President Trump threatens to destroy Iran; Indonesia increases security
(Baonghean.vn) - New Ukrainian President Zelensky announced the dissolution of Parliament; President Trump threatened to destroy Iran; Syrian government denied allegations of chemical weapons attack.
Syrian government denies chemical weapons attack allegations
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Latakia Province in SyriaPhoto: SANA. |
Russia's Tass news agency reported on May 20 that the Syrian Foreign Ministry recently denied allegations that the Middle Eastern country's army used chemical weapons in the town of Kobani, northern Latakia province.
In a statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry affirmed that the accusations of the Syrian government using chemical poison gas are fabricated and baseless information. The Syrian government has never used and will never use chemical poison gas because it is against international regulations and morally wrong.
President Trump threatens to destroy Iran, risk of conflict increases
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US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Photo:Navy Times. |
US President Donald Trump's threat to destroy Iran has raised concerns about the possibility of conflict between the two countries amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
On his personal Twitter page, President Trump wrote "if Iran wants to go to war, that will be the official end of Iran." He warned Tehran "never to threaten the United States again."
However, Iran said that the US moves were just "psychological warfare" and a "political game".
Indonesia steps up security ahead of election results announcement
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| Anti-terror police participate in a security drill in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 14, 2019. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
To ensure security for the announcement of the presidential election results, scheduled for May 22, Indonesia has mobilized and placed 32,000 police and soldiers on combat readiness in the capital Jakarta.
Armed police and sniffer dogs have been deployed outside the headquarters of the Indonesian General Elections Commission (KPU) in central Jakarta.
Previously, Indonesian authorities arrested dozens of terrorist suspects linked to the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (IS) organization, including some who planned to bomb a political event.
Among the arrested suspects are many who are proficient in bomb making and have fought with IS in Syria, as well as members of the Jemaah Anshurat Daulah (JAD) network - a group of extremist gunmen loyal to IS.
Swedish prosecutors formally request Assange's arrest
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| WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at court in London, UK on May 1. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
On May 20, Swedish prosecutors formally requested the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on charges of sexual assault. If approved, this would be the first step in the process of extraditing Mr. Assange to Sweden for trial.
In a statement, Sweden's Deputy Attorney General Eva-Marie Persson confirmed that she had asked the Uppsala Regional Court to arrest Mr. Assange on charges of sexual assault.
If the court approves, the official said a Europe-wide arrest warrant would be issued for Mr. Assange. The decision came after Swedish prosecutors announced on May 13 that they were reopening a 2010 investigation into the WikiLeaks founder over allegations of sexual assault, which had been suspended in 2017.
