#Bilateral Ties

[newspatron]

PM Modi Nigeria Award: Strengthening Ties

Share your thoughts on PM Modi's recognition and its impact on India-Nigeria relations!

Welcome to an insightful exploration of a significant milestone in international relations. PM Modi recently received Nigeria’s highest civilian award. This event marks a pivotal moment in the growing bond between India and Nigeria. This recognition not only celebrates Modi’s contributions but also underscores the importance of collaboration between these two vibrant nations. In this blog post,…

[carlocarrasco]

Major agreement between Japan and the Philippines formally signed, up for ratification

A major agreement between Japan and the Philippines pertaining to defense matters and accessibility has been formally signed in the presence of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., at Malacañang Palace, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. It should be remembered that Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro mentioned this past June that the signing would happen in July. The…

[sabkiawaaj]

PM Modi's Visit to Qatar: How a Country Rose from Poverty to Become the Richest in the Middle East in 50 Years

PM Modi’s Visit to Qatar: How a Country Rose from Poverty to Become the Richest in the Middle East in 50 Years PM Modi’s Visit to Qatar: How a Country Rose from Poverty to Become the Richest in the Middle East in 50 Years Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Qatar has drawn attention to the remarkable transformation of the country, which has emerged as the wealthiest nation in the…

[estrellasmind]

Healthcare Bias

I wanted to share my recent experience because it’s been quite a journey, and I know others might relate. I’ve never wanted children, ever since I was a child myself. On top of that, I have a serious fear of pregnancy (tokophobia). Since I was a teenager, I’ve been set on getting sterilized. Two months ago, I started actively pursuing a bilateral salpingectomy. I went to a couple of consultations, but the doctors were dismissive, with that frustrating “I know you’ll change your mind” attitude. Unsurprisingly, they rejected my request.

Determined to be taken seriously, I got a letter from my therapist explaining my phobia and reasons for seeking sterilization. Armed with this, I approached another doctor. Despite still facing skepticism, the doctor agreed to schedule me for the surgery. Then, just three days before the scheduled date, I received a devastating call. The doctor canceled the surgery, citing his belief that I would regret my decision later in life and feel incomplete without children. It’s incredibly frustrating to encounter such attitudes in the medical community, where women’s choices about their own bodies are often undermined or dismissed.

I’m feeling disheartened, but I’m not giving up. I’m moving to Aus soon, and my search for a supportive doctor will continue.

This type of thing happens way too commonly within the medical community, not just to women who are and want to stay childfree, but to all women. Our feelings, pain, and concerns are often dismissed as “just hormones” or being “overdramatic.” It’s frustrating and dehumanizing when decisions about our own bodies and lives are undermined in this way. The assumption that we’ll change our mind about major life choices like parenthood or that our fears and preferences are insignificant only perpetuates the lack of trust and respect many of us experience in healthcare settings. It’s a systemic issue that needs to be addressed and changed. We need to be our own biggest advocate and not give up just because some doctors won’t help us. Our voices matter, and we deserve to be heard and respected in all aspects of our healthcare.

[marwahstudios]

Issa Saleh Abdullah Appointed Patron of Indo-Oman Film and Cultural Forum to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Noida – In a landmark event, H.E. Issa Saleh Abdullah Saleh Al Shibani, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to India, was officially presented with the patronship of the newly established Indo-Oman Film and Cultural Forum. This forum, created under the auspices of the International Chamber of Media and Entertainment Industry (ICMEI) and the Embassy of Oman, is dedicated to fostering and promoting cultural and artistic relations between the two nations.

During the ceremony held at the ICMEI headquarters at Marwah Studios, Film City Noida, Ambassador Al Shibani expressed his pride and enthusiasm for leading the forum. “I am happy to be the patron of the Indo-Oman Film and Cultural Forum. Together, we will definitely create a strong and powerful impact on our relationship and friendship,” he remarked, emphasizing the potential of this forum to enhance the deep-rooted ties between India and Oman.

Ambassador Al Shibani brings to this role over twenty years of distinguished service in the Foreign Ministry of Oman. His career, which began in a translation office, has seen him take on diplomatic roles in London and Paris, culminating in his current position as Ambassador to India. Reflecting on his journey, he stated, “Throughout this fulfilling journey, I have developed invaluable skills, forged lifelong connections, and encountered brilliant minds that have left an indelible mark on my life. I eagerly look forward to continuing this incredible adventure and making a lasting impact in the world of diplomacy.”

The Chancellor of AAFT and President of ICMEI, Dr. Sandeep Marwah, expressed his gratitude and excitement about the association with Ambassador Al Shibani. “We are proud to be associated with you, and we will enjoy working under your leadership and guidance,” said Dr. Marwah. He further emphasized the significant role that the Indo-Oman Film and Cultural Forum will play in strengthening bilateral relations through various cultural initiatives and exchanges.

This collaboration is expected to set the stage for numerous joint ventures, including film festivals, cultural programs, and academic exchanges, aimed at bringing the people of India and Oman closer together through the universal language of art and culture.

[sightoru]

Here is the child free friendly doctors list. the people on this list are compiled by other childfree people who do not want children. people submit doctors who did their sterilization regardless of age, children, or marital status.

here is a breakdown of how the ACA (affordable care act) works, and how it applies to sterilization. this is only for AFAB people however. vasectomies do not count. You cannot be charged for this surgery. No coinsurance, no deductible, nothing. my hospital originally wanted $4k from me. I told them to bill me and I'll discuss with my insurance. they might be pushy, and try to get you to pay for it ahead of time, but refuse and have them bill it.

If you are getting a bilateral salpingectomy (shortened: bisalp) (COMPLETE TUBAL REMOVAL not 'tubes tied', which is where they snip the tubes and tie them with clips [called a 'tubal ligation']) there is no possible way you can become pregnant. and it does not effect your hormones at all. im being so fr, do not let people say it effects your hormones, because theres no hormones in your tubes. those are carried in ur ovaries.

If you have a family history of reproductive cancer, a bisalp greatly reduces your risks of getting those cancers. insurance codes are CPT codes of either 58661 or 58670 and the ICD-10 code of Z30.2 you might have to plug both in and talk to insurance. if someone on the phone is an asshole to you, just hang up and try again with someone else. On the other side, I've been on plenty of birth control options. for 6 years I had a copper IUD. it does make your periods heavier, and crampier if you can stand that, but it has no hormones in it and it lasts 12 years.

[dailynewsreporter]

[theonion]

In an effort to strengthen diplomatic ties between the global superpowers’ most oafish representatives, sources confirmed Thursday that schlubs from the United States and China met in Australia this week for a series of lowest-level talks.

The noisy, poorly dressed delegations, which convened for multiple sessions of bilateral discussion at a Best Western motor inn just outside Brisbane, reportedly addressed a range of issues important to schlubs in both countries, including reducing tariffs on microwaveable mozzarella sticks, establishing worldwide manufacturing standards for foam beer koozie production, and generally fostering a spirit of goodwill and cooperation within the international slob community. Full Story

[mesetacadre]

this might be a silly question, but. ive recently learned more about the devastating effects of sanctions on countries like cuba, dprk, or venezuela, and how much unnecessary suffering they cause among the population, especially when it comes to food or medicine shortages. but then bds also calls for sanctions against israel, and im wondering, is there any meaningful difference between that and the sanctions already imposed by the US on other countries? i feel a bit hypocritical when i argue against sanctions while at the same time supporting bds, i feel like they are very different situations with different outcomes but i lack the understanding to really grasp how they are different, if that makes any sense

Sanctions are the systematic blockade of all or certain sectors of trade under military or economic threat by the sanctioner (mostly just the USA in recent history) to any potential agents who might try to ignore the sanction. These sanctions typically include things like medical supplies, food if the country is dependent on imports (like most countries who get sanctioned), electricity, fuel, both light and heavy industry, agricultural products and machines, the global financial system, and other such key sectors. These sanctions, overwhelmingly, only serve to impoverish the country, create undue suffering and political strife. This political strife/instability is usually the main goal of sanctions, to destabilize the target government. However, this political instability more often than not does not result in a magical restoration of "democracy" or "human rights", it usually leads the country down a path of further isolationism and political violence that only worsens its general situation. It also makes it much easier for factions like ISIS to gain popularity and support, since people are desperate. Sanctions are inhumane measures which only makes a country suffer for no good reason. The sanctioners know this, they don't care, and I'd wager that suffering is often the actual point of these sanctions. What has the 60 year old blockade achieved in Cuba? It has only caused pointless poverty, and the stated goal of the sanctions, which is to ultimately remove the communist government, has failed, is failing, and Cuba is managing to make due with what they have.

BDS call for sanctions mostly in regards to military equipment and related products/services, for NATO to stop aiding the genocide, or the banning of Israel from international events such as the olympics. No Israeli will ever go hungry because they no longer get European-made ordinance or because they don't get to participate in Eurovision. This is what BDS says in their Sanctions and governments campaign (which is behind two menus, this is also not the main focus of BDS, by far):

The BDS movement calls for sanctions against Israel, similar to the sanctions that were imposed against apartheid South Africa. These sanctions could include a military embargo, an end to economic links and the cutting of diplomatic ties. In the meantime, the BDS movement is calling for states to take steps to meet their legal obligations not to be complicit in the commission of particular Israeli crimes and not to provide recognition, aid or assistance that help Israel maintain its regime of settler colonialism, apartheid.. This includes, for example, the obligation for states to immediately end to all trade that sustains illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the suspension of free trade agreements and other bilateral agreements with Israel.

Notice the greater emphasis on military and diplomatic ties, and how economic/trade sanctions are only called for when it «sustains illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory». Sure, this will (if it is ever adopted by Israel's significant trade partners) cause some suffering for the poor illegal settlers who had just moved into their shiny new apartment blocks built atop acres of land that sustained the surrounding Palestinian villages. The mere existence of these settlements cause more suffering than any sanction could ever cause.

Calling for these sanctions against Israel, which again, don't even come from comparable agents, are both less harmful towards the total population of Israel, and occur in a completely different context. I'm not going to pretend I care about the wellbeing of settlers whose houses didn't even exist 10 years ago. If these sanctions ever do occur in a significant enough scale (dubious), and those settlers don't want to find themselves in a food desert because Carrefour closed all their stores in the west bank, they shouldn't have moved into land stolen from a people facing genocide in the first place. We're also wagering hypothetical and non-global suffering against the now more than 100,000 dead Palestinians in Gaza in the past year, not even counting those who died ever since the first Nakba.

Like BDS points out, these types of grassroots and targeted boycotts/sanctions worked in South Africa, and the white South Africans didn't even suffer that much. Wager these short-lived and targeted sanctions against these other half-century long sanctions sustained by the US' strongarm policy that have prevented basically anything from getting into Cuba or the DPRK.

While those two things are both called sanctions, they have radically different objectives, methods, range, timescale, and character. I can't reiterate this enough, the North Korean collective farmer and the Israeli settler in the west bank have nothing in common when it comes to their position. Only one of them is complicit in genocide through their own actions, only one of them has any degree of blame, and only one of their governments is actually doing anything that warrants any kind of international action. And again, the BDS strategy focuses much more on military sanctions. Let's also be practical for a second, and acknowledge that the US is never going to withdraw their support for Israel, and especially will never sanction Israel. Israel is simply never going to face the same kind of sanctions that Venezuela or Cuba are facing, nor with the same severity, nor with the same restrictions on products essential for life.

[magic-worms]

I love your art!!! I just want to say I love how you draw medic and the headcannon of knee support/cane user, HES LITRELLY ME FR

Anywayyyy carry on doing such a good job and do you have any other headcannons about him???

ah you’re so kind! thank you! and in this case, yes, i do have more info & hcs to share about his disability in particular; whenever i’m drafting ideas about characters i tend to draw them out/write stuff down, so i realized when i saw this ask that i already happened to have a lot of the visual aids that would make my reply more comprehensive :]

i draw medic with chronic bilateral knee joint pain which, like many of the other mercs, he’s forced to manage while under the expectation of being able to fight a war every day for money- and because of the nature of their work involving constant, high physical demand, he’s certainly not the only one dealing with pain or other issues either caused by or made worse from exertion in (and out of) combat.

between battles/missions/outings he tries to rest his joints as much as possible, basically in a daily cycle of strain-rest-strain (a lot of these ideas are also tied pretty closely to my thoughts about the medigun and respawn and how they would work & interact with the mercs’ bodies, maybe i should make a post about that, hmmm,)

he has a few different types of canes, which he alternates between depending on the day or whether he’s misplaced one and can’t find it (why he has three of them, lol) the ones i’ve drawn are an adjustable offset handle cane and this fancy custom one with more of a fashion handle spy gave to him (one of the only instances of them having a nice interaction. in my mind they don’t like each other much on the red side) i may have also drawn him before using a derby handle custom, though i can’t remember. generally, he prefers using quad bases for their greater support + freestanding ability

a cane isn’t always supportive enough, though, since his pain is even-sided (notice him alternating hands) and it also doesn’t relieve as much weight from his joints as needed. here’s a rough chair design i made a while back + some notes on its features:

the fact that you’re able to see yourself in a character through a hc of mine makes me really happy! thanks again for your nice message ^_^

[justdiptych]

The original Fallout had one group of raiders. That was the name the game map gave to them - 'Raiders' - but they were in fact known as the Khans. They were a relatively minor faction, being tied to quests in the first town the player is likely to visit, but we learn a lot about them in their brief appearance.

Many of the Khans are given names and dialogue, and will tell the player about their history - including how they came from the same place as the people of Shady Sands, Vault 15, and feel entitled to share in the town's wealth. Some see their raiding life as a way to claim control of the post-war world - ruling through strength and fear, believing that old ideas of morality died with the rest of the world. Others treat it as just another job - they support their group by trading, maintaining equipment, preparing food, and other everyday tasks.

In short, the Khans are a fully-realised community, as much a part of the story as any other. We learn that their brutal leader, Garl Death-Hand, took command after killing his abusive father. The player can kill him, or negotiate with him, or impress him with acts of cruelty, or even challenge his nihilistic views by convincing him that they're his father, back from the dead. Killing Garl and destroying his compound is treated as the best choice for the region as a whole, and is confirmed to have happened in the next game in the series, but it's certainly not the only option.

Fallout 2 has two groups of raiders. One - again marked 'Raiders' on the map - turn out not to be raiders at all, in that they're not attacking towns to steal their wealth. Instead, they're a mercenary company, hired by a disreputable businessman from one town (New Reno) on behalf of another town (Shady Sands again, now the capital of the New California Republic) to harass a third town (Vault City) to convince them that they need outside help in maintaining their defences. It's part of the game's major subplot about the three societies competing for control of northern California and western Nevada.

The other group are the New Khans, founded by Garl's son Darion after the original Khans' defeat. These Khans aren't nearly so fearsome as their predecessors - they mostly operate in secret, hiding behind a group of squatters who have moved into the ruins of Vault 15 and pretending to help them restore it for use. Darion is wracked with resentment over what happened to his father's crew and guilt for having survived, and his gang ultimately present little real threat to the outside world.

What I'm getting at here is that, in the world of Fallout as it existed in those early games, 'raiders' were not a major factor. There was one group who conducted raids as part of their regular economic activity, but only against particular communities - Shady Sands saw them as raiders, but to the Hub, they were just traders. Raiders only existed in a particular context - they had particular interests, beliefs and opportunities that would not always be possible or applicable.

Most of the games' conflict came not from the existence of raiders but from bilateral political and economic competition between groups with overlapping but not identical interests, which was reflected in their respective ideologies. We see this in Killian and Gizmo fighting to control the future of Junktown, and in the Master's attempt to reshape the world with the Unity while the different groups of New California try to retain their independence.

We particularly see it in Fallout 2, with its three-way battle for economic domination between the constitutional democracy of the New California Republic, the mafia-ruled narco-state of New Reno, and the elitist technocratic slave state of Vault City. Which of these groups continue to rule and expand, and which crumble, is what ultimately shapes the region's future - with control of Redding and its gold supply as the linchpin.

While the Enclave are the story's primary antagonists, they're chiefly characterised by their refusal to engage with this new socio-economic order - they believe that all outside authorities are illegitimate, and all outsiders non-human, and their only plan is to release a bioweapon into the atmosphere and kill literally everyone on Earth but themselves. The Enclave's defeat is necessary for New California's survival, but, otherwise, they change very little about how people live their lives. They're like Darion's New Khans on a larger scale - relics of a fallen order, robbed of their purpose, hiding in an old bunker and driven by nothing but resentment of having been left behind.

I might, in future, talk about the contrasting depiction of raiders in Fallouts 3, 4 and 76, and about New Vegas's use of raider and bandit groups like the Khans, the Legion, the Fiends and the White Legs. For now, I think I've made my point - that raiders are not a fact of life but a product of a particular place and time, and much less relevant to the universe of Fallout than other forms of competition and violence.

[askgermanyhetalia]

[I'm currently in Georgia, so have some facts about German-Georgian relations]

German-Georgian relations refer to diplomatic, economic and cultural ties between Germany and Georgia, which have been developing for several centuries. Germany declared the independence of the Georgian Democratic Republic after World War I and was one of the first countries to recognize the newly formed state in 1918, making it a protectorate of the German Empire. Bilateral relations were interrupted due to the forced annexation of Georgia to the Soviet Union in 1922, but were restored on April 13, 1992 after the collapse of the USSR. Georgia has an embassy in Berlin, and Germany has an embassy in Tbilisi.

My personal design for 1p! and 2p! Georgia(old sketches and new)

[criminal-sen]

Tubes are officially tied😩👌 (okay okay that's not what. it's the fucking bilateral salpingetomy or whatever where they. you get it we all get it) and I'm not even feeling that bad despite anesthesia and all that. So hurray:p

[leftistfeminista]

'I Won't Stop Until Israel Admits Its Ties With the Pinochet Regime'

Lily Traubman, who immigrated to Israel in the 1970s, hopes the documents she is trying to get from the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry may even contain information on her father's killers.

A year ago there were headlines when four women filed a suit for sexual abuse they suffered in prison during the Pinochet period. They demanded that the abuse be recognized as a political crime and that their torturers be brought to trial. Were such attacks something that was directed from above?

Of course. Have you heard of “La Venda Sexy”? It was a detention center where people were tortured. The name actually means “Sexy Blindfold,” because the detainees’ eyes were covered the whole time and they were subjected to sexual abuse.

All the detainees were blindfolded the whole time?

Yes. They were arrested, blindfolded and put into a room, together, with their eyes covered. Then they were tortured. Most of the female detainees were raped and underwent sexual abuse. A girlfriend of mine was held there but was not raped. She told me she’d felt fortunate, but then came New Year’s and she was raped. They’d kept her for the holiday.

Venda Sexy was truly awful. They had dogs that were trained to rape women, and they would force spouses and family members to watch the rape. More and more testimonies about these abuses come out all the time.

And throughout this whole period, Israel, under prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin and Shimon Peres, maintained excellent relations with Chile. The two countries supported each other in the United Nations and signed bilateral agreements. Army Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur visited Chile in 1978, as did Deputy Prime Minister David Levy in 1982. Both met with Pinochet.

Pinochet was even invited to the synagogue in Santiago on Yom Kippur. Other presidents were not invited.

The documents declassified by the Americans also contain references to arms deals with Israel. Secretary of State George Shultz noted in a 1984 document that Britain, France, Israel and Germany were Chile’s arms suppliers.

All the weapons of the Chilean police and army were Israeli. In Chile I went around with a photograph of my brother in uniform. At checkpoints and in searches I would take out the picture and tell them that this was my brother, who was an officer in the IDF – even though he was a regular soldier – and that did the trick. The Chilean army greatly admired the Israeli army. When Pinochet wanted to visit Israel, he threatened that if he were not received here he would cancel a large arms deal. No dictator in the world, however bad he may be, can exist without international support. The dictatorship in Chile lasted as long as it did because there were countries that supported it, and Israel was one of them.

Israel describes itself as “the state of the Jewish people,” but there are about 20 missing Jews in Chile who were murdered during that period, while Israeli governments and the military maintained close ties with Chile, accorded it legitimization in international forums and provided aid and training to its military and intelligence units.

[marwahstudios]

Indo Tajikistan Film and Cultural Forum Launched to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

New Delhi,6th Sept. 2023: In a historic and momentous initiative aimed at fostering deeper cultural bonds and strengthening diplomatic ties between the two nations, the International Chamber of Media and Entertainment Industry (ICMEI), in collaboration with the Embassy of Tajikistan, proudly inaugurated the Indo-Tajikistan Film & Cultural Forum.

The launch of this significant forum, celebrated with great enthusiasm and camaraderie, took place at the Embassy of Tajikistan in New Delhi, heralding a new chapter in the already cordial and enduring relationship between India and Tajikistan.

His Excellency Lukmon Bobokalonzoda, Ambassador of Tajikistan to India, expressed his optimism for the future, stating, “India and Tajikistan have a wonderful relationship, and to enhance the value of our relations, we have planned to launch the Indo-Tajikistan Film and Cultural Forum to develop and promote relations between the two countries through art and culture. Today is an auspicious day as we embark on this remarkable journey.”

Spearheading this endeavour, Sandeep Marwah, President of ICMEI and the visionary founder of Noida Film City, was nominated as the Chair of the Indo-Tajikistan Film & Cultural Forum. His unparalleled dedication to the world of media and entertainment, coupled with his commitment to fostering international cooperation, made him the ideal candidate to lead this prestigious initiative.

In a touching gesture of mutual respect and collaboration, ICMEI and Sandeep Marwah presented the patronship of the Indo-Tajikistan Film & Cultural Forum to His Excellency Lukmon Bobokalonzoda, Ambassador of Tajikistan to India reaffirming their commitment to working hand-in-hand to promote cultural exchange, artistic collaboration, and mutual understanding between India and Tajikistan.

The Indo-Tajikistan Film & Cultural Forum will serve as a dynamic platform for artists, filmmakers, cultural enthusiasts, and diplomats from both nations to come together, share their unique perspectives, and create cultural bridges that transcend borders. Through a wide array of artistic endeavours, including film festivals, art exhibitions, music concerts, and more, the forum aims to celebrate the rich cultural tapestry of India and Tajikistan while nurturing enduring friendships and partnerships.

This initiative marks a significant milestone in the longstanding and amicable relations between India and Tajikistan, opening new avenues for cooperation, cultural exchange, and shared creativity.