U.S. accuses Burmese generals of genocide against Rohingyas

Today's headlines: Japan wants to convince India to condemn Russia; two men died in Sri Lanka while standing in line for fuel; another ferry accident in Bangladesh; Hong Kong is easing restrictions against Covid-19; Moscow urges citizens to sue neighbours; Saudi Aramco reports +124% in profits

MYANMAR

The Biden administration has determined that the violence committed in Myanmar in 2017 by the Burmese military against the Rohingya constitutes crimes against humanity and genocide. The announcement will be made today by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. American officials told Reuters that Washington hopes the announcement will increase pressure from the international community on the Burmese military, which after seizing power in a coup last year is fighting a civil war against the country's ethnic militias.

JAPAN - INDIA

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida asked his counterpart, Narendra Modi, to take a stronger stance in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, during his visit to New Delhi. However, the Indian Prime Minister in his statements did not mention either Moscow or Kiev directly, limiting himself to a general call for peace. The other Quad members, Australia and the United States, have also tried unsuccessfully to put pressure on India, the main buyer of Russian arms and recently also of oil.

SRI LANKA

Yesterday in Sri Lanka two men in their seventies died in two separate accidents as they were queuing for fuel. Due to the worst economic crisis since the country's independence, there are continuous blackouts due to lack of oil and kerosene. The country's only refinery closed yesterday after running out of crude oil.

BANGLADESH

At least five dead and a dozen missing is the death toll after a ship collided with a ferry in Dhaka yesterday. The vessel was carrying more than 60 passengers. Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, with experts blaming poor maintenance and low safety standards.

HONG KONG

Starting next month, Hong Kong will resume international flights from the US, UK and seven other countries, while arrival quarantine will be reduced from 14 to seven days. Social distancing measures will also be gradually relaxed from today. Hong Kong currently has one of the highest Covid-19 mortality rates in the world.

SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Aramco's profits grew 124% to $ 110 billion last year. The announcement was made by the Saudi energy giant after an attack by Yemen's Houthis on several Aramco locations and facilities. Opec countries have so far resisted Western pressure to increase production to lower crude prices.

RUSSIA

Notices began to appear on chat rooms in Russian apartment buildings urging people to report neighbours who speak out against the government's military operations to security bodies. A complaint form is even being circulated, indicating the address and details of people "offline", and similar reports have already been sent to Kazan and the Kaliningrad region, where the police have blocked the phones of those who spread "non-credible data".

TURKMENISTAN

Serdar Berdymuhamedov officially took office as president of Turkmenistan, after winning the elections with 72.97% of the vote, despite many suspicions of fraud in the collection of ballots, in elections held without any participation of international observers. The inauguration ceremony was held at the Palace of Spirituality in Ašgabat, and the new leader proclaimed a "new and irrevocable era of democratic transformation of our country, respecting our centuries-old traditions of people power".

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