This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Thailand’s PM suggests that only ugly people are safe in bikinis
- BBC reporters attacked by Russian thugs after finding evidence of new Ukraine invasion
- Dozens of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine from Chechnya
- China’s and India’s leaders smile despite military confrontation
Thailand’s PM suggests that only ugly people are safe in bikinis
Murdered British tourists David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23
Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, who heads the military junta that overthrewThailand’s elected government in a coup in May, is apologizing forsuggesting that only ugly people should wear bikinis.
The bodies of two British tourists, a young, good-looking male andfemale, were found bludgeoned on one of Thailand’s scenic beaches.Prayuth said, “Can they be safe in bikinis, unless they are notbeautiful?”
In response to the subsequent uproar, Prayuth said, “I apologize that Ihave spoken too harshly … I didn’t mean to criticize or look down onanyone. Today I can guarantee that Thailand is still safe … I wantedto warn [the tourists] to be careful. I’m sorry that it hurt people.”
BBC reporters attacked by Russian thugs after finding evidence of new Ukraine invasion
BBC reporters in southern Russia were attacked by Russian securitythugs after interviewing a woman whose brother, a professional Russiansoldier, had been killed in action in Ukraine. The Russian thugsseriously wounded the cameraman and smashed his camera. The otherswere locked up while their equipment was damaged and all their reportserased. However, the reporters had already uploaded much of thematerial, including the interview with the dead soldier’s sisterbefore the Russian thugs attacked, so the BBC was able to air theinterview after all.
In the interview, as aired on the BBC, the woman said her brother wasa professional soldier who had been ordered into Ukraine, and wasprobably killed there. In her last phone contact with her brother, hesaid that he’d been ordered to go to southwest Ukraine, whichpresumably means that Russia is in the midst of a military buildup toattack Odessa and then annex southern Ukraine, as well as Moldova’sTransnistria province.
Nato and several news organizations have shown the presence of largenumbers of Russian troops in Ukraine. Russia simply claims thateveryone else is lying, uses violence by thugs to intimidate reporterswho collect such evidence, and uses an army of paid trolls to attack anyone on the internet whoreports Russian activities.
Russia invaded Crimea, Ukraine’s southern peninsula, earlier thisyear, and annexed it. They lied about the presence of Russian troopsuntil the invasion and the annexation were over, and then acknowledgedthat they had been lying, even awarding medals to the Russian soldierswho conducted the invasion.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s government reported that Russia’s troops inCrimea have been massing on the Crimean border. If this story istrue, and if the Russian woman’s story is true that her dead brotherhad been ordered to southwest Ukraine, it would indicate that a newRussian invasion of Ukraine is imminent, with plans to annex southernUkraine. BBC and AFP and BBC and Pravda (Moscow)
Dozens of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine from Chechnya
Dozens of Russian soldiers from Chechnya are fighting the Ukrainianarmy in Ukraine. These Chechens have produced a large number ofvideos that appear on the internet showing the fighting and dying inUkraine. Other videos show Russian officers threatening Chechens whoresist being sent to Ukraine. The influx of Chechens includes entiremilitary units normally based in Chechnya, including two MotorizedRifle Brigades. The brigades are manned exclusively by contractsoldiers, 10-20 percent of which are Chechens. Jamestown and Bloomberg
China’s and India’s leaders smile despite military confrontation
China’s president Xi Jinping and India’s prime minister Narendra Modiacted like friendly old pals in their meeting in New Delhi, andpromised that the two countries would help each other with neweconomic initiatives. China pledged to invest $20 billion in a fiveyear plan to reduce the trade imbalance that currently favors China bya large amount.
Xi promised to combine the “world’s factory” with the “world’s backoffice” in a Wednesday editorial that he wrote for The Hindu:
As emerging markets, each with its own strengths, weneed to become closer development partners who draw upon eachother’s strengths and work together for common development. Withrich experience in infrastructure building and manufacturing,China is ready to contribute to India’s development in theseareas. India is advanced in IT and pharmaceutical industries, andIndian companies are welcome to seek business opportunities in theChinese market. The combination of the “world’s factory” and thebase and the most attractive consumer market.
Xi also appreciatively quoted Modi’s characterization that China andIndia are “two bodies, one spirit.”
However, Modi also said that the boundary issues between China andIndia need to be resolved quickly:
“We need to resolve our boundary issue soon. Aclarification on the LAC (Line of Actual Control) is veryimportant. It has been pending for years, it is time to start itagain.
Indeed, despite all the friendly talk between the two leaders, Chineseand Indian forces were confronting each other in the bitterlycontested Kashmir/Jammu region. 600 soldiers crossed China’s borderinto India in the early hours of Thursday morning, supported byhelicopters. They were building a road that would be five km deepinto Indian territory. There was no live fire between the two sides.IBNLive (India) and Times of India and The Hindu
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Thailand, Prayuth Chan-ocha, bikinis,David Miller, Hannah Witheridge,BBC, Russia, Ukraine, Odessa, Chechnya,China, India, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi
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