Government nominates Professor J S Rajput as India’s Representativeto the Executive Boardof UNESCO

The Government of India has decided to nominate Professor J S Rajput, former Director NCERT, as India’s representative to the Executive Board (EXB) of UNESCO. Professor J S Rajput is an eminent educationist with rich experience in various fields including UNESCO.

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News story: Yemen needs inclusive peace talks, UK says as conflict enters its fourth year

The Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, and International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, have issued a statement on Yemen:

Today, as the Saudi-led Coalition’s intervention in Yemen enters its fourth year, we call on all parties to return to the negotiating table to find an inclusive political solution that delivers the peaceful future the people of Yemen deserve.

The humanitarian crisis triggered by the conflict has left over 22 million people in need of assistance. In the last eight months alone, an additional one million people found themselves without the necessities such as food and medicines that they need to survive.

With the rainy season fast approaching, the crisis could be made even worse if there is another surge in the cholera outbreak – the number of suspected cases reported over the last year is already well over one million.

The UK has been at the forefront of the international response and is the third largest humanitarian donor to Yemen. We are delivering life-saving interventions including food for 3.4 million people, nutrition support to 1.7 million people, and clean water and sanitation for an expected 1.2 million people. UK aid is also funding a new cholera response programme that aims to vaccinate 1.1 million people against the preventable disease.

But without de-escalation and a political settlement millions of civilians risk starvation. Saudi Arabia has the right to defend itself against security threats including missiles launched from Yemen, and we support the Saudi-led Coalition’s efforts to restore legitimacy in Yemen, as accepted by the UN Security Council. We have worked hard with Saudi Arabia and other international partners to strengthen the UN shipping inspection mechanism to ensure that all ports can remain open to all commercial and humanitarian supplies. All sides must redouble their support for the UN’s efforts to reach an inclusive political settlement which addresses the root causes of the conflict. We welcome the appointment of the new UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, who brings with him extensive experience in conflict resolution.

A UN Panel of Experts has concluded that Iran is in non-compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions for failing to take measures to prevent the supply of Iranian-made ballistic missiles to the Houthis. If Iran is genuinely committed to supporting a political solution in Yemen – as it has publicly stated – then it should stop sending in weapons which prolong the conflict, fuel regional tensions, and pose threats to international peace and security. We question why Iran is spending significant revenue in a country with which it has no real historical ties or interests, rather than using its influence to end the conflict for the good of the Yemeni people.

We call upon countries of the region and the international community to redouble their efforts in support of this goal, and for parties to the conflict to allow unhindered commercial and humanitarian access throughout Yemen, including for fuel, and for the Government of Yemen to pay public sector salaries across the country. We will continue to play our part in restoring the peace and security needed for Yemenis to resume normal lives.

Penny Mordaunt, International Development Secretary

Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary




Grazeley

I visited a workshop to discuss possible development at Grazeley on Saturday. I explained again that there must be two matters that need resolving before considering accepting such a development. The Council should need some reassurance that such a large development would enable the area to say No to development elsewhere. The government would need to come up with substantial sums to support major infrastructure investment.

I am also working on the question of how much housing should Wokingham be expected to take in the next Plan period anyway, and the wider question of how the government should adjust its national figures down to allow for the new migration policy they have promised as we leave the EU.




Leave liars must now come clean

Vote Leave got away with lying about money for the NHS, visas for Commonwealth citizens and much more, but now the truth about the Brexit deal is emerging, they won’t be able to lie anymore.

Astonishing claims have emerged today that suggests Leave campaigns worked together overspend during the European Referendum. If true, this could be illegal.

Documents released by a new campaign group alongside evidence from whistle-blower Shahmir Sanni, suggest that Vote Leave, the official campaign, and BeLeave, a youth targeting group run by two young graduates, worked closely together during the referendum, despite Electoral Commission rules which forbid that sort of collusion.

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Correctional officers intercept smuggling of suspected dangerous drugs into Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre

     Correctional officers at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre today (March 25) intercepted a remand person in custody smuggling suspected dangerous drugs into the centre by concealing them inside his body.

     The 46-year-old remand person in custody was remanded in the institution for the offence of trafficking in dangerous drugs on March 23. After undergoing X-ray body scanning, he was suspected to have swallowed suspected dangerous drugs before admission and was therefore separated and put under close monitoring.

     By 8.45am today, he had discharged five packs of suspected dangerous drugs wrapped in plastic sheet. The case has been reported to the Police for follow-up.

     A spokesperson for the Correctional Services Department said, “The department takes every measure to stop the introduction of dangerous drugs or unauthorised articles into correctional institutions in order to maintain good order and discipline and a drug-free environment for all persons in its custody.”