Author: space4knews

In Myanmar’s southern Tanintharyi region, continuous heavy rainfall has triggered floods and landslides resulting in the deaths of 7 to 10 people, with fears that around 20 to 30 others remain missing. Rescue teams have trekked on foot to villages cut off by blocked roads, relocating hundreds of displaced individuals to temporary shelters set up in local monasteries.

On October 12, Dawei, Myanmar – Persistent rains since Friday night in the southern Tanintharyi area have caused significant damage due to flooding and landslides. Preliminary reports indicate that between 7 and 10 individuals have died, while 20 to 30 others are still unaccounted for.

The heavy rain has severely impacted various townships within the Tanintharyi region, with some villages rendered inaccessible by blocked roads. Rescue personnel have been forced to travel by foot to reach these areas. Myo Min, chairman of the volunteer organization Dawei Jabuthiri Emergency Medical Service, stated that rescue teams have moved hundreds of displaced people to temporary shelters established in local monasteries.

The ongoing civil war in Myanmar has compounded the difficulties for rescue and relief efforts. Due to the conflict, humanitarian organizations face considerable challenges in accurately collecting data on the impact and damage caused by natural disasters.

British police arrested five suspects near a Royal Air Force (RAF) base in the UK on Sunday, which has reportedly been used by the United States for military operations against Iran. US President Donald Trump confirmed that these suspects had been under investigation for some time. “The operation was successfully carried out in cooperation with the UK. We had them under surveillance and investigation,” Trump told reporters. “They were planning significant damage to our military base, but thanks to the joint efforts with the British side, we apprehended them.”

The information indicated that three suspicious vehicles were heading towards the base near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, located in the southwest of England. Armed forces took the men into custody near the village of Fairford. Initially arrested under suspicion of bomb-related activities, they have since been charged under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act for preparing terrorist acts.

According to British counterterrorism official Vicky Evans, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team conducted a search, leading to a 400-meter cordon around the vehicles. Taking security precautions, approximately 85 households in the area were relocated to safe locations. RAF Fairford is the main forward operating base for the US Air Force in Europe, hosting the US 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron. In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had warned that US B-1 bombers operating from RAF Fairford would make any military base used for strikes on Iranian territory a “legitimate target.”

September 28, New Delhi (RAS/AFP) – In India, mounting allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of voter lists have increased pressure on the Election Commission for an inquiry. Opposition parties are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and calling for an investigation led by the Supreme Court. According to an investigative report last week by The Indian Express, two out of three Election Commissioners approved key decisions related to the SIR without the consent of the third commissioner. The Election Commission, however, has denied the accusations, asserting that all decisions were unanimous and legally valid.

Opposition parties have long raised concerns that the SIR process has led to the removal of millions of voters from the electoral rolls, potentially benefiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The report revealed that over the past 10 months, two Election Commissioners formally dissented at least 14 times on major SIR-related decisions, stating that 13 million voters were excluded. The Election Commission maintains that the purpose of the SIR is to identify and remove fraudulent registrations while retaining eligible voters on the list.

The Commission also stated that preventing “illegal foreign immigrants” from voting is one of its objectives. Critics argue that this disproportionately affects marginalized and minority communities. The Commission clarified that all decisions made over the past year have been unanimous. However, it has not publicly disclosed who approved the contentious orders opposed by the two commissioners. Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that if it is confirmed that SIR-related decisions were made without the knowledge or approval of the two commissioners, those decisions and the entire process would be legally invalid. The youth-led Kakkaroch Janata Party has warned it will launch street protests starting October 2 if Kumar does not resign.

October 3, San Francisco (Reuters/AFP) — As the United States and China prepare to reach an agreement on reducing tariffs on trade goods, the White House has published a list of products that could receive tariff cuts from both countries. However, the exact tariff reduction amounts and timelines were not specified. According to information released by the White House on Sunday, the US and China will review the list of eligible products with the aim of mutually agreeing on lower tariffs. This initiative covers goods valued at approximately $30 billion in trade in both directions.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit meeting on Friday to discuss trade relations. Following Xi’s visit to Washington, the White House announced that both sides had agreed to recommend more favorable tariff arrangements on non-sensitive products. Beijing confirmed the agreement on Saturday. The US list of products eligible for tariff reductions includes 77 categories such as fireworks, Christmas decorations, household goods, and sports equipment imported from China. Similarly, China’s list of American imports includes over 1,600 categories, such as beef, pork, poultry, seafood, grains, dairy products, whiskey, coal, and timber. The White House also noted that China agreed to import at least 10 million metric tons of coal annually from the US in 2027 and 2028.

President Trump and President Xi had previously agreed to a truce in the trade war during a meeting in South Korea last year. Prior to this, tariffs on certain products had exceeded 100 percent amid trade disputes between the two countries. Although the truce was originally set to expire in November, both sides have agreed to extend it until January 10, according to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to hold discussions with the mediators involved in negotiations with the United States. According to Iran’s news agency ISNA, Foreign Minister Araghchi, along with the Iranian delegation, will meet with the mediator team engaged in talks with the US today. The Qatari delegation is currently in the United States. Last week, they submitted Iran’s proposal for economic relief instead of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to US officials.

The mediator team and the Iranian delegation will discuss “recent proposals and the current situation,” ISNA reported. According to another Iranian news agency, Tasnim, there are no plans for direct talks between Iran and the United States.

October 4, Kyaukta, Myanmar (RASS/AFP) – A military airstrike on a market in western Myanmar on Monday resulted in the deaths of 33 people. An additional 36 were injured, according to a statement released by the Arakan Army, an active rebel group in the region. The group reported that the attack occurred around midday on Monday at a market and a nearby bridge in the city of Kyaukta in Rakhine State, leaving many wounded, some in critical condition, with the death toll expected to rise.

A witness, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said more than 30 bodies were seen at the scene Monday afternoon. Amidst the debris and cratered roads, where thick smoke was rising, human remains were also discovered. Attempts to obtain a response from the military were unsuccessful. Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar’s civil war has intensified, with western Rakhine State experiencing some of the worst conditions.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has asserted that the Iranian military will expel enemy forces, specifically the US military, from the Arabian Sea along the southern coast of Iran. These remarks were made in a message commemorating the Iran-Iraq war and honoring the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2024 following an Israeli attack.

“After the fierce attacks carried out by our brave fighters and the guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, the enemies (US forces) no longer dare to venture beyond the Arabian Sea,” Khamenei stated. He further indicated that the removal of the United States from the Arabian Sea is imminent. “Whenever they have taken risks, they have only harmed themselves. Now, the time is approaching when the Arabian Sea will be free of their presence,” he added.