Trump to Depart for Vietnam on the Morning of February 25; Tensions Along the Venezuela-Colombia Border

Tensions flare along Venezuela-Colombia border

A truck carrying humanitarian goods was burned at the border between Venezuela and Colombia on February 23. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

A VNA correspondent in South America quoted sources from the border area between Venezuela and Colombia as saying that at least two trucks carrying humanitarian aid were burned at the border gate between the two countries in the context of the opposition trying to find ways to bring aid into Venezuelan territory, despite the government's objections.

Telesur TV channel reported that the opposition extremists burned the two vehicles to blame the Venezuelan security forces and create an excuse to destabilize the situation. Information and images taken by Telesur reporters at the scene said that, with the support of opposition supporters, the trucks were trying to enter Venezuelan territory but were stopped and remained in Colombian territory. The extremists also threw homemade petrol bombs at Venezuelan security forces to clear the way for the vehicles, but because they could not carry out their intention, they set them on fire themselves.

President Trump announced he was leaving for Vietnam to meet Kim.

The US President said he will leave for Vietnam on the morning of February 25, and hopes for a good outcome at the summit with Kim Jong-un. "Had very productive discussions with China on trade yesterday. Will continue today. I will be leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam, tomorrow morning for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, where we both expect to be able to continue the progress made at the first summit in Singapore. Denuclearization?", US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter at 4:58 a.m. on February 24.

The US-North Korea summit is scheduled to take place on February 27-28 in Hanoi. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will also pay an official friendship visit to Vietnam in the coming days at the invitation of General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong. Kim Jong-un left Pyongyang by train on the afternoon of February 23.

Iran successfully test-fired a cruise missile from a submarine

Iranian submarine. Photo: Reuters

Iran successfully test-fired a cruise missile during naval exercises near the Strait of Hormuz, amid rising tensions with the United States, Reuters reported on February 24, citing Iran's official news agency IRNA.

"On the third day of the drills, an Iranian Ghadir-class naval submarine successfully launched a cruise missile," IRNA said.

Iran's other submarines, the Tareq and the newly built Fateh, have similar anti-ship capabilities, a military statement said, citing IRNA. State media said more than 100 vessels were taking part in the three-day exercise, which spans the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean.

Saudi Arabia appoints Princess Reema as Ambassador to the US

On February 24, Saudi Arabia appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar as ambassador to the United States. This is the first time in the history of this country that a woman has taken on the role of a high-ranking diplomatic ambassador. The Saudi Royal Decree appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar to replace Prince Khalid bin Salman as ambassador to the United States.

In a post on her personal Twitter page, Princess Reema bint Bandar thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for trusting her with the position. Princess Reema bint Bandar is the daughter of former long-time ambassador Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, who was Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States from 1983 to 2005.

Nearly 3.3 million Moldovan voters go to the polls in the general election

Moldovan voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Chisinau on February 24. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

According to the reporter of the Vietnam News Agency of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), at 7:00 a.m. local time (12:00 p.m. Hanoi time), 2,141 polling stations in Moldova and abroad opened to welcome voters in the general election on February 24. According to statistics from the National Registration Committee, the whole country had 3,265,997 voters.

This is the first time Moldova has held a mixed election – 51 MPs will be elected by district, 50 by party list. This election also applies many new regulations, abolishing the regulation on compulsory voter turnout, abolishing the regulation on “quiet days” when campaigning is allowed on the day of the election, except in the polling station.