Kim Jong-un expected to visit Russia in the near future; Thailand postpones announcement of election results

A US military convoy of more than 150 trucks crossed the Simalka border crossing into Syria's al-Hasakah province from Iraq over the weekend.AlmasdarNewsMarch 25. This convoy is believed to be carrying a large amount of weapons to equip the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The move comes as the SDF has just announced the complete liberation of the last stronghold of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, consolidating a large area of ​​control in the northeast of the country.

The US withdrawal from Syria is seen as a major threat to the SDF, as the Kurdish militia that forms the core of the force is considered a terrorist group by Türkiye. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to launch a military operation to push the SDF from the area east of the Euphrates River.

North Korean leader expected to visit Russia in the near future

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladmir Putin. Photo: news.sky.com

According to Reuters, RIA news agency quoted Russian MP Alexander Bashkin on March 25 as saying that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to visit Russia for talks this spring or summer. However, Mr. Bashkin said the specific time of the visit has not been set yet.

Last week, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, Kim Chang-son - a senior North Korean official - went to Moscow and then to the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok to prepare for the North Korean leader's visit.

In addition, according to South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper, in March alone, senior North Korean diplomats visited Moscow three times.

Trump pleased with special prosecutor's investigation results

Thailand postpones announcement of primary election results until March 29

Thai security personnel and election officials check voting results at a polling station in Narathiwat on March 24, 2019. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

On the afternoon of March 25, the Election Commission (EC) of Thailand postponed the announcement of the preliminary results of the country's first general election since the military took power in a coup five years ago without giving any reason.

The EC announced that by 2pm on March 25, 95% of the votes had been counted and that preliminary results would be announced on March 29. The official results of the election cannot be confirmed before May 9.

The EC postponed the announcement of election results amid complaints about errors in vote counting and the risk of violations of regulations during the election process at polling stations.

According to the EC, hackers were found trying to break into the election commission's computer system, and said they discovered up to 1.9 million invalid votes.

Japan speeds up project to relocate US air base in Okinawa

Land reclamation at the Henoko coastal area in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, during the relocation project of the US Futenma Air Base, February 25, 2019. Photo: Kyodo/ VNA

According to Kyodo news agency, the Japanese government is speeding up construction of facilities to relocate a US air base in Okinawa province despite opposition from local residents.

The leveling of a new 33-hectare site at the Henoko coastal area in Nago City on Okinawa Island began on March 25, in parallel with the 6.3-hectare land reclamation activities next door that have been underway since December 2018.

These are items in the project to relocate the US Futenma Air Base from the densely populated Ginowan area in Okinawa to the Henoko coastal area. The Japanese government plans to clear a total of 160 hectares of land to build this facility.

However, during the deployment, it was discovered that the seabed in some areas was unstable and required further reinforcement activities, which are expected to take about 44 months.