July 1: The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, today assured that all the public sector banks in Andhra Pradesh would take steps within one month to provide financial assistance to at least one member of each of the families of the farmers who committed suicide. The Prime Minister today visited Dharmapur village in Mahabubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh and interacted with the bereaved families. He talked to about 40 members of 13 families and distributed an ex-gratia of Rs.19.5 lakh announced by the State Government.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Manmohan Singh said that he came to Andhra Pradesh for the first time after becoming the Prime Minister to see personally the plight of the farmers and the drought situation in the State. He assured that the Central and the State Governments would do everything possible to help the farmers who are reeling under severe drought. In addition, Dr. Singh announced a special package of Rs. 45 lakh for Dharmapur village to undertake various developmental activities.
Earlier, the Prime Minister visited a photo exhibition depicting the severe drought conditions in the State.
Among others, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh; Shri S. Jaipal Reddy, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Culture; Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Minister; Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare; several MPs and MLAs were present on the occasion. -Keralamonitor.com
Prime Minister assures assistance to Andhra farmers
July 1: The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has said that the Centre will provide all assistance to the farmers in Andhra Pradesh, affected by drought. Addressing a meeting at Somayajulapalli in Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh today, the Prime Minister announced a number of welfare measures to the affected farmers. He said that in addition to the State Government providing Rs. 1.5 lakh to the families of those who committed suicide, the Centre would give an amount of Rs.50,000/- each as grant under Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
The Prime Minister expressed concern over the plight of the farmers and said that the Centre was very much agitated about the situation. He said that he would strive his best to provide all necessary help to mitigate their sufferings and to continue their agricultural operations.
The Prime Minister announced five employment generation schemes to relieve the farmers from indebtedness. Rs. One crore will be sanctioned for the construction of a minor irrigation tank to irrigate 500 acres in the village, Rs. 10 lakh to upgrade the Upper Primary school into a High School, provision of 100 houses to distressed families under Indira Awas Yojana, Rs. 20 lakh for construction of cement roads and drainage and a sum of Rs.10 lakh for providing protected drinking water through pipeline. The Prime Minster said that educational facilities would be provided to the children of the bereaved families.
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said that his Government was for the welfare of the farmers and all efforts would be made for their betterment. Dr. Reddy explained to the Prime Minister the woes of the farmers. The Prime Minister enquired each affected family member as to what they required from the Centre.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Shri S. Jaipal Reddy; Union Minister Shri K. Chandrasekhara Rao; Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi and State Minister Shri K. Marappa. MPs Shri Jairam Ramesh and Shri K. Surya Prakash Reddy and all legislators of the district were present on the occasion.
Earlier in the day, on his arrival, the Prime Minister was given a warm reception at the Hyderabad airport by the Governor Shri Surjit Singh Barnala, Chief Minster Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, a large number of State Ministers, MPs and MLAs. -Keralamonitor.com
Strong and effective International legal regime must to combat terrorism– Home Minister
July 1: The Home Minister Shri Shivraj Patil has called for sustained international cooperation, particularly through a strong and effective legal regime for successfully combating terrorism. He said, domestic measures alone can not combat the menace as terrorism is a global phenomenon that transcends borders and regions. The Home Minister was delivering the inaugural address at the International conference on “United Nations and the new threats: Rethinking Security” here today. He said, India has consistently advocated for a higher priority in the global agenda for effective international cooperation to counter this threat adding that neither terrorism can be compartmentalised nor can there be any justification for it on any ground.
Shri Patil said, the dastardly terrorist attacks in different parts of the world are universally acknowledged as a major global threat. No region and followers of no religion are immune from the long arm of the terrorist. The Home Minister said, terrorism combined with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non state actors is particularly pernicious. Welcoming the UN Security Council resolution 1373, he said, the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, tabled by India, is an important step in combating terrorism.
Shri Patil also advocated a multi track approach in finding answers on developing mechanisms to tackle terrorism. Drawing attention to the largely static nature of the composition of the UN Security Council he said, the developing countries are hardly represented and yet they are often the object of Council’s actions. He said, an expansion of the Council is highly desirable in today’s conditions and should occupy high priority.
The three day conference is being attended by a galaxy of experts and diplomats from all over the world.-Keralamonitor.com
President calls for integration of Space, information, Nano and Bio technology for societal transformation
July 1: The President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has said that technology must reach rural India for their prosperity. He emphasized the urgent need to bridge the rural-urban divide and generate employment. The President made this remark while speaking on the occasion of “National Award Function, Technology Day 2004” here yesterday.
Dr. Kalam also stressed the need for integration of Space, Information, Nano and Biotechnology for societal transformation.
The President presented awards to meritorious inventors for their contribution in different disciplines of Science and Technology. There were 41 inventors who received the awards from the President and the Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development under 20 categories. Two WIPO Gold Medals for the year 2003 were also given on this occasion.
Appreciating the work of innovators Shri Kapil Sibal, the Minister for Science and Technology said that scientific knowledge must be used for the well-being of the masses. He said that Science and Technology provide the answer for socio-economic problem and other activities, which were affecting human lives. He also reiterated the govt’s stand for more public- private partnership in the field of Science and Technology.
India’s first indigenously built fuel cell car `Rewa’ was also unveiled by the President on this occasion.
The Indian Oil Corporation bagged Rs. 10 lakhs and a trophy for successful commercialization of conversion of residue and other heavy hydrocarbon into LPG and High Octane Gasoline, Micro Heavy Engineering Ltd. Of Delhi and Sahajan and Laser Technology Ltd. Ahmedabad jointly shared the Rs. 2 lakhs award for successful commercialization of indigenous technology.
The awards are sponsored by Technology Development Board, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology and National Research Development Corporation. -Keralamonitor.com
Two Amrita Institutes get deemed university status
July 1: The Government has given deemed university status to the Amrita Institute of Technology and Science Amritpuri, Kerla andAmrita Institute of Technology and Science, Bangalore.
The Government has given the deemed university status on exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, with immediate effect subject to review after 12th January 2008. -Keralamonitor.com
New Defence Secretary takes over
July 1: Shri Ajay Vikram Singh an IAS Officer of 67 batch of the Uttaranchal Cadre has taken over as New Defence Secretary in New Delhi today. He replaces Shri Ajay Prasad who has taken over as Secretary, Civil Aviation. Earlier Shri Ajay Vikram Singh was Secretary in the Minsitry of Road Transport and National Highways
Before coming to Govt of India, Shri Singh was a Chief Secretary, Govt of Uttaranchal. He was also Special Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Secretary Revenue in the Ministry of Finance and Secretary Department of Non-Conventional Energy Resources. -Keralamonitor.com
Prime Minister's statement to media in Hyderabad
July 1: The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, today visited the drought affected villages of Somayajulapalli in Kurnool and Dharmapur in Mahabubnagar districts of Andhra Pradesh. He had interaction with the members of the bereaved families of farmers who had committed suicide.
The Prime Minister met leaders and the legislators of all political parties and received their representations. The senior officials of the State Government have also briefed the Prime Minister about various welfare measures initiated by the State Government to mitigate the farmers’ suffering.
Before returning to New Delhi the Prime Minister made the following statement to the media:
“I come to Andhra Pradesh with mixed feelings. I am happy to visit a State where my Party has been voted back to power with the whole-hearted support of the people of this State. However, I am distressed that the reason for my visit is the crisis faced by farmers in Andhra Pradesh.
I have visited Mahabubnagar and Kurnool districts and have seen for myself the distress of farmers and fully sympathise with their families. I have been briefed by the State Government and by the MLAs and MPs from the State. I am aware of the situation on the ground as well as of the major steps taken by the Chief Minister, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy and his Government.
It gives me some satisfaction to be able to announce today that our Government will strengthen the hands of the State Government in providing relief to the farmers.
We have agreed to provide immediate cash relief to start Food-For-Work Programme, to provide employment in the affected villages. We are making available1.82 lakh tons foodgrains in addition to the six lakh tons made available earlier. Orders have been issued for release of Rs.60 crore from the Calamity Relief Fund.
Under the scheme announced by the Union Finance Minister for doubling credit flow to rural areas, the Government of Andhra Pradesh will take up programmes to benefit the farmers of the State.
We have instructed the Andhra Bank to coordinate with four other banks (State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of India, Indian Bank and Syndicate Bank) to visit all families which have lost their breadwinner due to suicide. With the help of the State Government, these banks will extend support to them for economic activities for ensuring steady income. This will be done within the next 30 days. This will be monitored by the State Government as well as my office.
I have requested the Chief Minister to consider a system of issuing entitlement cards that will be given to all these families for their basic needs. This is to monitor regular availability of food through public distribution system, nutrition, safe drinking water, health cover and employment.
One of the factors that has caused distress to farmers is the menace of low quality and spurious seeds. The Government of India will bring forward a new Seed Act to regulate and standardize the quality of seeds as well as provide for a strict mechanism for penalties for violation of norms.
In this context, I am also initiating other steps such as simplifying the drought assistance procedure and programme for watershed management.
Finally, some of these measures are our immediate response while some are part of a long-term strategy to revitalise the farm sector. Our intention is to increase rural incomes and employment and improve the quality of life in the villages. These will be the focus areas of our Government.” -Keralamonitor.com
Revised transfer policy for Group `A’ officers of IRS and IC&CES
Finance Minister’s statement
July 1: Following is the text of Finance Minister’s statement in respect of the transfer policy of Group `A’ officers of the Indian Revenue Services (IRS) and Indian Customs and Central Excise Services (IC&CES):-
“I have received a number of representations/suggestions in respect of the intended Transfer Policy for Group ‘A’ officers of the Revenue Services from Service Associations as well as from other quarters. Taking into account these suggestions and after discussions with the two Boards [CBDT and CBEC], a revised Transfer Policy has been formulated. The revised Policy is being put on the website of both the Boards for wider dissemination and to invite constructive suggestions.
Since this process will require some more time and officers and their families are likely to face hardship if large scale transfers are effected in the middle of the financial year (and after the academic year has commenced), I have decided to make the Policy operational with effect from 01.04.2005. However, a minimum number of transfers during the current year will be necessary in public interest and on the following grounds:-
(i) Transfers on compassionate grounds and in cases of extreme hardship.
(ii) The need to post officers of outstanding proven ability and integrity to sensitive stations from where maximum revenues are realized.
(iii) To give relief to officers who have served for long periods in ‘B’ and ‘C’ stations.
These transfers will be effected in the next few days.” -Keralamonitor.com
UN News
Media Reinforces Gender Inequity In Mideast, Conference Says
July 1: Gender inequality in the Middle East is compounded by the media's poor coverage of women's issues, according to several journalists who participated in an Amnesty International workshop in Cairo.
"The Middle East constitutes the second-lowest average (14 percent) following Africa when it comes to women's coverage in the news compared to a (global) average of 20 percent," said Zeina Awad, a researcher who spoke at the three-day event that ended Monday.
Most of the 30 journalists attending the conference agreed that television shows, newspapers and radio stations gave too little attention to women-related stories, and those that did receive attention rarely provided the kind of information that could dispel gender stereotypes.
Recent stories with headlines such as "They met to settle a divorce paper, so he tore her body up with a knife in the street" and "He killed his wife to turn his children into beggars," left out important legal and political issues related to gender and violence, according to the results of a study by the Center for Egyptian Women's Legal Affairs.
Public opinion in the region, meanwhile, still rejects gender equality. Only 13 of the 22 Arab countries
have ratified the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and nearly all those that have signed did so only after expressing reservations about certain articles.Media may also reinforce gender stereotypes, Awad said. The Cairo-based New Women Research Center found that in a study of 18 Egyptian television series that played during Ramadan in 2002, 500 episodes included violence against women. Forty-three percent of female characters were victims of violence, while 13 percent were killed, the group said (Nada Raad, Beirut Daily Star, July 1).
World Bank Slams South Asian Leaders On HIV/AIDS Inaction
July 1: A senior official at the World Bank chastised India and other South Asian nations yesterday for what he called their "denial" of the region's steeply rising HIV/AIDS infection rate and drew many parallels between South Asia today and Africa seven years ago, when the disease was emerging.
World Bank Vice President for South Asia Praful Patel, who took his post in July 2003 after helping coordinate the bank's efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa, said he sees many of the same attitudes among South Asian leaders now that he saw in African leaders then.
"We are facing exactly the same situation in South Asia now where this disease has gained a foothold and absolutely there is no serious strategy to address it," Patel said. "The leaders are in a state of denial and there is a very high level of discomfort to even talk about it," he said.
There must be a change in the attitude of leaders "from the states at the ground level all the way up to prime minister and head of state," Patel said.
The World Bank has spent $380 million on HIV/AIDS in South Asia to help the region's 8 million HIV-positive citizens. Nearly 20 percent of HIV/AIDS cases can be found in South Asia, the United Nations says.
With 4.6 million cases, India is second only to South Africa in sheer numbers of HIV infections.
"Last week I was in three different [Indian] states and I met the chief ministers," Patel said. "They were not interested when I tried to bring HIV/AIDS on the agenda. In fact, in one state, I tried very hard to bring this up three times," he said.
While nearby Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan have low HIV rates in the general population, HIV soars among sub-groups, specifically intravenous drug users and prostitutes.
For example, the HIV infection rate among Nepal's general population is 0.5 percent, but among its drug users the figure is 68 percent.
In Bombay, India, 55 percent of sex workers have HIV.The 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok is scheduled for July 11-16 and will address HIV/AIDS issues in Asia, including the issue of leadership, Patel said (P. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse, July 1).
WHO Says "3x5" Goal For AIDS Treatment Achievable
July 1: The World Health Organization said yesterday it believes it will achieve its goal of treating 3 million HIV-positive people with antiretroviral drugs by 2005 thanks to global campaigns and efforts by individual governments, Associated Press reported.WHO Director General Lee Jong-wook announced the so-called "3x5" initiative, which aims to help curb the spread of AIDS, when he took up his position last year.
Efforts that have helped the cause include a U.S. plan to treat 2 million people by 2007. In another boon to the 3x5 program, yesterday the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced its approval of $2.9 million worth of grants over the next five years that will put 930,000 people on AIDS drugs.
WHO estimates that more than 40 million people worldwide are HIV-positive and says more than 3 million people died last year from AIDS. Antiretroviral drugs have reduced AIDS deaths by 70 percent in developed countries (Naomi Koppel, AP, June 30).
In March, WHO warned that a funding shortfall had put the goal in jeopardy (U.N. Wire, March 15).
Abuses Continue Against Liberian Children, Group Warns
July 1: Postwar Liberia remains a dangerous place for children and adolescents, who are often the victims of abuse and exploitation, the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict said this week in a new report.
"Young people continue to suffer; their hopes for peace and security are being shattered by neglect and failure to provide basic protection," warned Julia Freedson, coordinator of Watchlist, a network of nongovernmental organizations.
The Watchlist report, Nothing Left to Lose: The Legacy of Armed Conflict and Liberia's Children, catalogues violations committed against Liberian youth by the militias that were at war last year, including killing, rape and sexual assault, abduction, torture, forced displacement and underage recruitment into armed services (Watchlist release, June 28).
It also documents abuses that continue against youth in Liberia today, nearly a year after ex-President Charles Taylor was forced out of office, ending 14 years of conflict.
Girls in refugee and internally displaced camps are regularly raped, sexually abused and forced into prostitution by soldiers, businessmen and even aid workers, the report says.
"Teenage girls, single women and mothers with young children have been and still are the primary targets," said Ellen Jorgensen, acting executive director of the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children and a Watchlist member (Agence France-Presse/ReliefWeb, June 30).
She also warned of the possibility that many children are being excluded from the country's disarmament program, as far fewer than the estimated 15,000 child soldiers have participated.
"Various glitches have marred the DDRR [Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and Rehabilitation] process for children and other ex-combatants in Liberia," Jorgenson said. "Mixed messages regarding the qualifying criteria for children to enter the DDRR program have caused confusion and prevented some qualified children from receiving basic services, protection and assistance."
Watchlist called on the interim government, the U.N. Mission in Liberia and the U.N. Security Council to make child protection a top priority, include all child soldiers in DDRR and investigate reports of sexual exploitation.
"As the U.N. Security Council concludes its visit to West Africa, we call on the council members and the entire international community to ensure that abuses against Liberian children, such as the rape and sexual exploitation of displaced girls, stop," Freedson said (Watchlist release, June 28).
Eight New Sites Inscribed On World Heritage ListJuly 1: Five new natural sites and three new cultural treasures were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List yesterday, three days into the World Heritage Committee's two-week meeting in Suzhou, China.
New on the list of natural sites, which now number 154, is Greenland's Ilulissat Icefjord, the sea mouth of one of the fastest active glaciers in the world and notable for its huge amount of calf ice (exceeding 35 cubic kilometers a year).
Indonesia's Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra - 2.5 million hectares encompassing three national parks that are home to 10,000 plant species, 200 mammals including the orangutan and nearly 600 bird species - was also inscribed based on its potential for long-term conservation of Sumatra's biodiversity.
Russia's Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve, situated above the Arctic Circle, was recognized for its uniquely high levels of biodiversity. The reserve is home to the largest population of Pacific walrus and the highest density of polar bear dens and serves as a major feeding ground for gray whales.
Santa Lucia's Pitons Management Area, consisting of two volcanic spires rising from the sea and skirted by coral reefs, received protection. The area is home to eight rare tree species, five endemic bird species, three indigenous rodents and many other plants and animals.
South Africa's Cape Floral Region Protected Areas - comprising eight individual reserves - received recognition as one of the richest plant environments in the world, hosting 20 percent of Africa's flora on an area one-half of 1 percent of the continent's land mass. UNESCO described it as "of outstanding value to science."
Among the cultural sites inscribed yesterday was Mali's Tomb of Askia, a 17-meter pyramid and mosque complex built in 1495 by Askia Mohamed, emperor of Songhai, with riches gained from controlling the Saharan trade in salt, gold and other goods. It is considered a good example of the mud-building tradition of the Sahel.
A fortified city built by the Portuguese on Morocco's Atlantic coast characterizes the interplay between European and Moroccan cultures, the committee found. The city of Mazagan, as it was called, is found in present-day El Jadida.
A region in northeastern Togo and neighboring Benin known for its mud-tower houses was inscribed. Koutammakou, known as the home of the Batammariba tribe, features Takienta tower-houses up to two stories high that blend uniquely with the natural environment.
The committee is expected to finalize its inscriptions tomorrow and discuss other matters including the state of conservation of World Heritage Sites. The annual session will end July 7 (UNESCO release, June 30).
China To Build Nature Reserve For Endangered DolphinJuly 1: China plans to establish a 16,800-acre reserve in its largest lake in a bid to save the endangered Yangtze River dolphin, the world's only freshwater dolphin, the government announced Tuesday.
Pollution and other damage to the dolphin's habitat has reduced its population from about 6,000 in the 1950s to fewer than 2,000 today (Associated Press/Environmental News Network, June 30).
In other news, the construction of two dams along China's 3,000-mile Mekong River to power the booming Chinese economy could threaten the livelihoods of millions of Southeast Asian farmers and fishers within a decade, according to an Australian researcher.
Milton Osborne, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University in Canberra, said Tuesday there is evidence indicating that the completion of the dams has caused the river's flow patterns to shift.
When the Mekong fell to record lows during recent dry seasons, the sudden drops in its levels stranded boats, and the fish catch in Cambodia subsequently fell by almost 50 percent.
The river provides fish and irrigation for 70 percent of the 70 million people living in its basin.
"The cumulative effects of the developments that have taken place plus the additional physical changes that are planned with more dams in China and the extension of river clearances further downstream into Laos mean that there is reason to be concerned about the Mekong's future," Osborne told Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
According to China, the dams would not only generate hydroelectric power, but they would also benefit countries downstream - Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam - by stemming the river's flow (Reuters/ENN, June 30).
Study Finds Aral Sea Crisis Damaging Population's DNA
July 1: A new study conducted on the local population living near Central Asia's Aral Sea has found that people there exhibit high levels of DNA damage that could explain the region's alarmingly high cancer rates, BBC Online reported Tuesday.
According to BBC, the salty Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest inland body of water, has been shrinking so fast it could vanish by 2020, mainly due to poor management of the regional irrigation system that supplies water to cotton crops.
As it shrinks, the sea exposes vast stretches of dry land that are saturated with large quantities of salt and a toxic mix of chemical residues washed down over the decades from the farms upstream. As a result, the poisonous salts in the air enter the food chain, causing respiratory and digestive problems.
Cancer of the esophagus is widespread in the region, as are malnutrition, anemia and tuberculosis.
In the study, Spencer Wells of the National Geographic Society and formerly of Oxford University's Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics found that levels of DNA damage among those living in the area are 3½ times higher than among people living in the United States. Among farm workers living close to agricultural chemicals the rate is five times higher.
Wells pointed out that the DNA damage could affect future generations. "This means not only that people are more likely to get cancer, but also that their children and grandchildren are too," he said.
BBC asked Atajan Hamraev, the deputy health minister of Uzbekistan's Karakalpakstan province, one of the worst affected regions, whether it was a good idea to continue growing cotton there since the crop is the main cause of the sea's desiccation and the health problems plaguing the people.
"There's no alternative," he said, because cotton is Uzbekistan's biggest export earner. Stopping the growing of cotton would only make public health and the economy worse, he added (David Shukman, BBC Online, June 29).
The United Nations pledged early last month to provide technical and expert assistance to find a way to save the Aral Sea (U.N. Wire, June 4)
WWF Objects To Possible Russian Nuclear DepositoryJuly 1: International environmental group WWF yesterday objected to Russia's recent tentative agreement to become the first country to accept foreign spent nuclear fuel, Agence France-Presse reported.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei announced Monday that Russia was willing to build "a state-of-the-art" geological depository for the radioactive material.
"Russia should not be reprocessing nuclear waste and most certainly should not be importing it," said Igor Chestin, a WWF spokesman in Russia. "Russia cannot ensure security" of such a facility, he added.
Alexander Rumyantsev, the head of Russia's nuclear agency, said Tuesday he could see nothing to prevent the facility's construction.
"Russia has experience in reprocessing combustible waste," Rumyantsev said after meeting with ElBaradei and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, Rumyantsev said a final decision on the facility was likely years away. "Experts at IAEA will be discussing the proposal for several years," he said. "And there isn't even agreement that the storage site will be created."
The Russian parliament paved the way in 2001 for a possible facility by passing legislation allowing the importation of spent nuclear fuel (AFP/TerraDaily, June 30).
Halt To World Bank Loans In Guinea Expected To Hurt EconomyJuly 1: Last week's World Bank announcement that it has halted loan disbursements to Guinea is sure to cause further economic deterioration in a country already starved for adequate goods and services, according to donors.
The bank's lending arm for the poorest countries, the International Development Association, stopped offering loans in mid-June and suspended field projects after the government failed to pay off $2.4 million in debt arrears.
"Everything has come to an end," a bank official based in the capital, Conakry, said. "We did our best so far but the government doesn't make enough effort, the situation is becoming very bad for the population," the official said.
Donors have decried the West African country's corruption, poor governance and improper economic practices.
Guinea's inflation rate is said to have risen to 13 percent last year from 6.8 percent in 2000 and the price of such staples as rice has increased sixfold over the last 15 years, while government salaries have remained constant.
"The poorest will suffer more from the deterioration of the economic crisis than anyone else," said one Social Affairs Ministry official (Integrated Regional Information Networks, June 29).
Arbour Begins Work As U.N. Human Rights Chief
July 1: Former Canadian Supreme Court judge Louise Arbour today assumed the position of U.N. high commissioner for human rights, replacing Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was killed last August in a bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad (BBC Online, July 1).
Between 1996 and 2000, Arbour served as chief prosecutor at the international war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, issuing indictments against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who is on trial in The Hague, and others (U.N. release, July 1). She is credited with increasing the number of suspects indicted for war crimes from seven to 34 (BBC Online).
Arbour, who was named the U.N. rights chief in February, has also published extensively, in both English and French, on criminal procedure, human rights, civil liberties and gender issues (U.N. Wire, Feb. 23).
FBI News
Protecting Indian Country from CrimeThe Indian Gaming Working Group
June 30: Indian gambling revenues have grown from $100 million in 1988 when the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was enacted, to $15 billion in 2003, and now outpace the gambling operations of Las Vegas and Atlantic City combined. Approximately 360 Indian gambling related operations are currently conducted by over 220 tribes throughout 28 states. While this phenomenal growth has been an economic boon to many Native American tribes, it has unfortunately increased the potential for organized crime groups to become a corrupting influence and to profit from illegal schemes such as embezzlement, illegal betting, and other gaming scams.
The tribes themselves provide the primary day-to-day due diligence to keep the facilities honest and fair for both players and operators. However, the threat posed by organized crime calls for the involvement of federal agencies to assist tribes in keeping Indian casinos crime free.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act gives the FBI federal criminal jurisdiction over acts directly related to Indian casino establishments, including those located on reservations under state criminal jurisdiction. As part of its efforts to combat crimes related to Indian gambling, the FBI spearheaded the creation of the Indian Gaming Working Group (IGWG), consisting of the Department of Interior Office of the Inspector General, National Indian Gaming Commission, Internal Revenue Services-Tribal Government Section, Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Center, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Law Enforcement Services.
With oversight from the FBI's Indian Country/Special Jurisdiction Unit, the IGWG works to ensure the honesty and fairness of Indian gambling activities for visitors, and fights organized crime groups attempting to commit embezzlement and other scams. Since its creation in February 2003, the IGWG has significantly enhanced inter-agency cooperation, and allowed its members to pool resources, and to develop and execute effective strategies to investigate and prosecute Indian gambling related crime.
The public is encouraged to contact the nearest FBI office if they are aware of any wrongdoing on Indian reservations. All contacts remain confidential. -Keralamonitor.com
Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force
June 30: The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force officially opened at 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 29, 2004, with a ceremony at the Connecticut headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which included a ribbon cutting for the Task Force's new training laboratory.
The new training lab was unveiled as United States Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and FBI Deputy Assistant Director Keith Lourdeau cut the ribbon on the state-of-the-art facility.
The lab, which will accommodate up to 27 officers from local, state and federal law enforcement, is the only one of its kind in New England. The lab is the newest addition to the myriad investigative tools available to this unique Task Force.
The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force was formed in March 2003 to investigate crimes occurring over the Internet. These crimes include computer intrusion, Internet fraud, on-line crimes against children, copyright violations, and Internet threats or harassment. The Task Force includes agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut
Chief State's Attorney's Office, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Secret Service and detectives from the Glastonbury, New Britain, Milford, New Haven and Windsor police departments. The Task Force is housed in the Connecticut FBI headquarters, 600 State Street, New Haven.
"The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force is law enforcement's collective response to address Internet-related crimes and electronic media issues that affect almost every criminal violation confronting law enforcement today," said Michael J. Wolf, Special Agent in Charge of the Connecticut FBI.
SAC Wolf delivered the opening remarks for Tuesday's event. Other speakers included Congresswoman DeLauro, United States Attorney Kevin O'Connor, for the District of Connecticut, and Mr. Lourdeau, from FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
As Deputy Assistant Director of the Cyber Division, Mr. Lourdeau has oversight of all cyber programs in the FBI.
In Connecticut, the Computer Crimes Task Force includes a computer forensic laboratory, which provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. The Task Force facility also includes an Internet undercover area, from which investigators target on-line sexual predators.
On Tuesday, escorted tours through the entire Task Force facility were offered to the invited guests in attendance.
The guests included representatives of the state's Congressional delegation, top management of the participating law enforcement agencies and members of the media. -Keralamonitor.com
