Trump to visit war zone; Italian police raid mafia gang den

Syria begins rebuilding war-torn areas

The Syrian government is implementing reconstruction programs to facilitate the return of refugees. Photo: Reuters

Sameer Islam, a representative of the local government responsible for overseeing construction projects in the area, said on November 21 that the housing reconstruction program in the mountainous areas of Latakia province was launched in 2015, shortly after militants were driven out of villages. Under the program, more than 400 houses in seven localities have been restored and the first phase of the reconstruction cost $2.6 million.

After years of war, Syria's infrastructure has been severely damaged and a major humanitarian crisis is also taking place in the country. Currently, the Syrian government is implementing reconstruction programs to create favorable conditions for refugees who wish to return.

Türkiye criticizes US for ignoring Saudi journalist's murder

Candlelight vigil for journalist Jamal Khashoggi outside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Türkiye on October 25. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

According to Reuters, on November 21, Vice Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Türkiye Numan Kurtulmus accused the US of deliberately ignoring the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In an interview with state broadcaster TRT Haber, Mr. Kurtulmus also called the statements related to the incident made by US President Donald Trump on November 20 a “farce.”

US asks Australia to help inspect North Korea's denuclearization

The US government has asked Australia to send inspectors to join an international delegation to monitor North Korea's denuclearization process. According to sources in The Australian, the Australian government has agreed to the US proposal and has now identified a list of experts who can go to North Korea immediately upon request.

As a non-nuclear weapons state, Australian experts do not inspect nuclear disarmament but are mainly involved in verifying the inspection program and assessing North Korea's missile capabilities. If participating in the inspection team to North Korea this time, Australia can provide experts to support the inspection process such as geological survey experts, seismologists, radiological experts or satellite image analysis experts.

Trump plans first visit to war zone

US President Donald Trump. Photo:Reuters.

US President Donald Trump said on November 20 that he was planning to visit a war zone after being asked by a reporter if he was afraid of going to war zones. However, the head of the White House did not disclose the time or location of the visit.

Trump has long been criticized for not visiting American soldiers on the battlefield even though he has been in office for nearly two years. According to the Washington Post, Trump is not actually enthusiastic about visiting American soldiers in war zones because he is concerned about his own safety. In addition, observers believe that President Trump's reluctance to visit war zones also stems from his opposition to the participation of the US military in some conflicts abroad, such as in Iraq or Afghanistan.

France investigates President Macron's election funding

French President Emmanuel Macron at a press conference in Paris last June. Photo:Reuters.

French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the source of 144,000 euros ($164,000) in funding for Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 presidential campaign after the National Commission for Campaign Expenditures and Political Financing (CNCCFP) failed to trace some of the cheques and bank transfers to Macron’s En Marche party.

The unidentified donations are just a small part of the campaign’s expenses. According to the CNCCFP, Macron raised more than $19.1 million in donations for his presidential campaign a year ago, well below the limit allowed by French law. He spent almost all of it.

Russia and Belarus concerned about NATO's military buildup in Europe

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

On November 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow and Minsk were concerned about the risk of increased tensions in Europe due to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) strengthening its forces on its eastern flank and the US' intention to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Minsk with his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei, Foreign Minister Lavrov said the two sides discussed the security and political situation in Europe in particular and the Euro-Atlantic region in general. Russia and Belarus expressed concern over the increasing tensions in the European continent, mainly due to NATO's increased military activities near the two countries' borders, as well as Washington's intention to withdraw from the INF.

About 40,000 workers join major strike in South Korea

Source: Yonhap

About 40,000 workers participated in a half-day general strike across South Korea on November 21 to protest the country's labor policies, as the Korean government recently issued a regulation limiting the maximum working hours to 52 hours per week, but can be adjusted upon request.

According to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the strike took place in the capital Seoul and 13 cities, including the workforce in the manufacturing and automobile manufacturing sectors. In Seoul alone, about 10,000 workers gathered outside the National Assembly building. Hundreds of riot police were deployed to protect the area.

Indonesia discovers whale carcass containing 6 kg of plastic in stomach

A whale carcass washed ashore in Indonesia contained up to 6 kg of plastic waste. Photo: Reuters

On November 21, AFP reported that the stomach of a dead whale that washed ashore in Indonesia contained up to 6 kg of plastic waste, including 115 cups, 25 plastic bags, 1 pair of sandals, 4 plastic bottles and 3.2 kg of plastic rope. The 9.5-meter-long whale was found in the Wakatobi reserve in Sulawesi province, Southeast Indonesia, on November 19.

This has raised concerns among environmentalists about the problem of plastic waste pollution threatening marine life. Mr. Dwi Suprapti, marine life conservation coordinator for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Indonesia, said that although the exact cause of the whale’s death could not be confirmed, there were signs that “plastic waste was the main culprit”.

Italian police raid notorious mafia gang's lair

Police raided a villa of the Casamonica gang. Photo:Dailymail

Italian police announced on November 20 that they had seized eight illegally built luxury villas and arrested 30 members of the notorious Casamonica mafia gang in Rome. Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi said the seizures were made during a raid involving 600 police officers. Raggi said the raid would put an end to the illegal activities of the Casamonica criminal gang.

The Casamonica gang has been active for decades, mainly in the south-east of Rome, and is accused by Italian authorities of involvement in drug trafficking, protection rackets and loan sharking.