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Spectator
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Myanmar's junta is losing its grip on power
A Myanmar military jet continued to fly sorties just over our hidden frontline hospital. Every time it screamed low over the tree line, the entire clinic would crouch down and pray that this wouldn't be the strike that hit us. These hospitals are prime targets; the military has no qualms about bombing groups of wounded fighters and civilians alike. I was on the frontlines in Karenni State, at the township of Bawlakhe, where the resistance was launching a large, multi-pronged offensive to seize one of the most strategically important towns in the region. The two main medics running the emergency ward were a husband and wife in their early 30s, former hospital workers who quit after the 2021 coup and joined the rebellion. They've seen four years of relentless war. The military deliberately murders its own people. I've seen firsthand the destruction the regime's airstrikes cause. While the world looks away as conflict breaks out in the Middle East, at least 6,231 civilians have been killed in Myanmar, including 1,144 women and 709 children, according to figures published in January that were compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the United Nations. By late June, AP News reported that the number had climbed even higher, with more than 6,600 civilians killed in the aftermath of the coup. These numbers reflect a systematic campaign of violence, targeting not only resistance forces, but ordinary people caught in the crossfire. Karenni forces – primarily the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), the Karenni Army, and allied ethnic militias – have maintained strong momentum in Kayah (Karenni) State. Since mid-March 2025, they've pushed a major offensive to retake Bawlakhe, capturing key junta outposts, seizing weapons, and tightening the noose on the military's last holdouts. The fighting has been fierce, with heavy casualties on both sides, and the junta responding with devastating artillery and airpower. Myanmar's civil war has reached its most volatile and fragmented stage since the coup. Resistance forces have gained unprecedented ground across ethnic and central regions, while the junta – once largely in control – is now stretched thin. It is relying heavily on airstrikes, forced conscription, and scorched-earth tactics to maintain its grip on a handful of key cities. Meanwhile, a patchwork of ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy militias have captured strategic towns, border crossings, and infrastructure, effectively governing vast areas of the country. Death and despair are constant on the front. But within that chaos, you also glimpse the raw resilience of the resistance. Despite facing a heavily-armed military backed by China and Russia, these young fighters stare down their enemy with fury and focus. 'Even when the warplanes are flying low, we must stay calm and keep our composure,' Bu Boo told me towards the end of the day. 'If we show that we are nervous or alarmed, the other soldiers and medics will start to lose their composure too.' His wife, known as Yo Yo, is just as unshakable. The scene inside the hospital was chaos, yet the medics moved with calm, almost instinctual precision. Every five to ten minutes, an injured fighter was rushed into the base. I could hear the screech of tires as another Toyota pickup pulled up outside, just a couple of kilometers from the front. Bu Boo triaged each case quickly, determining who had the best chance of surviving. Some of the men had gaping holes in their bodies. Others lay limp with collapsed lungs, unable to speak. 'Look at me. Stay awake. Don't close your eyes!' a fighter shouted at his comrade, who was drifting out of consciousness. He had taken shrapnel just under his left ear. His blood soaking through a ragged uniform. Yo Yo managed to stop the bleeding and ordered an immediate transfer to a better-equipped hospital further from the battle line. A few men lifted him into a pickup that served as transport for both the wounded and the dead. After the fighting calmed briefly, a heavy silence fell over the camp. The exhaustion was visible in everyone's faces. Some of the resistance fighters, not yet 25, looked aged beyond their years after four straight years of war. But when you ask them about the future, they light up. For them, there is no other path. They must win. This generation refuses to live in the dark, like their parents and grandparents once did. They've experienced peace before. They know the potential of their country. And they understand that to get it back, they must fight. They must defeat the junta. At the time of writing, the Karenni resistance was still locked in battle for Bawlakhe, a town whose fall could trigger the full liberation of Kayah State. If they win, other major towns may follow in a domino effect. The battle for Bawlakhe has become a symbol of what's possible when fractured resistance groups unite with shared purpose. Across Karenni State, fighters from once-separate brigades now operate under a joint command, planning ambushes, sharing intelligence, and caring for each other's wounded. Several key junta positions have already fallen, and the resistance is now pressing deeper into the heart of the township. The junta has unleashed relentless air and artillery strikes, torching villages and sending waves of newly conscripted troops into the fight. But it is clear that this regime is no longer fighting from a position of dominance. Many believe it is fighting to survive. The fall of Bawlakhe, when it eventually happens, would mark a turning point in the war in Karenni State, a moment that signals to the rest of the country that the junta can be beaten not just in the mountains, but in the towns it once held with impunity.
International Business Times
03-07-2025
- Science
- International Business Times
Antarctica's Disappearing Ice Is a Red Alert for Wildlife — and Us; Here's Why!
A new study, published in PNAS Nexus, an extension of the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences for high-impact, emerging research, revealed that the Antarctic summer sea ice is retreating at record rates, causing a cascade of environmental and social repercussions that could significantly change the world's climate and ecosystems, according to Australian experts. The Australian Antarctic Program Partnership (AAPP) at the University of Tasmania led the study, which found that record lows in sea-ice extent are heating oceans, exposing coastlines, and upsetting fragile ecosystems while also increasing public fear of climate change. According to an AAPP release, the study, which synthesizes effects across ocean systems, ecosystems, and human societies, shows that severe sea-ice lows, such as those seen in recent years, cause three interrelated crises. Edward Doddridge, the lead author of the study from the AAPP, said that the loss of sea ice increases the risk of sea-level rise because it weakens the ice shelf, increases wave damage, and causes more iceberg calving—there are six more icebergs per 100,000 km² lost. The study noted that a persistent, self-reinforcing cycle of ocean warming is caused by the disappearance of sea ice, which increases the absorption of solar heat by dark open waters. Algal blooms in these areas further trap warmth. The study also revealed that public interest peaked during the record sea-ice lows in 2023, and that increased media coverage of Antarctic ice loss is linked to growing climate anxiety and mental health concerns.
The Advertiser
01-07-2025
- Science
- The Advertiser
Sea ice loss risks more icebergs, threatens wildlife
Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said. Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said. Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said. Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Sea ice loss risks more icebergs, threatens wildlife
Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said.
West Australian
01-07-2025
- Science
- West Australian
Sea ice loss risks more icebergs, threatens wildlife
Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said.
