Former Russian Commander Involved in Wagner Affair to Return? US Court Orders Japanese Company to Pay Over $1 Billion in Compensation

Russian President warns of global conflict, Chinese naval ships are about to visit Cambodia, NATO confirms it will not send troops to Ukraine, Mexico builds the first floating solar power plant in Latin America... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

President Putin delivers a speech at the ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany, May 9, at Red Square in Moscow. (Source: TASS)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

Asia- Pacific

*Thailand exchanges rice for Chinese frigates: Thai Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang said on May 9 that he will propose a new barter agreement with the Chinese government regarding the purchase of frigates instead of submarines.

Thailand wants to buy 3 Yuan-class S26T submarines worth nearly 1 billion USD from China. However, the agreement to buy only one submarine was signed in 2017 and has paid about 330 million USD. After Thailand finished paying for the first submarine, the Chinese shipbuilder realized that it could not buy German engines, so the Royal Thai Navy decided to choose a frigate instead, which costs about 120 million USD more than the submarine.

Mr. Sutin said he would try to negotiate a new deal in the form of a barter arrangement. When asked if Thailand would supply China with 15,000 tons of rice as collateral under the barter arrangement, Mr. Sutin said: “If they want, we can provide.” (Bangkok Post)

*Chinese naval ships to visit Cambodia: China's Ministry of National Defense announced on May 9 that its naval ships Shi Jiguang and Jinggangshan will visit Cambodia and Timor-Leste from early May to mid-June.

The visits will be part of the Chinese Navy's training schedule in distant waters, during which cadets from Cambodia and other countries will join their Chinese counterparts in conducting related exercises.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the mission aims to improve the practical operational capabilities of naval officer cadets, and enhance practical cooperation and mutual trust between the Chinese Navy and the navies of the two destination countries to contribute to building a maritime community with a shared destiny. (THX)

*Philippines concerned over China's floating nuclear plants in South China Sea: Manila on May 9 expressed concern over China's potential plan to install floating nuclear power plants in the disputed South China Sea, warning that the move could deepen the militarization of the waterway amid maritime tensions between the two sides.

According to Mr. Jonathan Malaya, Assistant Director General of the Philippine National Security Council, these energy facilities will be used to supply energy to military bases located on artificial islands built by China.

However, Chinese regulators announced in 2023 that they were suspending the reactor construction project after more than 10 years of research, citing safety concerns.

According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, Beijing reclaimed more than 1,294 hectares of land from 2013 to 2016 in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. (SCMP)

Europe

*Russian President warns of global conflict: Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 9 accused the West of risking a global conflict and affirmed that no one should be allowed to threaten the world's largest nuclear power. The statement was made in the context of Russia holding a military parade on Red Square to celebrate the 79th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (May 9, 1945 - May 9, 2024).

In his speech, President Putin accused the West of "arrogance" in forgetting the decisive role of the Soviet Union in defeating Nazi Germany, and provoking conflicts around the world. Mr. Putin stressed: "Russia will do everything to prevent a global conflict and is always in a state of combat readiness." (Reuters)

*Canadian expert: the door to NATO has closed for Ukraine: Professor David Marples at the Department of Russian Studies at the University of Alberta (Canada) commented that Ukraine will not be able to join NATO, despite optimistic assurances from Washington.

“NATO’s policy on the admission of new countries is not decided by (US Secretary of State) Antony Blinken, it requires a unanimous decision by all members of the alliance. And we all know that within NATO there are some countries that are not ready to agree to the admission of Ukraine,” Mr. Marples explained.

In addition to the inability to gain consensus among the alliance members, Kiev's accession to NATO is also hampered by the conflict with Russia, as any country must first end all confrontations related to its borders before joining the bloc. "At this stage, Ukraine's accession to NATO in the near future is not feasible," the Canadian expert concluded. (Sputnik)

* Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister in Charge of Reconstruction Loses Job: Ukraine's parliament on May 9 voted to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, who oversaw wartime reconstruction efforts and efforts to establish a Black Sea shipping route.

Mr. Kubrakov also helped secure vital logistical routes for millions of displaced people shortly after Russia launched a special operation in Ukraine in February 2022. It is unclear who will replace Mr. Kubrakov.

Mr. Kubrakov was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in December 2022. Before that, he was Minister of Infrastructure. (Reuters)

*NATO affirms no troops sent to Ukraine: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the military alliance has no plans to send troops to Ukraine, while emphasizing that NATO has no intention of directly getting involved in the conflict in Ukraine.

In an interview with Italy's Repubblica newspaper, Mr. Stoltenberg affirmed: "NATO has no plans to deploy forces in Ukraine."

The NATO chief stressed that Ukraine did not ask the alliance to deploy troops, but requested more support, ammunition and assault artillery, adding that the alliance had no plans to directly get involved in the conflict in Ukraine. (Sputnik News)

*Rumors that the former Russian commander involved in the Wagner case is about to return: The former Commander of the Russian Joint Forces Group in the Special Military Operations (SVO) area in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, appeared on a clip while on a plane amid rumors that he would return to Russia.

In the video, posted on the Telegram Brief channel, Sergei says “God bless everyone!” and waves his hands. The Telegram Brief channel, where the video was posted, notes that Surovikin could soon return to command.

Meanwhile, war correspondent Vladimir Romanov said the former SVO Commander will be offered the post of Chief of the General Staff amid possible reforms in the Russian government.

General Surovikin has not been seen since the Wagner group's coup in June 2023. (Telegram Brief/ FT)

Africa – Middle East

*Israel - US discuss ceasefire in Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and CIA Director William Burns on May 8 discussed solutions to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and rescue hostages in Gaza.

Negotiators from Israel, Hamas, Qatar and the US arrived in Cairo on May 7 to discuss a ceasefire proposal in Gaza brokered by Egypt and supported by Hamas.

Although Israel said Hamas' proposal did not meet Tel Aviv's demands, its delegation remained in Cairo until the afternoon of May 8.

Earlier, Mr. Netanyahu said he had instructed the Israeli delegation to be steadfast in its goals in hostage negotiations and the conditions to ensure Israel's security. (Al Jazeera)

*Violence escalates between Israel and Hezbollah: Lebanon's national news agency reported on May 8 that 28 towns and villages in the south of the country were hit by Israeli strikes, killing three people. Meanwhile, Hezbollah also attacked Israeli military sites. This was just one of at least 10 attacks carried out by this force on May 8.

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah erupted shortly after the Gaza conflict broke out in October 2023, forcing 60,000 Israelis and 90,000 Lebanese to flee their homes. The Southern Lebanon Council said the Israeli attacks had caused “more than $1 billion in damage to homes and structures.” About 1,700 homes were completely destroyed and 14,000 were partially damaged. (Arab News)

*Syria shoots down Israeli missiles: The Syrian Defense Ministry announced on May 9 that Syrian air defense systems shot down Israeli missiles launched from the Golan Heights towards the suburbs of Damascus.

Israel has been striking Iran-linked targets in Syria for years, but has increased the intensity since an October 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israeli territory. (Al Jazeera)

*EU ends 11-year mission in Mali: On May 8, the European Union (EU) announced that it would end its military training mission in Mali, reflecting the deterioration in relations between the bloc and the West African country's military government.

Reuters quoted the EU's announcement as saying that the mission will expire on May 18 and the bloc decided not to extend it after reviewing and consulting strategically with the Malian government, as well as taking into account "the evolution of the political and security situation on the ground".

Mali has been under military control since a coup in August 2020, the first of eight such coups in West and Central Africa in four years, including in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. (Reuters)

America - Latin America

*US court orders Mitsubishi to pay more than $1 billion in compensation: On May 9, Japanese automaker Mitsubishi said a US court had ruled that the company must pay more than $1 billion in compensation related to a 2017 car accident in Pennsylvania, but Mitsubishi will appeal.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit is the wife of the victim who was seriously injured in the accident. She claims that a defective seat belt design in her husband, Francis Amagasu,’s 1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT led to the accident that left him seriously injured.

However, Mitsubishi does not accept this ruling and its North American branch plans to appeal to a higher court. US media reported that the above damages amount is one of the largest compensations to date in the city of Philadelphia. (AFP)

*Former President D. Trump gets extension to submit financial reports: On May 8, the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) allowed former President Donald Trump an additional 45 days to submit personal financial reports.

Mr. Trump was supposed to submit reports on his personal financial situation to the FEC on May 15. However, according to the content of the letter released by the FEC, a legal representative of Mr. Trump on May 8 asked the agency to grant Mr. Trump an extension, citing the complexity of the assets he holds.

While campaigning ahead of the November 5 presidential election, former President Trump is facing several criminal charges, including conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 US presidential election that led to the riots at Capitol Hill in 2021; election interference in Georgia; and paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels to hide their relationship. (AP)

*Mexico to build first floating solar power plant in Latin America: On May 8, Mexican Electricity Corporation (CFE) announced that it will build the first floating solar power plant in Latin America from a preferential loan of more than 150 million euros from the French Development Agency (AFD).

Mexico is facing widespread water shortages and power outages in many states due to increased energy demand during a prolonged heat wave with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius in recent weeks.

Latin America's second-largest economy aims to have about 35% of its electricity coming from clean energy by 2024 and 50% by 2050. However, according to experts, this target is difficult to achieve, given Mexico's current energy development structure. (Reuters)

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