Israel attacks deep into Gaza, Russia shoots down 4 Ukrainian planes, China accuses Philippines of "collusion" in the East Sea

Russia and Cuba resume direct flights, Iran denies accusations of attacking a ship with Vietnamese sailors, a major fire on a Russian nuclear icebreaker, China successfully launches 4 meteorological satellites... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

Pope Francis reads a message calling for peace at the Vatican, Christmas Eve 2023.

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

Russia-Ukraine

*Russia announced that it shot down 4 Ukrainian military aircraft: On December 25, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had shot down 4 Ukrainian military aircraft in the past 24 hours, including 3 Su-27 fighters and a Su-24 tactical bomber in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions in southeastern Ukraine.

Moscow's statement came just two days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Kiev had shot down three Russian Su-34 aircraft.

Earlier, on December 22, President Zelensky confirmed that his country's forces had shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers on the southern front, praising this as a success in the 22-month conflict. (Sputnik)

*Ukraine destroys a series of Russian UAVs in the South: The Ukrainian military said on December 25 that Russia launched 31 drones and 2 missiles into Ukraine overnight, mainly targeting the South, but Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed 28 drones and both missiles.

On the Telegram website, the Ukrainian Air Force said: "As a result of the air battle, the Ukrainian air force and air defense destroyed 28 Shahed attack drones in the Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kirovohrad and Khmelnytskyi regions." (Reuters)

Europe

*Pope's Christmas Eve message: In his Christmas message at the Vatican, Pope Francis said: “My heart aches for the victims of the attack of October 7, and I renew my urgent appeal for the release of those still held hostage. I pray for an end to the military operations and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by opening the door to humanitarian aid.” The Pope also called for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “through sincere and patient dialogue between the parties, sustained by strong political will and the support of the international community.”

The head of the 1.3 billion Catholics in his speech also recalled the conflicts in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen and said he prayed “that political and social stability will soon be achieved.” The Pope also prayed for “peace for Ukraine,” which for the first time celebrated Christmas on December 25, rather than the traditional Orthodox Christmas day of January 7, as celebrated in Russia.

The Pope also called for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, referring to “conflicts in the Sahel region, the Horn of Africa and Sudan, as well as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan”, hoping that tensions on the Korean peninsula would be resolved “by undertaking processes of dialogue and reconciliation capable of creating the conditions for lasting peace”. (AFP)

*Fire on Russian nuclear icebreaker: On the morning of December 25, Russian media quoted local emergency services as saying that a fire broke out on a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker, named Sevmorput, in the Murmansk region.

Russia's RBC news agency said the fire was under control and there was no risk of it spreading. Meanwhile, Russia's state news agency RIA said the Sevmorput is Russia's only nuclear-powered icebreaker. (Reuters)

*Russia accuses the West of trying to destabilize Serbia: On December 25, Moscow accused Western countries of inciting tensions in Serbia, the Balkan country currently shaken by protests against the results of early elections held on December 17.

Speaking to RIA Novosti, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova assessed that Western efforts to destabilize the situation in Serbia through the use of Maidan coup techniques were very obvious. On December 24, supporters of the opposition coalition "Serbia against violence" gathered to protest near the Serbian Election Commission building. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that 35 protesters were arrested, while two police officers were seriously injured.

Earlier in the day, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that opposition protests in Belgrade and inflammatory speeches were useless because power in the country only changes through elections and there will be no violent change of power. (AFP)

*President Putin chairs Eurasian Economic Union Summit: On December 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes five former Soviet states: Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

The leaders will review the results of Russia's presidency of the union and assess opportunities for further economic integration among the five member states, agree on key decisions and adopt a number of documents, including a statement on the development of the EAEU in 2024-2030 and over the next two decades. The leaders of the five countries will also attend a two-day informal meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). (TASS)

*Austria arrests 3 people plotting attacks in Europe: On December 25, Austrian authorities arrested 3 people on suspicion of being involved in a "cross-border Islamist network", in the context of police in the capital Vienna increasing control to ensure security during Christmas.

Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported that the Vienna prosecutor's office said the suspects "discussed plans for attacks in Vienna, Cologne and Madrid" but "there was no immediate threat of an attack in Vienna".

Austrian police have stepped up checks and patrols, especially around churches, religious events and Christmas markets in the capital Vienna, citing growing security concerns amid calls for terrorist attacks on Christian events across Europe. (Sputnik)

*Russia extends ban on trucking from EU, UK, Norway, Ukraine: Moscow has extended a ban on companies from the European Union (EU), UK, Norway and Ukraine transporting goods by truck into Russian territory.

The ban was introduced in 2022 as a response by Russia to the EU not allowing trucks with Russian and Belarusian license plates to pass through its territory.

However, as before, the ban will not apply to vehicles transporting postal items, diplomatic mail, humanitarian aid and "technical support vehicles transporting sports equipment and vehicles to sports venues." (TASS)

*India-Russia to strengthen special strategic partnership: Indian Ministry of External Affairs said Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will visit Russia from December 25-29.

Foreign Minister Jaishankar will meet Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov to discuss issues related to economic cooperation. He will also meet his host counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss bilateral, multilateral and international issues.

The press release stressed, “The time-tested India-Russia partnership remains stable and resilient and continues to be characterised by the spirit of Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.” (Indian Times)

Asia-Pacific

*China again accuses the Philippines of "colluding" with countries in the East Sea: On December 25, Chinese state media again accused the Philippines of repeatedly violating Chinese territory in the East Sea, spreading false information, and colluding with foreign forces. The People's Daily said that the Philippines relied on US support to continuously provoke China, considering such "extremely dangerous" behavior to seriously harm regional peace and stability.

The Philippine Foreign Ministry and the national task force handling the South China Sea issue have not yet responded to requests for comment on China's accusations. (Reuters)

*North Korea to convene plenary meeting: On December 25, North Korean state media reported that the country will convene the 9th plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in late December to review this year's state policies and set policy goals for 2024.

Experts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is likely to deliver an anti-US and anti-South Korea message and measures to strengthen his military capabilities as North Korea strengthens its solidarity with countries opposed to the US and seeks to strengthen ties with China and military cooperation with Russia following a summit between Kim and President Putin in September.

The US and South Korea suspect Pyongyang has supplied artillery and ammunition to Moscow for use in Russia's war in Ukraine. In return, North Korea may have received technical assistance from Russia to launch a military spy satellite. (AFP)

*China successfully launched 4 meteorological satellites: On December 25, China successfully launched 4 meteorological satellites into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.

The Kuaizhou-1A rocket was launched from the center at 9:00 a.m. on December 25 (Beijing time) and quickly put the meteorological satellites into predetermined orbits.

According to the plan, these satellites will provide commercial meteorological data services. (THX)

*Chinese Vivo Group Employees Arrested in India: On December 25, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning announced that the country will provide consular protection and assistance to two Chinese employees of smartphone maker Vivo who were arrested by Indian authorities, and called on India not to discriminate against Chinese companies.

Last week, India's financial crime agency arrested two senior employees of Vivo's Indian unit, a move that prompted the Chinese company to say it would file a lawsuit.

A person directly involved in the case, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that both employees were produced in a Delhi court on December 23 and sent to enforcement agency custody. The two Vivo employees will appear in court on December 26, the source said. (Reuters)

Middle East-Africa

*Israeli army attacks deeper into Gaza Strip: In a statement on December 25, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country's forces are advancing deeper into the Gaza Strip and will fight until "complete victory" over Hamas.

Referring to the reported deaths of 15 Israeli soldiers over the weekend, Netanyahu acknowledged that the cost of the conflict was high.

On the same day, an Israeli military spokesman announced that the country's forces had killed about 8,000 Palestinian militants in the conflict in Gaza. The spokesman noted that the figure was compiled from reports of targeted attacks and battlefield statistics as well as interrogations of detainees.

In a related development, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 70 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike late on December 24 on a refugee camp. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it had found the bodies of five hostages in a tunnel in Gaza. (Anadolu)

*US missile explodes in Red Sea: Houthi spokesman in Yemen, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, said on December 25 that a missile launched from a US warship targeting Yemeni naval forces in the Red Sea exploded near a Gabonese-owned vessel.

The Gabonese ship sailed from Russia, Abdul-Salam said, noting that the Red Sea would become a fiery battlefield if the US and its allies continued their policy of suppression. Earlier on December 20, Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi warned that the group would not hesitate to attack US warships if Washington targeted them first. The US has announced the formation of a multinational coalition to counter Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. (Reuters)

*Egypt proposes 14-day Gaza ceasefire: Egypt on December 25 presented a new proposal for a hostage swap in the Gaza Strip, under which Hamas would release 40 Israeli detainees in exchange for a 14-day ceasefire. According to Cairo's proposal, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would suspend all military and intelligence operations in the Gaza Strip for two weeks in exchange for the release of 40 hostages.

After the Egyptian proposal was announced, an Israeli source confirmed that some of the proposals were unacceptable. However, Tel-Aviv assessed that "the Egyptian initiative could lead to negotiations." (The Nation)

*Iran denies allegations of attacking a ship with Vietnamese sailors in the Indian Ocean: On December 25, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry called the US claim that Tehran attacked a chemical tanker near India "baseless".

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal quoted a Pentagon spokesman as saying: "The Chem Pluto, a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker, owned by Japan and operated by the Netherlands, was attacked at around 10:00 a.m. (local time) on December 23 in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles off the coast of India, by a drone from Iran."

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) issued an official statement on December 24 saying that the MV Chem Pluto, carrying 20 Indian sailors and 1 Vietnamese sailor, was attacked by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and caught fire while en route to India. However, the fire was extinguished shortly afterwards. The ship and its sailors are now safe. (AFP)

*16 killed in ethnic clashes in Nigeria: The Nigerian military said 16 people were killed in an attack in north-central Nigeria, where clashes between nomadic herders and farmers are common.

The attack occurred around midnight on December 23 in the village of Mushu in Plateau State, Nigeria. The area lies on the dividing line between the predominantly Muslim north, which makes its living from nomadic herders, and the predominantly Christian south, which is a farming community. Ethnic and religious tensions have been rife in the area for years. Security forces were deployed to prevent further clashes following the incident.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the latest attack as "barbaric, brutal and unwarranted" and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. (Reuters)

*Israel considers expelling Hamas leaders: Israeli security and political leaders announced on December 25 that they are considering the option of “not killing” Hamas leaders in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, but expelling them to Qatar or another country.

The move is a comprehensive solution that includes the release of hostages held in Gaza to end Israel’s war against Hamas. Israeli officials say it is a long-term option that does not undermine the country’s stated goal of eliminating Hamas’ command and military capabilities. Expelling Hamas leaders abroad does not contradict Israel’s war aims. (Times of Israel)

*Large fire in South Africa on Christmas Eve: A massive fire on Christmas Eve in a settlement in the South African capital Cape Town left about 400 people homeless. Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermain Carelse said a large number of firefighting resources were deployed, but due to strong winds, the fire burned for hours, making it difficult for firefighters to fight the fire.

On the morning of December 25, the Disaster Risk Management Agency (DRM) conducted an assessment of the fire, according to which DRM said 80 structures were destroyed and about 400 people were affected. Authorities and humanitarian organizations were also present in the area to support people after this disaster. (CNN)

America - Latin America

*Cuba and Russia resume direct flights: Russia's Rossiya airline has resumed direct flights between Moscow and Havana, which had been suspended since March 2022. Flights between the Russian capital and Cuba will be operated twice a week (Wednesday and Sunday). Rossiya also plans to add flights every Saturday amid increased demand.

Cuba said the Russian market has played an important role in Cuba's tourism industry in recent years, and the number of Russian tourists to the Caribbean island is expected to reach a record 182,000 this year. Cuba is working hard to negotiate with partners to establish more direct flights from Saint Petersburg to Havana and tourist destinations that suit the tastes of Russian tourists such as Varadero and Cayo Coco.

Russian Ambassador to Cuba Koronelli highlighted the demand of Eurasian people to visit Cuba for vacation and expressed his belief that the flow of Russian tourists to Cuba will increase strongly with many convenient air routes. (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-2512-israel-tan-cong-sau-vao-gaza-nga-ban-roi-4-may-bay-ukraine-trung-quoc-lai-to-philippines-cau-ket-o-bien-dong-255197.html