Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, currently in the Republic of Belarus on his official State visit, yesterday morning left Minsk International Airport for Samara in the Russian Federation by special flight.
During the trip, the Senior General spoke words of honour to his delegation member women aboard the special flight to mark International Women’s Day.
During the visit to the JSC Progress Factory of the State Space Corporation “Roscosmos” in Samara City, the Senior General spoke words of honour to female employees from the JSC Progress Factory to mark International Women’s Day.
Officials from Samara City presented bouquets to mark International Women’s Day to women delegation members who accompanied the Senior General. — MNA/TTA

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, currently in Minsk of the Republic of Belarus on his official State visit, left Minsk International Airport yesterday morning and was seen off at the airport by Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Maxim Ryzhenkov, Myanmar Consul-General U Moe Kyaw Thu and officials.
On his departure from the international airport, the Senior General saluted the Guard of Honour.
Arriving at Kurumoch International Airport in the Samara City of the Russian Federation, the Myanmar goodwill delegation led by the Senior General was welcomed by Samara City Government Head Mr AV Fedorishchev, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Myanmar and officials.
At the JSC Progress Factory of the State Space Corporation “Roscosmos”, the Senior General and his entourage were welcomed by Director-General Mr Dmitry Bakanov of the State Space Corporation “Roscosmos” and officials. At the meeting hall, the Senior General met Director-General Mr Dmitry Bakanov of the State Space Corporation “Roscosmos” and exchanged views on cooperation in the peaceful utilization of space technology, issues to send more scholarship students from Myanmar to Russia to study satellite launching and attending space technology for the interests of the State and the people, cooperation between Myanmar and Samara City, and enhancement of friendly relations and other cooperation measures.
The Director-General and officials reported on the use of satellites by the State Space Corporation to monitor the potential of natural disasters, conduct research for the development of agricultural tasks, the progress of natural environmental conservation, take satellite photos and satellite communications, launch satellites, rocket assembling, the construct of the space station, and assistance of Russian in upgrading the planetarium in Myanmar.

The Senior General and his entourage viewed the assembling of satellites and rocket production at the JSC Progress Factory and had discussions over the clarification of officials. The Director-General of the State Space Corporation “Roscosmos” hosted a luncheon for the Senior General and his entourage.
After the luncheon, the Senior General and the Director-General exchanged commemorative gifts. Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe and the party who accompanied the Senior General met the deputy head of the Samara Regional Government, regional education minister, chairs of industrial economic zones and officials, and officials from Space Rocket Progress separately and talked about cooperation in the industrial sector, fertilizer production, energy sector, pharmaceutical production and education sector between Myanmar and Samara Region and Tolyatti Region of the Russian Federation, and cooperation between the two countries.
After the talks, SAC Information Team Leader Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun replied to queries on the goodwill visits raised by media from Samara City.
The goodwill delegation led by the Senior General left Kurumoch International Airport of Samara City and arrived at Tolmachevo Airport of Novosibirsk City at night and was welcomed by the Head of Novosibirsk Government, the Myanmar Consul-General and officials. — MNA/TTA

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

The opening ceremony of the Myanmar Consulate-General took place at the K-2 Government Guesthouse in Saint Petersburg on the evening of 5 March local time with the attendance of State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present at the event were SAC Joint Secretary General Ye Win Oo, Council Member General Nyo Saw, Union Ministers U Than Swe, Admiral Moe Aung, Dr Kan Zaw, U Ko Ko Lwin and Dr Myo Thein Kyaw, Bago Region Chief Minister U Myo Swe Win, senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of Commander-in-Chief, Myanmar Ambassador to Russia U Thit Linn Ohn, deputy ministers, Governor of Saint Petersburg Mr Alexander Beglov, the Russian Ambassador to Myanmar, cabinet members of Saint Petersburg, Myanmar Consul-General U Aung Pe Thet, relevant officials, scholars and invitees.
The ceremony commenced with the playing of the National Anthems of the two countries.
The Senior General, the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Governor of Saint Petersburg cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Consulate-General.
In his opening speech, Deputy Prime Minister Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe said that although Myanmar and Russia are geographically far apart, the two countries have established a strong and friendly relationship throughout diplomatic history due to the close bonds between their people. To enhance the growing bilateral cooperation, Myanmar has opened consulates-general in Saint Petersburg and Novosibirsk. The establishment of the Consulate-General in Saint Petersburg, a city with a rich history and advancements in political, economic, modern science and technology sectors, is believed to promote the mutual interests of both countries.
The governor of Saint Petersburg said the Myanmar Consulate-General was established in Saint Petersburg of Russia thanks to the strong and growing relationship between Russia and Myanmar. The establishment of the Consulate-General is expected to further enhance diplomatic ties between the two countries.
He also highlighted the role of the Consulate-General, which serves as a bridge between the two countries, expressing gratitude to the Senior General for taking immediate measures to be able to open the Consulate-General.
Afterwards, the Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs presented gifts to the Senior General and Saint Petersburg Governor, marking the opening of the Consulate-General.
After the ceremony, the Senior General and attendees posed for commemorative group photos. — MNA/KTZH

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, currently in the Russian Federation on his official goodwill visit, held a meeting with Saint Petersburg Governor Mr Alexander Beglov at the K2 Government Guesthouse in Saint Petersburg on the evening of Russian standard time on 5 March.
They exchanged views on efforts to open the Myanmar Consulate-General to enhance cooperation and relations between Myanmar and Saint Petersburg; further efforts to develop health, education, transport, tourism, industry, economic and trade sectors, and construction of Theravada Buddhist ordination hall, monastery and pagoda in Saint Petersburg.
Also, present at the meeting were Council Joint Secretary General Ye Win Oo, Council Member General Nyo Saw, Union Ministers, the Chief Minister of Bago Region, Myanmar Ambassador to the Russian Federation U Thit Linn Ohn, senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the Myanmar Military Attaché (Army, Navy and Air) and officials. The Governor of Saint Petersburg was accompanied by the Russian Ambassador to Myanmar and officials of the Saint Petersburg government.
In the evening, the governor of Saint Petersburg hosted a dinner to mark the opening of the Myanmar Consulate-General in Saint Petersburg to the Senior General and delegation members.
After the dinner, the Senior General presented cash awards to the entertainment troupes. —MNA/TTA

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

The Myanmar high-level goodwill delegation, led by State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, on an official visit to Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, departed from Pulkovo International Airport in Saint Petersburg yesterday afternoon, Russian local time, to continue their goodwill visit to Belarus at the invitation of President Lukashenko. They were seen off at the airport by Mr Grigoriev Evgeny Dmitrievich, Chairman of the External Relations Committee of the Saint Petersburg Government, Myanmar Consul-General U Aung Pe Thet, and other officials.
The goodwill delegation later arrived at Minsk International Airport in Belarus, where they were welcomed by Belarussian Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Maxim Ryzhenkov, the Ambassador of Belarus to Myanmar, Myanmar Consul-General U Moe Kyaw Thu, and officials among others.
At the airport, State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was welcomed by the Guard of Honour of Belarus, in keeping with the tradition of welcoming heads of state on state-level goodwill visits.
State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister then arrived at the Victory Monument in Minsk for the wreath-laying ceremony, where he was welcomed and greeted by officials.
Afterwards, the State Administration Council Chairman and Prime Minister laid a wreath at the Victory Monument, while the Guard of Honour of Belarus played the National Anthem of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the National Anthem of the Republic of Belarus during the ceremony.
Subsequently, the State Administration Council Chairman and Prime Minister received a salute from the Guard of Honour and cordially greeted the officials. — MNA/TH

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

The United Nations Environment Programme says talks will resume in August this year to put together a draft for the first-ever international treaty aimed at reducing plastic pollution.

The meetings of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution will be held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Global plastic waste more than doubled in the 20 years leading up to 2019. The UN adopted a resolution to develop an international legally binding instrument on pollution caused by plastic by the end of 2024.

Delegates to the intergovernmental committee met in November last year in Busan, South Korea. But they deferred an agreement as they failed to narrow gaps in opinion.

In the meeting, the European Union and other parties argued that plastic production must be restricted, while oil-producing countries opposed such regulations.

The talks in August are expected to resume based on a draft presented by the committee chair at the previous meeting. Ministerial-level discussions are also planned. 

Source: NHK World

SEVERE flooding hit most areas in Jakarta and its satellite cities on Tuesday after heavy rain poured over the regions since Monday evening, leaving thousands of houses submerged and hundreds of residents affected.
Videos taken by residents showed severe flooding with water levels reaching rooftops and submerging entire cars. The floods also caused significant traffic congestion across the cities.
Local media reported that a joint team from the regional disaster management agency, fire department, and search and rescue team was deployed to the affected areas to assist with evacuations and emergency responses.
Head of Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency, Dwikorita Karnawati, said the floods had been predicted in several regions across the Southeast Asian country.
“The heavy rain was caused by the detection of atmospheric waves such as the Equatorial Rossby wave and the Kelvin wave, followed by the formation of a low-pressure area and the convergence of several wind patterns from various directions,” said Karnawati. — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

THE World Health Organization acknowledged Tuesday that the US freeze on foreign aid funding has hit vital global health programmes but vowed to find a way to keep delivering to those in need.
The United Nations health agency said it was still too early to determine the full impact of the freeze on foreign aid spending by the United States -- traditionally the world’s largest aid donor.
But WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris admitted that some programmes had clearly been affected, including the global measles surveillance network, which had been 100-per-cent funded by the United States.
On measles, “there is a big shortfall”, she told reporters in Geneva.
“We’re not going to let it collapse,” she insisted, adding though that “finding a way to keep it going is of course challenging”.
Janet Diaz, head of the Safe Scalable Care unit at WHO’s emergencies programme, said the response to an ongoing Ebola outbreak in Uganda had been hit by the US aid freeze.
“WHO has had to step up and cover areas it usually doesn’t support,” she said, pointing to “biological sample transport and logistics and the deployment of surveillance teams to points of entries”. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar 

China has reportedly discovered a "limitless" energy source that could power the country for more than 60,000 years, according to geologists based in Beijing.

The Bayan Obo mining complex, located in Inner Mongolia, is believed to contain enough thorium to meet China's energy demands almost indefinitely, according to a recent study.

The slightly radioactive element can be used to generate power in a type of nuclear reactor known as a molten salt reactor.

Scientists estimate that the mining complex could provide as much as one million tons of thorium, The South China Morning Post reported, citing a newly declassified study.

The study argues that China’s thorium reserves, currently locked within mining waste, "remain totally untouched" and that, if properly extracted, they could be substantial enough to end the world's reliance on fossil fuels.

Source: Tagtik

THE number of births in South Korea rose last year for the first time in more than a decade on the back of a rise in marriages, officials said on Wednesday, bucking a trend for a country battling a demographic crisis.
South Korea has one of the world’s longest life expectancies and lowest birth rates — a combination that presents a looming demographic challenge.
Seoul has poured billions of dollars into efforts to encourage women to have more children and maintain population stability.
The crude birth rate — the number of babies born per 1,000 people — was 4.7, interrupting a continuous downward trend since 2014, according to preliminary data from Statistics Korea.
And the fertility rate, or the average number of babies a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, was 0.75, “up 0.03 from 0.72 in 2023”, it said.
“The number of births in 2024 was 238,300, an increase of 8,300 (3.6 per cent) from the previous year,” the report added. Park Hyun-jeong, an official from Statistics Korea, attributed the rise to an increase in marriages as well as shifting demographics. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar