Oz accused of shunning asylum seekers

GENEVA: The UN refugee agency accused Australia of abandoning hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island and said it must take responsibility for the mess it created with its “offshore processing” system.

About 800 refugees are still in a precarious situation, having been forcibly removed from a holding camp last month when Australia decided to close it, UNHCR spokesperson Cecile Pouilly said.

“We are talking here about people who have suffered tremendously, extreme trauma, and are now feeling so insecure in the places where they are staying. There are many victims of torture, people who have been deeply traumatised, having no idea what is going to happen next to them,” she said.

“In light of the continued perilous situation on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island for refugees and asylum seekers abandoned by Australia, the UNHCR has called again this week on the Australian government to live up to its responsib- ility and urgently find humane and appropriate solutions.”

Conditions in the camp, and another on the tiny Pacific island of Nauru, have been widely criticised by the UN and human rights groups.

The two camps have been cornerstones of Australia’s contentious immigration policy under which it refuses to allow asylum-seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores.

“Australia is the country that created the situation by putting in place this offshore processing facility.” – Reuters ANKARA: Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan called yesterday for the US to step back from its decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital after the UN voted against the move despite“ugly and unforgivable” US threats.

Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favour.

“The US attitude will be remembered in the history of democracy as an ugly and unforgivable act.” – Reuters

20 ‘terrorists’ held

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has arrested 20 suspected militants, including 13 foreigners, police said yesterday, adding to a list of hundreds detained in recent years accused of having links to terror groups.

The Muslim-majority country has been on high alert since gunmen linked to Islamic State launched multiple attacks in Jakarta, Indonesia last year.

The suspects were arrested in a counter-terror operation. – Reuters

Jumbo Santa visit

BANGKOK: Santa Claus rode into town on an elephant, bearing early Christmas gifts for schoolchildren yesterday.

Mahouts, or trainers, dressed as Santa, rode four elephants to Ayutthaya, 80km north of Bangkok, said Ittipan Kharwmalai, the manager of an elephant sanctuary there.

The elephants were decked out in red and white and gave gifts to thousands of children at the school with their trunks amid loud cheers of joy. – dpa

Japan: births down

TOKYO: Births in Japan this year fell to their lowest since records began more than a century ago with about 941 000 new babies, proof that the country faces an ageing and shrinking population.

The health ministry said births will be about 4% lower than last year and the lowest since the government started compiling data in 1899. “There’s a continuous decline in the number of women in the typical childbearing age bracket of 25 to 39.” – Reuters