<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>They've been called "<a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/recognizing-the-rohingya-and-their-horrifying-pers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the most persecuted minority in the world</a>."Subjected to rape, killings, and the destruction of their villages, more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since August."The situation seems a textbook example of ethnic cleansing," Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the chief of the UN's Human Rights Council, <a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=57490#.WhResbT81TZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> in September.The Rohingya, who live in Rakhine state in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar, have been in the country since the 8th century. But the government considers them illegal immigrants, not citizens. A recent Amnesty International <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/11/myanmar-apartheid-in-rakhine-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> even labeled their treatment as apartheid.While they've faced such persecution for decades, the Rohingya's situation dramatically worsened in August, when the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army - a Rohingya insurgent group - <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya/at-least-71-killed-in-myanmar-as-rohingya-insurgents-stage-major-attack-idUSKCN1B507K" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">attacked</a> a police post and killed more than 10 officers.Since then, the Myanmar army has destroyed more than <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/10/17/burma-new-satellite-images-confirm-mass-destruction" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">288 Rohingya villages</a>, raped and killed the residents, and sent others fleeing to Bangladesh.But Myanmar denies the allegations, insisting that it is fighting terrorism and that the Rohingya are burning down their own villages.The following images and videos show what the Rohingya are going through.

Brutal images show how the Rohingya people are being slaughtered and forced to flee Myanmar

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) As cyclone 'Amphan' is currently whirling at a speed of 70 kmph over Bangladesh a day after leaving a trail of devastation across a wide swath of West Bengal and Odisha, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is setting up special teams to visit these states and assess the damages. These teams - separate for West Bengal and Odisha, reportedly headed by Deputy Secretary or above rank official and comprising a total of almost a dozen people from various ministries, and are expected to arrive in these states by Thursday evening or Friday, informed sources said. These teams, learnt to comprise officials from the Disaster Management, Finance, Jal Shakti Ministries, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) among others, will assess the damage and "submit an early report" to the MHA. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, in a review meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) here on Thursday, also said that the Home Ministry teams will be sent to these states to carry out early assessment of damages and submit a report. The visiting teams will meet those evacuated timely from the two states before the cyclone ravaged the regions, killing over a dozen people and destroying houses, roads and public utilities. Chief Secretaries of Odisha and West Bengal informed the Cabinet Secretary on Thursday that timely and accurate forecast by the IMD and advance deployment of NDRF facilitated the evacuation of about five lakh people in West Bengal and about two lakh in Odisha. The Home Ministry teams will submit the report based on which Central assistance will be declared. However, the states informed in the NCMC meet that there was minimal loss of human lives, considering the fact that the intensity of 'Amphan' was next only to that of the super cyclone that struck Odisha in 1999 causing large scale devastation. The teams will also meet the residents in the presence of the state administrations, which along with the NDRF and other rescue teams, have done commendable relief work as the cyclone pummelled its way over large parts of West Bengal and Odisha through the night, leaving behind a trail of deaths and damages. West Bengal has informed the Centre that there were major damages to agriculture, power and telecommunication facilities in cyclone-affected areas. Odisha informed that damages have been mainly limited to agriculture. Reviewing the rescue and restoration efforts, the Cabinet Secretary directed that officers of Central ministries and agencies should remain in close touch with Odisha and West Bengal state governments and provide all required assistance expeditiously. Meanwhile, the NDRF has moved additional teams in West Bengal to speed up restoration work, especially in Kolkata. A total of 36 NDRF teams were earlier deployed in both the states, while rescue and relief teams of the Army and Navy along with ships and aircrafts of the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard have been involved in relief operations. While Odisha was spared the worst of 'Amphan', the Sunderbans region and six south Bengal districts felt the full impact of winds gusting at 155-165 kmph along with torrential rain after the cyclone made landfall near Sagar Island around 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday and entered Kolkata, about 100 km north, around 5 p.m. In the first few hours 'Amphan', a Thai name means sky, already destroyed over 5,000 houses in Minakhan, Haroa, Basirhat Hingalganj and Hasnabad areas of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. Most of the areas in Howrah and North 24 Parganas faced massive power cuts due to heavy rainfall. Roofs of several houses also collapsed as a result of the strong winds during the cyclonic spell. There have been damages inside the state secretariat building Nabanna as well. Heavy rains and huge gush of wind storms damaged the roofs of several buildings and uprooted a massive number of trees across Kolkata and its adjoining Howrah district in West Bengal. The Food Corporation of India, meanwhile, is on the job to ensure adequate availability of food grains, especially rice, to West Bengal so that marooned people are provided immediate sustenance, a Home Ministry official told IANS. The Power Ministry and Department of Telecommunications have been assisting in early restoration of services in both the states. However, the Railways, which suffered major damages to its infrastructure, is in the process of restarting its operations at the earliest, said the official. Barrelling in from the Bay of Bengal with wind speed of up to 185 kmph, Amphan on Wednesday cut a swathe through northern Odisha bearing down on West Bengal and moved north-northeastwards on Thursday, before weakening into a cyclonic storm and lying centered at 5.30 a.m. over Bangladesh. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) --IANS rak/vd

Cyclone 'Amphan': MHA teams to assess damages in WB, Odisha

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersFILE PHOTO: A family from the Rohingya community is pictured inside their shack at a camp in Delhi</div></div></div>The conflict between the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar, and Myanmar officials spilled over last week when more than 2,600 houses were burned down in northwest Myanmar, a Rohingya-majority area, according to Myanmar's government.The government is blaming the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for the attacks, while Rohingya who are fleeing to Bangladesh claim the Myanmar army carried out a series of killings and arson aimed at forcing them out of the territory. ARSA earlier took responsibility for coordinating several attacks on security posts last week that sparked clashes between the group and a retaliatory effort from the Myanmar army. According to the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, the UN's agency responsible for handling refugee crises, 58,600 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since the conflict escalated. The treatment of Myanmar's roughly 1.1 million Rohingya is the biggest challenge facing leader Aung San Suu Kyi, accused by Western critics of not speaking out for the Muslim minority that has long complained of persecution.The clashes and army crackdown have killed nearly 400 people and more than 11,700 "ethnic residents" have been evacuated from the area, the government said, referring to the non-Muslim residents.It marks a dramatic escalation of a conflict that has simmered since October, when a smaller Rohingya attack on security posts prompted a military response dogged by allegations of rights abuses."A total of 2,625 houses from Kotankauk, Myinlut and Kyikanpyin villages and two wards in Maungtaw were burned down by the ARSA extremist terrorists," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar said. The group has been declared a terrorist organization by the government.But Human Rights Watch, which analyzed satellite imagery and accounts from Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh, said the Myanmar security forces deliberately set the fires."New satellite imagery shows the total destruction of a Muslim village, and prompts serious concerns that the level of devastation in northern Rakhine state may be far worse than originally thought," said the group's deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersFILE PHOTO: People belonging to Rohingya Muslim community sit outside their makeshift houses on the outskirts of Jammu</div></div></div><h3 data-reactid="59">Full capacity</h3>Near the Naf river separating Myanmar and Bangladesh, new arrivals in Bangladesh carrying their belongings in sacks set up crude tents or tried to squeeze into available shelters or homes of locals."The existing camps are near full capacity and numbers are swelling fast. In the coming days there needs to be more space," said UNHCR regional spokeswoman Vivian Tan, adding more refugees were expected.The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and regarded as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots that date back centuries. Bangladesh is also growing increasingly hostile to Rohingya, more than 400,000 of whom live in the poor South Asian country after fleeing Myanmar since the early 1990s.Jalal Ahmed, 60, who arrived in Bangladesh on Friday with a group of about 3,000 after walking from Kyikanpyin for almost a week, said he believed the Rohingya were being pushed out of Myanmar."The military came with 200 people to the village and started fires...All the houses in my village are already destroyed. If we go back there and the army sees us, they will shoot," he said.Reuters could not independently verify these accounts as access for independent journalists to northern Rakhine has been restricted since security forces locked down the area in October.Speaking to soldiers, government staff and Rakhine Buddhists affected by the conflict on Friday, army chief Min Aung Hlaing said there is no "oppression or intimidation" against the Muslim minority and "everything is within the framework of the law".<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersFILE PHOTO: Children recycle goods from the ruins of a market which was set on fire at a Rohingya village outside Maugndaw in Rakhine state</div></div></div>"The Bengali problem was a long-standing one which has become an unfinished job," he said, using a term used by many in Myanmar to refer to the Rohingya that suggests they come from Bangladesh.Many aid programs running in northern Rakhine prior to the outbreak of violence, including life-saving food assistance by the World Food Programme (WFP), have been suspended since the fighting broke out."Food security indicators and child malnutrition rates in Maungdaw were already above emergency thresholds before the violence broke out, and it is likely that they will now deteriorate even further," said Pierre Peron, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar.More than 80,000 children may need treatment for malnutrition in northern Rakhine and many of them reported "extreme" food insecurity, WFP said in July.In Bangladesh, Tan of UNHCR said more shelters and medical care were needed. "There's a lot of pregnant women and lactating mothers and really young children, some of them born during the flight. They all need medical attention," she said.Among new arrivals, 22-year-old Tahara Begum gave birth to her second child in a forest on the way to Bangladesh."It was the hardest thing I've ever done," she said. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-white-house-gut-renovated-truman-renovation-2017-1">The White House is undergoing renovations - here's how it changed after a massive facelift in the 1950s</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Rohingya Muslims flee after more than 2,600 houses were burned down in their Myanmar community

<ul><li>India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act is being challenged by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) less than a day after being passed by the Rajya Sabha. </li><li>IUML claims that the act is unconstitutional and violates the fundamental right to equality. </li><li>It has asked for stay order on the Act until the matter is resolved. </li></ul>India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) was passed in the Rajya Sabha just yesterday and it’s already being challenged by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). It has filed a petition with the Supreme Court accusing the new act of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/academicians-ex-babus-authors-scientists-seek-withdrawal-of-citizenship-bill/articleshow/72469434.cms">being in violation</a> of the Constitution’s fundamental right to equality. <div type="image" title="CAB3" msid="72487641" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Protests against CAB turn violent in Guwahati, Assam&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>
 Protests have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-citizenship-bill-assam-protests-rise-conrad-sangma-and-aribam-syam-sharma-join/articleshow/67830987.cms">ravaging India’s north-east</a> since the cabinet’s decision to introduce the bill in Lok Sabha. The violence only escalated after CAB <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/foreign-policy/news/lok-sabha-works-through-the-night-to-pass-citizenship-bill/articleshow/72450180.cms">moved to the Rajya Sabha for approval</a>. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/society/news/north-east-student-body-in-warns-indian-government-against-amending-the-citizenship-act/articleshow/72276774.cms">Protestors</a> burnt tires on the roads and threw bricks at the police, forcibly shutting down shops and markets. When the Border Security Force (BSF) tried to stop them, they damaged the fire brigade vehicle. 

<div type="image" title="CAB4" msid="72487676" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Protesters burn tires along the roads&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 CAB is now ready to become law — an official act instead of a bill — after the Rajya Sabha passed the bill following a gruelling six-and-half-hour debate. Guwahati continues to be at the epicentre of anti-CAB protests — railways services have been halted, a curfew has been imposed and mobile serves in ten districts have been suspended. To control the deteriorating law and order situation in Assam and Tripura, eight columns of the Indian Army have been deployed along with 12 companies from the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF). Why is the Citizenship (Amendment) Act being challenged? CAB takes the original Citizenship Act of 1955 and adds a religious element to it, according to PRS, an independent research institute. It restricts the eligibility of citizenship for illegal immigrants to certain religions — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians — leaving Muslims, Jews and atheists out of the fold. Some have even labelled it India’s new ‘<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50670393">anti-Muslim</a>’ law. <div type="image" title="CAB2_edited" msid="72487556" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Congressmen burn the effigy of Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) during their protest march in Patna on Wednesday&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>
 IUML claims that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is in violation of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the constitution — the right to equality, the right to non-discrimination, and the right to life. Its writ petition to the Supreme Court is asking for a stay order on the amendment until the matter’s been fully explored. <div type="image" title="IUML leaders" msid="72487539" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;IUML leaders (left to right) P K Kunhalikutty, Khader Mohideen, Panakkad Hyder, and Ali Shihab Thangal &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 The US Commission of International Religous Freedom (USCIRF) also echoed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-citizenship-bill-is-a-dangerous-turn-in-the-wrong-direction-says-us-commission-for-religious-freedom/articleshow/72452797.cms">similar concerns </a>on Monday. “The CAB is a dangerous turn in the wrong direction; it runs counter to India’s rich history of secular pluralism and the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law regardless of faith,” it said. CAA is also in violation of the Assam Accord of 1985, which led to the deportation of illegal immigrants from the state regardless of of their religion. <div type="image" title="CAB5" msid="72487770" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;People stage a demonstration against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Agartala, Tripura&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 The bill justifies its stance stating that only religions who are a minority in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were included as eligible for citizenship. This is despite the fact, as many debaters have pointed out, that Muslims are a minority in both Sri Lanka and Nepal. “India is a democracy, though people have the right to voice their ideas and demands, such actions are not appreciated in society,” said Assam Chief Secretary <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/assam-admits-protests-over-citizenship-bill-a-challenge-calls-for-calm-1987411">Alok Kumar</a>. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, will be arguing on IUML’s behalf in the Supreme Court. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-citizenship-bill-is-a-dangerous-turn-in-the-wrong-direction-says-us-commission-for-religious-freedom/articleshow/72452797.cms">India’s Citizenship Bill is a dangerous turn in the wrong direction, says US Commission for Religious Freedom</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/foreign-policy/news/lok-sabha-works-through-the-night-to-pass-citizenship-bill/articleshow/72450180.cms">Lok Sabha works through the night to pass citizenship bill</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/academicians-ex-babus-authors-scientists-seek-withdrawal-of-citizenship-bill/articleshow/72469434.cms">Romila Thapar, Amitav Ghosh, Nandita Das join 600 writers and artists to seek withdrawal of Citizenship Bill</a>

India's Citizenship Act gets challenged at the Supreme Court barely a day after passing Parliament

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>On Wednesday, Trump met with victims of religious persecution from countries including China, Turkey, North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar.</li><li>In a clip that's circulating online, a Rohingya refugee asked Trump what he planned to do about the genocide in Myanmar.</li><li>Trump responded: "Where is that?" </li><li>A man next to Trump said that it's next to Burma, which is incorrect. Myanmar used to be referred to as Burma.</li><li>Since 2017, over 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar, according to the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/burma">Human Rights Watch</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.</a></li></ul>On Wednesday, President Donald Trump met with victims of religious persecution from countries including China, Turkey, North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar.In a widely circulated clip, a Rohingya refugee asked Trump what his plan was to help the Rohingya refugees in Myanmar. Trump's response: "Where is that exactly?"Then, a man next to Trump said that Myanmar is "next to Burma," but that's not true. Myanmar was referred to as Burma until 1989.Watch it all play out:Over 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from the Rakhine State to Bangladesh since August 2017 to escape ethnic cleansing in Myanmar, according to the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/burma">Human Rights Watch</a>. The Rohingya have faced displacement and violence in Myanmar since the 1990s, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.&#xa0;Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rohingya-crisis-conflict-explained-myanmar-what-you-need-to-know-2017-9">'The most persecuted minority in the world': Here's what you need to know about the Rohingya crisis</a>The United Nations has said that Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims has the "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/un-says-myanmars-treatment-of-rohingya-muslims-has-the-hallmarks-of-genocide-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hallmarks of genocide</a>."On Tuesday, Trump handed down sanctions on Myanmar army Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing and three others over the treatment of the Rohingya, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/slaps-sanctions-myanmar-army-chief-rohingya-abuses-190716232914447.html">Al Jazeera</a> reported. Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win, Brigadier General Than Oo, Brigadier General Aung Aung were also named in Mike Pompeo's <a href="https://www.state.gov/public-designation-due-to-gross-violations-of-human-rights-of-burmese-military-officials/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>."The Department of State is focused on policies that will change behavior and promote accountability. We believe this action is one step toward achieving these goals," Pompeo's statement said. "With this announcement, the United States is the first government to publicly take action with respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese military. We designated these individuals based on credible information of these commanders' involvement in gross violations of human rights."It continued: "We remain concerned that the Burmese government has taken no actions to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations and abuses, and there are continued reports of the Burmese military committing human rights violations and abuses throughout the country."<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lindsey-graham-trump-racist-tweets-are-more-narcissistic-than-racist-2019-7" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham says Trump's racist statements aren't racist but 'more narcissism than anything else'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-uses-racism-xenophobia-to-get-base-excited-for-2020-2019-7" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Trump is using blatant racism and xenophobia to get his base excited ahead of 2020</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/merriam-webster-past-24-hours-racism-a-top-search-term-2019-7" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Merriam-Webster says that in the past 24 hours 'racism' was a top search term</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/democratic-infighting-pelosi-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-racist-trump-tweets-2019-7" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Weeks of Democratic infighting between Nancy Pelosi and 'the Squad' preceded Trump's racist tweet attacks</a></li></ul><div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-narcos-sicario-get-wrong-about-drug-cartels-mexico-2018-5">Here's what 'Narcos' and 'Sicario' get wrong about Mexican drug cartels</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Trump asked 'Where is that?' when a Rohingya refugee asked him if he was doing anything to stop the genocide in Myanmar

<ul><li>In our latest episode of BTS with Insiders, we got chatting with <keyword id="212001" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Agnello-Dias">Agnello Dias</keyword>, Creative Chairperson, Dentsu Aegis Network India and Co-Founder, Taproot Dentsu and <keyword id="343974" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Santosh-Padhi">Santosh Padhi</keyword>, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu about a few campaigns close to their hearts.</li><li>They took us behind the scenes of popular campaigns like Pepsi's Change the Game and <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>'s Har Ek Friend Zaruri Hota Hai, among others.</li></ul> It was in 2009 that Agnello Dias (Aggie) and Santosh Padhi (Paddy), two people pegged as the hottest creative stars in Indian advertising came together and founded Taproot. Within just a few years of starting the agency, it boasted of an enviable roster of brands it had created campaigns for including <keyword id="54572" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="PepsiCo">PepsiCo</keyword>, Airtel and Bennett, Coleman &amp; Company. Three years later, Japanese advertising major Dentsu acquired a majority in the agency. Over the past 11 years, with Aggie and Paddy at the helm of affairs, the agency has come up with some memorable, powerful campaigns that have helped brands tell wonderful, engaging stories. As a part of our latest series, BTS with Insiders, we spoke to the creative duo about some of the most memorable campaigns they have created together. Here are a few of the stories they shared with us. <div type="javascript" title="Facebook" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Pepsi ‘Change the Game’ campaigns We all know about the cola wars of the past when players like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Thums Up would all try to come up with irreverent campaigns, poking fun at each other. In 2011, Pepsi was the official World Cup sponsor. It was a brand that had always stood for irreverence, and everything that was anti-authoritarian and anti-establishment. In the past, it had roasted Coca-Cola when it was the official world cup sponsor with its cheeky, ‘Nothing Official About It’ campaign. So in 2011, when it was the official sponsor, its brief was unique. It wanted to say it is the official sponsor, while also making a statement that it is proudly irreverent. “During the discussion around the campaign, we stumbled upon the insight that the game itself had become far more irreverent than it was say 15-20 years ago,” said Aggie. The agency then decided to manifest this irreverence of the game by depicting a few key shots that the newer breed of cricketers had started playing. “Once we came up with the idea, the client was perceptive enough to see its power straight up,” added Aggie. The agency came up with five films featuring star cricketers and their trademark shots - MS Dhoni’s ‘Helicopter shot’, Virender Sehwag’s ‘Upper cut’, Harbhajan Singh’s ‘doosra’, Kevin Pietersen’s‘Switch hit’ and Tillekratne Dilshan’s ‘Dilscoop’. The campaign went on to become a huge hit, so much so that Pepsi replicated the idea in other markets like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. “It also was a very special campaign for us because it was perhaps for the first time that such a huge brand chose to work with a smaller, independent agency. It totally changed the game for us,” added Paddy with a smile. Airtel’s ‘Har Ek Friend Zaruri Hota Hai’ Before Airtel’s friendship campaign, the brand every year would come up with a campaign that would put out a world philosophy that could be appropriated by mobility, shared Aggie. “That was the time when all brands were trying to build the category, nobody was trying to take each other's market share. The brief given to us that time was that we don't see anything wrong in what we are doing by putting out a life philosophy about how the world is getting more connected except that our tone and manner is making us sound old-fashioned. The brand said that they didn’t want to become younger or exchange market shares. It just wanted to keep its philosophy, while saying it in a younger manner,” he explained. That’s how the agency thought of giving out a philosophy but not from a pulpit. The idea took birth when the agency started discussing about 3 am friends who one could turn to if someone was in trouble. And that’s how the campaign took shape. What also makes the ad memorable is the jingle created by music composer Ram Sampath, who was given the task of creating a song without using any real instrument. All the percussions in the ad come from things one might find in a classroom, including notebooks, dusters and even dustbins. The campaign went on to become a huge hit. <keyword id="6377547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="adidas">Adidas</keyword>’ Odds In wake of the 2016 Paralympic Games, Adidas came up with a unique initiative called ‘Odds’ where para-athletes, primarily blade runners, were given a pair of the same side footwear instead of the usual pair that is sold to consumers. The campaign spoke about the inspirational story of <keyword id="2726242" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Major-DP-Singh">Major DP Singh</keyword>, a Kargil war veteran who lost his leg but not his determination. “We got the insight for the ad from a simple idea. One of the kids at the agency said what if we dedicate 2 left or 2 right shoes to para-athletes? We thought it must already have been done by some brand. We were really surprised to see that it had never been done and its such an injustice on the community that for years they had to buy a pair of shoes from which they could only use 1. So we thought we had to make this larger than life,” shared Paddy. They approached Major DP Singh who agreed to be a part of the campaign and the rest, as they say, is history. Paddy also shared a life lesson that he got from Major Singh. “On the first day of the shoot, we went to the top of a mountain at 4am where he used to practice to capture the early morning sunlight. Since the spot was far from the city, we travelled for an hour. He was an army guy and wanted a proper schedule. We gave him one and told him we will finish the shoot in 2 days. The packup for the first shoot was supposed to happen at 8 or 8:30 which got delayed by an hour or so. By the end of it, he wasn’t happy and went home. And he didn’t come to the second location. When the producer tried to reach out to him he said, ‘Please tell Adidas, Taproot and Paddy that I am done with my shoot.’ We were really shocked as we had a packed schedule. So I went to his house and asked him what happened. So he said, ‘I am an army guy and I follow schedule. If your shoot was getting delayed, someone should have come and informed me. I respect time and if I respect time, you should respect me.’ I apologized and assured him that something like this never happens again. So this wasn’t just a learning for me but for everyone else who was present at the sets that day,” reminiscened Paddy. <keyword id="5709" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="mumbai-mirror">Mumbai Mirror</keyword> Mumbai Mirror is a tabloid from the stable of the <keyword id="6356641" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Times-of-India">Times of India</keyword> group, a brand that Taproot had been handling for a while. The brief given to the agency for the campaign was simple, “The client said here are 6 stories we have broken, please showcase these stories. It was from there that we took the leap and said that newspaper is the voice that amplifies the voice of the oppressed. There were stories that would not make it to the national newspaper but its players like Mumbai Mirror that take these smaller oppressed voices and amplifies them,” said Aggie. Those who have watched the campaign know that it makes its point heard loud and clear. The idea was to deliberately make the campaign disturbing. “There have been opinions about why the film was so shrill, it could have been toned down. But in my opinion, when you are taking this stance it can be either disturbing or it can’t be this at all. Then it would just need to be a completely different thought. And that’s why we decided to make it that aggressive,” explained Aggie. Times of India – Farmer Suicide campaign The last campaign that the duo spoke about went on to become one of their most awarded one. Our country is no stranger to the disturbing news of farmer suicides ever year. It’s still an ongoing issue and the agency wanted to bring out the stories of these farmers who simply become a statistics every year. The agency used burnt hay to make portraits some of the farmers who had committed suicide, leaving behind families of 4-6 members. “These paintings were sold and whatever money we made out of, we gave to the family members because once the earning member of the families pass away, the others also die a slow death. This was what we did in the first year. In the second year, TOI got on board the Samaj Seva Charitable Trust. We did a TV commercial and some billboards, as a second leg of the campaign. Because of the simplicity of the campaign, it did really well. It did well for us too as we picked up a lot of awards. It looks like something made out of something but how lovingly you do it and how relevant you are, makes or breaks the campaign,” said Paddy.

BTS with Insiders: The stories behind some of Taproot Dentsu’s most iconic campaigns

REUTERS/StringerChina People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers at a military port in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, July 11, 2017.Chinese military personnel departed a naval base in Zhanjiang on Tuesday, destined for Beijing's new base in the East African country of Djibouti.China started construction on the base, which it officially calls a "logistics facility," in February 2016, and it has not said when the base might formally start operations.The Chinese navy has been assisting anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden and peacekeeping missions in Africa for some time, but the base in Djibouti will be Beijing's first such facility overseas."The base will ensure China's performance of missions, such as escorting, peacekeeping and humanitarian aid in Africa and west Asia," state news agency <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2102266/china-sends-troops-first-overseas-naval-base-djibouti" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Xinhua said</a>. "The base will also be conducive to overseas tasks including military cooperation, joint exercises, evacuating and protecting overseas Chinese and emergency rescue, as well as jointly maintaining security of international strategic seaways."Djibouti, home to about 800,000 people, also has French and Japanese troops, is strategically located in the Horn of Africa, sitting on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a gateway to Egypt's Suez Canal and one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.And the new Chinese base is just a few miles from Camp Lemonnier, a major US special-operations outpost.Google MapsCamp Lemonnier, a US military base in Djibouti, is strategically located between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula."We've never had a base of, let's just say a peer competitor, as close as this one happens to be," US Africom Command chief Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-base-in-djibouti-near-camp-lemmonnier-africa-us-concern-2017-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said in March</a>."Yes, there are some very significant operational security concerns, and I think that our base there is significant to US because it's not only AFRICOM that utilizes" it, Waldhauser said at the time. US Central Command, which operates in the Middle East, Joint Special Operations Command, and European Command are active there as well.A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said Wednesday</a> that the Djibouti base was "primarily used for the better fulfillment of international obligations," and that, "China's defence policy is defensive in nature. This has not changed."State-run media outlet the Global Times was less reserved, saying <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in an editorial</a> on Wednesday, "It is certainly the PLA's first foreign naval base ... It is not a supply point for commercial use."REUTERS/StringerChina's People's Liberation Army soldiers sail from a military port in Zhanjiang, July 11, 2017.The base in Djibouti is just one project China has undertaken in the East African country. Chinese banks have funded at least 14 infrastructure projects in the country, including a railway connecting Djibouti and Ethiopia, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">valued at $14.4 billion</a>. Beijing has made similar investments throughout the continent.US officials, as well as countries in the region, have expressed concern about the capabilities the new base gives Beijing and what it may augur about Chinese ambitions abroad.The US Defense Department said in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a June report</a> that the Djibouti base, "along with regular naval vessel visits to foreign ports, both reflects and amplifies China's growing influence, extending the reach of its armed forces.""China most likely will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and in which there is a precedent for hosting foreign militaries," the report said.Other countries in South Asia - India in particular - are concerned about Chinese activity in the region and see the Djibouti base as another part of Beijing's "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-launches-charm-offensive-for-first-overseas-naval-base-2016-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">string of pearls</a>," which refers to Chinese facilities and alliances among Indian Ocean countries, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.REUTERS/Jim BourgMilitary vehicle parades pass sailors during India's Republic Day parade in New Delhi, January 26, 2015.China is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-chinese-ship-opens-new-trade-route-via-pakistani-port-2016-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">already heavily involved</a> in the Pakistan port of Gwadar and is building a network of roads and power plants under a project known as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Civilian ports that Beijing has helped build in places like Pakistan and Sri Lanka <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">can also receive naval vessels</a>, fueling suspicions that China aims to deepen its strategic capacities in the region.India sees the Djibouti base as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a potential hub</a> for Chinese surveillance operations and has objected to China's planned shipping network with Pakistan, saying it cuts through disputed parts of Kashmir.Analysts have also said <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/articles/us-india-and-japan-launch-naval-exercises" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Delhi is worried</a> by Chinese submarines, warships, and tankers present in the Indian Ocean. India has tracked Chinese submarines entering the Indian Ocean since 2013, and a 2015 US Defense Department report <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-base-in-djibouti-near-camp-lemmonnier-africa-us-concern-2017-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">also confirmed</a> that Chinese attack and missile submarines were operating in the Indian Ocean."The pretext is anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden," a Indian defense source <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told The Times of India</a> in May. "But what role can submarines play against pirates and their dhows?""If I were Indian I would be very worried about what China is up to in Djibouti," a Western diplomat briefed on Chinese plans <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> in March 2016.ReutersChinese submarines and warships during an international fleet review to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy, in Qingdao, April 23, 2009.Other countries in the region have looked for ways to balance against what is seen as China's growing influence. Australia and India, along with countries like Vietnam and Japan, have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/unsure-of-the-future-of-us-leadership-asian-countries-consider-alliances-to-counter-china-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">considered informal alliances</a> to bolster regional security in light of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-china-concerns-spark-australia-spy-law-review-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">growing Chinese influence</a> and doubts about US commitment under President Donald Trump.This week, the Indian, Japanese, and US navies started the Malabar 2017 exercise in the Bay of Bengal. The exercise, which this year features three aircraft carriers, is <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/articles/us-india-and-japan-launch-naval-exercises" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">seen by some</a> as a effort to check Chinese activity in the region.China has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">criticized</a> such military balancing and has dismissed suggestions that it plans to expand its footprint abroad. After the US Defense Department report issued in June, Beijing <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-ships-troops-first-overseas-africa-092502098.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> it did "not seek a sphere of influence." <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-unveiled-first-homemade-aircraft-carrier-uss-military-army-navy-naval-video-2017-4">China just unveiled its first homemade aircraft carrier</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

China has sent troops to its first overseas base, which poses 'very significant operational security concerns' for the US

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Carlos JassoFemale soldiers with their faces painted march during a military parade to celebrate the 205th anniversary of Venezuela's independence in Caracas, Venezuela July 5, 2016.</div></div></div>Hello! Here's what you need to know on Thursday.1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/iraq-inquiry-tony-blair-speaks-at-press-conference-after-release-of-chilcot-report-2016-7">Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair defended his decision to take the country to war in Iraq after Wednesday's release of the Chilcot Report into the Iraq war</a>. "The world was, and is in my judgment a better place without Saddam Hussein," Blair said in a press conference.2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/chilcot-inquiry-blairs-i-will-be-with-you-whatever-memo-to-bush-on-iraq-2016-7">A declassified note that Tony Blair sent former US president George W. Bush in July 2002 suggests that Blair committed the UK to war with Iraq months before his Cabinet and Parliament voted on the issue</a>. The note, declassified as part of the Chilcot Report, begins with Blair saying: "I will be with you, whatever," adding that: "Getting rid of Saddam is the right thing to do."3. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/deutsche-bank-second-referendum-brexit-eu-europe-2016-7">Deutsche Bank thinks that </a> <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/deutsche-bank-second-referendum-brexit-eu-europe-2016-7">the British public will get to vote on the final deal to leave the European Union</a>. The bank expects a deal to be finalised in 2019.4. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/attorney-general-no-charges-will-be-brought-against-hillary-clinton-in-email-case-2016-7">US Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Wednesday said no charges will be brought against Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server as secretary of state</a>. Lynch's decision comes <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-recommends-no-charges-hillary-clinton-email-2016-7">one day after</a> FBI Director James Comey said his agency would not recommend charges against Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.5. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/china-is-dismissing-the-upcoming-south-china-sea-court-ruling-2016-7">China is trying to discredit the international court that will rule on the South China Sea dispute next week</a>. "The final award of the arbitration, which will come out in the next few days, amounts to nothing more than a piece of paper," senior diplomat Dai Bingguo said.6. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-typhoon-takes-aim-at-northern-philippines-2015-10">A strong typhoon is headed toward the </a><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-typhoon-takes-aim-at-northern-philippines-2015-10">Philippines on Friday</a>. Army and police units have been put on standby.7. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/militant-attack-on-bangladesh-cafe-2016-7">A</a><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/militant-attack-on-bangladesh-cafe-2016-7"> pizza chef killed during a militant attack on a cafe where he worked in Bangladesh's capital city last week was probably in league with the assailants</a>. Saiful Islam Chowkidar carried no arms but was seen "moving and running" with the five gunmen during the 12-hour stand-off, the chief of counter-terrorism police said.<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/turkish-military-helicopter-carrying-top-brass-crashes-killing-7-2016-7"></a>8. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-star-of-david-tweet-2016-7">Donald Trump defended his campaign's use of a six-pointed star next to a picture of Hillary Clinton that was widely viewed as anti-Semitic</a>. Speaking to an Ohio audience, Trump said he told the senior aide who posted the tweet: 'Too bad, you should've left it up. I would've rather defended it just leave it up and say no that's not a Star of David it's just a star."9. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/pistorius-sentencing-murder-conviction-2016-7">Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to six years in jail for the 2013 murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp</a>. High Court Judge Thokozile Masipa said it was a "noble gesture" of South African Paralympic gold medalist to offer to do community service but said punishment ought to be painful.<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/afp-pistorius-to-be-sentenced-for-murder-in-safrica-court-2016-7"></a>10. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/afp-dragon-slayer-ronaldo-shatters-wales-big-night-at-euro-2016-2016-7">Portugal beat Wales to advance to the European Championship final</a>. "I am very confident. I deserve it, Portugal deserves it, all the Portuguese people deserve it," Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the first goal of the match, said.<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/chris-evans-presented-less-than-half-the-top-gear-episodes-he-signed-up-for-2016-7"></a>And finally...<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/new-horizons-probe-mission-extended-by-nasa-2016-7">NASA is sending a probe to explore a strange object a billion miles beyond Pluto</a><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/new-horizons-probe-mission-extended-by-nasa-2016-7">.</a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/everyday-phrases-smart-people-say-incorrectly-daylight-saving-deep-seated-2016-6">Everyday phrases that even smart people say incorrectly</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="44Z3ZoeDrznjy0zyuh6chLpAhZsFsPBY" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

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The current standoff was sparked when Indian troops confronted Chinese soldiers who were constructing a road in disputed territory that India claims as its own. There was no fire exchanged, but the incident was yet another example of China pushing its territorial confrontations with its neighbors as far as possible without reaching a violent breaking-point.
China and India share the world's longest disputed border, along which China has mounted occasional incursions in an effort to achieve a strategic advantage in the area. 

These border transgressions by China are part of a slow-rolling strategy that Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the Center of Policy Research in New Delhi, <a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/int-brahma_chellaney/">describes as "salami slicing"</a> in The Japan Times.
China slowly infiltrates and takes control of a disputed border by a series of small maneuvers, a policy of limited steady steps to take and hold territory. This limits "the options of the targeted countries by confounding their deterrence plans and making it difficult for them to devise proportionate or effective counteractions," Brahma <a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/int-brahma_chellaney/">writes</a>. 
This slow, steady eating away at borders grants China a strategic advantage. No single action is cause enough for war. And by maintaining the strategic initiative, China can slowly push its borders further and further into disputed territory while maintaining a measure of deniability. 
According to Srikanth Kondapalli, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University who <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/chinas-president-xi-jinping-arrives-in-delhi-as-troops-face-off-at-india-china-border-1410968062">spoke to The Wall Street Journal, the strategy works</a>. Five years ago, the site where Chinese troops were building the disputed road was squarely considered to be in Indian territory.
Despite efforts at boosting economic ties between China and India - like this week's high-level summit - the two nations remain deeply suspicious of each other. The countries <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_War">fought</a> a border war in 1962, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/india-is-the-worlds-largest-arms-importer-2014-6#ixzz35IfLtiJn">India and China are the world's leading weapons importers</a>. And India has hosted Tibet's <a href="http://tibet.net/">government in exile</a> since 1959.
Aside from the slow infiltration of Chinese troops in disputed Himalayan territory, India has also been unnerved by China's growing development of military bases throughout the Indian Ocean. 
China has invested in port installations that can support the country's commercial and military activities in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. Indian General Deepak Kapoor, a former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, has <a href="http://www.sipri.org/media/blogs/eps-blog/china-india-and-the-three-cs">referred</a> to this project as China's "string of pearls" surrounding India. 
China also pursues its "salami slicing" strategy at sea, where it has slowly expanded its maritime claims within the South and East China seas. This push has led to a<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-south-china-sea-graphic-2014-7"> rapid increase of hostilities</a> between China and its neighbors, including Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, with at least one Chinese military professor believing that maritime-related tensions <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/michelle-florcruz-maritime-disputes-will-lead-to-world-war-iii-2014-9">could lead</a> to World War III. 
That might be a tad alarmist. But this week's confrontation between the two nations' armies occurred even as Indian and Chinese leaders were discussing the boosting of economic ties between the two nations. Even if their commercial relationship deepens, the world's two most populous countries still have huge points of contention with each other.

You Searched For "Bangladesh Army chief" and got 9 results

Brutal images show how the Rohingya people are being slaughtered and forced to flee Myanmar

Daniel Brown

Cyclone 'Amphan': MHA teams to assess damages in WB, Odisha

IANS

Rohingya Muslims flee after more than 2,600 houses were burned down in their Myanmar community

Sonam Sheth,Reuters

India's Citizenship Act gets challenged at the Supreme Court barely a day after passing Parliament

Prabhjote Gill

Trump asked 'Where is that?' when a Rohingya refugee asked him if he was doing anything to stop the genocide in Myanmar

Susanna Heller

BTS with Insiders: The stories behind some of Taproot Dentsu’s most iconic campaigns

Samarpita Banerjee

China has sent troops to its first overseas base, which poses 'very significant operational security concerns' for the US

Christopher Woody

The 10 most important things in the world right now

Dina Spector

China Has Slowly And Quietly Been Seizing Disputed Territory Along Its Border With India

Jeremy Bender