International
China special envoy makes unannounced Myanmar visit
AFP
China’s special envoy for Asian affairs has wrapped an unannounced, week-long visit to Myanmar that included discussions with its junta leader on the country’s political future, Beijing said Tuesday.
Myanmar has been in political chaos since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February, launching a bloody crackdown on dissent.
International efforts to stem the violence have failed to yield results, with the European Union accusing junta allies Russia and China of blocking efforts at the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo.
Special envoy Sun Guoxiang met junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and “exchanged views… on the political landscape in Myanmar,” according to a statement released by Beijing’s embassy in Myanmar.
China supports “Myanmar’s efforts to restore social stability and resume democratic transformation at an early date,” it said.
The statement on Sun’s August 21-28 visit did not mention any meeting with the shadow government of lawmakers from Suu Kyi’s ousted party, who insist they are Myanmar’s legitimate authority.
Beijing enjoys exceptional leverage over Myanmar, and has so far refused to label the military action a coup.
Sun played a role in previous peace talks between Myanmar’s military and myriad ethnic groups — some of whom Beijing maintains alliances with, analysts say.
Myanmar is also a vital piece of Beijing’s huge Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the country and promised to support the Myanmar government on a development path “suited to its own national conditions”.
Chinese state media on Tuesday reported the successful completion of a test journey carrying cargo along a new sea-road-rail passage linking southwest China to the Indian Ocean through Myanmar.
International
Delta Airlines cancels 1,100 flights amid winter storm chaos
More than 3,000 flights were canceled on Friday, and thousands more were delayed due to a winter storm in the southern United States, according to airlines and the flight tracking website FlightAware. Delta Airlines crews expect to return to normal operations on Saturday, the company stated in a release.
“Unforeseen severe winter conditions at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Georgia) caused the closure of all five runways for more than two hours on Friday morning,” the airline said. Delta canceled about 1,100 flights across its network on Friday due to the “freezing rain that fell throughout the day and early afternoon, leading to diversions.”
Additionally, a Delta Airlines aircraft had to abort its takeoff due to a motor issue, also at Atlanta Airport.
More than 200 passengers and crew members aboard a Boeing 757-300 bound for Minneapolis were evacuated via emergency slides, according to a statement from the airline reported by U.S. media. An investigation is underway.
Airports in Dallas Fort Worth (Texas) and Charlotte Douglas (North Carolina) were also affected by the severe weather, with over 1,200 flights canceled.
International
At least 20 injured in tram collision at Strasbourg Train Station tunnel
On Saturday afternoon, two trams collided in the tunnel leading to the Strasbourg train station in northeastern France, resulting in at least 20 injuries, according to the local prefecture. “The initial assessment indicates that 20 people are in a state of relative emergency,” said a spokesperson, noting that the circumstances of the accident had not yet been determined.
A security perimeter was established in front of the station, where several ambulances arrived, as reported by an AFP journalist.
A video taken by a witness and shared on social media shows a chaotic scene, with two heavily damaged trams in the tunnel near the station. One of the trams appears to have derailed due to the impact.
Since Strasbourg revamped its tram network in 1994, no major accidents had been reported until this incident.
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