Russian territory under major attack, Israel receives "rain" of rockets from Lebanon; India-China "argue"

Ukraine says it has stopped Moscow's advance, Russia is attacked by UAVs, Hezbollah attacks Israel, Haiti's Prime Minister resigns, India-China relations... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the border state of Arunachal Pradesh has left China 'unhappy'. (Source: ANI)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's outstanding international events:

Russia-Ukraine

* Ukraine has changed the commander of its defense brigade near Avdiivka for the fourth time since it entered combat last year, Ukrainian sources said on March 11.

According to sources, the commander of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) Dmitry Ryumshin, appointed just a month and a half ago, has been dismissed. The brigade itself is puzzled as to how it could get rid of such a “talented” commander.

It is not yet known who will be the new commander of the 47th Brigade. (Top War)

* Ukraine-Vatican tensions: On March 11, responding to Pope Francis' call to " have the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate", Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that, for Moscow, "rest is oxygen... a way to restore military capabilities and train young conscripts".

Ukraine summons Vatican envoy to Kiev Visvaldas Kulbodas to protest against Pope Francis' statements.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg affirmed that he disagreed with Pope Francis' comments and stated that if a lasting peace solution through negotiations was wanted, "the way to achieve that is to provide military support to Kiev."

On the same day, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced his disagreement with the Pope's statement, affirming Berlin's position is very clear: "Kiev has the right to self-defense and can count on our support in this matter, with many options."

On the US side, a spokesman for the US National Security Council told a reporter from the Italian news agency ANSA that President Joe Biden respects Pope Francis, but peace depends on Moscow. (Reuters, The Kyiv Independent)

* Ukraine has stopped Russia's advance and the situation for the Eastern European country's army is "much better" than in recent months, Zelensky said on March 1.

Ukraine's leader said the country was in the process of building "more than 1,000 km" of fortifications.

Referring to French President Emmanuel Macron's comments about not ruling out sending troops to Ukraine, Mr Zelensky said: "As long as Ukraine stands firm, the French army can stay on its territory."

Europe

* Russian territory attacked by UAVs: The Russian Defense Ministry said that on the night and early morning of March 12, the central regions of the country suffered a major attack by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Ukraine.

Air defense forces shot down 25 UAVs, including 11 in Kursk region, 7 in Belgorod region, 2 each in Moscow and Oryol regions, and 1 each in Leningrad, Bryansk and Tula regions. Governor Alexander Gusev said another UAV was shot down in Voronezh.

A tanker containing petroleum products caught fire at an oil depot in Oryol. In Belgorod Oblast, a UAV damaged power lines, leaving seven residential areas without electricity. Meanwhile, in the Ramensky municipality of Moscow Oblast, a drone attack on the capital was thwarted.

On the morning of March 12, a UAV attacked a fuel and energy complex in the Kstov industrial zone in Nizhny Novgorod province, setting an oil refinery on fire. (TASS)

* Georgia pursues a pragmatic policy towards Russia after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze appointed Georgi Kadzhai as Special Envoy for Relations with Moscow.

According to Prime Minister Kobakhidze, the pragmatic policy aims to maintain peace in the country, besides, Mr. Kadzhai also received certain tasks related to economic relations. (TASS)

* Russia cancels agreement allowing UK to fish in Barents Sea: On March 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law canceling a 1956 agreement allowing British fishing vessels to fish in Russia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Barents Sea.

The move takes into account the British government's decision in March 2022 to end the most-favored-nation status in bilateral trade with Russia, which is seen as an appropriate response to unfriendly actions from London. (TASS)

* Sweden does not want NATO to have permanent bases in the country, according to Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson affirmed that Stockholm does not see the need to deploy nuclear weapons in the country in peacetime.

Meanwhile, Swedish Defense Minister Paul Johnson said that Russia has demonstrated its ability to restore its strength and defense industrial base and is orienting its economy and industrial base toward the military, while the European Union (EU) and the United States cannot approve long-term military support for Kiev. (Sputnik)

Asia-Pacific

* India and China "war of words" over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on March 9 to the border state of Arunachal Pradesh.

On March 11, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Beijing firmly opposes Mr. Modi's activities in Arunachal Pradesh and has submitted a diplomatic note to New Delhi.

The Chinese government said that “India's actions will further complicate the unresolved border issue between the two countries.”

On March 12, India rejected China's objection to the visit, asserting that the northeastern border state has always been "an integral part of India".

“Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time as well as other states. There is no basis for objecting to such visits or to Indian development projects,” said Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. (Hindustan Times)

* Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visits Germany and has a meeting joint press conference with his German counterpart Olaf Scholz on March 12, as part of an official visit to Berlin from March 10-15.

Here, Mr. Ibrahim pledged to maintain good relations with China as well as protect its sovereignty and interests without encountering any serious problems, while emphasizing the importance of engagement and constructive dialogue to address all challenges arising from China's influence in the region, including the East Sea.

Referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, both prime ministers agreed that Russia must end its special military campaign and seek a peaceful solution to the conflict because the situation in Ukraine is causing serious impacts on trade and economic development, even affecting Asia.

In the Gaza Strip, Malaysia and Germany called for a lasting ceasefire in the region, as well as the release of hostages and immediate humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. The international community must also work towards a two-state solution to resolve the decades-long conflict in the Middle East. (The Sun)

* North Korea-Mongolia discuss ways to develop bilateral relations: On March 11, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Ho met with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, during a rare overseas trip by a North Korean diplomatic delegation.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the two sides discussed developing the friendly relations founded by their predecessors and enhancing bilateral exchanges and cooperation. On the same day, Vice Minister Pak Myong Ho also met with his counterpart from the host country.

* First Japanese to become ICC President: On March 11, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that Ms. Tomoko Akane was elected as the new President of the ICC, with a 3-year term until 2027, thereby becoming the first Japanese person to head the agency based in The Hague.

The appointment is effective immediately. (Kyodo)

* Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a new cabinet on March 11 to steer the economy through a crisis caused by high public debt, rising inflation and a depreciating currency. The ministers were sworn in on the same day.

Among the 19 new ministers in the cabinet is Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who once headed a leading bank in Pakistan and has extensive experience in international finance.

Speaking at the cabinet's swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Sharif stressed that the new government needs to carry out extensive reforms in national finances, in which the most important challenge to be solved at the moment is high inflation.

Prime Minister Sharif is expected to announce more cabinet positions in the coming months. (The Times of India)

Middle East-Africa

* Israel received more than 100 rockets from Lebanon: On the morning of March 12, the Israeli military (IDF) announced that in the morning of the same day alone, about 70 rockets were fired into the North of the country from the Lebanese border, then 30 rockets continued to target military positions in the occupied Golan Heights.

This is one of the strongest attacks since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah broke out in October 2023. There are currently no reports of casualties.

On the same day, Hezbollah claimed to have fired more than 100 rockets at several Israeli military positions. (Times of Israel)

* China, Russia, and Iran will hold joint naval exercises near the Gulf of Oman, aiming to strengthen maritime cooperation and protect peace and stability in the region, from March 11 to 15.

This is the fourth exercise, called “Security Relations-2024”, aimed at affirming tripartite solidarity in the context of the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip.

The joint exercise focused on anti-piracy operations and search and rescue. China sent three ships, including the guided-missile destroyer Urumqi, while Iran sent more than 10 ships. According to China's Defense Ministry, the Russian guided-missile cruiser Varyag also participated in the exercise. (Kyodo)

* The US and UK carried out nine airstrikes against Houthis in the Red Sea city of Hodeidah, including four in the Ras Issa area in the northwestern al-Salif district, three in the al-Arj area of ​​the eastern Bajil district, and two in the al-Taif area of ​​the southern Durayhimi district.

The airstrikes were carried out on March 11. There has been no comment from the US or UK regarding these airstrikes.

Meanwhile, the UK Maritime Trade Regulatory Authority reported a new missile attack on a cargo ship in international waters off the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.

On March 12, the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that Houthi rebels launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles from an area controlled by this force into the Red Sea, towards the commercial ship Pinocchio. There are currently no reports of damage or casualties. (AP, Reuters)

* The "Food for Gaza" initiative coordinates international humanitarian aid, announced by three multilateral aid agencies and Italy.

The initiative aims to increase food and medical aid to the Palestinian territory in the short term, and then in the long term will focus on social reconstruction and restoring the lives of its people.

The initiative also aims to coordinate projects of the three organizations and create a humanitarian aid corridor, which will be established from the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus.

Mr. Tajani further noted that current efforts to transport aid to the people of Gaza by air are still not enough to meet the current humanitarian needs in the territory.

America

* Haitian Prime Minister resigns: On March 11 (local time), the President of the Caribbean Community confirmed that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned.

Following this move, on the same evening, a US official said that Prime Minister Henry - currently stuck in Puerto Rico - was welcome to stay on US soil, stating: "In our view, he has the freedom to stay where he is and he has the freedom to travel."

The talks in Jamaica between Caribbean and regional leaders, which also included Haitian figures, focused heavily on “the importance of not taking retaliatory action against Prime Minister Henry or his allies,” the official said. (AFP)

* Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to run for new term: On March 11, the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) announced that President Nicolás Maduro will be the political organization's candidate in the election scheduled for July 28. (AFP)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-123-lanh-tho-nga-bi-tan-cong-lon-israel-hung-mua-rocket-tu-lebanon-an-do-trung-quoc-dau-khau-263939.html