🇺🇲🇷🇺⚡- "He [Putin] assumed that he could, very quickly, roll over his neighbor and annex the country. That was two-plus years ago. He has not achieved any of his strategic objectives to this point... but this was brought on because of a decision made by Mr. Putin." – Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense, at SLD 2024.

🇨🇳⚡- "China will never be soft on foreign interference," – Chinese Army Lieutenant General, Jing Jianfeng, at SLD 2024.

🇨🇳⚡- Jing Jianfeng, Chinese Lieutenant General, promises more drills in a harsh response to US Secretary of Defense's, Lloyd Austin, speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

🇦🇺🇷🇺⚡- "Russia wants to take us back to a world where spheres of interest reign, where only great powers are truly sovereign, and their actions are above any law." – Richard Marles, Australian Minister for Defence, at SLD 2024.

🇺🇦⚡- Zelenskyi will be given a platform to speak tomorrow 11:30am, Singapore time.

🇦🇺🇨🇳⚡- The Chinese delegation at the Shangri-La Dialogue took issue with the speech by Australian Defense Minister, Richard Marles, approaching and confronting him.

🇦🇺🇨🇳⚡- "Actions by Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, such as the use of water cannons and the ramming of Philippine vessels, are a serious escalation of tensions." – The part of the speech, by Australian Defense Minister, the Chinese delegation took issue with.

🇨🇳🇹🇼⚡- "The prospects of a peaceful reunification with Taiwan are eroding," – Chinese Minister of National Defense, Dong Jun, at SLD 2024.

🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡- Visual confirmation: Russian forces have crossed the Seversky-Donetsk-Donbass canal again, this time in the North. Establishing a second successful bridgehead West of the canal.

Russian forces advanced an incredible 2,000 meters North of Chasov-Yar (Bakhmut direction), capturing 90% of Kalinovka.

This comes immediately after Russia successfully crossed the canal in the South, yesterday.

🇺🇦⚡- "Because of China's support for Russia, the war will last longer. This is bad for the whole world." – Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, at SLD 2024.

🇺🇦⚡- "China is telling others to avoid coming to our 'Peace Conference' in Switzerland," – Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, at SLD 2024.

🇺🇦🇨🇳⚡- Chinese Minister of National Defense, Dong Jun, was asked if he will meet Ukrainian President, Zelenskyi, at the Shangri-La Dialogue. Jun's response was a smile and ignored the question.

🇵🇭⚡- "We will do whatever it takes to protect our sovereign home to the last square inch, to the last square millimetre... I do not intend to yield. Filipinos do not yield." – Philippines President, Bongbong Marcos, at SLD 2024.

🇨🇳⚡" We have never entered another country's waters and airspace," – Chinese Minister of National Defense, Dong Jun, at SLD 2024.

🇮🇪🇮🇱⚡- "I hope you burn in hell Netanyahu", – Irish politician, Thomas Gould.

🇨🇳🇹🇼⚡- "Anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will be smashed into pieces and lead to their own destruction," – Chinese Minister of National Defense, Dong Jun, at SLD 2024.

🇮🇷⚡- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has placed himself in for the upcoming Iranian Presidential elections, however it is unlikely the Guardian will accept his registration.

🇦🇿🇹🇷🇮🇱⚡- "Attacking the building of the Azerbaijani oil company SOCAR is attacking Azerbaijan and we cannot accept this. Türkiye is a brother country, but Azerbaijan is both our Kaaba and Quds. Israel is our strategic ally. Relations with Israel cannot deteriorate because of any country. Azerbaijan cannot and will not be a party to the political conflict between Türkiye and Israel." – Ahmet Shairoglu, Head of Azerbaijan Institute for Democracy and Human Rights.

🇱🇧🇮🇱⚡️- Rockets inbound towards Kiryat Shmona

🇮🇷🇨🇳⚡- Iran has summoned the Chinese ambassador to the country, after China supported UAE's claim to the three geostrategic islands in the Strait of Hormuz (Persian Gulf).

Both, Iran and UAE, lay claim to the islands (Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb), while Iran currently controls them.

China also joins Russia, who showed similar support for the UAE last summer.

🇸🇴🏴⚡- Somalian Government finally announces its readiness for the long awaited offensive against the Al-Shabaab group, and believes the offensive will last a year.

With, Madey Nurey Sheikh, the Somalian Army Deputy Commander, saying, "We will defeat Al-Shabaab in June, our forces are waiting at the front, we are waiting for the green light to start this war."