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Apartheid: The rise and fall of South Africa's 'apartness' laws

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By Philip Whiteside, Amar Mehta and Sabah Choudhry

At the stroke of midnight on 15 August 1947, a fissure was cleaved in what some had previously referred to as the jewel in the crown of the British empire.

The 75th anniversary of the moment when India, Pakistan and what later became Bangladesh were created out of the former colony is being celebrated in South Asia this weekend.

But the partition of British India into the new nations by a line drawn by a civil servant on a map, triggered a series of events the consequences of which millions are still living with today.

This explains why that Partition still has such a lasting legacy.

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India's Partition: How the ending of British rule uprooted millions and hit generations that followed

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Kwame Nkrumah Overthrown - 1966 | Today In History | 24 Feb 17

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Dancing Queen | The Crown Season 2 Netflix

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The impact of the Queen’s visit and a royal dance in Ghana – BBC News

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The Legacy of British Colonialism Is Still Dividing Kenya

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Kenya’s colonial inequalities continue, decades after independence  - BBC News

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China's foreign ministry has accused the US president of "political provocation" after Joe Biden called Xi Jinping a "dictator".

The comments "seriously violated China's political dignity", foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

Biden made the remarks a day after the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, met Xi on a trip to China that was aimed at easing tensions between the two countries. He also said Xi was embarrassed when a Chinese balloon was blown off course over the US earlier this year.

"The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn't know it was there," Biden said at a fundraiser in California on Tuesday.

"That's a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn't know what happened. That wasn't supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course," Biden added.

A suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over US airspace in February. That incident and exchanges of visits by US and Taiwanese officials have recently magnified US-China tensions.

In March, Xi secured a precedent-breaking third term as president, making him China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

Biden also said that China "has real economic difficulties".

China's economy stumbled in May with industrial output and retail sales growth missing forecasts, adding to expectations that Beijing will need to do more to shore up a shaky post-pandemic recovery.

The World Bank earlier this month forecast US growth for 2023 at 1.1%, more than double the 0.5% forecast in January, while China's growth is expected to climb to 5.6%, compared with a 4.3% forecast in January.

Blinken and Xi agreed in their Monday meeting to stabilise the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so it did not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any breakthrough during a rare visit to China by the secretary of state.

They did agree to continue diplomatic engagement with further visits by US officials in the coming weeks and months. Biden said later on Tuesday that the US climate envoy, John Kerry, may go to China soon.

Biden said on Monday he thought relations between the two countries were on the right path, and he indicated that progress was made during Blinken's trip.

Biden said on Tuesday that Xi had been concerned by the so-called Quad strategic security group, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the US. The US president said he previously told Xi the US was not trying to encircle China with the Quad.

"He called me and told me not to do that because it was putting him in a bind," Biden said.

Later this week, Biden will meet the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, and China is expected to be a topic of discussion between the two leaders.
Reuters contributed to this report

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'Political provocation': China hits back as Biden calls Xi 'dictator'

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US president's comments come just as two countries seek to dial down intense rivalry

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More than 5,000 mental health patients have been sent at least 62 miles from home for treatment in the two years since ministers pledged to banish the "dangerous" practice.

The disclosure prompted calls for the "scandal" of out of area placements in mental health care to end, with claims that it represents "another broken government promise on the NHS".

Chronic shortages of mental health beds have for years forced the health service in England to send hundreds of patients a month to be admitted for care, sometimes a long way from their own area.

But in 2016 ministers and NHS bosses committed to end the use of "inappropriate" placements - those caused by a lack of beds and for which there is no clinical justification - by the end of March 2021, after an outcry over the damage they cause.

Mental health campaigners, psychiatrists and patients' families have argued that being far from home can make already vulnerable patients feel isolated, deprive them of regular visits from relatives, increase the risk of self-harm and reduce their chances of making a recovery.

Analysis of NHS data by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) has found that 8,925 new "inappropriate" placements occurred between April 2021 and March this year. Of those, 5,335 involved a patient being sent at least 100km (62 miles) from home.

An average of 12 new placements a day started during that time, despite the pledge.

"It's appalling that the government have not brought an end to the scandal of out of area mental health placements, two years after the deadline they gave themselves for doing exactly that", said Rosena Allin-Khan, the shadow cabinet minister for mental health, who is also an NHS doctor.

"Two years on, this is another disgraceful broken promise on the NHS, with patients suffering far away from their loved ones and support networks."

Since April 2021, a total of 695 patients - one in 14 of the total - have been sent to a mental health unit at least 300km (186 miles) away, according to the RCP's findings.

They included one patient who was taken 605km (378 miles) away from their home in Plymouth, Devon to a residential psychiatric unit in Darlington, Durham in March due to the beds crisis.

Dr Andrew Molodynski, a psychiatrist and the British Medical Association's (BMA) health policy lead, said: "It is shameful that mental health patients are being routinely let down by this government, who are now two years past their target of ending the practice of sending patients out of area for treatment by March 2021, and still failing miserably.

"This isolating and dehumanising practice is a direct consequence of a fragmented and underfunded mental health care system that has been letting patients down for far too long," he added.

The RCP and the BMA have written to Maria Caulfield, the mental health minister, recommending a major expansion of community-based services to help reduce the number of people ending up in a mental health crisis and needing inpatient care in the first place.

Dr Adrian James, the RCP's president, said: "This unacceptable practice ... risks patients' mental health to such a degree that they often remain in hospital for longer."

The Department of Health and Social Care did not respond directly to the new figures. But a spokesperson insisted that it did still intend to end out of area care. "Everyone should have access to safe mental health care close to home, and we are committed to ending inappropriate out of area placements for adult patients," they said.

"We're investing an extra £2.3bn per year in mental health services by March 2024, so that an additional 2 million people can get the support they need and investing an extra £150m to help people experiencing a mental health crisis."

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More than 5,000 mental health patients sent over 62 miles for treatment

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Figures come two years after ministers pledged to end 'dangerous' practice and highlight ongoing chronic shortage of mental health beds in NHS

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Politics United States of America

Published 12 hours ago

The Indian prime minister addressed US lawmakers as part of his state visit in Washington. US President Joe Biden hailed ties between the two countries, with Modi saying his visit opens a "new chapter" in relations.

Modi's state visit officially kicked off on Thursday with a lavish ceremony at the White House

India's Prime Minister Modi has met US President Joe Biden at the White House

Modi and Biden discussed the Ukraine war, aviation, trade and defense in a bilateral meeting

Modi said there was no 'space for discrimination' in India during rare press conference

Modi addressed US lawmakers and is set to attend a state dinner later this evening

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Joe Biden in Washington during his state visit Thursday.

Modi traveled to Washington DC at the invitation of the US president, becoming only the third leader to be afforded a formal state visit by Biden.

Modi was greeted with a colorful ceremony on the White House South Lawn, where thousands gathered to listen to the two leaders.

The Indian prime minister had a busy schedule, holding bilateral talks with Biden, followed by a joint press conference; after that, he gave an hourlong speech to lawmakers in the US Congress.

What did Modi say to the US Congress?

Modi told the members of the US Congress that the hesitations of history were behind them and he was "here to speak about the calling for this century."

A lot has changed since Modi last visited years ago, but the commitment to "deepen the friendship between India and the US" remains the same.

He drew applause from the chamber as he told US lawmakers that "I can relate to the battles of passion, persuasion and policy... But I am delighted to see you come together today to celebrate the bond between the world's two greatest democracies: India and the United States."

"I agree with President Biden that this is a defining partnership of this century," Modi said.

He called for the reform of multilateral institutions and for the African Union to get a permanent seat at the G20.

Modi addresses US Congress

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What happened in the joint press conference?

Following talks in the Oval Office, the two leaders gave statements to the press and briefly answered questions from reporters. It was a rare event for Modi, who has only granted isolated interviews since taking office nine years ago and has not yet held a solo press conference.

During the talks, Biden said the two leaders discussed "close collaboration," as well as Russia's war in Ukraine.

Modi said India was prepared to help resolve the conflict any way it can, adding that Delhi laid an emphasis on the "resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy."

The two leaders also emphasized Ukraine's "territorial integrity" in a joint statement. India has not joined the Western sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, and instead bought discounted Russian oil.

The Indian premier said peace in the Indo-Pacific region is a priority. He added separately that strict actions were needed to resolve "cross-border terrorism."

Modi grilled on minority rights

The Indian prime minister was posed a question about discrimination by a reporter from the Wall Street Journal, who asked if Modi was willing to take steps to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in the country, as well as to uphold free speech.

In response, Modi said there was no democracy without human rights and that democracy is India's blood, indicating that no improvements were needed.

"Regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there's absolutely no space for discrimination," Modi said.

Biden said the two leaders had a "good discussion" about democracy.

Biden, Modi hold joint press conference in Washington

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Before the meeting on Thursday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan responded to concerns over the state of democracy in India.

"The question of where politics and the question of democratic institutions go in India is going to be determined within India by Indians. It's not going to be determined by the United States," Sullivan said.

"So what we can do is our part, and our part is to speak out on behalf of universal values."

India has previously clamped down on criticism of Modi, including blocking a BBC documentary that looked into Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Investment and defense deals reached

On business ties, Indian companies announced more than $2 billion (€1.83 billion) in US investments as part of Modi's visit to Washington.

Modi said close defense ties between the countries showed mutual trust. He added investment by US tech companies in India demonstrated the future of the bilateral partnership.

On Thursday, American firm General Electric announced it signed an agreement with India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics to jointly make engines in India to power fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.

Modi called it a "landmark" agreement.

India announced earlier Thursday that it was joining the US-led Artemis Accords, an international cooperative agreement for space exploration.

Other deals include US chipmaker Micron Technology's $2.7 billion plan for a new semiconductor testing and packaging unit in the western state of Gujarat.

India and the US have also signed an agreement that would allow US Navy ships to stop in Indian shipyards for repairs. The two shared agreements to deploy clean energy at scale.

The US will also launch a pilot program to make it easier for skilled Indian workers to obtain and renew US visas.

Plus, the two countries have agreed to terminate six outstanding disputes at the World Trade Organization, according to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

Biden and Modi praise 'friendship'

During a ceremony to formally kick off the state visit, Biden said he "long believed the relationship between the United States and India... will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century."

Biden praised "the limitless possibilities of our two countries" and described the US and India as "two great nations, two great friends, two great powers."

He called religious pluralism a "core principle for India."

Biden welcomes India's Modi to White House

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Modi then thanked Biden "for his friendship" and said it is an "honor and pride for 1.4 billion [in India] and 1.4 million people of Indian origin living in the US." He said the Indian community was the "real strength" of their ties.

Modi added that in a post-pandemic future, "the world order is taking new shape. In this time period, the friendship between India and US will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world."

He said the strong strategic partnership between the two countries was clear proof of "the power of democracy" and that he was "deeply grateful" for an opportunity to address US Congress later in the day.

rm, sdi/rs (Reuters, AP)

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Modi says ties with US 'defining partnership' of the century - DW - 06/23/2023

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The Indian prime minister addressed US lawmakers as part of his state visit in Washington. US President Joe Biden hailed ties between the two countries, with Modi saying his visit opens a "new chapter" in relations.

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