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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, March 25
JAKARTA -- One was killed and nine others, including children, went missing after a landslide struck a village in the Indonesian province of West Java on Sunday, a local official said Monday. The disaster took place in Cibenda village in West Bandung regency on Sunday after torrential rain reportedly poured over the area for around two hours. (Indonesia-Landslide) - - - - SYDNEY -- Local media repo.....»»
Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, March 25
JAKARTA -- One was killed and nine others, including children, went missing after a landslide struck a village in the Indonesian province of West Java on Sunday, a local official said Monday. The disaster took place in Cibenda village in West Bandung regency on Sunday after torrential rain reportedly poured over the area for around two hours. (Indonesia-Landslide) - - - - SYDNEY -- Local media repo.....»»
Hamas tells mediators it will stick to original position on ceasefire
Hamas earlier presents a Gaza ceasefire proposal to mediators and the United States in mid-March that includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for freedom for Palestinian prisoners, 100 of whom are serving life sentences.....»»
UN Security Council fails to pass US resolution calling for Gaza ceasefire
In a recent session at the United Nations Security Council, Russia and China vetoed a US draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s ongoing.....»»
UN barking up the wrong tree
Negotiations with the terror group Hamas, the crux of the humanitarian pause being pushed in the Gaza Strip by the United Nations, or UN, are backed by groups with an ax to grind against the United States and Israel. The UN said the halt in hostilities is needed to bring in aid and provide fuel primarily to run the electricity for hospitals to maintain medical operations. At the height of the terror attack, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said Hamas bandits ransacked the UN office and carted away provisions, including fuel. The UN agency, which provides aid to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and is the only specialized UN agency for a particular group of refugees, warned it would have to halt operations if no fuel was delivered. The lack of fuel means hospitals and water desalination plants will not function. While there have been limited deliveries of food, water, and medicines, no fuel has been allowed, as Israel is concerned about Hamas’ possible diversion of fuel deliveries. White House national security spokesman John Kirby described Israel’s concerns as legitimate. A satellite image provided by the Israel Defense Forces showed Hamas owns fuel tanks near the Rafah border crossing, containing 500,000 liters of fuel. The IDF suggested that the United Nations ask Hamas for fuel after it showed the satellite images on social media. “Ask Hamas if you can have some,” the IDF wrote. Rafah is the main crossing in and out of Gaza that does not border Israel. It has become the focus of efforts to deliver aid since Israel imposed a “total siege” of the enclave in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants on 7 October. Israel’s military spokesperson Daniel Hagari recounted that Hamas has been stealing fuel from UNRWA, prompting the decision to block the fuel supply to Gaza. “Petrol will not enter Gaza. Hamas takes the petrol for its military infrastructure,” he said. Another IDF spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said the photographs belied Hamas’s claims that “it does not have enough fuel to support hospitals and bakeries.” The IDF added: “Hamas-ISIS steals this fuel from civilians and transfers it to its tunnels, rocket launchers, and leaders. This is what Hamas’s list of priorities looks like.” Hamas propaganda said that a power outage at the Indonesian Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip was a “crime against humanity” and called on Arab and Muslim countries and the UN to address the crisis. A power outage hit the hospital on Monday night due to a fuel shortage. It was news network Al Jazeera which reported that electricity was restored during the night, but the hospital only had fuel to operate generators for 48 more hours, after which lifesaving medical devices such as respirators and incubators would cease functioning. The fuel supply from Israel was halted after the 7 October terror assault. Under the cover of a barrage of thousands of rockets, over 2,500 gunmen crossed the border and rampaged murderously through southern Israeli towns, killing more than 1,400, most of whom were civilians. More than 220 were taken hostage. Now, Hamas is trying to deceive the world by crying in violation of human rights with the denial of fuel to the territory it controls. The outrageous twist Hamas applies to the atrocities it initiated then is swallowed lock, stock and barrel by the UN, which is pounding on Israel for a humanitarian pause. “Residents of Gaza, the address for your complaints is not Israel. It’s Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Deif, and other Hamas-ISIS members who pushed Gaza into this abyss,” according to the IDF. The IDF has disputed the so-called humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip that the UN and Hamas are peddling. “As of now, I can tell you that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There are hardships in moving people within days to the south of the Gaza Strip, but the population is getting along,” an IDF official said. Another indicator that the terror organization controlling Gaza has little concern for the civilians is their obstructing the movement of the Gaza residents south as Israel had directed to the extent of confiscating the car keys of individuals. Hamas is the source of the crisis that the UN said should be solved, which is precisely what Israel is trying to do in committing to wipe out the terror group from the planet. The post UN barking up the wrong tree appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UN barking upthe wrong tree
Negotiations with the terror group Hamas, the crux of the humanitarian pause being pushed in the Gaza Strip by the United Nations, or UN, are backed by groups with an ax to grind against the United States and Israel. The UN said the halt in hostilities is needed to bring in aid and provide fuel primarily to run the electricity for hospitals to maintain medical operations. At the height of the terror attack, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said Hamas bandits ransacked the UN office and carted away provisions, including fuel. The UN agency, which provides aid to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and is the only specialized UN agency for a particular group of refugees, warned it would have to halt operations if no fuel was delivered. The lack of fuel means hospitals and water desalination plants will not function. While there have been limited deliveries of food, water, and medicines, no fuel has been allowed, as Israel is concerned about Hamas’ possible diversion of fuel deliveries. White House national security spokesman John Kirby described Israel’s concerns as legitimate. A satellite image provided by the Israel Defense Forces showed Hamas owns fuel tanks near the Rafah border crossing, containing 500,000 liters of fuel. The IDF suggested that the United Nations ask Hamas for fuel after it showed the satellite images on social media. “Ask Hamas if you can have some,” the IDF wrote. Rafah is the main crossing in and out of Gaza that does not border Israel. It has become the focus of efforts to deliver aid since Israel imposed a “total siege” of the enclave in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants on 7 October. Israel’s military spokesperson Daniel Hagari recounted that Hamas has been stealing fuel from UNRWA, prompting the decision to block the fuel supply to Gaza. “Petrol will not enter Gaza. Hamas takes the petrol for its military infrastructure,” he said. Another IDF spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said the photographs belied Hamas’s claims that “it does not have enough fuel to support hospitals and bakeries.” The IDF added: “Hamas-ISIS steals this fuel from civilians and transfers it to its tunnels, rocket launchers, and leaders. This is what Hamas’s list of priorities looks like.” Hamas propaganda said that a power outage at the Indonesian Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip was a “crime against humanity” and called on Arab and Muslim countries and the UN to address the crisis. A power outage hit the hospital on Monday night due to a fuel shortage. It was news network Al Jazeera which reported that electricity was restored during the night, but the hospital only had fuel to operate generators for 48 more hours, after which lifesaving medical devices such as respirators and incubators would cease functioning. The fuel supply from Israel was halted after the 7 October terror assault. Under the cover of a barrage of thousands of rockets, over 2,500 gunmen crossed the border and rampaged murderously through southern Israeli towns, killing more than 1,400, most of whom were civilians. More than 220 were taken hostage. Now, Hamas is trying to deceive the world by crying in violation of human rights with the denial of fuel to the territory it controls. The outrageous twist Hamas applies to the atrocities it initiated then is swallowed lock, stock and barrel by the UN, which is pounding on Israel for a humanitarian pause. “Residents of Gaza, the address for your complaints is not Israel. It’s Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Deif, and other Hamas-ISIS members who pushed Gaza into this abyss,” according to the IDF. The IDF has disputed the so-called humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip that the UN and Hamas are peddling. “As of now, I can tell you that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There are hardships in moving people within days to the south of the Gaza Strip, but the population is getting along,” an IDF official said. Another indicator that the terror organization controlling Gaza has little concern for the civilians is their obstructing the movement of the Gaza residents south as Israel had directed to the extent of confiscating the car keys of individuals. Hamas is the source of the crisis that the UN said should be solved, which is precisely what Israel is trying to do in committing to wipe out the terror group from the planet. The post UN barking upthe wrong tree appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
After conflict’s won, what happens next?
In the wake of the coordinated, well-planned savage attack mounted by the Palestinian terror group Hamas, which stunned Israel on 7 October, a seething Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed the total annihilation of Hamas. A “mighty vengeance” is what he promised against what he described as a “cruel enemy, worse than ISIS.” Likewise enraged by the slaughter of scores of Israelis, including over 200 revelers who were mowed down by armed paragliders and foot soldiers as they made merry at an electronic music festival outside the Re’im kibbutz, about 3.3 miles (5.3 kilometers) from the wall that separates Gaza from southern Israel, Netanyahu’s words were echoed by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant who declared, “We will wipe this thing called Hamas, ISIS-Gaza off the face of the earth. It will cease to exist.” Hamas didn’t spare any of the nearly 1,500 Israelis they felled —men, women, children, old people — they also took with them over 200 hostages. Within a week of the attack, Israel retaliated with an intense bombing of Central and Northern Gaza, with Israel striking over 7,000 targets, including rocket launchers, command centers, munitions factories, and leaders of Hamas. It has been nearly three weeks since the 7 October attack by Hamas, and it remains unclear if or when Israel will conduct a ground invasion of Gaza. Even as Israel continues to blast enemy targets, Western leaders and the UN are pleading for a pause to give aid a chance to get through the blockade and into Gaza and for the safe release of the hostages in Hamas’s hands. On Thursday, Israel said it had briefly sent tanks into Gaza to “prepare the battlefield ahead of the next stages of combat.” Again, on Wednesday, Netanyahu vowed Israel would exact a price for the terrorist assault, which killed over 1,400. Despite these statements by Netanyahu and the Israeli defense minister to decimate Hamas to kingdom come, there is no exact clarity as to when Israel will begin its ground invasion. For sure, the challenges of a ground war are gargantuan. If or when such a ground invasion is finally mounted, what awaits the Israeli defense force will be sustained urban warfare in enemy territory in pursuit of an objective that, other than the total demolition of Hamas, leaves so many other vital matters hanging in the air. The Israelites will confront at least four critical challenges in carrying out a major ground offensive. For Council for Foreign Relations expert Max Boot, these include urban fighting, an inherently different form of warfare where buildings provide positions for defenders, and the multiplication of difficulties for Israeli combatants due to the presence of a large number of Palestinian civilians and even the hostages seized by Hamas who could be used as human shields. Then there are all the underground tunnels built by Hamas over the years, enabling them to hide from Israeli troops and emerge at unexpected moments. There, too, is the challenge of a possible second front, with the Hezbollah in Lebanon poised on Israel’s northern border. The Hezbollah has an estimated arsenal of some 150,000 missiles and rockets. So far, Hezbollah has not mounted a major assault on Israel, but analysts fear it could do so once Israeli ground forces get into Gaza. “A two-front conflict would be a nightmare for Israel,” says Boot. A third critical challenge consists of post-combat stabilization operations. Known in the US military as “Phase IV,” this is where US efforts in both Washington and Iraq foundered badly for lack of preparation. Israeli media have reported that the Israeli government has been struggling to develop a Phase IV plan of its own and, Boot points out, “no wonder because there are no good options.” If Israel simply attacks Hamas and then leaves — as it had done in the past — the terrorist group would just regenerate itself. If to prevent that from happening, a Palestinian Authority government would be established in place of Hamas, with help from Arab states, that could be an option. But if that fails, Israel may have no choice but to re-occupy Gaza — a situation that could leave Israeli soldiers vulnerable to a grinding guerrilla war of the kind they faced in Lebanon in the early 1980s all through 2000. Even as they do get into Gaza, there are many unknowns, according to Boot: how will Israel deal with the Hamas tunnel network; how skillfully will Hamas fight; will a toll on civilian lives in Gaza force Israel to suspend its offensive; will Hezbollah join the war; will this war spread across the region and draw into the fray Hamas’s biggest supporter, Iran? If Hamas is indeed physically decimated — what then should be done to stabilize Gaza after the enemy has been vanquished? Who takes over Gaza once the guns have been stilled and the smoke of war clears? What happens next? Israel’s leaders say those matters, for the moment, are not of immediate concern to them. But at a certain point, they will become unavoidable; Israel will have to grapple with complex questions and carve out a workably resolute path through the din for its continued survival. The post After conflict’s won, what happens next? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Balanced role as watchdog
Dear Editor, It is not for naught that the media carries power that can equal the world’s most powerful person and entity. Hence, the media should partner with the government to uplift its own country, not devils or wolves, crocs and vultures in politics and “public service,” and private corporations. You may criticize the government but don’t consider or cause its downfall unless the one on top of it is a devil. BBM is far from being one, different from past unrepentant evil rulers in history who committed crimes against humanity. Be fair and on track in trying to serve the country by criticizing. Should you fail in being the right media (in character) and playing your task/role as a watchdog for the government, you only have yourself to blame and criticize first, bitterly and unforgivingly. The best support we, the media, can give any president of our own country is an upright, apolitical, and courageous soul to stand on the truth by fighting for the truth and giving voice to the voiceless boldly. “Fearless reporting delivered to the people” is not only reporting the truth. It reports the truth from an upright heart to enlighten people and crush evils. Stop being carried away and hoodwinked by “awards,” popularity surveys, and mass viewership or readership. Cease mouthing empty slogans. Do right, not lip service. Editorials and opinions must be crafted with the forcefulness of mission, courage, and clarity of what they are and where they are coming from — untainted convictions that are free from politics and personal, vested interests — to fight for and uphold justice, equity, and righteousness — and to beat corruption, deceits, criminalities and all sorts of malefactions and transgressions, perpetrated by authorities no less, in connivance with the avaricious in society. Such is the only way for the media to “balance” its role as a watchdog to bless its citizenry and be helpful in nation-building. Don’t cower. Don’t cover. The government is already inherently powerful. Thus, it behooves the media to exercise its equally intrinsic sovereign rights and authority that can and should equal those of the crooks, thugs, or anybody in the halls of power — for the good of all. “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-ending stream.” — Amos 5:24 In the electricity system, there is what we call ACDC, which, when spelled out, means Alternating Current (by Nicola Tesla and George Westinghouse) and Direct Current (by Thomas Edison). The media, for its part, has its own ACDC — Attack and Collect, Defend and Collect. This is not an understatement, nor a sweeping one, for I refer only to those who are members of the media’s elite club - likewise called ACDC (Anti-Christ, Devil-Cohorts). Alas! Crusading media. If you are not a part of it, you have no business being a part of the media. Face it. Reni M. Valenzuela renivalenzuelaletters@yahoo.com The post Balanced role as watchdog appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Give LPE a chance
Newly appointed Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro made a deeply rooted statement about the peace talks between the Philippine government and communist rebels that have dragged on for several decades, with intermittent periods of very little progress and setbacks. Without mincing words, Teodoro said he had always been against entering into peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army. This is equally consistent with his position that communist rebels are welcome to return to the government fold given an existing program that offers “to help them, rehabilitate them and give them a new life.” Why is this so? For Teodoro, why engage in peace talks when there is Task Force Balik-Loob — a central coordinating body created by Administrative Order No. 10 dated 3 April 2018 that supervises the government’s reintegration efforts for members of the CPP-NPA-NDF, including their immediate family members. The task force is composed of representatives from the DND, DILG, OPAPRU, and other partner government agencies. I couldn’t agree with the Defense Secretary more. In a recent television interview, he said he was never convinced that the Philippine insurgency — the longest-running in Asia — was ideological. His explanation was clear. “This is all about taking power or whatever. The reason, even in other countries, the sole authority of the Communist Party in other countries is a dictatorship in itself. They call it the dictatorship of the proletariat.” We have in front of us a duplicity of the communist agenda — a pro-people advocacy on one hand, and the overthrow of the government on the other. The history of the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front, CPP’s political wing, is long and complex spanning several decades. When Corazon C. Aquino assumed the presidency after the People Power Revolution in 1986, peace talks were initiated and detained top communist leaders, including Jose Maria Sison and Bernabe Buscayno, were released. Since then, there have been several attempts at peace negotiations between the government and the Reds, facilitated by third-party mediators, including the Catholic Church, various civil society groups, and foreign governments. The most recent attempt at peace talks was in 2016 during the first year in office of then-President Rodrigo Duterte. It, however, broke down in 2017 after both sides accused the other of violating the ceasefire agreement. Duterte, exasperated by the insincerity, formally terminated the peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA in 2018 through Proclamation 360. Despite this, there have been sporadic calls for the resumption of the peace talks, particularly from civil society groups and the international community. More than 40 rounds of peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF since 1986 proved futile, marred by spoilers who used violence to attack the peace process. Or were these attempts aimed at forcing their way into negotiations, and alter a process so that their demands would be included in a settlement? Opinions vary, often dependent on political, social, and ideological perspectives. While some people argue that pursuing peace talks is the best way to end the decades-long armed insurgency, others are skeptical about the prospects as evidenced by the little willingness to negotiate in good faith, human rights violations, coupled with unreasonable and unrealistic demands. Peace is a priority for more than 110 million Filipinos who hope to see an end to the decades-long insurgency in the country. If top-level negotiated settlements fail, there is the Localized Peace Engagement or LPE — a viable alternative solution to the armed conflict. Introduced by the national government in 2017 after the breakdown of the peace negotiations with the Reds, let us give this community-based approach to peacebuilding a chance. After all, who wouldn’t want to address the underlying social, economic, and political grievances that fuel armed conflicts? The post Give LPE a chance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Air strikes shake Khartoum as Sudan rivals agree 1-week ceasefire
Air strikes and artillery exchanges shook the Sudanese capital Saturday and armed men ransacked the Qatari embassy as the country's warring generals kept up their struggle for control even as they agreed to a brief humanitarian pause. With heavy fighting raging in Khartoum, the rival sides struck a deal on a seven-day ceasefire beginning the evening of May 22, the United States and Saudi Arabia said Saturday in a joint statement after talks in Jeddah. The ceasefire "shall remain in effect for seven days and may be extended with the agreement of both parties," it said. Multiple announced truces have been violated since fighting broke out five weeks ago, which the Saudi foreign ministry acknowledged in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency early Sunday. "Unlike previous ceasefires, the Agreement reached in Jeddah was signed by the parties and will be supported by a US-Saudi and international-supported ceasefire monitoring mechanism," it said. It said subsequent talks "will focus on additional steps necessary to improve security and humanitarian conditions for civilians such as vacating forces from urban centers, including civilian homes, accelerating removal of impediments to the free movement of civilians and humanitarian actors, and enabling public servants to resume their regular duties." The power struggle between regular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, erupted into fighting on April 15. The conflict has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, and displaced more than one million. The United Nations has warned of a fast-deteriorating humanitarian situation in Africa's third-largest country, where one in three people already relied on aid before the war. Saturday's ceasefire announcement comes two weeks after representatives of the warring generals first gathered in Jeddah for talks. By May 11 they had signed a commitment to respect humanitarian principles and allow in badly needed aid. But UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told AFP on Thursday that there had been "important and egregious" violations of that agreement, which fell short of a ceasefire. On Friday, Burhan sacked Daglo, giving his title of vice president of the ruling Sovereign Council to former rebel leader Malik Agar, and appointed three allies to top jobs in the military. A former rebel leader who signed a peace deal with Khartoum authorities in 2020, Agar said in a statement Saturday he was determined to try to "end the war" and press for negotiations. He also addressed Daglo directly saying "Sudan's stability can only be re-established by a professional and unified army". Integration of the RSF into the regular armed forces has been the main bone of contention between Daglo and Burhan. The force, which traces its origins to the notorious Janjaweed militia recruited in the early 2000s to crush a rebellion by ethnic minority groups in Darfur, is highly mobile but has a reputation for being ill-disciplined. Its fighters have been accused of widespread break-ins and looting, including at diplomatic missions and aid group offices. On Saturday, Qatar's embassy was the latest diplomatic mission to be attacked, drawing condemnation from Doha. "The embassy staff had previously been evacuated and... none of the diplomats or embassy staff were subjected to any harm," the ministry said. It renewed calls for "an immediate halt to the fighting". Qatar did not specifically identify Daglo's RSF as responsible but a statement from the pro-Burhan authorities put the blame squarely on the paramilitaries. The embassies of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have also come under assault in recent weeks. Saturday's attack came a day after Arab leaders meeting at a summit in Saudi Arabia urged Sudan's feuding generals to halt the fighting. Although the main fighting is being played out in Khartoum, the violence has also spread to the war-ravaged western region of Darfur, where the RSF has its roots. In South Darfur capital Nyala, fighting since Thursday has killed 22 people forcing civilians to flee for safer areas as shells crash on their homes, the bar association in Darfur has said. On Friday, the UN aid boss Griffith said he was allocating $22 million in emergency funds to help Sudanese fleeing the violence. The funds will help relief efforts in Chad, the Central African Republic, Egypt, and South Sudan where Sudanese have sought refuge, he said. The United States promised $103 million for Sudan and neighboring countries to support displaced people. The post Air strikes shake Khartoum as Sudan rivals agree 1-week ceasefire appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myanmar confirms deadly air strike as international outcry rises
Myanmar's ruling junta confirmed on Wednesday that it carried out an air strike on a village in which dozens of people were reported killed, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and Western powers. The official death toll from the Tuesday morning strike on the remote Kanbalu township in the central Sagaing region remains unclear, with at least 100 fatalities reported by the BBC, The Irrawaddy, and Radio Free Asia. A villager involved in rescue and recovery efforts at Pazi Gyi village -- who asked not to be named to protect his safety -- said body parts had been strewn across the site of the attack, and estimated the death toll to be higher than 120. Following a coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021, the military's crackdown on dissent and armed groups opposed to their rule has left more than 3,200 people dead, according to a local monitoring group. UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was "horrified" by the deadly air strike, whose victims he said included schoolchildren performing dances, with the global body calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. On Wednesday, the villager told AFP it was difficult to identify the dead. "We can not identify anymore who is who among the dead because they all became pieces," he said. The man estimated about 80 bodies had been cremated on Wednesday, with rescuers halting efforts to recover roughly 40 more bodies "because we were afraid of more air strikes". Village strafed Tuesday's strike saw military aircraft strafe Pazi Gyi, where scores of locals had gathered to mark the opening of a local defense force office connected to junta opponents, a witness told AFP. One fighter jet and a helicopter were involved in the attack, a security source told AFP. The junta confirmed Wednesday it had "launched limited air strikes" after receiving a tip-off from locals about the event. It did not say how many were killed but insisted the military had tried to minimize harm to civilians. "We heard that more people were killed because of big explosions from weapons and ammunitions... displayed at the opening event," a junta statement said. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun late on Tuesday said some of the dead were anti-coup fighters in uniform, though "there could be some people with civilian clothes". The spokesman went on to blame mines planted by the People's Defence Force -- coup opponents -- for some of the deaths. Sagaing region -- near the country's second-largest city of Mandalay -- has put up some of the fiercest resistance to the military's rule, with intense fighting raging there for months. The attack came as Myanmar was preparing to mark the Buddhist new year -- Thingyan -- which begins Thursday and traditionally involves public water fights, but celebrations are expected to be muted. International condemnation "As the people of Myanmar celebrate their New Year, the EU is deeply shocked by reports of the latest atrocity committed by the military regime in Sagaing, taking the lives of dozens of innocent civilians," EU foreign affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali said. France's foreign ministry said in a statement that the "abominable" strike demonstrated "the strategy of indiscriminate violence the Myanmar junta has inflicted on Myanmar's people for more than two years". UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and reiterated his call "for the military to end the campaign of violence against the Myanmar population throughout the country", according to a statement from his spokesperson. Washington also denounced the "reprehensible" attack. "We strongly condemn the regime's air strikes and urge the regime to cease the violence," US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet tweeted. Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson said the strike was likely to have a chilling effect across Myanmar society. "I think this will cause greater fear amongst the people," he told AFP. "I think in the future, communities will be reluctant to hold a... mass gathering of any sort, recognizing that they could be bombed". According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Myanmar conflict tracker, the military has carried out 689 air and drone strike attacks since the coup. Rights groups have called for the international community to further restrict Myanmar's access to aviation fuel in the wake of the attack. But Bangkok-based security analyst Anthony Davis told AFP that demand was "divorced from reality". "Russia is a firm ally of the junta and one of the world's largest oil exporters. Do we seriously believe Moscow will sit and watch the Myanmar Air Force being slowly grounded for a lack of aviation fuel?" he said. The post Myanmar confirms deadly air strike as international outcry rises appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myanmar confirms deadly air strike as international outcry mounts
Myanmar's ruling junta has confirmed that it carried out an air strike on a village in which dozens of people were reported killed, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and Western powers. UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was "horrified" by the deadly air strike, whose victims he said included schoolchildren performing dances, with the global body calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. The death toll from the Tuesday morning strike on the remote Kanbalu township in the central Sagaing region remains unclear, with at least 50 fatalities and dozens of injuries reported by BBC Burmese, The Irrawaddy and Radio Free Asia, as well as by a witness contacted by AFP. Myanmar's military has cracked down on dissent following a February 2021 coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government, with the ensuing unrest leaving more than 3,200 people dead, according to a local monitoring group. Tuesday's strike saw military aircraft strafe Pazi Gyi village, where scores of locals had gathered to mark the opening of a local defense force office connected to junta opponents, a witness told AFP. One fighter jet and a helicopter were involved in the attack, a security source told AFP. The junta confirmed Wednesday it had "launched limited air strikes" after receiving a tip-off from locals about the event. It did not say how many were killed but insisted the military had tried to minimize harm to civilians. "We heard that more people were killed because of big explosions from weapons and ammunitions... displayed at the opening event," a junta statement said. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun late on Tuesday said some of the dead were anti-coup fighters in uniform, though "there could be some people with civilian clothes". The spokesman went on to blame mines planted by the People's Defence Force -- coup opponents -- for some of the deaths. Sagaing region -- near the country's second-largest city of Mandalay -- has put up some of the fiercest resistance to the military's rule, with intense fighting raging there for months. Buddhist New Year The attack came as Myanmar was preparing to mark the Buddhist new year -- Thingyan -- which begins Thursday and traditionally involves public water fights, but celebrations are expected to be muted. "As the people of Myanmar celebrate their New Year, the EU is deeply shocked by reports of the latest atrocity committed by the military regime in Sagaing, taking the lives of dozens of innocent civilians," EU foreign affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali said. While not confirming a toll, the UN said several civilians were killed, with Turk accusing Myanmar's military of once again disregarding "clear legal obligations... to protect civilians in the conduct of hostilities". A rescuer connected to a People's Defence Force group told AFP that children were among the dead. After recovering bodies and transporting survivors to safety, he estimated the death toll could be as high as 100. 'Reprehensible' UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and reiterated his call "for the military to end the campaign of violence against the Myanmar population throughout the country", according to a statement from his spokesperson. Washington also denounced the "reprehensible" attack. "We strongly condemn the regime's air strikes and urge the regime to cease the violence," US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet tweeted. Human Rights Watch Asia division deputy director Phil Robertson said the strike was likely to have a chilling effect across Myanmar society. "I think this will cause greater fear amongst the people," he told AFP. "I think in the future, communities will be reluctant to hold a... mass gathering of any sort, recognizing that they could be bombed, they could be attacked." According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Myanmar conflict tracker, the military has carried out 689 air and drone strike attacks since the coup. Rights groups have called for the international community to further restrict Myanmar's access to aviation fuel in the wake of the attack. But Bangkok-based security analyst Anthony Davis told AFP that demand was "divorced from reality". "Russia is a firm ally of the junta and one of the world's largest oil exporters. Do we seriously believe Moscow will sit and watch the Myanmar Air Force being slowly grounded for a lack of aviation fuel?" he said. Myanmar's National Unity Government, a shadow body dominated by former lawmakers from ousted civilian leader Suu Kyi's party, called the strike a "heinous act". "We... share the great pain felt by the families affected by this tragedy," it said in a statement. The post Myanmar confirms deadly air strike as international outcry mounts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ashley Tisdale buntis sa 2nd baby: ‘We can’t wait to meet you!’
MAY exciting news ang Hollywood actress at “High School Musical” star na si Ashley Tisdale sa madlang pipol! Ayon sa kanya, ipinagbubuntis niya ang second baby nila ng mister na si Christopher French. Sa Instagram, ibinandera ni Ashley ang kanyang baby bump at ang caption niya: “We can’t wait to meet you [emoji].” Baka Bet.....»»
Numerous Individuals and Businesses Profit from Trump Media Stock
Former President Donald J. Trump’s social media company, Truth Social, had a successful first official trading session on the Nasdaq, with shares surging and approaching.....»»
Killua
News on the brutal killing of Killua, the Golden Retriever from Bato, Camarines Sur, has ignited a wave of public outcry, particularly among animal-loving Filipinos......»»
Roque: Xi, Duterte agreed to keep West Philippines Sea status quo
The Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte had a “gentleman’s agreement” with China to keep the status quo in the West Philippine Sea, a former Cabinet official said yesterday, as fresh tensions surround the WPS due to recent incursions by Beijing that targeted a Filipino resupply mission and a research team......»»
Jihadists
For his own purposes, Vladimir Putin has been trying to link the deadly terrorist attack on a concert hall in Moscow to Ukraine. The casualty figure for that attack has now risen t.....»»
Russian Spy Chief Makes Bizarre Claim of US, UK, and Ukraine Involvement in Moscow Attack
In a recent development, the director of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has made startling accusations against Ukraine, the US, and the UK, claiming they.....»»
Paolo Contis masaya sa paglipat ng ‘It’s Showtime’ sa GMA
HAPPY ang Kapuso actor at dating host ng noontime program na “Tahanang Pinakamasaya” na si Paolo Contis sa pagkakaroon ng bagong tahanan ng “It’s Showtime”. Sa kanyang exclusive interview sa GMA News nitong Lunes, March 25, natanong ang aktor kung bukas ba siya sa posibilidad na maka-work ang mga Kapamilya hosts ng naturang noontime program......»»
Belmonte: No tolerance for corruption
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte yesterday reiterated her zero-tolerance policy against corruption following the arrest of an official for alleged extortion......»»