22
INTERNATIONAL
www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews
Asian Voice | 9th September 2017
Hurricane Harvey - Joint efforts by Indian community in Houston HOUSTON: In the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in the Greater Houston area, the Indian community contributed immensely in the rescue and relief operations offered by public and private agencies. SEWA International Houston's President Gitesh Desai has been leading relief efforts despite his own house being partially submerged in water. The organisation began to prepare for the hurricane's arrival in the region, and put together teams when the storm made landfall in Rockport. Several Indian businesses and places of worship also initiated efforts, opening their doors to shelter the displaced. Indian restaurants and families have been providing packets of fresh Indian meals. Rescue and aid came in innovative methods, as Masala Radio's Sunil Thakkar used his radio station to provide directions about where people can go for help. When 250 students were stranded at an apartment complex near the University of Houston, without food, water or electricity, members of the Graduates Indian Students joined forces to move them to the 2nd floor. They were however, unable to deliver food due to heavy
Sewa International Houston comes to the rescue of Hurricane affected people
flooding. President of the group, Ravi Shankar contacted Houston's Consul General of India Dr. Anupam Ray, who reached out to various agencies for help. Also, Hare Krishna Temple and Govinda's Restaurant reached out to area residents offering food to the needy. Govinda's manager and ISKCON Temple President Syamasundar Das said, “ISKCON has a long history of service in disaster relief efforts globally so even though we are not fully prepared, still we feel urgently compelled to start now. We have gas stoves and we requested people to bring their own containers for a
fresh hot meal. We will expand our services as the need arises.” Several major Indian organisations such as Hindus of Greater Houston, India House, India Culture Center, the Indo American Charity Foundation, Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, and the Indo American Political Action Committee have decided to coordinate the relief efforts of the Indian community through SEWA International. On August 28, volunteers served hot meals to120 students at the University of Houston and delivered meals to local community members. They will
continue to prepare hot meals for first responders and community member. Death toll in the hurricane that lashed through Texas has risen to 46. However, it has also been reported that areas like Houston and other areas like record flooding has begun entering the recovery phase. Governor Greg Abbott said, “This is going to be a massive, massive cleanup process. People need to understand this is not going to be a short-term project. This is going to be a multi-year project for Texas to be able to dig out of this catastrophe.” The two Indian students who nearly drowned in a swollen lake have been reported dead. Nikhil Bhatia, 24, was rescued from Lake Byan along with another Indian girl Shalini Singh. While Bhatia died in a hospital on August 30, Singh continued to be in a critical condition until she was declared dead on September 3. Friends and some witnesses said both of them were swimming in the lake when a sudden current of water pushed them deeper. Those accompanying the two saw them in distress and flagged down nearby police officers. They were provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the victims until medics arrived.
Kenya's Supreme Court cancels vote result NAIROBI: In surprise ruling, Kenyan Supreme Court ordered a new presidential election within the next 60 days cancelling results of last month's poll over widespread irregularities. Chief Justice David Maraga said a majority decision by the panel of six judges found that President Uhuru Kenyatta was “not validly elected”, rendering the result “invalid, null, and void”. Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga cheered at the historic ruling, weeping with joy. The 72 year old said, “It is now clear that no
Uhuru Kenyatta
one in Kenya is above the law.” In his judgment, Maraga said the election commission (IEBC) had “failed,
neglected or refused to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the constitution.” Unhappy with the ruling, Kenyatta slammed the judges panel, calling them “crooks”. Run-up to the August 8 elections was marred by the murder of top IEBC IT official Chris Msando and opposition allegations that there was a certain rigging. August 11 declaration of Kenyatta's victory with 54.27 per cent votes triggered two days of protests in the slums of Nairobi and Kisumu. The
violence claimed at least 21 lives, including a baby and a nine-year-old girl- most of them by the police. Fishmonger Lynette Akello from western Kisumu rejoiced. She said, “For the first time we have got justice. They have stolen elections for so long.” Maraga said there had been “irregularities and illegalities”, notably in the transmission of election results. He said this had compromised the “integrity of the entire presidential election”. The court's full ruling must be made available within 21 days.
72 Indian millionaires migrated to UK since 2008 LONDON: Latest figures from Britain's home office reveals that 72 Indian millionaires have migrated to the UK with their dependents since 2008. India is one of the top countries whose millionaires use a “golden visa” to migrate to Britain. If statistics are to be believed, 72 Indian millionaires with 84 dependents were granted the Tier 1 Investors Visa introduced in 2008. Except for nationality, no other details of the migrants are available. Minimum investment required until November 2014, was £1 million, which was later increased to £2
million after a Home Office committee found in February 2015 that the threshold was not bringing enough benefits to the economy. Earlier investments thresholds were £1 million, £5 million or £10 million, which led to perma-
nent residence to the visa holders and their dependents in five, three or two years respectively, and eventual citizenship. The first threshold was raised to £2 million. Campaign group Transparency International
(TI) called for more checks on applicants and their investment plans in a recent report. Titled 'Paradise Lost', the reports made recommendations to ensure Britain does not become a “prime destination for corrupt individuals looking to invest or launder the proceeds of their illicit wealth, enjoy a luxury lifestyle and cleanse their reputations.” “Corrupt individuals can use the UK's Tier 1 (Investor) visa system- otherwise known as Golden Visas- to secure residency in the UK, thereby receiving an implicit endorsement of their money's legitimacy from the UK state.”
AsianVoiceNewsweekly
Musharraf declared fugitive in Bhutto murder case
RAWALPINDI: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court last week declared ex- military ruler Pervez Musharraf a fugitive in the murder case of former PM Benazir Bhutto and acquitted five people in the killing. As an “absconder,” Musharraf must be arrested and brought to trial if he returns to Pakistan after being allowed to leave the country last year. The court also ordered attachment Musharraf's property in Pakistan. Benazir was assassinated in a suicide and gun attack in Rawalpindi in 2007, weeks after she returned from exile to campaign in elections to bring back civilian rule. Bhutto's daughter Aseefa Zardari tweeted that “There will be no justice till Musharraf answers for his crimes!”
Death toll surges to 400 in Myanmar violence
COX'S BAZAR (BANGLADESH): Around 400 people - “most of them Rohingya Muslims”- have died in communal violence searing through Myanmar's Rakhine state, the army chief's office said, with tens of thousands forced to flee across the border into Bangladesh. A further 20,000 Rohingya have massed along the Bangladeshi frontier, while 38 desperate people have drowned attempting to cross the Naf, a border river, in makeshift boats. Reports of massacres and torching of villages by security forces 'as well as by militants' have further amplified tensions, raising fears that communal violence in Rakhine is spinning out of control. "Until 30 August, terrorists carried out 52 waves of attacks on security forces .... in those attacks, 370 bodies of terrorists were found and nine others captured alive," a statement posted on the Facebook page of Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing's office. Fifteen security forces personnel and 14 civilians have also died in eight days of fighting, it added.
Blue Whale game `mastermind' held
MOSCOW: The teenager accused of being the global mastermind behind the Blue Whale suicide group craze has been arrested. Cops detained the 17-yearold, who is accused of being the brain behind the death group, which has incited dozens of vulnerable children to take their own lives. The unnamed Russian teenager issued threats to her victims to murder them or their family members if they failed to obey orders to complete tasks she set them involving cutting themselves with razor blades and other acts of self-harm. The tasks include self-harming, watching horror movies and waking up at unusual hours, but these gradually get more extreme. Separately, a 21-year-old man has been arrested near Moscow for inciting adolescent girls to take their own lives. The female “death group administrator“ used threats against parents or siblings of her victims as added pressure on them to obey her and commit suicide, say Russian state investigators.
Rains lash southern Pakistan
KARACHI: Torrential monsoon rains are lashing Pakistan's port city of Karachi following days-long downpours in neighbouring India that especially caused havoc in Mumbai. TV footage showed streets were submerged after the heavy rains began last week. Pakistan's meteorological department says rains will continue for some more days in various parts of Sindh province, where authorities closed schools as a precaution. Windstorms and rains are also expected in the southwestern Baluchistan and eastern Punjab provinces. The meteorological department says rains are also expected in the capital, Islamabad, and in Pakistan's portion of Kashmir.
Taiwan appoints new premier amid tense China relations
TAIPEI: Taiwan's president has appointed a new premier seen as willing to reach out to rival China amid ongoing tense relations between the two sides. President Tsai Ing-wen named William Lai to head up the government following the resignation of Lin Chuan. Lin had asked to leave the post before local elections next year added an unwanted political element to his work. The smooth transfer of office "represents that there is absolutely no problem with the communication and handing over of the functions within the Cabinet," Tsai told reporters at a news conference attended by both Lin and Lai. "All the reform projects will be handed over and carried on," Tsai said. Lai, a 57-year-old Harvard-educated physician, served for 11 years in the legislature and since 2010 has been mayor of the southern city of Tainan.