Two Ukrainian presidential candidates seek international support; Israel strikes central Syria
(Baonghean.vn) - Two Ukrainian presidential candidates seek international support; Israel launches airstrikes in central Syria, destroying many buildings; the US has only 2 months to complete the request to extradite Mr. Julian Assange... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
Two Ukrainian presidential candidates seek international support
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| Incumbent Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (left) and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
Comedian Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky, who led the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election, arrived in Paris on April 12 to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. On the same day, his rival, incumbent President Petro Poroshenko, was in Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The two rivals are traveling to seek international support ahead of the second round of the election scheduled for April 21.
Mr Poroshenko sees himself as the only candidate who can stand up to the Kremlin. He has expressed his desire to debate Mr Zelensky directly "so that Ukrainians know that they support a real candidate, not a fictitious one". However, Mr Zelensky has only agreed to debate Mr Poroshenko at Kiev's Olympic Stadium, which can accommodate more than 70,000 people.
The US has only 2 months to complete the extradition request for Mr. Julian Assange.
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| WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (silver hair) was arrested and escorted by police from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on April 11. Photo: Rupity-TTXVN |
9news.com.au reported that a US government official said that the country's prosecutors have less than 2 months to present to British authorities a final and detailed criminal indictment demonstrating the possibility of extraditing Mr. Julian Assange.
The official, who asked not to be named, said the US authorities had just sent a warrant to Britain with provisions related to Mr. Assange’s extradition. But within 60 days of April 12, when British police dragged Mr. Assange out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, US authorities must submit a formal request listing all the legal charges Mr. Assange could face if he were transferred to US custody.
Israel airstrikes central Syria, many buildings destroyed
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| Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike. Photo: AFP |
According to AFP, the official SANA news agency said that on April 13, an Israeli airstrike in central Syria injured three soldiers and destroyed many buildings.
"At around 2:30 a.m. on April 13 (local time), the Israeli air force launched an attack on one of our military bases in the town of Misyaf in Hama province, north of the capital Damascus," SANA quoted a military source as saying. The source added that Syrian air defense batteries successfully intercepted a number of Israeli missiles.
US imposes new sanctions on several Venezuelan companies
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| Photo: MR Online |
On April 12, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against four Venezuelan oil companies and nine vessels to continue to put pressure on President Nicolas Maduro during the current political crisis. The US Treasury Department has blacklisted four companies operating in the Venezuelan oil industry, including three Liberia-based companies: Jennifer Navigation Ltd, Lima Shipping Corp, Large Range Ltd, and an Italian-based company, PB Tankers SPA.
The ministry also imposed similar sanctions on three vessels owned by the three Liberian companies and six vessels owned by PB Tankers SPA. Some of the nine vessels regularly transport oil from Venezuela to Cuba. Under the sanctions, all assets and interests of the entities in the United States will be frozen. In addition, US citizens are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the entities.
Argentina officially withdraws from the Union of South American Nations
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| Before Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru also announced their withdrawal from this organization. Photo: elmercurioweb.com |
The Argentine government announced its decision to withdraw from the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) because the regional organization is going through a "deadlock" crisis and its action program is based on ideological consensus. The Argentine government said that UNASUR has been paralyzed for more than two years, almost inactive because member countries failed to reach a consensus to elect a new Secretary General after the term of former Colombian President Ernesto Samper ended.
Before Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru also announced their withdrawal from this organization. UNASUR was established in 2008 at the initiative of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to counter US influence in the region.