US-China maintain military contacts, Ukraine occupies more areas in Kursk, US court reopens TikTok lawsuit

Trump was sued by Universal Music, India put its second nuclear submarine into operation, the US pledged to protect Israel from any attack by Iran, Russia prosecuted its former Deputy Defense Minister... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission in Beijing. (Source: Al Jazeera)

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

Asia-Pacific

*China accuses Philippines of “risky action” in the East Sea: China Coast Guard on August 29 accused the Philippine ship of air-dropping supplies as “risky action”.

The Philippines’ actions “could very well cause unforeseen incidents at sea and in the air,” the China Coast Guard said, referring to a Philippine helicopter resupply mission to the Sha Bin Shoal in the South China Sea on August 28. (Reuters)

*Indonesia, Australia sign historic defense cooperation agreement: Indonesia and Australia on August 29 signed a new defense agreement, pledging closer cooperation to counter security threats in the Asia-Pacific region.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles signed the historic agreement with Indonesian President-elect and Minister for Defence Prabowo Subianto.

The treaty-level agreement will enable enhanced practical cooperation and interoperability between the two countries' defense forces in areas such as maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian and disaster relief, logistics support, education and training, as well as across the defense industry. (Straits Times)

*US-China agree to maintain regular military communications: The US and China on August 29 affirmed the importance of regular bilateral military communications as part of efforts to prevent their fierce competition from turning into conflict or confrontation.

According to the White House, the agreement was reached during a meeting in Beijing between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission.

During the meeting, which took place on the final day of a three-day visit to China, the two officials noted progress in such communications over the past 10 months and planned to hold a call with their theater commanders “in the near future.” High-level military communication channels have been closed since China objected to a visit to Taiwan by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022.

Also in this latest meeting, Mr. Sullivan noted that the US remains committed to freedom of navigation in the East Sea and expressed concern about China's support for Russia's defense industrial base. (Kyodo)

*Telegram and Bigo Live may be blocked in Indonesia: Indonesian Communications and Information Minister Budi Arie Setiadi confirmed on August 29 that the country is considering blocking the messaging app Telegram and the live streaming platform Bigo Live for allegedly being used to promote pornography and gambling content.

The Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Information has issued warnings against Telegram and Bigo Live, but there has been no positive response from the managers of the two platforms.

Previously, on August 24, Mr. Pavel Durov - the Russian founder of Telegram - was arrested in France on charges related to the use of this platform to spread information about terrorist activities, child pornography, drug trafficking, money laundering and fraud. On August 29, Mr. Durov was released but was banned from leaving France and had to pay $5 million in bail. (AFP)

*India puts second nuclear submarine into operation: The Indian Navy on August 29 put INS Arighat - the country's second nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine - into operation.

India’s nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) program is a closely guarded secret project. India’s first nuclear submarine, INS Arihant, was launched in July 2009 and officially entered service in 2016.

According to the Indian Ministry of Defense, in October 2022, INS Arihant successfully conducted a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launch in the Bay of Bengal with “very high accuracy.” The Indian Ministry of Defense declared the SSBN program as one of New Delhi’s three nuclear deterrent capabilities, along with the ability to launch nuclear weapons from the air and from land. (TTXVN)

*South Korea-US joint special operations drills: On August 29, the South Korean Army announced that the country and the US conducted joint special operations drills to enhance reconnaissance and target attack capabilities, amid efforts to strengthen deterrence against threats from North Korea.

The five-day exercise, which began on August 24 at the Army Special Warfare School in Gwangju, 32 kilometers southeast of Seoul, involved troops from the Army Special Warfare Command, the Air Force Combat Control Team and the 2nd US Combat Aviation Brigade.

The exercise, which took place alongside the allies' annual summer Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, lasted 11 days and ended early on August 29. (Yonhap)

Europe

*Ukraine announced that it has occupied more areas in Kursk province: On August 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the Ukrainian army had occupied more areas in Russia's Kursk province.

In a video address, Zelensky said that Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi had reported on the operation in the Kursk region, according to which Ukrainian forces continued to expand the territory under their control in areas near the Ukrainian border. According to President Zelensky, under pressure from the Ukrainian army, Russia is no longer able to increase pressure on the Donetsk region. However, he also warned that the situation in Pokrovsk and other areas of Donetsk remains very difficult.

Since August 6, the Ukrainian army has entered the Kursk region. By August 27, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian army Oleksandr Syrskyi announced that Kiev forces had taken control of 1,294 square kilometers and 100 settlements in the Kursk region, and captured 594 Russian soldiers. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Ukrainian army had suffered losses of 7,000 soldiers and 74 tanks since the start of the operation. (THX)

*Russia prosecutes former Deputy Defense Minister: Spokesperson of the Russian Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko said on August 29 that investigators have opened a criminal case against former Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov for fraud under the provisions of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Ms. Petrenko stated: “The Military Investigation Department of the Russian Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case against former Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia - General Pavel Popov. He is suspected of committing fraud, the crime is stipulated in Clause 4, Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.”

According to Russian investigators, General Popov siphoned off funds from the Patriot Park (near Moscow) to finance construction, repairs and supplies for his family's residence. (Sputnik)

*Ukraine urges EU to pressure US, UK to lift arms restrictions: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on European Union (EU) member states to pressure Britain and the US to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons that fund Kiev to attack “legitimate” targets deep inside Russian territory.

Mr. Kuleba was in Brussels (Belgium) to attend the EU Foreign Ministers' Conference, which mainly focused on Russia's war in Ukraine.

“I urge the EU to play a role, to make a clear and strong point that this is something that needs to be done now if we want to maintain the momentum… We expect permission and we expect the delivery of missiles that can be used for that purpose,” urged Foreign Minister Kuleba.

Both Britain and the United States have placed restrictions on Kiev's use of the long-range missiles it has delivered, fearing an escalation of the conflict with Russia. (AFP)

*The Netherlands does not restrict Ukraine from using F-16s to attack Russia: The Netherlands does not impose any restrictions on Ukraine's use of F-16 fighter jets, including on Russian territory.

Speaking to Dutch media on August 29, when talking about Kiev's use of fighter jets on Russian territory, Commander-in-Chief of the Dutch Armed Forces Onno Eichelsheim stated: "We do not impose any restrictions on the use or flight range of F-16 fighters, as long as the laws of war are respected." He did not object to Ukraine using Dutch weapons for offensive purposes.

“Ukraine can use the resources we provide at its own discretion, as long as it complies with the humanitarian laws of war,” Eichelsheim said, adding that the US “partially agrees” with the decision. (AFP)

*Hungary opposes long-range weapons attacks on Russian territory: Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on August 29 that Budapest opposes long-range weapons attacks on Russian territory due to the risk of serious escalation of the conflict, and affirmed that Hungary will defend its peaceful stance at the meeting of European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers in Brussels.

“If more and more weapons appear on the territory (of Ukraine), if there are long-range strikes on Russian territory, the risk of escalation will increase and the threat of war will become more serious. We do not want to face this risk, that is why we will also present our position for peace in Brussels today,” Szijjarto said on social media. (Sputniknews)

Middle East – Africa

*Commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad killed in West Bank: Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) confirmed that commander Muhammad Jabber, also known as “Abu Shujaa”, was killed in an Israeli raid on Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on August 29.

“Abu Shujaa, Commander of the Tulkarem Brigade of the Al-Quds armed wing, along with his brothers in the brigade, died in a heroic battle against the soldiers of the occupying power (Israel),” the PIJ statement said.

Hours earlier, the Israeli army confirmed that it had killed five Palestinian militants in the West Bank, bringing the total number of Palestinian militants killed to 14 after two days of "anti-terrorism" operations. (Arab News)

*The US is committed to protecting Israel against any attack by Iran: White House National Security Council's strategic communications coordinator, John Kirby, announced this information at a press conference on August 28.

Mr. Kirby affirmed that the US realized that Iran might be preparing to attack Israel, so it has increased its military presence in the Middle East, including two aircraft carrier groups and a squadron of F-22 fighter jets. The US will maintain this force as long as necessary to protect Israel and US military facilities in the region.

He also expressed hope for a ceasefire in Gaza after 10 months of conflict, stressing that the negotiation process was "constructive" and that further talks were expected in Doha in the near future. (Al Jazeera)

*New Iranian President Pezeshkian visits Iraq: New Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will make his first official visit to Iraq in September 2024. The trip, at the invitation of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, is expected to last 3 days starting from September 11.

Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Mohammad Kazem Al Sadegh confirmed the visit and said President Pezeshkian would lead a high-level delegation and sign a number of important agreements.

The visit comes ahead of Mr Pezeshkian’s attendance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in late September 2024. Iran sees Iraq as a top foreign policy priority, while Iraq seeks to avoid tensions between Iran and GCC countries, analysts say. (Al Jazeera)

America - Latin America

*Honduras criticizes US interference in internal affairs: Honduran President Xiomara Castro criticized the US for interfering in the country's internal affairs after the US Ambassador to Honduras expressed concern about a meeting between Honduran and Venezuelan defense officials.

Earlier, US Ambassador to Honduras Laura Dogu expressed concern about the meeting between Honduran Defense Minister Jose Manuel Zelaya and his Venezuelan counterpart Vladimir Padrino last week.

Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina also criticized the US for implying that his country was involved in drug trafficking and undermining the Honduran government. He said this directly threatened the country's independence and sovereignty. (Reuters)

*US Election 2024: Candidate D. Trump sued by Universal Music: Universal Music - the record label of the Swedish band ABBA, on August 29 issued a notice asking Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the White House, to stop using the band's music and videos in his election campaigns.

The campaign of Mr. Trump and his running mate JD Vance in Minnesota on July 27 used many hits by ABBA such as "The Winner Takes It All", "Money, Money, Money" and "Dancing Queen". The announcement from Universal Music stated that the company and ABBA members requested that Mr. Trump's campaign team stop using and immediately remove ABBA's music. Universal Music affirmed that it did not grant the right to use these musical products to Mr. Trump's campaign team.

Mr. Trump's campaign team has not yet responded to the above information. (Reuters)

*US appeals court reopens TikTok lawsuit: The US appeals court has approved a retrial in a TikTok lawsuit involving a 10-year-old girl who died after participating in the “passing out challenge” that went viral on the social platform. To complete the challenge, participants had to choke themselves until they passed out and then film themselves until they regained consciousness.

On behalf of the jury, federal judge Patty Shwartz said on August 27 that TikTok is not entitled to immunity from prosecution under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996.

The decision overturns an earlier ruling that dismissed a lawsuit filed by Nylah Anderson’s mother, Tawainna Anderson, against TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, after her daughter died in 2021 while attempting the “pass-out challenge” using a string from a leather bag hanging in her closet.

TikTok has not yet responded to the comments. (AFP)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-298-my-trung-duy-tri-lien-lac-quan-su-ukraine-chiem-them-nhieu-khu-vuc-tai-kursk-toa-my-lat-lai-ho-so-vu-kien-tiktok-284384.html