International events of the past week

(Baonghean.vn) -Mrs. Clinton is winning the US presidential election;Terrorist bombing at a police academy in Pakistan, hundreds of students injured and killed; A horrific house explosion in Shaanxi, China; Venezuela's National Assembly deciding to open an impeachment trial against the President; ... are the most notable international news of the past week.

1 - Mrs. Clinton is winning ahead of the US presidential election

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is dominating early voting.

Although there is still more than a week to go until the November 8 general election, 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, about 6 million Americans have completed voting, mainly in the cities of Chicago, Illinois; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami, Florida; Cleveland, Ohio; and Las Vegas, Nevada...

Early votes will be counted on Election Day. However, early polls show former First Lady Clinton with a significant lead, notably in Nevada, where Democrats are leading, and Florida, traditionally a Republican stronghold.

2-NATO and Russia mobilize troops

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg chairs a meeting of NATO defense ministers at headquarters in Brussels (Belgium) on October 27 - Photo: Reuters

The military race between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia has entered a new stage when Britain announced it would send 800 more soldiers and fighter jets to Russia's eastern flank.

NATO's increased military presence in some member countries near Russia may reassure these countries but make Moscow uneasy.

The Russians will be forced to push their armed forces to the eastern edge of their borders to ensure their own security, which will then put NATO countries near Russia in a bind. The race between the two sides will continue and will only be a matter of “who is faster”.

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

3 - Terrorist bombing at police academy in Pakistan, hundreds of students injured and killed

Injured students are taken to an ambulance (Photo: RT)

Police sources said that on the night of October 24, about 5 to 6 gunmen wearing vests and explosive belts killed guards and attacked the dormitory inside the academy while the students were sleeping. Two terrorists detonated suicide bombs to attack the academy. At the time of the attack, there were about 500 to 700 students and teachers at the academy. Some of them were taken hostage.

The Pakistani army, with the support of helicopters, carried out a large-scale hostage rescue operation and the fighting lasted for 5 hours before the operation ended.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Major General Sher Afgan, head of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Balochistan and commander of the operation, said it was likely carried out by militants from Al-Alimi, an offshoot of the Taliban-linked Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group.

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, starting a three-day visit to the East Asian country to strengthen bilateral relations in the fields of 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 Mr. Duterte, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said President Duterte expressed his appreciation for Japan - the Philippines' largest trading partner - for providing economic support to the Southeast Asian country.

The two sides discussed the situation in the East Sea as well as many other regional issues. However, Mr. Kishida did not elaborate on the issues.

5 - Venezuela's National Assembly announces opening of impeachment trial against the president

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (Photo: Telegraph)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on October 25 accused the National Assembly of "attempting a coup" after the opposition-dominated legislature approved a decision 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 a coup in any form in the National Assembly".

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

6 -Horrific house collapse in Shaanxi, China

This horrific explosion occurred on the afternoon of October 24 in Shaanxi, China, causing dozens of houses to be severely destroyed.

On October 24, a massive building collapse in Fugu, Shaanxi Province, China killed at least 10 people and injured 157. Initial investigations showed 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 illegal storage of explosives.

Rescue teams and firefighters rushed to the scene to rescue the victims. According to Chinese authorities, 113 people were taken to hospital, including 11 in critical condition.

In parallel with the rescue work, Chinese authorities are urgently clarifying the cause of this terrible explosion.

7- France abolishes "Jungle" refugee camp

Riot police are present in Calais to ensure security for the clearance of the refugee camp. (Photo: AFP)

French authorities on October 24 began moving thousands of illegal migrants from the Jungle refugee camp on the outskirts of Calais, part of a campaign to wipe out the makeshift camp.

The Jungle refugee camp is located on the outskirts of Calais, northern France. It is close to the port of Calais and the 50km Channel Tunnel. At least 7,000 refugees have been living there in squalid conditions, including around 1,300 unaccompanied children.

French authorities have announced the decision to dismantle the Jungle refugee camp. The operation began on October 25, with the participation of about 1,200 police officers.

On October 26, French authorities said the operation to clear the "Jungle" makeshift camp in the forest outside the city of Calais, northern France, had ended.

8 - Double earthquake devastates central Italy

Damaged scene in Castelsantangelo sul Nera, Italy after the earthquake on October 26. Photo: AP/TTXVN

Two earthquakes have destroyed many houses in central Italy and sent local people running into the streets to find safety.

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

Just two months ago, on August 24, a devastating earthquake struck southern Italy, killing nearly 300 people. Many homes in Amatrice and villages in the mountains surrounding the town were flattened.

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

Peace

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