Â鶹Éç

Stories from Myanmar, Goma, Belarus and Australia.

On the Thai Myanmar border, the local Karen people are trying to seek refuge from a battle between the Mynamar military and Karen insurgents. There have been widespread protests across Myanmar, since the military coup in February, with more than 700 people killed. In rural areas, several rebel militias – most formed by ethnic minorities – which have been resisting the military for decades are renewing their fight. Laura Bicker visited the border between Thailand and Myanmar and found a community under siege.

In Belarus the brazen actions of the country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko, caught even the most seasoned diplomats off guard. A Vilnius-bound Ryanair flight 4978 was forced to land in Minsk last Sunday, under the auspices that there was a bomb on the aircraft. Western powers looked on in disbelief as it transpired that the incident in fact amounted to a state-backed hijacking of an aircraft in order to detain a dissident blogger. James Landale reflects on the ramifications.

Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of Africa’s most active volcanoes. Last weekend it erupted causing thousands to flee their homes and killing at least 30 people. Seventeen villages were destroyed by the lava and residents were left dealing with both tragedy and displacement, as aftershocks continued throughout the week. In recent days a further evacuation was ordered amid concerns about the presence of magma under the city of Goma and in Lake Kivu. Olivia Acland describes leaving the city where she lives.

Relations between China and Australia have deteriorated in recent years. Beijing has imposed punitive tariffs on Australian goods, including wine, beef and rock lobsters. There have been several tipping points but Canberra’s allegations around the origins of the pandemic have brought matters to a head. Shaimaa Khalil went to visit a South Australian winery that is grappling with the impact of souring relations.

(Image: Villagers carry their luggage back to Mae Sam Laep village in Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Credit: Â鶹Éç News/Wasawat Lukharang)