World 24/7: Tsunami devastation in Indonesia; Russia sends missile shield to Syria

Many events took place at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly:The Nelson Mandela Peace Conference was held on September 24 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late South African president. This is one of the first events to bring together many high-ranking leaders during the United Nations General Assembly session taking place from September 18 to October 5 at the headquarters in New York, USA. In the photo: President of the General Assembly Espinosa, Secretary-General Guterres at the inauguration ceremony of the statue of the late South African President Nelson Mandela at the United Nations headquarters.Photo: AFP

US President Donald Trump, as usual, was the center of attention at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at its headquarters in New York, USA. In the photo: Mr. Trump spoke, criticizing OPEC oil exporting countries for "robbing" the rest of the world.Photo: AFP

On September 27, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered an important speech at the High-level General Debate of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highlighted the role of the United Nations in solving global issues; highlighted the maintenance of peace and stability, respect for the United Nations Charter and international law; Vietnam's achievements in contributing to the Millennium Development Goals; highlighted sustainable development; global leadership, shared responsibility, and sustainable society. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Vietnam will assume and successfully fulfill its responsibilities at the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term.Photo: VGP

US - Korea re-sign free trade agreement:On September 24, the signing ceremony between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae In took place in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. According to Bloomberg, this agreement is considered an important progress in the field of trade between the two countries. President Trump called the agreement with South Korea a “completely new agreement” instead of a step-by-step change. Meanwhile, President Moon said that the two countries have made some “adjustments” to the agreement.Photo: AP

Russia sends S-300 missile shield to Syria:In a televised speech on September 24, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said President Vladimir Putin had ordered increased security measures after Syrian air defense forces mistakenly shot down a Russian military plane last week. Moscow would boost Syria’s air defense capabilities with the S-300 system and jam the radars of military aircraft attacking from the Mediterranean.Photo: Sputnik

Meanwhile, on September 28, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced that he would continue to resume offensive operations in Syria regardless of any difficulties. The Minister emphasized that Israel does not interfere in Syria's internal affairs, but Israel will not allow Iran to deploy troops in Syria and the Damascus government to have S-300 - weapons that can be used against Israel. In the photo: Israeli F-16 fighter jet.Photo: Jet Photos.

EU challenges Trump:Despite the strong dominance of the US and the US dollar in the market, the European Union (EU) announced that its member states will set up a payment system that will allow oil companies and businesses to continue trading with Iran, while affirming its determination to "protect the freedom of economic managers to conduct legitimate business with Iran". In the photo: Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (left) and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini before a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on April 25.Photo: AFP

Protests turn violent in South Africa:On September 25, eight protesters were arrested by police after a large-scale protest in Cape Town against rising crime and unemployment in the iconic South African tourist city turned violent. Accordingly, thousands of protesters blocked several main streets in Cape Town, causing serious traffic congestion. Police were forced to use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse some of the violent crowds.Photo: Reuters

Earthquake and Tsunami in Indonesia:Indonesia was shaken by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake at 6:02 p.m. on September 28, Indonesia time (5:02 p.m. Hanoi time).This is the time when many people are preparing for Friday prayers, the most important day of the week in Islam. Videos on social media show many people panicking and running from their homes during the earthquake. The airport in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province, is closed, while many people say they have lost contact with their loved ones after the earthquake. In the photo: A building was severely damaged after the earthquake on the afternoon of September 28.Photo: AP

Immediately after the earthquake, a huge wave rushed from the sea into the city of Palu, destroying houses and vehicles near the coast and causing panic among many people. The National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia said on September 29 that the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami had risen to 384 and that the casualty count could rise rapidly. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he had instructed the security minister to coordinate government agencies in dealing with the disaster. He also discussed with the head of the military about search and rescue and evacuation if necessary.

Indonesian authorities say they are having difficulty carrying out relief operations in Palu as aftershocks continue. In this photo, medical staff attend to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in the city of Palu.Photo: AFP

Receiving migrants on the rescue ship Aquarius:Portugal announced on September 25 that it had reached an agreement with France and Spain to take in 10 of the 58 migrants aboard the Aquarius rescue ship operating in the Mediterranean Sea. The Portuguese Interior Ministry said the move was aimed at coordinating and sharing the burden of taking in migrants with France and Spain.Photo: THX/TTXVN