Hot world events in the past 24 hours

1. DBombing in Afghanistan: More than 250 casualties

A person injured in the bombing is helped into an ambulance. Photo: Reuters

The Afghan Ministry of Health confirmed that at least 95 people were killed and 158 injured in a car bomb explosion in the capital Kabul on the afternoon of January 27.

The blast is expected to increase pressure on the government of President Ghani and its allies as the Afghan government has always believed that stepping up military campaigns to push the force out of central areas is effective. Previously, on January 20, Taliban gunmen also attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in the capital Kabul, killing at least 40 people./.

2. Incumbent Czech President Zeman re-elected for second term

Mr. Milos Zeman votes at a polling station in Prague on January 12. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Incumbent Czech President Milos Zeman defeated his opponent Jiri Drahos, former President of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in the second round of the presidential election to continue as the owner of Prague Castle for another five-year term.

With more than 99.99% of the votes counted, Mr. Zeman won over 51% of the votes, nearly 3% more than Professor Drahos. According to statistics, Mr. Zeman won in 10 provinces and cities of the Czech Republic, while Mr. Drahos received support in the remaining 4 places, including the capital Prague.

3.South Korean President praises the sportsmanship of U23 Vietnam

South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Photo: AFP.

On January 28, the President of South Korea praised the true sportsmanship of the Vietnam U23 football team on his personal Facebook page.

"The Vietnam U23 team, under the leadership of coach Park Hang-seo, won the runner-up position at the AFC U23 Championship finals. The image of the players playing their hearts out until the end of extra time in a snowstorm showed true sportsmanship," South Korean President Moon Jae-in wrote on his personal Facebook page.

4. Syrian Kurdish authorities will not attend the Sochi conference

Smoke rises after airstrikes in Ain Tarma, Eastern Ghouta on October 16, 2017. Photo: AFP/VNA

On January 28, the government of the Kurdish autonomous region in Syria announced that it would not participate in the National Dialogue Congress, a peace conference on Syria sponsored by Russia, scheduled to take place in Sochi early next week.

According to Mr. Fawza al-Yussef, a Kurdish government official, this decision is to protest Türkiye's military campaign in Syria's Afrin province.
Mr. Yussef stated that the Kurdish administration in Syria had previously made it clear that if the situation in Afrin did not change, it would not come to Sochi.

5.Spanish court orders former Catalan leader to appear before parliament

Mr. Puigdemont, former leader of Catalonia. Photo: Reuters.

Spain's Constitutional Court says Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan leader, can be sworn in as the region's leader if he appears in parliament and is allowed to attend by a judge.Reutersreport

Mr Puigdemont, who has been in Belgium since October, is wanted by Spanish authorities on charges of sedition in the Catalan independence movement. Facing the threat of arrest on his return to Spain, he has said he could govern Catalonia remotely.

6.North Korea condemns US for imposing new sanctions

North Korea believes that the US should stop its outdated policies towards the country. Photo:AFP

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman denounced the US, saying the new sanctions were "a manifestation of a disgusting intention to throw a wet blanket on inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation and further worsen the situation," the North's KCNA news agency said. Pyongyang said Washington should stop its outdated policy toward North Korea.

7. Türkiye intensifies attacks on Syrian militias

Turkish soldiers are mobilized to participate in the offensive campaign in Syria. Photo: Hurriyet.

Fighting in northern Syria continues as the Turkish military attempts to attack the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in the town of Azaz, on the outskirts of Afrin. Türkiye's military campaign against the YPG has been going on for a week and shows no signs of abating.

Türkiye says it has “neutralized” 447 YPG fighters since the “Olive Branch” operation was launched on January 20. Ankara says the YPG is part of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist group and must be eliminated.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Photo:AP

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was released from Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on January 27, where he had been detained for more than two months in connection with corruption allegations, according to...Reuters.

Although he holds no position in the Saudi government, Prince Alwaleed is one of the richest people in the world, with a fortune of about $17 billion. Some sources say he had to pay $6 billion to the Saudi government to be released, according to Newsweek.