Israel-Iran war: As the war between the two nations escalates, people are rushing to save their lives. However, Iran’s capital Tehran does not have bomb shelters, the Chairman of Tehran’s City Council said.&nbsp;Chairman Mehdi Chamran said that Iran should start working on having shelters now as Israel continues to attack Iranian nuclear facilities and other targets.&nbsp;“Unfortunately, we in Tehran and in our other cities do not have shelters,” Chamran said Sunday. “We must work on having shelters now; we can use the plans we had before.”He further said that the casualty figures in Israel are lower as they have many bomb shelters and regular drills for potential incoming attacks.&nbsp;Meanwhile, in Iran, there are no shelters and people go into basements for safety.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/solid-evidence-against-us-iran-s-foreign-minister-accuses-america-of-supporting-israeli-attacks-here-s-what-he-said-1749992152278">Also read: 'Iran has SOLID EVIDENCE against US': Foreign minister accuses America of supporting Israeli attacks - Here's what he said</a>&nbsp;“In Tehran, there weren’t any shelters, people went into basements,” he said, adding that the metro can be used as a shelter “in extreme crisis” but that “we would need to shut the system down.”“We could prepare underground parking lots as well, similar to when Saddam bombed us,” Chamran said, referring to the war of the 1980s.Moreover, government spokesperson Fatemah Mohajerani said that the Iranians can seek shelter in mosques, schools and subway systems during Israeli attacks.&nbsp;&nbsp;Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would strike every site and every target of the Ayatollah’s regime.&nbsp;Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran does not want conflict with Israel to expand to a wider regional war “unless it’s imposed on us.”“It is absolutely clear that the Israeli regime does not want any agreement on the nuclear issue; it does not want negotiations, and it does not want diplomacy,” Araghchi said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors broadcast on state-run media.&nbsp;

Iran should start working on having shelters now as Israel continues to attack Iranian nuclear facilities and other targets. 

Israel-Iran war: As the war between the two nations escalates, people are rushing to save their lives. However, Iran’s capital Tehran does not have bomb shelters, the Chairman of Tehran’s City Council said. Chairman Mehdi Chamran said that Iran should start working on having shelters now as Israel continues to attack Iranian nuclear facilities and other targets. “Unfortunately, we in Tehran and in our other cities do not have shelters,” Chamran said Sunday. “We must work on having shelters now; we can use the plans we had before.” He further said that the casualty figures in Israel are lower as they have many bomb shelters and regular drills for potential incoming attacks. Meanwhile, in Iran, there are no shelters and people go into basements for safety. Also read: 'Iran has SOLID EVIDENCE against US': Foreign minister accuses America of supporting Israeli attacks - Here's what he said “In Tehran, there weren’t any shelters, people went into basements,” he said, adding that the metro can be used as a shelter “in extreme crisis” but that “we would need to shut the system down.” “We could prepare underground parking lots as well, similar to when Saddam bombed us,” Chamran said, referring to the war of the 1980s. Moreover, government spokesperson Fatemah Mohajerani said that the Iranians can seek shelter in mosques, schools and subway systems during Israeli attacks. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would strike every site and every target of the Ayatollah’s regime. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran does not want conflict with Israel to expand to a wider regional war “unless it’s imposed on us.” “It is absolutely clear that the Israeli regime does not want any agreement on the nuclear issue; it does not want negotiations, and it does not want diplomacy,” Araghchi said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors broadcast on state-run media.

Iran should start working on having shelters now as Israel continues to attack Iranian nuclear facilities and other targets.&nbsp;

Iran doesn't have bomb shelters - Here's how it is planning to protect civilians against Israel's attack

The government disclosed guidelines for the construction of underground shelters on outlying islands in Okinawa Prefecture in case of a military crisis involving Taiwan.

Japan to build shelters on isles near Taiwan

Romania, a NATO member, has started building air-raid shelters near the Ukraine border. This decision was taken after fragments of a drone were discovered in its territory last week. Watch this video for all details.

Why is NATO member Romania building air-raid shelters?

Luanne Wright was all set for retirement when the deadliest wildfire in California history swept through her town of Paradise. The blaze incinerated her home, her car and even the chickens in her backyard.

Now Wright is spending days leading up to Christmas with her husband and daughter on adjacent cots in a Red Cross refugee centre in nearby Chico, desperately searching for somewhere to live.&nbsp;

Her husband is recovering from a heart attack suffered at a previous shelter.

"We were comfortable, we were happy, and now we have an acre of burned land and nowhere to go," she said. "Everything is gone."

The so-called Camp Fire broke out in early November in Butte County, killing at least 86 people and burning 14,000 homes in the tree-blanketed Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California.&nbsp;

Insurance claims have already topped $7 billion, and officials estimate it will cost at least $3 billion just to clear the charred debris of homes and businesses.

A few feet away in the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, where about 700 people are living in tents, camper vans and a giant exhibition hall, Rubi Solis watches over four children, four dogs and a cat.&nbsp;

Solis didn't know her estranged husband had stopped paying the insurance premiums months ago on her house in the tiny community of Concow, leaving her without coverage.

Her house was worth $200,000. The government gave her $34,900 to rebuild —enough, she says, to just about cover the cost of a new kitchen.&nbsp;

Her children have no school to attend. The youngest, aged four, got so stressed she started slurring her words.

Mental scars

The Wright and Solis families are among thousands struggling to find housing as winter approaches and they try to piece together their shattered lives. And the months ahead are unlikely to be any easier.

A year after wildfires swept through Sonoma County, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) west of Paradise, some survivors there have begun to rebuild.&nbsp;

But many still cope with physical losses and psychological scars — when smoke from the Butte County fires reached Sonoma County last month, many people suffered flashbacks or night terrors.

Wadner Anilus, a disaster relief program coordinator in Sonoma County, said he sees rising drug abuse and increased school drop-out rates among teen survivors of last year's fires.

Anilus recalled one survivor saying at a group counselling session that she couldn't wear donated clothing "because it reminded her of the night of the fire." Two other women at the session started crying and admitted they had the same feelings but had been too embarrassed to express them.

"You just see clients sit in bed for days," Anilus said because a year later they're still overwhelmed.&nbsp;

Niveen Rizkalla, a researcher specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder at the University of California, Berkeley, has been working with Sonoma survivors and relief workers for the past year.&nbsp;

They spent the weeks immediately after the fires dealing with what she calls "survival needs" such as food, clothing and housing. Only later did they begin to confront their emotional damage.

"When people are facing the shock of losing everything in a second, they are not available to delve into themselves and see what is happening within," she said. "We need to encourage them not to hold back, our minds will take revenge on us if we do not let them speak."

Rizkalla said survivors often suffer suicidal thoughts and may turn to substance abuse.

"People need to escape, they need alcohol, drugs to ease their pain," she said.&nbsp;

Things are even more challenging in Butte County, where the median home value is less than half that of Sonoma, and where many of the poor and elderly did not have house insurance.

The quest for normalcy is keenly felt by Trudi Angel, whose home and ballet studio was destroyed in Paradise.&nbsp;

Her Northern California Ballet company has presented "The Nutcracker" before Christmas for the past 32 years, and she is determined the show must go on in mid-January.

"Almost every one of my dancers or their families lost their home," she said. "Our studio is totally gone. All the costumes, the sets, everything is gone. The dancers have no shoes or anything."

But Angel, a former dancer with ballet companies in Munich, Chicago and Los Angeles, said contributions have come in from as far away as Stuttgart, London and Japan, and a ballet company in Oregon offered its Nutcracker costumes.

"People in the community said it's a tradition, it's a bright spot in our life, we need this in not so bright times," she said. "And some of my young dancers would call me and they’d cry, 'We miss you and we miss the Nutcracker.' They need this."

Luanne Wright was all set for retirement when the deadliest wildfire in California history swept through her town of Paradise. The blaze incinerated her home, her car and even the chickens in her backyard.

Luanne Wright was all set for retirement when the deadliest wildfire in California history swept through her town of Paradise. The blaze incinerated her home, her car and even the chickens in her backyard. Now Wright is spending days leading up to Christmas with her husband and daughter on adjacent cots in a Red Cross refugee centre in nearby Chico, desperately searching for somewhere to live. Her husband is recovering from a heart attack suffered at a previous shelter. "We were comfortable, we were happy, and now we have an acre of burned land and nowhere to go," she said. "Everything is gone." The so-called Camp Fire broke out in early November in Butte County, killing at least 86 people and burning 14,000 homes in the tree-blanketed Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California. Insurance claims have already topped $7 billion, and officials estimate it will cost at least $3 billion just to clear the charred debris of homes and businesses. A few feet away in the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, where about 700 people are living in tents, camper vans and a giant exhibition hall, Rubi Solis watches over four children, four dogs and a cat. Solis didn't know her estranged husband had stopped paying the insurance premiums months ago on her house in the tiny community of Concow, leaving her without coverage. Her house was worth $200,000. The government gave her $34,900 to rebuild —enough, she says, to just about cover the cost of a new kitchen. Her children have no school to attend. The youngest, aged four, got so stressed she started slurring her words. Mental scars The Wright and Solis families are among thousands struggling to find housing as winter approaches and they try to piece together their shattered lives. And the months ahead are unlikely to be any easier. A year after wildfires swept through Sonoma County, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) west of Paradise, some survivors there have begun to rebuild. But many still cope with physical losses and psychological scars — when smoke from the Butte County fires reached Sonoma County last month, many people suffered flashbacks or night terrors. Wadner Anilus, a disaster relief program coordinator in Sonoma County, said he sees rising drug abuse and increased school drop-out rates among teen survivors of last year's fires. Anilus recalled one survivor saying at a group counselling session that she couldn't wear donated clothing "because it reminded her of the night of the fire." Two other women at the session started crying and admitted they had the same feelings but had been too embarrassed to express them. "You just see clients sit in bed for days," Anilus said because a year later they're still overwhelmed. Niveen Rizkalla, a researcher specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder at the University of California, Berkeley, has been working with Sonoma survivors and relief workers for the past year. They spent the weeks immediately after the fires dealing with what she calls "survival needs" such as food, clothing and housing. Only later did they begin to confront their emotional damage. "When people are facing the shock of losing everything in a second, they are not available to delve into themselves and see what is happening within," she said. "We need to encourage them not to hold back, our minds will take revenge on us if we do not let them speak." Rizkalla said survivors often suffer suicidal thoughts and may turn to substance abuse. "People need to escape, they need alcohol, drugs to ease their pain," she said. Things are even more challenging in Butte County, where the median home value is less than half that of Sonoma, and where many of the poor and elderly did not have house insurance. The quest for normalcy is keenly felt by Trudi Angel, whose home and ballet studio was destroyed in Paradise. Her Northern California Ballet company has presented "The Nutcracker" before Christmas for the past 32 years, and she is determined the show must go on in mid-January. "Almost every one of my dancers or their families lost their home," she said. "Our studio is totally gone. All the costumes, the sets, everything is gone. The dancers have no shoes or anything." But Angel, a former dancer with ballet companies in Munich, Chicago and Los Angeles, said contributions have come in from as far away as Stuttgart, London and Japan, and a ballet company in Oregon offered its Nutcracker costumes. "People in the community said it's a tradition, it's a bright spot in our life, we need this in not so bright times," she said. "And some of my young dancers would call me and they’d cry, 'We miss you and we miss the Nutcracker.' They need this."

California fire survivours face bleak Christmas in shelters

Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh following a repatriation agreement will initially live in temporary shelters or camps, Dhaka said Saturday, a day after the UN raised concern for their safety when they go back.

The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world`s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-ethnic-cleansing-of-myanmars-rohingya-24870">ethnic cleansing</a>&quot;.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the &quot;earliest&quot; opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday.

&quot;Primarily they will be kept at temporary shelters or arrangements for a limited time,&quot; Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali told reporters in the capital.

The comments come after the UN refugee agency UNHCR on Friday raised concerns over the agreement, saying conditions to enable refugees to safely return to Rakhine State were not in place.

Under the deal, Yangon will &quot;encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households&quot; in Rakhine State or &quot;to a safe and secure place nearest to it&quot;.&nbsp;

However most of the Rohingya villages were burnt during the violence, Ali said, and refugees would have no choice but to live in temporary shelters there.

&quot;There are no houses. Where will they live? It is not possible to physically (return to their own homes),&quot; he said.

Under the terms of the agreement, Myanmar will ensure temporary shelters are only a short-term option and that refugees` &quot;freedom of movement in the Rakhine State will be allowed in conformity with the existing laws and regulations&quot;.

More than 100,000 Rohingya have been living in grim camps for internally displaced persons since violence erupted in Rakhine in 2012.

Rohingya activist Mohammad Zubair told AFP that &quot;Rohingya people will never agree to voluntary repatriation if they are not taken back to their villages and their land returned to them&quot;.&nbsp;

He said Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a similar repatriation agreement in 1992, which led to the return of some 200,000 Rohingya to Rakhine, but unresolved problems, including the issue of citizenship, continue to fester.

The stateless Rohingya have been systematically oppressed by Myanmar, which has stripped the minority of citizenship and severely restricts their movement, as well as their access to basic services.

Myanmar`s government says Rohingya are interlopers from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, even though many can trace their roots in Myanmar back generations.

&quot;Unless we get citizenship in Myanmar, no way the Rohingya will this time return to Rakhine,&quot; Zubair said.

UNHCR has echoed the concerns of the Rohingya, saying all returns must include &quot;the informed consent of refugees&quot;.

According to the agreement, some 700,000 Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 will be considered for repatriation.

But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of Rohingya -&nbsp;some of whom fled Myanmar years or decades ago - in Bangladesh.

&quot;The repatriation of residents who crossed over to Bangladesh earlier will be considered separately on the conclusion of the present arrangement,&quot; the newly-signed deal said.&nbsp;

Impoverished and overcrowded Bangladesh has won international praise for allowing the refugees into the country, but has imposed restrictions on their movement and said it does not want them to stay.

The new agreement has already drawn criticism at home, with the main opposition party saying &quot;taking steps to repatriate Rohingyas without stopping repression and genocide in their homeland will be tantamount to pushing them to the hell&quot;.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the "earliest" opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday

Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh following a repatriation agreement will initially live in temporary shelters or camps, Dhaka said Saturday, a day after the UN raised concern for their safety when they go back. The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world`s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes "ethnic cleansing". Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the "earliest" opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday. "Primarily they will be kept at temporary shelters or arrangements for a limited time," Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali told reporters in the capital. The comments come after the UN refugee agency UNHCR on Friday raised concerns over the agreement, saying conditions to enable refugees to safely return to Rakhine State were not in place. Under the deal, Yangon will "encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households" in Rakhine State or "to a safe and secure place nearest to it". However most of the Rohingya villages were burnt during the violence, Ali said, and refugees would have no choice but to live in temporary shelters there. "There are no houses. Where will they live? It is not possible to physically (return to their own homes)," he said. Under the terms of the agreement, Myanmar will ensure temporary shelters are only a short-term option and that refugees` "freedom of movement in the Rakhine State will be allowed in conformity with the existing laws and regulations". More than 100,000 Rohingya have been living in grim camps for internally displaced persons since violence erupted in Rakhine in 2012. Rohingya activist Mohammad Zubair told AFP that "Rohingya people will never agree to voluntary repatriation if they are not taken back to their villages and their land returned to them". He said Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a similar repatriation agreement in 1992, which led to the return of some 200,000 Rohingya to Rakhine, but unresolved problems, including the issue of citizenship, continue to fester. The stateless Rohingya have been systematically oppressed by Myanmar, which has stripped the minority of citizenship and severely restricts their movement, as well as their access to basic services. Myanmar`s government says Rohingya are interlopers from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, even though many can trace their roots in Myanmar back generations. "Unless we get citizenship in Myanmar, no way the Rohingya will this time return to Rakhine," Zubair said. UNHCR has echoed the concerns of the Rohingya, saying all returns must include "the informed consent of refugees". According to the agreement, some 700,000 Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 will be considered for repatriation. But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of Rohingya - some of whom fled Myanmar years or decades ago - in Bangladesh. "The repatriation of residents who crossed over to Bangladesh earlier will be considered separately on the conclusion of the present arrangement," the newly-signed deal said. Impoverished and overcrowded Bangladesh has won international praise for allowing the refugees into the country, but has imposed restrictions on their movement and said it does not want them to stay. The new agreement has already drawn criticism at home, with the main opposition party saying "taking steps to repatriate Rohingyas without stopping repression and genocide in their homeland will be tantamount to pushing them to the hell".

Rohingya to stay in temporary shelters after return from Myanmar

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