World

Myanmar leader shops for support, weapons in Moscow

Published

2 years ago

July 17, 2022

Myanmar leader shops for support, weapons in Moscow

With each regimes more and more remoted on the world stage, Myanmar’s high common has been in Moscow to satisfy senior officers from Russia’s defence ministry, pledging deeper navy ties and cooperation on nuclear vitality.

“They frankly exchanged views on additional promotion of present pleasant relations and military-technological cooperation,” Myanmar state media reported, following a gathering between Senior Normal Min Aung Hlaing and Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

Russia has emerged as one of the necessary backers of Myanmar’s navy, which seized energy in a coup in February 2021, regardless of a 2020 election victory by Aung San Suu Kyi’s Nationwide League for Democracy. The brand new regime has little worldwide legitimacy and has struggled to regulate a rustic that erupted first in mass protests after which armed resistance towards its rule.

Even Russia has averted giving formal recognition to the navy as the federal government of Myanmar, agreeing to permit the ambassador appointed by the overthrown authorities to maintain his seat on the United Nations. And whereas Min Aung Hlaing has made a number of journeys to Russia because the coup, he has not been granted a much-coveted viewers with President Vladimir Putin.

However whilst many Western nations have imposed sanctions on the navy, its leaders and enterprise pursuits, Russia and China have continued arming the regime, even because it turns its weapons by itself civilians, killing greater than 2,000 individuals in lower than 18 months.

“The Putin regime is aiding and abetting the Myanmar navy’s struggle crimes and crimes towards humanity, which it’s committing every day with whole impunity,” mentioned Khin Ohmar, chairperson of human rights organisation Progressive Voice.

Probably the most essential items of help has been to the regime’s air pressure, whose commander can also be a part of the delegation in Russia. The navy is going through fierce resistance from newly shaped anti-coup armed teams, often called the Folks’s Defence Forces (PDF), in addition to extra established ethnic armed organisations, which have fought for political autonomy for many years.

Whereas these allied teams have shocked many analysts with their battlefield victories because the coup, none has warplanes, so the navy’s air dominance provides it a definite benefit.

Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based safety analyst, says the “navy’s present counterinsurgency marketing campaign depends critically on Russian and Soviet-era air frames” for assaults, provide strains, evacuations and troop transport.

“With no dependable provide of spare elements, air-launched munitions not produced in-country, and a few coaching help, the air pressure would quickly be in deep trouble,” he added.

Civilians pressured out

The UN says some 700,000 individuals have been pressured from their houses on account of the preventing because the coup, with Min Aung Hlaing vowing to “annihilate” the navy’s opponents.

Earlier this month, native media outlet The Irrawaddy reported that two of six promised Russian Su-30 fighter jets arrived secretly in Myanmar in March.

On Thursday, Radio Free Asia reported that navy helicopters opened fireplace in Tabayin township in Sagaing area, a PDF stronghold, forcing 4,000 civilians to flee from 15 villages.

In a current report, Amnesty Worldwide mentioned it documented eight air strikes concentrating on villages and a camp for internally displaced individuals between January and March of this 12 months in Kayah and Karen states, the place outstanding ethnic armed teams function.

“In virtually all documented assaults, solely civilians seem to have been current,” the report mentioned.

Amnesty says the navy has used Russian MiG-29s and Yak-130s, and Chinese language F-7s and Ok-8s.

“Indiscriminate air strikes are a key tactic of the illegitimate junta, because it wages a nationwide marketing campaign of terror. The junta makes use of Russian fighter jets and helicopter gunships to assault the individuals of Myanmar and raze complete communities,” mentioned Ohmar, accusing Russia of profiteering from atrocities.

Davis says Russia “has been the primary beneficiary” of the navy’s efforts to keep away from over-reliance on China “significantly by way of gross sales of navy aviation”. He mentioned this sample of diversification started greater than a decade in the past.

Myanmar sources a lot of its weaponry from Russia and China [File: Nyein Chan Naing/EPA]

“For the reason that coup, perennial suspicions over rising Chinese language ambitions in Myanmar within the higher echelons of a now embattled navy have solely gone to underscore the advantages, political, navy and financial, of a better relationship with Russia,” he mentioned.

The Myanmar navy additionally brought on a stir by claiming Min Aung Hlaing mentioned the “peaceable use of nuclear vitality” throughout a gathering on his journey with Rosatom, Russia’s state-run nuclear vitality company, which additionally oversees nuclear weapons.

However Guillaume de Langre, a Myanmar vitality professional and former authorities adviser, dismisses talks of nuclear vitality as unrealistic.

“Myanmar doesn’t have a single nuclear scientist. So, both Russia is keen to construct and function energy crops and the complete provide chain, from gas to waste, or Myanmar has to spend the following decade coaching nuclear scientists,” he mentioned.

De Langre additionally argues the coup “put the ability sector on a freeway to chapter” and the navy regime “doesn’t have a lot credibility as a purchaser or as guarantor of the safety of infrastructure tasks”.

ASEAN defence assembly

Min Aung Hlaing’s week-long go to – state media reported he returned to Yangon on Saturday evening – comes at a time when the navy finds itself more and more remoted, and with Russia going through a global backlash over its February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The Myanmar navy regime, recognized formally because the State Administration Council (SAC), on Wednesday expelled the UK’s high diplomat after he refused to current credentials to Min Aung Hlaing and sought to downgrade his standing from ambassador to cost d’affaires advert interim.

The UK’s defence attaché for Myanmar tweeted that the regime was shifting “additional into the diplomatic wilderness”.

1/2 My time in Myanmar involves an abrupt finish at this time. Unhappy & sorry to have been pressured by the junta to depart however glad we didn’t cave to strain to legitimise their brutal coup #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
— Pete Vowles (@PeteVowles) July 13, 2022

Even the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), lengthy recognized for its coverage of not interfering in inner affairs, has given the SAC the chilly shoulder, refusing to permit Min Aung Hlaing or his overseas minister to attend high-level summits after the regime’s failure to make progress on a collectively agreed five-point plan to deal with the disaster.

However some want to see extra motion, together with the exclusion of the regime’s defence minister, who has been allowed to proceed attending ASEAN gatherings.

This month’s ASEAN counterterrorism assembly is to be co-hosted by Russia and Myanmar and can begin in Moscow on July 20.

“It’s absurd that ASEAN is permitting the aggressor Russia and the terrorist Myanmar navy to co-chair a counterterrorism assembly, which is able to solely gas their deplorable acts of terror,” Ohmar mentioned, urging democratic nations to boycott the occasion.

Australia and New Zealand have already pulled out of the assembly, however Japan, South Korea and the US haven’t but made their choices public, regardless of all three imposing sanctions on Moscow.

Myanmar’s navy is prone to politicise the assembly.

Throughout a earlier digital assembly in December, the navy included a session accusing its political opponents of “terrorism”, in accordance with emails from Australia’s Division of Defence, which have been obtained in a freedom of data request by campaigning group Justice for Myanmar.

“I urge their governments to … withdraw from that assembly and all future conferences with the Myanmar navy junta,” Ohmar mentioned.

Click to comment

World

Consejos para disfrutar de las celebraciones de fin de año, sin estrés

Published

8 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Consejos para disfrutar de las celebraciones de fin de año, sin estrés

NUEVA YORK (AP) — Todos conocemos los factores de estrés: obligaciones sociales, rencillas familiares, divisiones políticas, estrés financiero y el deseo de mantenerse alegre y generoso todo el tiempo.

Así que aquí va un recordatorio sobre cómo desterrar a tu perfeccionista interior y disfrutar verdaderamente de la temporada festiva:

“Realmente ayuda dejar de lado algunos de los ‘deberías’”, dice Lynn F. Bufka, jefa de práctica de la Asociación Estadounidense de Psicología. “Decide cuál es la cosa que más importa, y las cosas que te brindan más alegría, y suelta las demás”.

Las tradiciones pueden cambiar y evolucionar, y cuanto más flexibles sean las cosas, más fácil será para todos, dice Bufka.

“Concentra tu energía en crear un espacio cálido para que las personas que amas se reúnan y relajen, se pongan al día y celebren unos a otros. Eso es literalmente todo lo que importa”, concuerda Lauren Iannotti, editora en jefe de Real Simple.

Algunos consejos:

Concéntrate en lo que te hace feliz

Podrías decidir que la conversación es tu objetivo principal y no preocuparte en absoluto por la decoración, dice Bufka. O si la decoración de la mesa es lo que amas, invierte tu energía allí y no te preocupes tanto por otros aspectos.

“Idealmente, debería tratarse de enfocarse en el amor, y eso no significa lo mismo para todos”, dice Bufka.

Permite que otros hagan las cosas por ti.

“La gente quiere ayudar, ¡déjalos!”, dice Iannotti. “Si no te ENCANTA cocinar todas esas guarniciones, o tienes poco tiempo, no hay ninguna vergüenza en aceptar que tu hermana haga el relleno. O busca ayuda de los profesionales: apoya a un restaurante local haciendo un pedido de catering”.

Otra opción es que “cada uno traiga un plato distintivo”, dice Ianotti. “Ahorrarás tiempo y dinero en la preparación y la cocina y tus invitados podrán mostrar sus habilidades”.

Darte permiso para tomar atajos

“Está bien si la casa está un poco desordenada o si la cena se sirve unos minutos tarde”, dice Iannotti. “Si las personas que has invitado están más interesadas en evaluar tu desempeño que en pasar un buen rato, pueden discutirlo con su terapeuta”. (Por cierto, no lo están, añade ella).

Y no dudes en dejar que la gente se sirva por sí misma, cuando sea posible. “Si no tienes tiempo para jugar a ser el barman, crea una bebida insignia con anticipación que puedas servir a todos tus invitados. También puedes simplemente dejar algunos mezcladores para que los invitados se sirvan y hagan sus propias creaciones”, sugiere Caroline Utz, directora editorial y de estrategia en The Spruce.

Está bien tener tiempo a solas

Las cosas funcionarán lo suficientemente bien si no lo supervisas todo, así que cuídate. Tómate pausas o caminatas si eso te ayuda a mantenerte centrado.

“Aunque el mindfulness se está convirtiendo en un término demasiado utilizado en la sociedad actual, hay algo valioso que podemos tomar de esto y aplicar a la temporada de fin de año”, dice Brook Choulet, psiquiatra deportiva y de rendimiento de concierge y fundadora de Choulet Performance Psychiatry.

Ella recomienda “programar microdescansos intencionales” para hacer algo que disfrutes.

“Por ejemplo, podrías programar una llamada telefónica con un amigo de otro estado, tomar un paseo de 15 minutos al aire libre, o incluso ajustar el temporizador y tomar un baño de 15 minutos sin interrupciones”, dijo.

Espera algo de discordia y no te alarmes por ello

“Si te preocupa la polarización y entrar en conversaciones incómodas, intenta pensar en maneras en que puedas terminar una conversación o cambiarla de dirección”, dice Bufka.

Ella recomienda preparar algunas frases de antemano para ayudar a terminar la conversación o cambiarla de dirección.

En resumen, tener la intención de una temporada festiva menos perfecta puede ser justo lo que necesitas.

___

Katherine Roth cubre temas de vida y estilo y otros temas para The Associated Press desde Nueva York.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

World

Azerbaijan Airlines plane headed to Russia crashes hundreds of miles off course, dozens feared dead

Published

8 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Azerbaijan Airlines plane headed to Russia crashes hundreds of miles off course, dozens feared dead

Dozens of passengers are feared dead after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, reports say.

The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, Kazakh authorities announced, saying 32 survivors had been rescued.

Flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Officials did not immediately explain why it had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane’s flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

Russia’s aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

MORE THAN 30 DEAD IN BRAZIL BUS AND TRUCK COLLISION

In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)

Those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhstani and three Kyrgyzstani citizens, according to Kazakhstani officials.

Russian news agency Interfax reported that both pilots died in the crash, citing a preliminary assessment by emergency workers at the scene. The news agency also quoted medical workers who stated that four bodies had been recovered from the crash so far.

A total of 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized, the ministry told Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti, the Associated Press reported. Many passengers have yet to be accounted for.

MALAYSIA AGREES TO RESUME ‘NO FIND, NO FEE’ HUNT FOR FLIGHT MH370, 10 YEARS AFTER PLANE DISAPPEARED

More than 30 are feared dead following the crash near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)

Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. Bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who had been traveling to Russia, returned to Azerbaijan upon hearing news of the crash, the president’s press service said. Aliyev was due to attend an informal meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a bloc of former Soviet countries founded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in St. Petersburg.

Emergency crews at the site of the Azerbaijani airliner crash on Dec. 25, 2024. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)

Aliyev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on social media.

“It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” he wrote.

He also signed a decree declaring Dec. 26 a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.

The plane was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus, the Associated Press reports. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)

In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.

“We ask God for mercy on the passengers and crew members who lost their lives,” a translated statement on X said. “Their pain is our pain. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

World

Who is Europe's top investor in space in 2023?

Published

9 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Who is Europe's top investor in space in 2023?

Luxembourg remains Europe’s top investor in space in a year when defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets for the first time since the 1990s.

Global public investment in space hit a record high of €106 billion in 2023, an 11% increase compared to 2022.

In Europe, the total funding was €11.9 billion, showing a modest 1% rise in its share of global space investment.

According to the European Space Agency, defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets last year for the first time since the 1990s. Defence expenditures in space are projected to grow faster than civil spending, making up 53% of the budget in 2024.

The US continues to dominate global space investment, accounting for 64% of the total budget, while China holds a strong second place, growing its share from an estimated 2% in 2000 to 12% in 2023 through long-term programmes in both civil and defence.

Europe ranks third, contributing 11% of the global space budget in 2023.

What share of their GDP do EU countries spend on public space budgets?

Luxembourg remains Europe’s leading investor in space, dedicating 0.135% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the sector.

Globally, the country ranks third behind the US (0.262%) and Russia (0.169%).

In Europe, Luxembourg is followed by France, which invests 0.167% of its GDP, Italy at 0.103%, and Belgium at 0.095%.

On the other hand, private investment in space has continued to decline in 2023, dropping by 32% compared to 2022.

Europe also saw a 14% decrease in 2023 compared to the year before, with private space ventures receiving just below €980 million.

Although the US accounts for most of the global decline in 2023, its space sector continues to attract the largest share of investments at 60%, followed by Europe with 16% and China with 9%.

What was the state of space activity in 2023?

There were 221 orbital launches in 2023, an 18% increase compared to 2022.

Yet, a total of 212 launches were successful.

The US carried out more than half of the launches, with 96 of them conducted by SpaceX.

China accounted for 30% with 67 launches, a 5% increase from 2022, and Russia completed 19 launches.

The European launch service provider conducted three launches in 2023, including Europe’s first mission to Jupiter, which aimed to explore whether the planet’s three moons — Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede — could support life in their oceans.

Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz