Strong earthquakes hit Japan and China, Iran holds military drills near nuclear facility, Trump calls on Canada to unite with US

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party, which means he will step down as Prime Minister. (Photo: Anh Son)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

Asia- Pacific

*South Korea: Extension of arrest warrant for President Yoon: On January 7, the Seoul Western District Court approved the extension of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol at the request of the Senior Officials Investigation Office (CIO) on charges of masterminding a rebellion.

This is the first time in South Korean history that a sitting president has faced an arrest warrant. The first attempt to execute the warrant on January 3 failed after more than five hours of confrontation with the presidential guard.

The CIO is expected to launch a new arrest effort soon in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation. (Yonhap)

*Japan: 6.0 magnitude earthquake off Torishima Island: According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), a 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Torishima Island area in southern Japan on January 7.

The earthquake occurred at 5:32 p.m. local time, with its epicenter in the sea near the Torishima Islands, measuring level 2 on Japan's 7-level seismic intensity scale, JMA said.

The epicenter was located at a depth of 420 km, latitude 31.4 degrees north and longitude 138.7 degrees east. JMA added that no tsunami warning was issued after this earthquake. (THX)

*China criticizes US for “unreasonable suppression”: China on January 7 accused the US of “unreasonable suppression” after the US Department of Defense added Chinese tech giant Tencent and battery maker CATL to a list of companies it said had links to Beijing’s military.

Speaking at a regular press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stressed: "China has always firmly opposed the US side generalizing the concept of national security, establishing various discriminatory lists, unjustly suppressing Chinese enterprises and restraining China's high-quality development." (AFP)

*Philippines determined to protect its waters from intrusions: On January 7, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stressed that they will not waver in carrying out their patrol missions at sea and in the air, despite the presence of Chinese Coast Guard ship 5901 in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, Vice Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, expressed concern over the presence of Chinese vessels – or any foreign vessels – in Philippine waters, while affirming the country’s commitment to increasing its presence in the West Philippine Sea.

PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, said the BRP Cabra is maintaining vigilant surveillance of the Chinese vessel. (ABS)

*Dozens killed and injured in powerful earthquake in Tibet: According to the regional disaster relief headquarters, 32 people were killed and 38 injured in a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Dingri County, Xigaze City, Tibet Autonomous Region at 9:05 a.m. on January 7 (Beijing time).

Meanwhile, Nangfang Daily reported that 36 people have now died in the earthquake.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the epicenter was recorded at latitude 28.5 degrees north and longitude 87.45 degrees east. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers. (THX)

*Malaysia, Singapore announce agreement on joint economic zone: On January 7, Malaysia and Singapore announced an agreement on a special economic zone in the southern Malaysian state of Johor, to support investment and facilitate the movement of goods and people between the two countries.

The two Southeast Asian neighbors agreed in principle to jointly develop the special economic zone a year ago. The agreement was announced on January 7 during a visit to Malaysia by Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and senior cabinet ministers.

Thousands of Malaysians travel back and forth to Singapore every day for work and study, causing frequent traffic jams on the Causeway, one of the world’s busiest border crossings. (Reuters)

Europe

*Switzerland on red alert over rising wave of terrorism: Swiss federal prosecutor Stefan Blättler has warned of an alarming increase in terrorism-related investigations in the country, with the number of cases doubling since 2022.

According to information from the prosecutor, there are currently about 120 cases being investigated by Swiss authorities, most of which are related to jihadist activities.

These activities include terrorist propaganda in cyberspace, financial flows from Switzerland to terrorist organizations and the movement of citizens to countries where jihadists are active.

Mr. Blättler criticized the federal government for not paying enough attention to domestic security for a long time, and called on Switzerland to take strong measures to prevent gang crime, avoiding violence and extortion like what happened in Belgium and Sweden. (AP)

*Finland repairs two telecommunications cables across the Baltic Sea: On January 6, Finnish operator Elisa said two telecommunications cables connecting Estonia and Finland across the Baltic Sea have been repaired after suspected sabotage.

Speaking to reporters, Elisa's security director Jaakko Wallenius confirmed the repairs took place on January 6, revealing that the cables appeared to have been cut by an anchor.

Finnish authorities are investigating the suspected sabotage of four telecommunications cables and a power line on December 25, just weeks after other cables in the area were severed. Investigators suspect the Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker Eagle S was involved in the damage to the submarine cables.

The Eagle S is currently anchored off the coast of Porkkala, about 30km south of the capital Helsinki, while the eight crew members on board are banned from leaving Finnish territory. (AFP)

*UK considers criminalizing the creation and sharing of deepfake pornographic content: In response to the increase in pornographic content, on January 7, the British Government announced that the creation and sharing of deepfake pornographic content will be considered a criminal offense.

Deepfakes are videos, images or audio clips that are created using artificial intelligence (AI) to appear realistic. This technology is often used to create fake pornographic images that defame and damage the reputation of individuals, especially women and girls.

With deepfake abuse cases increasing by more than 400% since 2017, the government has decided to introduce new regulations to deal with this type of crime. The new offences will be included in the Police and Crime Bill, which is expected to be introduced into parliament by the British government in the near future. (Reuters)

*France tightens security at events and crowded places: On January 6, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau requested to tighten security at major events held nationwide to ensure people's safety in the first days of the New Year 2025. France took this step after two car crashes into crowds in the US and Germany, killing and injuring many people.

To address high-risk events, Retailleau said that an executive order could be issued allowing organizers to restrict access. He also stressed the importance of training security guards and ensuring that security screening plans at entrances are implemented effectively.

The minister also called for special attention to traffic and evacuation plans and the deployment of “robust protection systems” to prevent attacks by vehicles plowing into crowds. (AFP)

Middle East-Africa

*Israel calls on international pressure to force Turkey to stop attacking Kurds: On January 7, senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official Eden Bar Tal said that world powers need to pressure Turkey to end its attacks on Kurds in northern Syria.

“The international community must call on Turkey to stop these aggressive and murderous actions. The Kurds must be protected by the international community,” Eden Bar Tal told reporters. (Reuters)

*Iran holds military drills near nuclear facility: Iranian state media reported on January 7 that the Iranian military has begun military drills near the Natanz nuclear enrichment plant in the central part of the country, as part of planned nationwide drills.

The exercise, dubbed “Eqtedar,” involves Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) along with regular troops.

Last week, US news site Axios reported that White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan presented President Joe Biden with options for a potential US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities if Tehran moves toward developing nuclear weapons before January 20, when President-elect Donald Trump takes office . (AFP)

*Israel to supply anti-UAV system to NATO country: Israeli defense company Elbit Systems said it will supply anti-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems to a NATO member country in Europe for a total value of $60 million.

“Elbit Systems Ltd. has been awarded a contract worth approximately $60 million to supply a Multi-Layer Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) to a NATO country in Europe. The contract will be implemented over a three-year period,” Elbit Systems said in a statement on January 6.

Elbit Systems will also supply the ReDrone modular system, which is capable of detecting, identifying and neutralizing UAVs day and night in all weather conditions. According to the News.ro portal, the company has signed this contract with Romania. (Sputniknews)

America – Latin America

*US concerned about China's "malicious" cyber activity: The US Treasury Department said on January 6 that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had a virtual meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and raised concerns about "malicious cyber activity" carried out by Chinese state-backed actors.

Last month, the US Treasury Department announced that an unspecified number of its computers had been compromised by Chinese hackers following a breach at BeyondTrust, a cybersecurity contractor.

The Treasury Department said the two officials also discussed economic developments. Yellen reiterated concerns about China's non-market policies and practices as well as industrial overcapacity. (Reuters)

*Venezuela protests US interference in its internal affairs: On January 6, the Venezuelan government spoke out against the support of the US President Joe Biden administration for former opposition candidate Edmundo González, saying that this is considered part of Washington's "outdated intervention strategy" against the South American country. The Venezuelan government also warned that it will resolutely confront any attempt to undermine the country's stability.

Earlier, President Biden received Mr. González as part of an international trip to seek political support to assume the presidency of Venezuela on January 10. Since January 4, Mr. González has begun a tour of a series of countries in the continent, including Argentina and Uruguay, and is expected to travel to Panama and the Dominican Republic to seek international support. (AFP)

*Trump calls on Canada to unite with the US: US President-elect Donald Trump has reacted strongly to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation announcement, when he emphasized that Canada should become the 51st state of the US.

“Many people in Canada love being the 51st state,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “The United States cannot continue to run massive trade deficits and subsidies that Canada needs to survive. Justin Trudeau knows this and has resigned.”

Trump had previously threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from Canada. However, he said that if Canada were to unite with the United States, “there would be no tariffs, and tariffs would be greatly reduced,” and asserted that if the two countries became one, “it would be a great country!” (THX)

*US President-elect must appear in court before inauguration: On January 6, New York (USA) judge Juan Merchan rejected US President-elect Donald Trump's request to postpone the January 10 sentencing hearing related to the accusation of paying "hush money". Thus, 10 days before the inauguration, Mr. Trump will have to appear in court and is at risk of becoming the first US President to be convicted of a crime.

However, the US President-elect was allowed to choose to appear in person or online at the sentencing hearing. Mr. Trump's lawyers later informed Judge Merchan that Mr. Trump would attend the hearing via video instead of in person, due to the requirements of the presidential transition.

Last week, Judge Merchan also rejected Mr. Trump's request to vacate his sentence, but said he did not intend to impose any prison terms on the 34 counts of falsifying business records on which Mr. Trump was convicted. (Reuters)

*Canadian Prime Minister announces resignation as leader of Liberal Party: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on January 6 that he will resign as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, but will continue to serve as Prime Minister until a new leader is selected.

The resignation announcement came as Mr. Trudeau came under pressure from within the Liberal Party, in the context of recent opinion polls showing that the party will lose heavily in the next election.

Mr. Trudeau, born in 1971, took office in November 2015 and was re-elected twice, becoming one of Canada's longest-serving Prime Ministers. However, his popularity has begun to decline over the past two years amid public anger over rising living costs and a housing shortage. (AFP)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-71-dong-dat-manh-o-nhat-ban-va-trung-quoc-iran-tap-tran-quan-su-gan-co-so-nukes-ong-trump-keu-goi-canada-hop-nhat-voi-my-300045.html