Peace for the World

Peace for the World
First democratic leader of Justice the Godfather of the Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle: Honourable Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam

Monday, November 13, 2017

British-Iranian woman in Iran prison tested for cancer, husband says

Husband says he fears Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has lost ability to control her emotions after 20 months in prison
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, right, with husband Richard and daughter Gabriella in 2016 (AFP/file photo)

Monday 13 November 2017 
A British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran involved in a political controversy in Britain has undergone tests for breast cancer as her emotional state worsens, her husband said on Sunday.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was "at the end of her tether" after being taken to Iranmehr hospital in Tehran for specialist examination of new lumps, according to Richard Ratcliffe.
His wife has been complaining for months of sharp pains in her breasts, which has finally led to an ultrasound test on Saturday and medication being prescribed ahead of a follow-up consultation next weekend, he said.
After talking to his wife on the phone on Sunday, Ratcliffe added he fears she has lost the ability to control her emotions after continued detention. 
"What's clear is that the toll of the last 20 months is very significant," he told AFP. "It will be a long journey back."
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who works for the Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) - the media organisation's philanthropic arm - was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016.
She is now serving a five-year jail sentence for alleged sedition, and has been threatened with further charges and a new trial that could double her sentence.
Her case sparked a political firestorm in Britain after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told a parliamentary committee that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in Iran "training journalists".
Her family insist she was in the country on holiday, and the foreign secretary later clarified to lawmakers that Britain believes this too.
A chorus of opposition politicians have called on Johnson to resign for his error. 
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has launched a furious attack on Johnson, calling for the foreign secretary to be sacked for “putting our citizens at risk”.
He told the Observer that Johnson is “undermining our country with his incompetence” by refusing to apologise for comments that could extend the detained Briton’s sentence.
Ratcliffe, who has been campaigning for his wife's release, confirmed he received a "positive" phone call from Johnson on Sunday. 
Their conversation lasted about 20 minutes, and they agreed to meet in the forthcoming days, according to a statement from the "Free Nazanin Campaign". 
It added that Johnson agreed "to look seriously" at Ratcliffe accompanying him on a visit to Iran, and to consider a request for Zaghari-Ratcliffe to be given diplomatic protection.
The family believe the move, based on a legal opinion they submitted to the foreign office two months ago, could aid Britain's efforts to secure her release under international law.
On Sunday Michael Gove, the environment secretary, told a BBC interviewer he did not know what Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing in Iran.
But he went on to reiterate the family's belief that she was there on holiday, while staunchly defending Johnson and laying the blame on Iran for her continued detention.
Ratcliffe said his wife's family in Britain watched the interview and were left "pretty indignant".
"It felt unnecessary," he added, of Gove's initial equivocation.
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Sex-shy South Koreans schooled in how to date each other


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Love locks at N-Seoul Tower in Seoul, South Korea in November 2016. Source: Yanatul / Shutterstock


13th November 2017

AT TWO universities in South Korea, Dongguk University and Kyung Hee University, students get to take courses that teach them about sex, relationships and marriage.

At Dongguk’s “Marriage and Family” course, students have to date three classmates for a month each by the end of the semester. They first submit to their professor their chosen dates via email, before they are coupled and sent off to go on dates together as part of their assignment, according to Koreaboo. 

Professor Jun Mi-kyung said the class has been received well by students, particularly female students who clearly express what and who they want as for partners.


“Of course, some partners actually developed into real couples, but after a year, the majority of them seem to have separated,” the professor said, as quoted by Evoice.


Pretty sad. For all its success, South Korea now has lower birth rate than tyrannical, poverty-stricken
1:02 pm - 26 Sep 2017

“This is natural, as most college relationships end in break-ups rather than marriage. 

Maturing through relationships and break-ups are the primary objective of this course.”

Another university that offers such courses is Kyung Hee University, with its course titled “Love and Marriage” taught by Professor Jang Jang Jae-sook, who founded Dongguk’s course above.

Dating in real life is as important as learning it in theory, according to Jang, which explains why the curriculum lets students choose partners among classmates before going on “dating missions”.
Jang said:
“The course does not teach students that a happy relationship should end in marriage, as today’s students consider both dating and marriage to be optional.”
“The aim of the course is to develop students’ ability to choose what kind of person is right for them, so they can make healthy relationships,” Jang explained, adding that it is imperative given the frequent incidents of child abuse and dating violence today.

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“Of course, some partners actually developed into real couples, but after a year, the majority of them seem to have separated.” Source: Phakhawat Wanthaing / Shutterstock

The courses are said to be borne out of the rise of a “sampo” generation in South Korea, where young people are shunning the traditional ideas of courtship, marriage and having children.
And even for those interested in dating and stating a family, they lack knowledge on such subjects, according to Jun.

“This is because students do not have the chance to look into their behaviours, so this is the main objective of the course. For instance, we speculate scenarios such as what you would do if you were jealous: to tell their feelings, pretend that they are not jealous, or to restrain their feelings.”

“We share the results together and discuss how to overcome such conflicts.”
This article was originally published on our sister website Study International.
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Rohingya women gang-raped by Myanmar army: UN

‘Perpetrators must be held accountable’


Pramila Patten
Pramila Patten


New AgeUnited News of Bangladesh . Dhaka | Published: 00:05, Nov 13,2017

United Nations special representative of secretary-general on sexual violence in conflict Pramila Patten on Sunday said they consistently heard about sexual violence from Rohingya survivors, including gang-rape of women by multiple soldiers.

‘One survivor described being held in captivity by the Myanmar armed forces for 45 days when she was
raped repeatedly,’ she told a press conference at a hotel in Dhaka.

Patten said others still bore visible scars, bruises and bite marks attesting to their ordeal.

‘Any actor who commits and commands or condones sexual violence against civilians must be held to account,’ she said.

The UN envoy said Bangladesh’s efforts and humanity will be remembered in history and her office stands ready to amplify the voices of the survivors and to bridge them to the international community in order to keep a spotlight on this crisis.

‘This includes keeping the spotlight of international scrutiny on the perpetrators. I want the survivors to know that they are not alone; I also want to ensure that the government of Bangladesh will not be alone in coming to their aid,’ she said.

The UN special envoy said they observed a pattern of widespread atrocities, including sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls who have been systematically targeted on account of their ethnicity and religion.

‘A clear picture is emerging from the alleged perpetrators of these atrocities and their modus operandi. Sexual violence is being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Myanmar,’ Patten said.

Other actors involved include the Myanmar Border Guard Police and militias composed of Rakhine Buddhists and other ethnic groups.

She also mentioned about other forms of sexual violence like forced public nudity and humiliation, and sexual slavery in military captivity.

‘Several sources informed us that some women and girls have been literally raped to death,’ said the UN envoy.

She said some of the Rohingyas expressed their desire to return home, provided they would be granted citizenship and equal status while others said they have nothing left to return but ashes.

‘The wounds are extremely raw. Women and girls dissolved into tears when recounting the extreme brutalities they both endured and witnessed,’ said the UN envoy.

Patten said one woman shared three concrete recommendations that made a deep impression on her.
‘We want peace, we want a leader who can take responsibility for our community and we want a safe place where we can share our stories with our sisters,’ Patten quoted the Rohingya woman as saying.

She said all the women she spoke with wanted to see the perpetrators punished. ‘They all – without exception – demanded justice. And yet, not a single soldier or commander has been called to account for these atrocities.’
Appreciating the role of the government, Patten said Bangladesh not only opened borders for Rohingyas but also opened their homes and hearts.

Upon her return to New York, the UN envoy will brief the UN secretary general on the situation she observed on the ground.

Her office will compile the annual report of the secretary general on conflict-related sexual violence to be presented to the Security Council next March which includes a dedicated section on Myanmar.

She laid emphasis on intensifying pressure on Myanmar and said the UN Security Council could also establish a mechanism to investigate the crimes. 

Patten said she will also discuss the issue with the president of the International Criminal Court during her meeting soon. 

Responding to a question, she said what have happened could be crimes against humanity and it could also be genocide and others have called it ethnic cleansing but she first wants to analyse the information she acquired. 
The UN special envoy visited Bangladesh to better understand the patterns and trends of the sexual violence related to the conflict in Myanmar.

The special representative visited several field locations, including the Bangladesh-Myanmar border itself.

 She met relevant Bangladeshi authorities in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar, including the security services, to discuss strengthened collaboration and coordination with the UN to respond to sexual and gender-based violence, as well as potential protection concerns arising from the unprecedented influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh. 
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Iran-Iraq earthquake: death toll rises to 348

Rescuers battle to find survivors trapped under collapsed buildings after the 7.3 magnitude quake

Iran-Iraq earthquake survivor: ’We could see the house collapsing’ – video report

,  and agencies-Monday 13 November 2017 13.20 GMT

A powerful magnitude-7.3 earthquake has rocked the northern border region between Iran and Iraq, killing more than 348 people in Iran and seven in Iraq and injuring thousands more.

Iran’s state-run Irna news agency raised the death toll to 341 on Monday and said 5,953 people were injured after the quake that struck the country’s western provinces at 9.20pm local time on Sunday. Local officials said the tolls would rise as search and rescue teams reached remote areas.

More than 70,000 people were in need of emergency shelter, the Iranian Red Crescent said.

The hardest hit province was Kermanshah, where three days of mourning have been announced.

More than 236 people died in the town of Sarpol-e Zahab, about 10 miles from the Iraq border.


Farhad Tajari, the local MP, said 15 members of his family had been killed and that the town’s main hospital was severely damaged and struggling to treat hundreds of injured people.

“Sarpol-e Zahab has only one hospital, which was demolished in this incident. All patients and hospital staff have been buried beneath the rubble, so it cannot offer any service,” he told local media.
The quake killed at least seven people in Iraq and injured 535, all in the country’s northern, semi-autonomous Kurdish region, the interior ministry said.



CCTV shows moment earthquake hits Iran-Iraq border – video
The magnitude-7.3 quake was centred 19 miles outside the eastern Iraqi city of Halabja, according to the most recent measurements from the US Geological Survey. It struck at a depth of 14.4 miles (23.2km), a shallow depth that can have broader damage. Magnitude-7 earthquakes on their own are capable of widespread, heavy damage.

Rescuers worked through the night to find people trapped in collapsed buildings in towns affected by the quake, which was felt as far west as Israel and south to Baghdad.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offered his condolences and urged government agencies to do all they could to help those affected. Iranian police, the elite Revolutionary Guards and its affiliated Basij militia forces were dispatched to affected areas overnight, state TV reported.

Damaged buildings in Sulaimaniya, Iraq.
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 Damaged buildings in Sulaimaniya, Iraq. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, has asked his government to focus on the aid supply. A large number of Iranian internet users criticised Facebook for not activating its safety check feature.

Qasr-e-Shirin, another city in Kermanshah that serves as a gateway for the transfer of goods between Iranand Iraq, was also badly hit. At least 28 people are reported to have been killed there, Isna said.

“There are still people under the rubble. We hope the number of dead and injured won’t rise too much, but it will rise,” Kermanshah’s deputy governor, Mojtaba Nikkerdar, said.

Electricity was cut off in several Iranian and Iraqi cities, and fears of aftershocks sent thousands of people in both countries out on to the streets and parks in cold weather.

Iran’s interior minister, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, said some roads were blocked and there was concern about casualties in remote villages.

Pictures posted on social media from cities across Kermanshah showed collapsed buildings, apartment buildings losing their facades and cars smashed beneath rubble. People were busy recovering bodies as rescue dogs tried to find signs of life.

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On the Iraqi side, the most extensive damage was in the town of Darbandikhan, 47 miles east of the city of Sulaimaniya in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. More than 30 people were injured in the town, according to the Kurdish health minister, Rekawt Hama Rasheed.

“The situation there is very critical,” Rasheed told Reuters. The district’s main hospital was severely damaged and had no power, he added, so the injured were taken to Sulaimaniya for treatment. Homes and buildings had extensive structural damage, he said.

Live TV interview interrupted by Iran-Iraq quake - video'

In Halabja, local officials said a 12-year-old boy had died from an electric shock when an electric cable fell during the earthquake.

Many residents in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, rushed out of houses and tall buildings in panic.

“I was sitting with my kids having dinner and suddenly the building was just dancing in the air,” said Majida Ameer, who ran out of her building in the capital’s Salihiya district with her three children. “I thought at first that it was a huge bomb. But then I heard everyone around me screaming: ‘Earthquake!’”

Iran sits astride major fault lines and is prone to frequent tremors. A magnitude 6.6 quake on 26 December 2003 devastated the historic city of Bam, killing more than 30,000 people.

Reuters contributed to this report
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How To Deal With Stigmatizing Remarks About Mental Illness

Trump said the Texas shooting was a 'mental health problem.' That's wrong.



Lindsay Holmes-11/07/2017
Research shows that people living with mental health issues are more likely to be victims of a violent crime as opposed to the ones committing them. Yet a formulaic response tends to follow tragedies: Mental illness is bad and it’s what caused this to happen.
The mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday is no exception to the rule. A day after the tragedy, President Donald Trump said that mental illness, not the issue of gun control, was to blame for that massacre that killed 26 people.
“This isn’t a guns situation,” Trump said during his visit to Japan. “This is a mental health problem at the highest level. It’s a very, very sad event.” 
A 2012 police report shows the gunman, Devin Kelley, did escape from a mental health facility where he was staying following being charged in a military court for assaulting his wife and stepson, the New York Times reported. And it is true that in some cases mental health could play a role in violent situations.
But experts say a blanket statements about mental health in these cases does a disservice. Drawing a simplistic connection between mental illness and violence sends the wrong message about psychological disorders and stigmatizes millions of people who live with mental health conditions.
“It’s important not to link these kinds of heinous crimes with mental illness unless one knows for sure what was a cause and effect,” Dr. Michelle Riba, the associate director at the University of Michigan’s Comprehensive Depression Center, told HuffPost. “Most people with mental illness are wonderful citizens and have an illness that’s treatable. They don’t behave in a way that leads to what happened [in Texas].”
The president is hardly alone in making the association ― even the media has a tendency to perpetuate a similar idea. A 2016 Johns Hopkins University study found that more than a third of all news stories about mental health conditions were linked with violence toward other people. This figure doesn’t accurately reflect the actual rates of violence where mental illness is involved.
Assigning blanketed blame to mental illness can have long-term consequences, Riba said. It further alienates people with mental health issues and makes them feel like their experience isn’t understood. That could ultimately lead them to not reach out for help: Research shows negative attitudes surrounding mental illness often prevent people from seeking treatment.
Regardless of whether mental health issues are at play during tragedies, the way they are discussed publicly is a huge problem ― especially for those who live with these disorders.
We chatted with Riba and gathered other advice on what to do to help mitigate the effects of mental health stigma. If you’re living with a mental health issue, here’s how to take care of yourself today (and moving forward):

Reach out to someone you trust.

This could be a family member, friend or significant other. Leaning on people who love and support you is vital during times of distress, Riba said.
“Ask people to have a conversation about how you’re feeling,” she said. “Getting some input from people you trust and value is helpful.”

Take social media and news breaks if you need them.

Riba said that staying informed and plugging into uplifting resources can be critical when you’re feeling alienated. However, it’s also important to take breaks. Research shows negative news can have a damaging effect on mental health. It’s okay to unplug from the noise for a little while.

Do a calming activity.

Working out ― even if it’s just going for a long walk ― can do wonders for your mental wellbeing. Research shows physical activity can boost your mood, and taking a stroll in nature has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression. Not in the mood to exercise? Try one of these other expert-backed self-care activities.

Check in with a professional.

If you’re already in therapy, Riba recommends reaching out to your therapist if the rhetoric is starting to bother you. If you’re not currently seeking treatment, consider contacting a professional if your well-being is at stake.
“Make an appointment to talk about this,” Riba said. “It’s important to straighten out these kinds of feelings and issues with a clinician.”

Remember that your condition is not a character flaw.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Take a moment to remind yourself that having a mental illness doesn’t make you a bad person, nor does it define you, Riba said.
“Mental illness is like any other health condition,” she stressed. “It’s treatable and people with the conditions have quality lives.”
This piece has been updated to reflect the recent reports that Kelley escaped from a mental health facility in 2012.
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