Trump threatens to bypass Congress to build border wall; West African pirates kidnap 6 Russians

Trump threatens to bypass US Congress to build border wall

US President Donald Trump speaks after meeting with Democratic leaders on January 4. Photo:AP.

The US president said he could use emergency powers to build a wall on the border with Mexico without congressional approval. "Yes. I could do it. We could do it. We could declare a national emergency and build the wall quickly,"Reutersquoted US President Donald Trump's statement when asked whether he would consider declaring a national emergency to build a wall on the border separating the US and Mexico.

The dispute between the Trump administration and Congress over the $5.6 billion budget for the wall has caused the US government to shut down for the past two weeks. Democrats say the border wall, one of Trump's key campaign promises, is a distraction from more complex immigration issues and a tool for Trump to appeal to conservatives.

The US President affirmed that the government will only reopen when this money is approved. Meanwhile, the US President's negotiations with the Democrats yesterday also did not achieve results.

Russia advises citizens to be cautious when traveling abroad

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Source: EPA/VNA

The Russian Foreign Ministry advised its citizens to exercise caution when traveling abroad if there are grounds to believe that US law enforcement agencies may make claims against them. He also regretted that the US continues to detain Russian citizens, even Russian citizens detained in third countries at the request of the US, and then extradited to the US without any reason.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made the recommendation when referring to the case of Russian citizen Dmitry Makarenko who was arrested on Saipan Island in the US Northern Mariana Islands. Mr. Makarenko was arrested on December 29, 2018 and was taken to Florida. Currently, Russian diplomats have requested consular access to this citizen.

French authorities: Yellow Vests are 'agitators'

Protesters against French police. Photo: Reuters

After a cabinet meeting, presidential spokesman Benjamin Griveaux accused the Yellow Vest protest movement of becoming a playground for agitators who want to incite unrest and overthrow the government, according to Reuters. He said the government was ready for sincere dialogue with peaceful protesters but stressed that it would have to change its approach because it had made too many concessions.

President Emmanuel Macron told ministers that there was a need to be more forceful in reforming the country but also ensure law and order was restored, Mr Griveaux said.

Pyongyang searches for defected North Korean diplomat in Italy

Acting North Korean Ambassador to Rome Jo Song-gil. Source: Telegraph/AP

North Korea is searching for its acting ambassador to Rome, Jo Song-gil, after he went missing in early November 2018 amid media reports that he had sought asylum in a Western country, possibly the United States, The Korea Herald and Reuters reported.

The JoongAng Ilbo newspaper quoted sources as saying that the Workers' Party of Korea's International Affairs Department and the North Korean Foreign Ministry have been instructed to conduct a thorough investigation into Jo Song-gil, search for other people who may be trying to defect and find ways to prevent such situations from happening.

This newspaper quoted a source in Italy, stating that Pyongyang sent a team to search for Mr. Jo Song-gil right after he disappeared 2 months ago.

West African pirates attack cargo ship, kidnap 6 Russians

A group of pirates in West Africa. Photo:National Turk.

Russian authorities said a group of West African pirates, including seven to nine armed men, hijacked the Panama-flagged cargo ship MSC Mandy while it was operating off the coast of Benin and kidnapped six Russian citizens on the night of January 1, according toRT.

Russia's maritime agency said the MSC Mandy crew included 23 Russians and one Ukrainian, while the country's embassy in Benin confirmed there were 20 Russians, four Ukrainians and two Georgians.

The captured crew included the captain, two lieutenants, the chief sailor, a welder and a cook. The rest of the crew were unharmed. Russian authorities are trying to negotiate with the pirates to release the kidnapped sailors.

Violence escalates in India after Sabarimala temple verdict

The holiest Hindu temple in Sabarimala, Kerala state, India. Source: AFP/TTXVN

Southern India has been rocked by two attacks, an arson attack and a bomb blast, believed to follow violence after a court lifted a ban on women entering the Sabarimala Hindu temple in Kerala state.

Unidentified assailants threw a homemade bomb at the home of a politician from the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and set fire to the headquarters of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), police said.

Earlier, both the BJP and RSS had protested against the court's ruling. There were no reports of damage in the attacks. The latest attacks came hours after a bomb was fired at the home of a Communist Party of India politician who had pledged to implement the court's ruling.

Ford recalls nearly 1 million vehicles at risk of airbag explosion

US automaker Ford will recall more than 953,000 vehicles globally to replace Takata airbag inflators. Illustration photo: AFP/TTXVN

US automaker Ford announced it will recall more than 953,000 vehicles globally to replace Takata airbag inflators installed on these vehicles due to the risk of airbags exploding.

The recall includes 782,384 vehicles in the US, part of the largest vehicle recall in the country. Ford is also recalling another 149,652 vehicles sold in Canada.

The recalled vehicles include the 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2010 and 2011 Ford Ranger, 2010 to 2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2010 and 2011 Mercury Milan, and 2010 to 2014 Ford Mustang.

Huu Quan