Multidimensional Russia-Iran partnership, North Sea ship collision, US-Indonesia first 2+2 dialogue

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some notable world news this morning, October 25.

Asia

Xinhua News Agency. China and Bhutan agreed to speed up the process of border demarcation and the establishment of diplomatic relations, according to a meeting between Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Bhutanese Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji who is visiting Beijing.

CCTV. The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) of China dismissed Li Shangfu from his positions as Minister of National Defense and State Councilor.

ADADERANA. The Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved a pilot project to exempt citizens from visas from seven countries, including India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand, until March 31, 2024.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY. The Cambodian People's Party (CPP) will sign cooperation and alliance agreements with 27 other political parties under the chairmanship of CPP President Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the CPP headquarters.

CNN. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have called for ensuring aid shipments to the Gaza Strip, which is facing a humanitarian crisis due to the escalating conflict.

AFP. During a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on October 24, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that Paris would stand in solidarity with Israel in the fight against terrorism.

REUTERS. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as the Hamas-Israel conflict shows no signs of abating.

“The first step must be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, saving civilian lives through the rapid and effective delivery of humanitarian aid." (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk)

TASS. Russian and Iranian officials substantively discussed various aspects of the bilateral agenda, with a focus on further strengthening the overall multidimensional partnership between the two countries.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended a “3+3” meeting with his five counterparts and met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (right) in Tehran on October 23. (Source: EPA)

Europe

SPUTNIK. Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab confirmed that a number of government agencies and industrial activities received malicious emails, posing as a “financial organization”.

TASS. The Russian armed forces have received a new batch of 4++ generation Su-35S fighters , the press office of the state technology corporation Rostec reported.

REUTERS. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that next year, Ukraine will need about 42 billion euros ($44.62 billion) from international partners to cover the budget deficit during the conflict.

AFP. EU foreign ministers met to discuss international and regional issues, including the conflict between Hamas and Israel and the situation in Ukraine.

NBC. Norway's sovereign wealth fund - the world's largest government investment fund, worth $1.4 trillion, reported a loss of 274 billion Norwegian crowns ( 33.80 billion USD ) in the third quarter of 2023.

LOCAL DENMARK. Danish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jakob Ellemann-Jensen announced his resignation and withdrawal from politics.

POLITICO. Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne has resigned and accepted responsibility for errors related to the shooting that left three people dead and injured in the capital Brussels about a week ago.

DW. The collision between the British-flagged Verity and the Bahamas-flagged Polesie near the island of Heligoland in the North Sea left one crew member dead and four others missing.

When the accident happened, the Verity with 7 crew members was on its way from the German city of Bremen to the British port of Immingham, while the Polesie (pictured) did not sink and had 22 people on board. (Source: DPA)

AFP. Sweden could officially become a NATO member next November, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

REUTERS. Moldova has decided to block access to more than 20 Russian media websites for waging an information war against the Eastern European country.

America

CNN. The US military shot down two drones targeting positions of this force and its allies in Syria.

CNBC. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Hurricane Otis is strengthening and is likely to become a tropical storm before hitting the southern coast of Mexico.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. The United States and Indonesia reaffirmed their leaders' intention to upgrade their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership , information at the first Foreign and Defense Policy Dialogue under the 2+2 model in Washington DC.

The US delegation was led by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Dr. Ely Ratner. The Indonesian delegation was led by Director General for US and European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Umar Hadi and Director General of the Defense Strategy Department at the Ministry of Defense Major General Bambang Trisnohadi. (Source: X)

RIO NEWS. Brazilian authorities say criminal gangs have set fire to at least 35 buses in Rio de Janeiro after police killed a crime boss in an operation against gangs.

CBC. With the flight departing from Israel on October 23, the Canadian government temporarily ended its campaign to evacuate its citizens from Israel in preparation for a much larger operation in Lebanon.

Africa

XINHUA. The upgrading of China-Ethiopia bilateral relations is undoubtedly a milestone in history, according to Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan.

XINHUA. The number of AIDS-related deaths in Uganda fell from 56,000 in 2010 to 17,000 in 2022, a drop of nearly 70 percent in 12 years.

MEDAFRICA TIMES. Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso inaugurated the Mpila twin towers in the capital Brazzaville, developed by China's Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG).

The $281 million tower is a "strong signal for the development of tourism," according to Congo's infrastructure minister, Jean-Jacques Bouya. (Source: Xinhua)

AFRICA NEWS. At least 20 civilians were killed in an attack believed to have been carried out by militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group in the Beni region of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ARY. A serious boat sinking occurred in western Democratic Republic of Congo, leaving more than 40 people dead and dozens missing.

Oceania

ABC. Australia and the US will announce plans to cooperate on critical minerals and strengthen Pacific Islands infrastructure as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits the US this week.

BLOOMBERG. Microsoft will invest an additional AU$5 billion (about 3.17 billion USD) to expand its hyperscale cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Australia over the next two years.

THE AUSTRALIAN. Scientists at the University of Queensland, Australia are developing a process to preserve plant sprouts using a freezing method similar to that of human embryos, to protect native plant species from fungal invasion.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. Scientists at the University of New South Wales, Australia have created a new material that can mimic human tissue in the laboratory and facilitate medical research.

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