Outstanding international events of the past week

(Baonghean.vn) -Clinton is gaining ground ahead of the US presidential election;Terrorist bombing at a police academy in Pakistan leaves hundreds of cadets dead or injured; horrific building collapse in Shaanxi, China; Venezuelan National Assembly decides to open impeachment trial against the President; ...these are some of the most noteworthy international news stories of the past week.

1 - Hillary Clinton is gaining ground ahead of the US presidential election.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is leading in early voting.

Although the general election on November 8th is still more than a week away, in some states, American voters have already cast their ballots early, and exit polls show that the advantage is leaning towards Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

According to election expert Michael McDonald of the University of Florida, approximately 6 million Americans have completed voting, primarily in cities such as Chicago, Illinois; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami, Florida; Cleveland, Ohio; and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Early ballots will be counted on election day. However, initial polls suggest that former First Lady Clinton is gaining a significant advantage, notably in Nevada, where the Democratic Party appears to be leading, and Florida, a traditionally Republican stronghold.

2-NATO and Russia are mobilizing troops on a large scale.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg chaired a meeting of NATO defense ministers at headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on October 27. - Photo: Reuters

The military arms race between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia has escalated to a new level as Britain announced it would deploy an additional 800 troops and fighter jets to Russia's eastern flank.

NATO's increased military presence in several member states near Russia may reassure those countries but may cause unease in Moscow.

The Russians will be forced to push their armed forces to the eastern edge of the border to ensure their own security, thereby putting NATO countries near Russia on edge. Thus, the race between the two sides will continue, becoming simply a matter of "who is faster."

The NATO summit in July 2016 decided to send additional armored battalions to the three Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.

3 - Terrorist bombing of a police academy in Pakistan leaves hundreds of cadets dead or injured.

The injured trainees were taken to ambulances (Photo: RT)

According to police sources, on the night of October 24th, approximately 5 to 6 gunmen wearing suits and suicide bomb belts killed guards and attacked the dormitory inside the academy while the students were asleep. Two of the terrorists detonated suicide bombs to attack the academy. At the time of the attack, there were approximately 500 to 700 students and teachers at the academy. Some of them were taken hostage.

The Pakistani army, with helicopter support, conducted a large-scale hostage rescue operation, and fighting lasted five hours before the operation ended.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, according to Major General Sher Afgan, head of the paramilitary Border Guard Corps in Balochistan and commander of the operation, it is highly likely that fighters from Al-Alimi, a branch of the Taliban-linked Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group, carried out the attack.

4 - Philippine President visits Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (right) and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

On October 25, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrived in Japan, beginning a three-day visit to the East Asian nation aimed at strengthening bilateral relations in maritime security and infrastructure development.

This is President Duterte's first visit to Japan since he took office last June. Speaking after a reception for President Duterte, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said that President Duterte expressed his appreciation for Japan – the Philippines' largest trading partner – for its economic support to the Southeast Asian nation.

The two sides discussed the situation in the South China Sea as well as various other regional issues. However, Mr. Kishida did not elaborate on the details of these issues.

5 - Venezuelan Congress announces impeachment trial of president.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (Photo: Telegraph)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused the National Assembly of "plotting a coup" on October 25 after the opposition-majority legislature passed a resolution to open a "political and criminal trial" against the Venezuelan leader.

Speaking to a crowd of supporters in the capital Caracas, President Maduro affirmed that "he will not allow any form of coup to occur in the National Assembly."

The Venezuelan leader accused the opposition in the National Assembly of trying to "destroy the country," while urging the opposition to participate in the dialogue process. President Maduro, who had just returned from a trip to Asia and Europe, reaffirmed his readiness for political dialogue with the opposition, with the participation of representatives from mediating parties including the Vatican and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

6 ButHorrific building collapse due to explosion in Shaanxi, China.

This horrific explosion occurred on the afternoon of October 24th in Shaanxi, China, causing severe damage to dozens of homes.

On October 24, a serious building collapse in Fugu, Shaanxi Province, China, killed at least 10 people and injured 157. Initial investigations indicate that a series of buildings were severely damaged by a large explosion. The explosion occurred while dozens of workers were constructing a house inside a housing complex linked to the illegal storage of explosives.

Rescue teams and firefighters quickly arrived at the scene to rescue the victims. According to Chinese authorities, 113 people were taken to hospitals for emergency treatment, 11 of whom were in critical condition.

Alongside rescue efforts, Chinese authorities are urgently working to determine the cause of this devastating explosion.

7. France dismantles the "Jungle" refugee camp.

Riot police were present in Calais to ensure security during the clearing of the refugee camp. (Photo: AFP)

French authorities began moving thousands of undocumented migrants from the Jungle refugee camp on the outskirts of Calais on October 24, as part of an operation to dismantle the temporary camp.

The Jungle refugee camp is located on the outskirts of Calais, in northern France. It is near the port of Calais and the 50km Channel Tunnel (the tunnel under the English Channel connecting England and France). At least 7,000 refugees lived there in deplorable conditions, including approximately 1,300 unaccompanied children.

French authorities have announced their decision to dismantle the Jungle refugee camp. The operation began on October 25th and involved approximately 1,200 police officers.

On October 26, French authorities announced that the operation to dismantle the makeshift "Jungle" camp in the forest on the outskirts of Calais, in northern France, had concluded.

8 - Double earthquakes devastate central Italy

Damage in Castelsantangelo sul Nera, Italy, following the earthquake on October 26. Photo: AP/VNA

Two consecutive earthquakes destroyed many homes in central Italy and sent locals scrambling into the streets to find safety.

The first earthquake, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale, occurred at 7:10 PM (local time) near Visso in Macerata province. A second earthquake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, struck the same area two hours later.

Just two months ago, on August 24th, Italy suffered a devastating earthquake in the south that killed nearly 300 people. Many homes in Amatrice and villages in the surrounding mountains were flattened.

Visso, where two new earthquakes struck last night, is only about 70km from Amatrice. The force of the earthquakes could be felt throughout central Italy. In Rome, many buildings shook, with windows and doors shattering.

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