Ukraine is 'taking the initiative' in the Black Sea, IDF is about to 'wipe out' Hamas in Northern Gaza?

Exciting meetings on the sidelines of APEC; Russia is pessimistic about the British Foreign Secretary; Chinese President warns about the region... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio meet on the sidelines of APEC 2023. (Source: AP)

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

* Ukraine establishes “ bridgeheads ” on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River : On November 17, the Ukrainian military said that it had conducted a series of successful operations on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region, currently controlled by Russia, and established several bridgeheads there. In a statement on Facebook , the Ukrainian Marine Corps said that they were continuing operations on the banks of the river in Kherson.

The Dnipro, Europe's fourth-largest river and a vital trade route, has become a key battlefront since the Ukrainian army said it had pushed Russian forces back to the river's western bank last year.

In related news, Ukraine's air defense said it shot down nine of 10 Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight in Mykolayiv and Odessa in the south, Zhytomyr in the center and Khmelnytskyi region in the west of the country. Russia also launched several C-300 missiles overnight in the Donetsk region. (Reuters)

* Ukraine “ took the initiative from Russia ” in the Black Sea : On November 16, writing on Telegram , President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized: “For the first time in the world, in the Black Sea, a group of unmanned vehicles of the Ukrainian navy has begun operating. We have taken the initiative from Russia in the Black Sea region.”

According to him, from the early days of the conflict, Moscow blockaded Black Sea ports, destroying port infrastructure and grain exports, disrupting global food markets. But now Kiev has shifted the balance of power.

“We have been able to demonstrate that cooperation between regional countries, with the support of partners, can bring stability to the world food market... We can provide such protection for the western part of the Black Sea, which currently allows maritime export corridors to operate. The Danube is important for global security,” he said in a speech to representatives of Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova, countries bordering the Black Sea. (Reuters)

* Italy and Ukraine discuss military aid, joint production: On November 17, writing on Facebook , Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated: "I had a substantive phone call with Minister Crosetto. We discussed military aid to Ukraine and cooperation with Italian manufacturers for joint production in Ukraine." He appreciated Italy's role in strengthening the Ukrainian army. Previously, Rome pledged to continue supporting Kiev. (VNA)

* Israel is about to " wipe out " Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip : On January 17, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), General Herzi Halevi said: "We are about to dismantle the Hamas military system in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF will continue to operate, attack targets, systematically eliminate Hamas commanders and members as well as infrastructure." Previously, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the IDF is getting closer to complete control of Gaza City.

In related news, IDF spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari said that military units discovered the entrance to a Hamas tunnel at Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip. According to IDF footage, the tunnel is located between buildings on the Al-Shifa Hospital campus. In addition, according to Daniel Hagari, IDF units also discovered a Hamas truck carrying weapons, similar to the truck used in the attack on Israel on October 7.

Earlier, on November 14, the IDF raided the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, Al-Shifa Hospital. The IDF accused Hamas of having set up a main command center in a tunnel under the hospital. (Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

* Israel cannot minimize civilian casualties in Gaza : On November 16, in an interview with CBS News (USA), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Any civilian death is a tragedy. We are currently... doing everything we can to avoid civilian casualties." He also accused Hamas of "causing harm to their own civilians."

Asked whether Israel was inflicting thousands of Palestinian casualties in retaliation for Hamas’ October 7 attack, the leader said: “We dropped leaflets, we called people (in the Gaza Strip) and told them to leave. Many have left.” The Israeli prime minister affirmed that the IDF’s goal in the military campaign was to destroy Hamas.

Earlier in the day, the US State Department said Washington and the Jewish State were actively consulting on ensuring the safety of civilians in the Gaza Strip. Speaking to reporters, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington also expressed concern about the situation of US citizens in the West Bank who cannot transit through Israel. He hoped the Jewish State would fully comply with the visa waiver program. (CBS News/Reuters)

* WFP warns about food system in Gaza Strip : On November 16, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations (UN) Cindy McCain confirmed: “Food and water supplies are practically non-existent in the Gaza Strip. Currently, only a small fraction of what is needed is transported across the border.

With winter fast approaching, unsafe and overcrowded shelters and a lack of clean water, people are facing starvation. The only hope is to open another safe passage for humanitarian aid to get food into the Gaza Strip.”

In addition, fuel shortages have also paralyzed distribution and humanitarian operations, including the delivery of food assistance. Even when trucks arrived from Egypt and unloaded their supplies in the Gaza Strip on November 15, WFP was still unable to reach the sheltering civilians because there was not enough fuel for the distribution vehicles. (VNA)

Southeast Asia

* US-Cambodia cooperation to combat human trafficking : The US State Department said that from November 15 to 17, US Ambassador-at-Large for Trafficking in Persons, Cindy Dyer, traveled to Cambodia to work with ministries, agencies, and non-governmental organizations on efforts to combat human trafficking in Cambodia and the region. The trip was an opportunity to share information and coordinate efforts to combat human trafficking.

During the visit, Ambassador Dyer met with officials from Cambodia’s Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Police, and National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons (NCCT) to build relationships with the new government, which will enhance future coordination and support progress in key areas, including investigating and prosecuting cyber fraud.

Ambassador Dyer also held discussions with organizations working to combat human trafficking. Discussions focused on Cambodia’s efforts to protect victims, including providing protection assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants, and building the capacity of these service providers and government officials to improve victim identification and referral. (Reuters)

* China will increase investment in Brunei : On November 16, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in San Francisco (USA). During the meeting, Mr. Xi emphasized that Beijing would welcome more exports from Bandaseri Begawan, suggested that more domestic enterprises set up bases in this Southeast Asian country and expand cooperation in areas such as food security. The Chinese leader also said that China and Brunei should work together to make positive progress in joint exploitation at sea and jointly protect peace and stability in the East Sea.

In addition, Mr. Xi Jinping also stated that China is willing to cooperate with Brunei and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to maintain the "correct" direction of cooperation in the East Asia region. (Reuters)

Northeast Asia

* Japan concerned about China's military activities : On November 16 (local time), Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held direct talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco (USA). Speaking to domestic media after the talks, Prime Minister Kishida said that he "expressed Japan's deep concerns about China's increased military activities near the country, including military cooperation between China and Russia."

In addition, Mr. Kishida said: “I emphasized once again the special importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait to the international community, including Japan.”

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio also noted: “Regarding the East China Sea, I once again express our deep concern and call for the immediate removal of the (Chinese) buoys placed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.” (AFP)

* Japan, US stress importance of Indo-Pacific cooperation : Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joe Biden held talks in San Francisco on November 16, a day after the US-China Summit. The two sides agreed that bilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is “more important than ever” when it comes to China and North Korea. Kishida and Biden also agreed to work together to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and work toward a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. (Kyodo)

* Chinese and Korean leaders meet on the sidelines of APEC: On November 16 (local time), South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese President Xi Jinping greeted each other on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting. The two leaders shook hands and had a brief exchange before starting the main APEC meeting at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. (USA).

There are reports that working levels are arranging for the two leaders to meet, but there has been no official confirmation yet. If held, it would be the second summit after the two sides first met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Bali, Indonesia in November 2022. (Yonhap)

* Russia begins free grain deliveries to Africa : Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said on his Telegram on November 17 that Moscow has begun free shipments of up to 200,000 tonnes of grain to a number of African countries. The official said that grain ships bound for Burkina Faso and Somalia have already left Russian ports. Meanwhile, more grain shipments to Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Mali and the Central African Republic will soon set sail. (Reuters)

* Russia finds it difficult to improve relations with the UK: On November 17, commenting on Mr. David Cameron becoming British Foreign Secretary, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated: "Considering the fact that his appointment as head of the Foreign Ministry will not affect the British Conservative government's approach to relations with Russia."

“The first statements of the new British foreign secretary fully confirm his commitment to a destructive line in bilateral affairs. London’s intention is to continue on the path of escalation and increase of international tensions. There is no reason to expect positive changes in the Russian-British political dialogue and practical actions by London,” the statement said.

Earlier, on November 16, British Foreign Secretary Cameron arrived and met with host President Volodymyr Zelensky, before meeting with his host counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. (Sputnik/TASS)

* Finland begins to erect barriers on its border with Russia : On November 17, the country's Border Guard announced that from midnight (local time), they will deploy barriers at border crossings with Russia, which had been scheduled to be closed.

Earlier on November 16, the Finnish government decided to close four of its nine border crossings with Russia, as the number of asylum seekers increased. This week, more than 200 asylum seekers arrived in Finland. Helsinki said that Moscow was pushing migrants to the border between the two countries. However, Moscow has denied this accusation. (TTXVN)

* Turkish President visits Germany : On November 17, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan began his visit to Berlin, holding talks with the host country's Prime Minister Olaf Scholz about the situation in the Middle East. Before that, the Turkish President used harsh words criticizing Israel and defending Hamas, a viewpoint that is contrary to Germany's.

For his part, at a press conference on November 14, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Mr. Erdogan's comments "absurd", emphasizing that Israel is a democratic country. (Anadolu)

* China : Asia-Pacific should not fall into a new Cold War : On November 17, the country's Foreign Ministry quoted President Xi Jinping at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco (USA) stating: "This region cannot and should not become an arena for geopolitical competition, and should not be pushed into a new Cold War or factional confrontation."

According to him, member economies must “follow appropriate norms in their relations with each other to maintain prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific region through dialogue and cooperation instead of confrontation and alliances.” Xi also called on the region to “continue to adhere to open regionalism and promote a Free Trade Area of ​​the Asia-Pacific.” (Sputnik)

* Syria shoots down Israeli missiles near Damascus : On November 17, the Syrian army announced that it had shot down missiles fired by the Jewish State from the Golan Heights towards the area around the capital that morning. Accordingly, most of the Israeli missiles were intercepted. However, some missiles caused material damage.

The IDF has not yet commented on the information. Last week, the Jewish state said that a Syrian organization had launched a drone attack on a school in the southern Israeli city of Eilat, forcing them to respond. (Reuters)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-1711-ukraine-dang-gianh-the-chu-dong-o-bien-den-idf-sap-xoa-so-hamas-o-bac-gaza-250430.html