World News 11/3: Ukraine

The Philippines arrested former President Duterte, Venezuela shipped a large amount of oil to Cuba, terrorists attacked trains, took hostages in Pakistan, Iran refused to negotiate if the US continued to threaten, Sweden warned of a serious national security situation... are some of the prominent international events in the past 24 hours.

US billionaire Elon Musk said he will double the number of employees working at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) he heads amid criticism of DOGE. (Source: Getty Images)

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

Asia-Pacific

*China warns UK not to 'provoke tensions' in South China Sea: China warned the UK on March 11 not to "provoke tensions" in the South China Sea, after Foreign Secretary David Lammy called Beijing's actions in the disputed waters "dangerous and destabilizing".

Speaking at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning stated: "The UK needs to respect China's territorial sovereignty and interests in the East Sea, and should not provoke tensions or sow discord regarding disputes in the region." (AFP)

*Cambodia arrests officials for corruption: The Khmer Times reported on March 11 that Cambodia's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has arrested Deputy Governor of Kampong Speu Province Tith Vuthy and two other officials for their involvement in defrauding a Chinese investor of nearly $500,000.

According to the ACU statement, three officials were charged and detained by the Kampong Speu Provincial Court on March 9, for their involvement in the embezzlement of $400,000 in a scam involving the issuance of a mining license that did not materialize.

After being arrested and charged, the three were taken to a prison in Kampong Speu province. ACU spokesman Soy Chanvichet has not yet commented on the incident. (Khmer Times)

*Terrorists attack train, take hostages in southwest Pakistan: Official sources said many passengers were taken hostage after militants attacked a passenger train in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan on March 11.

In a statement, Balochistan provincial government spokesman Shahid Rind said at least six gunmen opened fire on the Jaffar Express train, which was travelling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, to Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan, injuring many people, including the train driver. According to preliminary investigations, this could be a terrorist attack. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the incident. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in hospitals in the area. (THX)

*Philippine police execute arrest warrant for former President Duterte: The Philippine President's Office said the country's police executed an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte when he arrived at Manila airport on March 11.

Mr Duterte is currently in custody. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Mr Duterte on charges of crimes against humanity in his war on drugs while in office. (Reuters)

*South Korea conducts anti-proliferation drills for weapons of mass destruction: The South Korean Navy announced on March 11 that it had conducted a maritime drill to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in connection with the ongoing large-scale joint military exercise with the United States.

The WMD interdiction exercise took place in waters off Gageodo Island in the southwest, mobilizing three warships, including the ROKS Jeonbuk frigate, along with Navy special forces and a coast guard vessel, a day after the two allies kicked off their annual Freedom Shield exercise.

The drill also involved Army soldiers, police and coast guard personnel to train on response procedures for airborne, chemical, biological and radiological threats targeting the port's international terminal. (Yonhap)

Europe

*Greenland begins general election: Polling stations in Greenland opened on March 11 to welcome voters to participate in early legislative elections, as US President Donald Trump seeks to control this strategic Arctic island.

This autonomous Danish territory of 56,000 people, mostly Inuit, is strategically located in the North Atlantic and is home to rare earth minerals vital to the global economy.

Unofficial election results are expected to be released shortly after polling stations close at 5 a.m. on March 12 (Vietnam time). However, it could take weeks to certify the results as ballots from remote settlements must be transported to the capital by boat, plane and helicopter. (AP)

*Russia claims to have liberated another 100 square kilometers of territory in Kursk province: Moscow confirmed on March 11 that the Russian army had recaptured more than 100 square kilometers of territory and 12 settlements in Kursk province in western Russia in an effort to push the Ukrainian army out of the area.

In the announcement, the Russian Defense Ministry said that during this attack, units of the Northern Group of Forces liberated 12 settlements and more than 100 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk province.

Ukrainian troops seized at least 1,300 square kilometers last August in an offensive that Kiev called an attempt to gain a bargaining chip in future negotiations and force Russia to withdraw its forces from eastern Ukraine. By mid-February 2025, Russia had retaken at least 800 square kilometers of territory in the region. (TASS)

*Sweden warns of serious national security situation: In its annual report on threats facing the country, the Swedish Security Service (SAPO) said the security situation in the country is serious and there are clear risks that it could get worse.

In recent years, Swedish officials have been concerned about growing threats from both outside powers such as Russia, China and Iran, as well as extremist groups carrying out actions ranging from violent attacks and hybrid warfare to economic espionage. (Reuters)

*NATO calls on EU to strengthen cooperation with Turkey: The Financial Times quoted an anonymous source as saying that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has discreetly called on European Union (EU) leaders to increase interaction with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to promote cooperation in the security field.

The NATO chief’s initiative is part of the EU’s efforts to bolster its defenses amid US President Donald Trump’s changing stance on European security, the newspaper said, with Brussels considering increased cooperation with Türkiye and non-EU countries as one of the options.

In January, Mr. Trump criticized the EU for its low level of investment in NATO defense capabilities and called on all member states to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. At the same time, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Washington has no current plans to reduce its military presence in Europe. (RIA Novosti)

*Ukraine and Saudi Arabia discuss sustainable peace in Ukraine: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed efforts to achieve "sustainable, just and comprehensive" peace for Ukraine, according to a joint statement released by the Saudi Arabian state news agency (SPA) on March 11.

President Zelensky and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the kingdom on March 10 with Ukrainian and US officials, for high-level talks on March 11 to find a way to end the conflict. (Reuters)

*Russia criticizes Ukraine's massive UAV attack on Moscow. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on March 11 criticized Ukraine's massive drone attack on Moscow last night, when Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu arrived in the Russian capital.

On her Telegram channel, Ms. Zakharova emphasized: "This is not the first time that a visit to Moscow by a high-ranking foreign delegation has been accompanied by a UAV attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Kiev authorities launched UAVs at the Russian capital while the OSCE Secretary General was visiting."

Earlier, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold talks with OSCE Secretary General Sinirlioglu in Moscow on March 11. (Sputnik)

Middle East-Africa

*Saudi Arabia and Qatar condemn Israel's power cut in Gaza: On March 11, the two Gulf countries Saudi Arabia and Qatar condemned Israel's decision to cut off the power supply to the Gaza Strip, calling on the international community to take action.

"We strongly condemn the Israeli occupation authorities' use of collective punishment against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip by cutting off electricity to the area," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

For its part, Qatar said: "We strongly condemn the Israeli occupation forces' action of cutting off electricity in the Gaza Strip, considering it a blatant violation of international humanitarian law."

Earlier, on March 8, Israel cut off the only power line supplying the seawater desalination plant in Gaza, in an attempt to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages held since the unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023. (Al Jazeera)

*Ukraine begins negotiations with the US in Saudi Arabia: On March 11, the Chief of Staff of the President of Ukraine, Mr. Andriy Yermak, declared that Kiev wants peace and is ready to negotiate to end the war in this Eastern European country.

This statement was made by Mr. Yermak when starting negotiations with a delegation of US officials in Saudi Arabia. Speaking to the press, he emphasized: "We are ready to do everything to achieve peace." (AFP)

*Iran refuses dialogue if US continues to threaten: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said on March 10 that Tehran has never refused to negotiate with the US on its nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions, but Iran will not engage in dialogue if Washington continues to threaten.

Mr. Baqaei also noted that the ostentatious move by Mr. Donald Trump, who announced that he had sent a personal letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was an attempt to take the initiative in negotiations with Iran. According to him, this move was for psychological and communication purposes.

Last week, US President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to Khamenei, suggesting that they start negotiations on a nuclear deal instead of resolving the situation with military action. (RIA Novosti)

*Houthi continues to threaten to attack "ships linked to Israel": Yemen's Houthi leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, announced on March 10 that the force is preparing military operations against ships linked to Israel, if humanitarian aid is not sent to the Gaza Strip after the deadline set last week.

Earlier on March 7, Houthi leaders announced that they would continue to attack Israeli ships if aid supplies to Gaza were not resumed within the next four days. The deadline expires on March 11.

The Houthis have used a range of drones and missiles in attacks on Israeli-linked ships and other vessels in the Red Sea during the Gaza war, which has only ended since a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began in January. (Al Jazeera)

*Turkey to continue providing "all forms of support" to Syria: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged on March 10 to continue providing Syria with "all forms of support", while condemning the wave of violence that has been raging in the northwest of the neighboring country in recent days.

Mr Erdogan also asserted that Ankara was “taking the necessary measures to prevent any adverse developments affecting Türkiye”, without elaborating. Türkiye, which supports the Syrian interim government, has deployed thousands of troops on its neighbor’s territory.

Violent clashes between security forces and supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad's regime have left more than 1,000 people dead in Syria's coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said. (Al Jazeera)

*US demands Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza: According to the Times of Israel newspaper on March 10, US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said that a prerequisite for reaching a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is that the Hamas movement must demilitarize and leave Gaza.

Steve Witkoff affirmed that if Hamas leaves, everything can be negotiated to achieve peace in Gaza, while emphasizing that the parties need to set a deadline to reach agreement on the next phase of the ceasefire agreement. (Al Jazeera)

America-Latin America

*US announces termination of funding for 5 human rights projects: On March 11, the United Nations human rights agency said it had received notification from the US government about terminating funding for 5 projects, including activities in Iraq and Ukraine.

The notifications concern projects in Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Ukraine and Colombia, as well as a fund for indigenous peoples, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said.

US President Donald Trump is slashing billions of dollars in foreign aid programs around the world, as part of a major spending overhaul by the world's largest donor. (Reuters)

*Billionaire Elon Musk plans to double the number of employees in the Department of Government Efficiency: American billionaire Elon Musk said he plans to double the number of employees working at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that he heads in the new US administration. In an interview with Fox Business, Mr. Musk said: "There are a little over 100 (people) right now. Hopefully, there will be 200 people."

DOGE’s activities have led to mass layoffs. On March 7, the Washington Post reported that DOGE had fired about 6,000 veteran employees in the US government in recent weeks.

On February 13, 14 US states filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump and DOGE head Elon Musk, accusing DOGE of enjoying unlimited power and violating the US Constitution. (RIA Novosti)

*Venezuela's oil shipments to Cuba surge: According to ship monitoring data, the amount of crude oil and fuel shipped from Venezuela to Cuba surged in February to 42,000 barrels per day, compared to 10,000 barrels per day in January.

Venezuela is currently stepping up oil shipments to Cuba to strengthen energy support for Havana as the Caribbean island nation faces a severe energy crisis as well as pressure from US embargo measures.

Besides Venezuela, Mexico has also increased its oil exports to Cuba and accounts for a significant portion of Havana's energy supply. (AFP)

*Japan and US set to hold talks in Canada: Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is arranging a meeting with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Canada this weekend as Tokyo seeks an exemption from President Donald Trump's new tariffs, Kyodo news agency reported.

The Trump administration will impose tariffs of about 25 percent on imported cars, possibly in April or later, and on all steel and aluminum imports starting March 12, sources said, raising concerns among affected Japanese industries. (Kyodo)

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