Burmese general Min Aung Hlaing flies to Russia for talks with Putin

Today's news: Gaza aid blocked while negotiations stall; Vietnam wants to introduce Starlink to guarantee internet connection throughout the country; Four Chinese arrested in the Philippines for spying make donations to a city and the local police; In India, elephants are being replaced with mechanical pachyderms; Bullying on the rise in Kyrgyzstan.

MYANMAR

The head of the Burmese coup army, General Min Aung Hlaing, has today flown to Russia, where he will meet President Vladimir Putin. According to statements released by the Myanmar state media, the two will discuss trade and security ties with the aim of strengthening strategic cooperation. Meanwhile, the Arakan Army has attacked the naval base of Kyaukphyu, in Rakhine State, one of the last outposts controlled by the army that hosts some Chinese infrastructure projects.

VIETNAM

Vietnam's Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, said recently that the government intends to issue a licence for Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite technology to guarantee internet connection throughout the country. At a meeting held in Hanoi with representatives from dozens of US companies, Chinh added that Vietnam will adopt a series of measures to rebalance the trade surplus with the United States, in an attempt to avoid being hit by the imposition of tariffs by President Donald Trump.

PHILIPPINES – CHINA

Four Chinese citizens arrested by the Philippines for espionage at the end of January were part of groups linked to the Chinese Communist Party that aimed to influence Manila's policy, according to an investigation by Reuters. The men made donations to the city of Tarlac, which also hosts a US military base, and to the police force in 2022, but the reasons for these actions are unclear.

INDIA

An animal rights organisation that protects elephants has funded the creation of dozens of mechanical pachyderms to be used in Hindu temples to spare the animals from abuse. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has stated that a ‘luxury’ model costs 5,500 dollars. In India there are frequent fatal accidents in which frightened elephants lose control. The Asian elephant species, which has 50,000 specimens, is also at risk of extinction.

GAZA – ISRAEL

Egypt and Qatar have criticised Israel for blocking (once again) humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, stressing that this is a violation of the ceasefire, the first phase of which ended at midnight on Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Hamas was stealing humanitarian aid ‘to finance its terror machine’ and blamed the group for not wanting to extend phase one of the agreement.

RUSSIA – USA

While the Trump-Zelenskyj quarrel was being played out in Washington, a new round of negotiations was held in Istanbul between Russia and the USA, at a diplomatic level ‘with productive results’, agreeing on ‘unhindered’ funding of embassies and continuing dialogue through them, also considering the reopening of direct flights between the two countries.

KYRGYZSTAN

The phenomenon of bullying in schools is worsening in Kyrgyzstan, and in the first two months of the year several children have already died following fights and beatings, as well as some adolescent suicides, with many anguished protests on social media, particularly after the death of 12-year-old Annas Ajtbaev, who remained in a coma for two weeks in hospital, and the doctors were unable to save him, partly because they had not been told that he had been beaten.

• Asia
• Today