women and a child and injuring more than 40 people, sources said.
At least 10 others were also killed in air strikes on nearby towns in the last rebel-held stronghold near the capital.

8. Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire dismissed 3 ministers

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.Source: Reuters

According to Reuters, the Somali government announced on January 4 that Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire had dismissed three ministers, including Foreign Affairs, Interior and Trade, and appointed new ministers in the context of the country's fight against Islamic extremists.

According to the announcement of the Ministry of Information, Foreign Minister Yusuf Garaad Omar, Interior Minister Abdi Farah Said Juha and Trade-Labor Minister Khadra Ahmed Duale were dismissed and replaced by new officials Ahmed Ise Awad, Mohamed Abdi Sabriye and Mohamed Abdi Hayir respectively.

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