Russia-Ukraine comments on the new US House Speaker, Israel's lightning attack on Gaza Strip?

Kiev is ready to respond to this action of Moscow, Palestinian Foreign Minister speaks out... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

The Israel Defense Forces launched a lightning attack on the Gaza Strip on the night of October 25. (Source: Times of Israel)

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

* Russia stops Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia : On October 26, Russia said that Ukrainian units were stopped by Russian artillery when they launched two attacks on Russian positions in the direction of Orekhovo, Zaporizhzhia region on October 25. Specifically, a Ukrainian paratrooper division was attacked by Russian artillery and suffered heavy losses.

In another attempt, Ukrainian mechanized infantry also advanced in this direction. However, two assault teams of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU), supported by two infantry fighting vehicles and a tank - were hit by Russian artillery and suffered heavy losses.

Also on October 26, the spokesman for the Western Battle Group of the Russian Armed Forces, Sergey Zybinsky, said that the group attacked Ukrainian military positions near Timovka in the Kharkiv region. “During the fighting in Kupyansk, units of the Western Battle Group, supported by air and artillery, repelled 15 attacks by Ukrainian mechanized brigades near Sinkovka, Timovka and Nadiya,” the official said. (TASS)

* Ukraine will respond if Russia launches winter air strikes : On October 25, writing on Telegram , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on October 25 that the country will no longer be on the defensive: “We are ready to respond to attacks on energy infrastructure. This year, we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond.”

President Zelensky affirmed that Russia's actions showed that it understood that Ukraine was better equipped to respond to Moscow's attacks at the current stage. (Reuters)

* Russia, Ukraine assess impact of election of US House Speaker: On October 26, a senior Ukrainian official said that Republican Congressman Mike, who opposed aid to Kiev, becoming Speaker of the US House of Representatives will not affect Washington's important support for Kiev.

For his part, Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said that this was good news because it ended the three-week leadership vacuum in the US House of Representatives. Speaking on television the same day, the official stated: "I am sure that cooperation will continue, support will continue."

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Russia does not expect Mike Johnson's appointment as Speaker of the US House of Representatives to affect the current events in Ukraine. Earlier, US President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve a $106 billion aid package, which includes billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine. (Reuters)

* Slovakia will not provide military assistance to Ukraine : On October 26, during a meeting with lawmakers, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico stated: “We support humanitarian and civilian assistance to Ukraine. This will be the official policy of the cabinet. We will not provide Ukraine with any weapons.”

At the same time, he said it was time for the European Union (EU) to “change its role from being an arms supplier [to Ukraine] as it is now to being a peacemaker.”

Earlier, on October 25, Slovak President Zuzana Caputova officially appointed Mr. Fico as the new Prime Minister after the Social Democratic Orientation Party (Smer-SD) won the general election on September 30 and formed a coalition with two other parties. During the election campaign, this politician's Smer-SD party expressed its opposition to military aid to Ukraine. (Sputnik)

* Israeli infantry raids Gaza : On October 26, Israeli Army Radio reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a relatively large attack in the northern Gaza Strip overnight targeting Hamas positions. The source described this as the largest raid since the beginning of the conflict.

The IDF said it had neutralized several Hamas militants, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch sites. A video released by the force showed several Israeli armored vehicles advancing across the sandy border area. A bulldozer leveled the ground, tanks opened fire and multiple explosions occurred near heavily damaged buildings.

The IDF stressed that the goal of the operation was to “prepare for the next steps of the war.” Earlier, in a speech on the night of October 25, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned a major landing operation in the Gaza Strip, despite previous reports that the country had reached an agreement to delay the above military operation until the end of this week. (Times of Israel)

* IDF denies Hamas intercepted helicopter : On October 26, the IDF denied that Hamas could have intercepted their helicopter with a surface-to-air missile. Accordingly, Hamas tried to intercept the Israeli military helicopter, but failed.

Earlier in the day, Hamas' Qassam Brigades said it had shot down an Israeli helicopter with a Sam7 surface-to-air missile in the central Gaza Strip. (Haaretz)

* Israel establishes national commission to investigate October 7 attack : On October 26, Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar said that the country will establish a national commission to investigate the negligence that led to the October 7 attack.

Responding to the Ynet newspaper (Israel), he stated: “This committee will operate independently, so all citizens can trust it and this agency will decide to interrogate the person responsible. Is the government responsible? Of course.”

Mr. Zohar emphasized that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement on the night of October 25 was very important: "The Prime Minister said that he is responsible for the future of the country. The person responsible for the future of the country must also be responsible for the past. Obviously, he must be responsible." ( Times of Israel)

* Palestinian Foreign Minister : Israel attacked the Gaza Strip in “revenge”: On October 26, speaking at a press conference at the Palestinian delegation headquarters in The Hague (Netherlands), Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that Israel attacked the Gaza Strip in “revenge”. He stressed the need to end this attack and called for a ceasefire, because “a ceasefire is vital for the distribution of humanitarian aid”.

A day earlier, Foreign Minister al-Maliki arrived in The Hague and met with senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan. The diplomat said: “The situation in Gaza is so dangerous that it requires the immediate intervention of the ICC prosecutor. Palestine is working with the ICC prosecutor and providing the necessary information to make a decision.” (AFP)

* Japan speaks out, Switzerland stops aid, what does Turkey say about the Israel-Hamas conflict: On October 26, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said that during a meeting with Israeli Ambassador Gilad Cohen, host Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko called on the Jewish State to temporarily cease fire to provide humanitarian assistance to the blockaded Gaza Strip.

On October 25, Russia and China vetoed a US effort to have the UN Security Council intervene in the Israel-Hamas conflict by calling for a temporary halt to the fighting. Earlier, a Russian-drafted resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire also failed to gain the required number of votes to pass.

For his part, in response to Sky News (UK), Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said on October 26 that London will convene a meeting of the emergency response committee to review the strategy and approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Mr. Dowden, who chaired the meeting, said: "We will discuss the hostages, as well as the broader situation in the region and... efforts to secure humanitarian aid."

London is now seeking to push for a humanitarian ceasefire to allow its citizens in Gaza to leave safely and for the release of British hostages.

Meanwhile, in a phone call with Pope Francis on October 26, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stressed that Israel's attacks have led to large casualties in the Gaza Strip and that the silence of the international community is "shameful". He stated that all countries must speak out against the humanitarian crisis in the region.

On the same day, the Swiss Foreign Ministry announced that it had suspended financial support for 11 Palestinian and Israeli non-governmental organizations. According to the announcement, six Palestinian organizations and five Israeli organizations were affected by the decision. These organizations mainly work on human rights and are supported within the framework of the Swiss Foreign Ministry's cooperation programs for the Middle East region.

Specifically, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said that the country needs to take appropriate measures to adapt to the new context in the Middle East, affirming that they attach great importance to ensuring that financial support is used appropriately. The Swiss Foreign Ministry will carry out strict and systematic monitoring of all its partners, for example through on-site visits or exchanges with third parties. (Reuters/TTXVN)

* China sends warning to the US about the Philippines : On October 26, speaking at a regular press conference, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry affirmed that the US has no right to interfere in issues between the Beijing government and Manila.

Earlier, on October 25, US President Joe Biden on October 25 affirmed the country's steadfast defense commitment to the Philippines. He emphasized: "Any attack on Philippine aircraft, ships or armed forces will trigger the mutual defense treaty with the Philippines." (Reuters)

South Pacific

* Australia arrests 4 Chinese nationals in connection with money laundering : On October 25, Australian police arrested 7 members of the Song Long (China) criminal organization, including 4 Chinese nationals, following 20 search warrants across 5 states of this Oceania country. The 7 arrested people, aged 35-40, are expected to appear in court in Melbourne on October 26.

The Songlong crime syndicate is accused of laundering up to AUD229 million ($143 million) between 2020 and 2023 through the Changjiang Currency Exchange, one of China's largest private money transfer companies with dozens of branches nationwide.

“This syndicate is operating openly across the country, unlike other syndicates that operate in the shadows,” Stephen Dametto, assistant commissioner of the Australian Federal Police’s Eastern Command, said in a statement on October 26. Investigators first noticed suspicious activity when the exchange opened a new branch during the Covid-19 pandemic, Dametto said.

A formal investigation, codenamed Operation Avarus-Nightwolf, was launched in August 2022 with the help of six other agencies, including the US Homeland Security Investigations. (Reuters)

Northeast Asia

* China launches Shenzhou-17 spacecraft into orbit : On October 26, the Asian powerhouse launched the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-17 into orbit for about 6 months to perform a number of missions on the space station. According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the spacecraft was launched by a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China.

The Shenzhou-17 crew, consisting of three Chinese astronauts, Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, is the youngest crew sent into orbit since the construction of the Tiangong space station began. Astronaut Tang Hongbo participated in the Shenzhou-12 mission.

It is expected that after completing the mission, the Shenzhou-17 crew will return to Earth in April 2024. (Xinhua)

* South Korea : No signs of North Korea launching a military satellite : On October 26, a South Korean Unification Ministry official stated: "There are usually signs before North Korea launches satellites and the country usually notifies international organizations in advance about its launch plans. Currently, there are no such signs."

The official declined to comment on speculation that North Korea might have halted the launch because Russia had transferred satellite technology to help Pyongyang overcome technical problems following a September 13 summit between the two countries' leaders.

“There should be no such (military technology) cooperation between North Korea and Russia. This would violate the UN Security Council resolution,” he said.

North Korea launched the Malligyong-1 military spy satellite, mounted on a Chollima-1 rocket, in May and August. However, both launches failed. Pyongyang has said it will make a third attempt in October. (Yonhap)

Europe

* Armenia hopes for early peace with Azerbaijan : Speaking at a forum in Georgia's capital Tbilisi on October 26, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he hoped his country would sign a peace agreement and establish diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan in the coming months. He hoped to open the border with Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan, to third-country nationals.

The statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was made in an effort to consolidate peace in the South Caucasus after Azerbaijan recently recaptured the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally considered Azerbaijani territory but has been ruled by separatist Armenians since the 1990s. (Reuters)

* Hungarian Parliament continues to postpone vote on Sweden's accession to NATO : On October 26, MP Agnes Vadai of the Democratic Union Party in Hungary said that the country's Parliament has rejected the opposition's proposal to hold a vote on Sweden's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) this week.

On his personal Facebook page, the MP said: "There will be no vote on Sweden's accession to NATO this week."

According to her, lawmakers from the ruling Fidesz party, which holds a majority in the Hungarian parliament, rejected the proposal to put the issue on the agenda.

In that context, the issue could be considered as early as next November. The Hungarian government submitted the relevant bill to Parliament in the summer of 2022, but lawmakers have since delayed consideration of the bill due to unfriendly statements by Swedish politicians about Hungary. (TASS)

* Latvia, Lithuania buy US missiles : On October 25, on social network X , Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said that the US State Department has approved the sale of this weapon system to this country. The Baltic country will buy ATACMS missiles. The total value of the deal is about 220 million USD. The purchase contract will be signed by both sides in the coming months.

Earlier in the day, Lithuania announced the purchase of 36 AMRAAM air defense missiles from the US. According to the country's Ministry of Defense, Washington has confirmed plans to sell missiles and related equipment worth $100 million to Lithuania's Nasams air defense system. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency stressed that the deal will improve the ability of Lithuania, a member of the EU and NATO bordering Russia and Belarus, to perform regional defense and security missions. (TTXVN)

America

* Colombia, China sign 12 agreements : On October 26, after Colombian President Gustavo Petro's visit to Beijing, Bogota said that the country and China have made progress in building relations, moving towards solid cooperation.

Among them were the signing of 12 documents in the fields of economy, investment, trade, technology, environment, science, education and culture. The statement added that these agreements will help increase the ability of Colombian agricultural products to enter the Chinese market, while encouraging investment from the Asian power in the South American country's industry and infrastructure, with priority given to the development of railway transport. China also supports transformation, the digital economy, data protection and security in Colombia. (Sputnik)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-2610-nga-ukraine-nhan-dinh-ve-tan-chu-tich-ha-vien-my-israel-tan-cong-chop-nhoang-dai-gaza-247582.html