INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2016
- Iraqi Parliament passes law banning alcohol
Iraq’s Parliament on 23rd October voted to ban the sale, import and production of alcohol. Proponents of the ban argue that it is justified by the Constitution, which prohibits any law contradicting Islam. But some opponents argue that it also violates the same Constitution which guarantees the traditions of religious minorities.
The ban was a last-minute addition to a draft law on municipalities that caught the anti-ban camp flat-footed. The law was also passed by MPs in Baghdad as all eyes were on the Mosul operation.
Alcohol is rarely offered in restaurants and hotels in Iraq, but consumption is relatively widespread, especially in Baghdad where scores of small shops selling alcoholic beverages can be found. The country also has some companies producing various types of alcohol, such as Farida beer or Asriya arak (a regional anise-flavoured spirit). - Hitler's secret Nazi base discovered in Arctic
Scientists have discovered a secret Nazi base built on direct orders from German dictator Adolf Hitler located 1,000 kilometres from the North Pole. For decades, the location of the mysterious site known as 'Schatzgraber' or 'Treasure Hunter' on Alexandra Land in the Arctic Circle had remained unknown.
Researchers exploring the isolated island, which is now a Russian Territory, stumbled upon over 500 relics, including the ruins of bunkers, discarded petrol canisters and even paper documents - preserved by the island's freezing climate.
The supposed weather station is believed to have been constructed on direct orders from Hitler in 1942, a year after his invasion of Russia. It was in service from 1943, before being abandoned in July 1944 when its crew was poisoned after being forced to eat raw polar bear meat infected with roundworms while running low on supplies.
Before it was only known from written sources, but now also have real proof. Researchers found bullets, scraps of tents and personal items such as shoes; many of which appear to be dated and marked with the swastika.
About 500 items of historical value have been collected on the grounds of the former Treasure Hunter German station that operated on the Alexandra Land island of Franz Josef Land from September 1943 until July 1944. - UN says 2016 will be deadliest year ever for migrants crossing the Mediterranean
2016 is set to be the deadliest year on record for deaths of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, amid the world's biggest refugee crisis since World War II.
It's the worstever seen even though far fewer people are attempting the dangerous crossing than 2015, according to William Spindler, spokesman for the U.N.'s refugee agency. 2015 at least 1,015,078 people made the crossing. In 2016 so far, crossings stand at 327,800.
However, 3,740 lives have been lost so far in 2016, just short of the 3,771 reported for the whole of 2015. The likelihood of death while making the journey has dramatically increased, Spindler says: "From one death for every 269 arrivals, 2015, in 2016 the likelihood of death has spiraled to one in 88. On the Central Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy the likelihood of dying is even higher, at one death for every 47 arrivals." - China's Communist Party elevates Xi Jinping as 'core' leader
President Xi Jinping was on 27th October anointed as the "core" leader of China's ruling Communist Party, conferring on him a status similar to that of party founder 'Chairman' Mao Zedong and allowing him to further tighten his grip on the party, military and government.
At the same time, a key meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC) decided to carry on with the collective leadership system, introduced in 1981 to ensure that no individual dominated the party leadership. Xi also heads the party as general-secretary of the CPC, and the military besides the presidency. But, contrary to the speculation that the party may dispense with the over three-decade rule stipulating collective leadership, the plenum stressed the importance of adherence to the collective leadership system of CPC. - World's largest Marine Protected Area declared in Antarctica
24 countries and the European Union have unanimously agreed to create the world's largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the ocean next to Antarctica. The deal was clinched after the meeting of Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) consisting of 24 countries and European Union in Hobart, Australia.
After the meeting, New Zealand Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, announced that, the CCAMLR have unanimously agreed to designate the Ross Sea as a Marine Protected area (MPA). He said, it will be the world's largest marine protected area and covers 1.6 million square kilometers. McCully said there will be a blanket ban on commercial fishing across about three quarters of that area for 35 years.
The agreement comes after years of diplomatic wrangling and high-level talks between the US and Russia, which has rejected the idea in the past. - Tagore Memorial Library and Resource Centre inaugurated in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Library and Resource Centre was inaugurated on 28th October at Sri Palee College in Horana. It was inaugurated by High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Mr. Y.K. Sinha. The library has been renovated by the Government of India at a total cost of 38 million Sri Lankan rupees.
The Indian Government has also built an audio-visual lab, improved the external landscape and built approach roads inside the school premises. The project was implemented in close consultation with the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka. The project will provide a learning environment for the students of Sri Palee College, as well as a reading space for the people who visit the College. - UN votes to launch talks on nuclear weapons ban
A UN General Assembly committee has voted to launch negotiations on a new treaty banning nuclear weapons despite fierce opposition from the world's nuclear powers.
A resolution presented by Austria, Ireland, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and Brazil was on 27th October adopted by a vote of 123 to 38. Sixteen nations absented from the voting following weeks of lobbying by the nuclear powers for 'no' votes.
The non-binding resolution provides for negotiations to begin in March, 2017 on the new treaty, citing deep concern over the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons. Four of the five UN Security Council nuclear powers --Britain, France, Russia and the United States -- voted against the resolution while China abstained, as did India and Pakistan.
Japan, which has long campaigned against the use of nuclear weapons, voted against it, as did South Korea, which is facing a nuclear threat from North Korea. - Spain's Parliament votes conservative PM Mariano Rajoy back into power
Spain's Parliament voted conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy back into power ending a rollercoaster, 10-month political crisis. 170 lawmakers voted for Rajoy, 111 voted against him, and 68 abstained from voting.
Mr. Rajoy pledged to plough on with economic policies deeply unpopular with the opposition which blames austerity measures taken in his first term for rising inequality.
Hundreds of protesters gathered near Parliament amid a heavy police presence, unhappy about corruption and sweeping spending cuts during Rajoy's first term.
In the pre-vote session, party leaders strongly criticised Rajoy and one another -- just as they have done for the past 10 months as the country went through two inconclusive elections. - Russia ousted from UN Human Rights Council in historic vote
Russia lost its bid to retain a seat on the UN Human Rights Council amid daily accusations that the country may be guilty of war crimes for its support of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s assault on the city of Aleppo. The 193-member General Assembly on 28th October elected 14 countries to the 47-member council. With 112 votes, Russia lost to Hungry and Croatia. As many as 87 human rights groups had objected to Russia’s candidacy, said Akshaya Kumar, deputy UN director for Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocacy group.
The humanitarian crisis in the eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo worsened after a US-Russian ceasefire deal fell apart and Assad’s Russian-backed forces stepped up their campaign to defeat rebels holding the city, where some 275,000 people remain trapped. The incessant bombing has prompted some US and European leaders to threaten possible sanctions, with US Secretary of State John Kerry saying a war crimes investigation may be warranted. Other countries elected to the council included Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China, Brazil, Rwanda, Cuba, South Africa, Japan, Tunisia, the US and the UK. - Policies, investments key to India's rural transformation: IFAD
Institutional reforms, policies and investments are the key factors that will help India in a speedy and inclusive rural transformation, the United Nations' body on food and agriculture said in a report on 17th October.
Poverty in the Asia Pacific region is largely a rural phenomenon and economic growth alone is not enough to eliminate it, said the Rural Development Report 2016 released by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
It said that the cases of China, India the Philippines and Vietnam show that policies, institutions, and investments are key to determining the speed and inclusiveness of rural transformation. In each country, land reform, basic investments in rural areas and other sectoral policies have been decisive factors.
For the Asia Pacific region (APR), it said labour intensive manufacturing will remain an important source of inclusive employment growth in many countries. However, strengthening of the agriculture-based rural non-farm economy will be central to the structural and rural transformation that draws the rural poor into mainstream. - October 17th: International Day for eradication of Poverty
The United Nations' (UN) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17 each year since 1993. It promotes people's awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries. The World Bank is going to observe End Poverty Day in Bangladesh in 2016, in acknowledgment of the country's remarkable success in reducing poverty.
- UN Security Council agrees to continue to monitor Colombia ceasefire
United Nations Security Council has agreed that a new UN mission for Colombia could continue to monitor a ceasefire despite a referendum vote rejecting the peace deal. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on 2nd week of October, 2016 extended a ceasefire with the country's FARC guerillas until December 31 and said he hoped to have a new agreement for peace before that date.
According to the Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, it welcomed the parties continued commitment to uphold the ceasefire. The Council members encourage the parties and all political actors to continue momentum in the peace effort. - World Bank to provide $1 billion to Bangladesh to fight child malnutrition
The World Bank has pledged to provide One billion US Dollar aid to Bangladesh over the next three years to fight child malnutrition.
According to Jim Yong Kim, World Bank President despite success in reducing maternal and child mortality, and improving child nutrition status, the number of stunted children in Bangladesh is among the highest in the world.
The present digital economy requires a workforce with well-developed intelligence, which is why the World Bank wants to increase its investment to end stunting in Bangladesh as soon as possible.
A World Bank Statement released said the announced investment will support programmes to ensure sufficient child nutrition and include a conditional cash transfer scheme targeted at six lakh poor families in 43 sub-districts. The Bank's new announced assistance is almost a 100 percent increase in investment compared to previous 3-year period. - India, Pakistan, Philippines must speed up rural transformation to reduce poverty: report
Economic growth alone is not enough to reduce rural poverty and countries such as India, Pakistan and the Philippines, need to speed up rural transformation that has been slow so far, says a new report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The speed of rural transformation is positively correlated with the extent of poverty reduction, Vietnam, China and Indonesia had faster rural transformation and faster rural poverty reduction. On the other side, the Philippines, Pakistan and India had slower rural transformation with slower annual poverty reduction, according to the IFAD’s rural development rep ort 2016.
The report called upon governments to put in place targeted policies and investments that focus on agricultural development that is sustainable, raises wages and creates off-farm jobs in rural areas.
The report, released on 17th October, said that countries that had achieved fast structural and rural transformation also dramatically reduced poverty, which across the Asia Pacific region fell from 71 per cent in 1981 to 15 per cent in 2011.
But slow transformers have not witnessed the same reductions as faster transformers; 560 million people or 13.6 per cent of the population of the Asia Pacific region were still living on less than $1.25 a day in 2011.
According to the report For the first time in the history of India, 32 million people moved out of poverty, largely due to major structural changes leading to higher prices of agricultural products, which gave a push to higher private investment, pushing up agriculture’s contribution to GDP to 4.1 per cent.
For rural transformation to take place, India needs to have the right kind of market strategies and incentives for small holders so that agriculture becomes remunerative.
The IFAD report provides insight into the Asia and Pacific regional and country-specific challenges and highlights the centrality of rural and agricultural development to overall economic growth. - Syria: humanitarian cease fire announced by Russia comes in effect
In Syria, a humanitarian pause announced by Russia is to formally come into effect in Aleppo on 19th October for 11 hour. According to Russia, the two corridors will be opened for militants to flee to the neighboring rebel-held province of Idlib, between 8 AM and 7 PM, while other corridors will allow civilians to move to government-held areas.
It said, all measures have been taken to ensure that civilians and the wounded along with unarmed militants can be evacuated without any restriction from the city’s eastern districts. Ahead of the brief pause, air strikes by Russian and Syria forces have been halted for two days. But a powerful jihadist group has refused to leave rebel-held eastern areas of Aleppo.
In September, 2016, Syrian Government forces encircled rebel groups and launched an all-out assault backed by Russia. According to UK based monitoring group, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights about 2,700 people have been killed or injured in the bombardment since then. - Duterte declares Philippines’ ‘separation from the U.S.’
Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte declared his “separation” from long-standing ally the United States in Beijing on 20th October, as he rebalances his country’s diplomacy towards China. Mr. Duterte is in China for a four-day trip seen as confirming his tilt away from Washington and towards Beijing’s sphere of influence — and its deep pockets.
His comments came after he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, with the two men pledging to enhance trust and friendship, while playing down a maritime dispute. Mr. Xi called the two countries “neighbours across the sea” with “no reason for hostility or confrontation”.
Under Mr. Duterte’s predecessor Benigno Aquino, the two countries were at loggerheads over the South China Sea — where Beijing has built a series of artificial islands — but since taking office in June the new head of state has changed course.
Mr. Duterte has also suspended joint U.S.-Philippine patrols in the strategically vital South China Sea, and has threatened an end to joint military exercises. - UN rights council sets up probe into Aleppo violence
The UN rights council on 21st October called for a special investigation into violence in Aleppo in a resolution fiercely critical of Syria’s government. The text spearheaded by Britain repeatedly condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s offensive to retake east Aleppo from rebel forces, while also admonishing “terrorist acts” by the Islamic State group and other extremists in the Syrian conflict. Russia, an ally in Syria’s east Aleppo campaign, condemned the resolution which was approved in a majority vote. Moscow’s envoy to the council, Aleksei Goltiaev, also described criticism of Syria and Russia as “pathetic.”
The resolution called for the UN’s existing Commission of Inquiry for Syria to “conduct a comprehensive, independent special inquiry into the events in Aleppo,” and to identify individuals responsible for the most serious violations. - Ethiopia declares state of emergency amid anti-govt protests
Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency following months of anti-government protests by members of the country's two largest ethnic groups. The Oromo and the Amhara make up about 60 per cent of the population. They complain power is held by a tiny Tigrean elite. Violence has intensified since 2nd October when at least 55 people were killed in clashes between police and protesters at an Oromo festival. Human rights groups said hundreds have died in months of protests. Tens of thousands have also been detained. Declaring the state of emergency, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the state of emergency will last for six months.
- China again blocked UN ban on Azhar over 'different views'
China has defended its second technical hold to prevent a UN ban on Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar saying there were "different views" on India's application and that Beijing's move will allow more time for the "relevant parties" to have consultations.
Reacting to India's criticism that its second hold on attempts to ban Azhar sends a dangerous message, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the listing application member states submitted to the 1267 Committee of UN "must comply” with specific requirements of relevant resolutions of UN Security Council (UNSC) China's foreign ministry clarified their stand. - Zika virus likely to spread in Asia: WHO
The Zika virus is set to spread through Asia, the World Health Organization warned on 10th October, with hundreds of cases reported in Singapore and two Thai babies diagnosed with Zika-linked microcephaly.
WHO Director for Health Security and Emergencies Li Ailan said the mosquito-borne virus has been detected in 70 countries worldwide including at least 19 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
A WHO report released at the annual regional meeting in Manila said the virus was highly likely to further spread in the region which includes China, Japan, Australia, most Southeast Asian nations and the Pacific islands. The report added that the region will continue to report new cases and possibly new outbreaks of Zika.
WHO director Margaret Chan said leaders in the region had expressed concerns over the outbreak, adding that experts were still grappling with ways to tackle the scourge. - At least 1.4 million need aid in Haiti after Matthew: UN
Haiti faces a humanitarian crisis that requires a "massive response" from the international community, the United Nations chief said pm 10th October, with at least 1.4 million people needing emergency aid following first week of October, 2016 battering by Hurricane Matthew. Matthew leveled homes, fouled water sources and killed livestock, with victims pleading for aid to arrive quickly. The United Nations has launched a $120 million flash appeal to cover the needs in Haiti for the next three months.
After pummeling Haiti on October 4 as a monster Category 4 storm, packing winds of 145 miles (230 kilometers) per hour, Matthew slammed into the southeastern United States, where it killed 20 people.
In Haiti, more than 300 schools have been damaged, while crops and food reserves have been destroyed, Ban said. UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said the hurricane had triggered the worst humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake.
The department of Grande Anse in Haiti's southwest, which took a direct hit, was the most devastated area, with 198 dead, 97 injured and 99,400 people staying in temporary shelters.
More than 175,500 are in shelters elsewhere in the country. Deliveries of supplies were hamstrung by cut roads and communications.
American military helicopters were unloading boxes of supplies from the United States Agency for International Development to be stored by the UN in Jeremie before being taken to other parts of the south for distribution.
On a main road crossing the mountainous center of the peninsula, residents of some villages blocked roads with trees, rocks and other storm debris in an effort to stop aid convoys from passing through without delivering supplies. - Unicef initiative to tackle malnutrition in children
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) is planning to launch a pilot project of supplying nutritious food for children in the State. Unicef, with the help of government departments involved in child care, other stakeholders and NGOs, is proposing to launch Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) and supply Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in the State.
IMR in India
In India, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) among every one lakh children is 126 (i.e. infants aged below six months), and the reason is malnourishment, according to the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) records.
In Andhra Pradesh, IMR is 39, and the reasons for the deaths are poor diet, child marriages, and premature births. UNICEF is trying to bring down the IMR in the State by organising awareness programmes in villages
As many as 55,607 anganwadi centres are there in A.P., and 26.62 lakh children are enrolled in these centres. Besides, some lakhs of children are suffering from acute malnutrition in primary and upper primary schools in the State.
Recently, Unicef, in association with Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) officials, held a meeting on CMAM in the city, and discussed about launching of the project. Department Secretary G. Jaya Lakshmi explained the implementation of ‘Gorumuddalu’ and Full Meals Schemes to the participants. - Driverless cars hit London streets
Driverless vehicles carrying passengers took to Britain's streets for the first time on 11th October in a landmark trial which could pave the way for their introduction across the country.
The system is currently only being trialled on pedestrianised streets at speeds of around five miles per hour. The "Selenium" autonomy software running the vehicle, developed by Oxford University's Oxford Robotics Institute and its spinoff company Oxbotica, uses data from cameras and lasers to navigate the route. The technology will also be piloted in London's Greenwich borough to run eight vehicles around pedestrianised areas next year. - Impose measures on sugar beverages: WHO
World Health Organisation has called on governments to impose fiscal measures like taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages to discourage their consumption and prevent obesity and diabetes.
The global health body, in its latest report, reiterates the need for a fiscal policy which includes subsidies for vegetables and fruits and taxes for unhealthy food alternatives.
According to the report titled 'Fiscal Policies for Diet and Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases', there is increasing evidence that appropriately designed taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages would result in proportional reductions in consumption, especially if aimed at raising the retail price by 20% or more.
The report also says that providing subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables by reducing their prices by 10-30% can lead to increased consumption of such healthy items. The report cites the success of tobacco taxes and specific excise taxes in bringing in healthy practices. - Less than 6 in 10 tuberculosis cases reported in India: WHO
There were 28 lakh tuberculosis (TB) incident cases reported in India last year and 29 lakh in 2014, against the 22 lakh that was earlier estimated for 2014, according to the World Health Organization’s global TB report for 2016.
According to the updated estimate, 4.78 lakh people died of TB (excluding HIV-positive people) in India in 2015, and 4.83 lakh died in 2014. The 2015 global TB report had estimated the 2014 death figure at 2.2 lakh.
The WHO also reported that six countries accounted for 60 per cent of new cases: India, Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa. Emphasising that TB cases in India are hugely under-reported, the report said that only 56 per cent cases were officially reported across the country in 2014, and 59 per cent cases in 2015.
In India notified TB cases increased from 2013 to 2015, mostly due to a 34-per cent increase in notifications in India.
In 2015, there were an estimated 4.80 lakh new cases of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and an additional 1 lakh people with rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB), the report said.
India, China and Russia accounted for 45 per cent of the combined total cases, according to the WHO report. In 2015, 61 lakh new tuberculosis cases were notified to national authorities and reported to the WHO.
According to the report, there were an estimated 1.04 crore new (incident) TB cases worldwide in 2015. There were an estimated 14 lakh deaths due to TB, and an additional 4 lakh deaths resulting from TB disease among people living with HIV. The report said that TB treatment averted 4.9 crore deaths globally between 2000 and 2015, but important diagnostic and treatment gaps persist. - Most deaths from natural disasters occur in poor countries
A new report finds more than a million people have been killed in more than 7,000 natural disasters stretching over a 20-year period. The report,“Poverty & Death: Disaster Mortality 1996-2015,” finds 90 percent of these disaster deaths occur in low-and-middle-income countries.
An analysis of 20 years of data shows earthquakes and tsunamis are the biggest overall killers, followed closely by climate-related disasters, which have more than doubled over the period. The report, however, notes over the last 15 years, weather-related disasters including drought, heat waves, floods and storms have become the main cause of loss of life.
The U.N. secretary-general’s special representative for disaster risk reduction, Robert Glasser, says there is a clear link between the deaths and climate change, as well as with income and development levels.
Haiti is a prime example. Glasser notes that it suffered a devastating earthquake in 2010. The carribean island has lost more lives to natural hazards than any other country.
Haiti tops the list of the 10 countries with the most disaster deaths, followed by Indonesia and Myanmar. No rich country appears on this list; but, the report notes wealthy countries suffer the greatest economic losses from natural disasters, amounting to $400 billion or more a year.
According to Debarati Guha-Sapir, head of the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters in Belgium, problems of migration are linked to civil conflicts and climate-related events in sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan and other countries.
These climate disasters, these repeated droughts or the repeated floods in sub-Saharan Africa, in Eritrea, in Ethiopia, in Sudan have a very important role, a very important part to play in the international migration flows
The U.N. secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, describes the report as a damning indictment of inequality. While rich countries suffer huge economic losses from natural disasters, people in poor countries, he says, pay with their lives. - Nepal to hold talks with SAARC members
Nepal to talk with SAARC members to press for holding the 19th Summit which was postponed after five countries pulled out; Nepal foreign office says SAARC member states must ensure their territories aren't used for cross border terrorism to achieve peace and stability.
In a veiled message to Pakistan, SAARC Chair Nepal on 2nd October asked Pakistan to ensure that its soil is not used by terrorists. In a statement, Nepal urged the member states to ensure that their respective territories are not used by terrorists for cross border terrorism.
The statement said, Nepal unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and expresses its solidarity in the global fight against terrorism. The summit scheduled to be convened in Islamabad on November 9 and 10, was postponed after five of the 8 members, including India, pulled out from the summit.
Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan indirectly blamed Pakistan for creating an environment, which was not right for the success of the meet. Later, Sri Lanka also announced that it would abstain from the regional meet. - U.S. suspends Syria ceasefire talks with Russia
The United States broke off talks with Russia on 3rd October on implementing a ceasefire agreement on Syria and accused Moscow of not living up to its commitments.
The US State department made that announcement and said Russia was not committed to the September 9 deal to halt the violence and deliver humanitarian aid to besieged communities.
Russia's foreign ministry meanwhile said it regretted the decision, blaming Washington for trying to shift responsibility for the failure onto Moscow. Russia and the United States have traded blame for the collapse last month of a short-lived ceasefire deal that would have marked the first step in a new effort to end the war.
The UN Syria envoy has voiced deep disappointment at the collapse of US-Russian talks to revive a Syria ceasefire. Staffan de Mistura vowed that the United Nations will continue to keep working for a political solution - Myanmar scraps stringent emergency law
Myanmar has scrapped a stringent law which had been used by the former military leaders to silence opponents. The Emergency Provisions Act was introduced in 1950 after independence from Britain.
It allowed the authorities to detain people without charge and prescribed jail or execution for a wide range of offences considered treason. It allowed punishments of up to seven years for crimes like disrupting public morality or spreading false news.
The National League for Democracy, which swept to power in Myanmar earlier this year ending decades of military rule, had been trying to get rid of the law. - South Asia needs 15mn new teachers by 2030: UNESCO
South Asia must recruit about 15 million new teachers to be able to meet the goal of universal education by 2030, a new report released by the UN said on 5th October.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics launched its Valuing Teachers, Improving Their Status report to mark World Teachers Day. It is the first time estimates have been published showing the number of teachers that will need to be recruited to meet the target of providing education for all, agreed by UN member countries in 2015 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to the Silvia Montoya, director, UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Countries across the region are gearing up for the big push to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 by 2030. But education systems are only as good as their teachers.
Progress could depend on, first, whether there even is a teacher, or a classroom in which to teach. Second, on whether that teacher walks into the classroom with the training, resources and support they need to do their job. And third, on whether they are greeted by a manageable number of children instead of 60, 70 or even more pupils
A total of 68.8 million teachers will need to be recruited worldwide by 2030 if the ambition of every child receiving a primary and secondary education is to be achieved, according to the latest figures. UK-based education charity Varkey Foundation said that better pay would attract more talented individuals into the profession and get them to stay.
According to the report, the Southern Asia region which covers countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan faces the second-largest shortage of teachers. The average pupil-teacher ratio stands at 34:1 in primary education and 29:1 (2014 estimates) in secondary education, far higher than the global average of 18:1. The report also highlights that beyond just hiring more teachers, it is also important that these new recruits are well-trained, well-qualified and properly paid. - Portugal's Antonio Guterres chosen as next UN secretary general
The Security Council unanimously agreed on 5th October that Portugal's former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres should be the next secretary-general of the United Nations.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin made the announcement to reporters surrounded by the 14 other council ambassadors after they held a sixth informal poll of the 10 candidates behind closed doors. Churkin announced that the council would hold a formal vote on 6th October to recommend Guterres to the 193-member General Assembly, which must approve a successor to Ban Ki-moon whose second five-year term ends on Dec. 31, 2016.
By tradition, the job of secretary-general has rotated among regions. Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe have all held the post. East European nations, including Russia, argue that they have never had a secretary-general and it was their turn. There has also never been a woman secretary-general and more than 50 nations and many others campaigned to elect the first female UN chief.
But Guterres, who served as the UN's high commissioner for refugees until December, topped all six polls despite being a man from Western Europe.
For the first time in 2016, the General Assembly's members held two-hour question-and-answer sessions with all 13 candidates who entered the race, and in the eyes of many diplomats Guterres performed best.
In the fifth "straw" poll, however, he still received two "discourage" votes and there was a lot of speculation about whether Russia, which is a member of the East European group, would vote for him.
The sixth informal poll on 5th October was the first to use colored ballots to distinguish the votes of the five veto-wielding Security Council members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. Diplomats said in the vote that Guterres received 13 "encourage" votes, no "discourage" votes, and two "no opinion." - US says does not support declaring Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’
The US said on 7th October it does not support declaring Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’ but will continue to work with the governments in the region to eliminate safe havens which also pose a threat to India. The
US also called for a “meaningful dialogue” between India and Pakistan to address differences including the Kashmir issue and to bring down the recent tensions.
According to the US state department spokesperson John Kirby, Pakistan has kept nuclear arsenals safe from terrorists. - China thwarts India bid to name Masood terrorist
China said on 1st October that its technical hold on India’s move to get JeM chief Masood Azhar designated a terrorist by the U.N. has “been extended” for three months. The Chinese technical hold was to lapse on 4th October. Had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist would have passed automatically.
India was still giving “final touches” to its proposal to put Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar on the list of United Nations proscribed terrorists, when China announced that the “technical hold” on designating him a terrorist has been extended by another three months.
Azhar, a resident of Bahawalpur in Pakistan has been accused by security agencies of orchestrating several terror attacks in India, the latest being the attack on the Uri Army camp.
Apart from Azhar’s involvement in the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, the Pathankot airbase strike on January 2, India had also incorporated details about his role in the September 18 Uri attack, which killed 19 Indian Army soldiers. Azhar also runs a charitable organisation, Al Rehmat Trust, as a cover for the activities of his terror outfit, JeM. The internal committee was constituted in August and the Uri attack took place on September 18. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) which is probing both the Pathankot and Uri attacks is learnt to have given crucial points nailing Azhar’s direct role in the terror attacks.
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