18 Feb 2025

China has asked Thailand to maintain its cuts on electricity, fuel, and internet services, which were imposed on five locations in Myanmar since February 5.

This request comes after the Burmese government and the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) agreed to transfer 1,219 people of 12 nationalities, mostly Chinese (1,041), to Thailand.

Thai Defence Ministry's spokesperson Maj Gen Thanathip Sawangsaeng, said today that Chinese Assistant Minister for Public Security Liu Zhongyi made a four-point proposal to Thailand on how to deal with scam call centers in Myanmar.

One of the proposals is for Thailand to maintain its bans on electricity, fuel, and internet in Myanmar, as they have proven successful in tackling scam call centers in Myanmar's townships.

Another proposal calls for tighter border controls to prevent scammers in Myanmar from fleeing the country and to facilitate the transit and processing of Chinese nationals for repatriation.

Thanathip said China will send officials to Thailand to assist in screening information and organizing the repatriation of Chinese nationals.

Another of Liu’s proposals is to enhance trilateral cooperation between China, Thailand, and Myanmar while respecting sovereignty, as well as international and domestic laws.

Thanathip said more countries may be invited to cooperate, with Thailand making arrangements for meetings related to such cooperation and China providing support.

Liu will meet Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on February 19 to discuss the proposals and other areas of cooperation in tackling call centers, the spokesperson said.

Source: world.thaipbs.or.th  

Bulldozers with Egyptian and Qatari flags wait to enter Gaza at the Rafah border crossing on February 13, 2025 [Mohamed Arafat/AP Photo]

The Egyptian government is developing a plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing the Palestinian enclave’s population, as it attempts to provide a viable alternative to United States President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to “take over” the territory and displace its population.

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty said Cairo is “actively developing a comprehensive, multi-phase plan for Gaza’s early recovery and reconstruction”, the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Monday.

Source: ALJAZEERA  

18 Feb 2025

Israel and Hamas have reached an agrement under which six living Israeli hostages will be released on Saturday, and the bodies of eight others will be handed over this week and next.

The agreement reached in Cairo on Tuesday was confirmed by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Originally three Israelis were scheduled to be freed on Saturday but Hamas said all six hostages still alive would be released. Four bodies of deceased hostages will be handed over this Thursday followed by four more on Thursday next week, Netanyahu’s statement said.

The bodies will include members from the Bibas family, Khalil al-Hayya, the Hamas leader in Gaza, said in a televised speech on Tuesday.

Hamas militants captured Yarden and Shiri Bibas and their two children: Ariel, who was 4 and baby Kfir who was 9 months old. Yarden was released on Feb 1 and was holding out hope that his wife and children were still alive. Hamas had said they were dead but Israel said it was unable to confirm the claim.

The fragile Gaza truce took effect on Jan 19 after more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.

Thirty-three Israeli hostages were due to be released under the first phase, with 19 freed so far in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners. Of the remaining 14, Israel says eight are dead.

Five Thai nationals held in Gaza since the 2023 attack have also been released outside the scope of the truce deal.

A Palestinian source close to the negotiations said mediators had presented the request for the new releases, adding they aimed “for this step to create a positive atmosphere, insisting on the continuation of the ceasefire”.

The first phase of the truce is due to expire on March 1, and negotiations on the next stages, including a permanent end to the war, have not yet begun.

The truce deal has so far held despite both sides trading accusations of violations, and despite the strain placed on it by US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned plan to take control of Gaza and relocate its population.

Saudi Arabia is set to host the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Friday to present their own plan for Gaza’s reconstruction while ensuring that Palestinians remain on their land.

Source: Bangkokpost.com   

Photo: ABC News

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2025

Vietnam's National Assembly on Tuesday approved a bold bureaucratic reform plan that will slash up to a fifth of government bodies, as the country tries to cut costs and improve administrative efficiency.

The number of government ministries will be reduced to 14 from the current 18, to be up and running from March 1, the assembly said in a statement.

More than 97% of the lawmakers present approved the plan.

The assembly earlier on Tuesday passed an amendment to a law on organising government, paving the way for approval of the planned cull of 15% to 20% of the state apparatus, which will also include four agencies and five state television channels, among other cuts.

The move would "not only save money for the state budget but more importantly, boost the efficiency of the system", General Secretary of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, To Lam, told parliament last week.

Investors, diplomats and officials have broadly welcomed the plan but expect some administrative delays in the short term in Vietnam, a regional industrial hub that relies heavily on foreign investment.

The government has said the overhaul would not impact project approvals.

The Planning and Investment Ministry, which approves foreign investment projects, will join the Finance Ministry, while the Transport Ministry and the Construction Ministry will be merged.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry will also be merged.

Lawmakers on Tuesday ratified the appointment of two new deputy premiers, including the incumbent investment minister. That will increase the number of deputy prime ministers from five to seven.

The plan coincides with similar post-pandemic government cost-cutting measures being implemented or pledged across the world, including by Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei and US President Donald Trump.

Vietnam's state media reported last month that the restructuring would affect 100,000 state officials. It did not elaborate.

"Poor-performing employees must be removed from the system," it quoted Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, as saying.

"State agencies must not be safe shelters for incompetent officials."

ကိုးကား-Reuters

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France has been marked by an exceptional display of camaraderie and respect from President Emmanuel Macron, show casing the strength of their bilateral relationship. 

From shared moments at the AI Action Summit to travelling together in a joint motorcade and even on the same plane to Marseille, the two leaders have highlighted their close personal and diplomatic ties. 

On the first day, President Macron spent time with PM Modi at the dinner hosted by him. The camaraderie continued the next day at the AI Action Summit, where India and France co-hosted the summit. 

Demonstrating their close ties, they hosted the India-France CEOs Forum together, reflecting their shared vision for economic collaboration. 

In an extraordinary gesture of friendship, both the leaders also travelled together in a joint motorcade and in the same plane to Marseille. President Macron hosted PM Modi for a working dinner in Marseille immediately on landing. — ANI

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

THE Gaza ceasefire appeared increasingly fragile Tuesday after Hamas said US President Donald Trump’s latest warning “further complicates” the agreement with Israel, which has so far led to five hostage-prisoner swaps. 

Trump said that “all hell” would break out if Hamas failed to release all Israeli hostages by the weekend. The truce, in place since 19 January, largely halted more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza but has come under strain in recent days. 

International efforts to salvage it intensified, with Jordan’s King Abdullah II expected to raise the issue during his meeting with Trump in Washington later Tues day. 

Tensions, which initially spiked after Trump proposed last month taking over Gaza and removing its more than two million inhabitants, have grown since his latest comments. 

“As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday 12 o’clock — I think it’s an appropriate time — I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” Trump said on Monday. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

BELGIUM’S new Prime Minister Bart De Wever outlined his government’s priorities in parliament on Tuesday, pledging austerity measures, stricter migration controls, and a security overhaul, including increased defence spending and police reforms. 

De Wever emphasized that reducing Belgium’s debt, which exceeds 100 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP), is a key priority. The government plans to cap unemployment benefits at two years and introduce pension reforms, imposing a two per cent annual penalty for early retirement starting in 2026, rising to five per cent by 2040, while rewarding those who work beyond the legal retirement age. 

“Those who retire early must accept the financial consequences,” he told lawmakers. The government also aims to boost employment by gradually raising the minimum wage and cutting employer taxes by 1.5 billion euros (US$1.56 billion). Workers will receive 500 euros more per month than those on unemployment, reinforcing incentives to remain in the workforce. On migration, social benefits will be restricted for newcomers until they have lived in Belgium for five years. Family reunification rules will tighten, and asylum seekers will receive reduced financial aid, covering their own expenses once granted residency. To enhance public security, the government will merge Brussels’ police zones to improve coordination in crime response. De Wever vowed zero tolerance for violence against law enforcement and pledged stronger policing measures. — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

SAUDI Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa reviewed in Riyadh on Sunday bilateral relations and the latest developments in Syria.
The two sides discussed ways to enhance Syria’s security and stability, as well as opportunities for cooperation across various sectors, and exchanged views on regional developments and ongoing efforts to address them, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Saudi crown prince congratulated al-Sharaa on assuming the presidency of Syria and wished him success in fulfilling the aspirations of the Syrian people.
For his part, al-Sharaa expressed his gratitude to the crown prince for his good wishes and the kingdom’s supportive stance towards Syria and its people.
Al-Sharaa arrived in the Saudi capital on Sunday for his first official visit abroad. He has led the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group since 2017 and played a key role in the offensive that led to the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and the establishment of the Syrian transitional government.
He has been the country’s de facto leader since Assad’s ouster. Syria’s Military Operations Administration announced on 29 January the appointment of alSharaa as president during the transitional period, granting him authority to establish an interim legislative council until a permanent constitution is ratified. —Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

INCUMBENT President Alexander Lukashenko has won the presidential election of Belarus, according to the preliminary results released early Monday by the country’s Central Election Commission.
The preliminary data from the Central Election Commission showed that Lukashenko received 86.82 per cent of the vote. Sergei Syrankov, Oleg Gaidukevich, Anna Kanopatskaya and Alexander Khizhnyak secured 3.21 per cent, 2.02 per cent, 1.86 per cent and 1.74 per cent of the vote, respectively.
Under Belarusian law, a presidential candidate who secures more than 50 per cent of the vote is declared the winner. Belarussian president is elected by direct ballot and the term of office is five years.
The Belarus election commission will announce the final results of the voting no later than 5 February. — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

THE Greek parliament on Saturday failed to elect the country’s next president.
None of the four candidates secured the required minimum 200 votes out of the total 300 members of the assembly in the first round. 297 members participated in the voting.
Constantine Tassoulas, former parliament speaker and nominee of the ruling New Democracy party, received 160 votes, the most. The other three candidates each secured less than 50 votes.
A second round is scheduled for 31 January with the threshold also being 200 votes, according to the Greek constitution.
If no candidate achieves the required votes in the second round, the threshold will drop to 180 votes in the third round, and to a simple majority of 151 votes in the fourth round. In the final round, the president will be elected with a relative majority.
The term of outgoing President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, former head of Greece’s highest administrative court, expires in March. According to the constitution, the country’s president is elected for a five-year term and can be re-elected only once. — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar