Myanmar military extends state of emergency for another six months
The declaration is widely anticipated to be the last before the military holds long-delayed national polls this year. Myanmar’s military has extended its state of emergency for another six months as it struggles to maintain its increasingly fragile grip on power, with fighting raging on multiple fronts across the country. The military-controlled National Defence and Security Council renewed the emergency rule in a meeting in the capital Naypyidaw on Friday, a day before the four-year anniversary of a coup that plunged the country into chaos after a decade of tentative democracy. “All members of National Defence and Security Council including the commander in chief as well as acting president decided in unison for the extension of the state of emergency for another six months according to the section 425 of the 2008 constitution,” the statement said. “There are still more tasks to be done to hold the general election successfully. Especially for a free and fair election, stability and peace is still needed,” state-run MRTV said on its Telegram channel in announcing the extension of emergency rule. Myanmar has been in turmoil since February 1, 2021, when the military seized power from the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government and arrested its hugely popular leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Advertisement Justifying the coup, the military claimed, without evidence, that the NLD had committed widespread voter fraud in the 2020 elections that it won by a landslide three months earlier. The military imposed a yearlong state of emergency after seizing power, extending it for six-month intervals multiple times as it brutally crushed peaceful pro-democracy protests and battled ethnic armed groups and anti-military fighters that emerged in response to the coup. The military’s Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing – who is also serving as the country’s self-appointed prime minister and president – had promised to hold elections by August 2023. But he has repeatedly delayed doing so due to the increasingly intense armed rebellion unfolding across the country. Myanmar’s military has suffered a string of damaging defeats in the north and west of the country since late 2023, in what the United States Institute of Peace has described as a crisis of an “unprecedented scale” for the military – which has dominated the country’s politics since the 1960s. Despite this turmoil, growing internal and external pressure means the military is widely expected to hold the long-delayed national elections in late 2025. Opposition groups have pledged to violently disrupt the polls, which they condemn as an attempt to legitimise the military regime which seized power four years ago. Under the military-drafted 2008 constitution, authorities are required to hold elections within six months of a state of emergency being lifted, which is slated for July 31. Advertisement Richard Horsey, Myanmar adviser to the Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that most indications point to elections finally being held later this year, with November traditionally being the month in which polls take place in Myanmar. “The National Defence and Security Council meeting is scheduled for July 31, or there could be an ad hoc meeting called before then, to potentially declare an end to the state of emergency,” Horsey told Al Jazeera. “Then they have six months to organise the polls.” Horsey added that the end of the state of emergency and the subsequent elections imply a “return to rule by the 2008 military-drafted constitution”, a move that would be welcomed by members of Myanmar’s military and its main backer, China. “A return to the 2008 constitution is seen as hopefully leading to a little bit more predictability and less random decisions [by Ming Aung Hlaing],” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Three million Hindus take ‘holy dip’ a day after fatal crowd crush
Millions of Hindus have thronged the northern Indian city of Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh Mela festival, a day after dozens died at a crowd crush at the world’s largest religious gathering. Train and bus stations in the city saw a surge in crowds as people continued to arrive for the festival, although some devotees remained nervous after the deadly crush. Krishna Soni, a student from the western state of Rajasthan’s Bikaner city, and his family of eight linked themselves together with string to ensure they would not lose each other in the massive crowd. Police said 30 people were killed in Wednesday’s crush and 60 were injured. The Mahakumbh Mela – held every 12 years – is expected to draw some 400 million devotees this year, officials estimate. The festival is taking place at a 4,000-hectare (9,900-acre) temporary township created for the purpose on the river banks – the size of 7,500 football fields. About 150,000 tents have been erected to accommodate devotees along with almost an equal number of toilets. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Israel attacks Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, violates ceasefire deal again
In the two months from November 27 to Monday, Israel killed at least 83 people in Lebanon Israel has launched a wave of attacks on Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in its latest breach of a fragile ceasefire agreement with the Hezbollah group. The Israeli army said on Friday it struck “multiple” Hezbollah targets in the area near the border with Syria in the east, as tensions escalated following its extension of a recent deadline for removing its troops from the country. The army claimed that the sites it targeted in the overnight attack include “underground infrastructure used to develop and manufacture weaponry” and sites on the border used to “smuggle weaponry into Lebanon”. Israel was supposed to complete its army’s withdrawal from Lebanon by January 26 under a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah agreed last November. However, it refused to do so and the deadline was then extended to February 18. Under the terms of the ceasefire, the Lebanese army is to deploy in the south as Hezbollah pulls its forces back north of the Litani River, some 30km (20 miles) from the border. Israel made clear it had no intention of meeting the deadline, claiming that the Lebanese army had not fulfilled its side of the bargain. Advertisement In the two months from November 27 to Monday, Israel killed at least 83 people in Lebanon, according to data obtained from Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. At least 228 were also injured as displaced residents tried to return to villages where Israeli soldiers remain stationed. Earlier this week, as thousands of people in Lebanon tried to return to their homes, Israeli forces killed at least 24 in southern Lebanon. This week, Lebanese media reported repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Israeli military, including attacks on the town of Taybeh and village of Kfar Kila, both on the border with Israel. The most recent drone attack injured at least five people in the southern Lebanese town of Majdal Selem on Wednesday, the Reuters news agency reported. From the beginning of the conflict on October 8, 2023 to November 26, 2024, Israeli forces killed at least 3,961 people across Lebanon and injured more than 16,520. Adblock test (Why?)
Chaotic crowds complicate third Israel-Hamas exchange
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Israel and Palestinian armed groups led by Hamas completed a tense third exchange of captives for prisoners.
What are the risks of violence in the eastern DRC spreading regionally?
M23 rebels have taken control of Goma, capital of North Kivu province in eastern DRC. Since re-emerging just more than three years ago, Rwanda-backed rebels have advanced steadily through the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing towns and villages, and forcing people from their homes. M23 is just one of hundreds of rebel groups in the country and has been fighting the army for years. But the latest escalation could mark a major shift, with serious implications for regional stability. So, does diplomacy stand a chance to defuse the escalating tensions? Presenter: Elizabeth Puranam Guests: Vava Tampa – Founder and chief campaigner of Save the Congo, a grassroots campaign group Richard Moncrieff – Project director for the Great Lakes region at the International Crisis Group Kambale Musavuli – Spokesperson for the advocacy organisation, Friends of the Congo Adblock test (Why?)
Key takeaways from Tulsi Gabbard’s US Senate confirmation hearing
Washington, DC – Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, has faced tough questions from United States lawmakers over her past positions, including her support for whistleblower Edward Snowden. At a confirmation hearing on Thursday, senators also grilled Gabbard over a 2017 visit to Syria, where she met with then-President Bashar al-Assad. A former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, Gabbard has been outspoken against interventionist foreign policy. She unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, and two years later, she quit the Democratic Party, decrying it as an “elitist cabal of warmongers”. She subsequently started campaigning for Republican candidates, including Trump. If confirmed, Gabbard would become the chief of the US intelligence community, which is composed of several agencies, including the FBI and CIA. She would also brief and advise the president on security matters. Gabbard is one of many controversial nominees Trump has appointed to key positions. Advertisement But with a 53-seat majority in the 100-member Senate, Republicans are expected to confirm all of Trump’s picks. Gabbard faced her first test as a nominee in front of sceptical lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday. Below are some key takeaways from the hearing. Snowden, Snowden, Snowden Several Democrats and even some Republicans on the panel invoked Gabbard’s past statements backing Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor who leaked documents about mass surveillance programmes in the US government. In 2020, a US court found that the surveillance exposed by Snowden, including collecting phone records, was illegal. Snowden, who initially fled to Hong Kong, was granted asylum in Russia after the US government revoked his passport. Gabard previously called Snowden a “brave” whistleblower, and in 2020, she co-sponsored a House resolution urging the US government to drop all charges against Snowden. On Thursday, Gabbard was questioned aggressively about that position. Democratic Senator Michael Bennet asked her several times whether she considers Snowden a traitor. The former congresswoman refused to do so. She walked a fine-line by stressing that Snowden broke the law and that she does not agree with his actions, while not fully condemning him. “The fact is, he also — even as he broke the law — released information that exposed egregious, illegal and unconstitutional programmes,” she said. Gabbard, who served in the US military and remains an army reservist, also stressed that she herself has never leaked secret information. Advertisement Earlier on Thursday, Snowden suggested that Gabbard should disavow him to secure her confirmation. “Tell them I harmed national security and the sweet, soft feelings of staff,” he wrote in a social media post. “In DC, that’s what passes for the pledge of allegiance.” Tulsi Gabbard will be required to disown all prior support for whistleblowers as a condition of confirmation today. I encourage her to do so. Tell them I harmed national security and the sweet, soft feelings of staff. In D.C., that’s what passes for the pledge of allegiance. pic.twitter.com/Z1OmOHgvdU — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 30, 2025 Al-Assad meeting Another issue that kept resurfacing during the hearing was Gabbard’s 2017 trip to Syria and Lebanon. Gabbard met with al-Assad at a time when the US was calling on him to step down over the atrocities committed by his government. “I asked him tough questions about his own regime’s actions, the use of chemical weapons and the brutal tactics that were being used against his own people,” she said. Gabbard also denied meeting with any Hezbollah officials while in Lebanon. When asked whether meeting with al-Assad was good judgement, Gabbard said yes. “I believe that leaders — whether you be in Congress or the president of the United States — can benefit greatly by going and engaging boots on the ground, learning and listening and meeting directly with people, whether they be adversaries or friends,” she said. Gabbard said her main concern has been “extremist” Syrian rebels. Advertisement The former congresswoman also slammed Syria’s new leadership, composed of former rebels who toppled al-Assad’s government in December. She described the fall of al-Assad as “the sudden takeover of Syria by Islamist extremists”. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main rebel group that captured Damascus last year, had past ties to al-Qaeda. HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is now the transitional president of Syria. The US previously offered a reward for capturing al-Sharaa, but it was revoked after US officials visited him in Damascus in December. Pro-Trump message In her opening remarks, Gabbard paid a nod to the president who nominated her, Trump, amplifying his claims that he was targeted by intelligence officials for political reasons. She invoked the foreign surveillance warrant that authorities used to surveil a Trump aide ahead of the 2016 elections, as they investigated possible ties between the campaign and Russia. “The American people elected Donald Trump as their president, not once, but twice,” she said. “Yet, the FBI and intelligence agencies were politicised by his opponents to undermine his presidency and falsely portray him as a puppet of Putin.” She pledged to deliver “unbiased” findings to Trump, saying that “weaponised” intelligence can lead to terrible consequences. Gabbard cited the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which was based on false reports that the country had weapons of mass destruction. “This disastrous decision led to the deaths of tens of thousands of American soldiers, millions of people in the Middle East, mass migration, destabilisation and undermining of the security and stability of our European allies, the rise of ISIS, strengthening of al-Qaeda and other Islamist jihadist groups and strengthening Iran,” she said. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Video shows moment US passenger plane collides with helicopter
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Video captured by a web camera shows the moment a US passenger plane collided with a military helicopter.
Rohingya refugees’ boat runs aground in Indonesia’s Aceh province
Refugees were initially blocked by local residents from landing, but have now been taken to temporary shelters. More than 70 Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in Myanmar have arrived at a tourist beach in Indonesia’s Aceh province. Local police chief Nova Suryandaru said a wooden boat carrying 40 men, 32 women and four children ran aground in Pereulak region in East Aceh on Wednesday after its engine broke down. Nova said the refugees were taken to temporary shelters and that authorities were collecting information about their identities. The boat had arrived at the beach in the afternoon but was blocked from landing by locals until about 8pm (13:00 GMT). The police chief said police negotiated with residents, explaining that the boat had been “deliberately damaged” and that it was “impossible” for the boat to operate again. He said many suspected illegal traffickers had damaged the boat, which reportedly set off from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh in the hope of reaching Malaysia. According to the United Nations, more than 2,000 Rohingya arrived in Indonesia in 2023 – higher than the combined total of arrivals in the previous four years. Advertisement In the past year alone, more than 600 Rohingya refugees have landed in East Aceh. Earlier this month, more than 260 people – mostly women and children – landed in Pereulak in two boats. About one million Rohingya, who are predominantly Muslim, are currently in camps in Bangladesh after leaving Myanmar. They include about 740,000 who fled a brutal “clearance campaign” in 2017 by Myanmar’s security forces, who were accused of committing mass rapes and killings. The Rohingya minority face widespread discrimination in Myanmar and most are denied citizenship. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli female soldier released in Gaza as part of ceasefire deal
BREAKINGBREAKING, In return, Israel is due to release 110 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons later today. An Israeli female soldier held in Gaza has been released in the third phase of a ceasefire and captive exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. The release of Agam Berger took place on Thursday as she emerged from under the rubble at the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza that has repeatedly been targeted by Israeli forces since it launched its war on Gaza in October 2023. Berger was the first of eight captives due to be released today, including five Thai nationals. The release of captives on Thursday will be taking place at locations across Gaza, including outside what used to be the house of former Hamas political chief Yahya Sinwar in the southern city of Khan Younis. For all the latest on the release and what’s happening in Gaza, you can follow our live coverage here. In return, Israel is due to release 110 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons later today. Last Saturday, Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers held in Gaza and 200 Palestinians were released from Israeli jails as part of the agreement that halted more than 15 months of war. More to come … Adblock test (Why?)
‘Gulf of America’: Mexico lodging complaint over Google Maps change
NewsFeed Mexico’s president said her government will lodge a complaint with Google after the tech giant changed “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” for US users of its map service. She added that they will request to rename North America as Mexican America. Published On 29 Jan 202529 Jan 2025 Adblock test (Why?)