Mexico City- More than 48,000 Peruvian servicemen will be deployed to ensure the protection of polling places during the upcoming general election scheduled for January 28, Defenсe Minister Walter Martos Ruiz said.

“More than 48,000 soldiers will be responsible for the protection of 4,385 out of 5,178 polling places,” the defence minister said on late Thursday during the meeting with members of the Central Election Commission, as quoted by the Comercio news outlet.

He stressed that the main goal of the army would be to ensure transparency of the upcoming election.

In early October, Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra dissolved the Congress after lawmakers boycotted his call to change the procedure in which judges are appointed to the Constitutional Tribunal, the main institution that regulates disputes between the executive and legislative branches. Vizcarra interpreted the move as a motion of no confidence and dissolved the legislature, which responded by declaring him temporarily unfit to govern and appointing Vice President Mercedes Araoz as acting head of state.

Araoz, however, announced her resignation after the Peruvian military and police pledged their loyalty to Vizcarra. (Sputnik)

Lawmakers approved legislation on Thursday which will allow Britain to leave the European Union on Jan. 31 with an exit deal, ending more than three years of tumult over the terms of the unprecedented divorce. They voted 330 to 231 in favor of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, which implements an exit deal agreed with the EU last year. That allows Prime Minister Boris Johnson to turn the page on one of Britain’s deepest political crises in decades, putting an end to the fears of an immediate disorderly exit which had cast a shadow over the economy and fueled divisions over the 2016 referendum decision to leave the EU.

“It is time to get Brexit done. This bill does so,” Brexit minister Stephen Barclay told lawmakers, summing up hours of debate in parliament.

The legislation now heads to parliament’s upper chamber and is expected to become law in the coming weeks, leaving enough time to allow Britain to leave at the end of the month with a deal to minimize economic disruption. (Reuters)

Indonesia Foreign Affairs Minister (FM) Retno Marsudi called Vietnam FM Pham Binh Minh in the country's capacity as president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to encourage the institution for reducing current global tension. Marsudi tweeted her expectation from Vietnam to play its role in urging related parties to refrain from unwanted measures to avoid escalating conflicts.

Vietnam was chosen as one of the non-permanent members of UNSC for the period 2020 to 2021 and will undertake its presidency through January 2020. This move by Indonesia as a member of UNSC showed its role in peace diplomacy, Indonesian Permanent Representative for UN, Dian Triansyah Djani stated.

"Indonesia is hoping for calm as in some statements we have demanded that all countries need to control themselves and promote dialogues and collaborations," Djani said at the Foreign Affairs Ministry office in Jakarta, Thursday.

Simultaneously, Indonesia will always monitor the global situation and push on its strengths of diplomacy to reduce the conflicts.

The assassination of Iran’s military commander Qassem Soleimani earlier this month, in a drone strike by the United States (US) at Baghdad airport, Iraq, has triggered the escalation of tension in the global community.

Iran launched some strikes on several US military bases in Iraq late Tuesday to early Wednesday, January 7 and 8. At least 24 missiles were launched during that time.

On the same day, US President Donald Trump stated that the US had pulled back its new military service in Iraq after no Americans fell victim to the missiles attacks.

"The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it. We do not want to use it," Trump remarked.

He said Iran "appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned" but he said the US would impose additional sanctions on Iran, adding to measures that have slashed its oil exports and crippled its economy, as Reuters reported. (ANTARA)

Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has offered Singapore investors to invest in a number of sectors in Indonesia's new capital city in East Kalimantan Province.

Among the investment opportunities open to investors in the new capital city are alternative energy, startup and hospital, he said while addressing the Pulse of Asia Conference 2020 organized by Bank DBS in Singapore on Thursday.

"In the new capital city, you can invest in the infrastructure sector. We intend to develop the capital city into a green city. (Investment in) hospitals is also quite promising. We plan to build complete (health) facilities employing the best doctors. Some of them may be foreign nationals so (the presence of the hospital) will reduce the number of Indonesians traveling abroad for medical treatment," he said in a written statement.

.He said investment opportunities in the education sector are also widely open. The government intends to narrow the gap between education in western Indonesia and eastern Indonesia in terms of quality.

"Right now several startups are engaged in the education sector.... In addition, UAE (United Arab Emirates) will also invest in this sector. In Morowali, we have a technology university which is one of the best universities as a result of cooperation with a Chinese technology university," he said.

He said the Indonesian government is in the process of drafting two omnibus laws concerning the creation of job opportunities and taxation. The bills will be submitted to the House of Representatives (DPR) early this year.

"The laws will replace the previous laws which have the potential to overlap and hinder investment," he said. (ANTARA)