In the past time, Russia has continuously suffered from Uav raids, the latest, Russia claims to have shot down three missiles aimed at the southern border province According to the Institute of War Studies: Ukraine may be withdrawing its troops gradually to exhaust Russian forces Pro-Russian official said: Ukraine redirected Nato artillery fire towards Svatovo in Lugansk Notably, Kiev predicts that Russia and Ukraine are about to enter a "decisive battle". On the other hand, according to The Hill, the US is not ready to give up the "ambiguous strategy" of Ukraine's plan to take Crimea Turkish official commented: US and UK want the Russia-Ukraine conflict to go on for as long as possible Turkey may reverse the F-16 deal with the US due to "high price, outdated" Taiwan detected Chinese aircraft, UAVs and ships close to the island US Secretary of Defense visits and affirms commitment to the Middle East region According to CCTV: Japanese people have difficulty investigating water pollution caused by US military bases At least one person was wounded in the southern Russian region of Belgorod on Monday after Russian forces shot down three missiles, the governor of the region bordering Ukraine said. The falling debris had also brought down some power lines near the town of Novy Oskol but the full scope of the damage was not immediately known, the governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on the Telegram messaging app. "It's known about one wounded, a man with shrapnel wounds to his hand," Gladkov said. He did not say who he thought had fired the missiles but in the past he has accused Ukrainian forces on the other side of the nearby border of similar attacks.
Belgorod borders Ukraine's Kharkiv region and has repeatedly come under fire since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine a year ago. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces appear to be “conducting a limited fighting withdrawal” in eastern Bakhmut but continue to inflict high casualties on the advancing Russian forces, the US-based Institute for the Study of War says in its latest update.
Though the think tank says it is still too early to tell what Ukraine’s intentions are, the defence of Bakhmut “remains strategically sound” and that it may be pursuing a “gradual fighting withdrawal to exhaust Russian forces through continued urban warfare”. Russian forces are unlikely to quickly secure significant territorial gains when conducting urban warfare, which usually favors the defender and can allow Ukrainian forces to inflict high casualties on advancing Russian units—even as Ukrainian forces are actively withdrawing. The ISW said Russian forces will still need to fight through through Bakhmut city centre on the western bank of the Bakhmutka River, which is heavily defended and will favour Ukrainian forces. Urban warfare in Bakhmut may further degrade already exhausted Russian mixed forces in a fashion similar to that caused by Ukraine’s fighting withdrawal from the Severodonetsk-Lysychansk line, which effectively ended Russian offensive operations in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts in the summer of 2022. Ukraine’s armed forces have been bringing NATO-standard artillery and ammunition to near Svatovo in the Lugansk People’s Republic, LPR people’s militia retired Lieutenant-Colonel Andrey Marochko told TASS on Monday. "Small columns of Ukrainian armed formations carrying Western-made artillery systems and munitions for them have been reported moving from the locality of Kupyansk toward the locality of Svatovo," Marochko said, citing recon data.
The columns, each comprising 10 vehicles, have been mostly moving "at night-time," Marochko added. On Saturday, he reported that a female civilian had been injured in an attack on Svatovo. According to the LPR’s mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of issues related to Ukraine’s war crimes, a NATO 155mm artillery projectile was fired in the attack. Earlier on March 4, he said there was no gray area left between the positions controlled by the Russian army and the Ukrainian army near Kremennaya in Lugansk. "There is no so-called gray zone between our positions and the enemy's south of Kremennaya," he said. In some areas, the distance to the enemy is 40 meters."
Russia has “wasted huge amounts of human resources, armaments, and materials” during the war in Ukraine, and it will likely run out of offensive potential by late spring, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with USA Today published on March 5. Budanov predicted that neither the economy nor domestic military industrial complex will be able to help Russia, and it will lack resources to wage war against Ukraine if it “fails in its aims this spring.” The intelligence chief did not elaborate further on Moscow's specific war airms in the coming weeks. Budanov said “a decisive battle” is set to take place this spring, and predicted that “this battle will be the final one before this war ends,” USA Today reported. Russia intensified its offensive operations in late January, when it began to launch large scale attacks against Ukrainian lines in Donbas, focusing on the sectors near Vuhledar in the south of Donetsk Oblast and Lyman in the north.
Only around Bakhmut have Russian forces made meaningful advances since the new year, those being carried out mostly by the Wagner paramilitary organization's troops, and with very high reported casualties. The US Administration is currently unwilling to unambiguously support Ukraine’s plans to capture Crimea, and Washington tries to avoid publicly clarifying its position on this issue, The Hill says in an op-ed published Sunday. According to the article, the Biden Administration is "keeping the door open" on the Crimea issue.
The Administration officials "have repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether Washington would support Kyiv’s efforts to retake" the peninsula, "punting the issue to further ‘down the road’." "Though U.S. officials have said that Washington will support Ukraine for however long it takes for them to win the war, they’ve been unwilling to give full support to Kyiv’s ambitions in Crimea," the article reads, noting that this is in part due to heavy weapons that would be necessary to restore control over Crimea, including long-range missiles, tanks and planes. The op-ed notes that US lawmakers asked the Administration to clarify its position on Crimea, but its officials have chosen to stick to a "strategy of ambiguity." In particular, this is the approach that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan adheres to.
"They may believe that there is value in holding Crimea at risk in order to put pressure on the Russians to come to the negotiating table," says Chris Chivvis, a former U.S. national intelligence officer in Europe and current director of the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment. "It’s possible that that’s driving their policy. […] Even if they don’t actually believe that it’s likely that Crimea will be returned to Ukraine militarily."
Following the coup 2014 d’etat in Ukraine, authorities of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol held a referendum on reconciliation with Russia. Over 80% eligible voters participated, with approximately 96% of all voters favoring the reconciliation. On March 18, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty on accession of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia; lawmakers ratified the treaty on March 21. Despite the convincing outcome, Kiev refused to recognize Crimea as a part of Russia.
Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov – a close ally of Vladimir Putin – is reported to be seriously ill with kidney problems amid fears of ‘poisoning’. It is known that Mr. Kydyrov is one of the most close allies of President Putin. Putin promoted Kadyrov to Colonel-General in the National Guard of Russia last October. The fanatical pro-war zealot who has advocated using nuclear weapons against Ukraine is rumoured to have summoned a leading doctor from the United Arab Emirates because he ‘does not trust’ Moscow doctors. Several opposition sources have claimed kidney illness accounted for Kadyrov’s surprising absence from Putin’s state of the nation speech on 12 February, and a recent ‘bloated’ appearance, as seen at a recent meeting in his palace in Chechen capital Grozny with Denis Pushilin, head of the invaded Donetsk People’s Republic. The claims suggest Kadyrov may have been poisoned, a fate which reportedly befell his close ally Major-General Apti Alaudinov, 50, last month in an ‘attempted assassination’.
Kazakh journalist Azamat Maytanov citing his own sources claimed Kadyrov may be terminally ill, with poisoning the possible cause. ‘There is information that the chief nephrologist of the UAE, Dr. Yasin Ibrahim El-Shahat, a well-known doctor with 30 years experience, has arrived in Grozny [the capital of Chechnya],’ Maytanov wrote on his Telegram channel. ‘His area of expertise lies in nephrology, dialysis, transplantation, glomerulonephritis, and acute renal failure.
‘Kadyrov is allegedly very bad and has serious kidney problems.’ Exiled Kremlin foe Leonid Nevzlin echoed the claims, which were also reported by Bild in Germany. ‘My sources confirm this,’ he said. ‘Kadyrov is treated in the UAE, and when he is in Grozny for a short time, a nephrologist from Abu Dhabi specially comes to him. ‘Kadyrov clearly does not trust Russian doctors.
‘There are reasons. ‘My sources say that [problems with] kidneys are a symptom of poisoning and that’s what Kadyrov is afraid of.’ Kadyrov had ‘made too many enemies among the generals who have access to the GRU’s developments.’
The GRU is Russian military intelligence, held responsible for poisoning double agent Sergei Skripal in Britain in 2018. It is known that since tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated, Mr. Kydyrov has strongly attacked the running of the war, especially by the Russian defence ministry and certain generals. A month earlier he urged Putin to contemplate ‘declaring martial law in the border territories and using low-yield nuclear weapons’ to overcome his latest military humiliations in Ukraine. The US and the UK do not want Turkish President Erdogan to broker a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, as they are interested in the conflict in Ukraine lasting as long as possible, Cagri Erhan, a member of the Turkish Presidency's Security and Foreign Policies Council, told Sputnik. "They [the US and the UK] don't want Zelensky and Putin to come together with Erdogan. They don't want that these three make a photo. And they want to make the war as long as possible.
They don’t think about the future of Ukrainian people. The don’t think about peace," Erhan said. At the same time, the Turkish official believes Erdogan will continue trying to bring the two presidents together. "He [Erdogan] is the only man who can access both to Putin and Zelensky. And I think that he can find some kind of ways to bring them together.
And it is not important to make a photo, it is important to reach concrete results. And first concrete result will be a ceasefire of course and afterwards maybe there will be a compromise after diplomatic bargaining," Erhan concluded. Turkiye hosted brief talks between Russia and Ukraine in the initial phase of hostilities last March, but the peace process never progressed. In late September, Putin said that Moscow was still open to talks with Kiev and called on Ukraine to stop the hostilities. Zelensky, for his part, stated that Kiev was ready for a dialog with Moscow only if another president came to power in Russia, a demand he later dropped.
Ankara is likely to reverse its decision to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the United States due to the price as well as other more modern options being available, Cagri Erhan, a member of the Turkish Presidency’s Security and Foreign Policies Council, told Sputnik in an interview. In late February, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said that the US cannot sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye without approval from Congress, which means that its concerns regarding Greece's stance and Sweden and Finland's NATO bids need to be addressed. "I believe that after the earthquakes Turkiye will give up asking for F-16 because it is $20 billion cost package," Erhan said. He believes the Turkish government made a mistake by asking for F-16s, which Congress is still refusing to give under "some pretext" and which are outdated and not competitive against other jets. "Turkiye should immediately make a decision to change its decision from F-16 to some other. For instance F-35 was on the table. Turkiye was expecting from the program [to get F-35].
Now we have other options like the Chinese jet, which was sold to Pakistan, Russian jets and also Eurofighter jet," Erhan stated. On January 18, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara was hoping to overcome the difficulties on F-16s with Washington, noting that the purchase was in line with the joint strategic interests of both countries. Taiwan registered 10 People’s Liberation Army planes and 4 ships in the area adjacent to the island Monday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry tweeted. "10 PLA aircraft and 4 PLA [Navy] vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today," the tweet reads.
According to the tweet, a Y-8 reconnaissance plane and a BZK-005 long-range drone entered the Taiwanese Air Defense Identification Zone. An air patrol scrambled in response, in addition to radio warnings being broadcasted and air defense missile systems being deployed. Earlier, Reuters reported that when opening the annual meeting of China's parliament on March 5, Premier Li Keqiang affirmed that Beijing always adheres to the "one China" principle.
Accordingly, Taiwan is a part of China and the government should implement policies to solve the Taiwan problem, with resolute steps towards the goal of reunification. Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council responded to what it called Li's "reaffirmation" of China's Taiwan policy by saying Beijing should face up to the reality that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are "not subordinate to each other". China should "respect the Taiwanese people's commitment to the core concepts of holding fast to the sovereignty, democracy and freedom of the Republic of China", it said, using Taiwan's formal name. According to Reuters, China has always claimed Taiwan as its mainland territory. Over the past three years, Beijing has stepped up military activities near Taiwan in response to the US's supply of weapons and international support to the island. Meanwhile, Taiwan has always opposed Beijing's claims of sovereignty and argued that only the people of the island can decide their future.
MC: Ladies and gentlemen, when they are concerned about Russia and China, the US still wants to assert commitments and reassure allies in the Middle East. Besides, they have a plan to send frank messages for leaders of Israel and Egypt. The Pentagon chief, who arrived in Amman on Sunday, is expected to press Israeli leaders to reduce tensions in the West Bank and work to strength ties in talks with Egyptian leaders while touching on human rights concerns. "He (Austin) will also be quite frank with Israeli leaders about his concerns regarding the cycle of violence in the West Bank and consult on what steps Israeli leaders can take to meaningfully restore calm before the upcoming holidays," the U.S. defense official said.
Austin is poised to send a clear message on the need for Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to respect human rights, underscoring Washington's concern on the issue. Under Sisi, who as army chief led the 2013 ouster of Egypt's first democratically elected president, there has been a long crackdown on political dissent that has swept up liberal critics as well as Islamists. "Austin will convey enduring U.S. commitment to the Middle East and provide reassurance to our partners that the United States remains committed to supporting their defense," said a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Retired U.S. Marine Corp General Frank McKenzie, who headed American forces in the Middle East until last year, said the region is significant to the United States in part because of China's growing role. Ties between China and Middle Eastern countries have expanded under the region's economic diversification push, raising U.S. concerns about growing Chinese involvement in sensitive infrastructure in the Gulf including in the United Arab Emirates.
The United States has about 30,000 troops in the region and is seen as pivotal in helping counter Iranian influence. Mistrust toward the United States among some in the Middle East has built up since the 2011 "Arab Spring" uprisings when Gulf rulers were shocked at how President Barack Obama's administration abandoned the late Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after a decades-old alliance. The United States pulled out the last of its troops from Afghanistan in a chaotic withdrawal in 2021, further raising questions in the broader region about Washington's commitment. The Biden administration is close to tightening rules on some overseas investments by US companies in an effort to limit China’s ability to acquire technologies that could improve its military prowess. Administration officials have been consulting with allies as they’ve worked on formulating the new regulations on US investment, according to the official.
The soon-to-be-issued executive order from President Joe Biden will limit American investment in advanced technologies that have national security applications – such as next-generation military capabilities that could help China improve the speed and accuracy of military decision-making, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Saturday that the Treasury and Commerce departments delivered reports to lawmakers on Friday detailing plans for the new regulatory system to address US overseas investment in advanced technologies. The agencies said they expected to seek additional money for the investment screening program in the White House budget, which is scheduled to be released on March 9, according to the Journal.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson declined to comment on the Treasury and Commerce reports, but noted that administration officials have kept Congress apprised on its progress in crafting an approach to overseas investment. The expected action is certain to face pushback from US firms. Administration officials have sought to signal to the business community that even as they look to examine rules on US investment in China, they are mindful of not overreaching. “One of the most important things we can do, from my perspective, is make sure that we draw clear lines between what is competition and what is national security because, fundamentally, my view is that the United States does well when we’re competing on a level playing field with any country in the world,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said at recent Council on Foreign Relations event. “But we also want, in the narrow spaces where we see national security risk, to be able to use the tools at our disposal to protect the national security of the United States of America.”
MC: Ladies and gentlemen, China's state planner underlined a greater role for coal in its power supply on Sunday, saying the fossil fuel would be used to improve the reliability and security of its energy system. Soaring global energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and domestic supply disruption have prompted Beijing to step up its focus on energy security in recent years. The world's second-biggest economy relied on coal to generate 56.2% of its electricity last year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, but has significantly boosted its use of natural gas and renewable energy in recent years to lower carbon emissions. Fluctuating output from renewable plants, however, has led policymakers to lean on reliable and easily dispatchable coal power to shore up the country's baseload supply.
Last year, scorching summer temperatures and a drought in China's southwest caused hydropower output to dwindle, leading to power outages. "We will strengthen the basic supporting role of coal (and) take orderly steps to increase advanced coal production while ensuring safety," said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in a report to the annual gathering of parliament. China approved the construction of another 106 gigawatts of coal-fired power capacity last year, four times higher than a year earlier and the highest since 2015, driven by energy security considerations, research showed last week. About 50GW of that went into construction.
The NDRC also stressed the importance of ramping up domestic oil and gas supply. The state planner also reiterated its efforts to further reform the oil and gas sector, with a focus on improving the pricing mechanism for natural gas to better reflect the cost of production and procurement. China will also push ahead with construction of a second batch of major wind and solar plants while the reliance on coal was described as temporary by some to cover supply shortfalls as the country develops renewables.
"New renewables generation has not been able to cover all the demand growth in any specific year, which means some additional coal generation is still needed each year," said David Fishman, senior manager of China-based energy consultancy the Lantau Group. "In 2023 or 2024 we might see the first year where renewable generation totally covers new demand growth ... after this coal consumption should start to decrease year-on-year," he said. Although China has pledged to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon-neutrality by 2060, this country is slowing an aggressive campaign started in 2017 to replace coal with gas. A North Korean space official says the country has become capable of launching various kinds of satellites into orbit. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on Monday an interview with Pak Kyong Su, vice-director of the National Aerospace Development Administration.
The news agency says the interview was given the previous day to mark the 14th anniversary of the country's accession to the Outer Space Treaty. Pak said North Korea has made steady progress in developing multi-functional and high-performance satellites. He said the country has succeeded in developing a high-thrust engine capable of carrying a rocket. He added that this has "provided a sure guarantee" for the country to launch various satellites into orbit. North Korea has already announced it will complete preparations for its first military reconnaissance satellite by April. In March last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the National Aerospace Development Administration and unveiled plans to put more reconnaissance satellites into orbit.
He also visited a satellite launch site in Tongchang-ri in the country's northwest in the same month and instructed officials to modernize and expand its facilities. The international community remains vigilant as Pyongyang may launch another series of long-range ballistic missiles from the site, while claiming they are satellite launch vehicles. Japanese residents in Okinawa Prefecture have been fighting against water pollution brought by U.S. military bases for years, but their struggles are yet to see results. Local residents have been calling on the government to organize experts to enter U.S. military base for investigations,
but to no avail because according to the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, the U.S. military has privileges in their military bases in Japan, and it is very difficult for the Japanese to enter the bases for investigations. According to Japanese experts, similar pollution issues also exist in military bases in the United States, and the U.S. department of defense has conducted soil pollution investigations on about 700 facilities in the country. However, the U.S. troops have paid no attention to the similar problems and pollutions they brought to Japan.
"Information has been disclosed in the United States and relevant measures have been taken, while in Japan such response has been lagging. This contrast is a serious problem. Why the same countermeasures were not taken in Japan? Is it because the military base is in Japan so they did not care? I have serious doubts about this," said Houji Harada, associate professor of the School of Public Health of Kyoto University. Despite U.S. troops' apathy toward the pollution issue, Japanese residents are determined to investigate the truth and stop the pollution .
"The U.S. troops have been concealing the facts. We must continue to investigate where the organic fluoride comes from and who should take the responsibility," said Masaru Miyagi, city councilor of Ginowan. "The Japanese government should spare no efforts to protect its citizens, yet they just said perfunctorily that they have asked the U.S. to investigate. Their inaction is unacceptable,"
said Chobin Zukeran, former member of the House of Representatives of Japan. "The water pollution problem has a lot to do with the U.S. military base. To let residents in Okinawa Prefecture and Ginowan City drink safe water, we will continue to probe the cause and responsibility of the pollution," said Isao Tobaru, city councilor of Ginowan. At the end of February, during a protest against the water pollution caused by the U.S. military base, local musicians in Okinawa expressed their feelings with songs they created.
The lyrics said, "The foam of fire extinguishing agent has been flying everywhere, and the river near my house is full of organic fluoride." MC: Ladies and gentlemen, some Ukrainian families in the frontline town of Orikhiv don't want to leave despite daily shelling. In an interview with Reuters on March 3 while placing sandbags to shield the living room window, Liubov Syncha, a resident of this town, said this is the safest place and the sleeping place for whole family.
Syncha said that her husband doesn't want to leave their house behind, even though she'd like to evacuate. Iryna Krupska, another mother residing with six children, some of them adopted, on the outskirts of Orikhiv, said she believed it's safer in the rural neighbourhood than in the town's centre. "At the moment it's not too bad, but at night we heard two loud explosions. It was extremely loud”. Police officer Olha Zinchenko and her mission couldn't convince anyone to leave for Zaporizhzhia city, 50 km (31 kilometres) on Friday. The Ukrainian police in Zaporizhzhia region regularly visits frontline settlements to hand out humanitarian aid and keep contact with the remaining population, informing them about government programs for evacuees.
French President Emmanuel Macron pledged 34 million euros ($36 million) of aid to Congo's conflict-hit east on Saturday (March 4) and said any party seeking to derail peace efforts there should face sanctions. Macron was speaking during an official visit to Democratic Republic of Congo, where perceptions of French support for neighbouring Rwanda have stoked anti-French feeling as eastern regions battle an offensive by the M23 rebel group that Congo accuses Rwanda of backing. Rwanda denies this. France has previously joined the United Nations, Congo and other countries in accusing Rwanda of supporting the M23, but Macron was asked during a news conference in Kinshasa to more firmly condemn Rwanda. A peace process brokered by regional powers in Angola in November has so far failed to end the fighting, but Macron said he had confidence in the plan. "Those who don't respect this plan, and will see it on the ground because in the context of the mediation there is a verification mechanism managed by Angola which will be able to say who respects the plan or not with the help of independent observers.
Those who don't respect the plan know what they face, including sanctions," he said. Some signs of tension emerged later in the press conference, when Macron appeared to suggest the insecurity in Congo since 1994 was mostly its own fault. "Sorry to say it in such harsh terms, you have not been able to restore your sovereignty," he said Congo saw several small-scale protests ahead of Macron's visit - signs of the anti-French sentiment in parts of Francophone Africa that he is seeking to dispel on this tour where he has outlined a vision of a renewed form of partnership with the continent. Fifteen national political advisors submitted a joint proposal to the ongoing two sessions, highlighting the necessity and feasibility of building nuclear power plants in inland areas, strengthening the development of nuclear power, expanding the spatial distribution of nuclear power and promoting the comprehensive use of nuclear energy for heating.
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China views energy security as an important part of the modernization of national security system and proposed to promote carbon peaking and carbon neutrality actively yet prudently and safely develop nuclear power. Yang Changli, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chairman of China General Nuclear Power Group, together with 14 other members of the CPPCC National Committee, submitted the proposal. The Chinese mainland currently has 76 nuclear power units under construction, with an installed capacity of 81 million kilowatts, ranking No.2 in the world, according to Yang. However, both the installed capacity of nuclear power generators and the proportion of nuclear power are still small, with 2.2 percent and 5 percent respectively. "That means we must maintain the development intensity of approving more than 10 nuclear power units per year in the next decade," Yang told the Global Times.
Russian oil exports to India, the world's third-largest crude importer after China and the US, climbed to a record 1.62 million barrels per day (bpd) in February, The Hindu reported on Sunday, citing cargo tracker Vortexa. The numbers suggest that Russia is India's largest crude supplier for the fifth straight month. According to the report, Moscow’s oil exports to the country surged 28% month-on-month and surpassed combined deliveries from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, India’s main suppliers for decades. Imports from Saudi Arabia dropped 16% month-on-month to 647,800 bpd, while deliveries from Iraq amounted to some 939,900 bpd.
Russia now supplies 35% of all India’s oil imports, a significant increase from its share of less than 1% of India's energy market in 2021. New Delhi began to boost purchases of Russian crude shortly after the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine and the ensuing Western sanctions. The restrictions resulted in Russia losing its traditional oil buyers from the West, and forced the country to seek alternative markets for its energy by introducing discounts. “Indian refiners are enjoying a boost in refining margins from processing discounted Russian crude… Refiners' import appetite for Russian barrels are likely to remain robust as long as the economics are favorable, and financial and logistical services to support the trade are available,” Vortexa's head of Asia-Pacific analysis, Serena Huang, said. India has kept up its Russian oil purchases despite calls from the West to stop the imports. New Delhi has stressed that energy security is a top priority, and it will continue to make its own choices on suppliers.
According to the Russian ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, Western sanctions have in fact drawn Russia and India closer together, causing an unprecedented growth in bilateral trade. China will complete construction of more than 2.9 million 5G base stations by the end of 2023, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong recently said. China now has more than 2.34 million 5G base stations, and the number of 5G mobile phone users
has surpassed 575 million. 5G technology is widely applied in the economy, most notably in fields such as mining, power supply, and large jet manufacturing. The country plans to add about 600,000 internet base stations this year and expand 5G service coverage in rural areas and industrial zones.
Mr. Jin added that China will make efforts to promote the application of 5G in industry, especially in manufacturing, with plans to build more than 10,000 5G factories during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) ). Not stopping there, the research and development of 6G will also be accelerated, based on the advantages of China's super-large market and full industrial system.
The strong development of modern technology is a prominent theme in the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Italian label Valentino launched its 2023 fall-winter collection on the Paris Fashion Week catwalk on Sunday (March 5), attended by Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz. The luxury brand's creative director, Pierpaulo Piccioli, showcased a collection of monochrome styles with vibrant scarlet statement pieces.
Oversized blazers with wide shoulders, slim-fit blouses with thin ties, and military-style boots with feather-decor all featured on the Paris catwalk. Brooklyn Beckham, son of fashion designer Victoria Beckham, attended the show alongside his wife Nicola Peltz, arriving at the venue together dressed in black. Also in attendance was French social media personality Lena Mahfouf, who adopted a nude floor-length gown covered in feathers for Valentino's show.
2023-03-09