N Korea and S Korea hotline reopens
UK and other countries have welcome the move of neighboring nations on hotline once again.North Korea has reopened a hotline with South Korea to discuss issues including sending athletes to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. This comes after Seoul said it wants high-level talks with Pyongyang.
Inter-Korean relations have been showing signs of a thaw, following conciliatory remarks by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his New Year address.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry released a photo of an official speaking on the hotline.
The two sides reportedly spoke for about 20 minutes, to check that the line is working properly. But the Ministry did not disclose what else was discussed.
The hotline had been shut down since February 2016.
Ahead of the restoring contact, North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea made an announcement on state television.
The committee’s Ri Son Gwon said, “Our country will cooperate with the South in connection with issues, such as our participation in the PyeongChang Olympics.”
South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokesperson was positive on the development.
The spokesperson Baik Tae-hyun said, “Our country welcomes the North’s response to our proposal of normalizing our communication channel. The channel can be used to arrange talks between officials from the two sides and other working-level issues.”
Pakistan is using terrorists as part of foreign policy
United States National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster has alleged Islamabad only goes after terrorists “selectively” while it “sustains and supports others who act as an arm of its foreign policy.” US President Donald Trump is “frustrated” but also values a “partnership with Pakistan” said media meet VOA, further adds, the US president’s tweet was not a “blame game” rather termed it America’s “effort to communicate clearly to Pakistan that our relationship can no longer bear the weight of contradictions, and that we have to really begin now to work together to stabilize Afghanistan.”
McMaster blamed Pakistan is “operating against the interested of its own people” by “providing safe havens and support bases for Taliban and Haqqani network leadership” who “perpetuate hell in portions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
US President Donald Trump’s administration has been informing members of Congress that it will announce as soon as Thursday its plans to cut off “security assistance” to Pakistan, congressional aides said Wednesday, a day after the White House warned Islamabad it would have to do more to maintain US aid.
Aides in two congressional offices said the State Department called on Wednesday to inform them that it would announce Wednesday or Thursday that aid was being cut off, although it was not clear how much, what type or for how long.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders declined to say whether an announcement was imminent. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The calls to Capitol Hill came a day after Washington accused Pakistan of playing a “double game” on fighting terrorism and warned Islamabad it would have to do more if it wanted to maintain US aid.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Tuesday that Washington would withhold $255 million in assistance to Pakistan.
UN calls for peaceful resolution in Iran
UN human rights chief has urged the Iranian government to achieve a peaceful resolution to the ongoing protests sweeping the country.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called on the authorities to handle the wave of protests with great care so as not to further inflame violence and unrest.He said he is deeply disturbed by reports that more than 20 people, including an 11-year-old boy, have died and hundreds have been arrested. He stressed that the issue must be resolved through dialogue.
Zeid also called for independent and impartial investigations into deaths and serious injuries that have occurred so far. He said the authorities must respect the rights of all demonstrators and detainees, including their right to life, and guarantee their safety and security.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed concern about the loss of life during the protests. He called for avoiding further violence in a statement released on Wednesday.
India’s EAM engagement with ASEAN countries
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left on a 5-day visit to Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore today.
On the first leg of her visit, Mrs Swaraj will reach Thailand and hold a meeting with Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai. All aspects of bilateral relations with Thailand will be discussed with particular focus on political, defence and economic ties and on further enhancing India’s engagement with ASEAN countries.
During the visit to Indonesia, Ms Swaraj will co-chair the 5th meeting of India-Indonesia Joint Commission with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.
The Ministers will also inaugurate the second meeting of ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks. Mrs Swaraj will also call President of Indonesia and will interact with representatives of the Indian community. She will also meet the new Secretary General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi.
In Singapore, the External Affairs Minister will inaugurate the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas of ASEAN countries on 7th of this month.
She will have bilateral meetings with the leaders in Singapore and also interactions with PIO delegations from ASEAN countries, who are participating in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
On all three legs of her visit, Ms Swaraj will share with her interlocutors relevant information about the forthcoming ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit which marks 25 years since the establishment of Dialogue Partnership between Indian and ASEAN.
Winter storm hits Southeast USA
A rare winter storm has hit the Southeast United States, dumping snow on Florida’s capital, Tallahassee, for the first time in three decades. The governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia declared states of emergency, warning residents to expect icy roads and freezing temperatures. Schools have also been shut in New York City due to the weather. The National Weather Service said, New York could see 5 to 8 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 80 kilometres per hour today.
New England also braced for a blizzard which is expected to bring heavy accumulations.
Sustained cold spell has also frozen parts of Niagara Falls on the American and Canadian sides. It played havoc with public works causing pipes to freeze and water mains to burst.
At least nine deaths have been reported over the past few days.
New England also braced for a blizzard which is expected to bring heavy accumulations.
Sustained cold spell has also frozen parts of Niagara Falls on the American and Canadian sides. It played havoc with public works causing pipes to freeze and water mains to burst.
At least nine deaths have been reported over the past few days.
Eleanor batters western Europe
Winter storm Eleanor, packing winds up to 160 KPH, battered parts of western Europe, derailing trains, halting flights and toppling trees. Authorities said, one person was killed and several others were injured in Switzerland and France. The high winds played havoc on transport, derailing trains in Switzerland and Germany and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes across France, Switzerland, Britain and Ireland without power.
Officials said, one skier was killed in the French Alps after being hit by a falling tree in Morillon.
In Switzerland, several people were injured when a train was blown off the tracks near Lenk in city of Bern. The storm forced the cancellation of flights at Zurich and Basel airports.In France, 15 people were injured following accidents caused by high winds.
In Switzerland, several people were injured when a train was blown off the tracks near Lenk in city of Bern. The storm forced the cancellation of flights at Zurich and Basel airports.In France, 15 people were injured following accidents caused by high winds.
Indo-Russia strategic ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have vowed to strengthen Indo-Russia strategic ties.
During a telephone conversation yesterday, the two leaders discussed the intensification of the bilateral relations between India and Russia and their cooperation in the international forums.
A release from the Indian Embassy in Moscow said, both leaders agreed to further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.
They positively reviewed the exchanges between the two countries in 2017. The release said, Mr Modi also greeted the Russian leader on the occasion of the New Year.
Desperate, Destitute, Damaged: The Plight of Myanmar’s Persecuted Rohingya Muslim Refugees
Bangladesh – When a major upsurge in violence broke out in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state on August 25, it started an exodus that sent almost half a million of the mainly stateless Rohingya Muslim minority fleeing over the border into Bangladesh in just two months. As the year comes to an end, the number of new arrivals is now more than 655,000.
Those who arrived may have escaped the widely-reported brutality they suffered in Myanmar, but that does not mean that they are free from danger.
Two weeks ago, the ground behind the primary health care clinic in Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazar, was an empty patch of mud – a spot where visitors would stop, stunned by the sweeping view it gave over what has been dubbed “the world’s biggest refugee camp”, a seemingly endless vista of black tarpaulin shelters stretching to the horizon.
That bare patch of earth is now the site of a new inpatient ward, rapidly constructed by the UN migration agency, IOM, as a deadly outbreak of diphtheria spreads through the overcrowded settlement – the latest tragedy to hit the estimated 866,000 Rohingya refugees who now live there.
According to the World Health Organisation, by December 19, more than 1,500 probable cases of diphtheria – 75 per cent of them children – had been reported since the disease was first identified on November 8. At least 21 people are thought to have died from the illness, which can cause the throat to swell so much that patients suffocate. And doctors fear that the true number of people affected could be much higher.
“When people are living in such close quarters, with poor sanitation and low rates of existing immunisation, the risk of disease spreading is extremely high. We are working to raise awareness of the disease and how to get treatment, but the early symptoms are easily confused with seasonal cold and flus,” said IOM emergency health officer Mariam Spijkerman-Abdelkerim, who is overseeing the organisation’s response.
This includes supporting a vaccination campaign, development of treatment centres and tracing those who have come into contact with infected people so they can be given prophylactic treatment.
That is no easy task in a population the size of Kutupalong. The scale of the medical needs in the camp is such that since August 25, IOM staff at the organisation’s 13 health facilities, and nine government clinics where it works, have carried out more than 125,000 consultations and are currently seeing more than 2,000 patients a day.
Some are suffering life-threatening illnesses. Sanura, 30, describes her vague memories of waking up in an IOM clinic after being carried there unconscious by her husband. A sudden onset of severe diarrhoea – which is rife in the camps – had caused her blood pressure to rapidly drop to levels where she was close to death.
“We thought she had only one to two hours left to live,” said Dr Raisal Islam, an IOM medic at the clinic who helped save her life.
It is hard not to focus on the immediate, individual human misery: the swollen bellies of malnourished children, the traumatised faces, and the desperation of people who have lost everything. But those working to improve conditions in the camps concentrate on the technical matters of construction, engineering and sanitation in an effort not just to make life better, but also to prevent disaster.
In the initial chaos of the early mass influx of people, families constructed shelters on steep muddy slopes and well-meaning but inexperienced organisations built latrines next to water sources. Even relatively small amounts of rain create rivers of mud in this area, stripped of vegetation to make room for shelters.
Aid agencies are working alongside the Bangladesh government and military to improve roads and drainage and identify new areas for shelter construction ahead of the rains.
In the New Year, supplies including more tarpaulins and sandbags will be distributed, which will enable 120,000 households to reinforce and upgrade their shelters ahead of the rainy season in May.
When the monsoon rains arrive, there is a strong likelihood of landslides, causing shelters, latrines and people to come crashing down on top of one another. It may be several months away, but site planners and shelter experts, who are working against the clock to improve conditions, predict it may be nearly impossible to prevent disasters.
“When we arrived [in early September] there was so much rain and mud. Our shelter is not too bad just now, but it is cold at night, and I am worried what will happen when it rains again,” said Arafa, who lives with her five children in a small tarpaulin shelter.
On top of vital shelter and health care, families who have fled Myanmar often need more than just physical support.
People who had mainly survived through small scale farming or as fishermen, living in village communities where their neighbours were friends and relations they had known all their lives, now find themselves dependent on aid and surrounded by hundreds of thousands of strangers.
For the men, frustration often arises from their inability to work and provide for their families.
“Before [in Myanmar] I had my farm. We didn’t have much, but I could feed my children. Now we have to rely on handouts. We don’t want to live like that. We don’t feel good about it,” says Muhammad, a father of five.
A number of schemes are getting underway to provide “cash-for-work.” These involve refugees being paid to help IOM and other organisations to implement various projects in the camps. But most families will continue to rely on aid to meet their most basic needs.
For Rohingya women in particular, many of whom traditionally remain in or close to the family home, the crowded camps are particularly difficult.
“It is our tradition that we don’t leave our homes. I can’t go without my husband,” explains 25-year-old Rajuma, torn between worry over her ill baby and anxiety about going out alone to get help.
A recent IOM survey into population needs found that 70 per cent of community leaders questioned did not consider latrines, washrooms and waterpoints to be safe for women.
In addition, embarrassment and feelings of shame mean many women wait all day until it is dark before going to the latrines – a practice that causes health problems and places them at additional risk when they leave their shelters at night.
IOM and partner agencies have distributed solar-powered lanterns for women to carry if they need to go to the latrines at night. They are also working to install better public lighting. But there are also other dangers faced by women that are more difficult to address.
The refugees are extremely vulnerable and human traffickers are already in operation, luring women, children and men with promises of good jobs that in fact often lead to prostitution, domestic slavery and forced labour in various industries.
In any refugee setting, women and girls are at increased risk of gender-based violence. But this is of particular concern among this population, where many have reported suffering rape and other forms of sexual assault in Myanmar. Many others are believed to be keeping silent about what happened to them, because of shame and social stigma. A large number of those arriving in Bangladesh describe having suffered years of persecution before losing family members in the recent violence. Many also recall seeing people killed.
“The extent of trauma we are witnessing here is immense. Providing counselling and support services to those in need is vital to help women develop positive coping methods and see a way forward after what they’ve experienced,” says mental health and psycho-social support coordinator Olga Rebolledo.
One place where women and girls can access counselling is at a newly-opened women’s safe space in Kutupalong camp.
There, behind a high bamboo fence sits a female guard in a little sentry box, beside a small garden of newly planted flowers. It is a tiny oasis of calm amid the chaos of the camps and a sense of immediate ease descends upon entering the space.
Inside the safe space building, female psycho-social support staff from IOM and a partner organisation, Pulse, offer individual counselling and group sessions for women and adolescent girls in need. Staff are intensely protective of the privacy of those they are supporting, but say they see some “extremely serious” cases.
Other services include lessons and information on issues from women’s health to how to avoid the risks posed by traffickers. Much needed supplies of sanitary products are also available. There are also spaces for relaxation, games, arts and crafts materials and facilities for watching informative or positive TV programmes.
“I can’t sleep at night for thinking about all the different ways we can try and support the women,” says Lutfa Bakshi, a psycho-social support officer who has spend decades working with Rohingya refugees.
Four months into the crisis that provoked so many to flee to Bangladesh, there are some signs of normality. It is not all misery.
Outside the Kutapalong health clinic, a group of teenage boys play Chinlone – a traditional Myanmar game played with a rattan ball. An old man with a gap-toothed grin proudly shows off the pink, furry-hooded jacket he’s acquired to keep out the cold on winter evenings. It might be second or even third hand, but it is new to him. A trail of women and children bustle past, each bearing several blankets and a fresh plucked chicken – welcome donations that will keep them warm and feed families who mostly survive on rations of rice.
But the reality is that life in the camps is hard and dangerous. Despite the ongoing efforts of aid agencies, and the local and national Bangladeshi authorities, there is so much more work to be done to give the Rohingya refugees the most basic support they need to ensure their safety, dignity and well-being.
Fiona MacGregor has reported on Rohingya issues since 2013. She is currently working as a communications consultant with IOM in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.
An Appeal to Editor of Self Introspect
संपादको से अपील दिल्ली पुलिस की सालाना प्रेस वार्ता में चमचे टाइप के पत्रकार कृप्य़ा ना भेजे I
[[प्रदीप महाजन]] सभी प्रिन्ट और इलेकट्रोनिक मीडिया के संपादको से अपील है दिल्ली पुलिस की सालाना प्रेस वार्ता में चमचे टाइप के पत्रकार कृप्य़ा ना भेजे वहा सिर्फ डायरी ,बैग और भोजन के लिय़े जाने वाले पत्रकारों से अनुरोध है कि हो सके तो दिल्ली की जनता के लिय़े यह यक्ष प्रश्न दिल्ली पुलिस आय़ुक्त अमूल्य पटनायक जी और उनकी टीम से जरुर पूछे:-
– क्यों राजधानी दिल्ली क्राइम कैपिटल बन रही है I
-क्यों हमारी दिल्ली पुलिस के कर्मी डिप्रेशन के चलते आत्महत्या कर रहे है I
– क्यों नहीं उन्हें चंडीगढ़ पुलिस के समान वेतन नहीं मिल रहा I
-क्यों हर थाने के अंतर्गत सट्टा माफियाओं को सरंक्षण दिया जा रहा है I
-क्यों दिल्ली में अवैध शराब का बिकना बंद नहीं हो रहा है I
-क्यों दिल्ली में सफेदपोश मुजरिमो को सरंक्षण दिया जा रहा है I
-दिल्ली पुलिस में आला अधिकारियों की कब फटीक और तुलाई संस्कृति बंद होगी I
-महिलाओ का उत्पीड़न,बुजर्गो का शोषण,साइबर सेल जैसे अपराधों में रोकथाम कब लगेगी I
कथित चंद रिपोर्टरों ने अपना ग्रुप बना कर दिल्ली के सभी साथी रिपोर्टरों का ठेका ले लिया है जहा देखो गिने -चुने अधिकारियों के पास चापलूसी वाली बैठक , फोटो खिचाऊ फोटो शूट करके अपने को बड़ा पत्रकार बना कर और दूसरे को फर्जी रिपोर्टर का तमंगा देकर चाय पानी का जुगाड़ , सिनेमा आदि की टिकेट ,से ज्य़ादा नहीं सोचते है भाई लोगो इसके लिय़े पूरा साल है कुछ तो अपनी कलम की इज़ज़त् करो – जय हिन्द
जनवरी 2018 के लिए अपील ।
[[प्रदीप महाजन]] सभी प्रिन्ट और इलेकट्रोनिक मीडिया के संपादको से अपील है दिल्ली पुलिस की सालाना प्रेस वार्ता में चमचे टाइप के पत्रकार कृप्य़ा ना भेजे वहा सिर्फ डायरी ,बैग और भोजन के लिय़े जाने वाले पत्रकारों से अनुरोध है कि हो सके तो दिल्ली की जनता के लिय़े यह यक्ष प्रश्न दिल्ली पुलिस आय़ुक्त अमूल्य पटनायक जी और उनकी टीम से जरुर पूछे:-
– क्यों राजधानी दिल्ली क्राइम कैपिटल बन रही है I
-क्यों हमारी दिल्ली पुलिस के कर्मी डिप्रेशन के चलते आत्महत्या कर रहे है I
– क्यों नहीं उन्हें चंडीगढ़ पुलिस के समान वेतन नहीं मिल रहा I
-क्यों हर थाने के अंतर्गत सट्टा माफियाओं को सरंक्षण दिया जा रहा है I
-क्यों दिल्ली में अवैध शराब का बिकना बंद नहीं हो रहा है I
-क्यों दिल्ली में सफेदपोश मुजरिमो को सरंक्षण दिया जा रहा है I
-दिल्ली पुलिस में आला अधिकारियों की कब फटीक और तुलाई संस्कृति बंद होगी I
-महिलाओ का उत्पीड़न,बुजर्गो का शोषण,साइबर सेल जैसे अपराधों में रोकथाम कब लगेगी I
कथित चंद रिपोर्टरों ने अपना ग्रुप बना कर दिल्ली के सभी साथी रिपोर्टरों का ठेका ले लिया है जहा देखो गिने -चुने अधिकारियों के पास चापलूसी वाली बैठक , फोटो खिचाऊ फोटो शूट करके अपने को बड़ा पत्रकार बना कर और दूसरे को फर्जी रिपोर्टर का तमंगा देकर चाय पानी का जुगाड़ , सिनेमा आदि की टिकेट ,से ज्य़ादा नहीं सोचते है भाई लोगो इसके लिय़े पूरा साल है कुछ तो अपनी कलम की इज़ज़त् करो – जय हिन्द
जनवरी 2018 के लिए अपील ।
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