Russian inflation rate to drop to 6 pct by year end: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that the country's inflation rate is expected to fall to around 6 percent or even lower by the end of 2025.

Speaking at a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, Putin noted that the economic expansion slowed this year amid declining inflation, with GDP expected to grow by about 1 percent.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin also addressed the meeting, as he said despite pressure from sanctions, Russia's GDP has grown by nearly 10 percent over the past three years. He added that Russia's growth momentum is stronger than that of many European countries.

He also noted that the Russian economy has continued to move forward, although there are certain attempts to contain Russia's economic development.

A total of 1,178 Chinese nationals involved in telecom fraud cases in Myawaddy of Myanmar have been sent back to China since the beginning of this month, said the Ministry of Public Security on Monday.

The suspects have been handed over in batches via Thailand under the escort of Chinese police since Dec 1, the ministry said in a statement on its official WeChat account.

The transfer followed a ministerial meeting on Nov 14 involving China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, where participants agreed to deepen cooperation and launch coordinated crackdowns on cross-border telecom fraud.

Police forces from China, Myanmar and Thailand recently launched another round of operations focusing on the Myawaddy area, where Myanmar cleared multiple scam compounds and detained groups of suspects.

According to the ministry, more than 6,600 Chinese nationals suspected of telecom fraud have been escorted back to China since Feb 20.

The ministry said the multinational crackdown on cross-border telecom fraud is ongoing, and China will continue strengthening law-enforcement cooperation to dismantle criminal networks and safeguard public security.