British newspaper reports on VSU's situation, Israel will soon land in Gaza Strip?

Russia continues to attack Avdiivka, the US Senate passes a resolution supporting Israel, the GCC and ASEAN issue statements... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

Israel may temporarily suspend Al-Jaazera's operations in the country. (Source: AFP)

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

* Russia continues to attack Avdiivka : On October 20, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) said: "The enemy has resumed offensive actions and is constantly trying to surround Avdiivka."

The town in Donetsk has been at the centre of fierce fighting in recent weeks, as both sides struggle to make progress across the region. Avdiivka has become a symbol of Ukraine’s resistance since 2014, when the region briefly fell to Russian-backed separatists.

Avdiivka is located just 15 km from the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk. VSU soldiers are now preparing to deal with a new round of bombardment of Avdiivka, following a Russian offensive earlier this month. (Reuters)

* Ukraine announces the time to receive F-16 : On October 19, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said: "From a positive perspective, I think the F-16 fighter jets will be delivered in the first half of next year." According to this diplomat , the fighter jets will be delivered to Kiev after Ukrainian pilots complete their training and the domestic infrastructure is ready.

Last week, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat announced the progress of training. According to him, the country's pilots are currently being trained on simulators and will begin real flights with instructors in the near future.

Previously, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium pledged to deliver F-16 aircraft to Ukraine to help it upgrade its fleet. (Reuters)

* Ukrainian President thanks US for support : On October 19, writing on social network X after a phone call with his US counterpart, Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky wrote: "Ukraine is very grateful for the important and long-term support of the US in the struggle for freedom, against Russian military activities. Ukraine is very encouraged by the provision of ATACMS and the soldiers are using them effectively in the field."

Earlier, Mr. Zelensky also informed Mr. Biden about the Ukrainian parliament's approval of an anti-corruption law. According to him, this decision will "promote reforms aimed at opening Ukraine's accession to the EU," a long-standing goal of Kiev.

Earlier, on October 17, Kiev said it had successfully used for the first time missiles with a range of 165 km that Washington had secretly transferred. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 18 that this transfer would not affect the outcome of the conflict and would only prolong Ukraine's "misery". ( Reuters )

* British newspaper: VSU does not have enough troops to win: On October 19, in an interview with The Independent (UK), former British military intelligence officer Frank Ledwidge said that VSU could not advance without a significant advantage in troops over Russia.

“We now see a stalemate,” he noted. The former officer stressed that according to military science, in any attack, the attacking force should have at least a three-fold advantage in terms of manpower, but the VSU “does not have such an advantage.” (Independent)

* Israeli Defense Ministry warns of Gaza invasion : On October 20, speaking during a visit to military units stationed in the South, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared: "Now, you are seeing Gaza from afar. Soon, you will see it with your own eyes from the inside." However, he also noted that the Israeli army is preparing for a long-term conflict with

Israel's "adversary." "We are not talking about a quick (military) campaign, we are talking about a long-term campaign," said Israel's defense chief.

Referring to the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, he stated: “Hezbollah is trying to challenge the State and the army of Israel. We have deployed a strong and solid defense formation. We have warned in advance and if Hezbollah wants to start a conflict, it should first look at the example of Gaza City.” (Times of Israel)

* Israeli Foreign Minister Calls for ICRC Access to Hostages in Gaza : On October 20, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with ambassadors from 22 countries. Cohen's meeting was attended by ambassadors from Russia, France, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Canada, the Netherlands, Serbia and other countries whose citizens are being held by Hamas supporters in Gaza. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the Jewish State has requested that international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), be allowed to visit the hostages held in Gaza so that doctors can check on their condition.

On October 19, the spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said the number of confirmed hostages being held in Gaza had reached 203. However, he stressed that this was not the final number.

Meanwhile, Hisham Qassem, a member of Hamas's overseas leadership, said this was an opportunity for the Islamic movement to secure the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

On the same day, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal affirmed that Hamas has not yet sent a signal that the movement can release the hostages. (TASS)

* Clashes in the West Bank , 9 Palestinians killed: On October 19, the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Health said that clashes at the Nur Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank killed 7 Palestinians, including a 16-year-old boy. Two others died on the way to the hospital. Thus, the total number of victims here has reached 75 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7.

For its part, the IDF said it carried out airstrikes and killed “a number of extremists” in Nur Shams. “During the fighting, the gunmen were armed with explosive devices and threw them at the Israeli security forces,” the IDF statement said.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent said its medical facilities were treating 25 other victims in Nur Shams, most of them with gunshot wounds. The organization also accused Israeli soldiers of blocking ambulances from taking the wounded to emergency care. (Times of Israel)

* Israelis want Prime Minister to take responsibility for Hamas attack : On October 20, a poll by the Maariv newspaper (Israel) showed that most people think that Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu publicly admitted responsibility for the strategic failure that led to Hamas' surprise attack on October 7.

According to the survey, up to 80% of Israelis believe that the Prime Minister, who has not yet publicly admitted responsibility, should make an apology. Notably, 69% of those voters voted for the Likud party in 2022. Only 8% of people believe that the Israeli Prime Minister should not make a statement admitting responsibility.

Earlier, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar took responsibility. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also took similar actions.

In the same survey, when asked who is suitable for the position of Prime Minister of Israel at this time, up to 49% of the total number of people surveyed chose the Chairman of the National Coalition Party, Benny Gantz. Meanwhile, only 28% continue to trust Mr. Netanyahu. The rest do not know which politician to choose.

Regarding the response to Hamas, 65% of Israelis support launching a ground operation against the Gaza Strip, while only 21% oppose it. Up to 51% support launching a large-scale military operation on the northern front after escalations with Hamas and Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon. (Times of Israel)

* Israeli government wants to temporarily close Al - Jazeera bureau : On October 20, the Israeli government passed a series of new regulations, allowing the temporary closure of foreign press offices operating in Israel during the national emergency. Previously, the Israeli Ministry of Communications had repeatedly accused Al - Jazeera 's bureau (Qatar) of reporting biased news in favor of the Hamas Islamist movement and harming Israel's national security.

The regulation, proposed by Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, would also be retroactive, meaning that reports from the Qatari network since the start of the conflict between Hamas and Israel could be used as evidence to shut down the office, which is believed to be biased toward Palestinians.

At the same time, with the consent of the Ministry of Defense, the Minister of Communications will have the right to order television service providers to stop broadcasting the news in question; close their permanent offices in Israel, seize their operating equipment, close their websites or restrict access, depending on the server.

The regulation still needs to be approved by the Security Cabinet based on legal opinions and security evidence that the media outlet intends to harm Israel's national security. This evidence will also be considered in court. The decision will be effective for 30 days, but can be extended for another 30 days. The emergency regulations will be in effect for three months or there will be other regulations to end the situation. (Times of Israel)

* Israel withdraws all diplomatic staff in Turkey : On October 19, Israeli media reported that the country had withdrawn all diplomatic staff in Turkey due to security concerns. This move came after a series of demonstrations outside the Israeli Embassy in Ankara. Some people tried to storm the residence of Ambassador Irit Lillian as well as the Israeli Consulate building in Istanbul.

Earlier this week, Israel warned its citizens to leave Türkiye early due to fears of revenge attacks against Jews.

Diplomatic sources in Turkey said the Israeli diplomats were leaving purely out of security concerns and not because of political considerations. Israeli diplomats in Jordan, Morocco and Bahrain are also expressing similar concerns. (Times of Israel)

* Jordan : The worst is yet to come in the Gaza Strip: Speaking at a press conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock on October 19, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said a full-scale conflict would lead to “catastrophic consequences” and called for “protecting the region from the risk” of widespread violence. Saying that “the disaster will have painful consequences in the coming time,” he also pointed out that current diplomatic efforts have yet to yield any results in ending the conflict.

“The decision to end the conflict does not belong to us, it belongs to Israel. We must do our utmost to end this conflict,” the Jordanian foreign minister said. He stressed that Jordan would confront “by all means” the mass displacement of Palestinians that would lead to demographic or geographical changes in the region. The diplomat asserted that Amman “will not accept such a solution. This is a red line and means a new conflict.”

The conflict has raised long-standing concerns in Jordan, home to a large number of Palestinian refugees and their families, that a wider conflict could provide an opportunity for Israel to carry out its policy of mass expulsions of Palestinians from the West Bank. (Reuters)

* The UN prepares to deliver the first aid shipment to the Gaza Strip : On October 20, spokesman Jens Laerke quoted the UN Under-Secretary-General for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Martin Griffiths as saying: "We are actively negotiating with relevant parties to ensure that aid operations in the Gaza Strip can begin as soon as possible... The first distribution will begin tomorrow or later."

“I don’t have a precise date yet, but we hope to start as soon as possible in a safe environment… We need a mechanism to get aid to the southern Gaza Strip. This goes hand in hand with our call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” Laerke told reporters.

Currently, essential aid from the international community is still lining up on the Egyptian side waiting to enter the Gaza Strip. Palestinians in this land are in dire need of clean water and food after many days of continuous Israeli bombing. (Times of Israel)

* GCC and ASEAN call for permanent ceasefire in Gaza : On October 20, the Summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a statement condemning attacks on civilians and calling on all parties in the Gaza Strip to implement a permanent ceasefire. Leaders attending the Summit also called for the provision of humanitarian aid, relief supplies, as well as services and necessities to the people of Gaza.

In the statement, the GCC and ASEAN leaders called on the parties to the conflict to protect civilians and to comply with international humanitarian law, in particular the principles and provisions of the Geneva Conventions on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War. The statement also called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and detained civilians, especially women, children, the sick and the elderly, and urged all parties to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

GCC and ASEAN leaders also expressed their support for efforts to restore the Middle East peace process and resolve the conflict between Israel and its neighbors based on international law. In his opening speech, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, as ASEAN Chair in 2023, also called for an end to violence in Gaza.

Representing Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reaffirmed Riyadh's support for efforts to achieve a just solution to the Palestinian cause. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in Gaza and called for the protection of innocent civilians suffering. (VNA)

Northeast Asia

* China's nuclear weapons are for "self-defense" only : On October 20, in response to a reporter's question about US concerns about its nuclear program, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed "firm opposition". However, she did not completely deny the number given by the Pentagon.

“China firmly adheres to a nuclear self-defense strategy… We have always maintained our nuclear force at the minimum level necessary for national security and have no intention of engaging in a nuclear arms race with any country. No country will be threatened by China’s nuclear weapons as long as they do not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against China,” Mao said.

The diplomat also criticized Washington’s move to “invest heavily in upgrading its nuclear forces” and its policy of nuclear protection for non-nuclear allies, which it calls “extended deterrence.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry representative said that Washington’s policy “exacerbates the risks of a nuclear arms race and nuclear conflict, and worsens the global strategic security environment.”

Earlier this week, the US Department of Defense said China's nuclear arsenal is growing much faster than previously thought, with Beijing expected to have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. (AFP)

* South Korea: Russia misjudges Seoul-Washington-Tokyo cooperation: A South Korean Foreign Ministry official on October 20 responded to Russia's recent call for a regular security dialogue mechanism with North Korea and China to deal with "increased" and "dangerous" military activities among the three allies South Korea, the United States and Japan. "This is a misjudgement of the causes of tensions on the Korean Peninsula... and appears to be aimed at distracting the international community from illegal military cooperation activities between Russia and North Korea," the official said.

Noting that the “fundamental” issue lies in North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile development program, the official called on Moscow to immediately stop all “illegal military cooperation activities” with Pyongyang, which threaten regional security and violate UN Security Council resolutions: “Our position has not changed. We are ready for dialogue without any preconditions regarding the goal of denuclearization of North Korea.” (Yonhap)

Central Asia

* Chinese Premier visits Kyrgyzstan: On October 20, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning announced that Premier Li Qiang will visit Kyrgyzstan from October 24-26, where he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) heads of government meeting and pay an official visit.

China is now pushing ahead with large-scale infrastructure projects in Central Asia to fill the void left by Russia in the former Soviet states. The region is a key link in Beijing’s multi-trillion-dollar global infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative.

Previously, in 2022, two-way trade between China and Central Asia reached $70 billion. In May 2023, President Xi Jinping hosted Central Asian leaders at the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. There, he called on five Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, to "fully unleash" the potential in trade, economic and infrastructure cooperation. (AFP)

* Kazakhstan denies ban on exports to Russia : On October 19, the press quoted Deputy Trade Minister Kairat Torebayev as saying that the country has banned the export of 106 items to Russia including “unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electronic components, special equipment and chips” that could be used in the conflict in Ukraine. Media in the Central Asian country reported that the ban would only apply to “conflict-related” products.

However, the Kazakh Ministry of Trade confirmed on the evening of October 19 (local time) that Deputy Minister Torebayev's statement was "incorrect". The statement of the Kazakh Ministry of Trade stated: "There is no ban on the export of any goods to Russia related to the sanctions against Russia. At the same time, the exchange of 'dual-use' goods, which are subject to export control, will be carried out in accordance with international obligations". (AFP)

* Moscow doubles security spending plan : On October 20, RBC news agency (Russia) reported that the Moscow city government wants to more than double the security budget next year, despite a deficit in 2023.

The spending plan includes UAV defense. Moscow has already built a dedicated airport for UAV interceptors, as well as video surveillance and militia patrolling the streets. The city’s security budget for 2024 is expected to rise to 106 billion rubles ($1.1 billion), up from 49 billion rubles in the previous plan. This year, the Russian capital plans to spend 193 billion rubles ($2 billion) on security, compared with an initial target of 51 billion rubles.

In 2023, a series of UAVs, which Russia claimed were Ukrainian, attacked the capital Moscow, although none caused serious damage and many of them were intercepted by air defense forces en route. (TASS)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-2010-bao-anh-neu-thuc-trang-cua-vsu-israel-som-do-bo-vao-dai-gaza-246875.html