Latest news with #regionalsecurity
CNA
11 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Australia DPM Richard Marles visits India to strengthen defence ties
Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles is in India, where he has held high-level talks. He discussed regional and global security issues with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh. Australia has been looking to bolster regional ties, amid China's growing military presence. Canberra has also been under pressure to increase military spending, and strengthen engagement with Indo Pacific allies. India is the third stop on Mr Marles' tour of South and Southeast Asia. Rebecca Bundhun reports from Mumbai.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Satellite images show Swiss village wiped out by glacier collapse
New terrifying satellite images have revealed how a tiny Swiss village was completely wiped out by a massive glacier collapse. The remote Alpine village of Blatten was flattened after an avalanche of rock, mud and ice was sent crashing down into the valley. Once home to around 300 people, it now lies buried beneath a vast expanse of debris after the Birch Glacier broke off on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say 90 per cent of the village has been destroyed. New satellite pictures reveal the true scale of the disaster, showing where homes, farmland and roads once stood, now completely smothered by mud and rubble. The river Lonza, which runs through the valley, has been blocked by the landslide, which had raised fears of further flooding. But as reconnaissance flights and inspections continued, authorities said water from the newly formed lake, which has been slowly submerging the remaining houses in the obliterated village of Blatten, was beginning to find its way over, through and around the blockage. 'This development is positive, but we remain cautious,' said Stephane Ganzer, head of the regional security department. 'The risk remains, even if it is diminishing,' he told a press conference, adding that 'no evacuations are planned' in the villages downstream in the Lötschental valley, one of the most picturesque regions in southern Switzerland. The outflow "makes us optimistic and suggests that the water is finding a good path", explained Christian Studer of the Wallis canton's Natural Hazards Service. However, work to pump water from the lake has still not begun as the ground remains too unstable, particularly on the mountainside. One 64-year-old man is still missing. He was believed to be in the area at the time. Switzerland's president has pledged support for those forced to flee the Alpine village of Blatten, telling evacuees they are 'not alone' after a devastating glacier-triggered landslide wiped out homes and businesses. Karin Keller-Sutter made the comments on Friday after surveying the destruction by helicopter. She said the government was now working to calculate ways to help those affected by the disaster. 'The force with which the mountain here wiped out an entire village is indescribable,' said Keller-Sutter. 'I'd like to tell you all that you're not alone. The whole of Switzerland is with you — and not just (people) in Switzerland.' Officials have limited access to the area and warned that huge deposits of debris, stacked tens of metres high across a 2-kilometre stretch of the valley, have blocked the Lonza River and formed a new lake. The future course of the water remains uncertain. 'Unfortunately, the danger has not yet been averted,' Keller-Sutter added. Separate drone footage shown by national broadcaster SRF showed a vast plain of mud and soil completely covering part of the village and the river running through it. At around 3:30pm local time, a huge chunk of the Birch glacier broke off, according to emergency services in the Wallis region. Local police said the missing 64-year-old man was a local resident who was in the area at the time of the incident. A search and rescue operation was launched, with three specialists airlifted to the scene, while a drone with a thermal imaging camera was also used. 'Despite significant efforts, the man has still not been found,' police said. The village, including residents and a herd of 52 cows, had mostly been evacuated this week amid fears the 52mn cubic ft glacier was days away from collapse. 'We've lost our village,' Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blatten told a press conference after the slide. 'The village is under rubble. We will rebuild.' The glacier collapse had been expected for several days, and there have been no reports of injuries. 'An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley,' said Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for local authorities in the southwestern canton of Valais. Stephane Ganzer, an official in the canton of Valais where Blatten is located, told Swiss media that about 90% of the village was covered by the landslide. 'it's a major catastrophe that has happened here in Blatten,' he said, adding: 'There's a risk that the situation could get worse,' alluding to the blocked river. He said the army had been mobilised after earlier indications that the movement of the glacier was accelerating. Experts consulted by Reuters said it was difficult to assess the extent to which rising temperatures spurred by climate change had triggered the collapse because of the role the crumbling mountainside had played.
Times of Oman
28-05-2025
- General
- Times of Oman
Iranian President receives Foreign Minister
Muscat: President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian of the Islamic Republic of Iran received at his place of residence on Wednesday Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister. The visit took place within the context of the Iranian President's current visit to the Sultanate of Oman. The meeting explored the bilateral relations and touched on political developments. It stressed the importance of advancing dialogue and diplomatic efforts to resolve regional conflicts and enhance regional and international security and peace.
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Can the US be counted on for Asia security? Crisis report casts doubt, warns of arms race
Chinese advancements and inconsistent signalling by the United States under Donald Trump's presidency are stoking concerns among allies and partners in Asia that Washington may not be a reliable guarantor of regional security, according to a report. Advertisement This perception has led to increased militarisation across the region – a trend that was likely to intensify, stated the report by the independent non-profit International Crisis Group (ICG) this month. Titled 'Asia in flux: the US, China and the search for a new equilibrium', the report called on Washington and Beijing to work together to manage the risk of unintended escalation which could generate a regional arms race. This could be done by strengthening military communication channels and engaging in high-level strategic exchanges, it suggested, although it pointed to Trump 's 'Liberation Day' tariffs as obstacles to diplomatic progress. Speaking on Friday morning at an online event on the report, Huong Le Thu, Asia deputy programme director at the ICG said the current unpredictability in the geopolitical situation 'is the new normal'. Advertisement 'The return of President Trump and his America-first foreign policy has been a source of anxiety for many allies and partners in the region including Asia,' she warned.
Russia Today
21-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
China, Afghanistan and Pakistan look to boost trade and security cooperation
China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan will enhance trilateral cooperation in various sectors, including trade and security, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement was posted on X after informal talks in Beijing between Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday. 'The three Foreign Ministers reaffirmed trilateral cooperation as a vital platform to promote regional security and economic connectivity,' the Pakistani ministry said. 'They discussed enhancing diplomatic engagement, strengthening communications, and taking practical steps to boost trade, infrastructure, and development as key drivers of shared prosperity.' Islamabad and Beijing have also agreed to expand China's global infrastructure development program, the Belt and Road Initiative, to Afghanistan through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).Earlier this month, the Taliban-led Afghan government issued a statement through its Interior Ministry, calling for 'mutual respect and constructive engagement' with both Pakistan and China. Before Wednesday's trilateral meeting, Dar held separate talks with Wang, in which the Chinese Foreign Minister called Pakistan an 'iron-clad friend' and 'all-weather strategic partner.' The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said that the two countries agreed to enhance cooperation in various sectors, including trade, investment, agriculture, and industrialization, in addition to maintaining regular communication. China had said on Tuesday that it supports Pakistan in defending its 'national sovereignty and territorial integrity.'Pakistan's overtures towards China and Afghanistan come in the wake of a brief military confrontation with India that ended in a ceasefire on May 10. During the four-day clash in South Asia in May, Beijing, which has traditionally enjoyed warm relations with Islamabad, had called on both sides to de-escalate. Hours before India and Pakistan agreed to the ceasefire, Wang called Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and expressed hope that New Delhi and Islamabad 'would remain calm and restrained, properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation and avoid escalating the situation.' On Monday, an official from a think tank affiliated with the Indian Defense Ministry told Bloomberg that China had provided Pakistan with air defense and satellite support during the recent military standoff in South Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, Member of the CPC Political Bureau & Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi, and Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, held an informal trilateral meeting in…
