Washington, Sep 30: The US is withdrawing more than half of its personnel from the embassy in Havana in response to “specific attacks” targeting at least 21 of its staff, a senior State Department official said today.
“Until the government of Cuba can assure the safety of US government personnel in Cuba, our embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel,” the official said.
Routine visa operations will also be suspended indefinitely, in response to the mysterious health attacks that left several US embassy staff with brain injuries and hearing loss.
New Delhi, Sep 30: Effectively combating terrorism was one of the major focus areas during the talks Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah had with Indian leaders as both sides emphasised the need to dismantle terror safe havens in the region.
Abdullah, who arrived here yesterday, held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during which a wide-range of issues were discussed.
“India and Afghanistan condemned the continuing acts of terror and violence in Afghanistan, including the recent attack at the Kabul airport which had delayed the arrival of Dr Abdullah to India,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
He said both sides asserted that terror safe havens and sanctuaries need to be dismantled.
Kumar said both sides positively assessed the recent developments in bilateral relations, including the outcomes of the recently concluded meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council on September 11, which was co-chaired by the foreign ministers of the two countries.
India had already announced that it will implement 116 development projects in Afghanistan.
“The New Development Partnership was described as paving the way for the new generation partnership in development cooperation between the two countries,” Kumar said.
In the talks, the Indian leadership reiterated New Delhi’s support for all efforts to build a stable, secure, peaceful, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan, he said.
A Memorandum of Understanding on technical cooperation on police training and development was signed and formally exchanged at the meeting between the Chief Executive and the Prime Minister.
“This has created an enabling framework for training and capacity building of Afghan National Police personnel in various fields in addition to India’s ongoing assistance for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces,” said Kumar.
He said trade and economic cooperation was also the focus of discussions and that better connectivity was emphasised upon by both the sides
“In this context, both sides expressed determination to strengthen the Air Freight Corridor and also welcomed the steps being taken to operationalise the Chahbahar port, including the forthcoming supply of wheat to Afghanistan from October 2017,” he said.
Kumar said Afghanistan was invited to participate in the International Solar Alliance Summit Meeting being held in India in December 2017.
Washington, Sep 30: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will address students of the prestigious Harvard University on a visit to the US next month, the varsity said today.
Jaitley is scheduled to travel to the US in October to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington.
He is also scheduled to visit New York and Boston to interact with the business community and think-tanks.
At Harvard on October 12, the finance minister would deliver the ‘Mahindra Lecture’ in honour of the late Harish C Mahindra, a distinguished alumnus of Harvard College and a visionary leader of business and industry in India, the South Asia Institute of Harvard University said in its latest newsletter.
A day earlier in Boston, Jaitley will be hosted by the US India Strategic Partnership Forum along with National Infrastructure Investment Fund, and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, for a round table with the industry.
Jaitley’s trip to the US has not been officially announced yet.
While in Washington, in addition to addressing the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank, Jaitley is likely to participate in several bilateral and multilateral meetings.
United Nations, Sep 29: India has said the goal of nuclear disarmament can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a “universal commitment” and an agreed multilateral framework that is global and non-discriminatory.
In a written submission to the UN General Assembly, India has underscored the need for “a meaningful dialogue” among all nuclear weapons countries to build trust and confidence. It also calls for reducing the salience of nuclear weapons in international affairs and security doctrines.
India’s submission made in May is part of a UN report made public today. It also includes submissions of several other countries.
In its submission, India said it is convinced that the goal of nuclear disarmament can be achieved by a step-by-step process “underwritten by a universal commitment” and an agreed multilateral framework that is global and non-discriminatory.
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-weapons-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated.
India said it has consistently supported negotiation in the Conference on Disarmament of a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention to prohibit their possession, development, production, acquisition, testing, stockpiling, transfer, and use or threat of use.
It has also separately reiterated its readiness to negotiate a convention on the prohibition of the use of nuclear weapons.
In its submission, India reiterated its recommendations of several specific steps to achieve the goal of nuclear disarmament.
Prominent recommendations include unequivocal commitment of all nuclear-weapon states to the goal of complete elimination of nuclear weapons and reduction of the importance of nuclear weapons in the security doctrines.
India seeks measures by nuclear-weapon states to reduce nuclear danger and calls for negotiation of a global agreement among nuclear weapon states on “no-first-use” of nuclear- weapons.
It has suggested negotiation of a universal and legally binding agreement on non-use of nuclear weapons against non- nuclear-weapon states.
Among other things India favours negotiation of a convention on the complete prohibition of the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
Geneva, Sep 28: The nearly half a million Rohingya refugees who have entered Bangladesh since August will likely not be leaving soon, the UN said today, calling for longer- term plans to manage the influx.
The head of the United Nations refugee agency, Filippo Grandi, called the current camp set up “a recipe for disaster”, with overcrowding and unhygenic conditions creating a breeding ground for “possible epidemics.”
“The important thing is to get people in places where they can be assisted more easily,” Grandi told reporters in Geneva, referring to the estimated 480,000 mostly Muslim Rohingyas who have fled Myanmar violence.
“It is most likely that return will take time, if it happens, if the violence stops. It will be important also to find in the medium term suitable solutions for the people that are in Bangladesh.”
“The first challenge is to get people out of the mud and the despair which they are finding themselves in”, he added.
Grandi said he was in talks with Dhaka about forming a “technical committee” with the UN to look at options for longer-term Rohingya settlements.
“There are in reality many different options that the Bangladesh government is studying, and understandably they are not easy”, he said, noting the strain placed on local communities in the Cox’s Bazar area on the Myanmar border.
Aid agencies say that the largely makeshift camps in Cox’s Bazar are bursting at the seams, amid struggles to bring in adequate food and shelter.
Impoverished Bangladesh has earned praise for its response so far.
Rohingya have been fleeing Rakhine state in northeast Myanmar for decades. The new exodus began on August 25 when deadly attacks by Rohingya militants on Myanmar police posts prompted a military crackdown.
The International Organisation for Migration has estimated that there are more than 800,000 Rohingya currently in Bangladesh, including those who fled Myanmar before the latest crisis.
Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said the country was ready to verify the refugee status of those who have fled, but has not guaranteed the right of return for all.
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 27: A total of 149 Indians serving prison terms for minor and financial offences in Sharjah will be released following the amnesty declared here by the Emirate’s visiting ruler Sultan Bin Mohammed Al- Quasimi.
The announcement came in response to a request by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking the release of Keralites who had completed three years of their jail term in Sharjah.
According to a joint communique issued by the Sharjah and Kerala governments, those facing punishment for minor offences and financial misappropriation would be given pardon as per the general amnesty.
Al-Quasimi was honoured with an honorary D.lit Degree from Calicut University at a function held at Raj Bhavan here.
Governor Justice (retd) P Sathasivam conferred the degree.
Sharjah also agreed to open an institution of higher learning for Arabic studies and research and set up a chain of skill development centres for imparting training to those seeking jobs in the Gulf region.
“This was announced by Al-Quasimi during his one-to-one meeting with Vijayan”, the communique said.
Sharjah has also accepted in-principle the state’s proposal for giving international driving licence to those who seeking jobs in the Emirate, the release said.
A joint committee consisting top officials of Sharjah and Kerala would be set up to work out an action plan to implement projects agreed to by both sides.
The Kerala government also offered land for construction of a permanent building for the UAE consulate in the state capital.
The Sharjah Family City project, cultural centre and International Education Complex to be set up by Kerala in Sharjah were some of the other projects under the active consideration of the Sharjah government, the release said.
Later, giving a lecture, Al-Quasimi hailed the harmony among the people of Kerala and wanted them to preserve it.
“I saw a dance yesterday. I was very happy to see three sects of people dancing together with love. I hope that will remain always,” he said.
Al-Quasimi, who reached here on September 24 on a five- day visit to the state, promised he would be back within a year to celebrate the fulfilling of promises he had made.
The ruler met the chief minister at his official residence in the morning. He also met the council of ministers yesterday and discussed various issues pertaining to Kerala and Sharjah.
Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh), Sep 27: The United Nations today drastically increased the estimated number of Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence in Myanmar to 480,000 as Bangladesh eased restrictions on aid groups working in refugee camps and sought 250 million to cope with the crisis.
The number who have crossed the border since August 25 to escape a Myanmar military crackdown has increased by 45,000 in two days.
Between the new arrivals and some 300,000 Rohingya who were already living in the area due to previous violence in Myanmar, there are now nearly 800,000 refugees in camps around the Bangladesh border town of Cox’s Bazar that are bursting at the seams.
The situation has forced new arrivals into makeshift shelters in grim conditions, and sparked warnings that epidemics, including cholera, could easily spread.
A report by UN agencies and international charities said the higher number was due largely to an estimated 35,000 Rohingya, not previously accounted for, moving into two refugee camps.
It also said numbers crossing the border had started to rise again.
After reporting a significant fall in arrivals last week, the new report said hundreds had been crossing the border daily in recent days.
Pressure on Bangladesh has increased so much that it has eased restrictions on private aid groups so they can work in Cox’s Bazar camps.
The country has previously strictly limited access. It has never given reasons, but is sensitive about security and authorities fear a Muslim influx could tempt extremist groups.
The government NGO Affairs Bureau has now cleared 30 local and international groups to meet “emergency needs” in camps and said more would follow, Shahdat Hossain, a bureau director, told AFP.
The aid groups still only have permission to work in the camps for two months and must focus on providing healthcare, sanitation facilities and shelters for the Rohingya, Hossain said.
Authorities had previously only let four international groups — including Doctors With Border (MSF) and Action Against Hunger (ACF) — provide food and healthcare.
Muslim Aid, a British-based charity, was given permission to operate in Cox’s Bazar last week but this was quickly revoked again. It remains barred even though it operates in other parts of Bangladesh.
Authorities briefly ordered MSF, ACF and Muslim Aid to stop providing aid to the Rohingya in 2012.
Dhaka-based BRAC, one of the world’s largest charities, is among the new groups allowed into the camps.
BRAC senior director Asif Saleh said in a Facebook post that the scale of the “humanitarian crisis” was significantly worse than what was being portrayed by the media.
He said the group has taken on the “herculean task” of setting up 15,000 toilets, 1,100 tube wells, 50 health camps, 10 delivery centres and 50 child centres.
Bangladesh has deployed dozens of emergency medical teams and sent reinforcements to hospitals in Cox’s Bazar.
They have treated more than 2,350 Rohingya for serious injuries sustained in the crackdown, including bullet and machete wounds and landmine injuries.
Some 80,000 Rohingya children have also been vaccinated for measles, rubella and polio diseases and thousands of adults treated for diarrhoea, respiratory diseases and pregnancy complications.
Desperately needing more help, junior health minister Zahid Malek said Dhaka has sought 250 million from the World Bank to provide healthcare to the Rohingya.
A United Nations official last week said it would need USD 200 million over the next six months to handle the Rohingya crisis.
The UN made an emergency appeal for 78 million on September 9, but UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, Robert Watkins, said much more would be needed as the exodus grows.