Friday 3 November 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Thick smog continues to paralyse routine life in Punjab

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – A thick blanket of smog has continued to engulf various parts of Punjab including Lahore, creating breathing difficulties and irritation in eyes for the locals. Citizens are also facing immense difficulties in travelling as dense smog on night between Friday and Saturday dropped visibility down to zero.Medical experts have recommended sporting spectacles whilst in the open and a mask to keep smog and pollutants entering their system as locals are suffering from throat and eye infections due to the smog.Air pollution must not exceed 80 microgram per cubic meter as per standard measures but the same has exceeded 200 microgram per cubic meter in multiple areas of Lahore. Experts have warned against condensing of smog in days to come as farmers burn paddy straw in Punjab.The thick smog and fog also badly affected the flow of road traffic. According to a Motorway spokesman, the Motorway sections at various places were closed as visibility was down to zero. Similar situation exist at several places on the National Highway.The Motorway police have appealed the drivers to use GT Road for travelling. They have also urged the drivers to drive slowly and switch on fog lights. The people have been requested to stay home and avoid unnecessary travelling.Flight schedule at Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad airports was also disturbed due to smog and several flights were cancelled.

Islamabad: Over 1,000 smuggled smart phones seized

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Custom Intelligence on Friday thwarted an attempt to smuggle over one thousand smart phones from Dubai to Islamabad and arrested a couple at the Benazir International Airport.According to custom officials, the arrested man named Wasim was one of the most wanted smugglers. Wasim along with his wife tried to smuggle over one thousand smart phones from Dubai to Islamabad but Custom Intelligence thwarted his bid.Wasim and his wife were taken into custody. Director General Custom Intelligence, Shaukat Ali, was himself present at the airport to supervise the operation.

Root urges England 'character' under Ashes barrage

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PERTH (AFP) - Captain Joe Root on Friday urged England to show character under an expected Ashes barrage in Australia as he dismissed comparisons with the horror tour of 2013.Root said England were completely different from the team thrashed 5-0 on their last visit and should dwell on their Ashes victory on home soil in 2015.Theres been a lot of talk about last time around (in Australia), Root told reporters. We were a completely different side, and so were they (Australia).Of course, they will try to bring up all sorts of stuff like that.Weve played a lot of cricket since then, and weve played against Australia since then as well -- and that went quite well for us.Hopefully, we will be able to do the same.Australian players have been keen to talk up Englands struggles in 2013, when they were terrorised by the Mitchell Johnson-led pace attack.Englands inexperienced batting line-up has been highlighted as its biggest weakness as it aims to emulate the feat of Andrew Strauss team of 2010-11 by becoming only the second England side to retain the Ashes urn in Australia in 31 years.England also look likely to be missing star allrounder Ben Stokes, who is suspended pending investigations into a nightclub brawl.Whenever you play any Australian opponent you dont expect an easy ride, said Root.Theyll want to prove a point and judge themselves against international quality and for us it is about trying to take advantage of getting in or bowling with good rhythm and capitalise on that.He said the tourists need to make the most of the momentum swings that go their way during the five-Test series, which gets underway in Brisbane from November 23.We are going to have to play well as a side, show a lot of character as a group and there cant be any selfish mentality out in the middle, he said.Its going to have to be about doing your job within the team, and not worrying about individual performances.When its your turn, you take that on yourself to make it your day.Root said England will field 13 players in the opening two-day tour match with Steven Finn, Moeen Ali and reserve wicketkeeper Ben Foakes to miss out.Well play the same top six batsmen if we can. You want continuity in the top order, he said.But you never know what can happen in these warm-up games. Somebody might get injured.Root added that he expects team management to name Stokes replacement as vice-captain within the next week.Paceman Finn (jarred left knee) and allrounder Ali (side strain) are sidelined from the opening game.Teams:England: Joe Root (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.WA XI: Nathan Coulter-Nile (capt), Will Bosisto, Jake Carder, Tim David, Kyle Gardiner, Aaron Hardie, Clint Hinchliffe, Nick Hobson, Calum How, Lance Morris, Josh Philippe, Mark Turner.

Ali and Finn to miss two England tour matches

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PERTH (AFP) - Moeen Ali and Steven Finn will miss the first two tour matches of Englands Ashes campaign due to injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Friday.All-rounder Ali is nursing a side strain, while fast bowler Finn injured his left knee while batting in training on Thursday.The pair will miss Englands opening match against a Western Australia XI at the WACA in Perth, starting on Saturday, and the four-day match against a Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide starting on November 8.Finn will be monitored by the England medical department over the next seven days and a further decision on his fitness will be made at that time, the ECB said in a statement.Ali has aggravated his left side. He is expected to return to full training by mid-November ahead of the tour match in Townsville, starting on Wednesday November 15.England begin their attempt to retain the Ashes in the first Test in Brisbane on November 23.

Car invasion halts Ranji Trophy game in India

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - A man drove his car onto the pitch during an Indian championship cricket game Friday, forcing the interruption of the match after claiming he had lost his way.Indian stars including Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma had to return to the pavilion after the car parked near the bowling strip during the Ranji Trophy game between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.The driver said he got lost and strayed into the Air Force ground in New Delhi.But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it would investigate what it considers a major threat to player safety.This is a breach of security measures, BCCI president CK Khanna was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.Imagine if the man had any sinister motive, then lives of international cricketers could have been in danger.Indian media identified the driver as Girish Sharma, who claimed to have entered an open gate at the ground.The driver, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, was reportedly first detained by the Air Force police and later handed over to Delhi officers for interrogation.The match referee deemed the pitch playable after an examination and the four-day match will resume as scheduled on Saturday morning.

TV presenter given jail term over 'single mothers' show

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CAIRO (AFP) - An Egyptian court has sentenced a female television presenter to three years in jail after she spoke on her show about pregnancy outside marriage, a judicial source said on Friday.Doaa Salah was convicted of outraging public decency, the source said.The court also ordered her to pay a bond of 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($565) so she can remain at liberty ahead of a possible appeal.Salah went on trial after a lawyer filed a complaint against her following a show on the private television channel An-Nahar in July.During the broadcast, Salah discussed the possibility of a woman becoming a single mother, suggesting that a woman could marry only to conceive and then divorce.She then reportedly asked the audience about their opinion, and then summed up by saying that everyone rejects the idea (of pregnancy outside of marriage), and not everything that happens abroad can happen in our society.Sex outside marriage is taboo in Egypts conservative society.

US can play a role resolve Kashmir dispute: Ambassador Chaudhry

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WASHINGTON (APP) - The United States can play a useful role to promote a dialogue between Pakistan and India for peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States said here on Thursday.Speaking as chief guest at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University (GWU) here, Ambassador Chaudhry said that the way forward for both Pakistan and India is to make efforts to address outstanding issues and work towards a peaceful co-existence. He said this would help bring peace, stability and prosperity in the entire region.In his address to the students and faculty on regional and global issues, he presented Pakistan’s perspective on these various regional and international issues. The event was co-hosted by the GW Law School and the Elliot School.The Ambassador reflected upon the changing world and the emerging alliances around the world and stressed that in an era of changing global alignments, there was a need for forging closer regional cooperation for attaining economic prosperity.Regarding Pakistan-US relations, the Ambassador pointed out that history has shown that both countries have benefitted by working together and it was important to realize that both Pakistan and the US have shared common interests.On the issue of Afghanistan, the Ambassador said that both for Pakistan and the US, peace is a common goal to be achieved in Afghanistan. He said Pakistan believes that there is no military solution to the Afghanistan problem.Instead, a holistic political approach is required in which kinetic actions would only be a part of an overall strategy, he said and added that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned political solution would pave the way to achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan.The Ambassador said that it was important for Pakistan and the US to work together for the stability and security of Afghanistan and the region. Ambassador emphasized that peace in Afghanistan is much more important for Pakistan than any other country in the region.Commenting on tremendous counter terrorism efforts made by Pakistan over last four years, the Ambassador said that Pakistan has effectively reversed the tide of terrorism and peace is returning to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).The displaced people have returned to their homes and resuming their normal life. Pakistan has not only acted against the terrorists but has also put them on run which is unprecedented given the fact that the whole region is still grappling with the issue of terrorism, he added.Ambassador Chaudhry thanked the Dean and team of Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University for extending an opportunity of interacting with the young and enlightened audience.Dean Blake D. Morant and Vice Dean Edward W. Gnehm jointly welcomed the Ambassador. In his welcome remarks, Dean Morant appreciated Ambassador Chaudhry’s service for his country and his contribution to making the world a better place through his years in the world of multilateral diplomacy.The event was moderated by Sarah Freuden, Program Director of International and Comparative Law at the GW Law School.

Coal-based power plants installed under CPEC environment friendly: Chinese envoy

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ISLAMABAD (APP): Acting Ambassador of China to Pakistan Zhao Lijian on Friday said environment friendly technology is being used in coal-based power plants installed by China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in Pakistan.Talking with journalists here, he brushed aside the impression that the coal-fired power generation plants were non-environment friendly saying “these are just rumors and have no reality as the Chinese technology is ecological.”“China, United States of America, India and other European countries are also using coal to generate power, if it had any negative impact on environment, they would not have used it,” he added.He said coal based power projects could be completed within the shortest possible time, while power generation through other resources like hydle and wind were much-time consuming projects.Under the CPEC, he said five power projects had so far been completed, while first phase of another power plant would start producing electricity during the current month.He expressed the hope that load shedding in the Pakistan would end soon.Responding to a question, the envoy said “China and Pakistan are enjoying cordial relations and cooperation in diverse fields. We are giving great importance to development of Pakistan.”The envoy said the CPEC had great significance for Pakistan, China and the whole region, adding that all political parties in Pakistan were unanimous and wanted to see successful completion and execution of the game-changer project.To another question about criticism by India on CPEC and R&B initiative, he said India was also part of Bangladesh, China India and Myanmar Corridor (BCIM). He said progress on the projects was underway.During n the 19th CPC National Congress held last month, he said the Road and Belt (R&B) initiative had been made part of the constitutions. “The steps to declare (R&B) part of the constitution will benefit the whole region,” he added.He said Chinese President Xi Jinping in his report to the National Congress reviewed the historic achievements made in China’s development over the past five years and made major conclusions on the basis of the historic achievements.He said General Secretary Xi pointed out that historic changes have taken place in China and that socialism with Chinese Characteristic had entered a new era.About the poverty alleviation, the envoy said China was committed to completely alleviate poverty from the country by the year 2020. He said the cause of poverty reduction in China was not only good for its own development but also would make important contribution to the development of the world.He said according to the annual report on poverty reduction of China 2016, from 1981 to 2012, the number of poverty population decreased by 790 million accounting for 71.82 percent of the global poverty reduction.

BMW says recalling around 1 mln cars in US over fire risks

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FRANKFURT AM MAIN (AFP) - German luxury carmaker BMW on Friday said it was recalling approximately one million vehicles in North America over two separate problems that posed fire risks, and did not rule out that more countries may be affected.The first voluntary recall affects certain BMW 3 Series models from 2006 to 2011, the company said in a statement.The issue is related to potentially faulty wiring of the climate control blower fan which in extremely rare cases could cause a fire, it said.The second recall will address a problem with a heater valve in certain 2007-2011 BMW models equipped with a 6-cylinder engine.Irregularities in the manufacturing process could lead to corrosion and in extremely rare cases may lead to a thermal event, the company said.Both recalls are for some 700,000 cars each but because there are a lot of overlaps the total number of affected cars is around one million, spokesman Michael Rebstock told AFP.Most of the recalls affect the United States, while some 15,000 cars are being recalled in Canada.We dont exclude that other markets beyond the US and Canada could be subject to the same recall actions, the spokesman said, adding that BMW was already in talks with authorities in Europe.It must be seen if other countries could be considered, he said.The affected cars were produced in Spartanburg, South Carolina as well as in Germany, South Africa and several other countries, the spokesman said.The mass recall is the latest setback to hit the German titan, after its Munich headquarters was raided by EU antitrust regulators late last month as part of a probe into alleged collusion between German carmakers.News of the recalls barely affected BMW shares on Frankfurts blue-chip DAX index however, with the manufacturer shedding 0.33 percent to close at 89.57 euros.Recalls in the US can potentially lead to major damages claims.Earlier this year, four automakers including BMW and Toyota agreed to pay $553 million (476 million euros) to settle a US lawsuit over defective Takata airbags that were blamed for at least 16 deaths.

HBL Pakistan Super League player draft set to take place on Nov 12

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LAHORE (APP):The HBL Pakistan Super League Player Draft is all set to take place here on November 12.“Top international stars including Chris Lynn, JP Duminy, Mitchell Johnson, Dwayne Bravo, Imran Tahir, Angelo Mathews, Luke Ronchi, Colin Ingram, Wayne Parnell, and John Hastings have put their name forward for the HBL PSL Player Draft”, said a spokesman of the PCB on Friday.These players will join a star-studded PSL roster including the likes of Shoaib Malik, Brendon McCullum, Mohammad Amir, Kevin Pietersen, Hasan Ali, Darren Sammy, Shahid Afridi, Shadab Khan, Andre Russell, Shakib al Hasan, Kumar Sangakkara and many more T20 stars who have been retained by their respective teams, he added.He said each team will go into the HBL PSL Player Draft 2017 with a squad of nine players. The Draft will include one round in Platinum, Diamond and Gold categories. This will be followed by two rounds each in Silver and Emerging. Teams will have the option to pick up to four players each in the Supplementary category.“The default pick order will see Lahore Qalandars going firstfollowed by Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans”, he said adding “This may be altered as a result of trades.Meanwhile, Karachi Kings have opted to skip their first pick in the Emerging Round, they will nominate a player after the conclusion of their talent hunt program.“Teams will have a purse of $1.2 million each to pick a squad of 20 players”, said the spokesman.

Smog shuts power plants, electricity shortfall hits 7,000MW

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chashma nuclear power plant among several power production units were reported shut on Friday owing to smog causing power outages in parts of Punjab as electricity shortfall has hit 7,000MegaWatt.Reportedly, some areas of Punjab have been hit with eight to ten hours of power outages by the start of winter season owing to smog that on the other hand has added to environment woes of Lahore and other cities with locals getting itchy eyes and sore throats.Medical experts have recommended sporting spectacles whilst in the open and a mask to keep smog and pollutants entering their system.Earlier in the day today, environment minister of Punjab blamed India for smog by asserting that neighbouring authorities burnt some 35 million tons of waste that caused the adverse effect.Meteorological department has forecast dense smog for another ten days in Punjab.Meteorological Department Director General Muhammad Rizwan said that rain could bring a positive change in the environment however, there is no forecast of it at the time.Spokesperson for water and power ministry stated that all four units of Chashma plant were shut and the national grid was devoid of 1,200MegaWatt of electricity.Shortage of furnace oil has added to power woes as government has issued instructions to shut all oil-fired plants causing loss of another 4,250MW of electricit to the national grid.Total production of electricity stands at some 8,000MW at the time, primarily from hydal and gas power plants however, Punjab areas are bearing the brunt of at least 7,000MW of shortfall.

This is what ancient historical figures actually looked like

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(Web Desk)– We admit that sometimes directors have issues with the historical accuracy of either appearance or personality of some historical figures. However, acting talent of those who played the outstanding historical characters and the professionalism of the whole team can make such movie a huge success.But heres how some of the historical figures popular in movie culture, really looked like.Xerxes I:On the left is the historical portrait of King Xerxes I while on the right is Xerxes I as portrayed in movie 300 by actor Rodrigo Santoro.William Wallace:On the left is the historical Portrait of William Wallace who came from a noble Scottish family while on the right is the William Wallace in movie Braveheart portrayed by actor Mel Gibson.Emperor Commodus:Joaquin Phoenix doesn’t look like his historical prototype. In addition to this, the movie also suggests some inaccuracies concerning the biography of the Roman statesman. The real Commodus ruled Rome for almost 13 years, whilst in the movie he reigns ineffectively for about two years. Moreover, the emperor Commodus did participate in the gladiator battles, but always without any danger to his life or health.King Henry VIII:As you can see from the original portrait of the King Henry VIII of England, he was much bigger than his TV double in ‘The Tudors’ series.Cleopatra:Cleopatra easily won the heart of Roman dictator Julius Caesar and his successor Mark Antony, which is why it’s believed that the last pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt was extremely beautiful. But it fact, Cleopatra was small and not that attractive. Ironically, only beauties — Vivien Leigh, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, and Monica Bellucci — had a chance to portray this historical figure.

Honda says fuel from Shell, Total, PSO harms engines in Pakistan

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ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan’s state oil and gas regulator said on Thursday it would investigate a complaint that fuel suppliers including local units of Shell (RDSa.L) and Total (TOTF.PA) as well as Pakistan State Oil (PSO) (PSO.KA) had added manganese to their gasoline.Honda Motor Co’s Pakistan subsidiary, Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Ltd. (HATC.KA), filed the complaint, saying the additive appeared to be damaging engines in its vehicles.Manganese can be added to fuel to make it appear to be of a higher quality but it can reduce fuel economy and potentially harm public health due to emissions.Honda’s complaint states Pakistani suppliers used the additive to elevate the Research Octane Number (RON) used to grade petroleum and lower quality fuel up to the RON 92 grade required by regulatory standards.“We have received a complaint from Honda, and the relevant department will look into the issue,” said Imran Ghaznavi, a spokesman for the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).The Honda complaint, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, said tests found dangerous levels of manganese in fuel samples from Shell Pakistan Ltd, Total Parco Pakistan Ltd and Pakistan State Oil Company Ltd.The tests showed levels of manganese of up to 53 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), while the additive is deemed at a “danger level” at 24 mg/kg, the Honda complaint said.A spokesman for PSO said the company’s “products fully adhere to official specifications laid out by the Ministry of Energy” and all products were tested before being released to the market.“Products below official standards are rejected and returned,” company spokesman Imran Rana told Reuters.Officials from Shell in Pakistan and London had no immediate comment. Total officials could not immediately be reached.Ilyas Fazil, head of Pakistan’s Oil Companies Advisory Council, said on Thursday he had not heard of manganese additives being a problem in the industry.“Other refineries are producing 90 RON, which is slightly lower than 92...pure 92 RON, that is imported,” he said.Pakistan’s petroleum sales have spiked in the past two years, rising 10 percent between 2015 and 2017 and continued growth is expected as Chinese-backed development projects spur the transportation and automotive sectors.A senior industry official said Toyota Pakistan had not experienced the same issues with their engines but said the company was concerned about high manganese levels in petroleum.“Now that Honda has formally complained they may also follow suit,” the official who asked not to be identified told Reuters.Additional reporting by Drazen Jorgic; Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Edmund Blair

China disputes Trump claim it produces most US-bound fentanyl

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BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese authorities on Friday disputed US President Donald Trumps claim that most of the drug fentanyl, which is blamed for thousands of American deaths, was made in China, reports said days before his visit.Last week, Trump declared the US opioid crisis a national public health emergency and vowed to step up the fight against an epidemic that kills more than 150 Americans every day.He said the United States needed to stop the flood of cheap and deadly fentanyl that was manufactured in China, declaring that discussions on the topic would be a priority during his first state visit to Beijing next week.China did not deny or reject the claim that some Chinese-produced fentanyl found its way into the US market, the deputy director of the Ministry of Public Securitys narcotics control bureau Wei Xiaojun told a press briefing, according to the state-run Global Times newspaper.But according to the intelligence and information exchanged... between China and the US, the evidence is insufficient to illustrate that the majority of fentanyl or other new psychoactive substances come from China, he said.Legal and illegal synthetic opioids were behind most of the 64,000 drug overdose deaths across the US in 2016, a record level expected to rise further this year.With the supply of prescription opioids on the market cut back in the past two years, addicts have turned to the cheapest alternative, fentanyl or heroin cut with fentanyl.China, which is a significant producer and supplier of fentanyl and the chemicals used to make the compound, has outlawed an increasingly large portfolio of drugs this year at the behest of the US.Last month, the US Department of Justice announced that it had indicted two Chinese nationals for selling fentanyl made in labs in China to US consumers over the Internet.Wei criticized the decision, expressing regret that the US had chosen to act unilaterally, as it would impact the ongoing joint investigation into the case by the two countries.An estimated 2.6 million Americans are hooked on prescription opioid painkillers like oxycodone and hydrocodone, or on heroin and fentanyl.

Malnutrition soaring among Rohingya children in Bangladesh: UN

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GENEVA (AFP) - Life-threatening levels of malnutrition have risen dramatically among Rohingya refugee children who have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, the United Nations warned Friday.The UN childrens agency said preliminary data indicated a full 7.5 percent of the children crammed into one of the camps in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district were at risk of dying from severe acute malnutrition.More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmars Rakhine state since late August during military operations that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing and the worlds most acute refugee crisis.Around half of them are children.Its very worrying to see the condition of children who keep arriving, UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac told reporters in Geneva after a recent trip to the camps.The agency and its partners are already treating more than 2,000 acutely malnourished children at 15 treatment centres, and are in the process of setting up six additional centres.AFP correspondents on the ground also witnessed scores of obviously malnourished children near treatment centres in several refugee camps in Coxs Bazar.He cannot eat enough food as he suffers from pneumonia, fever and diarrhoea, Rohingya woman Fahima Bibi told AFP as she emerged from one centre with her two-year-old grandson Mohammad Jabed, who is suffering from severe acute malnutrition.UNICEF said its preliminary findings were based on a nutrition assessment conducted last week of children under the age of five in 405 households in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar.- Catastrophe -The Rohingya children in the camp, who have survived horrors in Myanmars northern Rakhine State and a dangerous journey here, are already caught up in a catastrophe, UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Edouard Beigbeder said in a statement.Those with severe malnutrition are now at risk of dying from an entirely preventable and treatable cause, he warned.Malnutrition rates among children in northern Rakhine were already above emergency thresholds before the latest crisis erupted.The condition of these children has further deteriorated due to the long journey across the border and the conditions in the camps, the UNICEF statement said.The journey by boat is particularly treacherous, with the International Organization for Migration on Friday putting the number of drownings since August at around 250.Some 26,000 people now live in the Kutupalong camp, where they are faced with an acute shortage of food and water, unsanitary conditions and high rates of diarrhoea and respiratory infections, the agency said.UNICEF said it was planning two additional assessments in other sites in Coxs Bazar this month to help determine if the numbers found in Kutupalong might apply to the entire area.Boulierac however told AFP the agency was concerned by the preliminary findings, since the Kutupalong camp has existed for a long time and the services there are believed to be better than in the many new, makeshift camps.The overall rate of life-threatening malnutrition could therefore turn out to be even higher than what was found in Kutupalong, he said.The influx of refugees is continuing, with the UN refugee agency estimating that some 3,000 people crossed through a single border crossing at Anjuman Para between Wednesday and Thursday alone.We need far more attention to the crisis, and far more resources for the response, Beigbeder said, stressing that these children need help right now.
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