Coup in Gabon, Malaysia Rejects China's Claims in the South China Sea, Washington's Aid to Ukraine Fails

India asks the US to release 26 million USD frozen, French President pledges to support Iraq against IS, Indonesia, US conducts Super Shield military exercise... are some notable world news in the past 24 hours.

Gabon's coup forces declared they had seized power, ousting President Ali Bongo (right). (Source: Al Jazeera)

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

Europe:

*Russia's special military operation is a response to NATO's aggression: Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Mr. Sergey Naryshkin said on August 30 that the special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine is a response to NATO's aggression against Russia.

Speaking at a roundtable to mark the anniversary of NATO's military invasion of Republika Srpska, Mr Naryshkin said that NATO's ambition to believe in its impunity had only grown over time.

According to Naryshkin, the timely deployment of the SVO helped prevent the Donbass region and the Crimean Peninsula from becoming links in the chain of "NATO war crimes." "I would like to note that in no country in the world, wherever NATO forces invaded, the basic order and pre-war living standards of the local population were not restored," he said. (Sputnik News)

*Ukraine plans to produce and purchase 200,000 UAVs per year: The head of the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine, Mr. Yury Shchigol said that the country plans to produce or purchase up to 200,000 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UAVs) per year.

According to Mr. Shchigol, of the 40 billion hryvnia ($1.09 billion) allocated by the government for the development and production of UAVs in July this year, 25 billion hryvnia ($688 million) have been spent. This money was used to sign contracts for the production of 22,000 attack UAVs. About 15,000 of them have been delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU).

“When we started this project, we set a target (to produce or purchase) about 200,000 UAVs. We will have about 180,000-200,000 UAVs this year,” Mr. Shchigol emphasized. This is an important step in strengthening the country's defense capabilities. However, Mr. Shchigol admitted that Ukraine loses about 45 reconnaissance and combat UAVs every day. (TTXVN)

*Moscow affirms no international investigation into the plane crash that killed Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin: The Kremlin announced on August 30 that the investigation into the plane crash that killed Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is a Russian investigation, and there will be no international investigation related to this incident.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian investigators were considering the possibility that the crash was caused intentionally. Russia is also looking into where the drone attacks in Ukraine originated to prevent similar incidents. The move comes after a wave of drone attacks in six different regions of Russia. (Reuters)

* Lithuania summons Vatican ambassador after Pope's remarks on Russia: Lithuania, a Roman Catholic-majority EU member state, on August 30 summoned the Vatican's top diplomat in Lithuania after Pope Francis reminded Russian youth that they are the heirs of the "great Russian empire".

Reacting to the Pope's off-the-cuff remarks on August 25 during an online speech to Catholic youth in Saint Petersburg, a Lithuanian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the ministry had invited the Pope's ambassador for a "talk" after the Archbishop returned from vacation.

According to the Vatican, Pope Francis' intention is to "preserve and promote all that is positive in the cultural and spiritual heritage of Great Russia."

Lithuania and Poland were annexed to the Russian Empire by Queen Catherine II in the 18th century. After World War I, the two countries split after two uprisings against the empire in the 19th century were brutally suppressed. (AFP)

*Russia considers Ukraine's UAV attack as terrorism: Russian President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on August 30 that President Vladimir Putin quickly received all information related to the special military operation (SVO), as well as the large-scale attack by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the airport in Pskov province and other localities.

He also said that Russia would continue to carry out a special military operation to eliminate the terrorist threat emanating from the Kiev authorities. The Kremlin spokesman described the series of drone attacks as a continuation of “the Kiev authorities’ terrorist activity.” Peskov said: “The vast majority of UAVs are aimed at civilian targets. We are carrying out and will continue to carry out the SVO to eliminate such a threat to us.” (TASS)

* Turkish Foreign Minister Visits Russia, Moscow Says Two Presidents Will Meet Soon: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during his two-day visit to Moscow, starting August 31. Foreign Minister Fidan's visit to Russia comes after he met with Ukrainian officials last week.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on August 30 that the Russian and Turkish foreign ministers will discuss “a range of bilateral and international issues,” including the conflict in Ukraine.

On the same day, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will "soon" meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Russia. The two countries are preparing for a meeting between the two leaders, during which they are expected to discuss a deal to allow Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, collapsed last month after Russia withdrew from the deal. (AFP)

Asia

*Malaysia rejects China's claims in the East Sea: The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release on August 30 stating that Malaysia does not recognize China's claims in the East Sea, as stated in the "2023 version of the China Standard Map" which also includes Malaysia's maritime areas.

The statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the map has no binding authority on Malaysia, and asserted that the map, among other things, shows China's unilateral maritime claims encroaching on Malaysia's maritime areas in Sabah and Sarawak, based on the 1979 New Map of Malaysia.

The statement stated: “Malaysia also considers the East Sea issue to be a complex and sensitive issue”. Accordingly, this issue needs to be resolved peacefully and reasonably through dialogue and negotiations based on the provisions of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). The statement also said: “Malaysia is also committed to conducting effective and substantive negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) with the aim of completing the COC as soon as possible”.

On August 29, China's Ministry of Natural Resources issued the "2023 version of the China Standard Map", which also includes Malaysia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Sabah and Sarawak and the waters of Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines, and Indonesia. (Reuters)

*India asks US to release $26 million frozen due to Russia sanctions: Indian sources said the country has asked the US to release $26 million belonging to at least two Indian diamond companies frozen for allegedly doing business with sanctioned Russian diamond giant Alrosa.

The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the financial agency that oversees sanctions, froze the funds earlier this year. This is the first time OFAC has frozen assets of an Indian company since the Russia-Ukraine conflict last year and subsequent Western sanctions on Russian entities.

India has the world’s largest diamond processing capacity and its polished diamond exports were worth more than $22 billion in the fiscal year that ended on March 31. The diamond industry, based mainly in the western state of Gujarat, buys rough diamonds from suppliers in countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Belgium and Russia. (Indian Times)

*China wants Britain to "remove obstacles" in relations: On August 30, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his British counterpart James Cleverly that Sino-British relations could "remove all unnecessary interference" if both countries "maintain mutual respect".

Wang made the remarks during a public meeting in Beijing. “I believe that as long as both sides maintain mutual respect, treat each other equally, view each other’s development objectively, and enhance mutual understanding and trust, China-UK relations will be able to eliminate all unnecessary interference and obstacles,” Wang said.

Foreign Secretary Cleverly is the first senior British minister to visit China in five years. The trip is aimed at resetting relations between the two countries after years of tensions over security, investment and human rights issues. (Reuters)

*Indonesia, US conduct Garuda Shield military exercise: Indonesia, the US and five other countries will begin the Garuda Shield 2023 military exercise as a form of multilateral solidarity to protect a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

In a statement, the US Embassy in Jakarta said troops from the US, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Singapore, the UK and France will participate in the exercise at various training locations in Indonesia from August 31 to September 13.

According to the announcement, the exercise also attracted many observer countries, including Brunei, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, and Timor-Leste.

According to the US Embassy, approximately 2,100 US and 1,900 Indonesian soldiers from multiple branches of the military will enhance interoperability through training and cultural exchanges. This exercise continues to strengthen the US-Indonesia defense partnership and promote cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

According to the statement, with specialized and combat exercises in Surabaya and Banyuwangi, Super Garuda Shield 2023 strengthens the US-Indonesia defense partnership through collaborative learning, promoting trust between the two militaries. (AFP)

South Asia

*Pakistan extends detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan: On August 30, the detention of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was extended by 14 days to serve the investigation into the accusation of leaking state secrets. Mr. Khan's lawyer said the court conducted the trial right inside the prison premises.

Earlier on August 29, a Pakistani court suspended the recent conviction of former Prime Minister Khan on corruption charges. Khan was sentenced to prison on August 5 on corruption charges after being sentenced to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018-2022. As a result of the conviction, Khan has been banned from running for five years by the Election Commission of Pakistan. (The Dawn)

Oceania

*Australia sets date for indigenous referendum: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on August 30 that Australia will hold a historic referendum on October 14 on whether to recognise indigenous people in its Constitution. The move marks a decisive moment in the country's relationship with its indigenous minority community.

Speaking as he set the date for the vote, Prime Minister Albanese said: "On that day, every Australian will have a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to bring our country together and change it for the better... I ask all Australians to vote yes."

If approved in the vote, Indigenous Australians - whose ancestors have lived on the continent for at least 60,000 years - would be recognised in the Oceania nation's constitution for the first time. They would also have the right to be consulted on laws affecting their communities - known as a "Speak to Parliament". (Reuters)

Northeast Asia

*US to increase coordination to track North Korean missiles: The US Space Force said on August 30 that the US and South Korean militaries want to more closely integrate systems to track North Korean missile launches. This effort may soon include additional cooperation with Japan.

During the summit at Camp David, Maryland, on August 18, US President Joe Biden agreed with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that the three countries will share real-time North Korean missile warning data by the end of this year.

“My understanding is that there are bilateral agreements in the future and possibly trilateral agreements in the works, particularly around the missile warning part… with data sharing,” said Maj. Matt Taylor, deputy commander of the US-ROK Space Force.

The US Space Force unit in South Korea began operations last December, focusing on closer coordination with South Korea and ensuring US troops have greater access to space assets.

Missile tracking data, including information from the US Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), which can detect missile launches, has been automatically shared with Washington's allies through the early warning system. (Yonhap)

America

*Washington's funding for Ukraine has not yielded results: Former CIA officer Larry Johnson said that US leaders have spent huge amounts of money to help Kiev but have not yielded results.

According to Johnson, since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the US has provided more aid to Ukraine than Russia has spent on its entire defense budget. Despite the funding, Ukraine's counterattack against Russian forces has been unsuccessful, Johnson said. The analyst also criticized military experts for "lying" about the weakness of the Russian army, noting that such statements also encouraged Ukraine to continue fighting and suffer heavy losses.

Johnson’s interlocutor, former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Andrew Napolitano, echoed the sentiment. “We spend more on our military than Russia, China, and the next 10 countries combined,” Napolitano said.

Earlier, US Representative Marjorie Taylor-Green called on Washington to stop providing financial and weapons support to Ukraine. She stressed that the administration should instead help end the conflict and broker a peace deal. (Reuters)

Middle East-Africa

*Coup in Gabon, President under house arrest: On August 30, Gabon military officers said on national television that President Ali Bongo was under house arrest, hours after a group of senior officers announced they had seized power.

On the same day, many countries including France, China, and Russia called on "all parties" in Gabon to ensure the safety of President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: "China is closely following the developments in Gabon, calling on all parties in Gabon to act based on the fundamental interests of the country and its people, resolve differences through dialogue, (and) restore normal order as soon as possible."

The French government announced on the same day that it was suspending the operations of the Eramet mining company “for the safety of its employees and the security of its projects.” Eramet employed 8,000 people in Gabon, a West African country rich in oil and minerals.

On the same day, Russia expressed concern about the situation in Gabon following the coup. Russia is looking to strengthen diplomatic and trade ties with Africa. President Vladimir Putin hosted a summit with African leaders last month.

In another development on the same day, sources said a South Korean who worked as a secretary to the First Lady of Gabon was arrested by the local military. According to the source, three other South Koreans who worked as security guards at the presidential palace are still in their rooms inside the security agency. (Reuters)

*French President pledges to support Iraq in fighting IS: The French President's Office said that on August 29, President Emmanuel Macron had a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, in which Mr. Macron reaffirmed to Mr. Al-Sudani that Paris will support Iraq in the fight against the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS).

The phone call between the two politicians took place after three French soldiers were recently killed while participating in operations in Iraq.

Earlier, on August 29, President Macron sent his condolences to the relatives and colleagues of the French soldiers killed in Iraq, saying they "fought for France, for our security." (Reuters)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-308-dao-chinh-tai-gabon-malaysia-bac-yeu-sach-cua-trung-quoc-o-bien-dong-tai-tro-cua-washington-cho-ukraine-khong-ket-qua-240294.html