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14/12/2022

Lionel Messi: The ridiculous records and silly statistics of obviously the greatest player ever

Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer ever and the records he has set for Barcelona, Argentina and in general back it up. These numbers are not normal.

The man himself was in ludicrous form yet again to sink Croatia and is still pretty decent at 35.

* No player has made more World Cup appearances than Lionel Messi – he is level with Lothar Matthaus on 25 and should set a new record in the 2022 final.

* Lionel Messi ranks second for all-time minutes played at World Cups (2,194), behind only Paolo Maldini (2,217), whose record he would break if he starts in the final and lasts until at least the 24th minute.

* Lionel Messi has made the most World Cup appearances as captain (18), ahead of Mexico’s Rafael Marquez (17) and some bloke called Diego Maradona (16).

* Lionel Messi ranks second for most World Cup wins as a player (16), behind only Miroslav Klose (17).

* Lionel Messi ranks joint-sixth all-time for World Cup goals, level with Jurgen Klinsmann and Sandor Kocsis on 11 and behind only Pele (12), Just Fontaine (13), Gerd Muller (14), Ronaldo (15) and Miroslav Klose (16).

* Lionel Messi ranks second all-time for World Cup assists (9), behind only Pele (10).

* Lionel Messi is the only player to assist goals at five different World Cup tournaments.

* Lionel Messi holds the record for the longest period between a player’s first and most recent World Cup goals (16 years and 180 days).

* Lionel Messi is the only player to score a World Cup goal in his teens, 20s and 30s.

* Lionel Messi has won the most man of the match awards at World Cups with 9, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (7) and Arjen Robben (6). He also has the most man of the match awards at one tournament (4 in both 2014 and 2022), level with Wesley Sneijder (2010).

* Lionel Messi is one of only six players to appear at five different World Cup tournaments – Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthaus, Rafael Marquez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Guardado are the others.

* Lionel Messi is the favourite to win the 2022 World Cup Golden Ball, thus becoming the first player to win the trophy for best player at two tournaments in the process after claiming it at Brazil 2014.

* Lionel Messi is the only player in World Cup history – at least since such records began in 1966 – to score and assist a goal in four separate matches.

* Lionel Messi is the youngest player to play for, score and captain Argentina at a World Cup.

* Lionel Messi is the all-time top-scoring male South American in international fixtures (95 goals).

* Lionel Messi ranks third for all-time Champions League appearances (161), behind only Iker Casillas (177) and Cristiano Ronaldo (183).

Related video: How The World Reacted To Messi’s Croatia Masterclass (unbranded - Sport)
* Lionel Messi ranks second for all-time Champions League goals (129), behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (140).

* Lionel Messi ranks second for all-time Champions League assists (40), behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (42).

* Lionel Messi was the fastest player to reach 100 Champions League goals (123 games), and the youngest to make 100 Champions League appearances (28 years and 84 days).

* Lionel Messi has scored the most hat-tricks in Champions League history (8).

* Lionel Messi has scored against the most different opponents in Champions League history (40).

* Messi is the only player to score in 17 and, subsequently, 18 consecutive seasons of the Champions League.

* Messi has scored the most goals in a single Champions League match (5 v Bayer Leverkusen in 2012).

* Messi has won the most Ballon d’Or awards of any player (7).

* Messi has won the most European Golden Shoes of any player (6).

* Messi ranks first for all-time La Liga goals (474), wins (383), assists (192), goals in a single season (50), free-kick goals (39), hat-tricks (36), braces (116), whatever the word is for four-goal hauls (5) and player of the month awards (8).

* Messi has won the second-most La Liga championships of any player (10), behind only Paco Gento (12).

* Messi has scored the most goals by a player for a single club (672, Barcelona).

* Messi has won the most trophies as a player for a single club (35, Barcelona)

* Messi scored the most goals for club and country in a calendar year (91 in 2012).

* Messi is the only player to score 60 goals or more in all competitions in two consecutive seasons, 40 goals or more in 12 consecutive seasons and 30 goals or more in 13 consecutive seasons.

* Messi is the only player to score in six different club competitions in a season twice.

* Messi was the first player to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league (2012/13 season).

* Messi is the only player to score in seven different official competitions in a single calendar year (La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, Copa America, Super Cup, Supercopa de Espana and Club World Cup in 2015).

* Messi has scored 56 career hat-tricks.

* Messi has faced 44 different teams in the Champions League, beating all of them at least once and scoring or assisting against all of them but Rubin Kazan (four games), Atletico Madrid (four games) and Udinese (one game).

* Messi has faced 40 different teams in La Liga, beating all of them at least once and scoring against all but Xerez (two games) and Real Murcia (one game), both of whom he assisted at least one goal against.

* Messi has faced 27 different teams in Copa del Rey, beating all of them but UDA Gramenet – the only team he has not scored or assisted a goal against in the competition.

* Messi has faced 21 different teams in Ligue Un, beating all of them but RC Lens (two games) and Strasbourg (one game) and scoring or assisting against all but Marseille (three games), Bordeaux, Auxerre and Strasbourg (all one game).

* Messi has faced five different teams in the Supercopa de Espana, beating all of them but Atletico Madrid and scoring or assisting against all of them but Espanyol (two games).

* Messi has faced five different teams in the Club World Cup, beating all of them and scoring or assisting against each.

* Messi has faced three different teams in the Super Cup, beating all of them and scoring or assisting against each.

22/11/2022

WHO warns that winter will threaten the lives of millions of people in Ukraine

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Monday that this winter will "endanger" the lives of millions of people in Ukraine due to the energy crisis and the risk of viral infections.

According to the UN agency, Ukraine is facing a thermal crisis in addition to a crisis due to the war and the COVID-19 pandemic, all after half of the country's energy infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.

Such conditions are already having an impact on the healthcare system and people's health, which could put a dent in Ukraine's healthcare system.

Winter in Ukraine "will be about survival," according to WHO's regional director for Europe, Hans Henri Kluge, who detailed that so far 703 attacks on health facilities have been recorded since the war began nine months ago.

"This is a violation of international humanitarian law and the rules of war," Kluge asserted, adding that attacks on health and energy infrastructure mean that hundreds of hospitals and healthcare facilities are no longer fully operational and lack fuel, water and electricity to meet basic needs.

"Maternity wards need incubators. Blood banks need refrigerators. Intensive care beds need ventilators. And they all require power," he added.

In this regard, WHO has stressed that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians across the country, including private homes, schools and hospitals, have no gas supply, essential not only for cooking but also for heating.

As many as 10 million people, a quarter of Ukraine's population, do not have electricity, a worrying fact, according to the organization, as temperatures are forecast to plummet to -20 degrees in some parts of the country.

In addition, the extreme cold could lead many people to use alternative heating methods, such as burning coal or wood or using generators powered by electric or diesel heaters, which carry health risks, including exposure to toxic substances that are harmful to children, the elderly and people with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, as well as burns and accidental injuries.

"We expect 2 to 3 million more people to leave their homes in search of warmth and safety. They will face unique health challenges, including respiratory infections such as COVID-19, pneumonia and influenza, and the serious risk of diphtheria and measles in under-vaccinated populations," WHO said in a statement.

All in all, these events will take their toll on the mental health of Ukrainians, as in the ninth month of war, an estimated 10 million people are at risk of suffering from mental disorders such as acute stress, anxiety, depression, substance use and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Against this backdrop, the UN organization has stressed that Ukraine needs sustained resources to get the health system through the winter and beyond, items that will be high on the agenda at next month's Ukraine Conference in Paris, under the leadership of French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski.

"I urgently call for the creation of a humanitarian health corridor in all newly recaptured and occupied areas. WHO and our partners are ready to mobilize at any time," Kluge reiterated.

"I reiterate my call to both parties to allow urgent humanitarian access to meet people's health needs. Access to medical care cannot be held hostage," he added.

19/11/2022

Russia warns that «Zelenski and his henchmen» will be held accountable for POW deaths

Russia's Justice Ministry has warned that both Ukraine's President Volodimir Zelensky and "his henchmen" will be held accountable for the alleged ex*****on of Russian prisoners of war at the hands of Ukrainian soldiers.

"Zelensky and his henchmen will have to answer before the court of history, the peoples of Russia and Ukraine for each and every one of the tortured and murdered prisoners," the Justice Ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry also stressed that the circumstances of the alleged ex*****on of these ten prisoners of war cannot be defended by Ukraine or anyone in the international community as "a tragic exception", reports TASS.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday accused Ukrainian military of the ex*****on of at least a dozen prisoners of war captured in images that it denounced as a "methodical and intentional murder".

Although the Ministry's statement does not provide details at the moment about the ex*****ons, its publication coincides with a complaint also made Friday by pro-Russian authorities in the Donetsk region about a possible massacre of Russian servicemen in the town of Makivka, just east of the capital.

In this context, the Russian Foreign Ministry has appealed to international bodies to "condemn this heinous crime" and to launch a "thorough" investigation so that these alleged ex*****ons do not go unpunished.

16/11/2022

How much money did Mark Zuckerberg lose in 2022?

A catastrophic 2022
Mark Zuckerberg could not have predicted that 2022 would be a terrible year for him economically. The tech entrepreneur lost billions of dollars and had to fire thousands of employees from his company, Meta.

Among the wealthiest men in the world, but downgrading
The CEO of Meta, formerly Facebook, is one of the wealthiest men in the world. However, he is falling lower on the list. According to Forbes, during the biggest downfall of Meta in the stock market, Zuckerberg went from being the 25th richest person in the world to the 29th in just one day in October.

A hundred-billion loss
Meta's stock price increased during the pandemic and peaked in 2021, which granted Zuckerberg a $136.4 billion fortune. According to Forbes, the tech entrepreneur is now worth $36 billion. He lost 11 billion during the October debacle and more than 100 billion of his fortune at its peak.

Losing positions
In Bloomberg's Billionaire Index, Zuckerberg has lost more than 20 positions in the past four years. In 2018, the CEO of Meta was in the third position on this chart, just below Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates ─both have lost places as well, but not more than four.

Metaverse and competition
Zuckerberg's downfall has an explanation. The creation of the metaverse that his company is pursuing has proven to be more complicated than anticipated. Meta is also facing fierce competition from TikTok for advertising.

A long transition
Zuckerberg has admitted that transitioning to the metaverse will take years, but his attempts to create it are falling short today. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company's flagship for consumers, Horizon Worlds, is "grappling with glitchy technology, uninterested users, and a lack of clarity about what it will take to succeed."

Losing significant money
According to Bloomberg, Zuckerberg has admitted that his metaverse efforts will mean losing "significant" money in the next five years. Forbes assures that the division working on that project has lost $9.4 billion this year through September 30

Under a hundred dollars
Meta shares fell 25% to $97.94 on October 27, 2022, after the company reported a 50% decline in profits. However, the stock lost 70% of its price since the beginning of this year, when it was over 300 dollars.

The lowest point since 2016
According to Forbes, Meta's stock price is at its lowest since December 2016.

Layoffs
In November, the company announced a layoff of 11,000 employees, 13% of the total workforce. According to Forbes, Zuckerberg took responsibility for this action in a memo: "I want to take accountability for these decisions and how we got here. I know this is tough for everyone, and I'm especially sorry for those impacted." The CEO also announced a hiring freeze

Asking for patience
The CEO has asked for the patience of the investors. According to Bloomberg, he told the shareholders that the metaverse will eventually make money from a "creator economy, as people build businesses selling virtual goods and services."

Confidence in the metaverse
Zuckerberg is confident that the metaverse project will succeed. According to Forbes, the day before the October debacle, during an earnings call, the CEO said: "Look, I get that a lot of people might disagree with this investment. But from what I can tell, I think that this is going to be a very important thing. It would be a mistake for us not to focus on any of these areas, which I think will be fundamentally important to the future."

No longer a Big Tech Giant
While the future arrives, Meta has lost its position among Big Tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, according to CNBC, sixteen months after the company crossed the one trillion dollar market cap.

A 74% decrease
The company's stock worth has decreased a 74% since it peaked in September 2021, totaling over $730 billion in market cap loss, according to CNBC.

No longer one of the top 20
According to CNBC, Meta lost its spot as one of the top 20 most valuable U.S. companies. The tech company is now worth less than Home Depot and barely more than Pfizer and Coca-Cola.

From pushing to holding
Mark Zuckerberg's fortune depends almost exclusively on the success of Meta. He owns about 13% of the company's stock

If Meta falls...
And it is that Mark Zuckerberg has more than 350 million shares of Meta. That is, if Meta falls, Mark Zuckerberg falls.

16/11/2022

Zelenski calls for «action» following «Russian missile attack» on NATO territory

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski has called for "action" in response to the "Russian missile attack" on Poland, a territory of the Atlantic Alliance, and which puts "collective security" on alert.

Volodimir Zelenski, President of Ukraine - PRESIDENCIA DE UCRANIA
Volodimir Zelenski, President of Ukraine - PRESIDENCIA DE UCRANIA
© Provided by News 360
The Ukrainian leader warned that the missile strike on Poland - attributed to Russia by both Ukraine and the Baltic countries - represents a "really significant escalation", according to a presidential statement.

Zelenski also took the opportunity to recall his warnings in recent months that the conflict would not be limited only to the Ukrainian borders, but that Russia could at any moment extend its threats to the rest of the European continent and, therefore, to the European Union and NATO.

"How many times has Ukraine said that the terrorist state will not be limited to our country? Poland, the Baltic countries. It is only a matter of time before the Russian terror goes further. The terrorist must be put in his place," he said.

"The longer Russia feels impunity, the more threats there will be for all those who can be hit by Russian missiles," said the head of state, who conveyed his solidarity with the Polish population. "Ukraine will always support you," he said.

02/11/2022

Saudis tell US that Iran may attack the kingdom
Naharnet Newsdesk - 16h ago

Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with American officials that suggests Iran could be preparing for an imminent attack on the kingdom, three U.S. officials said.

The heightened concerns about a potential attack on Saudi Arabia come as the Biden administration is criticizing Tehran for its crackdown on widespread protests and condemning it for sending hundreds of drones — as well as technical support — to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.

"We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis," the National Security Council said in a statement. "We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region."

Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nor did Iran's mission to the United Nations.

One of the officials who confirmed the intelligence sharing described it as a credible threat of an attack "soon or within 48 hours." No U.S. embassy or consulate in the region has issued alerts or guidance to Americans in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Middle East based on the intelligence. The officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Asked about reports of the intelligence shared by the Saudis, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said U.S. military officials "are concerned about the threat situation in the region."

"We're in regular contact with our Saudi partners, in terms of what information they may have to provide on that front," Ryder said. "But what we've said before, and I'll repeat it, is that we will reserve the right to protect and defend ourselves no matter where our forces are serving, whether in Iraq or elsewhere."

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said America was "concerned about the threat picture," without elaborating.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the Saudis sharing the intelligence earlier on Tuesday. Iran has alleged without providing evidence that Saudi Arabia and other rivals are fomenting the dissent on its streets by ordinary Iranians.

Of particular ire is protest coverage by Iran International, a London-based, Farsi-language satellite news channel once majority-owned by a Saudi national.

The U.S. and Saudis blamed Iran in 2019 of being behind a major attack in eastern Saudi Arabia, which halved the oil-rich kingdom's production and caused energy prices to spike. The Iranians denied they were behind the attack, but the same triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying drones used in that attack are now being deployed by Russian forces in their war on Ukraine.

The Saudis have also been hit repeatedly in recent years by drones, missiles and mortars launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Saudi Arabia formed a coalition to battle the Houthis in 2015 and has been internationally criticized for its airstrikes in the war, which have killed scores of civilians.

In recent weeks, the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials for the brutal crackdown on demonstrators after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September after her arrest by Iran's morality police. The administration has also hit Iran with sanctions for supplying drones to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.

At least 288 people have been killed and 14,160 arrested during the protests, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. Demonstrations have continued, even as the feared paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has warned young Iranians to stop.

Iran already launched a series of attacks targeting Kurdish separatist positions in northern Iraq amid the protests, killing at least 16 people, including an American citizen.

U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia have also been strained after the Riyadh-led alliance of oil producing nations, OPEC+, announced in October that it would cut production by 2 million barrels per day starting in November.

The White House has said it is reviewing its relationship with the Saudis over the move. The administration said the production cut is effectively helping another OPEC+ member, Russia, pad its coffers as it continues its war in Ukraine, now in its ninth month.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Tuesday reiterated that the administration remains concerned that Iran may also provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles.

"We haven't seen that concern bear out, but it's a concern we have," Kirby said.

Even as the U.S. and others raise concerns about possible Iranian action, the administration has not ruled out the possibility of reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was brokered by the Obama administration and scrapped in 2018 by the Trump administration.

The U.S. special envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, said on Monday that the administration was not currently focused on the deal, which has been stalled since August.

Still, Malley refused to declare the deal dead and said the administration "makes no apology" for "trying to do everything we can to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon."

The deal had provided Tehran with billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for the country agreeing to roll back its nuclear program. It includes caps on enrichment and how much material Iran can stockpile and limits the operation of advanced centrifuges needed to enrich.

28/10/2022

European leaders support fast-tracking Ukraine’s bid to join EU

European leaders have said they support Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union during a visit to Kyiv on Thursday.

Leaders from France, Germany, Italy and Romania met with President Volodymyr Zelensky for talks at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv as the Russia invasion continued.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis all publicly backed Kyiv’s bid to join the bloc during the visit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky poses next to Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romania’s President Klaus Werner Iohannis (AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky poses next to Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romania’s President Klaus Werner Iohannis (AFP via Getty Images)
© Provided by Evening Standard
Mr Macron said he and his counterparts back Ukraine for “immediate” candidate status to join the European Union. He’d previously said Ukraine’s membership bid could take years if not decades.
During the talks, Mr Macron also promised six more powerful truck-mounted artillery guns on top of the 12 it has already committed.

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This is the latest in a new round of Western arms pledges for Ukraine as the war grinds on in the eastern Donbas region.

The leaders “are doing everything so that Ukraine alone can decide its fate,” Mr Macron said at a news conference.

Meanwhile, Mr Scholz said Ukraine and Moldova belonged in the European family, but would still have to meet the criteria for accession.

He also promised Germany would continue to support Ukraine financially and militarily, as long as it was necessary.

Mr Draghi added that the Ukrainian people were defending the values of democracy and freedom that underpin the European project in their fight against the Russian invasion.

Mr Zelensky said that “Ukrainians have already earned the right to go down this road and obtain this candidate status.”

He added that the war in Ukraine was an attack on all of Europe and thanked the leaders’ for their visit, which he said was a sign that Ukraine was not isolated in its struggle.

EU leaders are due to hold a summit next week during which Ukraine’s application to become a candidate for membership will be on the agenda.

Earlier in the day, the EU leaders visited the town of Irpin, outside of Kyiv.

Irpin was the scene of intense fighting early in the war and a place where many civilians were killed and buildings destroyed.

While visiting Irpin, Mr Scholz observed that officials must keep the scenes of destruction in mind in all their decisions.

“Innocent civilians have been hit, houses have been destroyed; a whole town has been destroyed in which there was no military infrastructure at all,” he said.

“And that says a great deal about the brutality of the Russian war of aggression, which is simply out for destruction and conquest. We must bear that in mind in everything that we decide.”

(AP)
(AP)
© Provided by Evening Standard
Italy’s Mr Draghi said during the tour of Irpin that Ukraine’s backers will rebuild “everything” with European help.

“They destroyed the nurseries, the playgrounds, and everything will be rebuilt,” he added.

Many in Ukraine hoped that the leaders’ visit could mark a turning point by opening the way to significant new arms supplies and it also comes as EU leaders prepare to make a decision next week on Ukraine’s request to become a candidate for membership in the bloc.

European allies have sent increasingly muscular weapons and rallied around Ukraine more than many expected, approving wave after wave of unprecedented sanctions against Russia that are badly squeezing Europe’s economy.

But Ukrainians say more is still needed as Russian forces pressing their offensive in the eastern Donbas region, slowly but steadily gaining ground on the badly outmanned and outgunned Ukrainian forces.

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26/10/2022

Why is Malaysia deporting Myanmar asylum seekers?

On 6 October a flight departed from Malaysia taking 150 Burmese asylum seekers back to Myanmar.

Among them was Kyaw Hla, a young ethnic Rakhine officer from the Myanmar Navy, who defected last year and fled to Malaysia. He was one of five other navy defectors on that flight.

Now he is back in Myanmar, in jail. What happened to the others is still unclear.

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Malaysian authorities have said little about this and several other flights taking Burmese deportees back to Myanmar. However, the Myanmar embassy in Kuala Lumpur has been posting regularly on its page about its efforts to get undocumented Burmese nationals sent back - photographs of apparently happy passengers on the flight, and also photos of embassy personnel posing with Malaysian immigration officials.

Officially, Malaysia does not welcome refugees. It is not a signatory to the UN Convention and Protocol on Refugees. It also does not recognise the refugee status given to asylum seekers assessed by the UN Refugee Agency as being at risk if returned to their own country.

Yet Malaysia is home to 185,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers, and many more who are not registered - most of them from Myanmar. It hosts 100,000 Muslim Rohingyas, who fled repression in Myanmar and overcrowded camps in Bangladesh.

"Malaysia has become the preferred destination for a number of threatened minority groups from Myanmar, including the Rohingya, the Chin, and the Kachin," says Phil Robertson from Human Rights Watch. "Those communities and their networks in Malaysia help to protect new arrivals, and support efforts to get refugee status and protection from UNHCR."

Kyaw Hla's cousin, Saw Shwe Mya, who has been living in Malaysia for several years, says he arrived last year. He fled Myanmar after the coup which deposed the government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and set off a conflict which has consumed much of the country. His wife joined him more recently. Both are from Kyauktaw, a town in Rakhine which has seen some of the fiercest fighting between the army and ethnic Rakhine insurgents of the Arakan Army, and where his mother still lives with his two young sons.

Saw Shwe Mya says she did not ask him whether he was involved in the civil disobedience movement that spread across Myanmar to resist the coup in the weeks after the army seized power. She does not know whether he was driven to defect by opposition to the coup, or by the escalating conflict in Rakhine State.

But she says he tried to keep a low profile, staying near Kuala Lumpur so that he could register as an asylum seeker with the UNHCR. He did whatever jobs he could find to cover his living costs. She says he registered with the UN, and was expecting to receive his "Under Consideration" card, which asylum seekers get while their applications are considered by the UNHCR.

As a defector from the Myanmar military, which has jailed thousands of opponents of its coup, Kyaw Hla would have been a strong contender for refugee status.

He received a call on 21 September telling him to come out and collect his UN card, Saw Shwe Mya says. It was a trick: he and his wife were arrested and detained, pending deportation. On arrival in Yangon on 6 October, they were both arrested, and are now being detained separately in different parts of the city.

In the past Malaysia largely left refugees and asylum seekers alone.

But in the past six months, the country has deported around 2,000 Burmese asylum seekers, according to Human Rights Watch, without any assessment of what risks they might face on their return to Myanmar.

This hardline attitude is in contrast to the stand the Malaysian government has taken against the military regime in Myanmar, and its willingness to reach out to the opposition and the National Unity Government, which remains loyal to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister, Saifuddin Abdullah, a former human rights activist, is viewed by the Myanmar opposition as one of its best friends in Asean - the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"It's a Jekyll and Hyde policy," Mr Robertson says. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working hard to demand the junta respect human rights and end the violence, while the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Immigration Department are doing deals with the Myanmar embassy to send refugees back."

He says Malaysia's relaxed attitude towards refugees changed at the height of the Covid pandemic, when the public feared that the large migrant communities would spread the disease. This has made mass deportations a popular move in the weeks leading up to the general election scheduled for mid-November.

The BBC contacted Home Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainuddin for a statement about the deportations, but is yet to receive one.

Meanwhile, Kyaw Hla awaits his fate in a cell in central Yangon. He will most likely be tried in secret in a military court, for which there is no appeal, and for defecting he could be sentenced to death.

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