The Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Saturday urged the public not to be influenced by "gray zone" tactics after an uptick in Chinese balloons detected floating over Taiwan. In a statement, the ministry said its analyses had concluded that the main purpose of several balloons detected in the lead-up to election day on Jan. 13 was to "harass and rattle the people in Taiwan." The ministry urged the public to remain calm in the face of Chinese cognitive warfare against Taiwan and not to be influenced by "gray zone" tactics. The ministry's statement comes after the New York Times reported Thursday that the balloon float-overs could be a Chinese attempt to influence the Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections, citing foreign and local military experts. The piece quoted one Taiwanese expert as saying that China could resort to the concerted use of balloons to step up its espionage work in Taiwan, citing the Chinese spy balloon that was hovering over the United States before it was shot down by a U.S. Air Force F-22 last year. Asked by CNA to comment on the prospect of Chinese balloons being used to gather intelligence in Taiwan, the ministry said that it had camouflaged or covered military assets in advance with the help of its early warning mechanisms in light of that risk. The MND began reporting sightings of Chinese balloons drifting across the median line of the Taiwan Strait in early December. However, it was not until this month that the balloons began frequently floating across Taiwan, according to the MND. The MND said that balloons floating across Taiwan peaked between Jan. 2 and Jan. 3, when three were spotted over a 24-hour period. In its statement, the ministry said that the balloons had seriously compromised the safety of several international air routes and condemned China for disregarding the safety of passengers. In response to the risks, the ministry said it immediately contacted agencies concerned with civil aeronautics to inform them of potential danger. Asked whether the ministry has shot down any of the balloons or intends to do so in response to future events, the ministry said it would respond according to the altitude and possible purpose of airborne objects and the level of threat they pose. So far, it has taken appropriate measures according to the "rules on responding to contingencies during normal times," the ministry said.

Three people were killed in an Israeli drone strike in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Israeli forces said they launched the drone strike after coming under fire from a group of people during a raid in the Jenin refugee camp.  The military said "hits were identified." The Palestinian Authority's official news agency, WAFA, reported that the drone fired at least two projectiles, citing sources in the camp. According to the health ministry, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank in clashes with Israeli forces since October 7 as the Israeli military pursues Palestinian militants in the aftermath of the Hamas terror attack from Gaza.

At least 5,087 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched retaliatory air strikes in Gaza on October 7, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said. Of those, 2,055 were children, and 1,119 were women. Another 15,273 people were wounded in the strikes, the ministry said. The numbers of dead and injured from Gaza cannot be independently verified Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group broke through border defenses and killed more than 1,400 people in Israel on October 7. Israel says it only strikes Hamas militants in the densely populated Gaza Strip. Civilians caught in the crossfire, however, have borne the brunt of the war. Palestinians have been cut off from food and water. EU foreign ministers are meeting Monday to discuss the situation as much-needed aid slowly trickles into Gaza.

Most of the tens of thousands of North Koreans who have escaped repression and poverty at home have made the arduous, high-risk journey across the country's land border with China, where they face arrest and possible deportation. Activists say the fugitives face severe punishment, or even a death sentence, if forced to return home. "It appears to be true that a large number of North Korean residents were repatriated to North Korea from the three northeastern provinces of China," unification ministry spokesman Koo Byoung-sam told reporters, without giving an exact number. "Our government regrets this situation and raised this issue seriously with China, emphasising our position," he added. South Korea's "position is that under no circumstances should North Korean defectors living abroad be forcibly repatriated to North Korea against their free will", he said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Thursday declined to address specific deportation claims, saying there was "no such thing as so-called 'North Korean defectors' in China". "China has always upheld a responsible attitude towards DPRK (North Korean) people who enter China illegally for economic reasons, and persists in properly handling them in accordance with the combined principles of domestic law, international law and humanitarianism," he told reporters at a daily press briefing. Seoul's announcement comes after the South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo cited rights groups in reporting that Beijing had repatriated about 600 North Koreans on the night of October 9. Human Rights Watch separately said Beijing had "forcibly returned" more than 500 North Koreans to their home country. China is North Korea's strongest ally and most important trading partner. Elizabeth Salmon, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, has estimated that approximately 2,000 North Korean defectors are currently being held in China. Under a 1986 bilateral border protocol, North Koreans are not permitted to seek asylum or resettlement in China, and are instead deported back, according to HRW. "Governments should denounce China's latest returns and call for an end to future forced returns," the rights group said in a statement. "The Chinese government should provide UN authorities with access to North Korean detainees and either grant North Koreans refugee status or give them safe passage to South Korea or other countries." Source: AFP

The number of people killed by Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to at least 2,670, the enclave's health ministry announced on Sunday. A further 9,600 people have been injured, it said. Over 1,300 Israelis were killed in attacks by Hamas militants last Saturday. Since then, Israeli forces have been bombing the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is based, ahead of an anticipated ground offensive. The Israeli military has urged around a million civilians in Gaza to evacuate southwards, something human rights and health organizations have suggested is very difficult, if not impossible. 

Bangladesh strongly condemns the growing civilian casualties including women and children as well as disproportionate use of force in Gaza.   The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the statement after Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef S.Y. Ramadan met Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Sunday, October 15. In that statement, Bangladesh also urges the international community to allow humanitarian assistance to the seized Gaza to avoid mounting humanitarian disaster and work towards a two-state solution to the Israel- Palestinian conflict based on the UNSC resolutions for a just and lasting solution and enduring peace in the region.

Japan's ministry of health and welfare has called on the public to sleep longer and better after two recent reports determined that Japanese people are not getting enough shut-eye. And experts point out that sleep deprivation is the root cause of many illnesses, mental health complaints and poor productivity in the workplace.  The authorities released the outline of guidelines on the appropriate amount of sleep on October 2 and will issue a full report by the end of the year. The move was prompted in part by a study conducted in 2021 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that indicated Japanese people sleep an average of seven hours and 22 minutes a night. This was the least amount of sleep of the 33 nations included in the study.   In Japan, 37.5% of men and 40.6% of women get less than six hours of sleep a night on average.  A separate report showed even more alarming results — researchers from the National University of Singapore and Finnish health technology company Oura Health Oy determined that Japanese average just 6.1 hours of sleep a night, less than test subjects from any of 34 other countries. The Japanese health ministry is now recommending that adults get an absolute minimum of six hours, junior and high school children get between eight and 10 hours and elementary school children are in bed for between nine and 12 hours. Children between the ages of three and five need 10 to 13 hours of sleep, the ministry said, while infants under the age of two should have 11 to 14 hours. Why are Japanese not getting enough sleep?  The ministry's recommendations are a step in the right direction, according to Dr Masashi Yanagisawa, director of the International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine at the University of Tsukuba. However, the guidelines did not identify the cause of sleep deprivation in the majority of Japanese people or propose any remedies to help people sleep for longer and better.   "There has been speculation about the reasons for why people in Japan sleep less, but there is no definitive, scientific answer," he told DW. "My theory is that it is linked to Japan's fundamental values and work ethic, perhaps best summed up in the phrase, 'time is too valuable to be spent sleeping.'" Japanese people began to spend more time working in the 1950s, when the economy was growing dramatically and the nation was pulling together to rebuild after the devastating war years. Yanagisawa describes the period as "a state of national mania" as people worked hard and were rewarded well.  The flip side of this obsession with working, however, was that people slept less. And that was and still is damaging to their health.  "There are clear links between a lack of sleep and a greater risk of depression, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, damage to the immune system and a range of infections," Yanagisawa said. "And that can also lead to an inability to control emotions and moods, meaning people become angry, irritated, stressed and unable to control themselves." Fundamental change 'absolutely necessary' Ironically, studies show that less sleep is also impacting people's abilities in the workplace, with tired employees less efficient and making more mistakes, causing companies problems and financial losses. "I think the government is right to be worried about this problem because I am too," said Yanagisawa.   "In my opinion, a fundamental change in people's mindset is absolutely necessary," he said. "People need to set aside eight hours every day for sleep as a core time that cannot be touched. Then they need to arrange everything else — work, family, pleasure — around that."   The sleep expert says he is encouraged by the growing trend of workplace napping or "inemuri" in Japan, which allows employees to sleep in the office to recharge their batteries for the rest of the working day.   Tapping into this trend, a number of Japanese companies are introducing products designed to facilitate the perfect nap. In August, Hokkaido-based Koyoju Plywood Corp placed two prototype sleep pods – called the Giraffenap – at a cafe in Tokyo's Harajuku district. The pods have pads and platforms designed to ergonomically support a person's head, bottom, shins and feet for a  20-minute nap.  Workplace pillow  Separately, an Osaka-headquartered company called Atex recently developed the "Gogo no Makura," which translates as "afternoon pillow" and consists of a padded head rest with a hole in the center. The users are expected to place the pillow on their work desk and lean their head against the pillow in order to sleep.   "A lack of sleep is a very serious problem for Japanese people and it is now becoming increasingly acceptable to take a short sleep in the office," said Michihiro Fukano, a director of the company. The company is also happy to let its own employees nap at work while using their product, Fukano said, but noted he does not use an "afternoon pillow" himself.   "I'm lucky," he said. "I don't ever have a problem sleeping and I tend to sleep a lot, so I can get through the day without a nap."

The International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol, on Monday issued a Red Corner Notice against Karanvir Singh, a member of the banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International. Interpol updated its website by putting out a Red Corner Notice for the Khalistani terrorist Singh is believed to be hiding in Pakistan and was a member of the pro-Khalistan terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International, intelligence sources told news agency ANI. As per the Interpol portal, 38-year-old Karanvir Singh has roots in Punjab's Kapurthala district. Further, according to Interpol, Singh is wanted by India for criminal conspiracy, murder, offences related to the Arms Act, and Explosive Substances Act, raising funds for terrorist acts, conspiracy, and being a member of a terrorist gang or organisation. A Red Corner Notice is a request to the law enforcement authorities of Interpol's member countries to find and temporarily detain a person until extradition, surrender, or a similar legal process can take place. Earlier, Interpol issued a Red Notice to all member countries against gangster Himanshu alias Bhau, who is believed to be living abroad. Giving details, a spokesperson of Haryana Police said Rohtak Police succeeded in getting a Red Corner Notice issued against a most wanted accused, who is believed to have fled abroad. The Red Corner Notice against the wanted pro-Khalistani terrorist comes amid a diplomatic spat between New Delhi and Ottawa in the wake of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's claim of an India hand in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi dismissed the allegations, calling them 'absurd' and 'motivated'. At a news conference in New York, the Canadian PM, however, failed to present any evidence to back his claim of Indian involvement in Nijjar's killing. Trudeau was repeatedly quizzed on the nature of the allegations but stuck to reiterating that there were "credible reasons" to believe that India was linked to Nijjar's death. "There are credible reasons to believe that agents of the Government of India were involved in the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil. That is ...there is something of utmost foundational importance in a country's rule of law in a world where international rules-based order matters," Trudeau said. "We call upon the Government of India to take seriously this matter and to work with us to shed full transparency and ensure accountability and justice in this matter," the Canadian PM added. According to CBC News, the Canadian government invested both human and signal intelligence in a months-long investigation into Nijjar's death. That intelligence includes communications involving Indian diplomats present in Canada. The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, however, said no information has been shared by Canada with regard to the killing of Nijjar. "We are willing to look at any specific information that is provided to us, but so far we have received no specific information from Canada," Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said during a briefing. A designated terrorist in India, Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. Source: ndtv.com

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over 22,101 more houses under Ashrayan -2 project to landless and homeless families on Wednesday, August 9 as 12 more districts are set to be declared homeless and landless-free. "With the 12 districts and 123 upazilas, a total of 21 districts and 334 upazilas throughout the country are becoming as homeless and landless family-free ones on that day,"   Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah told a press conference at Karabi Hall of Prime Minister's Office (PMO).  Tofazzel Hossain said that the keys of 22,101 houses along with the ownership documents of a two-decimal of lands to the families, Prime Minister will hand over these. Around, 1,15,000 people will be rehabilitated in the houses. The three places re Barasat Sonar Bangla Palli Ashrayan project under Terokhada upazila in Khulna district, Chakla Ashrayan-2 project under Bera upazila in Pabna and Amanullahpur Ashrayan project under Begumganj in Noakhali. The Principal Secretary said under the Ashrayan project and other programmes, a total of 82,9607 families have been rehabilitated so far since 1,997 while the number of rehabilitated people is 41,48,035 (estimated as five persons in a family). Ashrayan Project of the PMO has already rehabilitated 5,55,617 families (2,778,085) people directly while 2,73,990 families were rehabilitated under different programmes of concerned government offices, including Land Ministry, Disaster Management and Relief Ministry and Liberation War Affairs Ministry.

The Indian Army remains prepared for all military contingencies emanating out of the "collusive threat" from the military modernisation and aggressive actions by India's adversaries, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday, in an apparent reference to China and its all-weather ally Pakistan. It also said the Army is primarily focused on maintaining its operational preparedness in sync with India's desire to ensure stability and dominance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and Line of Control (LoC) while constantly monitoring and reviewing emerging threats to national security. The Defence Ministry mentioned this in a year-end review. Referring to the situation along the LoC (with Pakistan), it said the situation has been relatively peaceful with both Indian and Pakistani armies observing ceasefire understanding since February last year. "As compared to 4,645 ceasefire violations during its peak in 2020, only three minor incidents have been recorded since the understanding in February 2021 with only one incident during 2022," the ministry said. It said Pakistan continued to retain "proxy war infrastructure" and that the "functionality" of terrorist training camps, presence of terrorists in "launch pads" and continuing infiltration attempts vindicate that country's "persistent intent". It said Pakistan continues to exploit the "narco-terror nexus" to radicalise and motivate innocent youth undertake targeting of vulnerable civilians using pistols and grenades. On its brief on the Army, the ministry said it primarily focused on maintaining its operational preparedness in line with India's desire to ensure "stability and dominance along the Line of Actual Control, Line of Control". It said the Army carried out relentless counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations and maintained high training standards while constantly monitoring and reviewing emerging and future threats to national security. "The Indian Army remains prepared for all military contingencies emanating out of the collusive threat from the military modernisation and aggressive actions by the country's adversaries while, creating capacities to deal with emerging threats in cyber, space and info domains due to blurring of physical borders," it said. There have been concerns in the military establishment over possible challenges emanating from the "collusive threat" from China and Pakistan. On reforms in the military, the ministry said all formations of the Indian Army will be structured on an Integrated Battle Group (IBG) model in a phased manner to transform the force into a leaner and agile Army. "IBG-isation is progressing well and Phase 1 is near completion." Under the IBG initiative, the Army aims to integrate different components of the force into the new formation that will feature artillery guns, tanks, air defence and logistical elements. On the situation along the border with China, the ministry said Chinese PLA troops on December 9 tried to transgress the LAC in Yangtse area of Tawang sector and unilaterally change the status quo. Referring to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement in Parliament on the incident, it said he informed that the Chinese attempt was contested by Indian troops in a "firm and resolute manner". Mentioning the eastern Ladakh row, the ministry said talks are being scheduled to discuss disengagement in the "balance friction" areas in the region. "With diplomatic and military efforts, effective disengagement with PLA forces was achieved from the area of PP 15 (Eastern Ladakh) in September," it said. The ministry noted that this disengagement was carried out almost a year after the previous exercise which was effected from Gogra in August 2021. "As part of the engagement mechanism, a total of 16 rounds of Corps Commander Level Meetings and 12 related Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination meetings have been held till date and subsequent talks are being scheduled to discuss disengagement in the balance friction areas in Eastern Ladakh," it said. About reform initiatives in the services, the ministry said that studies on the establishment of theatre commands were carried out at the service headquarters level for enhancing operational preparedness and synergising capability and combat potential of the armed Forces during war and peace. "A number of decisions taken on re-structuring are being implemented in a satisfactory manner," it said. On the situation along the LAC, the ministry said Pakistan's attempts this year to push in terrorists have resulted in 12 infiltration attempts being eliminated. It noted that 18 foreign terrorists were eliminated in these attempts and large quantities of arms and ammunition recovered. The ministry also listed the successful test firing of the extended range version of the Brahmos missile, the launch of the Prithvi-II missile, Agni-4 and Agni-3 missiles. It also mentioned the successful test of the submarine-launched ballistic missile INS Arihant as well as the indigenously-developed helicopter-launched anti-tank guided missile 'Helina'.