Putin wants to build a land bridge connecting Russia and North Korea; Venezuelan government declares it has crushed a coup
(Baonghean.vn) - Putin wants to build a road bridge connecting Russia and North Korea; Venezuelan government declares to crush coup; 1,800 workers trapped underground in platinum mine in South Africa; Japanese emperor abdicates, giving the throne to his son... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
Emperor of Japan abdicates in favor of his son
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| Emperor Akihito (center), Empress Michiko (right) and members of the Royal Family at the abdication ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on April 30, 2019. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
On April 30, Emperor Akihito abdicated, ending the Heisei era and handing over the throne to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, in a solemn ceremony held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. He is the first emperor to abdicate in more than 200 years in Japan. The ceremony was attended by 300 guests, including Crown Prince Naruhito, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the presidents of both houses of the Diet, and judges of the Supreme Court of Japan. Prime Minister Abe, on behalf of the government, announced to the nation the emperor's decision to abdicate.
On the evening of April 30, the Emperor ended his reign by handing over three sacred treasures commonly known as the "Three Sacred Treasures": the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the mirror Yata no Kagami and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama, which symbolize courage, wisdom and benevolence. Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend the throne on the morning of May 1 in a similarly brief ceremony, in which he will "inherit" the imperial treasures before making his first declaration as the new Emperor, opening the new era called Reiwa.
Putin wants to build a road bridge connecting Russia and North Korea
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and North Korean President Kim Jong-un at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia on April 25. Photo:Reuters |
Russian President Vladimir Putin has tasked the Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic to study the project of building a road bridge between Russia's Primorsky region and North Korea. "The issue was discussed during Putin's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un," said Yuri Trutnev, the Russian president's special envoy to the Far East.
Russia has a 39.4 km border with North Korea, of which 22 km runs along the Tumen River. The land border between Russia and North Korea is now connected by a railway bridge over the Tumen River. Earlier, Alexander Kozlov, Minister of the Far East and Arctic Development, said that the road bridge between the two countries would be built according to Russian technical standards.
South Africa: 1,800 workers trapped underground in platinum mine
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| Sibanye Gold's platinum mine in Theunissen, Free State, South Africa. Photo:AFP. |
South African gold producer Sibanye said on April 30 that about 1,800 workers were trapped underground at a platinum mine in the country after a tunnel used to transport workers collapsed.
A Sibanye spokesman said the company may use an adjacent tunnel to bring the workers to the surface, but it is not yet known how long the rescue will take. Sibanye is assessing the tunnel infrastructure, which could take several hours, spokesman James Wellsted said. So far, there have been no reports of injuries.
Venezuelan government declares coup crushed
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| Mr. Guaido (left) stands with Mr. Lopez at the air base in Caracas. Photo: CNN |
Venezuela says it is preventing a small coup by "traitors" in the military in league with the opposition. Russia's RT and Sputnik news agencies said Venezuela's self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido released a video filmed at an air base in Caracas in which he called on the military to revolt. The three-minute video shows Guaido flanked by a group of armed soldiers and an armored vehicle, along with activist Leopoldo Lopez. "The time is now," Guaido told the crowd.
According to Sputnik, tear gas was fired on a stretch of highway near the airbase. The Venezuelan Vice President told reporters that this was a coup attempt and that the plot had been thwarted. Meanwhile, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez on the same day declared that the country's military was absolutely loyal to constitutional President Nicolas Maduro, while condemning opposition leader Guaido as a "traitor".
US sends 320 more troops to border with Mexico
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US soldiers at the border fence with Mexico in El Paso, Texas on April 3. Photo:Reuters. |
The US military announced it would deploy about 320 troops to the border with Mexico to assist Border Patrol agents in monitoring the caravan of migrants from its southern neighbor. The additional troops will be present at the border through the end of September. Pentagon spokesman Jamie Davis said the troops will transport illegal immigrants and ensure their welfare while in custody, but will not perform law enforcement functions such as apprehending people who cross the border.
The US currently has about 4,900 troops, including National Guard troops, deployed to the southern border. Not all US troops deployed to the border are armed, but many carry guns for self-defense.
