Russia shoots down many Ukrainian UAVs, US President visits Israel

'Hot' news: serious explosion at hospital in Gaza, Russian-Chinese leaders hold talks, Australia imposes sanctions on Iran... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference in Israel on October 18. (Source: CNN)

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

* Russia shot down 28 Ukrainian UAVs : On October 18, the country's Ministry of Defense announced: "Air defense systems on duty in the territory of Belgorod, Kursk and the Black Sea provinces intercepted and destroyed 28 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Earlier, Governor of Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov said that in this region and the city of Ykovlevsky, air defense systems shot down 6 Ukrainian UAVs. (TASS)

* Russian Ambassador criticizes US for transferring ATACMS missiles to Ukraine : On October 18, Russian media quoted Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov as saying that Washington made a "terrible mistake" when sending long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine.

“The consequences of this step, deliberately hidden from public opinion, will be of the most serious nature. The United States will continue to promote a direct conflict between NATO and Russia,” he said.

On October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that his country's military had used the long-range ATACMS missile supplied by the US for the first time. The White House also acknowledged the information on the same day.

According to US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson, although ATACMS has a maximum range of up to 300 km, the version provided to Ukraine only has a range of 165 km. (Reuters)

* Ukraine accuses Russia of causing civilian casualties in Zaporizhzhia : On October 18, the governor of Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine, Mr. Yury Malashko, said that Russia had carried out an airstrike, destroying an apartment building in this city, killing one person and injuring at least two others. On Telegram , Mr. Malashko added: "The residents of the building have been evacuated. Eight apartment buildings were damaged."

Earlier in the day, the Russian-appointed regional official of Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, accused Ukraine of carrying out an overnight airstrike on the region. The attack hit a residential area in the city. (Reuters)

* EP approves additional 50 billion Euros for Ukraine : On October 17, the European Parliament (EP) supported the European Union (EU) to provide an additional 50 billion Euros over the next 4 years to help rebuild a Ukraine shaken by Russia's military activities.

The proposal, which was put forward by the European Commission in June, was approved by 512 votes to 45 and 63 abstentions in the EP. It would combine grants and loans for Ukraine in the bloc's 2024-2027 long-term budget. Once operational, the fund would bring the EU's long-term financial commitment to Ukraine to more than 100 billion euros. (AFP)

* Israel denies direct attack on hospital in Gaza Strip, what does Hamas say: On October 18, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it saw no evidence of a direct attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital in the Gaza Strip the day before, which killed hundreds of Palestinians.

“IDF analysis of the operation shows that other forces launched multiple rockets from Gaza, which flew over the vicinity of Al-Ahli Hospital at the time the facility was hit. Intelligence from multiple sources at our disposal indicates that PIJ was responsible for the failed rocket launch that hit the hospital in Gaza,” an IDF military spokesman said in a statement.

In response, Hamas blamed Israel for the attack. Its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said the US was responsible for the attack on the Ahli Arab Hospital. According to him, the Washington administration had condoned Israel’s “actions.”

In response to the incident at Al-Ahli Hospital, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on the morning of October 18 (New York time).

In related news, on the night of October 17, dozens of people attempted to storm the Israeli Embassy in Amman, Jordan. The crowd broke through security cordons and entered the embassy, ​​forcing the force to use tear gas to disperse them. (Reuters)

* IDF urges Gaza residents to evacuate south : The IDF urged residents of Gaza to head south on October 18, saying in a new evacuation advisory that there was a “humanitarian zone” with aid available in Al-Mawasi, 28 km (17 miles) off the coast of the Palestinian enclave. “The IDF calls on Gaza residents to evacuate south for their own protection,” an Israeli military social media post said. (Reuters)

* US President arrives in Israel: On October 18, US President Joe Biden arrived in Tel Aviv. Speaking at a joint press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18 thanked the White House boss for his "unequivocal support" for the fight against the Hamas Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip. The leader also updated the death toll in the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7 to 1,400 people and could rise further. Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will defeat Hamas for "peace and security in the region and the world".

He also said he was “very moved” that Mr Biden was the first US President to visit Israel amid the conflict. According to the politician, the move demonstrates the US’s deep commitment to the future of the Jewish people and the State.

For his part, US President Joe Biden said that initial information showed that the explosion at the Baptist Al-Ahli Hospital was “caused by another group”. Affirming that Washington supports the Jewish State’s right to self-defense against attacks, he criticized the Hamas movement for killing and capturing many victims, including American citizens. The US President also announced that he would provide enough firepower for Israel to defend itself.

In addition, Mr. Joe Biden asked Israel to pay attention to not attacking civilian targets, and to open a humanitarian corridor for the international community to bring relief goods to help Palestinians as well as to let innocent people escape the conflict zone. (Reuters)

* EC President warns of new spiral of violence: On October 18, President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen said that the significant increase in hate speech and attacks in Europe recently is a consequence of the violence in the Middle East.

She also affirmed that those responsible for the attack on the Baptist Al-Ahli hospital in the Gaza Strip must be held accountable. Although the EC President did not specifically blame any perpetrators, the senior official also accused the Islamist movement Hamas of pushing Israel and Palestine into a new spiral of violence. (Reuters)

* Germany supports Egypt's reconciliation efforts : On October 18, speaking during a meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo as part of his visit to Israel and Egypt, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed support for Egypt's efforts to reduce tensions between Israel and Hamas.

“Together with Egypt, we want to do our utmost to reduce the catastrophic consequences of war,” he said, adding that the two sides discussed the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

For his part, President el-Sisi said that forced relocation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is impossible and that Palestinians "can only move to the Negev desert in Israel when the conflict is resolved." (DW)

* Iran criticizes the US after Hamas attack : On October 17, writing on social network X , Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wrote: "Our intelligence reports show that the US is setting the current policy of the Zionist regime and what is being done is governed by the US policy-making process. The US is responsible for the current situation."

According to the leader, US officials were present at meetings of Israel's War Cabinet. At the same time, the Iranian Supreme Leader believes that the IDF will launch a ground offensive on the Gaza Strip after Joe Biden visits the Jewish State. He called on Israel to immediately stop its attack on the Gaza Strip and vowed that Muslims will retaliate if Israel continues to bombard the Palestinian enclave.

Meanwhile, on October 18, speaking at an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian “called on Muslim countries to impose an immediate and complete ban on Israel and expel its ambassadors if they have relations with the Jewish State.” The diplomat also called for the establishment of a group of Muslim lawyers to prepare for a legal battle over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. (VNA)

* China criticizes US chip restrictions : On October 18, the country's Foreign Ministry said: "These restrictions and forced separation for political purposes violate the principles of market economy and fair competition." Beijing hopes that Washington will not "say one thing and do another" when affirming that it does not want to hinder China's economic development.

Earlier, on October 17, the United States announced a plan to stop transferring advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips produced by NVIDIA and many other US technology companies to foreign countries. The plan will tighten the scope of countries' access to advanced chips or chip manufacturing tools, and add two more Chinese companies to the US blacklist for advanced chip manufacturing. This is considered part of Washington's measures to limit foreign countries, especially competitors like Beijing, from owning advanced US technology. (Reuters)

Russia-China

* Russia and China plan to sign a long-term cooperation agreement : On October 18, speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the US's provision of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine was a "mistake". According to him, this increases the threat to Russia, but will not significantly change the situation on the ground.

He also asserted that the common threat would only strengthen cooperation between China and Russia. The Kremlin leader said that Russia and China could sign a coordination plan until 2030 at the meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Russian news agencies said that during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the same day, Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. The leader assessed the attack on a hospital in the Gaza Strip that killed hundreds of Palestinians as a “terrible tragedy” that showed the conflict between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas must end.

On the same day, President Xi Jinping praised the China-Russia relationship. According to him, the political mutual trust between the two powers is deepening. The Chinese leader also emphasized that the two countries maintain close and effective strategic coordination, and bilateral trade volume has reached a historic high, moving towards the set target of 200 billion USD. (Reuters)

Southeast Asia

* Thai Prime Minister invites Russian President to official visit : Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on October 17. This was the first meeting between the two leaders, who are currently in China to attend the International Forum on the Belt and Road Initiative.

“I have asked Russia to promote bilateral trade in agricultural products and increase investment in Thailand,” Mr. Srettha wrote on social network X. “I also invited President Putin to visit Thailand to strengthen our relations.” According to the Thai government, Mr. Putin has accepted the invitation, but no date has been set.

Referring to relations with the birch country, Prime Minister Strettha Thavisin also noted that more than 1 million Russians have visited Thailand this year and the government has just approved an extension of the visa-free stay for Russian tourists from 30 days to 90 days. (Thai PBS World)

Northeast Asia

* Russian Foreign Minister arrives in North Korea : On October 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in North Korea as part of his state visit to the country. According to his schedule, he will attend meetings that are considered to lay the groundwork for President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea.

Lavrov's two-day visit comes a month after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip to Russia, where he invited President Putin to Pyongyang and discussed military cooperation, including North Korea's satellite program and the situation in Ukraine. (Interfax/Reuters)

America

* The US House of Representatives will hold the second round of voting for the Speaker: On October 17, Chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan said that the second round of voting for the Speaker of the House will begin at 11:00 on October 18 (0:00 on October 19, Hanoi time).

Republicans objected to Jordan's letter to Acting House Speaker Patrick McHenry requesting a second vote on October 17, after the congressman failed in the first vote by only winning 200 votes, 17 votes short of the majority needed.

Talking about this failure, he said that this development is not too strange because Congressman Kevin McCarthy only won the position of Speaker of the House after 15 rounds of voting, in January 2023.

The number of 20 Republicans who abstained from voting for Jordan was much higher than initially expected, including powerful figures such as Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and several members of the House representing districts that voted for Biden in 2020. (CNN)

Middle East-Africa

* Australia re-imposes sanctions on Iran : On October 18, the Australian Foreign Ministry said that the country has re-imposed targeted financial sanctions and entry bans on 19 individuals and 57 entities in Iran for their involvement in Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

These sanctions were previously imposed under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and will now be included in Australia’s sanctions framework, in line with the approach of Australia’s international partners. In addition, three additional individuals and 11 entities have been added to the sanctions list for their links to individuals or entities sanctioned under UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

According to the statement, Iran's proliferation of ballistic and cruise missiles increases tensions in the Middle East. Canberra calls on Tehran to stop actions that escalate its nuclear program and reaffirms its full compliance with its nuclear-related commitments.

This includes reversing all steps from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to fully verify Iran's use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Australia affirmed that the sanctions demonstrate its commitment to non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and its determination to cooperate with international partners. (TTXVN)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-1810-nga-ha-nhieu-uav-ukraine-tong-thong-my-toi-israel-246626.html