Russia - Belarus conduct 'Alliance Shield' exercise; Paris worries about poisoning risk from 460 tons of lead
(Baonghean.vn) - Paris is worried about the risk of poisoning due to 460 tons of lead burning at Notre Dame Cathedral; Russia has completed the transfer of the second S-400 system to Türkiye; Afghanistan has killed at least 40 Taliban gunmen... are the world's outstanding news in the past 24 hours.
12 thousand Russian - Belarusian troops participate in the exercise 'Union Shield 2019'
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| Russian army tanks fire during the "Shield of the Union-2019". Photo: tvzvezda.ru |
The 2019 “Union Shield” exercise was held at the Mulino training ground in Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation). The total number of troops participating in the exercise was about 12 thousand people (including 8 thousand Russian soldiers and 4 thousand Belarusian soldiers).
Hundreds of military equipment and heavy weapons of the Russian and Belarusian armies will carry out joint exercises, with continuous fire day and night. The powerful weapons participating in the drills include many T-80 and T-72B3 tanks, BMP-2 and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, Msta-S self-propelled guns, Iskander-M tactical missile systems and other modern electronic equipment.
In addition, the “Union Shield 2019” exercise pays special attention to preventing the infiltration of anti-government and espionage groups into military units, and the issue of liberating residential areas from illegal armed groups. Joint reconnaissance and search operations of units of the Armed Forces of Russia and Belarus are also being intensified.
Saudi Arabia oil plant attacked
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Smoke rises from the Aramco plant in Abqaiq after a drone attack. Photo: Reuters |
Two plants in Abqaiq and Khurais were attacked by drones, causing Saudi Arabia to lose nearly 6 million barrels of oil per day. Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack, saying 10 drones targeted two Aramco oil production facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais.
In a statement on September 15, Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said that Aramco's supply chain of 5.7 million barrels of crude oil and gas per day, equivalent to 50% of the country's total production, had been shut down by the attacks, reducing global oil supplies by 5%. The latest figures from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) released in August showed that Saudi Arabia produced about 9.8 million barrels of crude oil and gas per day.
Russia completes delivery of second S-400 system to Türkiye
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S-400 complex equipment arrived at Murted base on September 15. Photo: Turkish Ministry of Defense. |
Moscow completed the delivery of the second S-400 system to Ankara on September 15, and the complex will begin operating in early 2020. "The process of transferring components of the second S-400 air defense system to the Murted military airport began on August 27 and was completed today," the Turkish Defense Ministry announced, saying it was continuing to train soldiers to operate it and expected to activate the complex in April 2020.
Türkiye and Russia signed a $2.5 billion deal to buy four S-400 systems in December 2017. The US has repeatedly objected to the deal, arguing that Russia could send experts to Türkiye and gain access to NATO’s air defense network, as well as research the F-35 stealth fighter to gain secret combat information, eliminating the advantage of the world’s most expensive fighter jet.
Paris fears poisoning risk from 460 tons of lead burned at Notre Dame Cathedral
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| Ashes left from the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris - Photo: NYT |
The fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris released 460 million tons of lead ash into the air. Parks, kindergartens, schools, and dozens of locations have reported lead levels exceeding safety limits. This is information from a special report by the New York Times (NYT) after accessing many confidential documents, warnings from labor inspectors, police reports, and test results on lead levels announced by the French Ministry of Culture.
Lead was found in the structure of the cathedral’s spire and roof. Five months after the fire, French authorities have yet to release the full results of lead poisoning tests, and have even added to the confusion by issuing reassuring statements urging people not to worry too much about the risks.
Afghanistan kills at least 40 Taliban militants in air strikes
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Afghan security forces backed by US forces killed two senior Taliban leaders and at least 38 militants in joint air strikes in western and northern Afghanistan, officials said on September 15.
A senior security official in Kabul said the operation was launched on the night of September 14 to stop Taliban attacks on Afghan forces. The official said clashes escalated after talks between the US and the Taliban collapsed.
Israel approves construction of new settlement in West Bank
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| Israel's Maale Adumim settlement on occupied land in the West Bank. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said on September 15 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government had agreed to turn the "slum settlement" of Mevoot Yericho in the Jordan Valley into an official settlement. "The government has approved the proposal of lawmakers to build the Mevoot Yericho settlement," the statement said, as the weekly Cabinet meeting was convened in the Jordan Valley. At the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu also announced his intention to expand settlements in the expanded West Bank, but in coordination with US President Donald Trump.
Last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he would annex the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank if he is re-elected in the September 17 election. The Israeli leader's announcement was criticized by many countries and organizations around the world, including Palestine, the Arab League, the European Union and the United Nations.
