Russia moves deep into northeastern Ukraine, Pheu Thai considers proposing prime minister candidate

Ukraine activates alert in Odessa, Pakistan sets date to dissolve government , Israeli President visits US... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

On July 18, 26 parties in India formed an opposition alliance with the ruling BJP - Photo: Congress Party (CPP) leader Sonia Gandhi (center) and Mallikarjun Kharge (far right) at a meeting of the Opposition Alliance in Bengaluru, India. (Source: ANI)

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

* Russia advances deep into northeastern Ukraine , preventing further attacks on Crimea: On July 18, the Russian Defense Ministry stated: "Russian troops have advanced deep into the restricted area on the Kharkov front, northeastern Ukraine, near Kupyansk, after a successful attack... They gained an advantage of up to 2 km along this front and advanced up to 1.5 km deep." However, it is unclear when this campaign took place specifically.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said Russian air defense and electronic warfare systems had shot down 28 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over Crimea. Moscow officials said the attacks caused no casualties or damage. (AFP/Reuters)

* Russia will respond to the attack in Crimea: During a meeting on the evening of July 17 about the situation at the Kerch Sea Bridge connecting Krasnodar (Russia) with the Crimean peninsula, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the country's Defense Ministry is preparing response proposals.

The leader said that the attack early that morning was an act of terrorism, causing a family to lose their parents. Mr. Putin instructed the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Investigative Committee to examine the details of the incident.

Earlier, an incident on the bridge over the Kerch Strait occurred at around 3 a.m. on July 17. The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under the law on terrorist acts. The Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee said two unmanned boats blew up the bridge section. (TASS)

* Russian Su-25 crashes in Azov Sea: In a statement on social media on July 17, local officials said a Russian Su-25 fighter jet crashed in the Azov Sea near the town of Yeysk on the same day. Fortunately, the pilot managed to eject. Videos posted on social media showed what appeared to be a parachute landing near a beach. However, sources later confirmed that the pilot died after ejecting. Yeysk is a town on the Azov Sea, on the other side of which is the Russian-controlled Donetsk region. (TASS)

* Ukraine activates air defense system in Odessa : On the morning of July 18, authorities said Ukraine activated the air defense system in the city of Odessa, hours after Russia refused to extend the agreement allowing safe grain exports from the region. On Telegram , the spokesman for the Ukrainian military in Odessa, Mr. Sergiy Bratchuk, said: "Air defense operations in Odessa continue."

Odessa is home to ports that are crucial to the Black Sea grain deal between Moscow and Kiev. On Telegram , the head of the Odessa military administration, Oleg Kiper, said Russia was “attacking southern Ukraine with UAVs” and warned people to take shelter. Air raid alerts were also raised in Mykolayiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kharkov, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Kirovograd and Cherkasy. (AFP)

* China pledges to build stable relations with the US : On July 18, receiving veteran US diplomat Henry Kissinger, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said that the US should make a rational strategic assessment of the Asian powerhouse. At the same time, Beijing pledged to build stable, predictable and constructive bilateral relations, and hoped that Washington could cooperate to promote the healthy development of bilateral relations. (Reuters)

Southeast Asia

* Cambodia sets date for holding Senate election for term V: Specifically, Article 1, Decision No. 54/SSR, dated July 18, 2023, signed by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, clearly states that Sunday, February 25, 2024 is the election date for the fifth Senate. According to regulations, Cambodia holds Senate elections every 5 years. The most recent election took place on February 25, 2018. (VNA)

* Pheu Thai Party will nominate candidate for Thai prime minister: On July 18, Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra said that the Pheu Thai Party (Pheu Thai) will nominate Mr. Srettha Thavisin as the candidate for prime minister. However, she also said that this scenario will only happen if the leader of the Forward Party Pita Limjaroenrat once again fails to receive approval from the House of Representatives and the Senate immediately after. The Pheu Thai leadership will meet to make a final decision after the July 19 parliamentary session. She noted that the party will proceed step by step to avoid causing public confusion.

The politician also affirmed that among the three Pheu Thai Party prime ministerial candidates registered with the Election Commission before the general election on May 14, Mr. Srettha was the most suitable. Notably, Ms. Paetongtarn, daughter of former Prime Minister Shinawatra, is also one of the three prime ministerial candidates of this party.

Speaking a day before the second round of voting, Pita Limjaroenrat said he was ready to slow down the ambitious reform agenda of his party. However, he would not give up on amending the law banning insults to the monarchy. Earlier, the Eight-Party Alliance also pledged its support for Pita Limjaroenrat, despite his defeat in the first round of voting on July 13, when he won 324 out of 750 votes. (Bangkok Post/Reuters)

South Asia

* India: 26 opposition parties form alliance : On July 18, opposition party leaders, including Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, attended this two-day meeting in the southern city of Bengaluru, Karnataka state. Here, the leaders discussed many issues such as seat allocation, number of contested seats, along with a common agenda for the 2024 parliamentary elections.

At the end of the meeting, 26 opposition parties in India said they had formed the Indian National Development Integration Alliance (INDIA) to confront Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in next year's parliamentary elections. The alliance includes the Congress Party, AAP, RJD, Nationalist Congress Party, People's Democratic Party, Communist Party of India Marsist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India CPI)...

“We are putting aside political differences to save democracy,” Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said at a press conference. However, even if the opposition is united, confronting Modi’s BJP, which won 300 of the 543 seats in the lower house of parliament in 2019, will be a major challenge. The INDIA Alliance is expected to hold its next meeting in Mumbai. (VNA)

* Pakistan to dissolve government early : GeoTV (Pakistan) reported on July 18 that Pakistan's ruling coalition has agreed to dissolve the government early on August 8. This move will bring Pakistan closer to a general election. According to the Constitution, the coalition government's five-year term is expected to end on August 12. (Reuters)

Northeast Asia

* South Korean President highlights achievements of European tour: During a cabinet meeting on July 18, Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol presented the diplomatic achievements of his 8-day European tour. The leader also explained the reason for extending the tour and the surprise visit to Ukraine, emphasizing that the trip was a message of unity and hope to the Ukrainian people.

Through summit talks with his Ukrainian and Polish counterparts, the South Korean president established a cooperation mechanism among Seoul, Warsaw and Kiev on post-conflict reconstruction of the Eastern European country. The South Korean government will actively support domestic businesses to participate in the reconstruction project of Ukraine.

In addition, Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol has expanded the supply chain and strengthened military cooperation with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries. At the Cabinet meeting, President Yoon instructed relevant ministries to take further steps to materialize the agreements reached. (Yonhap)

* UNC: US ​​citizen crosses military boundary between North and South Korea : On July 18, the US-led United Nations Command (UNC), responsible for monitoring the activities of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), said that a US citizen had illegally crossed the military boundary separating the two sides.

The UNC said the man had traveled to North Korea on a tour of the Joint Security Area in the DMZ and was believed to be in Pyongyang's custody. The UNC did not provide details on his gender or other information. "We... are working with our North Korean military counterparts to resolve this case," the UNC said. (Yonhap)

Europe

* Russian President Orders Adjustment of National Policy Strategy : On July 17, according to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a directive to adjust Russia's National Policy Strategy until 2025, taking into account the regions that the country has declared annexation. This presidential directive was given to the Russian Government along with the Council under the President of the Russian Federation on Inter-Ethnic Relations. Previously, President Putin affirmed that Russia will only move forward in its own way but will not isolate itself from anyone. (TASS)

* Russia warns about grain shipments through the Black Sea , what does Europe say? Speaking on July 18, the Kremlin warned that grain shipments from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea without Russian security guarantees would be potentially risky, as Kiev uses these waters for military operations. Earlier, responding to information that Turkey could protect Ukrainian grain ships, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow also rejected Washington's criticism of its withdrawal from the grain deal, or the Black Sea Grain Initiative. He affirmed that Russia would continue to supply grain to poor countries.

For his part, speaking on RTS radio (Switzerland), Mr. Pierre-Yves Perrin, head of the Swiss Federal Council, said: “Switzerland has not suffered too much impact, but we can see difficulties in transportation and logistics. We are working to ensure supply.”

Regarding the risk of grain shortages for animals in the coming period, this official also assessed: "This is the problem that will become the most difficult in the coming weeks. Although it is quite complicated, we believe that Switzerland will receive the necessary amount."

In a statement on the same day, Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus warned that Russia was “using grain as a weapon.” At the same time, he called on the European Union (EU) to help improve logistics, as more Ukrainian grain will begin to be exported across the border after the harvest.

For its part, on July 17, in a statement posted on Twitter , the Austrian Foreign Ministry urged Russia to maintain the agreement: “We urge Russia to agree to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative. This is an important agreement for global food security and brings millions of tons of grain and seeds to those in need.” (AFP/Reuters/TTXVN)

Middle East-Africa

* Iran : US causes deadlock in negotiations to restore nuclear deal : On July 17, commenting on negotiations to restore the Iran nuclear deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the US has hindered negotiations and escalated tensions in the Gulf region.

But the Iranian official said the door is still “open” and the restoration of the JCPOA can continue through diplomatic channels. According to him, the US needs to show determination and make a “decisive” political decision for this goal. (Xinhua)

* Israeli President departs for US visit : On July 17, Israeli President Isaac Herzog began a state visit to the US at the invitation of his host counterpart Joe Biden.

According to the White House announcement, during the visit, on July 18, Mr. Herzog will meet with US President Joe Biden, US Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior officials in Washington.

President Herzog will also address a joint session of the US Congress. President Herzog’s visit is scheduled to end on July 22, after traveling to New York to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, city leaders and members of the Jewish community.

President Isaac Herzog's visit to the United States is particularly noteworthy amid tensions over Israel-Iran relations and Israel's internal political disputes. Ahead of Herzog's visit, President Joe Biden called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and invited the Israeli leader to visit the United States after a long wait. (The Times of Israel)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-187-nga-tien-sau-vao-dong-bac-ukraine-pheu-thai-tinh-de-xuat-ung-vien-thu-tuong-235104.html