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The Diplomat
19 minutes ago
- The Diplomat
Indonesia Announces Plans to Treat 2,000 Injured Gazan Civilians
The people will be treated on Galang Island off the coast of Sumatra, which formerly housed around 250,000 refugees from Indochina. The ruins of a UNHCR office in the location of the former refugee camp on Galang Island, Indonesia, December 19, 2025. Indonesia's government has announced plans to convert a medical facility at a former refugee camp in the Riau Islands, to treat about 2,000 residents of Gaza who have been injured during the Israeli assaults on the territory. 'The president has given instructions for Indonesia to provide medical assistance for around 2,000 Gazans who are victims of war, including those wounded by bombs or the rubble … as well as their family members,' Hasan Nasbi told reporters yesterday, according to the Jakarta Globe. Hasan Nasbi said that the injured would be treated on Galang Island, part of the Riau Archipelago close to Indonesia's maritime border with Singapore, and then would return home once they had recovered. From 1975 to 1996, Galang accommodated around 250,000 refugees from Indochina, most of them from Vietnam, who had fled communist persecution by sea. The island is now mostly uninhabited, but in 2020, the government opened a hospital on Galang to treat COVID-19 patients. In 2023, it was briefly mooted as a location for temporarily housing Rohingya refugees arriving by boat from Myanmar and Bangladesh. 'We intend to set up the medical treatment center in Galang Island because it already has a hospital, as well as the supporting facilities,' Hasan said yesterday, adding that the island is 'also separated from our citizens residing in other [neighboring] islands.' As Reuters reported, Hasan did not provide a timeframe or any further details about the plan, but these will presumably be made public soon. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, has long supported the Palestinian cause and has been harshly critical of Israel's brutal offensive in Gaza since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. In 2011, Indonesia built a hospital in Beit Lahia in north Gaza from money donated by the public. After the start of Israel's offensive, the Indonesian Hospital was overrun with patients but has since been severely damaged. In January, the Gaza Health Ministry declared that the hospital was out of service due to significant structural damage sustained in what the U.N. later described as 'repeated Israeli attacks.' The idea of providing medical treatment to Palestinians was first raised by President Prabowo Subianto during a five-nation tour of the Middle East in April, when he said that Indonesia was 'ready to evacuate those who are injured or traumatized, and orphans, if they want to be evacuated to Indonesia.' 'Indonesia's commitment in supporting the safety of Palestinians and their independence has pushed our government to act more actively,' Prabowo said. However, it is politically necessary for the Indonesian government to emphasize that the relocations will only be temporary, in order to avoid the impression that Jakarta is abetting a permanent resettlement of Gaza's population. Indeed, when Prabowo initially suggested that Indonesia might take in injured Gazans, some Islamic clerics argued that a temporary transfer could easily evolve into a permanent one. Israeli officials have hinted at the mass deportation of Gazans from the territory, a policy that was seemingly endorsed by U.S. President Donald trump in February, when he suggested that the territory should be transformed into a 'Riviera of the Middle East.' Along with its counterpart in Malaysia, Indonesia's foreign ministry said at the time that it 'strongly rejects any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians' from Gaza.
The Print
24 minutes ago
- The Print
India in talks with China for resumption of trade via 3 border passes ahead of Modi's SCO visit
'However, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, trade through all these points was disrupted, and has not resumed since. The Government of India has engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade through all these trade routes,' Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs informed the Council of States in response to a question. Trade between India and China through these border posts, which was first disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequently due to the chill in diplomatic ties, is yet to be resumed. The two countries have maintained designated markets for trade at the border since 1991, when New Delhi and Beijing signed a protocol for the resumption of trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand. New Delhi: India is engaging with China to 'facilitate' the resumption of border trade through the Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand), Shipki La Pass (Himachal Pradesh) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim), the Rajya Sabha was informed Thursday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to the country at the end of August. Modi is set to travel to the Chinese city of Tianjin for the Heads of States Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). It will be the prime minister's first visit to the country since 2018. Lipulekh Pass was designated as a trading post in 1991, and the protocols for its operation were signed in July 1992. The market sites agreed to for border trade were Gunji in India and Pulan in China. In September 1993, both India and China agreed to a protocol to allow border trade via the Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh, which opened in 1995. In July 2006, India and China opened a third border trading post via the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, which was based on the original agreement signed in 1991, and was made operational through the protocols agreed to for the opening of Lipulekh Pass. Trade through these border posts occurred usually during the summer months between the months of May and November, albeit all posts had their own calendars. Trade between India and China through the Lipulekh Pass had remained closed from 1962, following the war between the two countries until 1991. However, following the 2019 season, the posts were closed during the pandemic. The border posts have remained closed since. In the summer months of 2020, military clashes broke out in Galwan between India and China. Diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Beijing cratered following the clashes. At one point, India deployed almost 68,000 additional troops, along with military equipment, to the friction points in Eastern Ladakh as ties remained tense. However, on 21 October, 2024, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had announced that both countries had arrived at an agreement for disengagement at the friction points along the Line of Actual Control. This agreement had set the stage for a bilateral meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan a few days later. Since the meeting, both India and China have agreed to a number of confidence-building measures to stabilise ties. China allowed the resumption of the Kailash Mansarova Yatra through the Lipulekh Pass earlier this year, while India has started issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals since 24 July. Technical teams from the two countries are currently negotiating an agreement to allow for the resumption of direct passenger flights between India and China, which have remained paused since the pandemic. (Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
At 86, Helen lost weight in four months and ditched her walking stick: Here's her fitness routine
Starting the Journey: Slow and Steady Remarkable Progress in Four Months Veteran Bollywood actress Helen, famous for her iconic dance performances, has made an inspiring comeback to fitness at the age of 86. Her transformation, guided by celebrity Pilates trainer Yasmin Karachiwala, stands out as one of the most rewarding success stories in the fitness the COVID-19 pandemic, Helen maintained a reasonably active lifestyle. However, the extended period of reduced movement took a toll on her health and mobility. In a recent episode of the hK Vitals podcast on YouTube, Yasmin Karachiwala, who has trained many Bollywood stars like Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone, revealed that she noticed Helen's declining physical condition at family gatherings. Helen began using a walking stick and seemed to lose her confidence, even avoiding eye contact at events. Karachiwala recalled that Helen would sometimes hide her face, showing discomfort with her physical reached out to Karachiwala with a firm resolve to regain her strength and independence. When she first arrived at the Pilates studio, she was reliant on a cane and had significant muscle weakness due to inactivity. The trainer began with gentle exercises focused on gradually rebuilding strength and improving mobility. The approach was patient and consistent, tailored to Helen's age and physical just four months of dedicated Pilates sessions, Helen showed impressive progress. She no longer needed the walking stick, was able to climb stairs without assistance, and could even bend down to play with Karachiwala's puppy. In a light-hearted moment, the trainer shared how Helen surprised her by confidently jumping on a trampoline, highlighting her regained agility. This marked a significant improvement not only in Helen's physical fitness but also in her confidence and enjoyment of emphasized that Helen's transformation was largely due to her unwavering commitment. She attended sessions daily, except when unwell, showing remarkable discipline for someone her age. The trainer pointed out that Pilates can be adapted for a wide range of individuals, from young athletes to elderly clients like Helen, allowing everyone to benefit from increased strength, balance, and flexibility.
