Bring peace back to Mideast
With a conflict intensifying between Israel and Hamas after the recent Hamas attack, the Middle East, which was gradually heading toward unity and harmony, is plunging into a war, once again. Regardless of its root cause, the hostilities in the region can have a spillover effect, which can polarize the world. A conflict like this can also become a breeding ground for fresh rebellions, terrorists and criminal gangs.
No rational human being can support terrorism anywhere in the world. Talks and negotiations are a must to bring back normalcy in the region and beyond for the greater good of humanity and human civilization. War is never a solution. War begets more war and results in a lose-lose outcome. There is no alternative to peace and harmony. Thus, the international community in general and the parties to this conflict in particular should reconsider the “Framework for Peace in the Middle East”.
The author is a geostrategic thinker
What does a rising India mean?
If the presidency of the G-20 symbolizes India’s growing prominence in global power politics, it is evident that India has indeed emerged as a significant player on the world stage. The successful hosting of the G-20 Summit in New Delhi, under the theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, underscored the profound concept of ‘Vasudhaiva kutumbakam’, which translates to “the world is one family” in Sanskrit, considered the mother of all languages spoken today in the world.
During the summit, India’s leadership demonstrated its commitment to fostering unity and collaboration among nations. The emphasis on the interconnectedness of all nations and the importance of collective action showcased India’s diplomatic prowess and its role as a bridge between Eastern and Western perspectives. On the global stage, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar have been strongly raising the issues of developing nations, which account for a major share in global politics.
Prime Minister Modi and Foreign Minister Jaishankar have been instrumental in promoting the values rooted in the Eastern knowledge system, often referred to as ‘orientalism’, on the global stage and within the United Nations (UN). Besides ‘'Vasudhaiva kutumbakam'’, one significant achievement was his leadership in declaring ‘Yoga’, an ancient tradition of physical and mental exercises, as the International Yoga Day, an observance recognized and celebrated annually by the UN. The United Nations had proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, as proposed by PM Modi in his address at the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly in 2014. It was endorsed by a record 175 member-states.
Yoga, known for its positive impact on physical and mental well-being, has been embraced worldwide as a valuable tool for promoting holistic health and wellness. Before the concept of a modern state system based on geography, the entire Himalayan region, including the south of the Himalayas, was a very fertile land for knowledge, Yoga, meditation and many other ancient innovations, which modern developed states are following these days.
Certainly, India faces a range of complex challenges, and PM Modi has not been immune to criticism from the opposition parties. Any country’s domestic situation is purely their issue to resolve. And, in a democracy, parties based on different ideologies share differences and that might take the shape of conflict too. But the most important thing is whether they share enmity or differences on foreign policy, foreign relations and building the international image of their country or not. India has set the tone that despite extreme political polarization, the country has never been divided on issues related to external relations.
There’s no denying that PM Modi and Foreign Minister Jaishankar have effectively elevated India's international standing and ensured that it is noticed and recognized by major global powers. While foreign policy is often considered an extension of domestic policy and circumstances, Modi has managed to navigate the global stage without getting embroiled in divisive domestic politics. On his part, Jaishankar has played a major role to elevate the image of India as a key player on the global stage. And, it is Jaishankar, who has shown the way to the Europeans and advised them to change their mentality toward Asia. It is Jaishankar, who has adopted a ‘multi-alignment’ policy, according topmost priority to India’s national interest.
Let’s enter into the announcement of India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and its significance to the world. One achievement made on the sidelines of India’s G-20 Summit was the new initiative to develop a rail and shipping corridor connecting India with Europe via the Middle East with leaders from the US, India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of IMEC.
IMEC is significant from an infrastructure and connectivity perspective as well as from a geopolitical angle. The project involves two separate corridors—the eastern corridor, which connects India with the Arabian Gulf, and the northern corridor, which connects the Arabian Gulf with Europe. According to the MoU, IMEC is “expected to stimulate economic development through enhanced connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf and Europe.” That some of the major Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Israel, the UAE, and Jordan, are part of it makes it noteworthy, especially fro
m a geopolitical perspective. Announcing this on the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the leaders noted that IMEC will involve rail connectivity, shipping lines, high-speed data cables and energy pipelines.
IMEC has been perceived as a counter-move of BRI launched by China in 2013. Whether it aims to challenge BRI or not, connectivity is an important precondition for development. New Delhi, which has a vital role to play in IMEC, should be aware that such connectivity projects shouldn’t be used strategically to control the power of China or any other countries. Indian leaders must understand that the future of the world largely depends upon what kind of relations the emerging Asian powers maintain.
As a neighbor of emerging economies (India and China), Nepal would be happy to embrace the rising significance of them, but it should strongly object to any move from the third countries to destabilize Asia, including the South Asia region.
How are you seeing blue ticks everywhere on Facebook??
As soon as Facebook introduced Meta verified, you may have seen the trend of verified profiles with blue ticks all over Facebook. While few people know how this works, many are still unaware about the subscription. So what is Meta Verify? Who gets it? Can you get it? Is Meta verification as effective as legacy verification? Let’s find out.
What is Meta Verify
Meta Verify is a subscription officially launched by Meta, in which users can pay $8 per month, so that their profiles get a verified blue tick along with few other benefits, such as increased account protection and access to account support.
Who can get Meta verified?
While celebrities, politicians, and other public figures used to get legacy blue ticks from Meta after satisfying multiple criterias, Meta Verify can be subscribed by anyone with a genuine account on the platform meeting this criteria:
- To be at least 18 years old
- A public or private profile that’s associated with your full name, aligns with naming standards and has a profile picture that includes your face
- To meet minimum activity requirements, such as prior posting history
- A valid photo ID that matches your profile name and profile picture
- Two-factor authentication enabled on your profile
- Must follow Facebook Community standards
Are the legacy and Meta Verify ticks the same?
No, the tick given by Meta to celebrities is free and lifetime, while Meta Verify is a paid subscription, in which you have to pay $8 monthly to Meta. If the money is not paid, the tick will be removed within 24-72 hours.
It is also very difficult to get the legacy tick, as Meta verifies accounts by reviewing various criteria such as:
- Authentic: Represent a real person, registered business or entity.
- Unique: Be the only presence of this person or business. Only one Page or profile per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific Pages and profiles
- Complete: Have an about section, Page or profile photo and recent activity, including at least one post
- Notable: Represent a well-known, often searched person, brand or entity. We review Pages and profiles that are featured in multiple news sources and paid or promotional content as sources are not considered for review.
Another big difference is that there are no restrictions on legacy verified accounts and Meta Verify has various restrictions, such as—profile photo can be changed only once a month (which also needs to get approved by Meta), account name or username cannot be changed.
How to get a legacy tick?
Things to understand before applying to get a legacy tick: This tick is given by Meta by reviewing many factors, including the news in national media, page/profile activity, followers on the page, and results from your name on Google etc. If you meet all the criteria mentioned above you can submit verification application from https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/295038365360854 and get verification by giving the information as requested in the application, within 1-48 hours after submitting the application, Meta will send you the response through mail and notification on facebook/insta app ,stating whether application has been approved or not and if the application is not approved, you can submit another application after 30 days.
How to get Meta Verify?
One can subscribe to Meta Verify by following the mentioned steps: go to your profile, go to three dots visible on the right side of the “edit profile” option, go to “Meta verified” option and follow on-screen instruction, pay $8 and submit a copy of your citizenship or passport. Although Facebook has officially rolled out subscriptions in most countries, it may not yet be visible to all profiles in Nepal. If you don't have this option on your profile, you may try logging in to your account from a meta verified eligible county for a few days.
After the success of meta verified on personal Facebook and Instagram profiles, Facebook is now testing (currently in New Zealand) Meta Business Verified, which helps brands and organizations to verify their Facebook page and Instagram handle. Meta verified business subscriptions will be available for purchase on Instagram and Facebook in the coming weeks in select test countries. Monthly subscriptions start at $21.99/month per Facebook page or Instagram account, or $34.99/month for both on WhatsApp. Meta will begin testing in the future with small businesses using the WhatsApp Business app before introducing Meta Verified to businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform.
‘Reports on Nepalis being held hostage by Hamas false’
Several countries are grappling to find their missing and killed citizens in the latest Israel-Palestine war that has since Saturday claimed at least 1,600 lives, and is only expected to escalate.
Ten Nepali students have been killed while 55 from Israeli bunkers and 72 from Lebanon have been shifted to safe places since the war broke out four days ago, Nepali Ambassador to Israel Kanta Rizal told ApEx over the phone.
The ambassador also said that despite reports in some Nepali media regarding potential hostage-taking of Nepali citizens by the Hamas militants, there have been no official reports supporting these claims. “We followed the reports of Nepalis being held hostage and relayed this information to Israeli officials, but there is no truth to these rumors,” said Rizal.
According to the diplomat, only one Nepali citizen is reported missing, and both the Nepali Embassy in Israel and Israeli authorities are actively searching for him. The Nepali Ambassador informed that the southern region of Israel is where most of the clashes have been taking place, and there are no Nepalis in the zone and its immediate vicinities needing emergency rescue.
Around 4,500 Nepalis are currently employed as caregivers in Israel while 265 Nepali students are studying there as part of the Israeli government’s ‘Learn and Earn’ program. Among the students, 119 are from the Agriculture and Forestry University, 97 from Tribhuvan University, and 49 from Far-Western University (FWU). Seventeen students from FWU were employed at an agricultural farm in Alumim, located near the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Ten Nepali students enrolled in educational institutions in southern Israel lost their lives in a shock attack launched by the Hamas militants on Saturday. Fifty-five students were rescued from bunkers during the attack. The embassy has opened an online registration for those wishing to return to Nepal. Around 200 Nepalis have already filled out the form.
Ambassador Rizal said that the embassy was facilitating the return of Nepali citizens.
“We are in close coordination with both Nepali and Israeli authorities, and will expedite their return, along with the bodies of the deceased students,” she added.
Despite ministerial- and secretary-level discussions between both governments, there have been complaints that the rescue of Nepali citizens has been delayed. But Rizal said that Israeli authorities themselves were facing challenges in rescuing their citizens from the war-zone region.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces have reported the elimination of a “number of armed suspects” who had “infiltrated” into Israel from Lebanon. This has raised concerns that Lebanon might be involved in the ongoing conflict. However, Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has stated that his country does not want to be drawn into the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In recent years, there have been several small-scale rocket attacks from Lebanon into Israel, leading to retaliatory strikes from Israel. These attacks were believed to be orchestrated by Palestinian factions in Lebanon.
Ambassador Rizal also reported that 72 Nepali students from Lebanon were successfully rescued and placed in a safe location.
“I have received a message from Nepali students in Lebanon informing me that 72 of them have been relocated to a secure place,” she said, adding that the embassy in Israel was keeping a close eye on the situation of Nepali citizens both in Israel and Lebanon.“We are looking if there are other Nepalis stuck in Lebanon.”
Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud has advised against individual or political visits to Israel, except in cases where official decisions have been made at the political level.
“The situation is sensitive, so people are urged not to visit Israel on a personal or political basis, unless there are official political decisions,” he told the Foreign Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives.
