Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Starred Articles

WHO says Ebola could afflict more than 20,000 people, 7 times the current figure, Senegal becomes fifth country to confirm Ebola
World > Ebola
The World Health Organization said on Thursday, Aug 28, that the Ebola epidemic was on the rise once again and could afflict more than 20, 000 people, almost seven times the current number of reported cases before it could be brought under control. WHO also said that in areas with the highest transmission, the actual number of cases could be two to four times higher than that currently reported. According to the latest figures, the total number of cases has risen to 3069 with 1552 deaths, in four West African countries: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Though the disease was identified in March, more than 40 percent of the total number of cases has occurred within the past 21 days. The WHO has presented a road map for stopping the transmission of Ebola within nine months, warning that such a roadmap comes with uncertainty and lofty targets. The plans are likely to cost half-a-billion dollars over the next six months and would take at least 750 international and 12,000 local health workers. Recruiting international staff may be harder because of fear of infection arising from the high number of medical workers- 250 till now- who have contracted the disease.

A Guinean student who had crossed into Senegal was tracked in the capital Dakar and immediately quarantined. A test confirmed he had Ebola. This makes Senegal the fifth African country to be affected by the Ebola outbreak. Senegal has already closed its land border with Guinea and barred air and sea travel from Sierra Leone and Liberia. The WHO has declared the effort to contain Ebola in Senegal a top priority emergency.

Eurozone inflation rate nears five-year low
World > Euro Crisis
Inflation in the eurozone continued to decline in August while unemployment hovered near record levels, according to official data released, reinforcing expectations that the European Central Bank will soon take more forceful actions.

Consumer prices rose by just 0.3 percent year-on-year in August, according to official figures released by Eurostat, meeting expectations but marking a fresh five-year low. This is down from 0.4 percent in July, and is significantly below the central bank's target of just below 2 percent.

Separate data revealed that the rate of unemployment in the euro zone remained stubbornly high in July, at 11.5 percent, unchanged from June. The level of joblessness remained too high to remove concerns about very low inflation, which creates problems for borrowers and can lead to deflation, a broad decline in prices that causes consumers to delay purchases and undercuts corporate profits and jobs.
With inflation creeping closer to zero, analysts consider it ever more likely that the central bank will begin large-scale asset purchases, the same kind of quantitative easing that has been used by the Federal Reserve to revive the economy in the United States.

Indo-Japan ties: Modi, Abe sign key agreements on bullet trains, Varanasi revamp
World > Indo-Japan ties
Japan and India signed five major agreements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan. A deal on bringing Japan's high speed bullet trains to India signed between the 'two most important democracies of the world' remained one of the highlights. Japan promised $33.8 billion assistance to India for the next five years towards funding next generation infrastructure projects, smart cities, rejuvenation of the river Ganga and introduction of bullet trains. Total five deals signed between India and Japan. These include health, clean energy, women development and roads, other than the Kyoto-Varanasi agreement.

The two nations also decided to "upgrade" and "strengthen" their defence cooperation as they asked officials to launch consultations to promote military equipment collaboration and accelerate discussions on modalities for the sale of Japanese US-2 amphibian aircraft.

US goes on AK-47 buying frenzy after sanctions imposed on Russian Kalashnikov maker
World > Russian Sanctions
A ban on import of Russian-made AK-47, introduced by the Obama administration in July as part of US sanctions on Russia, has created a booming demand for the classic assault rifle in the United States. The buying frenzy was sparked, in part, by fears among gun enthusiasts that the Obama administration is using the Russia-Ukraine conflict as an excuse to ban the weapon.

The US Treasury Department said people and businesses can still buy and sell AK-47s as long as its Russian manufacturer, Kalashnikov, does not benefit from the transaction.

An AK-47 is a gas-operated 7.62 caliber assault rifle invented in 1947 by the Russian general Mikhail Kalashnikov for use in the Soviet Army. It is arguably one of the most popular guns in the world partly because of its simplicity and reliability.

Others

Government notifies FDI norms for railways
Politics and Government > FDI
The government has notified foreign direct investment (FDI) norms for the railways. The notification permits 100 per cent foreign direct investment through automatic route in several areas, including high speed trains. Other areas listed in the notification include suburban corridor projects, dedicated freight lines, rolling stock, track electrification, signalling, freight and passenger terminals and infrastructure such as railway sidings. But proposals involving FDI over 49 per cent in “sensitive areas, from security point of view” will be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for approval on a case-to-case basis. India is expecting a substantial amount of foreign investment in defence from the US and in railways from Japan and China, both of which are interested in the high-speed rail project. However, Indian Railways, which is facing a cash crunch of 30,000 rupees to complete pending projects, is expecting foreign funds on easy repayment terms for several segments.

SC tells DLF to deposit Rs.630 crore penalty
India > DLF Scam
The Supreme Court has penalised real estate giant DLF Rs. 630 crore for exploiting its dominant position to the disadvantage of its customers in three projects in Gurgaon. An apex court bench of Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice N.V. Ramana said that DLF would furnish an undertaking to pay Rs.170 crore interest on the penalty of Rs. 630 crore or the amount court may direct it to pay if its appeal falls in the Supreme Court. The court said that DLF will deposit Rs. 50 crore of the Rs. 630 crore within three weeks and the balance of Rs.580 crore within three months from Wednesday. The court directed the registry to put this amount in a fixed deposit in a nationalised bank.

DLF stated that it will comply with the direction of the Supreme Court and said it remained confident about the merits of its case. Reacting to the SC direction, shares of DLF fell by 4.44 per cent to settle at Rs 183.05 on the BSE. In intra-day, it tumbled 5.32 per cent to Rs 181.35. At the NSE, the stock slipped 4.49 per cent to end at Rs 183.05.

PM gives nod to setting up committee to identify outdated laws
Politics and Government > Panel to identify outdated laws
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his approval to set up a committee to identify outdated laws. The purpose is to bring a comprehensive Bill in Parliament based on the recommendations of the committee. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three months. It will examine all Acts recommended to be repealed by a previous Committee on Review of Administrative Laws that was appointed during the Vajpayee-led NDA Government in 1998. That committee recommended repealing of 1,328 Acts out of which only 415 have been repealed so far. The committee will be headed by R Ramanujam, Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, with VK Bhasin, former Secretary in the Legislative Department, as a member.

9-year old girl accidently shoots and kills instructor at a recreational shooting range
World > Arizona accidental shooting
A 9-year-old girl from New Jersey accidentally shot and killed her instructor with an Uzi submachine gun while he stood to her left side, trying to guide her. A video of the shooting, which her parents recorded on a cellphone, suggests that the girl was unable to control the gun’s recoil. The incident occurred in the Last Stop shooting range in White Hills, Arizona, 60 miles south of Las Vegas. Visit to recreational shooting ranges, where tourists can fire the weapons of their dreams- automatic machine guns, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, is a popular attraction and part of recreational tour packages for tourists in Las Vegas. Sam Scarmardo, the owner of Last Stop said that his policy of allowing children 8 years and older to fire guns under adult supervision is standard industry practice and he never had a safety problem before. He said that he would reconsider the practice after reviewing all the facts. In Arizona, there are no age limits for firing guns, and while federal law prohibits people under 18 from possessing a handgun, there are exceptions for shooting ranges. Uzis are considered particularly tricky and powerful, making recoil tricky to handle even for adults. The shooting set off a powerful debate over youngsters and guns, with many people wondering what sort of parents would let a child handle a submachine gun.

Minimum pension of Rs. 1,000 under EPFO; wage ceiling up at Rs. 15,000
Economy > Policy
The minimum monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 and a higher wage ceiling of Rs. 15,000 for social security schemes run by retirement fund manager EPFO will be implemented from September 1.

The government’s decision to fix pension entitlement of Rs. 1,000 under the Employees’ Pension Scheme 1995 (EPFS-95) will immediately benefit 28 lakh pensioners who get less than this amount at present. Now the maximum sum assured under the EDLI works out to be Rs. 3.6 lakh including 20 per cent ad hoc benefit over the prescribed amount under the notification. This means that in case an EPFO subscriber dies, his family will be entitled to maximum sum assured of Rs. 3.6 lakh instead of existing Rs. 1.56 lakh.

The decision will immediately benefit about 28 lakh pensioners, including 5 lakh widows. In all, there are 44 lakh pensioners under the EPFO scheme.

Shah Rukh Khan becomes Ambassador of Interpol’s ‘Turn Back Crime’ campaign
World > INTERPOL
Actor Shah Rukh Khan has become the first Indian actor to be roped in as an Ambassador of Interpol’s ‘Turn Back Crime’ campaign, aimed at promoting greater awareness on how to prevent crime. He is is lending his voice to help spread the message that all of society benefits when citizens respect the law and fight crime.

Khan joins actor Jackie Chan as an Ambassador for the campaign, which has already garnered support from public figures including footballer Lionel Messi, Formula 1 racing drivers Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen in addition to law enforcement agencies around the world. The ‘Turn Back Crime’ campaign is aimed at raising public awareness that organised crime is often involved in seemingly unrelated crimes.

Myanmar to take back Rohingya nationals
World > Myanmar
After a long gap, Myanmar has agreed to take back its nationals, living in the refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district, in the next two months. The development is seen as a major breakthrough in the decades-old humanitarian crisis, as Myanmar had earlier refused to take back those who fled to the bordering Bangladesh districts from Rakhine state due to ethnic conflicts.

The decision was taken at crucial talks between Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque and visiting Myanmar Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Thant Kyaw. Initially Myanmar would take back 2,415 people, who have already been verified by the country’s authorities as its nationals.
According to Bangladesh authorities, some 32,000 Rohingya refugees have been living in the two camps of Cox’s Bazar, from where the initial repatriation will begin.

Libyan Militiamen Take Over Evacuated US Embassy In Tripoli
World > Libya
An Islamist-allied militia group "secured" a U.S. Embassy residential compound in Libya's capital, more than a month after American personnel evacuated from the country over ongoing fighting. The Obama administration has been particularly sensitive about security of US government employees in Libya since the September 11, 2012, attack on the US mission in Benghazi that killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Libya has been rocked by the worst factional violence since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi, and a Misrata-led alliance, part of it which is Islamist-leaning, now controls the capital. 

A takeover of the embassy compound could deliver another symbolic blow to Washington over its policy toward Libya, which Western governments fear is teetering toward becoming a failed state just three years after a NATO-backed war ended Gaddafi's rule. 

President says Ukraine crisis near ‘point of no return’, Australia ups sanctions against Russia
World > Ukraine crisis
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said he believed that efforts to halt violence with pro-Russian rebels were very close to a "point of no return" and that his country was on the brink of a full-scale war. He however added that a trilateral meeting of Kiev, Moscow and the European Union could produce a ceasefire. Russia has repeatedly dismissed accusations that it has sent military support into eastern Ukraine to assist pro-Russian rebels. But Kiev and Western countries say Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent armoured columns of Russian troops to strengthen the separatist rebellion that would otherwise have been near collapse. NATO has said they will form a 4,000 strong spearhead force to go into action in 48 hours in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Australia has increased sanctions against Russia involving a ban on any new arms trade with Russia, trade in Russia and Crimea’s oil and gas industry and prohibiting Russian state-owned banks from accessing Australian capital markets.

China grants election rights to Hong Kong but keeps control on selection of candidates
World > Hong Kong
China has rejected the demand for "full democracy" by activists in Hong Kong while approving a system of limited elections in 2017. The Chinese parliament has said that a nominating committee shall nominate two to three candidates for the office of chief executive of Hong Kong. They will need to have the endorsement of more than half of all the members of the nominating committee. This makes it extremely difficult for opposition democrats to stand in the elections as the nominating committee is expected to be filled with Beijing loyalists. Critics of China said that Beijing had gone back on its promise of "one country, two systems", made when the former British colony merged with it in 1997. The Occupy Central movement, which had been carrying out a pro-democracy stir in Hong Kong for the past several months, said that all chances of dialogue with Beijing had been exhausted and they will begin a peaceful non-violent campaign and occupy the central business district.

British Intelligence agency says ISIS recruits planning 26/11-type attack in UK
World > United Kingdom
British intelligence agency, MI5, has revealed that British recruits of ISIS, fighting in Iraq and Syria, who are returning to Britain, are planning a "spectacular" attack on home soil, something similar to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The ISIS will likely target high-profile places and buildings in London, Birmingham or Manchester. Experts believe that the terrorists may be smuggling explosives and weapons into UK in shipping containers. British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed concern about the increasing threat posed by Islamic State in mainland Europe and is expected to propose new laws to prevent people from travelling to Iraq and Syria to fight with ISIS.

Massive protests erupt in Pakistan to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
World > Pakistan
Massive protests have erupted in Pakistan led by former cricketer-turned-politician and opposition leader Imran Khan and firebrand cleric Tahir ul-Qadri to bring down Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government. They say last year’s election that swept Sharif to power was rigged. Protesters tried to march on to the prime minister’s house after government offices, including the Pakistan Secretariat, were attacked by supporters of Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). But they were beaten back by the police. Protestors also stormed the headquarters of state-owned Pakistan Television on Monday, forcing the channel briefly off air. The Pakistani army later secured the building. The powerful Army has urged the government to settle the political crisis as soon as possible and warned the police that any further use of force on protestors can escalate the situation. The army has denied suggestions it is backing anti-government groups, insisting it is "apolitical". The army’s statement that it would ensure national security and “never fall short of meeting national aspirations" has been interpreted by many as an ultimatum to Sharif to step down or face military action. Mr Sharif, who insists he will not quit, has met the country's powerful army chief, Gen Raheel Sharif, for talks on the crisis. He convened a joint session of parliament on Tuesday to showcase his strength and the backing of the parliament.

Justice HL Dattu to be next Chief Justice of India
Politics and Government > CJI
Justice Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu is likely to be the next Chief Justice of India. Justice Dattu will replace CJI RM Lodha who will retire on the 27th of September. Dattu is currently a judge in the Supreme Court. Justice Dattu will take office as the CJI at a time when the BJP government has brought in the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill which has scrapped the collegium system of appointing judges.


Justice Dattu also served as Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh high court for a few months in 2007 before he was transferred to Kerala HC. After two CJIs retiring in one year, Justice Dattu's will be a relatively extended tenure.

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