33 people were killed and 36 others were injured, Monday, in a Burmese army air strike that targeted a market in the west of the country, according to what a rebel group controlling the region announced.
The Arakan Army group said that the death toll from the raid, which targeted a market and a nearby bridge around midday in the town of Kyauktaw in Rakhine State, “may continue to rise,” according to what Agence France-Presse reported.
An eyewitness, who requested to remain anonymous for security reasons, told Agence France-Presse that he saw more than 30 bodies at the site of the accident on Monday afternoon, where human remains were visible amid the charred wreckage and the roads in which the raid left deep holes.
Western Rakhine State is experiencing some of the worst conditions in Myanmar's civil war, which broke out following the military coup in 2021.
On Monday, authorities in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu distributed a free gold ring to newborns in government hospitals, as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening confidence in the public health care system.
Under this initiative launched by “Vijay”; The representative who became the head of the state government, all births in public health facilities in the state are entitled to a gold ring weighing one gram. Its value is about $143.
Gold is of great importance in Indian society. It features strongly in weddings and religious ceremonies, and is seen as a safe asset for preserving wealth and passing it down through generations.
A mother, who preferred to remain anonymous, said at a government hospital in the Madurai district of the state: “The gold ring will give the child something valuable to keep for the coming years.”
This woman was among dozens of mothers who were holding their newborns and standing in line to receive the gift.
Another mother, Stella Marie, told Agence France-Presse: “I feel that this initiative has a personal nature.”
Officials say the initiative aims to highlight maternal and newborn care, while strengthening confidence in public health care institutions in this southern state with a population of more than 72 million people.
But the initiative faced some criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which represents the opposition in Tamil Nadu.
“The gesture of offering a golden ring to a newborn may be welcome, but for families, the most pressing need remains to ensure the availability of basic nutrition on a daily basis,” party member Tamilisai Sundararajan said in a post on social media.
Overcrowded public hospitals in India often suffer from a shortage of medical personnel, long waiting times, and dilapidated infrastructure. Which prompts many patients to seek treatment in the expensive private sector.
While most women in India give birth in hospitals, some rural communities still witness home births; This makes ensuring delivery in health institutions a priority for health authorities.
Despite progress in recent years, infant and maternal mortality rates remain high in India; The country recorded 24 infant deaths per thousand live births, while the maternal mortality rate reached 88 cases per hundred thousand live births, according to the latest official data.
The “Golden Seal” initiative is based on; Known as “Thaymaman (Uncle)”, refers to the special status of the child’s maternal uncle, who is often expected to play a major role in the milestones and ceremonial occasions of family life.
The initiative also taps into Indians' passion for gold... For many women, especially in rural areas, gold jewelry can be a means of providing personal financial security.
India is one of the largest consumers of gold in the world. According to the World Gold Council, the value of demand for this precious metal in that country reached $25 billion during the first quarter of this year.
South Korea demanded an official apology from Ukraine after Kiev denied the existence of an agreement between the two sides to keep secret the transfer of two North Korean soldiers who were captured while fighting alongside Russian forces.
Later, the South Korean Foreign Ministry announced, in a statement, that First Deputy Foreign Minister Park Yeon-joo summoned the Chargé d'Affairs at the Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul, Andriy Vyshkin, and informed him of "the government's grave concern regarding the issue of the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced before the United Nations General Assembly that his country had transferred two North Korean soldiers to South Korea, noting that “capturing them alive was not an easy matter.”
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung responded to Zelensky, asking in a post on X, “I don’t know why the Ukrainian side violated the agreement and revealed the matter to the public,” and expressing his “disappointment.”
For his part, Zelensky's aide Dmytro Lytvyn commented by saying that Ukraine is an "open country," surprising the two soldiers' secret handover.
He added to reporters, “We only revealed the fact that they were sent to the Republic of Korea, even though the story is long and detailed.”
But Song Gi-hong, South Korean presidential chief secretary for media affairs, said in a statement that “the Ukrainian side’s violation of the confidentiality agreement between the two countries and its unilateral disclosure of information is in itself a very serious matter.”
He added, “The incorrect claim issued by the Ukrainian presidential press office that there is no confidentiality agreement seriously undermines trust between the governments of the two countries, and causes serious damage to friendly relations between them.”
He stressed that the South Korean presidency is demanding an “official clarification and apology,” adding that Seoul is considering “additional measures that may be necessary” in this regard, without revealing their nature.
Early last year, Ukraine captured two North Korean soldiers who were fighting among the units that Pyongyang sent to support Russian forces in the war.
A South Korean lawmaker previously said that the two soldiers expressed their desire to live a “normal life” in South Korea.
Under the South Korean constitution, all Koreans, including North Korean residents, are considered South Korean citizens.
