The world last week in photos

(Baonghean.vn) - Let's review the most outstanding events of the past seven days with Baonghean.vn Online Newspaper.

1. A horrific "Friday" of terrorism.

Last week, the world was terrified when, on Friday, June 26th, terrorist attacks occurred simultaneously across three continents: France (Europe), Tunisia (Africa), and Kuwait (Asia). Remarkably, all three attacks happened just one day after the Islamic State (IS) incited attacks during the Ramadan holy month, a sign of the extremist group's growing influence.

The map shows the locations of three attacks in just one day. France, Tunisia, and Kuwait were the three unfortunate countries targeted by terrorist organizations.Source: CNN

The first incident was a suicide bombing at the Imam Sadiq Mosque in Kuwait City.

The scene of the mosque bombing. A suicide bomber killed 27 people and injured more than 200. This was the first suicide bombing targeting a Shiite mosque in this oil-exporting nation. Source: EPA

At the time of the bombing, nearly 2,000 people were praying in the mosque. Immediately, the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, identifying the suicide bomber as Abu Suleiman al-Muwahed. IS announced on social media that al-Muwahed had targeted "a shrine of apostates," a phrase referring to Shiite Muslims.Source: Reuters

This is just one of more than 200 victims of this bloody bombing. Source: Reuters.

Kuwait's Information Minister Sheikh Salman al-Humoud al-Sabah personally comforted worshippers outside the Imam Sadiq Mosque after the attack. Source: EPA.

The second attack was a shooting. A gunman attacked the Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel in the resort town of Sousse, a Home Office spokesperson announced. The ministry said at least 37 people were killed, including British, Belgian, and German citizens. At least 36 people were injured in the attack.

Police escort a suspect believed to be involved in the hotel attack in Tunisia. The majority of the victims were British citizens. The Sun newspaper called it a "dark weekend".

The scene of the shooting in Sousse.Source: Reuters

.Police and ambulances immediately arrived at the scene. However, they were unable to save the 37 people who were killed. ISIS also claimed responsibility for the shooting.Source: RT

In France, attackers stormed an American-owned industrial chemical plant near Lyon, beheading a man and attempting to blow up the facility. French authorities have classified this as a terrorist attack.

The incident resulted in several injuries. According to local police, they found a severed head along with a black flag.ISIS terroristsat the site where the factory was attacked.Source: EPA

Although it didn't result in as many deaths and injuries as the two previous attacks, this one once again stirred up fear among the French people because the massacre at Charlie Hebdo magazine is still fresh in their minds.Source: Reuters

2. The US is accused of wiretapping three French presidents.

The BBC reports that the WikiLeaks website began publishing documents yesterday under the title "Elysee Spy," referring to the French presidential palace.

This page cites "top secret intelligence reports and technical documents" from the NSA stating that three French presidents, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Francois Hollande, were wiretapped by the US from 2006 to 2012. French ministers and the ambassador to the US were also targeted.

WikiLeaks revealed that three French presidents were spied on by the US.Source: BBC

"France will not tolerate actions that threaten national security and the protection of national interests," the French president's office said in a statement following an emergency meeting of ministers and military commanders in Paris today. According to The Guardian, a French diplomatic source said that France had summoned the US ambassador to discuss the matter. In the statement, France said that the US must respect its promise not to spy on French leaders.

Immediately after the accusation, Secretary of State John Kerry asserted that the US did not eavesdrop on French President Francois Hollande or other officials in the French government, as WikiLeaks claimed. "We are not targeting President Hollande. We will not target friends like President Hollande," Reuters quoted Secretary of State John Kerry as saying at a press conference.Source: AFP

3. China is becoming increasingly intransigent on the South China Sea issue.

China continues to deploy the Haiyang 981, the oil rig that Beijing illegally placed in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone, to a new location in the South China Sea.

Haiyang 981 is an oil rig that Beijing illegally deployed in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in May 2014.Source: Sentinel Asian

The new location of the Haiyang 981 drilling rig (marked in red), based on coordinates released by China.Source: Google Maps

In addition, China has announced plans to accelerate construction on the so-called "Sansha City" to commemorate the third anniversary of the establishment of this illegal South China Sea administration unit, which is actually the Paracel Islands under Vietnam's sovereignty.

Photo 3.3: Chinese ships at Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, which China calls "Sansha City".

Source: CCTV

Furthermore, China's actions have become unacceptable, particularly its use of coast guard vessels and drones to monitor ships it considers to be fishing illegally in waters under its sovereignty.

The Coast Guard vessel 2168, a 1,000-ton ship, is 79.9 m long, 10.6 m wide, has a displacement of 1,330 tons, a speed of 37 km/h, and is capable of continuous travel at sea for more than 9,200 km.Source: Sina

The drone bears the inscription "maritime surveillance". Equipped with a high-resolution camera, the drone can observe vast areas of the sea and then transmit image data to equipment on the ship via satellite.Source: Sina

The Paracel and Spratly Islands are under Vietnam's sovereignty, but despite protests from Vietnam and the international community, China brazenly continues to intensify its illegal patrol and reclamation activities in the area. Beijing has even raised the possibility of using the infrastructure on the artificial islands it is illegally expanding for military purposes.

Although the US has previously condemned China and stated that these actions threaten peace in the South China Sea, China has ignored the warnings. China's stubbornness and obstinacy have long been well-known, but this time, China has truly disgusted the entire world.

4. The US officially recognizes same-sex marriage.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples in all 50 states can marry under the country's constitution, marking a historic victory for the LGBT community worldwide.

This decision is considered a historic victory for LGBTQ+ rights activists, after decades of tireless struggle, overcoming numerous legal obstacles and social prejudices.

Previously, 37 states had recognized marriage equality between people of different sexual orientations. The remaining 13 states have yet to ratify this.

"This is a victory for America," U.S. President Barack Obama said at the White House. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that the same-sex marriage law is "a great step forward for human rights."

This is not only a joyous occasion for American citizens, but also a rewarding victory for the LGBT community worldwide, after their persistent efforts. A wave of support has also spread strongly over the past 24 hours.

The six-colored rainbow flag, the symbol of the LGBT community, has flown worldwide following tireless efforts to fight for same-sex marriage and human rights.Source: Reuters.

On Facebook, users can also show their support through a newly completed app called Celebrate Price, which changes their profile picture to the colors of the rainbow flag – the symbol of the LGBT community. Leading the way is still Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg.Source: Facebook

Nhat Minh (Compiled)