Author: Le Minh Khanh

Myanmar has surpassed Syria in landmine casualties, with 1,003 victims in 2023, according to the 2024 Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. This marks a disturbing rise in landmine-related deaths and injuries, with Myanmar now the deadliest country for such incidents. Tamar Gabelnick of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) highlighted the disproportionate impact on civilians, especially children. She urged nations to join the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the use of anti-personnel mines, to prevent further suffering in conflict zones like Myanmar. In Myanmar, the civilian toll is particularly high, with 84% of landmine victims being non-combatants. Over one-third of…

By Elijah J. Magnier The Israeli strikes, both security and military-related, must be critically examined, particularly in light of their success in various regions and against multiple targets. These strikes eventually led to the assassination of Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, despite the stringent security measures in place to protect him. Since becoming a declared target for Israel, Nasrallah’s security detail has implemented extraordinary precautions. Individuals in his immediate surroundings were prohibited from using mobile phones or the Internet. Moreover, Nasrallah adopted a highly secretive lifestyle, frequently relocating between different apartments and never staying in one location for an extended…

New York. (11 June – 31) US federal agents have arrested eight Tajikistan nationals in the US on terrorism charges. The arrests, carried out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, spanned across Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia. These actions coincide with recent alerts from US intelligence officials about a terrorist plot. ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is designated as a terrorist organization by numerous countries and international organizations, including the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union. The ability to surveillance certain foreign targets has been a subject of intense debate in Congress,…

Paris, Brussels, Kiev (11 June – 75) This meeting followed Macron’s announcement that France would be supplying Mirage combat aircraft to Ukraine, bolstering the country’s defense against Russia’s aggression. Zelenskyy’s visit to France coincided with his quest for additional Western support, particularly as Ukrainian forces battled fiercely to repel a Russian offensive near the eastern city of Kharkiv. The conflict, escalating rapidly, has become the largest in Europe since World War II, underscoring the urgent need for international solidarity and assistance. Amidst these grave circumstances, the diplomatic exchange between France and Ukraine exemplifies the crucial alliance and shared commitment to…

SINGAPORE – A total of 44 people injured during severe air turbulence on Singapore Airlines’ Flight SQ321 on May 21 remain hospitalised, said Singapore Airlines in a Facebook post on May 25. Its latest update at about 8.30pm that day said 43 passengers and one crew member are being treated in Bangkok hospitals. Earlier in the day, the Bangkok hospital treating most of the passengers said that 43 passengers remain in hospital. According to an update from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, 34 passengers remain on its premises as at noon on May 25. Another seven are at Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital and…

Northern Elders showing Buyer’s Remorse for Backing Tinubu in 2023 It seems unthinkable that the wealthy and powerful cattle-herding class could be on the margins of President Bola Tinubu’s ruling clique, but it’s thinkable now. During the eight years of Fulani-born Muhammadu Buhari, the beef-on-the hoof lobby called Miyetti Allah Cattlemen’s Association marched vast herds of bony white cattle the length of the nation over lands public and private with impunity. The herds and their rifle-carrying herders uprooted thousands of small plot farms and sent thousands of civilians to their graves in so-called farmer-herder clashes. During those years, the killers…

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday highlighted Georgia’s importance in developing the Middle Corridor, a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe, stressing that “the country is the gateway between Europe and Asia”. In his comments to the media after the panel meeting, held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Garibashvili said it was important to participate in today’s panel on the Dialogue on Diplomacy in the Western Balkans, where the developments of the Middle Corridor had been discussed. The large projects, including the construction of Anaklia deep sea port on Georgia’s Black…

Thailand’s government has pushed back thousands of Myanmar refugees at the border, putting their lives at risk in Myanmar, Human Rights Watch said today. In late October 2023, the Thai military began forcibly returning refugees who had been sheltering in border areas to Myanmar’s Karenni State. Many soon returned to Thailand, fearful of being trapped or targeted in renewed clashes in southeastern Myanmar. “The Thai authorities should stop pushing back recent Myanmar refugees and allow them to seek protection in Thailand,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The return of many of these refugees to Thailand just days after…

I describe Burma as a ‘tragic nation’ because despite its strategic location and rich human and natural resources, it has been subjected to long cycles of violence and suffering at the hands of a predatory military, most recently in February 2021 when it put an end to the nation’s fledgling democratic experiment. But recent developments may provide a window for the country to turn the corner. The stalemate that had developed since the coup between the regime’s armed forces (known as Tatmadaw) and opposition militias of various ethnic militias (known as Ethnic Armed Organisations or EAOs) as well as the…

While family offices may wish to retain as much control as possible, balancing costs remains critical and outsourcing has become commonplace in the industry.  Rapid wealth creation in Asia continues to drive demand for the ultra-rich to establish single family offices (SFO). In Singapore, for example, the local regulator said that the number of SFOs that were rewarded tax incentives reached 1,100 at the end of 2022, up from 700 in 2021. According to data analytics firm Handshakes, another 182 family offices were formed in the city-state from January to April 24 this year. Despite the allure of operational control over the management…