Japanese Prime Minister reshuffles cabinet; France “freezes” assets of Iran’s Ministry of Security and Intelligence

In an announcement, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on October 1 that immediately after leaving the EU, the country will apply a new immigration system, ending the freedom of movement of European citizens in the UK. According to the female Prime Minister, this will be a system built on the qualifications of workers, instead of origin as before, helping to reduce the number of immigrants to the UK to "reasonable levels" as committed.

Under her action plan published in the general election last June, Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to reduce the “immigration gap”, the difference between the number of people entering and leaving the country, to less than 100,000 a year, down from 273,000 in 2016.

Hundreds of Syrian refugees in Lebanon voluntarily return home

According to NNA news agency, Syrian families gathered at the Aboudiya border crossing where Lebanese authorities took the necessary measures to ensure their safe return. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Lebanon currently hosts 976,000 Syrian refugees while the Lebanese government estimates the actual number to be 1.5 million.

A Lebanese government official announced yesterday that 4,100 Syrian refugees have returned to the country since June. Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said that since the Syrian government now controls most of the territory, organizing the repatriation of Syrian refugees is feasible. Lebanon will ensure the return of Syrian refugees quickly, safely and with honor.

On October 2, the French government announced that it had frozen the assets of two Iranian citizens as well as the Iranian Ministry of Security and Intelligence in response to a bomb plot targeting a march by an Iranian opposition group in Paris last June.

In a joint statement, the French Interior Ministry and the French Economy Ministry stated that with this decision, France affirms that it will not compromise with such serious incidents occurring on its territory. According to the announcement, 6 people were arrested in coordinated raids by police in many European countries, including an Iranian diplomat named Assadollah Asadi. Mr. Asadi was arrested in a German city with a Europe-wide arrest warrant; Germany is expected to hand him over to Belgium for prosecution.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on October 2 reshuffled his Cabinet, keeping six positions, appointing 12 new positions, and changing one position. The positions that remained were those of close allies of Prime Minister Abe, such as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Foreign Minister Kono, etc. The leader of the Komeito Party in the ruling coalition, Keiichi Ishii, continued to hold the position of Minister of Land Transport.

Notable among the 12 newly appointed Cabinet members is Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya, who previously served as Vice Foreign Minister. Regional Revitalization Minister Katsuki Katayama is the only woman in the new Cabinet.

Türkiye increases surveillance in Syria to fight extremist groups

Turkish soldiers patrol in the town of Manbij, Syria on June 18, 2018. Source: AFP/ VNA

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on October 2 that his country will increase surveillance posts in northwestern Syria and coordinate with Russia against extremist groups.

In addition, speaking to members of the Justice and Development (AK) party in the parliament, the Turkish leader announced that the country will hold a summit with Russia, Germany and France in October or November to discuss Syria, adding that Ankara will continue to seek a solution with the people of this Middle Eastern country and not with the Russian-backed Syrian government.

Suicide bombing in Afghanistan kills 13 people

Afghan security forces investigate at the scene of a bomb attack in Jalalabad city, Nangarhar province on August 25. Photo: THX/TTXVN

An unnamed Afghan official said a suicide bomber blew himself up at the home of Abdul Nasir Mohmmand, a candidate for parliament in the October 20 election, in the Sangar Saray area of ​​Kama district, east of Jalalabad, the provincial capital of Nangarhar. Mohmand was wounded in the attack, while the attacker died on the spot.

At 5:00 p.m. on October 2 (Vietnam time), the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm announced the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics to three scientists: Arthur Ashkin (USA), Gerard Mourou (France), and Donna Strickland (Canada) for their groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics. This is the second award of this year's Nobel Prize season to be announced and the 112th Nobel Prize in Physics to be awarded since 1901, and to date, only three women have received the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Ferry carrying more than 300 people caught fire in the middle of the Baltic Sea