US asks EU to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal; Two Koreas hold exchanges
(Baonghean.vn) - China cancels trade talks with the UK; the US asks the EU to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal; the two Koreas hold exchanges at Mount Geumgang; a bloody attack on Indian police... are the world's top news in the past 24 hours.
China cancels trade talks with Britain
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| British Finance Minister Philip Hammond in London. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
According to Reuters, The Sun newspaper reported on February 14 that Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua canceled trade talks with British Finance Minister Philip Hammond after British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson threatened to deploy a warship to the Pacific.
According to the newspaper, Mr. Hu Chunhua was scheduled to have talks with Mr. Hammond this weekend, but the meeting was canceled in protest against Mr. Williamson's statement on February 11.
Earlier, on the afternoon of February 11, British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, announcing plans to modernize the national armed forces to increase their size and effectiveness.
Russia accuses the US of inciting a military coup in Venezuela
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Venezuelan soldiers participate in a military parade in the capital Caracas. Photo:DPA. |
"The US is targeting the Venezuelan military (FANB), as they openly incite many of the country's military to rebel. Senior US officials are calling on the armed forces of a sovereign state to side with a new political leader," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on February 14, according toSputnik.
Zakharova said the White House wanted to choose a scenario of harsh confrontation and the use of force to resolve the crisis in Venezuela. "They do not even hide this. All means of propaganda and psychological pressure are used, from manipulating the media to blackmailing and inciting hatred," Zakharova said.
Zakharova accused the US of preparing provocations in the Colombian city of Cucuta under the guise of a humanitarian aid convoy to Venezuela. The casualties caused by this provocation could "be used as a pretext for a military intervention in Venezuela from the outside," Zakharova said.
UN exempts French humanitarian aid to North Korea from sanctions
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| Convoy of trucks carrying aid to North Korea. Photo: koreatimessus |
A UN panel handling sanctions against North Korea posted a notice on its website saying it had agreed to exempt two French non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Premiere Urgence Internationale (PUI) and Handicap International (HI) late last month. Accordingly, HI will be allowed to provide crutches and wheelchairs worth a total of about $263,300 to North Korea.
The list of PUI items exempted from sanctions has not been announced. However, the UN committee's notice page said that the organization's exempted goods will be used to improve the nutritional status of North Korean children.
US asks EU to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal
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US Vice President Mike Pence. Photo:Reuters. |
US Vice President Mike Pence said on February 14 at a conference on the Middle East in Warsaw, Poland, that Iran is "the greatest threat to peace and security in the Middle East" and accused the Iranian government of plotting a "new genocide" to realize its regional ambitions. He also called on US allies in the European Union (EU) to support the sanctions that Washington re-imposed on Tehran after the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear treaty last year.
Longtime US allies in Europe have maintained the nuclear pact and are seeking to expand trade and financial arrangements with Iran. The Warsaw conference, hosted by the US, was attended by representatives from 60 countries, but disagreement over the nuclear deal meant Germany, France and several other countries did not send top diplomats.
Two Koreas hold exchanges at Mount Geumgang
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| A bus carrying South Korean tourists to Mt. Geumgang on the road along the East Sea. Photo: koreatimes.co.kr |
South Korea and North Korea have just held the “2019 New Year Meeting to Implement the Inter-Korean Joint Declaration”, the first civil exchange event between Seoul and Pyongyang this year. According to a VNA reporter in Seoul, the event took place on February 12-13 at the Geumgang Mountain resort in North Korean territory.
The event was attended by about 200 delegates from South Korea and 100 delegates from North Korea, representing organizations such as the Committee for the Implementation of the June 15 Inter-Korean Joint Declaration, the Council for National Reconciliation and Cooperation, representatives of religious and civil organizations, and 15 international representatives.
On the first day, the event adopted an “Appeal to the 80 Million People of the Nation,” setting the period from April 27 to September 19 as the time to implement the “April 27 Panmunjom Declaration” and the “September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration” signed last year, thereby launching campaigns to implement the inter-Korean joint declaration in the two Koreas and abroad.
Bloody attack on Indian police in Jammu and Kashmir state
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| Photo: news18.com |
At least 12 police officers were killed and several others injured in an improvised explosive device explosion on the afternoon of February 14 in the Indian-controlled part of Jammu and Kashmir, the deadliest attack on government forces there in more than two years.
According to a VNA reporter in India, the police have been given the above casualty figure, while the British news agency Reuters quoted another source saying that at least 18 police officers were killed in the incident in Lethpora town, Pulwama district.
An anonymous source also said that the number of injured people was 29. The explosion caused serious damage to two police vehicles, including a car and a bus. Several gunshots were heard after the explosion. Initial information showed that the two vehicles were part of a convoy of 70 vehicles. The homemade explosive device seemed to have been planted on the roadside.