The US President declares a state of emergency; Türkiye does not withdraw from the S-400 purchase agreement.
(Baonghean.vn) - The US President does not want North Korea to test missiles and nuclear weapons; Britain and Russia hold their first talks after the nerve agent attack; Türkiye declares it will not withdraw from the S-400 agreement with Russia; India and Pakistan tense after bomb explosion in Kashmir... These are the prominent world news stories of the past 24 hours.
Determined to build a border wall, Trump declares a state of emergency.
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| President Trump delivered a speech in the White House Rose Garden at 10:30 AM on February 15th, US time (10:30 PM the same day, Vietnam time) - Photo: Reuters |
US President Donald Trump has officially declared a national emergency at the southern border to secure billions of dollars in funding for the wall with Mexico that he promised during his presidential campaign.
Declaring a state of emergency would allow Trump to use $3.6 billion in military construction funds to build a border wall.
The US leader will also have access to $2.5 billion from anti-drug programs and $600 million from the US Treasury Department's asset seizure fund.
Türkiye declares it will not withdraw from the S-400 agreement with Russia.
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| Illustration photo: Hürriyet Daily News |
Türkiye will not withdraw from its agreement to purchase the S-400 missile defense system from Russia. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared this on February 16th, a day after the unofficial deadline set by the United States for Ankara.
Speaking to reporters on his flight back from the Russian resort city of Sochi, where a trilateral summit on Syria between Türkiye, Russia, and Iran took place, President Erdogan emphasized that Ankara would push ahead with the S-400 deal.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalate following bomb attack in Kashmir.
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| Police examine the scene of a car bomb attack in Kashmir. Photo: Reuters |
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed a “strong response” following the car bomb attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir on February 14 that killed at least 44 police officers.
The Indian government also accused Pakistan of involvement in the incident and said it would revoke tax preferences for Pakistan and would initiate “all possible diplomatic measures” to isolate Pakistan from the international community.
The US, Thailand, and South Korea conduct the Golden Cobra amphibious landing exercise.
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| US Marines participate in the exercise. Photo: Son Nam/VNA. |
On February 16th, host nation Thailand, the United States, and South Korea conducted amphibious landing exercises at Hat Yao beach, part of the Sattahip base in Chon Buri province. This exercise was part of the annual Cobra Gold drills, which began on February 12th and will continue until February 22nd.
In an interview with the press, Acting Head of the US diplomatic mission in Thailand, Peter Haymond, stated that the purpose of this exercise is to enhance security cooperation and interoperability among countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The exercise also demonstrates the strong commitment of Thailand and the US in their long-standing alliance to promoting regional cooperation.
Britain and Russia hold first talks after nerve agent attack.
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| British Deputy Foreign Secretary Alan Duncan. Photo: AFP |
According to AFP, on February 16, British Deputy Foreign Minister Alan Duncan met with Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov in Germany.
This was the first high-level meeting between the two countries since the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury on March 4 last year. Britain accused Russia of being behind the attack, while Moscow denied the accusation.The US has sanctioned five Venezuelan security and intelligence officials.
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks to supporters in the capital Caracas on February 7. Photo:Reuters. |
The U.S. Treasury Department announced it is imposing sanctions on five officials "closely linked to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro."
This order allows the U.S. Treasury Department to freeze all assets under U.S. control belonging to five officials, as well as prevent any U.S. citizens from doing business with them. However, the Treasury Department emphasized that the sanctions are "not immutable" but are aimed at bringing about "positive change in behavior."
