Ukraine, Norway sign defense agreements, China denies allegations of hacking Trump's phone, German Chancellor pledges continued support for Ukraine, Republicans gain control of the US House of Representatives... are some of the notable international events in the past 24 hours.
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| President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State after taking office. (Source: AP) |
The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.
Asia- Pacific
*Malaysia protests Philippines' new maritime law: Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamad Alamin announced on November 14 that his country will send a diplomatic note of protest to the Philippines over Manila's new maritime laws related to overlapping claims in the East Sea.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alamin said the Malaysian government had reviewed references to Philippine law and found that it referred to a claim to the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a request for comment.
The Philippines has claimed the eastern part of Sabah since colonial times, but has rarely made an official statement on the matter. The Philippine Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that the claim had never been abandoned. (Reuters)
*Chinese Coast Guard patrols around disputed shoal in the South China Sea: On November 14, the Chinese Coast Guard conducted patrols around a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, a day after the country's military launched a joint air and sea patrol in the area.
The China Coast Guard confirmed: "The Chinese Coast Guard has conducted law enforcement patrols in the territorial waters of Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal) and surrounding areas. This is a law enforcement activity conducted by the Chinese Coast Guard in accordance with the law."
The patrol came less than a week after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Routes Act, which enshrine Manila’s claims to the South China Sea into domestic law. The United States has expressed support for the Philippine law, noting that other countries have passed similar laws. (SCMP)
*The Japanese government announced that it has no plans to abolish the death penalty: According to Sputnik news site, on November 14, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said that the Japanese government has no plans to open discussions on amending the death penalty issue and may abolish the death penalty.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Hayashi stated: "The majority of the public believes that the death penalty is inevitable for extremely brutal crimes. Mass murder, murder for robbery - these brutal crimes are not a thing of the past, the death penalty is inevitable for those who have committed such brutal crimes. Therefore, the government does not consider it appropriate to abolish the death penalty system at this time and will not open a debate on abolishing the death penalty."
In Japanese judicial practice, the death penalty is usually imposed in cases of multiple murders, with about 10 such sentences carried out each year. The convicted person may have to wait years to be hanged, only to be notified on the morning of the execution. International human rights organizations are calling on Japan to abolish this form of punishment, arguing that it is inhumane. (Sputniknews)
*China warns of consequences of US domination of semiconductor sector: On November 14, China's Ministry of Commerce criticized the US's restraint of the Asian giant in the semiconductor sector, saying it was "typical non-market behavior".
Speaking at a press conference, Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesman He Yongqian made the statement when asked to respond to information that the US asked Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to limit the shipment of advanced chips to Chinese customers.
Ms. He Yongqian emphasized: "Recently, the US has continuously abused export control measures, exercised extraterritorial jurisdiction, and continuously increased suppression and restraint of China in the semiconductor sector, disrupting the global semiconductor market... This is a serious violation of international economic and trade rules, and gross interference in free trade." (THX)
Europe
*Ukraine claims to have repelled Russian advances in Kupiansk: The Ukrainian army confirmed on November 14 that it had taken full control of the city of Kupiansk in northeastern Ukraine and that Ukrainian forces had stopped a Russian advance toward the railway hub.
A Russian-appointed official said earlier that Russian forces were establishing positions on the outskirts of the city of Kupiansk, more than two and a half years after Russia launched full-scale war. Kupiansk was captured by Russian forces in the early days of the war, and was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in a swift counter-offensive a few months later. The area has seen increased Russian activity in recent months.
Posting on Telegram, the General Staff of the Ukrainian army affirmed: "Information about the presence of Russian troops in the city of Kupiansk is not true." (Reuters)
*Russia's view on presidential election in Ukraine: Commenting on information from the British magazine The Economist that the presidential election in Ukraine could take place as early as May 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov affirmed on November 14 that the election could be conducted in many different ways and that it is important to conduct it according to the correct procedure.
Asked whether potential elections in Ukraine would resolve the issue of the government's legitimacy and facilitate a deal with the Russian leadership, Foreign Minister Lavrov stressed the need for a proper, well-organized process.
"Elections can be arranged in different ways; look at how elections were conducted in Moldova. We can only assess the legitimacy of an electoral process after it has taken place and we observe how it was organized," Lavrov said. (TASS)
*German Chancellor pledges continued support for Ukraine: German Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Chancellor Olaf Scholz affirmed continued support for Ukraine in a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During a phone call on the military and humanitarian situation, Mr. Scholz pledged that Germany would maintain military aid to Ukraine, in close coordination with European and international partners.
President Zelensky thanked Germany for its support, especially in air defense. The two leaders agreed to maintain dialogue to find a just peaceful solution for Ukraine.
Earlier, Russia sent a diplomatic note protesting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that any shipment of weapons to Ukraine is a legitimate target of Russian attack. (Sputniknews)
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*Russia has never refused to negotiate with Ukraine: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently said that his country has never refused to negotiate with Ukraine. According to him, although Moscow believes that the decision to resolve the issue will not be made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in order to start dialogue, Kiev must cancel the decree banning negotiations with Moscow.
Earlier, President Putin put forward new peace proposals to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, recognizing the Crimean Peninsula, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and Zaporizhzhia as Russian regions, strengthening Ukraine's non-aligned and non-nuclear status, demilitarizing and de-Nazifying the country, as well as lifting anti-Russian sanctions. However, this initiative was rejected by Kiev. Putin also noted that Zelensky's term of office has ended and the legitimacy of this position has been lost. (Sputnik)
*Ukraine, Norway sign defense agreement: Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said On social media on November 13, Mr. Umerov shared: "We are expanding cooperation between Ukraine and Norway - an important agreement has been signed between the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Weapons Procurement Agency and the Norwegian Defense Material Agency (NDMA). This agreement opens up new opportunities for sharing information on the arms market, conducting joint research and developing advanced military technologies."
Mr. Umerov also said that working groups have been set up in Kiev and Oslo to help train Ukrainian specialists in various fields. (Sputniknews)
Middle East – Africa
*Iran warns of strong reaction if pressured on nuclear issue: Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami announced on November 14 that Iran will have a quick and appropriate response to any initiative against its nuclear program.
Speaking at a joint press conference with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi in Tehran, Mr. Eslami emphasized: "Any decision or resolution of the IAEA on the Iranian nuclear issue will face an immediate reaction from Iran, and the agency has repeatedly seen that Iran will not succumb to pressure and will promote its nuclear program within the scope of national interests... Iran reserves the right to take countermeasures."
During his visit to Tehran, Mr. Grossi also stressed the importance of achieving "results" in negotiations with Iran to avoid war. (Sputniknews/AFP)
*Israeli army suffers heavy losses in Lebanon: On November 13, Israel suffered one of the bloodiest days in its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon when six soldiers were killed in fighting near the border.
The soldiers “fell in fighting in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military said in a statement, bringing the total number of Israeli soldiers killed in fighting with Hezbollah to 47 since September 30, when Israel sent ground forces into Lebanon.
The military announcement came after newly appointed Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said there would be no relaxation in the fight against Hezbollah. (AFP)
*Israel insists on no ceasefire unless Hezbollah is disarmed: Israel's new Defense Minister - Mr. Israel Katz - on November 13 announced that he would not approve of any ceasefire agreement in Lebanon unless there was a provision ensuring that the disarmed Hezbollah movement retreats north of Lebanon's Litani River or creating conditions for residents of northern Israel to return home.
Speaking during his first visit to the Northern Command with Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Minister Katz stated: “We will not implement any ceasefire, we will not take our foot off the pedal and we will not allow any agreement that does not include the achievement of the objectives of the war – and above all, Israel’s right to exercise and act at its own discretion against all terrorist activities.”
“The terrorist infrastructure is collapsing in Beirut. We will continue to inflict pain on Hezbollah everywhere,” the new Israeli defense minister stressed. (Al Jazeera)
America - Latin America
*China denies allegations of hacking into phones of Mr. Trump and his family: On November 14, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian affirmed that Beijing has no intention of using the internet to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, and at the same time denied allegations of hacking into the phones of US President-elect Donald Trump and his family.
The statement was made by Mr. Lam Kiem when refuting allegations that Chinese-backed hackers had infiltrated the phones of Mr. Trump and his relatives as well as those of Vice President-elect JD Vance and members of Ms. Kamala Harris's campaign.
Last week, CNN reported that the FBI had informed one of Trump's lawyers that his mobile phone had been hacked by Chinese hackers. (Sputniknews)
*Russia ready to contact new US administration : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on November 14 that his country is ready to contact the US under the Donald Trump administration, and the responsibility lies with Washington.
In an interview, Mr. Lavrov stated: "President (Russian Vladimir) Putin affirmed at a meeting of the Valdai International Club that he is always ready to communicate. It is not us who have disrupted communication: the responsibility now lies with the United States."
At the same time, Mr. Lavrov stressed that Russia has no expectations for the new US administration, but will evaluate its specific steps. (TASS)
*US Election 2024: Republicans officially gain control of the House of Representatives: AP news agency reported on November 13 that the Republicans have won enough seats to officially control the House of Representatives, completing the party's power grab and ensuring control of both the White House and both houses of the 119th US Congress.
The Republican victory in Arizona, along with a win in California earlier in the morning after a lengthy vote count, gave Republicans 218 seats in the House of Representatives, giving them the majority needed to take control of the 435-seat legislature. Democrats, meanwhile, held 208 seats, with nine still to be counted in the states to determine a winner.
Earlier in the day, Senator Mike Johnson won the Republican nomination with the support of President-elect Donald Trump to continue as Speaker of the US House of Representatives next year. (AFP)
*Brazil rules out severing diplomatic relations with Venezuela: On November 13, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said that although relations with the Venezuelan government have declined significantly recently, the country has no intention of severing diplomatic relations with Caracas, and affirmed that the relationship between the two countries is a state relationship, not a relationship with governments.
“On the contrary, dialogue and negotiation, not isolation, are the keys to any peaceful solution in Venezuela,” Foreign Minister Vieira said. He also confirmed that the two governments continue to maintain contact, and this week, Mr. Vieira spoke with his Venezuelan counterpart, Yván Gil.
Relations between Brazil and Venezuela have deteriorated rapidly following Venezuela's July elections, when President Lula da Silva refused to recognize President Maduro's claim of victory, and most recently Brazil's veto of Venezuela's bid to join BRICS. (AFP)
*Mr. Trump officially nominated Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State: US President-elect Donald Trump on November 13 officially announced the nomination of Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, representing the state of Florida, to take up the position of Secretary of State in his new administration.
Marco Rubio, 53, the son of Cuban immigrants, is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He ran against Trump in the 2016 presidential election, but after Trump took office, Rubio became a key White House ally on Latin America policy. Rubio has taken a hard line on China and Iran and supported Trump on the Russia-Ukraine war. (Reuters)
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