Putin - Trump to meet soon; Mrs. Merkel gives up her party leadership position
(Baonghean.vn) - German Chancellor will not run for CDU Party Chairmanship in December; INF on the agenda of Trump - Putin summit; Indonesia urgently identifies and searches for victims of plane crash that killed 189 people; Tunisian capital shaken by suicide bombing... Those are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
INF on the agenda of the Trump - Putin summit
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| Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and US President Donald Trump at the Summit in Helsinki, Finland on July 16, 2018. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
On October 29, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to discuss with his US counterpart Donald Trump Washington's plan to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty when the two leaders meet in Paris (France) on November 11, on the sidelines of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Peskov stated: "There are still many issues related to strategic stability, especially in the context of the US announcing its intention to withdraw from the INF. All of this will certainly be on the agenda."
Indonesia urgently searches for victims of plane crash
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Professional rescue teams dive into the plane crash site, near the west coast of Java. Photo: Basarnas Search and Rescue Team |
Indonesian authorities confirmed on October 29 that there were a total of 189 people on board the ill-fated Lion Air plane that crashed into the sea earlier that day. In addition to the 8 crew members, there were 178 adults, 2 infants and 1 child. The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency confirmed there were no survivors.
Muhamad Syaugi, head of Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, said about 300 people, including military, police and local fishermen, were involved in the search for victims.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee has also begun work to identify and locate the plane's black box.
US special envoy holds closed-door meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister
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| South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (right) and Special Envoy Stephen Biegun (left) at a meeting in Seoul. Photo: Kyodo/VNA |
On the morning of October 29, US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun held a closed-door meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa in Seoul. During the meeting, officials from both sides exchanged views on prominent issues on the Korean Peninsula, such as plans to enhance cooperation between the two Koreas and progress on denuclearization.
Special Envoy Biegun then met with South Korea's head of the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue, Lee Do-hoon. There, Biegun affirmed that he was "fully confident" that the goal of denuclearizing North Korea was "within reach," despite concerns about slow progress in nuclear diplomacy in recent weeks.
German Chancellor will not run for CDU party chairmanship next December
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German Chancellor will not run for CDU party chairmanship next December. Photo: DW |
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not run for the position of Chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at the party's congress scheduled to be held in December in Hamburg, according to Reuters news agency, citing German officials.
This decision of the German Chancellor is said to be significantly influenced by the results of the Hessen state election held on October 28, with her CDU party winning only 27.6% of the votes, down nearly 11% compared to the 2013 election results. However, according to the German news agency DPA, Ms. Merkel will continue to hold the position of German Chancellor until the end of her term in 2021.
Tunisian capital rocked by suicide bombing
Sputnik (Russia) reported on October 29 that a woman detonated a suicide bomb in the center of the capital Tunis. The suspected suicide bombing occurred in a central district of the capital Tunis near many museums and hotels frequented by tourists.
Police have blocked off Habib Bouguiba Avenue in central Tunis after the bombing which took place at noon (local time). There is no information yet on the number of casualties in this incident.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail (UK) reported that this woman suspected of committing suicide bombing injured two other people.
Japanese princess marries commoner at Meiji Shrine
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Princess Ayako and her groom got married at Meiji Shrine. Photo:AP. |
Ayako, 28, a cousin of the Emperor, married Kei Moriya, 32, an employee of the shipping company Nippon Yusen. Japanese national television showed the couple slowly entering the Meiji Shrine in front of guests.
The princess wore her hair parted in the middle in a Heian-era style, and wore a traditional outfit with red and blue lantern motifs, while the groom wore a tailcoat.
Women who marry into the Japanese royal family become members of the royal family, but for women who are members of the royal family and marry commoners like Ayako, they have to leave the royal family.
However, Ayako will receive nearly 107 million yen (about 950,000 USD) from the government to maintain the princess's status when she no longer has royal status.
