Saturday, January 14, 2017

MHA asks paramilitary forces to ensure speedy redressal

Home Ministry has directed all paramilitary forces to ensure speedy redressal of jawans’ grievances and inform everyone about the existing mechanism to resolve their problems in the wake of a personnel complaining about poor quality of food being served in BSF.
Sources said, in a communication, the Home Ministry told BSF, CRPF, CISF, SSB, ITBP, NSG and Assam Rifles to conduct independent inquiry once a complaint from any jawan is received on any matter and try to resolve it as early as possible.
The seven paramilitary forces have been asked to inform their personnel about the existing grievance redressal cell and register complaints, if any, without any fear.
The forces were also told that no jawans should be harassed by their superiors if a complaint is lodged by him or her.
The paramilitary forces were told to accept complaints of jawans through e-letters. Among the seven forces, one has already started receiving the complaints through e-letter, other six have been told to follow suit, sources said.
BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav in a video that was uploaded on social networking sites had complained about poor quality
of food being served to them.
The BSF has maintained that there was no shortage of ration in Yadav’s post and security personnel deployed along the border never complained about food.

Gunfire in Cote d’Ivoire

Heavy gunfire erupted in Cote d’Ivoire’s second-largest city, Bouake, on Friday as government ministers were in talks with leaders of last week’s army mutiny, witnesses and a negotiator for the disgruntled soldiers said. “(The ministers) aren’t paying. They won’t pay,” the negotiator for the mutineers told media from inside the house where the talks were taking place. Sustained gunfire was heard on the line.

Four Indian women boxers in final of Nation’s Cup in Serbia

Four Indian women boxers including former World Championships silver-medallist Sarjubala Devi have entered the finals of the 6th Nation’s Cup in Vrbas, Serbia. India is now assured of six medals. Sarjubala, the reigning national champion in 48 Kg Category, defeated local favourite Gayane Panyan to enter the summit clash.
The others, who made the final cut are Priyanaka Chaudhary (60kg) and Pooja (69kg). Priyanka, got the better of Kazakhstan’s Rimma Volosenko, while Pooja also triumphed over a Kazakh rival in Valentina Khalzova. Seema Poonia is also through to the final without fighting a single bout so far as her category features only three boxers.
Meanwhile, in the semifinals today, former Asian Games bronze-medallist Kavita Goyat will square off against Kazakhstan’s Dariga Shakimova. Another Indian to make the semifinals is Neeraja, who defeated Greece’s Aik Koutsogeorgopoulou. She will next be up against Sweden’s Katrin Noren in the semifinals.
The tournament being competed among 18 countries is the first for Indian women boxers under the tutelage of new coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu. He served as the men’s coach for more than two decades.

US Congress takes big step to Obamacare repeal

The US House of Representatives has taken the first step toward demolishing President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, known as Obamacare. Republicans passed a budget measure to introduce a bill – which Democrats cannot block – to roll back the law. But members of both parties in Congress are concerned about a lack of replacement for Obamacare.
The political showdown raises a big question mark over medical coverage for more than 20 million Americans. The measure passed in the House nearly on a party-line vote, 227-198, delivering a blow to President Obama’s legacy a week before he leaves office.
It instructs four committees on Capitol Hill to draft repeal legislation by 27 January. The Senate passed the resolution by 51-48 on Thursday.

Europe winter causes hardship

Much of Europe continues to be hit by icy weather with strong winds and powerful storms causing traffic chaos, power cuts and travel delays. Electricity supplies to nearly 350,000 homes in France were temporarily cut, while severe flood warnings are in place on England’s east coast.
As Germany prepares for more heavy snow, forecasters say the worst of the weather is heading eastwards. Freezing conditions continue in the Balkans and Turkey.
The World Meteorological Organization said the cold weather was responsible for countless road accidents and school closures in addition to cancelled flights. It also warned about the impact of the cold weather on the homeless and migrants.
The cold snap across Europe has claimed more than 65 lives. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, earlier said several migrants had died from cold and exhaustion in Bulgaria.
A ice storm targets central United States bringing icy rain to the Great Plains and Midwest claimed the life of a Missouri woman yesterday. Storm prompted the delay of an NFL football game and threatened power outages and treacherous conditions throughout the weekend.
Ice, freezing rain and winter storm warnings were in effect from the Texas panhandle north into Iowa and east through central Indiana, the Weather Service said in an advisory. Both Missouri and Oklahoma had declared states of emergency.
Forecasters warned that ice accumulation from the storm could be more than half an inch.
On Thursday, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency for the entire state. According to the forecast, parts of the central region could also see as much as 3 inches of snow later in the weekend.

Trump willing to work with Russia, China

US President-elect Donald Trump says he is willing to work with Russia and China, providing they cooperate. In an interview to Wall Street Journal, Trump said the One China policy, in which the US no longer acknowledges Taiwan, is up for negotiation.
Trump had questioned the One China policy last month talking to Taiwanese President, which provoked angry responses in Chinese state media. The President-elect further said China had to allow US companies to compete by floating its currency. He however clarified that he will not label China a currency manipulator.
With regards to Russia Trump said the that newly-imposed sanctions on Moscow would remain “at least for a period of time” but could then be lifted. He said sanctions on Russia could be lifted if Moscow helped Washington in the war against Islamic extremism and in other matters. He said he hoped a meeting with President Vladimir Putin would be arranged.
Meanwhile, a US Senate committee will probe claims that Russia attempted to meddle in the recently held presidential election.

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