Archives for July 2018

Mae SAI: “Everyone is safe.” With those three words posted on Facebook the daring rescue mission to extricate 12 boys and their soccer coach from the treacherous confines of a flooded cave in Thailand was complete a grueling 18-day ordeal that claimed the life of an experienced diver and riveted people worldwide.

Thailand’s Navy SEALs, who were central to the rescue effort, celebrated the feat with a post last evening that read: “All the thirteen Wild Boars are now out of the cave,” a reference to the boys’ soccer team. “We are not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what.”

Eight of the boys were rescued by a team of Thai and international divers on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, the final four boys and their coach were guided out of the cave. Their rescue was followed a few hours later by the safe return of a medic and three SEAL divers who had stayed for days with the boys in their cramped, dry refuge.

Cheers erupted from the dozens of volunteers and journalists awaiting news of whether the intricate and high-risk rescue mission had succeeded. Helicopters transporting the boys roared overhead. People on the street cheered and clapped when ambulances ferrying them on the last leg of their journey from the cave arrived at a hospital in Chiang Rai city in far northern Thailand near the Myanmar border.

Their joy and relief was echoed around the globe by the multitude of people who had followed the long ordeal. Payap Maiming, who helped provide food and necessities to rescue workers and journalists, noted that fact.

“I’m happy for Thais all over the country,” he said. “And actually just everyone in the world because every news channel has presented this story and this is what we have been waiting for.” “It’s really a miracle,” Payap said. “It’s hope and faith that has brought us this success.” Amporn Sriwichai, an aunt of rescued coach Ekkapol Chantawong, was ecstatic. “If I see him, I just want to hug him and tell him that I missed him very much,” she said.

The plight of the boys and their coach captivated much of the world from the heart-sinking news that they were missing, to the first flickering video of the huddle of anxious yet smiling boys when they were found by a pair of British divers 10 days later. The group had entered the sprawling Tham Luang cave to go exploring after soccer practice on June 23, but monsoon rains soon filled the tight passageways, blocking their escape.

Each of the boys, ages 11 to 16 and with no diving experience, was guided out by a pair of divers in the three-day high-stakes operation. The route, in some places just a crawl space, had oxygen canisters positioned at regular intervals to refresh each team’s air supply. Highlighting the dangers, a former Thai Navy SEAL died Friday while replenishing the canisters.

Cave-diving experts had warned diving the youngsters out was potentially too risky. But Thai officials, acutely aware the monsoon rains could trap the boys for months, seized a window of opportunity provided by relatively mild weather. A massive effort to pump out water made the winding passageways more navigable. And the confidence of the diving team, and expertise specific to the cave, grew after its first successful mission Sunday.

“We did something nobody thought possible,” Chiang Rai province acting Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, leader of the rescue effort, said at a celebratory news conference. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, speaking today before the final rescue was completed, said the boys were given an anti-anxiety medication to help with their perilous removal from the cave.

Asked at a news conference in Bangkok if the boys had been sedated, Prayuth said: “Who would chloroform them? If they’re chloroformed, how could they come out? It’s called anxiolytic, something to make them not excited, not stressed.” Prayuth said the Tham Luang cave would be closed for some time to make it safe for visitors.

The first eight boys brought out were doing well and were in good spirits at the hospital. They received a treat on Tuesday: bread with chocolate spread that they had requested. Jedsada Chokdumrongsuk, permanent secretary at the Public Health Ministry, said the boys rescued Sunday were able to eat normal food by Tuesday, though they couldn’t yet take the spicy dishes favored by many Thais. Two of the boys possibly have a lung infection but all eight are generally “healthy and smiling,” he said.

“The kids are footballers, so they have high immune systems,” Jedsada told a news conference. “Everyone is in high spirits and is happy to get out. But we will have a psychiatrist evaluate them.” It could be at least a week before they can be released from the hospital, he said. For now the boys were in isolation to try to keep them safe from infections by outsiders. But family members have seen at least some of the boys from behind a glass barrier.

It was clear doctors were taking a cautious approach. Jedsada said they were uncertain what type of infections the boys could face “because we have never experienced this kind of issue from a deep cave.” If medical tests show no dangers after another two days, parents will be able to enter the isolation area dressed in sterilized clothing, staying 2 meters (yards) away from the boys, said another public health official, Tosthep Bunthong.

(PTI)

New Delhi: Iran on Tuesday criticised India for not fulfilling its promise of making investments in the expansion of the strategically located Chabahar port and said New Delhi will stand to lose “special privileges” if it cuts import of Iranian oil.

Iran’s Deputy Ambassador and Charge d’Affaires Massoud Rezvanian Rahaghi said Iran will end the privileges being provided to India if it tries to source oil from countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the US and others to offset cuts in Iranian oil.

“It is unfortunate that Indian investment promises for expansion of Chabahar port and its connectivity projects have not been accomplished so far. It is expected that India takes immediate necessary measures in this regard if its cooperation and engagement in Chabahar port is of strategic nature,” he said.

Rahaghi was speaking at a seminar on ’emerging challenges and opportunities in the global diplomacy and its impact on bilateral ties with India’.

The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi.

In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had inked a pact which entailed the establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran, besides multi-modal transport of goods and passengers across the three nations.

Referring to US sanctions on oil import from Iran, Rahaghi said his country has been a reliable energy partner for India and that Iran always follows a “rationale pricing” of oil which ensures the interest of both consumers and suppliers.

“… If India were to replace Iran with countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the US and others for the 10 per cent of its oil demand then it may have to revert to dollar-denominated imports which mean higher CAD (Current Account Deficit) and deprivation of all other privileges Iran has offered to India,” Rahaghi said.

The senior Iranian diplomat said it was important to work together to immunise the relationship between the two countries through the adoption of necessary instruments and mechanisms.

“We should strive to make this relationship more sustainable and durable. This requires a strong political determination,” he said, adding both sides should set up banking relations, open new transaction routes and help each other’s markets and business communities.

Iran is India’s third-largest oil supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Iran supplied 18.4 million tonnes of crude oil between April 2017 and January 2018 (first 10 months of fiscal 2017-18).

The US has told India and other countries to cut oil imports from Iran to “zero” by November 4 or face sanctions. The Trump administration brought back sanctions against Iran after pulling out the US from the Iran nuclear deal.

Shipping to Iran and ports in the country are also coming under the US sanctions. India is also expected to convey to the US the importance of the Chabahar port project considering that it can be a major link for trade with war-ravaged Afghanistan.

“In such a selfish approach, the US is targeting the whole world — either to be its friends and allies or be rival. So the US must abandon its policy of resorting to threats or use of force,” said Rahaghi.

In May, President Donald Trump announced that the US was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal signed by the Obama administration in 2015, under which Tehran had agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Rahaghi also suggested that a regional dialogue forum should be set up in the Persian Gulf and West Asia to resolve regional crises.

(PTI)

France edged past Belgium 1-0 to book their place in the final of the FIFA World Cup in a rip-roaring semi-final clash here on Tuesday.

Centre-back Samuel Umtiti headed home from close range in the 51st minute and that proved to be the winner in a match littered with goal-scoring opportunities.

Belgium played with a lot of gusto as skipper Eden Hazard led from the front making jinking runs throughout the game down the right channel.

But the goal would just not come for the Roberto Martinez-coached side who were in the semis for the first time since 1986.

France, who will play the World Cup final for the first time since 2006, will either take on England or Croatia in the summit clash on Sunday.

The match began at a breakneck pace with Belgium bossing possession initially only for the French to catch up.

Kylian Mbappe danced forward inside the first 10 seconds and crossed low for Antoine Griezmann who failed to get on the end of it.

Hazard then put in a dangerous cross which was turned behind by Umtiti. It was an end-to-end affair as Kevin De Bruyne lobbed a pass to Hazard who shot past the post.

France took time to work Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who smothered a Blaise Matuidi effort in the 19th minute.

Then, moments later, at the other end, Hazard’s goal-bound shot was flicked over the bar by the retreating Raphael Varane.

Hugo Lloris was forced into a brilliant save at the other end too when his Tottenham teammate Toby Alderweireld took aim after a corner.

For France, Olivier Giroud and Griezmann came close to scoring after the half-hour mark before Benjamin Pavard was set up by the brilliant Mbappe only for Courtois to stick his leg out and divert the ball.

It was travesty that both teams went into the break locked goal-less.

Belgium fell behind minutes into the second period when Umtiti leaped ahead of Marouane Fellaini to head home a corner taken by Griezmann.

Belgium probed on numerous occasions as Lukaku came the closest to scoring in the dying minutes of the game after De Bruyne’s stunning lofted pass teed the Manchester United striker up.

Six minutes of injury time provided Belgium with hope but France ran the clock down and almost made it 2-0 as Griezmann and then Corentin Tolisso’s shots were well saved by Courtois.

(IANS)

New Delhi: Former Mumbai police commissioner Julio Ribeiro, former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah and 41 other retired bureaucrats have demanded that Union minister Jayant Sinha be sacked for felicitating eight people convicted in a lynching case, saying his action shows “there is a licence to kill minorities”.

The Minister of State for Civil Aviation stoked controversy after he felicitated eight convicts in the Ramgarh lynching case after they came out of prison on bail last week.

Meat trader Alimuddin Ansari was beaten to death on June 29 last year by a mob at the Bazaar Tand area under Ramgarh police station on suspicion that he was carrying beef in his car.

Expressing happiness over their release from jail after being granted bail on June 29 this year by the Jharkhand High Court, Sinha garlanded them and offered them sweets.

“The larger and chilling message that Shri Sinha’s action sends out is that there is a licence to kill minorities and that those who are accused of such crimes will be enthusiastically supported financially, legally and politically,” the bureaucrats said in a public statement.

They said Sinha felicitated the convicts as if they were “some revolutionaries in a freedom struggle”.

In the past, the bureaucrats said, when there were protests against partisan support for such revolting actions, the central government “conveniently used the fig leaf” of constitutional separation of powers to argue that the locus standi lay with the states concerned, despite most of these states being ruled by the BJP, which is also in power at the centre.

“Now that a Union minister has openly questioned a criminal case where his own party government in the state had, admirably in our opinion, prosecuted and brought to justice the accused, we would like to know what stand the Government of India proposes to take.

“We demand the immediate resignation/removal of Shri Jayant Sinha from the Council of Ministers and an apology to the people of India from the party he represents for brazenly sympathising with those convicted of murder,” the bureaucrats said.

They also sought to know the stand the Union government proposes to take after Sinha’s action.

“The latest episode comes on the heels of repeated incidents which highlight the contempt which representatives of the ruling party and their followers have for the rule of law,” they said.

Besides Ribeiro and Habibullah, the officials who have demanded Sinha’s sacking include former Pune police commissioner Meeran Borwankar and former Prasar Bharti CEO Jawhar Sircar.

In April, the retired civil servants attacked the central government following the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district of Jammu after a few state BJP lawmakers had come out in support of the accused in the case.

“In post-Independence India, this is our darkest hour and we find the response of our government, the leaders of our political parties inadequate and feeble,” they had said then in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On March 21, a fast-track court sentenced the 11 convicts in the Ramgarh lynching case to life imprisonment.

Eight of the 11 convicts were granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on June 29. Two are in Hazaribag Central Jail and a juvenile is in a correction home. Another secured bail on July 4.

(PTI)

Former higher education minister B A Moideen passed away following a brief illness at a hospital in Bengaluru on Tuesday. He was 81.

Born to Abdul Khader and Haleema at Pejawar in Bajpe village in May 1938, Moideen, joined Congress in 1969 and held various positions in the party before getting elected to Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1978 from Bantwal assembly constituency in Dakshina Kannada district.

The Congress party denied him the ticket which forced him to joint Janata Dal in the later days. He won from Bantwal constituency in 1978 and has served as MLC between 1990-2002. He was minister for higher education between 1995-99. He was conferred with the Devaraj Urs Award instituted by the State Government in 2016.

(Agencies)