Is Trump preparing to overhaul the US military? Is the demilitarized zone in Idlib only temporary?

Is Trump preparing to overhaul the US military?

US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary James Mattis answer questions from the press outside the White House. Photo: AP

As President Donald Trump faces a series of major foreign policy challenges in the coming months, he will have to make some key decisions about the ranks of generals who will advise him and lead the U.S. military.

According to CNN, behind the scenes, the White House and the Pentagon are searching for a group of senior officers capable of filling many key positions to replace several retiring military generals.

Defense Secretary James Mattis is playing a central role in the nomination process for Senate confirmation. No one knows how long Mattis will remain in office or which names he is proposing. However, this class of senior commanders is believed to be able to help shape U.S. military policy and operations in the coming years.

India has declared its pursuit of an independent policy in arms procurement.

Russia's S-400 Triumph missile system. Source: AFP/VNA

Amid concerns over US sanctions related to India's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat affirmed that the country pursues an independent policy and is also interested in purchasing Kamov helicopters and other weapons systems from Moscow.

India and Russia signed a multi-billion dollar agreement on October 5th under which New Delhi will purchase Moscow's S-400 Triumf air defense system, an action that could subject India to sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). India and Russia signed the agreement despite warnings from the US that this would be a "priority area" for imposing sanctions.

China accuses former Interpol president of accepting bribes.

Mr. Mạnh Hoằng Vĩ. Photo:Xinhua

China's Ministry of Public Security announced on October 8th that Meng Hongwei, the recently resigned president of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), is being detained for investigation into bribery. A statement on the Ministry of Public Security's website said Meng, who also serves as vice minister, "accepted bribes and is suspected of committing illegal acts." The statement added that anyone who accepts bribes will be investigated.

China's Ministry of Public Security said Meng's suspected bribery and illegal activities had "seriously damaged" the party and the police force, adding that a task force would investigate anyone suspected of receiving bribes along with Meng.

The Turkish government has eased its ban on foreign currency transactions.

Turkish lira and US dollar bills at a currency exchange shop in Ankara. Photo: THX/VNA

The Turkish government has just introduced several exemptions from the ban on the use of foreign currency in commercial transactions, including export contracts, capital market instruments, and labor contracts involving foreigners.

The exemption also applies to other areas such as the business of producing software overseas, charter contracts, and contracts involving state institutions, provided these transactions do not involve recruitment or real estate.

Last month, the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that contracts in the real estate sector, or leases, must be transacted in the local lira.

Syrian President Assad: The demilitarized zone in Idlib is only temporary.

Syrian army tanks. (Illustrative image: Masdar News)

Turkish-backed rebel forces in Syria said on October 6 that they expect to complete the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the buffer zone in northwestern Syria within days, under an agreement to establish a demilitarized zone to halt the bloody fighting in Idlib.

Earlier, on September 17, Russia and Türkiye reached an agreement to establish a demilitarized zone in northwestern Idlib, in the area bordering Turkey, to prevent what many warned would be the worst humanitarian disaster since the conflict broke out in Syria.

However, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad warned on October 7th that the agreement reached to prevent a major battle in the last remaining opposition stronghold was only a "temporary measure" before government forces regain control of Idlib. This latest statement from President Al-Assad has raised concerns that fighting in Idlib could resume at any time.

The 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics honored two American economists.

William D. Nordhaus and Paul M. Romer. Photo: Reuters

On the afternoon of October 8th (Vietnam time), two American economists, William D. Nordhaus and Paul M. Romer, were awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics. According to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, William D. Nordhaus was honored for integrating climate change into macroeconomic analysis, and Paul M. Romer was recognized for incorporating technological innovation into long-term macroeconomic analysis.

The Nobel Prize in Economics is the fifth and final award of the 2018 Nobel season. Prior to this, the Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, and Peace for 2018 had already been announced.

Huu Quan