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Myanmar’s junta—the State Administration Council (SAC)—is illegal and illegitimate, the UN human rights expert on Myanmar said. He called for the international community to deny the SAC legitimacy, create a coalition of member states to enforce strong, coordinated sanctions against the SAC, and support the National Unity Government which has a stronger claim to legitimacy. UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner
Myanmar’s junta was granted a six-month extension to a state of emergency, state media reported Wednesday, likely delaying elections the military had pledged to hold by August. The country has been in turmoil since the army’s power grab in 2021, and a subsequent crackdown on dissent has sparked fighting across swathes of the nation while tanking the economy. On the second anniversary of the putsch, state media reported that the National Defence and Security Council […]
Singapore has detained an 18-year-old man, accusing him of supporting the Islamic State group and planning to carry out attacks, security officials said Wednesday. Muhammad Irfan Danyal bin Mohamad Nor, a Singaporean student, was detained in December under the Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial for up to two years. He became radicalised after viewing Islamic State group propaganda online, authorities said in a statement, adding that he wanted to use social […]
A 6.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern Philippines on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, with local authorities warning of aftershocks and possible damage. The shallow quake struck at 6:44 pm (1044 GMT), near Monkayo municipality in Davao de Oro province on Mindanao island. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones, but there were no immediate reports of major damage in the remote and mountainous gold mining region. Monkayo police Staff Sergeant Harvey […]
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Streets emptied and shops closed in protest across Myanmar on Wednesday, the second anniversary of the coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s government, with the junta hinting it may extend a state of emergency and delay new elections. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military’s power grab and bloody crackdown on dissent, which has sparked fighting across swathes of the country and tanked the economy. Western powers launched a […]
Myanmar’s junta on Tuesday said the country had “not returned to normalcy” almost two years after its coup, casting doubt over plans for elections and ending a state of emergency. The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since the military toppled democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government, alleging massive fraud during elections her party won in 2020. A junta-imposed state of emergency is due to expire at the end of January, after […]
A pilot was killed after a military fighter jet crashed in northern Vietnam during a training session on Tuesday, state media reported. The plane –- a Russian-made Sukhoi SU-22 belonging to the People’s Army of Vietnam air force — joined the training session around midday before crashing at a military airport in mountainous Yen Bai province, according to Vietnam News Agency. “The pilot was ordered to parachute out of the jet but he tried to […]
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Junta plans for elections in coup-hit Myanmar this year will “fuel greater violence”, a United Nations special envoy said on Tuesday, calling for the international community to unite in opposition. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military toppled democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government almost two years ago, alleging massive fraud during elections her party won in 2020. The junta-imposed state of emergency is due to expire at […]
Bangkok, Thailand | AFP | Tuesday 1/24/2023 Thai police seized 1.1 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine in less than a week, officers said Tuesday, as the kingdom cracks down on smuggling that has surged since the country’s borders reopened. The haul comes after a spike in clashes between police and smugglers in the kingdom’s remote northern hinterlands, long a hub for the trade in illegal narcotics. Following a tip-off, police arrested 10 Thai nationals in a […]
Monterey Park, United States (AFP) by Gilles CLARENNE Ten people have died and at least 10 others have been wounded in a mass shooting in a largely Asian city in southern California, police said Sunday, with the suspect still at large hours later. The gunman opened fire at a dance venue in Monterey Park, as the local community were celebrating Lunar New Year, with witnesses saying he shot indiscriminately with a semiautomatic weapon. Captain Andrew […]
Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | An offshore earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 hit near eastern Indonesia’s Maluku islands on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported, triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted. The epicentre of the tremor was located 150 kilometres (93 miles) northwest of the eastern Indonesian island of Halmahera, at a depth of 48 kilometres. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage. The quake occurred around 13:06 pm local […]
Hanoi, Vietnam (AFP) Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has resigned, state media said Tuesday, after days of rumours he was about to be sacked as part of a major anti-corruption drive that has seen several ministers fired. The sudden departure is a highly unusual move in communist Vietnam, where political changes are normally carefully orchestrated, with an emphasis on cautious stability. Only one other Communist Party president has ever stepped down, and that was for […]
