Türkiye sends massive forces to Syrian border; Trump wants Mattis to leave early

Turkey sends massive forces to Syrian border as US withdraws troops

Turkish tanks deployed near the Syrian border. Photo:AFP.

Türkiye has deployed additional troops to the Syrian border after US President Donald Trump abruptly decided to withdraw US ground forces from the Middle Eastern country, media reported.

According to the state-run Anadolu news agency, a Turkish military convoy with howitzers and artillery batteries as well as various armed forces units was deployed to the border district of Elbeyli in Türkiye’s Kilis province. Meanwhile, the private IHA news agency reported that some elements of the convoy had entered Syrian territory.

Angry over resignation letter, Trump wants Mattis to leave early

Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan sits next to US President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting, will serve as acting Secretary of Defense from January 1, 2019. Photo:Reuters

The US President announced the identity of the new US Secretary of Defense, saying that Mattis will leave office two months earlier than expected. "I am pleased to announce that Patrick Shanahan, our incredibly talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, will become Acting Secretary of Defense effective January 1, 2019. Patrick has had many accomplishments as Deputy Secretary, as well as while working at Boeing," US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter yesterday.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis previously announced that he would leave office at the end of February 2019 due to disagreement with Trump's decision to withdraw all US troops from Syria.

In his resignation letter, Mattis also implicitly criticized the White House boss's foreign policy, saying that he did not value close allies and did not have a strong stance on rivals such as Russia and China. A US official said Trump was very angry with the criticism of the head of the Pentagon.

Trump emphasized that he gave Mattis a second chance after he was fired by former President Barack Obama as commander of US Central Command in 2013.

Death toll from Indonesia tsunami rises to nearly 400

Police search for victims in Banten province on Java island. Photo: Reuters

The death toll is expected to rise as the search for victims is hampered by heavy rains, a BNPB spokesman said. Meanwhile, scientists said a section of the southern flank of the Anak Krakatau volcano collapsed into the sea just minutes before the tsunami, which is likely to have caused the catastrophic disaster.

Israel dissolves parliament, holds early elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center) at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. Photo: AFP/VNA

Israel will hold a general election in April, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after a meeting of members of his ruling coalition.

"The coalition leaders have decided by consensus to dissolve parliament and go to new elections in early April," the spokesman quoted a coalition statement as saying.

The decision came after the ruling coalition struggled to agree on a key bill that would see Orthodox Jews conscripted into the army as secular men.

China to cut tariffs on hundreds of imported goods in 2019

Workers pack goods at a delivery company in Jiangsu province, eastern China. Photo: THX/TTXVN

The Chinese government has announced a decision to cut import tariffs in 2019, in an effort to promote "market opening". The decision comes amid a trade dispute between China and the US that has led to tit-for-tat tariff hikes that have increased the cost of imports.

A statement from the Chinese Ministry of Finance said that starting from January 1, 2019, China will reduce tariffs on about 700 imported items, such as raw materials for animal feed, medicines... and from July 1, reduce tariffs on 298 products related to information technology.

The measures are believed to be aimed at increasing imports of goods from countries outside the US, in the context that additional tariffs applied to US products over the past year have reduced imports from the world's largest economy to China.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sentenced to 7 years in prison

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Pakistan’s anti-corruption court has sentenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to seven years in prison on charges that Sharif said were politically motivated. The court found that Sharif could not prove the source of his income that enabled him to own a steel plant in Saudi Arabia, Geo News reported.

Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in July 2017 over corruption charges, becoming the 15th prime minister of Pakistan to "fall apart."

Italy offers up to 6,000 euros to help people buy 'green' cars

A woman drives a two-seater Renault Twizy electric car in the Italian capital Rome - Photo: Reuters

The Italian Senate has just passed a law to provide subsidies of up to 6,000 euros ($6,820) for buyers of low-emission cars, while increasing taxes on high-powered gasoline and diesel cars.

These new policies were approved by the Italian Senate on December 23. The relevant budget for implementing these measures in fiscal year 2019 was also approved.

Despite the government’s support, the Italian car industry has been opposed to the policy. Trade unions and industry associations have warned that the new tax will not only hurt carmakers, but will also affect the entire supply chain and could lead to job losses.