Myanmar and Russia sign deals for wind power and direct flights

Today's headlines: Japan's emperor and empress visit a cemetery for independence heroes in Indonesia; Glaciers in the Hindu Kush are melting at an "unprecedented" rate; An activist for independent Sikh state is killed in Canada; Five Palestinians killed in Jenin; In Taiwan kindergarten teachers accused of drugging children; Two Pakistanis aboard submarine lost in Atlantic.

MYANMAR - RUSSIA

Burma's military junta has signed agreements with Russia to develop wind power and operate direct flights to Moscow and Novosibirsk once a week starting in July. During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum last week, Burma's Minister of Electricity Thaung Han signed a memorandum of understanding with NovaWind, a subsidiary of Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom, and two other Russian companies.

INDONESIA - JAPAN

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, visiting Indonesia, brought offerings to Kalibata Cemetery in Jakarta where those who fought for Indonesia's independence are buried. Among them are 28 former Japanese soldiers, at the time considered deserters. Japan occupied Indonesia for three and a half years during World War II, while the struggle for Indonesian independence, in which about 1,000 Japanese took part, against the former colonial occupier was fought from 1945 to 1949.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ASIA

Glaciers in the Hindu Kush are melting at an unprecedented rate and could lose 75 percent of their volume by the end of the century, generating flooding and water shortages for the 2 billion people living along rivers downstream. This is according to a report by the Kathmandu-based International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Since 2010, Himalayan glaciers have melted 65 percent faster than in the previous decade: these changes are "largely irreversible."

INDIA - CANADA

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a proponent of establishing an independent Sikh state and wanted by Indian authorities, was shot dead in Canada. The 45-year-old was running the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple in Surrey, British Columbia. Other activists for the creation of Khalistan have been killed in recent months: Avtar Singh Khanda, in Britain, and Paramjit Singh Panjwar, in Pakistan. "We understand that there is much speculation about the motive for this murder, but we are dedicated to learning the facts and letting the evidence guide our investigation," said Timothy Pierotti of the police homicide investigation team.

PAKISTAN

Two Pakistanis were also aboard the tourist submarine that was taking a group of visitors to see the remains of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean. The Dawood family issued a statement confirming that they had lost contact with Shahzada and their son Suleman. There were other dignitaries on the submarine who paid 0,000 per person for the excursion. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

TAIWAN

Teachers at a New Taipei City kindergarten have been accused of drugging children with cough syrups after some parents first filed charges in May. Police have been investigating for weeks but the public is calling for more transparency regarding the investigation. Taipei City Hospital has begun offering free blood tests for preschoolers to check for traces of sedatives.

ISRAEL - PALESTINE

Last night five Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli forces during a raid in the Jenin refugee camp and about 90 people were injured. The clashes lasted nearly 10 hours, witnesses said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to "immediately cease all settlement activities" in the Palestinian territories, calling the settlements a source of "tension and violence" and an obstacle to lasting peace.

UKRAINE

In Odessa, a Ukrainian city with large bathing facilities and much affected by Russian bombing, local authorities have banned access to all beaches, which have been recognized as "unsuitable for bathing" due to the substantial deterioration of sea water quality as a result of war operations, effectively becoming unhealthy.

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