"Fire God" Kalibr rained down on Ukraine, South Korean President opened up, US-China leaders had a phone call

The World and Vietnam Newspaper highlights some outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Beijing in November 2017. Mr. Trump recently revealed that he had a phone call with the Chinese leader, but Beijing has not confirmed this information. (Source: Getty Images)

Europe

* Ukraine was attacked by a massive Kalibr cruise missile attack on the night of February 10 in Poltava province, eastern Ukraine. Air defense alert was issued in the capital Kiev and many other places across the country.

The missiles moved from the south to the northeast, towards Poltava region. According to information from websites, the targets of this attack were the cities of Alexandria, Svetlovodsk, Mirgorod and Kremenchug. In addition to cruise missiles, ballistic missiles were also launched towards Poltava. (Strana)

* Most of Ukraine wants to join Russia , according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on February 11.

Kremlin officials said it was "a reality that has taken place on the ground", with four new Ukrainian territories annexed to Russia through referendums.

Peskov's statement was in response to US President Donald Trump's new interview on Fox News , in which the leader said that "one day, Ukraine may or may not belong to Russia." (Sputnik)

* Russia is ready for a comprehensive dialogue on arms control with the United States, according to Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Dmitry Polyansky, saying this is one of the most urgent issues.

According to Polyansky, Russia has never shied away from such talks, noting that such talks should cover the entire range of Moscow-Washington relations. (TASS)

* The European Union (EU) has announced a plan to mobilize 200 billion euros in public and private investment for the continent's emerging artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Specifically, the EU will contribute 50 billion euros and the rest will come from "suppliers, investors and industry". (AFP)

Asia-Pacific

* South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol blamed the opposition for disrespecting him with "malicious" actions that forced the leader to declare martial law, in a hearing on February 11, likely to be the penultimate.

According to him, the opposition MPs “did not even enter the main chamber and I had to address the Parliament with half the seats empty”. He affirmed that the opposition’s actions were “extremely malicious” and revealed “an intention to sabotage my government”.

The South Korean leader complained that opposition lawmakers attending another parliamentary session even "turned away... and refused to shake his hand." (AFP)

* North Korea has transferred 200 long-range artillery pieces to Russia and is likely to send more troops and weapons to support Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, according to an assessment by the South Korean Defense Ministry on February 11.

The assessment comes after South Korea's intelligence agency earlier estimated that North Korea had sent about 11,000 troops to support Russia. (Yonhap)

* On February 11, North Korea protested the US nuclear submarine USS Alexandria's arrival in South Korea the day before, and warned that it was ready to use all measures to protect national security.

Pyongyang accused the United States of openly ignoring North Korea's security concerns and warned Washington to stop destabilizing actions. (KCNA)

* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Malaysia and held talks with host country Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The two leaders issued a joint statement after the meeting, affirming that they will move towards stronger cooperation in the energy sector.

The two sides expressed full support for enhancing cooperation between businesses to expand trade and investment opportunities.

Prime Minister Anwar and President Erdogan also highlighted the need to strengthen defense cooperation through various procurement activities, emphasizing active cooperation in the fields of science, technology and defense industry. (THX)

* India-UK strengthen strategic partnership, launch Bilateral Defence Partnership (DP-I) ​​and sign several important agreements in this field at Aero India 2025.

British Ambassador to India Lindy Cameron said London was proud to be part of New Delhi's transition towards self-reliance in defence technology, stressing that the deals not only served mutual security interests but also spurred innovation and economic growth in both countries. (Times of India)

Middle East-Africa

* Hamas postponed the return of Israeli hostages, scheduled for February 15, accusing Israel of "not complying with the agreement" of a three-week ceasefire.

The movement later announced its readiness to fulfill its commitment to release the hostages on time, on condition that Israel stops violating the ceasefire agreement.

Israel has denied the accusations and its military is preparing for any eventuality, while US President Donald Trump has warned that he will propose canceling the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if all hostages held in the territory are not released by noon on February 15.

In response, Hamas reminded Mr. Trump that "there is an agreement that must be respected by both sides and this is the only way to return the prisoners. Threatening language has no value and only complicates the issue." (Reuters)

* UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on February 11 called on the Hamas movement to continue with its plan to release hostages after the group announced its intention to stop prisoner exchanges.

Mr. Guterres emphasized: "We must at all costs avoid a recurrence of fighting in Gaza, which would lead to a great tragedy... Both sides must fully comply with their commitments under the ceasefire agreement and continue negotiations in Doha (Qatar) for the second phase." (UN News)

* The first post-ceasefire Gaza reconstruction agreement was signed between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Arab and Palestinian Construction Organization, worth $80 million. This is considered the first reconstruction agreement since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect.

The agreement focuses on several key activities, including assessing the extent of damage, clearing debris in key areas and clearing mines left over from the conflict. A key part of the project is the establishment of temporary shelters equipped with essential infrastructure and services for Gaza residents. (THX)

* A suicide bombing outside a bank in northern Afghanistan has killed at least five people, including Taliban security forces.

The attack targeted a crowd waiting in line to receive their salaries at a bank in Kunduz city, the provincial capital, leaving seven others injured. The provincial police are working with relevant organizations to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. (THX)

America

* US President Donald Trump had a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping after taking office on January 20, according to the White House owner in an interview with Fox News broadcast on February 10, but did not release details of the phone call.

The White House has not yet issued any statement regarding the information released by Mr. Trump, while Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun declined to comment directly on this information.

He said that President Xi Jinping has a scheduled phone call with Donald Trump on January 17, before the US leader's inauguration, and Beijing has also issued a related press release. (Reuters)

* The US officially imposed a 25% tax on imported steel and aluminum with President Trump signing an executive order on the evening of February 10.

Speaking in the Oval Office as he signed the order, Mr. Trump affirmed: "Today, I have simplified our tariffs on steel and aluminum. The tariffs are 25% with no exceptions or exemptions."

The US leader also said he would consider imposing additional tariffs on cars, pharmaceuticals and computer chips. (AFP)

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