Tag: featured

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi emphasized that the environment should not be seen merely as a silent victim of war. He pointed out that recent events in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran have demonstrated how armed conflicts cause significant human suffering and destruction of critical infrastructure, leading to profound and, in some cases, long-lasting environmental impacts.

Araqchi stated, “The environmental disaster in Gaza is extremely tragic, with the United Nations Environment Programme describing it as unprecedented environmental damage.” He also highlighted the destruction of forest areas and agricultural lands in Lebanon caused by the use of weapons and attacks.

He noted that reports and documents presented to the United Nations revealed that millions of square meters of land were burned and thousands of olive trees were damaged. Araqchi further mentioned that attacks by the US and Israel on Iran’s oil reserves, refining centers, and energy infrastructure have posed a ‘serious environmental risk.’

At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died in a boat accident off the coast of Djibouti. An additional 116 individuals remain missing. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported this on Sunday. According to IOM, the boat carrying approximately 350 people from Djibouti towards Yemen capsized north of the city of Obock around midnight between October 8 and 9.

Alexander Koisec, head of the IOM mission in Djibouti, described the incident as a severe humanitarian tragedy. He expressed condolences to the families who have been unable to obtain information about their loved ones. IOM teams have joined forces with Djiboutian authorities at the site to conduct rescue and emergency assistance operations.

Among the 109 confirmed fatalities are 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children, comprising nine girls and six boys. Over 80 people have survived the accident, all of whom are Ethiopian nationals. The IOM highlighted that this tragedy underscores the dangers faced by migrants attempting to cross the Bab-el-Mandeb strait through Yemen in pursuit of economic opportunities in Gulf countries.

“Despite increasing instability in the Middle East, poverty, insecurity, and the impacts of climate change are forcing many individuals to undertake this perilous journey,” the IOM statement noted.

October 12, Kathmandu. Popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathi has accused the police of kidnapping and assault. In a video he posted on social media, he clarified that he is an Indian citizen. Showing his passport in the video, Rathi stated, “This is my passport, and I am an Indian citizen and will remain so. The claim that as a foreign passport holder I cannot participate in protests is completely false. I am an Indian citizen and have the same rights as any regular citizen.”

Explaining the incident, Rathi said that around 7 a.m. on October 11, several individuals in plain clothes entered his house. These individuals pushed his mother aside to enter the bedroom and forcibly took him away, he claimed. “I use the term kidnapping here because this was not an arrest or detention. Detention would have occurred if I had joined the protest. Arrest would have required a police officer to show a uniform and nameplate,” he clarified.

He reported that over 50 people were gathered outside his home and that they dragged him away like a criminal. During the ordeal, he was seriously injured and had his phone confiscated, preventing him from recording a video. Rathi alleged that the police held him without allowing access to a lawyer or phone for approximately 22 to 23 hours. Questioning the current state of the nation, he asked, “Have you ever seen in any democratic country where an ordinary citizen who has violated no law, raised voice for truth and national interest, and demanded a fair election commission, be kidnapped from his own bedroom and his parents assaulted?”

Accusing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of turning the country into a dictatorship, Rathi described the current situation as an “unofficial emergency.” He stated that 7,000 people, including CJP leaders, have been detained, and such incidents occur only during emergencies or in countries like North Korea. According to Rathi, more than 15 individuals continue to keep him under surveillance. He also claimed to be under an unannounced house arrest.

October 12, Kathmandu – Abhijeet Deepak, founder of the Kackroach Janata Party, issued his first statement following his release from police custody. On Sunday, Abhijeet Deepak targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a ‘coward’. Posting on X, he stated, “As a prime minister, Modi is a shame for India. The country has never seen anyone more cowardly or someone who instills fear in others like him.”

Another leader, Ashutosh Ranka, wrote on X, “Gyanesh Kumar is a traitor. He must resign. I am ready to spend my life in jail to remove such traitors.” Abhijeet Deepak, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were detained for approximately 23 hours before their release Sunday morning around 10 a.m. They were produced before the Executive Magistrate Court located at Delhi Cantonment.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathi, known for exposing the controversial actions of the Modi government on his channel, has taken his activism to the streets this time. Rathi has actively participated in the Kakaroch Janata Party (CJP)’s ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ (Imprisonment Protest), which began on Saturday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Through his YouTube channel, he outlined his reasons for joining the movement. In the video, Rathi used strong language directed at Gyanesh Kumar, stating that the situation is intolerable if he does not resign.

Similarly, Rathi has been actively involved in the citizen society’s protest held at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, accusing the Election Commission of India of losing impartiality and undermining the fundamental voting rights of the public. During this process, Delhi police detained Rathi on Saturday. However, his pre-arrest materials shared via YouTube and social media have already gained significant traction across India.

Rathi has alleged that during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign conducted by the Election Commission of India, which aims to remove bogus and deceased voters, even genuine, living voters were mistakenly removed from the electoral rolls. He reported meeting numerous affected citizens in Karnataka and listening to their grievances. He presented three primary reasons and pieces of evidence demanding the immediate resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.

First, in West Bengal, prior to the elections, around 70,000 genuine voters’ names were deliberately removed from the voter lists through the SIR process. After the elections concluded, the names of all these voters were restored to the list. Rathi questioned, “If these voters were dead or illegal immigrants, how did their names return to the list immediately after the election? This is a direct corruption affecting the election’s integrity.”

Secondly, after the Election Commission removed approximately 6.5 million names from Bihar’s voter list, the Supreme Court forbade the commission from publishing the list until further intervention. Conversely, in Uttar Pradesh, over 1.4 million new voters were mysteriously added recently. Additionally, when attempts were made to add eligible voters in Goa, the software reportedly did not even provide the option to do so.

Thirdly, Rathi contends that while India’s Election Commission has long been regarded as an independent and impartial constitutional body, its credibility has been significantly undermined during Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure. He emphasized that extensive manipulation of the voter list has occurred under Kumar’s leadership, and maintaining such a figure in office is detrimental to democracy.

Dhruv Rathi and fellow protesters have formally presented three key demands to Gyanesh Kumar and the government: First – the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to restore the Election Commission’s reputation and dignity. Second – the appointment of a new Chief Election Commissioner should be conducted impartially and by mutual consensus between the Prime Minister and opposition leaders. Third – the current SIR process, involved in widespread manipulation of the voter list, must be immediately revoked, reinstating the previous voter lists and ensuring full transparency in removing deceased and duplicate voters.

October 11, Sydney – Amid growing political pressure to significantly reduce immigration, doctors in Australia have issued a grave warning about the potential repercussions. They caution that any major cuts to immigration could lead to unexpected and severe consequences, particularly impacting hospitals and regional communities. Dr. Krish Sundararajan, who arrived in Australia 21 years ago and has built his career as an intensive care specialist, speaks from experience. A beneficiary of Australia’s equal opportunity system, he states, “I would not want to live anywhere else in the world. There is a superb combination of career opportunities and a supportive environment here, and most importantly, the people here are incredibly wonderful.”

Currently, doctors like Dr. Sundararajan are at the heart of a critical national workforce debate. About 30 percent of Australian doctors, over 40 percent of general practitioners, and more than half of intensive care specialists received their training overseas. Likewise, many students on student visas are enrolled in the country’s medical schools. Peter Subramanyam, Chair of the South Australian Medical Association and an associate professor, emphasizes, “They are not just filling vacancies; they are actually supporting the entire healthcare system.”

In rural Australia, this dependency is even more acute. Subramanyam explains, “There is no alternative between local doctors or immigrant doctors. The alternative is having no doctors at all.” This issue extends beyond physicians alone. Nurses and aged care workers also heavily rely on immigration. Over 50 percent of staff in these sectors are immigrants, with thousands more required. Tom Symondson, CEO of Aging Australia, remarks, “When we talk about not allowing people who came here from overseas to stay, we are discrediting the millions of aged care workers who came here at our request.”

Bringing foreign-trained doctors and healthcare workers into Australia enjoys broad political support. However, questions remain about the system’s heavy reliance on overseas talent and the need to better train domestic personnel. Nationals Party leader Matt Canavan states, “We rely heavily on foreign-trained doctors and healthcare workers. What we want to achieve is a balanced system that retains the necessary skills within our country.” Experts warn that if immigration of healthcare workers is restricted or reduced, it will not only destabilize but could fully collapse the healthcare system.