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Showing posts from July, 2022
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Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) have finally sent back home the first lot of Pakistani migrants after lot of talking and exchange of notes between the nations. The process of readmission started in November 2020 and was finally accomplished in July 2021. The deportation has come as a method of commitment that the European nation has shown towards stopping illegal movement of migrants due to various political and economic reasons. It is a well-known fact that through the Balkan Route, one of the main migration routes into Europe, thousands of refugees and migrants have been seeking to enter the nations of the European Union (EU) since 2015. As of now, some 3865 migrants, or around 5 percent fewer than in the same period last year, were registered in BiH between January and April. According to the Ministry, about 76% of all migrants registered by Bosnian authorities are from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. According to the Border Police of BiH, a total

Sri Lanka Doesn’t Get World Bank Aid Without Proper Structural Changes In Economy

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Sri Lanka isn’t getting any help from the World Bank. The world lending agency has shown deep concern over the economic situation of the country, but it has also made it clear that it has no intentions of extending more funding, unless there is some development in the way the democratic setup of the country is put back on track. A robust ‘macroeconomic framework’ is the need of the hour as suggested by the UN led World Bank in its twitter message. Deep structural reform is needed to ensure the worthy 22 million starving and suffering Sri Lankans are taken care of. Corruption within the ranks has been seen as the major reason for the drain of funds and no economic growth. While the World Bank isn’t going to lend any money for the economy to run, it has shown clemency and diverted US$160 million from existing loans to finance urgently needed medicines, cooking gas and school meals. People have been forced to buy low quality food. There is dearth of fuel and long queues have left pe
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 The Indian man being eyed for the PM’s position has a strong selling proposition- a strong stance on China from UK. But there is a controversy brewing over this as well. Truss however seems to have gotten the majority. Skin is the winning bet along with her solid thinking and purpose to bring well needed transformation. Opinion polls have already given their verdict- putting her well ahead in the crucial hunt for votes from the 200,000 grassroots Tory members . Results are to be declared by September 06. Sunak seems to be trying hard to make an impression. China is the new bet for that. He promises to take a strong stand if elected against Beijing and Kremlin both. Blame it on Liz Truss attack on Sunak’s weak stance over the powerful nations of the world. Johnson has held a soft stance throughout for China- that is something Sunak would want to encash on. In his defense, he has said, that he intends to close of all 30 Confucius Institutes in Britain, preventing the soft-power sp

Ban on Westernization Prompts No Pet Policy In Iran

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Iran isn’t going to allow you to keep a pet anymore. In fact, you can be arrested for keeping a pet, if you don’t possess the right permit. This also comes with a restriction on pet owners not being allowed to take pets for walks into greener pastures and parks. Police has announced it as a crime. The ban was justified as a measure to "protect the safety of the public". This also comes along with Iranian parliament’s decision of imposing the Protection of the Public's Rights Against Animals bill, which would restrict pet ownership across the board. A minimum fine of $800 (790 euros; £670) would be levied on pet owners who “import, purchase and sale, transport or keep” a range of animals, including common pets such as cats, turtles and rabbits, without the requisite permit. Corporal punishment also seems to be on the cards; but till date has not happened. Keeping dogs has always been common in Iran's rural areas, but the animals also became a symbol of urban life

Why Johnson Doesn’t Approve Of Sunak As Britain’s Next PM?

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Boris Johnson does not want Rishi Sunak to replace him. The withdrawn PM has not totally withdrawn from the situation. The biggest bone of contention is the sense of betrayal that he has felt from the former chancellor of the exchequer. A surprising revelation is that, Johnson feels that his downfall has been because Sunak somewhere had been plotting against the leadership and paving way for his own succession. What is also coming in focus is Sunak’s association with Indian IT millionaire Narayana Murthy as his son-in-law. There is no evidence of open recommendations by Mr. Johnson, but unofficially, he feels inclined towards ‘woman power’ and is indirectly hinting at the candidature of foreign secretary Liz Truss. Also, he seems to be open and welcoming towards the appointment of junior trade minister Penny Mordaunt for the top job. The Times quoted sources as saying: “The whole No. 10 team hates Rishi. It’s personal. It’s vitriolic. They don’t blame Saj [Sajid Javid] for bringi

The Power Pact Asian-Immigrant Race for British PM Position

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It’s an interesting fight coming around next week in 10 Downing Street as Boris Johnson with a whirlwind in his head decided to quit as PM. He bowed down to pressure and has left the seat open to some of the most interesting contenders. For starters is Narayanmurthi’s son-in-law and finance minister in 2020, Rishi Saunak. 1.   Rishi Saunak: He promised reform even though there has been huge tax burden on UK after his tax-and-spend formula didn’t work well. He announced his candidature through a video recently. 2.    Nadhim Zahawi: He is an interesting man with his survivor story of coming to UK from Iraq as a refugee and surviving it to go onto become the new finance minister. 3.   Liz Truss : What truly goes into her favor is her carefully cultivated PR image. No wonder, the foreign secretary has been the darling of the Conservative Party`s grassroots and has regularly topped polls of party members carried out by the website Conservative Home. 4.   Tom Tugendhat:  A regula

Lebanon Rids Itself Of Syrian Refugees 15000 Per Day

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Human rights groups are not in favour of the callous manner in which Lebanon is trying to get rid of Syrian refugees in large numbers. The estimated repatriations are being estimated to 15000 a day. In an interview with a Lebanese state news agency, the caretaker Minister of the Displaced Issam Charaffedine has said that the plans will continue despite UNHCR’s position on the whole thing. Lebanon might have their reasons to do so as it is struggling with keeping its head above the waters. Its economy is not reviving and debts are mounting still. aptly being called a ‘troubled country’ struggling with a prolonged economic meltdown, hosts the Middle East’s highest number of Syrian refugees per capita. More than one million Syrians have sought refuge there, escaping a country racked by a decade of war. While these reasons can justify as to why the Lebanese government is quickly repatriating the Syrian refugee population, in many years, the latter have only been seen as a scapegoat i

Canadian Filmmaker Draws Flake Over Smoking ‘Kaali’ On Social Media

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In the strangest depiction of Goddess Kali, filmmaker Leena Manimekalai seemed to have gone overboard, in her showing off the goddess with a cigarette and then smoking. The documentary and its subsequent posters have drawn huge criticism on the social media and has put the Canadian population to embarrassment too. The Indian High Commission has now issued a formal press release stating that, "We urge the Canadian authorities and the event organizers to withdraw all such provocative material," Indian High Commission in Canada said in a press release. The documentary has the depiction of the Goddess carried over by another character and she took on Twitter to share the poster recently. The Madurai-born, Toronto-based has been bold to depict a woman dressed in a costume portraying the Goddess and smoking. A flag of the LGBT community is seen in the background. Unfortunately, the director has landed in a controversy and now there are `#ArrestLeenaManimekal` hashtags trendin

Al Hosn App Now Makes Digital Passes Possible For Hajj Pilgrimage

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An online Hajj permit service has been launched by Al Hosn National Health System on its Al Hosn app in co-operation with the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE). The Al Hosn National Health System is affliated to the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP). The service aims to facilitate Hajj procedures,  and in turn save precious time for pilgrims'. This service will also help them and enhance their confidence in the efficiency and development of national health procedures.  Additionally, it will also support the ongoing efforts of the two entities that have been trying to enter the digitisation arena; as they can now shift from paper based permits to digitised versions of them.     Al-Hosn System has clarified that an electronic Hajj permit is mandatory for any individual leaving the country for Hajj, even if he has received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and a booster shot. "There are several procedures and mechanisms that everyone wishing to p

Is Indonesia Trying To Weaken Papua By Increasing Its Provinces?

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Indonesia is going to have more provinces to itself. This was decided through a legislation that was passed recently by the Indonesian parliament. The three new provinces would be created in the underdeveloped region of Papua. This might create issues for the autonomous powers at hand, political analysts feel. But the government is of the opinion that this decision will help spur development, improve public service delivery, and create more opportunities for Papuans to become civil servants in the resource-rich area that remains one of the country's poorest regions. According to official sources, this is being done to help the development and growth of indigenous people living in Papua. Surprisingly, this development has led to problems and protests in Papua. What is being witnessed is a low-level independence conflict since a disputed 1969 UN-supervised vote brought Papua under Indonesian control. Is Indonesia trying to work on a ‘divide and rule’ policy is what many critics a