Global affairs

21 12 2014

Rahul seeks quashing of defamation case against him

Dec 21,
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of a case filed against him over his alleged remarks against RSS in connection with Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination he had made during a rally.
Rahul Gandhi filed the petition 3 days back and the case came up for hearing before Justice PD Kode yesterday. The judge heard both the parties and fixed the next date of hearing on January 6. While addressing a public rally at Sonale in Bhiwandi on March 6, Rahul had alleged that it was RSS people who had killed Mahatma Gandhi.
The RSS filed a complaint against Rahul before Bhiwandi court in Maharashtra over the remarks. In its complaint, the Bhiwandi unit of RSS alleged that the remarks were defamatory and sought action against the Congress leader.

Rajinder next Rawchief

Rajinder Khanna to be next RAW chief

Dec 21,
Rajinder Khanna will be the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He will replace Alok Joshi whose tenure will end on 30th of this month. Mr. Khanna will have have two years tenure. The appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister has approved his name for the post. The RAW is the primary external intelligence agency of India.
In an another decision, The committee has also approved the appointment of senior IPS officer Prakash Mishra as the new Director General of Central Reserve Police Force.

10th Russian humanitarian convoy arrives in Donbass

The 10th Russian convoy with humanitarian aid has arrived in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of eastern Ukraine, the Russian Emergencies Ministry told Tass news agency. Currently, the trucks are unloading, and then they will return to Russia. Ninety trucks have come to Donetsk and 90 to Lugansk with “food, medical supplies, construction materials, and New Year gifts.” A total of 900 tons of aid were delivered to Donetsk, and over 500 to Lugansk. Previous convoys have delivered over 12,000 tons of aid to the struggling regions since August.

​S. Korea bans US poultry over bird flu concerns

South Korea has stopped American poultry imports because of an outbreak of bird virus in the US, the Agriculture Ministry has announced. The country said it is a “quarantine measure” to prevent the HPAI virus from entering the country, noting that 18 countries including South Korea are suffering from it. Two strains of avian influenza – H5N2 and H5N8 – have been found in farms in Washington State. Korea says that that neither of the viruses have been found in US products.

Ukraine re-introduces mandatory military draft, 18 month service

Ukraine has announced that men between the ages of 20 and 27 would be called up for 18 months of military service starting next spring, the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Aleksander Turchynov, said at a meeting of security officials. The official argued that being practically at a “state of war,” serving in the military for 12 months, as the conscripts did before, is not “sufficient.” Besides that Turchynov announced three more “waves of mobilization” for the purposes of the so-called anti-terrorist operation already dragging for almost 9 months. Earlier in the day, the country’s president Petro Poroshenko, said that the new mobilization will take place in stages, but stressed that these recruits would not have to serve on the frontline.

Cuba to attend Summit of Americas, possibly along with US top officials

Cuba has confirmed its “highest level of government” to attend the Summit of the Americas for the first time in Panama next year, the meeting’s host nation announced on Friday. The summit, set for April, will be the seventh meeting of the 34-nation bloc, sponsored by the Organization of American States. Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and El Salvador were listed among the attendees by Panama’s Foreign Ministry. Its spokesman could not yet say if Cuban and US leaders would headline their countries’ delegations.

No one will intimidate, suppress or isolate Russia – Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has replied to statements of Russia “having to pay for its position [over Crimea],” saying no country or leader has managed to “intimidate, suppress or isolate Russia,” and no one ever will. Speaking at a Kremlin gala celebrating Security Forces Day, Putin said that the country is constantly threatened to be paying a high price for its “independent position, for supporting its citizens, for Crimea and Sevastopol, and sometimes even for its mere existence.” Reminding of previous failed attempts to subdue Russia over the 20th century, the country’s leader pointed out the situation in the whole world is not stable, with some countries trying to control and interfere with others. Earlier this week, US President Barack Obama authorized sanctions against individuals and entities operating in Russia’s Crimean peninsula, following similar EU actions.

Ebola death toll reaches 7,373 in West Africa – WHO

The death toll from the Ebola virus in the three worst-hit countries in West Africa has risen to 7,373, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Saturday. The latest data shows a surge in deaths by 500 out of the 19,031 cases known to date in the effected Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The current outbreak in West Africa, which began in March, is the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the virus was first discovered in 1976.

​5.9 quake hits off Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture coast

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan’s main Honshu Island on Saturday, the US Geological Survey reports. The quake happened not far from the power plant, but a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co said no irregularities have been found at its Fukushima Daiichi or Daini plants, Reuters reported. The epicenter of the tremor was located at sea at a depth of 36.9 kilometers, some 49 kilometers east of the town of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture. National broadcaster NHK said there was no tsunami warning and no immediate reports of casualties or serious damage.

Three dead in Manipur blast

Three persons killed, four injured in powerful IED blast in Manipur

Dec 21, In Manipur, three labourers were killed and four seriously injured in a powerful IED blast in Imphal this morning. Police said the IED planted by the roadside near Imphal market exploded killing three labourers on the spot. The injured have been rushed to the hospital. The labourers, all non-Manipuris, had gathered for tea in Khoyathong area, which is about one km away from Imphal city police office in the main market complex when the IED exploded around 6 AM. The condition of one of the injured is stated to be critical. With today’s incident, the number of non-Manipuris killed in the state this year has gone upto nine. Chief minister O Ibobi Singh and deputy chief minister Gaikhangam, who also holds the home portfolio, have condemned the incident and ordered strict action against the culprits.

2 New York cops shot dead

Two NYPD officers have been shot dead at point blank range by a suspect who ambushed their patrol car ‘execution style’ in Brooklyn. The perpetrator fled the scene and committed suicide, authorities confirmed.
Both officers have succumbed to gunshot wounds after being admitted to hospital in critical condition, authorities have confirmed.
“Both officers tragically succumbed to their injuries,” Commissioner William Bratton of the New York City Police Department told the press. “Both officers paid the ultimate sacrifice today while protecting the communities they served.”
The two uniformed officers killed on duty were identified as Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. They were sitting in their marked police car on a Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, street corner, allegedly working overtime as part of an anti-terrorism drill.
The attacker came up to their vehicle at around 3pm and shot multiple times through the front passenger window. Both officers suffered critical injuries to the head. Neither officer had a chance to protect themselves and most likely did not even see the attacker.
“With no warning, no provocation,” Bratton said. “They were, quite simply, assassinated.”

​Obama signs massive defense bill authorizing Syrian rebel training

President Barack Obama has signed the $585 billion defense policy bill that endorses US efforts to fight Islamic State militants and allocates military spending for fiscal year 2015. It also authorizes the training and sending of aid to Syrian rebels for two years, and provides $5 billion to train Iraqis battling ISIS. The bill offers the core funding of $521.3 billion for the military and $63.7 billion for overseas operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. When announcing the signing of the bill, Obama called on the Congress to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.
Media agencies