Obama
orders targeted airstrikes in Iraq as more than 40,000 take refuge
atop Mount Sinjar; Iraqis nominate Maliki successor as defiant Maliki
stages political showdown in Baghdad
World
> Iraq
On Thursday, the US
President Barack Obama gave permission for 'targeted airstrikes' to
break the siege by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in northern
Iraq. He said that the move was necessary to protect Americans in
Iraq and a ‘potential genocide’ of innocent Iraqis by ISIS
militants. However he insisted that the American combat troops, which
were withdrawn in 2011, won’t return to Iraq. US fighter jets and
drones hit specific, small assets of the Islamic State forces near
Irbil, destroying three vehicles and damaging two others.
Thousands of Iraqi citizens,
most of them Yazidis, a small and ancient religious sect that ISIS
has vowed to exterminate, have been forced to flee their homes in the
area of Sinjar. People loaded whatever supplies they could and fled
towards the big cities. Some fled for miles on foot without any
belongings. As many as 40,000 displaced Yazidis have taken refuge
atop Mount Sinjar and some 200,000 have fled to other parts of
northern Iraq. There is no food or water on the mountain and people
are dying of thirst and starvation. They could not climb down for
fear of getting killed. Parents were spitting into their children’s
mouths to try to get them some liquid. Airdrops by the Iraqi
government and US forces have not reached a large number of refugees
since they are spread over large areas and the tricky mountainous
region makes it difficult to spot people and airdrop supplies. Over
the past week ISIS has executed a large number of Yazidis and
hundreds of women and young girls were taken away as brides or slaves
for jihadis and given the choice of conversion or death.
Under heavy pressure from
the United States, Iraqi lawmakers chose a replacement for Prime
Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, widely blamed for his country’s
polarized politics. Haidar al-Abadi, a member of Maliki’s own
Shiite party was named by President Fouad Masoum to replace Maliki.
But Mr. Maliki angrily rejected the move, vowing to fight in the
courts and deployed militias and special forces on the streets,
creating a dangerous political showdown in Baghdad. Although Mr.
Maliki is widely reviled in Iraq, he remains a formidable force, with
relatives who command special security forces, courts that are
heavily shaped by his influence and a history of exacting revenge on
his domestic opponents. Ironically, the US had helped Mr. Maliki rise
to power eight years ago but now holds him responsible for alienating
the country’s Sunni minority and helping fuel the rise of the ISIS.
Cabinet
clears Bill to let minors be tried as adults for heinous crimes
Politics
and Government >
Juvenile Justice
Bill 2014
The Union Cabinet on
Wednesday cleared the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of
Children) Bill, 2014 that gives powers to the Juvenile Justice Board
to decide if a juvenile above 16 years, involved in heinous crimes
like rape, would be tried in an adult court. The Bill comes in the
backdrop of countrywide outrage after a minor convicted in the
Nirbhaya gang-rape case was handed a three-year term in a reform
home. However, the Bill lays down that in no case a juvenile involved
in a heinous crime will be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
The new Bill also lays down provisions for punishment related to
recruitment of child soldiers by militant groups, subjecting a child
to corporal punishment which includes physical and verbal abuse and
ragging of students within and outside an institution. The proposed
Bill also provides for facilitating faster adoption of children and
setting up foster care homes.
Russia
Bans Food Imports in Retaliation for Western Sanctions
World
> Russia
In response to Western
sanctions, confronting Russians with a type of economic isolation
largely unseen since the Soviet era, Russia has banned imports of a
wide range of U.S. and European foods. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
outlined the products subject to the one-year ban—beef, pork,
poultry, fish, fruit, vegetables, cheese, milk and other dairy
products from the U.S., Canada, the European Union, Norway and
Australia—in a radical response to penalties imposed on Russia over
the crisis in Ukraine.
He also announced a ban on
Ukrainian flights transiting through Russian airspace, and warned
that Russia could issue a similar ban on U.S. and European planes.
Others
Dhoti
Bill Introduced in Tamil Nadu to ensure entry of dhoti-clad Tamils
into clubs
Politics
& Government >
Dhoti Bill
Tamil Nadu chief minister J
Jayalalithaa has introduced a bill in the assembly that will ensure
that veshti - clad Tamils are not denied entry into clubs and other
institutions.
The bill states that any
establishment that restricts the use of traditional clothes stands to
lose its licence. Any establishment or person found responsible for
violation could attract a penalty of Rs 25,000 or a jail term of one
year. The law would apply for any "recreation club, association,
trust, company or society".
The move comes after a
Madras HC judge wearing a veshti was denied entry into a Chennai
club. The Tamil Nadu Entry into Public Places (Removal of Restriction
of Dress) Bill, 2014 proposes penalties to establishments and a jail
term to persons responsible for violations.
One
lakh children go missing in India every year: Home ministry
Politics
& Government >
Home Ministry
A recent report by the Home
Ministry has revealed that over 3.25 lakh children went missing
between 2011 and 2014 (till June) at an average of nearly 1 lakh
children going missing every year. The Government data has revealed
that after 1.7 lakh children missing in 2013, now over 1.5 lakh more
children have gone missing and one child goes missing in every eight
minutes. Over 3,25,000 children went missing between 2011 and 2014
(till June) which turns out to be nearly an average of 1,00,000 every
year.
In the past three and a half
years, over 50,000 children have disappeared in Maharashtra with
Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh recording less than 25,000
missing children for the same period.
City
in Xinjiang China bans beards, veils in buses
World
> China
Authorities in Karamay, a
city in the restive Xinjiang region of China has banned "five
groups of people" — those who wear burka, headscarves, veils
or hijab, any clothing bearing the crescent moon and star, as well as
long beards. All of these symbols are associated with Islam. The ban
comes within days of a major terrorist attack and subsequent police
action that killed nearly 100 people in the bordering Kashgar area of
the same province. The government blames Islamist separatists for the
attacks in Xinjiang province. The ban disallows people in these
groups from using facilities like buses and other means of public
transport. This is in view of a local sports competition on August 20
and may be extended beyond that. State leaders in Xinjiang are also
known to be working on a controversial proposal to implement family
planning equally on all ethnic groups, including Muslims, who until
now had been exempt from China’s two-child policy. Chinese
authorities have earlier discouraged Muslim government employees from
fasting during Ramzan on the grounds that it can affect their health
and performance. The police were also concerned about crowding and
inter-mingling during the fast-breaking time because they feared it
might give terrorist groups the opportunity to expand their network.
RBI
releases draft guidelines for Bharat Bill Payment System
Economy
> BBPS
The Reserve Bank of India
has issued draft guidelines for the implementation of Bharat Bill
Payment System (BBPS). The BBPS will function as a tiered structure
for operating the bill payment system in the country and will provide
customers the convenience of ‘anytime anywhere’ bill payment. The
draft guidelines outline the requirement and the basic tenets of
operating the BBPS, and prescribe the eligibility criteria, standards
for settlement model and customer grievance redressal, roles and
responsibilities and scope for entities seeking to be part of BBPS.
The RBI has invited comments from stakeholders by September 5.
Prime
accused Sher Singh Rana convicted in Phoolan Devi murder case
India
> Phoolan
Devi Murder Case
A New Delhi court on Friday
convicted prime accused Sher Singh Rana in the 2001 murder of
dacoit-turned-MP Phoolan Devi. The court however acquitted 10 others
accused in the case. A 12th accused, Pradeep, had died of heart
attack in Tihar Jail in November 2013. Phoolan Devi, a Samajwadi
Party MP from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, was shot dead on July 25,
2001, outside her residence at Ashoka Road by Rana and his aides. As
per police, the motive behind the killing was to take revenge for the
alleged murder of upper caste men by her.
Atal
Bihari Vajpayee and 4 others likely to be awarded Bharat Ratna this
year
Awards
> Bharat
Ratna
The union government, led by
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may soon announce its decision to
award the coveted Bharat Ratna Award to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is
the former Prime Minister of India, as well as a veteran leader of
the BJP. Names of Madan Mohan Malviya, the freedom fighter, along
with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, as well as Kanshi Ram, the Dalit
leader and the founder of the Bahunjan Samaj Party, and also
Dhyanchand, the legendary hockey player, are also under consideration
for the prestigious award.
Last year, the UPA
government had given the award to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and
scientist CNR Rao. The BJP, then in the Opposition, had criticized
the UPA for ignoring Vajpayee's contribution and said it will bestow
the honour upon him as soon as it comes to power.
Ukraine
says it's close to taking rebel-held Donetsk
World
> Ukraine
After making significant
gains that have divided rebel forces, Ukrainian government forces are
preparing for the final stage of recapturing the city of Donetsk from
pro-Russian separatist rebels. The developments come as Ukraine said
it had agreed on a Red Cross-led humanitarian aid operation with
Russia, the European Union and other international partners to
alleviate suffering in the rebel-held city of Luhansk.
Donetsk which was once a
bustling metropolis is facing worsening shortages of food, water and
fuel. Few civilians are on the streets, but groups of armed
separatist fighters can be seen. There is relatively little traffic,
with gasoline in short supply.
Russian
Intervention in Ukraine Is Likely, NATO Says
World
> Ukraine
NATO is warning that a
Russian intervention in Ukraine is likely, fearing that a convoy of
humanitarian aid dispatched by the Kremlin to the separatist-held
city of Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine, is being used as cover for a
military buildup. Russian aid, which is being delivered as part of a
Red Cross–administered program, comes in response to setbacks
suffered by pro-Russian rebels in the past week. The Putin
Administration insists the assistance is purely humanitarian, and
Ukraine has indicated that it welcomes the international relief
mission of which the Russian convoy is a part.
The conflict in Ukraine has
led to a crisis between East and West at a level not experienced
since the Cold War, with wide-ranging sanctions on Russia imposed by
the E.U. and the US.
Large
banks should be required to raise at least 30 percent of their
funding in the form of equity: Anat R Admati
World
> USA
Stanford Finance Professor
Anat R. Admati has said that post-financial crisis regulatory changes
remain insufficient.
Her solution is to make
banks behave more like other companies by forcing them to reduce
sharply their reliance on borrowed money. That would likely make the
banking industry more stodgy and less profitable — reducing the
economic risks, the executive bonuses and, for shareholders, both the
risks and the profits.
According to her, large
banks should be required to raise at least 30 percent of their
funding in the form of equity, about six times more than the current
average for the largest American banks. This would not affect the
ability of banks to accept deposits; it would not even affect their
borrowing from other sources. Instead, she says, banks should be
required to suspend dividend payments, thus increasing their equity
by retaining their profits, until they are sufficiently capitalized.
FBI
to probe into Missouri teen's shooting
World
> Michael
Brown Shooting
The Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) has opened a probe into the shooting death of an
unarmed black teenager in this St. Louis suburb, as more unrest broke
out following looting and widespread property damage. The FBI will
conduct its own investigation in addition to one already under way by
St. Louis county police into a shooting by a Ferguson police officer
that left 18-year-old Michael Brown dead. The FBI review will focus
on whether the civil rights of Mr. Brown were violated.
Background:
The shooting of Michael
Brown occurred on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, United
States. Brown was an unarmed 18-year-old African American man who was
shot by a Ferguson police officer. The incident sparked protests and
acts of vandalism in the St. Louis suburb as well as national calls
for an investigation into the incident.
Israel
prepared to ease conditions in Gaza following 72-hour ceasefire
World
>
Israel-Palestine
According to a report in the
Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Israel has agreed to ease conditions in
the Gaza Strip during indirect cease-fire talks in Cairo, Egypt. The
latest three-day cease-fire between Israel and Islamist group Hamas
has held so far, with normal life beginning to return to streets of
Gaza. As part of easing conditions, Israel might agree to expand the
fishing zone off Gaza from its current range of three nautical miles
to six. Israel is also willing to ease the passage of people from
Gaza to both Israel and the West Bank, and to increase the number of
permits authorized each month to 5,000. It is also willing to
significantly increase the number of Gazan trucks carrying various
goods which can enter Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing on the
Gaza Strip-Israel-Egypt border. Israel might also be prepared to
allow the transfer of money to Gaza to pay the salaries of Hamas
through a third party, provided it is not Qatar or the United
Nations.
However, there has been a
serious deadlock regarding the return of the bodies of Oron Shaul and
Hadar Goldin, two Israeli soldiers killed in the latest conflict,
held by Hamas. Hamas is demanding the release of Hamas members jailed
in Israel who were captured during the latest offensive. Israel said
that the military would be ready to protect Israel if Hamas violated
the truce and a Hamas spokesman has said the talks were "the
last chance" to agree on a long-term truce. However, easing the
conditions won’t include the construction of a seaport or an
airport in Gaza as demanded by Hamas.
West
Africa uses centuries old tactic - cordoning of disease infected
areas, to contain Ebola
World
>
Ebola Outbreak
The Ebola outbreak in West
Africa has reached such massive proportions that governments there
have revived a disease-fighting tactic not used in nearly a century:
the “cordon sanitaire,” in which a line is drawn around the
infected area and no one is allowed out. Cordons, common in the
medieval era of the Black Death, have not been seen since 1918.
Centuries ago, in their most extreme form, everyone within the
boundaries was left to die or survive, until the outbreak ended.
Plans for the new cordon were announced on Aug. 1 at an emergency
meeting of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the three countries
hardest hit by Ebola. The plan was to isolate a triangular area where
the three countries meet, separated only by porous borders, and where
70 percent of the cases known at that time had been found. As of
Monday, the region had seen 1,848 cases and 1,013 deaths, according
to the World Health Organization, although many experts think that
the real count is much higher because families in remote villages are
avoiding hospitals and hiding victims. Disease-control experts say
the tactic could help contain the outbreak but should be used
humanely. Food, water and medical care must reach those inside, and
the trust of inhabitants must be won through communication with their
leaders. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, large sections of districts
affected by Ebola have been cut off by military roadblocks. Inside
the cordoned areas, alarmed residents have told reporters that they
fear starving because food prices are rising. Many farmers have died,
and traders who cannot travel cannot earn money. It is not clear
whether plans to deliver food, water and care are underway. World
Health Organization, which last week declared the outbreak an
international public health emergency said it will work with the
World Food Program and other agencies to make sure food and supplies
get in.
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