Hot world events in the past 24 hours

1. Mr. Putin sent a message to the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi

Overview of the conference. Source: AFP/VNA

On January 30, the Syrian National Dialogue Congress opened in the Russian city of Sochi, two hours behind schedule.

President Vladimir Putin's message, read by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Congress, affirmed that the Congress aims to unite all Syrian people.
The message stated: “I welcome all members, observers and guests of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress to Sochi! This forum aims to unite the Syrian people after nearly 7 years of armed conflict, hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions of people forced to flee their homes.”

2. Surprising details in Doan Thi Huong's trial

Malaysian police escort Indonesian suspect Siti Aisyah to court on January 22. Photo: Reuters

According to an Indonesian lawyer, Ms. Siti Aisyah - who is charged with killing Mr. Kim Jong Nam, was hired to "act in a TV show" by a suspect who is wanted by Malaysian police.

According to Reuters news agency, that was the defense of Indonesian lawyer for defendant Siti Aisyah before Malaysian court on January 30.

Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong are accused of killing Kim Jong Nam by smearing the nerve agent VX on his face. If convicted, they could face the death penalty.Lawyers claim the girls thought they were acting out a prank for a TV show, unaware they were poisoning Mr Kim.

3. Russia opens polling station in North Korea for one voter

Illustration photo.

According to Sputnik, information on the Facebook page of the Russian embassy in North Korea on January 30 said that there is only one Russian citizen, named Vladimir Li, currently living permanently in North Korea.

"The embassy is in constant contact with Vladimir, regularly visits and invites him to the embassy and provides necessary support if needed. As a Russian citizen, Vladimir will also participate in the election as is happening in the country. On March 18, Vladimir will go to Pyongyang, and in particular, polling station No. 8163 will be opened in the consular room of the embassy."

4. Thailand postpones general election to 2019

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. Photo: Reuters

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on January 30 that the country needs more time to hold a general election.

The official announcement comes days after Thailand's deputy prime minister said elections scheduled for this year could be postponed.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was appointed Prime Minister in August 2014, after the country's military carried out a military coup.

The Thai government has postponed the general election several times due to the lack of necessary preparations.

5. The US Treasury Department listed 210 Russian officials in the "Kremlin report"

Illustration photo: Reuters

Russian media reported on January 30 that the US Treasury Department submitted to Congress a "Kremlin report" that included the names of 210 Russian officials.

Notable names in the “Kremlin report” include Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev and cabinet members, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak, Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov, Agriculture Minister Tkachev, and several officials from the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Communications such as Denis Manturov and Nikolai Nikiforov.

6. President of Uzbekistan highly appreciates the U23 Vietnam players

U23 Vietnam players celebrate Quang Hai's goal in the final match.

"The Vietnamese players are not easy opponents, they are well trained," the President of Uzbekistan commented on the U23 Vietnam players.

Uzbekistan's leading sports news site Sport.uz reported that during his visit to Kashkadarin province, President Shavkat Mirzieev shared his feelings after watching the AFC U23 Championship Final between Vietnam and Uzbekistan.
President Shavkat Mirzieev said he watched the match with heart palpitations.

7.Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation resigns?

Mr. Andrew McCabe was criticized by President Donald Trump for favoring Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Photo: Getty Images

An anonymous source said on January 29 that Mr. Andrew McCabe, Deputy Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, had resigned.

Mr. Andrew McCabe, who was previously scheduled to retire in March and is currently on leave until his retirement date, has been criticized by Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump in connection with the FBI investigation into Mrs. Clinton's use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State.

President Trump also criticized Mr. Andrew McCabe's investigation of Mrs. Clinton while his wife received funding from people close to Mrs. Clinton.White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on January 29 that President Donald Trump had nothing to do with Andrew McCabe's resignation./.

8.China announces time of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress

Panorama of the closing session of the 5th session of the 12th National People's Congress of China in Beijing on March 15, 2017. Source: THX/TTXVN

The 32nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) of China on January 30 voted to approve the decision on holding the 1st Session of the 13th National People's Congress of China, which will open on March 5 in Beijing.

The 32nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress of China also proposed the following agenda for the 1st session of the 13th National People's Congress: listening to and reviewing the Government's Work Report; reviewing and approving the Report on the implementation of the 2017 Socio-Economic Development Plan and the Draft Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2018.