PM Rajoy seeks clarity on Catalan
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has demanded the Catalan authorities clarify whether or not the region declared independence following the local leader’s speech on the October 1 referendum results.
“The cabinet has agreed to require formally to the Catalan government to confirm whether it has declared or not independence, Rajoy said in a televised address on Wednesday as cited by Reuters.
Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont’s answer “would determine future events in the next few days,” the PM stated.
Formal confirmation from Barcelona is required to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, Rajoy said. The article allows Madrid to strip Catalonia of its broad autonomy and take control of some or all of its powers.
This requirement “comes before any other measure that could be taken under Article 155 of the constitution,” the PM said in his Wednesday address to the Spanish parliament.
Madrid wants “to avoid confusion generated by Generalitat [Catalonian government]” among the nation and Catalans in particular, Rajoy noted.
Rajoy’s speech comes on the heels of Puigdemont’s address to the regional parliament.
On Tuesday, Puigdemont read out ‘Declaration of the representatives of Catalonia’ at a plenary session of Catalan MPs. The document voices the region’s call to the states and international organizations “to recognize the Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign state.”
It was the leader’s first speech since the controversial October 1 referendum on the region’s secession from Spain, considered illegal by the national government.
Min WCD celebrates International Day of the Girl Child
Ministry of Women and Child Development celebrates International Day of the Girl Child; sports stars join hands to empower girls.
WCD Ministry will work with Sports Ministry for greater participation of girls and women in sports; Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi
On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, the Ministry of Women and Child Development and UNICEF together organized a panel discussion on The Role of Sports in the Empowerment of Girls in New Delhi today. A power-packed sports team comprising of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Sachin Tendulkar, Indian Women’s cricket team captain Mitali Raj, former captain Indian women’s National Basketball Team, Raspreet Sidhu, Special Olympics athlete, Ragini Sharma, Karate champion, Mana Mandlekar and International para swimmer and BBBP Champion from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Rajni Jha participated in the panel discussion.
The panel discussion was initiated by the Minister of Women and Child Development Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi. UNICEF India representative Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque and Secretary WCD, Shri Rakesh Srivastava were present on the occasion.
Opening the session, WCD Minister said that the Government is working hard for the empowerment of girls and women. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao program, which was conceived and launched by the Prime Minister as a national flagship program, is committed to increasing the value of girls and creating an enabling environment for them to enjoy their rights, the Minister explained. The results of this program are highly encouraging in the 161 districts in which it has been launched, the Minister disclosed. She said that between the period 2015-16 and 2016-17 an improving trend is seen is Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) in 104 districts; 119 districts have reported progress in the first trimester registration against the reported ANC registrations and status of institutional deliveries has improved in 146 districts.
Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that Sports is another dimension to this program that can play a vital role in transforming and empowering lives of women and girls. Today we are recognizing better the role of sports as a platform for girls to demonstrate their skills and achieve their aspirations.” It is for this reason that the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs have decided to work together to promote greater participation of women in sports, the Minister said. A campaign will be launched to motivate girls and women to take up sports, more importantly, sports infrastructure for girls is proposed to be developed for which the Ministry of WCD is willing to contribute funds, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi explained.
Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India said, “The International Day of the Girl Child is a long term commitment of multi-sectoral partners to continue to draw attention to all girls’ needs and opportunities. Three priorities that can change the paradigm completely are girls’ education, preventing their early marriage and enabling their safe mobility.”
Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India said, “The International Day of the Girl Child is a long term commitment of multi-sectoral partners to continue to draw attention to all girls’ needs and opportunities. Three priorities that can change the paradigm completely are girls’ education, preventing their early marriage and enabling their safe mobility.”
Sachin Tendulkar, UNICEF Goodwill ambassador shared “My achievement in life is inspired by my parents and family who appreciated my talent as well as supported me as a young child. Parents and communities must see their daughters as assets – as individuals capable of standing on their feet and contributing to society, and not as burdens to be married in haste. This requires us to invest in daughters, as the Government of India is doing. We have to ease the financial burden on parents so that girls complete their education and take steps to fulfill their potential in their society and achieve their aspirations. We must address the concerns of parents, engage with them in making change possible. Child marriage and other social pressures hampers a child’s growth. I stand to SAY NO to Child Marriage and make a better world for our girls”.
“Irrespective of their gender, a sportsperson can overcome social, physical, and societal obstacles. I applaud the Government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ program, which is bringing about a mindset change across India in how we can collectively ensure that the girl child survives and is given equal opportunity to flourish in every sphere of life,” said Ragini Sharma, Olympian para-athlete.
“As a sportsperson, I believe gender doesn’t matter,” Mithali Raj said. “Each and every child should participate in sports, as it encourages teamwork, builds mental strength, keeps children healthy, and makes them confident to deal with life challenges.”
Rashmi Jha, International para-swimmer lauded the BBBP programme of the Government and said that “Achieving equality for girls and boys, women and men, starts from our own homes and lives. An enabling and supportive environment at home, school, college can go a long way in dismantling barriers for girls and encourage more girls to take up sports and move towards gender equality”.
The Valedictory Address was delivered by Sh. Rakesh Srivastava Secretary, WCD who reiterated Ministry of WCD’s commitment to achieving gender equality and solicited support of media in highlighting positive stories of women achievers to influence national and mainstream discourse in favor of girls and women and to bring visibility to Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
The Panel discussion was held on the occasion of International Girl Child Day as part of the celebration of “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week- The Daughters of New India” from 9th October-14th October, 2017 to create Value of Girl Child in the backdrop of the Government of India’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP)with its critical focus on survival, protection, education and development of the girl child. The panelists discussed long-term solutions which can be designed with and for girls to use sports as a catalyst to increase the value of the girl child, strengthen their resilience and provide transformational and lifelong opportunities and aspirations. The catalyzing role of sports in enhancing the value and empowerment of girls with education and life skills was also discussed.
The Government of India’s existing multi-sectoral programmes such as the BBBP have empowered millions of girls and families across the country by providing opportunities and building futures for the girl child. As womens’ sports grow more prominent, it is enabling girls, even from the most marginalized communities, to make informed choices, especially those who are at risk of child marriage or are already married and participate and achieve their dreams. BBBP acknowledges the potential of adolescent girls to become the change makers and champions, breaking the mould, to claim their rights and dignity and inspiring others to do the same.
Rohingyas sojourn now at Cox’s Bazar,
Rohingyas in Bangladesh are to be e brought to a single place in Cox’s Bazar, according to government officials. Bangladesh government has allocated five sq.kms of land for this purpose.
Relief and disaster management minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said at a function at the secretariat on Wednesday. Minister said, Rohingyas will be brought to a single place this month.He said newly arrived Rohingyas and the old ones will be temporarily settled at Kutupalang of Ukhia in Cox’s Bazar.
The deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, estimates the total Rohingya population is 9,26,431. further more 5,23,000 Rohingyas have newly arrived in Bangladesh.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, additional deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar Mohammad Mahidur Rahman said 150,000 sheds, 17,500 toilets, 4,000 tube wells and 14,000 latrines will be set up for 5,00,000 Rohingyas in an area of 3000 acres of land.
At present 2500 latrines, 1800 tube-wells and 79,000 sheds have been set up.
UN resident coordinator in Dhaka Robert Watkins told AFP on Saturday that different deadly diseases may break out in an epidemic form if so many Rohingyas live in a single place.
If some of them have contagious diseases, it may spread fast, he added.
Watkins said it would be easier to take care of them if Rohingyas live in more than one place. Rohingyas are not interested to live in one place.
Ariful Islam, who is staying in the zero point of border, said they will enter Myanmar if possible. “If we go to the relief camp, our return to Mymanmar will be uncertain,” Ariful argued.
While visiting different Rohingya camps, Prothom Alo correspondents found that sheds set up for Ronhingyas can’t protect them from rain.
Rohingyas said they can’t stay in the shed due to the scorching hot. They themselves made tents with polythene.
Cox’s Bazar district Awami League president Sirajul Mostafa said humans can’t live in such unhealthy environment.
The deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, estimates the total Rohingya population is 9,26,431. further more 5,23,000 Rohingyas have newly arrived in Bangladesh.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, additional deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar Mohammad Mahidur Rahman said 150,000 sheds, 17,500 toilets, 4,000 tube wells and 14,000 latrines will be set up for 5,00,000 Rohingyas in an area of 3000 acres of land.
At present 2500 latrines, 1800 tube-wells and 79,000 sheds have been set up.
UN resident coordinator in Dhaka Robert Watkins told AFP on Saturday that different deadly diseases may break out in an epidemic form if so many Rohingyas live in a single place.
If some of them have contagious diseases, it may spread fast, he added.
Watkins said it would be easier to take care of them if Rohingyas live in more than one place. Rohingyas are not interested to live in one place.
Ariful Islam, who is staying in the zero point of border, said they will enter Myanmar if possible. “If we go to the relief camp, our return to Mymanmar will be uncertain,” Ariful argued.
While visiting different Rohingya camps, Prothom Alo correspondents found that sheds set up for Ronhingyas can’t protect them from rain.
Rohingyas said they can’t stay in the shed due to the scorching hot. They themselves made tents with polythene.
Cox’s Bazar district Awami League president Sirajul Mostafa said humans can’t live in such unhealthy environment.
Unemployment cross 200 Million
More than 200 million people are out of work around the world – an increase of 3.4 million since last year, the United Nations labour agency said Monday, calling for policies that can recharge “sluggish” growth of small and medium-sized businesses.
In the new addition of its flagship report, World Employment and Social Outlook 2017: Sustainable Enterprises and Jobs, the International Labour Organization (ILO) warned that small and medium sized enterprises has “stagnated,” the impact of which is worst in developing economies, where more than one in two workers are employed in small and medium-sized firms.
According to the report, private sector enterprises accounted for the bulk of global employment in 2016; they employed 2.8 billion individuals, representing 87 per cent of total employment. The sector, which also covers medium-sized firms, accounts for up to 70 per cent of all jobs in some Arab States, and well over 50 per cent in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
But ILO research revealed these companies are struggling to grow. The latest data from more than 130 countries shows that small and medium business had faster job growth than larger firms before the global financial slump in 2008.
From 2009 however, job creation in the small and medium sector was simply “absent”, according to the ILO report, which calls for government intervention to reverse the trend.
“To reverse the trend of employment stagnation in [small and medium enterprises], we need policies to better promote SMEs and a better business environment for all firms, including access to finance for the younger ones,” said Deborah Greenfield, ILO Deputy Director-General for Policy.
The ILO research shows that full-time female permanent employees in the formal sector are more likely to be found in small and medium enterprises than in large firms. On average, and across all regions, around 30 per cent of full-time permanent employees in these businesses are women, compared with 27 per cent in large enterprises.
As such, greater numbers of women in enterprises may therefore have a positive impact on growth and development, because micro-enterprises and small businesses often offer women an entry point into the formal labour market.
Another aspect of the ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook report is on how people’s working conditions can play a role in sustainable development. It says that providing training for staff can lead to 14 per cent higher wages and almost 20 per cent higher productivity.
Conversely, relying on short-term contractors tends to be associated with lower wages and lower productivity.
Bangladesh film festival begins in Kyrgyzstan
‘Bangladesh Film Festival’ was inaugurated in Bishkek in celebration of the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Kyrgyz Republic.
Deputy minister for culture of Kyrgyz Republic Bektenaliev Muktaly Abdybekovich and director general of the foreign affairs ministry Ulan Djusupov attended.
Other Foreign mission representatives, attended the inaugural show of the festival included leading members of the Kyrgyz Cinema Union, Kyrgyz Film Makers & Producers plus cultural activists.
Bangladesh ambassador to Kyrgyz Republic Mosud Mannan thanked the people of Kyrgyz Republic for their support during the War of Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Kyrgyz government representatives also thanked Bangladesh for holding the festival in Bishkek which they believe would further strengthen the existing bilateral relations between the two countries and open possibilities of collaborating more in various kinds of cultural activities including exchange programmes and joint ventures.
On the first evening, Zahir Raihan’s Stop Genocide and Tanvir Mokammel’s Chitra Nadir Pare (Quiet Flows the River Chitra) were screened, said the embassy on Wednesday.
Director Tanvir Mokammel graced the occasion with his active presence and also addressed the gathering.
Further, the colourful six-page brochure published by Bangladesh embassy. It was held in the historic cinema hall named after world famous writer Chingiz Aytmatov.
On the second and third day of the Festival, ‘Matir Moyna (The Clay Bird)’ of Tareque Masud and ‘Jibon Dhuli (The Drummer)’ of Tanvir Mokammel will be screened.
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