Russia pledges to ensure security for Belarus, Iranian President visits Russia, China reassures the world about super landing ship

Romania accused Russia of violating its airspace, Mongolia and France signed a historic agreement on uranium mining, the Philippines blocked a Chinese ship from violating its EEZ in the East Sea, a plane crashed in Mexico... are some of the notable international events in the past 24 hours.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrives at Vnukovo airport in Moscow on January 17, starting his visit to Russia. (Source: Iranintl.com)

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

Asia- Pacific

*China reassures about Type 076 landing ship: On January 17, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense officially announced the launch of the first Type 076 amphibious assault ship named Sichuan, affirming that this is a normal development in the process of modernizing the country's navy.

Speaking at a regular press conference, Defense Ministry spokesman Ngo Khiem emphasized that the development of the Type 076 ship is not aimed at any specific country, region or entity.

The Type 076 is considered an important step forward in the amphibious warfare capabilities of the Chinese Navy. Equipped with advanced electromagnetic launch and interception technology, the ship is capable of operating fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and landing vehicles, significantly improving the efficiency of amphibious operations and ocean operations. (THX)

*South Korean investigators request formal arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol: Investigators on January 17 requested a formal arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in connection with his failed attempt to declare martial law.

South Korea's top corruption investigation agency filed the request with the Seoul Western District Court, a day after it arrested Yoon Suk Yeol at his home and took him to a detention center after questioning.

Yoon Suk Yeol faces charges of abuse of power related to his declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024. (Yonhap)

*China strongly opposes US investigation into shipbuilding industry: On January 17, the Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly criticized the US investigation into the country's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, considering this an act of "severe violation" of World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations.

The comments came after the Office of the US Trade Representative released an investigation finding that China had used unfair policies to gain dominance in the shipbuilding industry. The move is part of Washington’s broader strategy to reduce its reliance on Chinese supply chains and strengthen cooperation with allies.

However, analysts and Chinese shipbuilding business leaders say that with advantages in scale and cost, the country's shipbuilding industry is unlikely to be significantly affected by US sanctions . (Reuters)

*Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption: ARY News TV channel reported that on January 17, a Pakistani court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison in a land corruption case.

The verdict in the case, the highest level of financial misconduct Khan has faced, was delivered by an anti-corruption court at a prison in the city of Rawalpindi, where Khan has been held since August 2023. (Reuters)

*Mongolia, France sign historic agreement on uranium mining: On January 17, Mongolia signed a $1.6 billion investment agreement with French nuclear group Orano, allowing the exploitation of a large uranium mine in the southwest of the country.

According to a statement from the Mongolian government, the total investment value in this deal is 1.6 billion USD, with an initial budget of 500 million USD and actual production starting in 2027.

Orano describes the Zuuvch-Ovoo uranium deposit, discovered by its geologists in southwestern Mongolia in 2010, as containing about 90,000 tonnes of resources that will be developed within 30 years. It estimates that future production at the facility could reach about 2,500 tonnes per year - equivalent to about a quarter of France's annual nuclear energy needs. (AFP)

*Philippines blocks Chinese ship from violating EEZ in the East Sea: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on January 17 that it forced Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship No. 5901 to leave the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the coast of Zambales.

The PCG said it had asked the CCG-5901, commonly known as the “monster ship,” to maintain a distance of at least 70 nautical miles from the coast of Zambales. Through radio communications, the PCG warned that the presence of the CCG-5901 violated Philippine law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.

According to PCG, as of January 17, the CCG-5901 ship has been illegally present in this sea area for 14 consecutive days. (Manila Times)

Europe

*Russia warns of "red lines" in UK-Ukraine relations: On January 17, the Kremlin expressed deep concern about the century-long partnership agreement between the UK and Ukraine, in particular strongly objecting to the possibility of establishing British military bases on Ukrainian territory.

Speaking to reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Moscow would carefully study the details of the newly signed agreement. He expressed a particularly negative attitude towards the prospect of Britain and Ukraine cooperating in the Azov Sea - a body of water that Russia considers its "inner territory".

The Kremlin statement came a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new commitment to Ukraine, saying London would work with Kiev and its allies to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. The commitment is part of a 100-year partnership agreement between the two countries. (Reuters)

*Slovakia proactively proposes a mediating role in the Ukraine conflict: On January 17, Vice President of the Slovak Parliament Tibor Gaspar expressed the country's readiness to host negotiations on Ukraine, including the possibility of holding high-level talks between the leaders of Russia and the United States.

Speaking to the press, Mr. Gaspar stressed that Slovakia could be an ideal location for preliminary negotiations between representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the United States, with the aim of reaching a peace agreement. The capital Bratislava was proposed as a potential location for these rounds of dialogue.

In June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a peaceful solution to the conflict, in which Moscow would immediately cease fire and be ready for negotiations after Ukrainian troops withdrew from new Russian territories. However, after Ukrainian forces attacked Russia's Kursk region in August, President Putin declared that negotiations with Kiev were impossible at the moment. (Sputnik)

*Russia pledges to ensure security for Belarus: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on January 16 that within the framework of the Russia-Belarus Alliance, Russia is obliged to ensure security for its ally Belarus and will not abandon the country if it is attacked.

Mr Peskov's statement came after Belarusian officials said on the same day that extremist groups planned to seize Belarus' border areas.

The Belarusian presidential election will take place on January 26. (THX)

*Hungary asks US to lift sanctions: Speaking on national radio, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on January 17 that the US government's sanctions against cabinet minister Antal Rogan only helped strengthen his position.

Earlier this month, the US imposed sanctions on Mr Rogan, a senior member of the Hungarian government and a close adviser to Mr Orban, over corruption allegations.

In the same interview, Mr. Orban said that it was time to lift the European Union's (EU) sanctions against Russia. According to him, the EU will have to adapt to a new era when Mr. Donald Trump returns to the White House and needs to build a relationship with Russia "without sanctions." (Reuters)

*Romania accuses Russia of violating its airspace: Romania's Defense Ministry said on January 17 that its national airspace was violated during Russia's attack on Ukraine last night and that the area where a drone likely crashed was detected near the border in Tulcea county in the southeast of the country.

NATO member Romania scrambled two fighter jets to monitor Russia’s air assault on Ukraine overnight. Falling drone debris and airspace violations have been a regular occurrence over the past year and a half as Russia has attacked Ukraine’s Danube port infrastructure. (Reuters)

*Norway dispatches fighter jets to respond to Russian aircraft approaching Polish airspace: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Air Force Command said that two Norwegian F-35 fighter jets stationed in Poland were dispatched on January 16 to respond to a "large number of Russian aircraft" approaching Polish airspace.

This is the first time Norwegian F-35 fighter jets have been used in Polish airspace since they were deployed there last December. (Reuters)

*German Chancellor and Foreign Minister at odds over Ukraine aid package: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has indirectly criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his unwillingness to approve additional military aid worth 3 billion euros ($3.09 billion) to Ukraine.

Earlier this week, Mr Scholz said he had proposed increasing the 12 billion euros in aid planned for this year, but the extra money would not come from cuts to social security spending.

Ms Baerbock's Greens and Mr Scholz's SPD are currently partners in a minority government after the ruling coalition collapsed in November, but both parties are also competing in a snap election on 23 February.

Germany, the second-largest provider of financial and military aid to Ukraine after the United States, is struggling with a double-digit budget deficit amid a stagnant economy. (DW)

Middle East-Africa

*Iranian President Pezeshkian arrives in Russia: Sputnik reporter reported on January 17 that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Russia, his plane landed at Vnukovo-2 airport in Moscow.

The Iranian President was welcomed at the airport by Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and Head of the State Protocol Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Igor Bogdashev. (Sputniknews)

*French President arrives in Beirut to discuss Lebanese sovereignty: On the morning of January 17, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beirut to meet with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and designated Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

The French presidency said the purpose of the visit was to emphasize the importance of Lebanon's sovereignty, helping the country move forward with economic reforms…

This is Macron's first visit to Lebanon since 2020. It comes after a French- and US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement came into effect in November 2023. Paris has played a key role in breaking the political deadlock in Lebanon, along with its US and Saudi partners, leading to a new president and prime minister. (AFP)

*Germany arrests Moroccan citizen on suspicion of spying: German prosecutors announced on January 16 that they had arrested a Moroccan citizen at Frankfurt airport on charges of spying on opposition supporters for the Moroccan secret service.

Youssef El A. was arrested on January 15 after being detained in Spain on a European arrest warrant. Prosecutors said he had been working for a Moroccan secret service since January 2022, spying on members of the Al-Hirak al-Shaabi movement.

Youssef El A.'s accomplice Mohamed A. was sentenced to a suspended sentence of one year and nine months and fined 4,300 euros in August 2023. According to the ruling by the Duesseldorf Regional Court, Mohamed A. provided information about two German-Moroccan nationals to the Moroccan secret service in exchange for free plane tickets. (Al Jazeera)

America - Latin America

*The new US administration leaves open the possibility of allowing TikTok to continue operating: On January 16, Mr. Mike Walz, incoming National Security Advisor to President-elect Donald Trump, said that the new administration will maintain TikTok's operations in the US if a feasible agreement is reached.

"We will take steps to prevent TikTok from shutting down," Walz told reporters, noting that US law allows for a 90-day extension for the app's parent company ByteDance to complete the divestment, "provided a viable deal is on the table." "This essentially gives President Trump time to keep TikTok running," he added . (Reuters)

*Chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee was removed from office: On January 15 (local time), Republican Congressman Mike Turner, representative of Ohio, was removed from his position as Chairman of the powerful House Intelligence Committee.

Speaking on CBS News, Mr. Turner said that Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, representing Louisiana, was the one who suspended his position because “Mar-a-Lago showed concerns.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Johnson said that President-elect Donald Trump made the decision. Mr. Johnson said: "This is not an act of slighting Turner as he is about to leave office" and said that Turner's replacement will be announced in the coming days. (Reuters)

*Plane crash in Mexico, 6 people dead: Mexican authorities confirmed on January 16 that at least 6 people were killed after a small plane crashed near the city of La Yesca, Nayarit state in the western part of the country.

On social media, the Mexican Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) said the accident occurred at 2:30 p.m. on January 15 (local time), but due to the difficult terrain conditions, rescue forces had difficulty accessing the scene and arrived at the scene early the next morning. Preliminary investigations showed that after takeoff, the plane is believed to have started experiencing mechanical problems and then crashed near the Camotlan Bridge.

The victims included two pilots and four passengers. Authorities are currently transferring the bodies to competent authorities for legal proceedings. The cause of the accident is under investigation. (AFP)

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