Vucic says Russia holds initiative on battlefield, sceptical of Ukraine’s Prospects
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RUSSIA has the initiative on the battlefield when it comes to the conflict with Ukraine, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told US media on Monday.
“The Russians have the initiative on the battlefield,” Vucic said, when asked about Ukraine’s prospects in the conflict.
Earlier this month, the Ukrainian military admitted that they were outnumbered by Russian troops and outgunned as well.
Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine directly involve NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. According to Lavrov, the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel.— SPUTNIK
The Chinese government has announced that its defense spending plan for this year is 7.2 percent larger than last year's.The defense budget plan, unveiled at the opening session of the National People's Congress that began on Wednesday, is worth about 1.78 trillion yuan, or about 245 billion dollars.The year-on-year growth rate for the plan was set at the same level as last year and 2023. It reflects Beijing's determination to continue its military buildup amid an economic slowdown.China has increased its maritime assertiveness in the East and South China Seas. It has the largest number of naval vessels and other ships in the world.China is also expected to put its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, into commission as early as this year. Some observers indicate that Beijing may also be planning to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.The country is estimated to have a stockpile of more than 600 operational nuclear warheads with more continuing to be added. It also appears to be strengthening research and development in cyber, space and artificial intelligence by making use of advanced civilian technologies.The Chinese defense ministry states that it will elevate its armed forces to world-class standards.Meanwhile, some point out that China's defense spending does not reflect the real situation. That is because it appears not to contain spending on equipment purchases from abroad and on research and development.Source-NHK World
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Monday called for the Israeli army to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and allow the State of Palestine to assume its duties.In a press statement, the ministry called for real international measures "to curb the occupation's aggression against our people and their rights in a way that ensures the establishment of a ceasefire and the rapid empowerment of the State of Palestine and its internationally recognized legitimate institutions to carry out their responsibilities and immediately extend their sovereignty over the Gaza Strip and the entire Palestinian territory occupied since 1967."Earlier on Saturday, the 42-day initial phase of the three-stage agreement between Hamas and Israel expired, with no breakthrough announced for its next phase.Israel is seeking to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement for an additional 42 days, while Hamas rejects this and wants to move forward with negotiations for the second phase.The second phase of the agreement is supposed to focus on the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the implementation of a permanent ceasefire.Source: Xinhua
North Korea has slammed the United States for "political and military provocations" over the visit of a US Navy aircraft carrier to the South Korean port of Busan.The statement by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea's ruler Kim Jong Un, was published on Tuesday (Mar 4) by the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)."As soon as its new administration appeared this year, the US has stepped up the political and military provocations against the DPRK, 'carrying forward' the former administration's hostile policy," her statement read.The USS Carl Vinson, the flagship of a carrier strike group, arrived in Busan for a scheduled port visit on Sunday, the US Navy said in a statement."The visit to Busan exemplifies the US commitment to the region, further enhancing relationships with ROK leaders and the local population," the US Navy said, using the acronym for the South's formal name.Military cooperation between Seoul and Washington regularly invites condemnation from Pyongyang, where the government sees such moves as preparation for an invasion, and often carries out missile tests in response.ကိုးကား- CNA
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) estimate that 10,000 foreign nationals will be rescued from call scam centres in Myanmar as authorities ramp up a crackdown on transnational crime syndicates near the Thai border.Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, director of the RTP’s Anti-Human Trafficking Center and Police Cyber Taskforce, said on Monday that Thai authorities are holding talks with their Myanmar counterparts under the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) framework to verify and return victims of human trafficking and call centre scammers to their countries.He said Thailand only acts as a facilitator, and if they are verified as victims and want to pursue legal action against traffickers or scammers, they must file their complaints with Myanmar authorities.He was speaking after a meeting at the RTP headquarters in Bangkok on Monday to address issues related to call centre scams and human trafficking near the Thai border. It was attended by representatives of foreign embassies, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the US embassy’s Homeland Security Investigations office.Pol Gen Thatchai said attendees at the meeting shared information to identify the scammers’ locations and distinguish victims from perpetrators.He added that the RTP has also created an online platform to exchange further information with embassies and work together to tackle scammers and traffickers.Meanwhile, Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Monday that the presence and activities of China’s Assistant Minister for Public Security, Liu Zhongyi, are part of a three-country joint operation against Chinese call-scam gangs based in Myanmar.Mr Phumtham was responding to criticism that China was bypassing Thai authorities in rescuing and repatriating Chinese lured into working for the gangsters at centres in Myanmar near the Thai border.“Thailand, Myanmar and China have been collaborating on this matter for two months,” said Mr Phumtham, who also serves as deputy prime minister.He said Mr Liu had discussed the joint operation with him and the home affairs minister of Myanmar, and he would meet Mr Liu again on Wednesday to follow up on the operation’s progress.He said a group of Chinese rescued from call scam centres in Myanmar will be brought to Thailand and then sent to China. But first, they will have to complete procedures in Myanmar.He said gang members would be separated and arrested during the operation.Mr Phumtham said the anti-scam operation began with power, oil and the internet being cut off to force the Myanmar government and ethnic groups to suppress scam gangs on their soil, and the initial measure was effective.In Kanchanaburi, sources said that personnel from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) arrested 86 Chinese people suspected of operating call scams in Payathonzu township, opposite tambon Nong Lu of Sangkhla Buri district, on Sunday.They were taken into custody at a facility where an online gambling business was operating.Sources said the operation was part of the DKBA’s efforts to eliminate scam centres in its area by the end of this month.Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2962868/big-push-to-rescue-10-000-foreigners-in-myanmar-scam-farms
AMID the ongoing crisis in West Asia, which has resulted in a surge in tensions in the region, Hezbollah appears to be planning to hit Haifa, Israel’s third biggest city, which is incidentally the main city in the country’s north neighbouring Lebanon, according to Head of the Emergency Preparedness Department in the port city While speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, the official Leonid Reznik stated that the purpose of the emergency preparedness department is to monitor the city, for which a few hundred CCTV cameras have also been installed across the city.“We have a few hundreds of CCTV cameras inside the city. Our purpose is to monitor the city to understand what’s going on and, most importantly, to understand, in case of a straight hit of one of the rockets, where it was so we can send our workers, our police, and home from command soldiers to the place where the rocket hit,” Reznik said. Hundreds of thousands of people have already fled southern Lebanon, where Israel’s bombardments are most intense and where the Israel Defence Force is conducting ground operations to destroy Hezbollah’s weapons cache.— AN
RUSSIA has the initiative on the battlefield when it comes to the conflict with Ukraine, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told US media on Monday.“The Russians have the initiative on the battlefield,” Vucic said, when asked about Ukraine’s prospects in the conflict.Earlier this month, the Ukrainian military admitted that they were outnumbered by Russian troops and outgunned as well.Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine directly involve NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. According to Lavrov, the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel.— SPUTNIK
