Trump considering withdrawing US from NATO?; Germany will not make further concessions to Britain on Brexit

Is President Trump considering withdrawing the US from NATO?

Since taking office in 2017, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO members for failing to meet their annual defense spending obligations, insisting that the financial burden must be shared fairly.

Citing current and former administration officials, the New York Times reported that throughout 2018, President Trump repeatedly expressed his willingness to withdraw from NATO. These sources fear that the current US President will return to his threat in the context that other allied countries have not yet increased their military spending contributions to NATO and achieved the goals set by the bloc.

Israel admits supplying weapons to rebels in Syria

The Israeli military (IDF) has provided some light weapons "for self-defense purposes" to anti-government rebel groups in Syria, the Sunday Times on January 12 quoted Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot, chief of the IDF general staff. This information was revealed by Mr. Eisenkot in a farewell talk with the media before his retirement. This is the first time a senior Israeli military official has admitted that the country has directly supported rebel forces in Syria.

Rumors of Tel Aviv’s support for rebel groups in Syria have long been circulating. Foreign Policy reported in September 2018 that Israel was providing weapons and money to at least 12 rebel groups in southern Syria. Under the agreement, in addition to the money used to buy weapons on the black market, Israel also provided a monthly allowance of $75 per rebel in exchange for the groups pushing Hezbollah and Iran out of areas in the Golan Heights near Israeli-occupied territory.

Russian court orders extended detention of 4 Ukrainian sailors

Secret service agents of the Russian Federal Security Service escort a detained Ukrainian sailor (right) to court in Simferopol, Crimea on November 27, 2018. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

A Moscow court on January 15 ordered the detention of the first four of 24 Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia off the coast of Crimea last year to be extended until April 24 pending trial, the Russian RIA news agency and Interfax news agency reported.

Russia seized the sailors and three Ukrainian naval vessels on November 25, 2018, near the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. Moscow accused them of illegally entering Russian territorial waters, a claim Kiev strongly denied.

Germany insists there will be no further concessions to Britain over Brexit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and British Prime Minister Theresa May before the EU Summit in Brussels on December 15, 2018. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has not offered any concessions to British Prime Minister Theresa May regarding the Brexit divorce between Britain and the European Union (EU), a German government spokesman said on January 15. The statement denied information published in the British newspaper The Sun the day before.

The statement said: "The German Chancellor did not provide any further guarantees beyond the agreement discussed by the European Council in December and the issues mentioned in the letter of European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk."

Türkiye orders arrest of 192 people suspected of links to cleric Gulen

Turkish police arrest suspects linked to Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen in the city of Kayseri, central Türkiye on April 26, 2017. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Türkiye has ordered the arrest of 192 people for their links to the network of supporters of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of being behind the failed coup in July 2016, Hurriyet newspaper reported on January 15.

Since the coup, Turkish police have been conducting regular operations against Gulenists. Last week, Turkish prosecutors ordered the arrest of 100 soldiers accused of having regular and frequent contact with members of the Fethullah Organization (FETO) via the ByLock app. The General Prosecutor's Office in Ankara said the suspects were working in the Turkish Ground Forces Command.

Another human trafficking ring busted by Italian police

Italian police. Photo: EPA-EFE/TTXVN

A transnational criminal ring with similar methods to the one arrested on January 9 was arrested by Italian police in the south of the country on January 15. Italian police made a total of 14 arrests of suspects involved in the organization smuggling people from Tunisia to Italy via Sicily. Some of the suspects were arrested at the port of Palermo while preparing to flee to Tunisia and carrying cash amounting to more than 30,000 euros (about 34,274 USD).

In addition to organizing human trafficking to Italy, police also discovered the organization's cigarette production and smuggling activities on Italian territory with the help of local accomplices.

Customers at a traditional market in Indonesia. Source: theinsiderstories

Indonesia's National Statistics Bureau announced on January 15 that Indonesia's trade deficit in 2018 was at $8.57 billion, after a surplus of $11.84 billion in 2017. Indonesia's export turnover increased from $168.82 billion in 2017 to $180.06 billion in 2018. However, import turnover increased more strongly, from $156.99 billion to $188.63 billion.

The head of the National Statistics Office, Mr. Kecuk Suhariyanto, said the reason for the large trade deficit in 2018 was due to a deficit in the oil and gas sector, which stood at $12.4 billion. Meanwhile, other sectors had a surplus of $3.84 billion.