Israel declared victory in Rafah, Chinese ships collided with Canadian ships in the East Sea, Indonesia used water cannons to disperse protesters, Republicans criticized Kamala Harris' foreign policy, Russia and China discussed military cooperation... are some of the notable international events in the past 24 hours.
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| US super aircraft carrier present in the Middle East. (Source: AFP) |
The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.
Asia-Pacific
*Chinese Premier visits Belarus: Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Belarus on August 22, on an official visit at the invitation of host country Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko.
During the visit, Mr. Li Qiang will hold talks with Prime Minister Golovchenko on strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in many fields.
Belarus is the second stop for Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who previously visited Moscow and held talks with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin on August 21. (THX)
*Indonesia uses water cannons to disperse protesters outside Parliament: Reuters news agency reported that Indonesian security forces used water cannons to disperse a crowd of protesters outside the Parliament building in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on August 22.
Earlier, Indonesian President Hasan Nasbi's spokesman said the Indonesian government had called on people to avoid spreading false information that could lead to violence, amid protests against changes to election laws.
Mr. Nasbi also said the Government's stance on changing the election law is to follow the current rules if the proposed amendments have not been approved by the National Assembly. (Reuters)
*Russia, China discuss military cooperation: State news agency TASS on August 22 quoted a source from the Russian Defense Ministry saying that Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin met with Commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Li Qiaoming.
According to TASS, the two sides discussed issues of bilateral military cooperation. Earlier, on August 21, Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Russia. (Reuters)
*China confirms prosecution of Japanese citizen for espionage: China's Foreign Ministry announced on August 22 that Chinese prosecutors have prosecuted a Japanese citizen on suspicion of espionage, but did not identify the person.
At a regular press conference, when asked about the indictment of a Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning affirmed that Beijing is investigating and handling criminal activities.
A Japanese pharmaceutical company said on August 21 that one of its Japanese employees, who was detained in March 2023 on suspicion of spying, has been prosecuted by Chinese authorities. (AFP)
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*China, Thailand hold joint military exercises: China has held joint military exercises with Thailand, including the first use of special forces and described as having “all the elements necessary for a small-scale war”.
The Falcon Strike 2024 exercise began in northeastern Thailand on August 18 and, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV, is more complex and broader in scope than previous drills involving the two countries. CCTV reported that the exercises, which will last until August 29, will include cross-border support, force deployment, joint air defense, deterrence and situation briefing.
China and Thailand have been conducting annual air force exercises since 2015, with a two-year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. (SCMP)
*Chinese Navy collides with Canadian ship in South China Sea: USNI News of the US Naval Institute reported that the Canadian Navy encountered the world's largest patrol ship of the Chinese Coast Guard, during a patrol near artificial islands in the South China Sea.
The source revealed that the encounter in the disputed waters took place on August 19. HMCS Montreal, a 4,770-ton Canadian missile frigate, “intentionally” passed Subi Reef, Fiery Cross Reef and Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands during a recent transit.
The Nansha – a Chinese coast guard ship with hull number 5901 – is also called a “monster” by the media and observers because of its 12,000-ton displacement. Observers say the ship has advantages in terms of strength, collision resistance, seaworthiness, and speed compared to other coast guard ships. (Newsweek)
Europe
*Russia postpones elections in many regions of Kursk province: On August 21, the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation decided to postpone the election of executive and legislative bodies in 7/33 administrative units of Kursk province.
Thus, 96,266 out of 876,055 registered voters in the region will not vote on September 8. The decision was made “to protect the life and health of citizens of the Russian Federation,” based on a report by the government’s Committee on Emergency Situations.
The election of the head of the Kursk region will be held as planned.
The chairwoman of the Kursk Regional Election Commission, Tatyana Malakhova, said the situation in Kursk is very difficult. Nine cities are evacuating residents, about 120,000 residents have been evacuated. Seven areas recommended to postpone voting are in these nine cities. (AFP)
*German Chancellor affirms Ukraine did not consult about attack on Russia: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on August 21 that Ukraine did not consult Berlin about the shocking attack on Russia on August 6.
“Ukraine prepared military operations in the Kursk region in great secrecy and without consultation,” the German leader said.
Earlier, Mr. Scholz affirmed that Germany will continue to be the most active supporter of Ukraine in Europe after the controversy in recent days about what some have called "wavering" in Germany's support for Kiev on domestic political issues. (DW)
*President Putin convenes an extraordinary meeting on border security: On August 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a meeting of government members and regional leaders to discuss the security situation in three border provinces with Ukraine. The meeting took place online.
The meeting was also attended by First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, the official responsible for the socio-economic situation in the three border provinces, as well as the leaders of the Belgorod, Briansk and Kursk regions.
Previously, Russian leaders did not rule out the possibility of a new attack on Russia's borders . (Sputniknews)
*Russia begins installing concrete shelters in Kursk region: Acting Governor of Russia's western Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, said on August 22 that Russian authorities in Kursk region have begun installing concrete shelters to help protect civilians amid the ongoing Ukrainian offensive.
City officials in Kursk, the regional capital, are installing shelters in crowded places, including 60 bus stops, Smirnov said on his Telegram account. He noted that similar shelters will be installed in two other towns. (TASS)
Middle East – Africa
*Qatar Prime Minister visits Iran: Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on August 22 that Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani will visit Iran in the coming days.
According to Tasnim, the meeting between the Qatari Prime Minister and the host country's officials was aimed at discussing bilateral issues and important regional issues. Doha has hosted talks on a ceasefire in Gaza. (Reuters)
*Taliban government appoints ambassador to UAE: Taliban-led Afghanistan's foreign ministry said it has appointed an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the second country to recognize an envoy at this level after China.
The Taliban has also sent envoys to several countries, including neighboring Pakistan, heading delegations as “charges d'affaires.”
Although China and the UAE have not officially recognized the Taliban government or confirmed any formal changes in bilateral relations, international analysts say the official recognition of an ambassador is an ambiguous step in international diplomacy that could help the countries upgrade their relations. (Reuters)
*Nigeria airstrikes kill 40 terror suspects: A Nigerian official said on August 21 that at least 40 terror suspects, including five commanders, were killed in recent airstrikes by the military in Borno state, northern Nigeria.
Nigerian Air Force spokesman Edward Gabkwet told media in the capital Abuja that the airstrikes were carried out on August 16 in the Tumbun South area of Borno state, where the suspected terrorists were gathering.
He described the air strikes as a decisive effort to further degrade terrorist elements operating in northeastern Nigeria, while protecting civilians and troops in the area. (AFP)
*US aircraft carrier strike group present in the Middle East: The US military announced on August 21 that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its escort destroyers had arrived in the Middle East, after the US Defense Secretary ordered the strike group to accelerate its deployment to the region.
The arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln brings the total number of US aircraft carriers in the region to two – at least temporarily, as the Abraham Lincoln will replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt – at a time when concerns about regional conflict have increased following high-profile assassinations either admitted or alleged by Israel.
On August 11, the Pentagon said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered the Abraham Lincoln to “expedite transit” to the Middle East, after directing the ship to deploy to the region in early August. (AFP)
*Israel declares victory in Rafah: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on August 21 that the country's army (IDF) had won the campaign to attack Hamas in the city of Rafah, the movement's last stronghold.
Israel's Defense Minister said the IDF's 162nd Division defeated Hamas' Rafah Division, destroying 150 tunnels.
“The most important thing, I think strategically, is to achieve the war objectives with regard to Hamas and the release of the hostages, and now it is time to turn north,” Gallant added, suggesting the IDF would shift its focus to the ongoing war with Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. (Al Jazeera)
America – Latin America
*US charges activist with spying for China: On August 21, the US Justice Department announced that a New York resident who participated in China's 1989 democracy movement has been charged with acting as an illegal agent for Beijing in the US.
This person is Tang Yuanjun, 67 years old, who was granted political asylum by the US after crossing the sea to an island controlled by Taiwan (China) more than 20 years ago.
Tang was charged on August 21 with acting as a Chinese agent in the United States from 2018 to 2023, the ministry said in a statement. Tang was arrested on August 21 and is expected to appear before a district court. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Beijing for his role in the 1989 democracy movement, but was released after serving eight years. (AFP)
*Mr. Trump has a strategy to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table: Responding to RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 21, US House Armed Services Committee member Michael Waltz said that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has a strategy to urge Russia and Ukraine to sit at the negotiating table to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Asked if former President Trump could help end the war in Ukraine, Waltz said: “He said he would tell the Ukrainian government that they need to come to the table or that’s it. So I think he has a general strategy in mind to bring both sides to the table in a way that makes sense to have diplomatic negotiations to bring about a resolution to this conflict.” (Sputniknews)
*US Election 2024: Republicans criticize Kamala Harris' foreign policy: Republican Congressman representing Florida, Mike Waltz, on August 21 took advantage of the 3rd anniversary of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris' foreign policy record.
Speaking at a press conference in Chicago, where the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is taking place from August 19 to 22, Mike Waltz said that Vice President Harris’ involvement in the decision-making process behind the chaotic withdrawal in August 2021 showed the wrong foreign policy views of Ms. Harris and Democratic leaders in general. He cited the attack on the international airport in the capital Kabul that killed 13 US servicemen, accusing Ms. Harris of “owning” those deaths.
Mr Waltz condemned the Democratic speeches at the Chicago National Convention for focusing on attacking Republican rival Trump without acknowledging the mistake of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. (AFP)
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