The hottest events in the world over the past 24 hours.

1. South Korea, the US, and Japan are considering holding a trilateral meeting at the foreign minister level.

(From left) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (center), and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. Source: AFP

According to a diplomatic source cited by Yonhap News Agency on January 12, South Korea, the United States, and Japan are considering holding a trilateral meeting at the foreign minister level in Vancouver next week on the sidelines of an international meeting to discuss more effective sanctions against North Korea.

The source also added that further discussions are needed to finalize the details regarding the meeting, coinciding with the three foreign ministers' participation in the Vancouver Group meeting, scheduled for January 15-16 in Canada, to discuss ways to enhance the effectiveness of sanctions.

2.The Russian and Iranian foreign ministers held a phone call to discuss the situation in Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (second from left) and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (second from right) during a meeting in Moscow on January 10. Source: AFP/VNA

On January 12, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif had a telephone conversation to discuss the situation in Syria ahead of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, scheduled to take place in Sochi, Russia, later this month.

According to the statement, the two sides exchanged views on the current situation in Syria, focusing on finding a political solution based on United Nations Resolution 2254.

3.Turkish citizens may be arrested upon arrival in the United States.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: CNN

In a travel advisory issued on January 12, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that its citizens could face the risk of arrest upon entering the United States. The ministry also mentioned the high risk of recent terrorist attacks and violence in the US.

Türkiye's warning comes after the US State Department this week issued a similar warning to its citizens traveling to Türkiye.

Tensions between the US and Türkiye have escalated after a US court convicted the deputy CEO of Türkiye's Halkbank of fraud and violating US sanctions against Iran.

4. Japanese Prime Minister visits six Baltic and Southeast European countries.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Source: Kyodo/VNA

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began a tour on January 12th to three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – and three Southeast European countries – Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania. This tour marks the first visit by a Japanese leader to these countries.

Speaking to reporters at the prime minister's office before heading to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Abe said that in talks with leaders of these countries during the visit, he would reaffirm cooperation in responding to urgent challenges facing the international community, including the North Korean crisis.

5. Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchange fire in Kashmir.

Indian troops in the border region. Photo: Times of India.

Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged heavy fire on January 12, targeting each other's positions along the Line of Control (LoC) dividing the Kashmir region.

The incident occurred at the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kamalkote area of ​​the border town of Uri, 117km northwest of Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-controlled Kashmir region.

An Indian army official said Pakistani troops fired on Indian positions in the Kamalkote area along the Line of Control (LoC) without provocation, and Indian soldiers returned fire. There is no information yet on casualties or damage on either side.

6.South Korea: Court orders freezing of former President Park's assets.

Impeached former President Park Geun-hye is escorted to the Seoul Central District Court on May 29, 2017. (Source: YONHAP/VNA)

According to Yonhap, on January 12, the Seoul Central District Court decided to freeze approximately 6 billion won (US$5.62 million) of former President Park Geun-hye's assets on charges of accepting bribes in a case related to the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

The court granted prosecutors' request to temporarily seize Park's new apartment, valued at 2.8 billion won ($2.61 million), in southern Seoul, and checks worth 3 billion won ($2.8 million).

Ms. Park will be prohibited from conducting transactions involving bank deposits and assets, including selling, transferring, or leasing them, until the court rules on the bribery charges.

7.Major strike in Greece protests government reforms.

People protest against reforms in Athens, Greece, on January 11. Source: AFP/VNA

The subway system in Greece's capital, Athens, was shut down on January 12 due to strikes protesting new reforms that the country's parliament is expected to pass on January 15 in exchange for new disbursements.

The temporary suspension of the Athens metro system, which has approximately 938,000 daily users, has caused traffic congestion in the city of 3.8 million people.

At ferry terminals, many ships are unable to set sail due to striking workers, and medical services at many state-run hospitals are also disrupted as many doctors are on leave. More striking workers are expected on January 15th.

8.Czech voters begin casting their ballots for President.

Czech President Milos Zeman. Photo: EPA/VNA

On the afternoon of January 12th, approximately 8.5 million Czech voters began casting their ballots for a new presidential term. Polling stations opened at 2 PM local time (8 PM Hanoi time) and closed at 2 PM local time the following day. In addition to incumbent President Milos Zeman, eight other candidates are vying for the next five-year term.