(N)ever alone

At a time when most people complain about the unending rat race, I recently had a chance to meet a close friend in the Indian city of Pune, who stays away from the din of city life, with no neighbours for up to two kilometres.

Adi Aibara, 68, a former colleague, is known among friends to be a gem of a person who cares a lot for others.
He is passionate about justice for all. When the US launched a war on Iraq based on lies that the country had weapons of mass destruction, Adi expressed his resentment by picking up two dogs and symbolically naming them after top American and British leaders.
He did not even have electricity connection for years and drives long distance in a car to fetch and store water.
Lush green trees and plants surround his house. Birds and animals, including wolves, are the only regular visitors.
While that is not a bother for human friends who visit him on and off, snakes that shed their skins before disappearing do leave guests worried.
A woman friend who accompanied me refused to enter the house saying that she was extremely scared of snakes.
We convinced her to move in and have a soft drink when her umbrella accidentally fell on her feet.
“Snakeee,” she screamed, rushing out of the house.
We lost a few more precious minutes convincing her to re-enter the house.

Age war at workplace

My article in Business@Qatar mag.

Millions begin Eid celebrations in UAE

(My report in The Gulf Today)
SHARJAH: It was a moment that millions of Muslims in the UAE were eagerly awaiting. Seconds after the UAE Moonsighting committee announced that Eid Al Fitr will start on Monday, ecstatic people thronged the streets, hugged each other and indulged in last-minute shopping. 
“Eid Mubarak” greetings filled the air, adding exuberance to the festive mood.
The UAE Moonsighting Committee earlier met on Sunday in Abu Dhabi after Magreb prayers.
Several residents have already decked up their homes. Many could be seen queuing outside sweet shops to buy delicacies for family and visitors. 
“I am expecting a large number of guests at home. I wanted to pick up the sweets before it runs out,” said a gleeful Nedal Maudi, a Sharjah resident, who was spotted at a popular sweet joint. 
“Scorching sun made fasting a huge challenge this year. I am relieved and happy that I managed to complete the month-long fast,” said Janaan Ahmad, a student. 
Several colourful events have been lined up across the emirates on the Eid days. The prime attraction is likely to be firework displays.
Eid Al Fitr, also called the festival of fast-breaking, marks the end of the holiest month in the Islamic Calendar and the beginning of the lunar month Shawwal.

Recent Editorials

Here are some of my recent Editorials in The Gulf Today (Posted for my records)

Dazzling Dubai draws

global attention again

UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has repeatedly demonstrated that ambition has no limits and that the word “impossible” is not in his dictionary. The result is showing and Dubai is now recognised internationally as a city of “world firsts.”

The launch of the first temperature-controlled city, Mall of the World, which will attract over 180 million visitors annually, has turned the global spotlight on Dubai again.

It calls for immense courage and stupendous enterprise to embark on such a mindboggling project, but as Sheikh Mohammed once remarked, “The future does not wait for those who hesitate.”

Even visualising the concept could leave one amazed. Imagine the largest indoor theme park in the world where tourists will be able to enjoy a weeklong stay without the need to leave the city or use a car.

The 7km long promenades connecting all facilities will be covered during the summer and open during the winter, ensuring pleasant temperatures throughout the year.

Occupying an area of 48 million sq. ft., the project will also house the largest shopping mall in the world with an area of 8 million sq. ft., which will take the form of an extended retail street network, different to the typical shopping mall concept currently available in Dubai.

Once completed, the City is projected to become a year-round destination, welcoming around 180 million visitors annually.

Interestingly, the new project, developed by Dubai Holding, will introduce a novel concept of an integrated pedestrian city connected to the mall and offering a wide range of leisure, retail, cultural, wellness, recreation and hospitality options under one roof.

No wonder, Dubai has remained a dream destination for tourists. Last year, Dubai won the bid to host Expo 2020, a six-month global exhibition that is expected to attract 25 million visitors. Expo-related infrastructure development and operations will cost around Dhs32.39 billion.

Under Dubai’s 2020 vision, the number of visitors in the emirate is projected to double from 10 million in 2012 to 20 million by 2020. In order to accommodate the visitors, the number of hotels in Dubai is expected to double.

“Our vision is clear, infrastructure is ready and confidence in our human resources is high,” once mentioned Sheikh Mohammed. That should serve as a perfect inspiration for everyone to work as one team to achieve the goal, with positive energy, strong determination and the belief that anything is possible.

Refugees deserve

better treatment

Australia would do well to add a bit of compassion in its handling of asylum seekers. It is a matter of deep concern that the Australian authorities this week returned to Sri Lanka 41 people seeking asylum, apparently without adequate screening of their protection claims and needs.

The migrants aboard a boat that was controversially turned back mid-sea say they were abused, given little food and treated "worse than dogs." One migrant said the group was denied medication, while another claimed they were supplied food past their expiry date.

As per norms, every case should be individually examined on its own merits along with procedural safeguards and due process guarantees. Any returns, even from the high seas or in the territorial seas of other States, must be carried out in accordance with international law, under which handing back victims to their persecutor and collective expulsions are strictly prohibited.

The problem assumes serious significance, as there are also reports that a dozen mothers in an asylum-seekers’ camp attempted suicide so their children can be settled in Australia. According to                         The Sydney Morning Herald, the women tried to kill themselves this week after being told they would be taken from a detention centre on Christmas Island to Papua New Guinea or Nauru.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott insists that he will not be “morally blackmailed.” He told Channel Nine television: “I don't believe that people ought to be able to say to us, 'Unless you accept me as a permanent resident, I am going to commit self-harm'. I don't believe any Australian would want us to capitulate to moral blackmail.”

However, not all politicians in Australia agree with Abbott’s tough posture. Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten’s message to Abbott was sharp: "It is not good enough to wash your hands on the safety of human beings."

Greens party immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young also declared that she had spoken to people inside the Christmas Island camp and reports of attempted suicide were true.

It is not clear whether the Australian government has been given any assurances that the returnees will not face ill treatment upon their return to Sri Lanka, nor is it clear how the Australian government plans to monitor their treatment.

Repelling migrants after screening them as potential asylum-seekers at sea surely appears to be inadequate under international law. Asylum seekers arriving by boat should be processed in Australia under a reasonable Refugee Status Determination system.

Monks should preach

peace, not hatred

Continuing sectarian violence targeting Muslims have exposed deep religious tensions in Buddhist-majority Myanmar as the nation emerges from decades of military rule.

In detestable scenes that raise serious questions about the safety of ordinary citizens, around 300 Buddhists rode motorcycles around Myanmar’s second largest city of Mandalay on Friday shouting death threats. "We're going to kill all the Muslims," some shouted as they rode through the streets.

While police guarded the neighbourhood, it is shocking that they did not disarm the Buddhists who had been riding around the city, screaming threats. Many Muslims were forced to flee the area.

Buddhist-Muslim clashes have left at least 250 people dead and tens of thousands displaced since fighting first broke out in the western Rakhine state in 2012.

The latest unrest erupted after baseless accusations were spread on the Internet centred on a teashop, prompting a crowd of hundreds to gather near the business, hurling stones and damaging property of Muslims.

Prominent hardline cleric Wirathu, who is based in Mandalay, posted a link to online allegations against the teashop owners on his Facebook page just hours before the trouble started. He has since ramped up the tension with more baseless allegations against Muslims.

Just recently, a senior UN aid official said she had witnessed a level of human suffering never seen before in camps for some 140,000 stateless Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, displaced by Buddhist-Muslim violence sparked in 2012.

Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Kyung-Wha Kang travelled to the Rakhine and Kachin states, where more than 100,000 people have been displaced since fighting between ethnic minority insurgents and the government erupted in June 2011, ending a 17-year ceasefire.

“In Rakhine, I witnessed a level of human suffering in IDP (internally displaced person) camps that I have personally never seen before, with men, women, and children living in appalling conditions with severe restrictions on their freedom of movement, both in camps and isolated villages,” the UN official noted.

While Mandalay has a sizeable Muslim minority and also plays host to a group of nationalist Buddhist monks accused of stoking tension, it has not suffered religious unrest on this scale before.

Baseless rumours and hate speech against Muslims are spread via social media, compounding the problem.

The strife threatens to undermine political reforms initiated by the government of President Thein Sein. The authorities need to act before the situation gets out of control. Violence has no place in a sane society. 

Iraqis suffer as

leaders squabble

It is highly unfortunate that Iraq's parliament has again failed to break the political deadlock that is holding up the formation of a new government.

With politics in Baghdad paralysed and Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki continuing in a caretaker role, militants are gaining ground raising fears that violence will continue to haunt the distressed country for more time.

What is more disappointing is that the latest stalemate has come despite the announcement late on Saturday of an agreement among Sunni Arab lawmakers on a candidate for speaker, a post traditionally held by the minority group that must be filled before the government formation process can progress.

A statement from parliament's United for Change Sunni grouping said Dr Salim Al Juburi had been selected, but went on to pledge not to accept Maliki for a third term.

Former parliament speaker Osama Al Nujaifi called for a vote on Juburi, but acting parliament speaker Mahdi Hafez rejected this, saying not all blocs were in agreement, despite there being more than enough MPs present to hold a vote.

Disunity among Iraqi politicians is costing the country dear. Sunday's session was the second time parliament has completely failed to make progress, with a July 1 meeting breaking down when MPs traded barbs and enough failed to return after a break that the legislature was without a quorum.

On the ground, United Nations statistics present a grim scenario. At least 2,417 people were killed in Iraq in June 2014 alone, the majority of them civilians. In addition, a total of 2,287 people were injured in attacks in June.

In fact, 2013 turned out to be Iraq's deadliest since violence began to ease in 2008. At least 8,868 people were killed in militant attacks or other acts of violence.

The death toll has significantly increased since the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis/Isil) started capturing cities in the north of the country in early June.

Top United Nations officials have rightly warned that failing to move forward on electing a new speaker, a new president and a new government risks plunging the country into more chaos.

Iraqi leaders have no choice but to overcome their deep divisions and move quickly to form a new government that can unite the country and confront the surging militant threat.

The present political impasse will only serve the interests of those who seek to divide the people of Iraq and destroy their chances for peace and prosperity.

At last, Merkel sends

tough message to US

Berlin's expulsion of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) station chief in the latest spy row with the United States is absolutely justified. In fact, it was long overdue.

The spying scandal has chilled relations with Washington to levels not seen since Chancellor Angela Merkel's predecessor Gerhard Schroeder opposed the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The decision to order the CIA representative out came after dramatic reports of US espionage activity in Germany. Berlin earlier said it had discovered a suspected US spy in the Defence Ministry.

That came just days after a German foreign intelligence worker was arrested on suspicion of being a CIA informant and admitted passing documents to a US contact.

The two suspected spy cases have fuelled anger in Germany especially after the  revelations last year from fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden of widespread NSA surveillance, including on Merkel's mobile phone.

Surveillance is a sensitive issue in Germany, where the memory of the Nazi's Gestapo secret police and Communist East Germany's Stasi means the right to privacy is treasured.

It is obvious that public outrage at the revelations put pressure on Merkel to take action against the United States.

Germany's biggest selling newspaper,              Bild, said Merkel  ordered German secret services to reduce cooperation with US counterparts to a minimum, while the                         Sueddeutche Zeitung  called the expulsion "an unprecedented act of protest against American arrogance."

In a typical case of the pot calling the kettle black, US secretary of state John Kerry had recently condemned Chinese cyber-espionage in unusually strong terms while wrapping up high-level meetings in Beijing, as reports surfaced that Chinese hackers breached the US Office of Personnel Management earlier this year.

"Instances of cyber theft have harmed our business and threatened our nation's competitiveness. The loss of intellectual property through cyber (spying) has a chilling effect on innovation and investment,” Kerry had remarked.

After the Snowden revelations, Berlin demanded that Washington agree to a "no-spy agreement," but the US remained adamant and refused to make such a commitment.

Relationship between any two countries, just like between individuals, is based on trust. When there is a breach from one side, it is in order that the other party takes corrective measures to protect itself from being dubbed a mere poodle.

Germany and the US are close allies working together in crisis-hit countries like Afghanistan and Ukraine. American snooping activities tantamount to backstabbing.  In that sense, Germany’s expulsion move is unquestionably appropriate.

Crashing roofs,

crushing lives

Building collapses are increasingly common in India. Among the typical reasons cited are illegal space additions, use of substandard material or corruption.

It is astounding that the authorities have failed to initiate serious remedial action to rein in some unscrupulous builders, despite heavy loss of lives in such incidents.

Several have died in two building collapses in different cities over the weekend. It is feared that more persons could still be trapped under the mass of concrete, steel and sand, after a 12-storey building under construction collapsed in heavy rain in Chennai on Saturday.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has stated that the building crashed due to a structural defect. The builder had apparently violated norms.

Also during the weekend, a 50-year-old dilapidated four-storeyed building came crashing in a congested area in Delhi claiming several lives. It was stated that poor quality material used to build the house weakened its base and it collapsed due to ongoing construction on an adjacent plot.

In April last year, 74 people were killed when an eight-storey building being constructed illegally in the Mumbai suburb of Thane caved in. It was the worst building collapse in the country in decades.

The list is endless. In January, a building under construction collapsed in the western state of Goa, killing at least 14 people.

Interestingly, Legislator Pratap Sarnaik had obtained information, in accordance with the Right to Information Act, about the scope of the construction of illegal buildings in the Thane district of Maharashtra.

The Hindu reported, “For the nine divisions under the corporation last year, 505 illegal buildings were demolished, there was action against 829 (which does not mean they were demolished), and in December, 2012 alone, 104 illegal constructions were detected.”

A lack of housing, coupled with high population growth, has resulted in individuals living in low-cost unauthorised buildings or huts on illegal land, especially in cities like Mumbai.

Owing to skyrocketing real estate prices, millions are left without a proper roof across the country. Thousands are even forced to sleep on the pavements.

Repeated building collapses highlight the dire need for adequate safety procedures. Structural permits should be issued only after proper inspection.

Corruption is also a huge problem that allows unscrupulous builders to get clearance for buildings that do not follow the most basic norms.

The new political leaders have promised happy days for the people. Nothing would make millions of poor Indians happier than an affordable, safe roof.

A soul-searching

time for the Press

The acquittal of Rebekah Brooks, former boss of Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper arm, by the Old Bailey court from charges that she orchestrated a campaign to hack into phones and bribe officials, brings the “trial of the century,” prompted by a dirty media scandal, to a dramatic end.

The court has declared Andy Coulson, Brooks’ former lover and Prime Minister David Cameron's ex-media chief, guilty of conspiring to intercept messages to break news about royalty, celebrities and victims of crime in the case that has shaken the country’s political establishment

The conviction in one of the most expensive criminal trials in British legal history forced Cameron to apologise for hiring Coulson in 2007 when the Conservative leader gave him a "second chance" after he had already quit one of Murdoch's newspapers as the hacking scandal brewed.

The nearly eight-month trial was triggered by revelations that for years the                News of the World used illegal eavesdropping to get stories, listening in on the voicemails of celebrities, politicians and even crime victims.

Three other defendants — Brooks’ husband Charles, her former secretary Cheryl Carter and News International security chief Mark Hanna — were acquitted of perverting the course of justice by attempting to hide evidence from police.                      Former News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner was found not guilty of phone hacking.

At the height of the scandal, billions of dollars were wiped from Murdoch’s company's market value and politicians who once courted his support lined up to denounce his behaviour. He was called before parliament to answer questions and forced to drop a planned $12 billion buyout of pay-TV group BSkyB.

He later split his company in half to appease investors who wanted the newspapers held in a separate entity from the rest of the business.  News Corp said in a statement it had changed the way it did business since the revelations.

Murdoch was forced to shut down the                         News of the World in disgrace amid a boycott by advertisers just over three years ago after it emerged that the paper had hacked the voicemails of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The verdicts have serious implications. The decision to wilfully ignore multiple warnings against hiring Andy Coulson will continue to haunt Cameron. The acquittal of Rebekah Brooks is a perfect indication that there is no need for draconian laws to curb the freedom of the press. As Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela once noted, "A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy.”

Secrets of a ‘master chef’

“It’s very simple,” started my teacher-wife before leaving for school. 

“Heat oil with mustard and curry leaves. Fry chopped onion and tomatoes with salt. Add rice. That is it.”

I did not know cooking was so easy.

When she returned in the evening, the tomato rice was hailed as “yummy” and I was crowned “Master Chef.”

I did not realise then that I had ignored a repeated warning by my boss: “You do once at home, you do it forever.”

That one-day adventure encouraged my wife to leave the cooking department with me on most days.

The latest “easiest” recipe she suggested was for “Lemon rice.”

“Heat oil with red chilli, mustard, curry leaves and peanuts. Include salt and turmeric powder. Add cooked rice and squeeze lemon. Khalaas. So simple!”

Late in the evening, she was all praise for the “delicious lemon rice.”

It better be delicious as the “readymade mix” that I had bought without her knowledge was expensive.

Now, do not let her know this or I will have to visit your home for dinner.

Tasty bites

Minutes after Uruguay striker Luis Suarez appeared to bite Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup football match, the social media went on a “vampire mode” relishing every bit of the controversy.
“Once bitten, never shy,” “He wanted a taste of Italian pizza,” “Saurez found the match very appetising,” and “If you can’t beat them, eat them,” were among various comments on Facebook.
Former boxer Evander Holyfield, who himself was once bitten on the ear by Mike Tyson at a heavyweight championship fight,  tweeted, “I guess any part of the body is up for eating.”
Biting other people is wrong, of course, but personally, I envy people with strong teeth. Attempts to strengthen my own by consuming more milk, oranges and strawberries did not help me much.
As if to add insult to injury, many of my friends would use their shining teeth to open bottles, crush raw sugarcane or break strong nuts.
Tempted to do so, I once tried breaking a walnut with my teeth only to land on a dentist’s chair the next day as a patient.
My friend’s best advice to those who have the urge to bite is: “Bite your tongue.”

‘Pssst!...!’ Yes we know!

My friend’s eyes beamed as he tried to reveal a secret in hush-hush tones.  “If it is a secret, do not tell me. I cannot keep my own secrets,” I cautioned him.
“I trust you. Listen. I have got a better job offer,” he broke the suspense.
“Congrats. But please do not reveal the details,” I stopped him.
For three days I managed to keep the secret with myself. “Shhh..” was the keyword.
For a garrulous person like me, it was a Herculean task.
On the fourth day, sipping tea at the canteen, a group of my friends raised the subject on their own.
Everyone not only knew about what I thought was a Himalayan secret, but they had extra and latest details.
It was then that I realised, a secret is something one tells everybody to tell nobody.
Talking of secrets reminds me of a childhood incident.
My neighbour’s wayward son had a habit of stealing money. So one day, the father hid the money in a huge box, gave the key to his wife and said, “Keep the key in a secret place.”
Next day, the key was intact, but the box with the money had disappeared, along with the son.

Recent Editorials

(Here are some of my recent editorials in The Gulf Today – posted for my records)

Quantum leap in refugee

numbers wipes out solace

The immense cost of not ending wars or preventing conflicts is showing through petrifying figures: More than 50 million people were forcibly uprooted worldwide at the end of last year, the highest level since after World War Two, as people fled crises from Syria to South Sudan.

What is even more worrying is that half of them are children, many caught up in conflicts or persecution that world powers have been unable to prevent or end.

In August, the one millionth Syrian refugee child was registered; only a few weeks later, UN officials announced that the number of Syrian refugees had passed two million.

Desperate refugees and migrants from the Middle East and Africa have drowned after taking rickety boats in North Africa to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, mainly via Italy.

Italy has a mission, known as Mare Nostrum or "Our Sea," which has rescued about 50,000 migrants already this year. Italy will ask the European Union next week to take over responsibility for rescuing migrants, a task that is costing its navy 9 million euros ($12.25 million) a month.

There are growing number of unaccompanied minors on all routes - in the Mediterranean routes, Caribbean, through Mexico to the US, on the Afghan route into Iran, Turkey and Europe. “We see them everywhere,” as UN officials put it.

It is a matter of pride for the citizens and residents that the UAE stands out as the most generous country. As per Ministry of International Cooperation and Development (MICAD) data, UAE's assistance for the refugees worldwide, between 2009 and mid-2014, has amounted to Dhs2.60 billion and benefited 71 countries.

The breakdown of MICAD's figures shows that UAE provided more than Dhs502.3 million in assistance for Syrian refugees at home and in neighbouring countries (2012 till June 2014), Dhs646.7 million for refugees in Pakistan in the past five year, Dhs312.8 million for Yemen, Dhs219,6 million to Libya, Dhs145 million to Afghanistan, and Dhs107.4 million to Somalia.

MICAD's report also notes that UAE, at a donor’s conference in Kuwait in January 2013, pledged $300 million of which more than Dhs281 million has already been disbursed.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres hit the nail on the head when he stated: “Peace is today dangerously in deficit. Humanitarians can help as a palliative, but political solutions are vitally needed. Without this, the alarming levels of conflict and the mass suffering that is reflected in these figures will continue.”

UAE generosity

knows no borders

The launching of a vaccination campaign against polio in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas in Pakistan by the UAE Project to Assist Pakistan (UAE-PAP) is one among the several humanitarian initiatives launched by the UAE in different countries.

The UAE has translated development and humanitarian aid into a foreign policy instrument. The philosophy behind this is two-fold: first, it is dictated by an Islamic belief that helping those in need is a primary duty; and second, that part of the country’s wealth from oil and gas should be devoted to assisting less fortunate countries and individuals.

The late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, expressed this clearly when he declared: “We believe that the benefit of the fortune granted to us by God should spread to cover our brothers and friends.”

The UAE is now the largest donor offering $5.2 billion aid, making it the number one humanitarian capital worldwide.

The launch of the UAE vaccination campaign came as per the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to provide humanitarian and development assistance to the friendly people of Pakistan. It is a humanitarian initiative aimed at vaccinating 3.643 million Pakistani children against polio over a period of three months, i.e. June, August and September, 2014.

It is not just Pakistan. The UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) recently sent its 12th humanitarian aid convoy carrying 40 tonnes of dates to Syrian refugees in Jordan.

So far, the UAE humanitarian mission has sent 3,600 tonnes of relief aid on 185 trucks to camps on the Jordan-Syria border. The agency’s convoys are part of UAE’s ongoing humanitarian operation aimed at helping tens of thousands of Syrians who were displaced by escalating violence in their country.

Recently, Sultan Abu Al-Einein, former advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, hailed the UAE for providing continuous humanitarian aid for underprivileged Palestinians.

According to Human Appeal International UAE (HAI), the HAI provided $8 million in humanitarian and development aid for poor Palestinians in 2013 in coordination with Palestinian agencies.

Nothing sums up the UAE’s longstanding culture of giving and charity better than the words of UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum:  ''We are living in a state of humanity and we are keen on delivering aid and relief to whomsoever is in need of them.''

Plunging economies

could prove deadly

A revelation, based on a study, by the British Journal of Psychiatry that recession led to 10,000 suicides in Europe and the United States should act as an eye-opener for the rest of the world on how wrong economic policies could cost lives.

The study conducted by the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine analysed data from 24 European Union countries, the US and Canada.

It study showed that suicide rate had declined in Europe till 2007. But, in 2009, there was a sudden 6.5 per cent increase, a level that sustained until 2011. The suicide rate was also declining in Canada, but there was an increase when the recession hit in 2008, leading to 240 more suicides.

The number of people ending lives was already on a high in the US, but the rate “accelerated” with the economic crisis, leading to 4,750 additional deaths.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has cautioned that in the aftermath of the global economic crisis, more than 70 per cent of the world population is without proper social protections.

In the European Union, cuts in social protection have contributed to increases in poverty which now affect 123 million people or 24 per cent of the population, many of whom are children, women, older persons and persons with disabilities, according to the ILO.

Farmer suicides in India are another glaring example of faulty economic planning playing with lives of people. In 2012, the National Crime Records Bureau of India reported 13,754 farmer suicides. The farmers suicide rate in India has been in 1.4 to 1.8 per 100,000 range over a 10 year period through 2005.

India is an agrarian country with around 60 per cent of its people depending directly or indirectly upon agriculture. Farmer suicides account for 11.2 per cent of all suicides in India.

Many experts insist that structural changes in the macro-economic policy of the Indian government that favoured privatisation, liberalisation and globalisation are the root cause of farmer suicides.

Governments should keep in mind that economic issues impact the lives of citizens directly. If countries like Thailand and South Africa could achieve universal health coverage in just a few years, why cannot other countries do so? If there is a political will, there surely could be a way.

There is indeed a dire need for most governments to scale up investment in child and family benefits, pensions and other public expenditures.

Afghan voters

deserve a pat

Millions of voters in Afghanistan who chose to cast their ballots defying threats of violence at the second round of presidential elections deserve kudos for their courage and commitment to shape the future of their country.

The presidential election marks the first-ever transfer of power from one elected leader to another in Afghan history. Though scores of people were killed in poll-related violence, there were far fewer incidents than had been feared.

The election pits Abdullah Abdullah, a former anti-Taliban Northern Alliance leader who served for a period as foreign minister under Karzai, against ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a former finance minister.

The two candidates came top of an eight-man field in the April first-round election, triggering the run-off as neither reached the 50 per cent threshold needed for outright victory. Abdullah secured 45 per cent of the vote in April with Ghani on 31.6 per cent.

Whoever wins will take over as most foreign troops withdraw, leaving behind a potent insurgency and a growing economic crisis.

Counting the ballot will take weeks. The preliminary result is due on July 2 and a final result on July 22. However, international concerns are already focused on the risk of a disputed outcome as the two candidates have started trading fraud allegations.

To allow the democratic process to take its course, it would be prudent for both the candidates to leave the resolution of disputes and complaints between them to the election management bodies.

President Hamid Karzai, who is constitutionally barred from a third term in office, is due to step down after ruling since 2001. He has fulfilled his pledge not to interfere in the election, though he is tipped to retain influence after handing over power.

Karzai’s relationship with the US soured badly, and the next president is likely to reset relations by signing a long-delayed pact for some US troops to remain on a training and counter-terrorism mission after this year.

Last month, President Barack Obama said that if the pact is signed, 9,800 of the 32,000-strong US deployment would stay in 2015.

A credible election and a smooth handover of power would be a major achievement for Afghanistan's backers after 13 years of costly military and civilian assistance.

The priorities for the incoming president will be to stabilise the faltering economy and a fresh attempt to bring peace after decades of war. If the economy turns vibrant, insurgency would automatically subside.

Attack on Muslims in

Lanka disgraceful act

The attack on Muslims in Sri Lanka by extremist Buddhists is a matter of serious concern for the international community.

Armed mobs broke into the houses of Muslims and burned them after stealing jewellery and money. Dozens of shops were gutted, motorbikes and bicycles piled up and set on fire. Mosques were defaced. At least three innocent Muslims were killed and several injured.

The stories in four mosques in Alutgama —Theru mosque, Dharul Huda, Adikari Road Mosque and Walpiti mosque — were all about attacks and looting. Residents talked of homes, fortunes and businesses lost and expressed anguish at the lack of government intervention that could have stopped the rioters before they killed and injured several people.

It is highly troubling to note that police just stood by and refused to intervene in the violence. The riots were visibly too organised to have been a random one.

The incidents have also mirrored events in Myanmar, where there has been a surge of attacks by majority Buddhists against Muslims.

The dreadful action by the extremists has drawn worldwide condemnation highlighting the gravity of the situation. The United States, European Union, rights group Amnesty International and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation have all voiced concern over the plight of the innocent victims.

Muslims make up about 10 per cent of the 20 million population. Sri Lanka is still deeply scarred by its quarter-century civil war that ended in 2009 between the Buddhist Sinhalese majority and ethnic Tamil rebels, who were largely Hindu. Buddhist-Muslim violence had been relatively rare.

The Bodu Bala Sena, or Buddhist Power Force, which is known for its hatred of the country's Muslim minority, led the mob. Sadly, the group has been gaining followers and is believed to even enjoy state support.

It may be recalled that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's powerful defence secretary and the president's brother, once made a public appearance supporting the group's cause.

Galagoda Atte Gnanasara, the leader of Bodu Bala Sena, claimed that the Buddhists were angry over an alleged attack on the driver of a Buddhist monk. The statement merely smacks of divisive tactic.

President Mahindra Rajapaksa has promised an investigation into the violence, but he needs to do more than that. Those behind the killings should be brought to justice. The government should protect religious minorities and their places of worship. There is a need for all sides should to exercise restraint and expedite the reconciliation process.

Israel should be held

accountable for crimes

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is absolutely right. Israel is using the disappearance of three teenagers a week ago as a pretext to impose tough punishment against Palestinians and besiege them in violation of international humanitarian law.

Israeli harassment continues in varied ways. The military raids have spread from house-to-house searches in Hebron, the area where the three teens went missing, to incursions across the West Bank.

Despite the fact that the three settlers were present in an area under the full Israeli control at the time of their disappearance, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to hold innocent Palestinians responsible for the incident. Since the latest operation began, about 280 Palestinians have been arrested.

Unfortunately, it is the ordinary families that bear the brunt of the ruthless actions. Israeli troops barged into the home of a Palestinian family in Taffuh village even when four children were sleeping as schools have closed for summer holidays. The soldiers kicked on the doors and told the family to get out.

In another village, over the past six days, troops have turned properties upside down. After ordering a family out of their home, the soldiers began using the house as an operating base. Other families have had the opposite problem, being forced to stay in just one room inside their own homes as soldiers took over the rest of the house.

The scope of the searches and the tight lockdown imposed on the Hebron area has made life very difficult for the local population

Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, has also sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General highlighting the critical situation of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons and on Israel's colonial settlement campaign and measures against the Palestinian people.

Mansour mentioned about military raids, mass arrests and detention, illegal settlements expansion, demolition of Palestinian homes, including those belonging to bedouin communities, extrajudicial executions and incessant provocations by against Palestinian people and their holy places.

If the current situation is allowed to continue, frustration of ordinary Palestinians at Israeli restrictions in the West Bank will surely mount as the holy fasting month of Ramadan is due to begin by month-end.

Israelis continue to carry out grave violations of international law. Washington and the international community cannot afford to remain silent. The United Nations should act to stop the aggression and hold Israel accountable for its crimes.

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of paparazzi

Tabloid newspapers cherish the idea of kindling controversies. They make or mar celebrities. There has been no conclusive verdict as yet on the red line for paparazzi when it comes to privacy of celebs.

The latest controversy has been stoked by German tabloid “Bild” which has published a picture of the Duchess of Cambridge, in which she is seen exposing her bare bottom. The image was taken by a photographer during the recent Royal tour of Australia.

The Duke and Duchess were visiting the Blue Mountains near Sydney when a blast of wind from a nearby helicopter blew up her Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress and accidentally flashed her backside.

The newspaper published the revealing photograph alongside two other pictures of reality TV stars Kim and Kloe Kardashian, who were snapped in similarly compromising positions recently. The translated caption read: “Khloe, Kim and Kate — backsides which have moved us these past few days.

Incidentally, an Australian newspaper has become the second publication to run images of the Duchess of Cambridge’s bare bottom in its pages.

The controversy comes less than two years after the Britain’s royal household began legal proceedings against French magazine “Closer” for running topless photographs of the Duchess, taken as the couple holidayed at a chateau in the Provence region.

Noted actor and mother, Kristen Bell, is not the one amused by the role of paparazzi. Taken in by the plight of Suri Cruise, who has been chased by cameras practically from birth, with no choice in the matter, because her parents are Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Bell has launched a campaign against unruly media people.

To curtail media demand for paparazzi images of celebrity kids, she’s using the plight of 8-year-old Suri as an example. Launched in January, Bell’s No Kids Policy gained almost instant traction by hitting the entertainment media where it hurts: celebrity access, which translates into viewers, readers and profits.

Bell got a bunch of stars, from Jennifer Aniston to Jennifer Lawrence, who agreed to decline interviews with TV and text outlets that use paparazzi photos or video of children that were taken without their parents’ consent.

Some states and countries restrict paparazzi activities by passing laws and not allowing them to take photographs in specific events. While celebrity privacy and journalistic rights battle will continue forever, self-restraint and regular debates will go a long way in protecting both sides, morally and legally.