Thai government lifts emergency

On 22nd January, the Shinawatra-led caretaker government imposed a state of emergency for 60 days to quell protests. The emergency was due to expire on 22nd March.

The emergency had expanded the power of security forces to issue orders and search, arrest and detain people.

Violence had erupted in Bangkok and other parts of the country ahead and during the 2nd February snap polls, boycotted by main opposition Democrat Party demanding the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck.

Twenty-three people have been killed and over 700 injured in the political conflict since November.

Surapong Tovichakchaikul, chief advisor to the government's Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) which has been set up to handle anti-government protests, had yesterday said the body will ask for the state of emergency to be lifted.

Japan to impose sanctions against Russia over Crimea

President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a decree recognising Crimea as an independent state following a weekend referendum to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in a move that has fanned the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War.

"It's deplorable that Russia recognised the independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a move that violates Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Japan will suspend negotiations on easing visa requirements, and will not begin talks on a new investment accord, an outer space accord and an accord aimed at preventing risky military activities," it added, without elaborating.

The United States and Europe announced sanctions on Monday, with the White House saying the measures, the toughest against Russia since the Cold War, would target economic power brokers in Moscow if the Kremlin does not change course.

There was no sign of Putin backing down, however, and Crimea's pro-Moscow authorities made plans to swiftly honour Sunday's 96 percent referendum vote to return to the Russian fold.

"Japan urges Russia to understand the position held by the G7 (Group of Seven)" world powers, including Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

Suga, the top government spokesman, added that Japan "is, of course, thinking" about further action against Russia.

He did not supply details. However, Suga disputed suggestions that Tokyo's apparent lukewarm sanctions, compared with its western partners' travel bans and asset freezes against Russian and Ukraine officials, are linked to efforts aimed at solving a decades-old territorial disputes with Moscow.

"That's not the case," he said. "Japan never overlooks an attempt to change the status quo through force."

Information Courtesy : www.ddnews.gov.in
 

President Vladimir Putin added Crimea to the map of Russia

President Vladimir Putin added Crimea to the map of Russia on 18-Mar-2014, describing the move as correcting past injustice and responding to what he called Western encroachment upon Russia's vital interests.


In a  40-minute speech televised live from the Kremlin, Putin said "in people's hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia."

He referred to Ukraine as a state born out of an illegal secession from the Soviet Union.

crimea declares independence from Ukraine

crimea's regional assembly on Monday declared independence from Ukraine and applied to join Russia, saying all Ukrainian state property on the peninsula would be nationalised.

"The republic of Crimea appeals to the United Nations and to all countries of the world to recognise it as an independent state," read a document approved by the assembly.

"The Republic of Crimea... applies to the Russian Federation to accept the Republic of Crimea as a member of the Russian Federation," it said.

killed in Naxal attack on security personnel in Chhattisgarh

ambushed a security patrol killing 16 people including 11 of the CRPF in a daring daytime attack in the worst-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, a gory reminder of the 2010 Dantewada massacre in which 76 CRPF personnel were gunned down in the same area.

The Naxals, who were 200 in number, walked away with the arms and ammunition of the slain policemen after the encounter that lasted nearly three hours. The attack at a road construction site came exactly a month before the Lok Sabha elections in Chattisgarh.

They struck at 'Jeerum Nullah', 400 km from Raipur, at around 1015 am when a contingent of 48 joint security forces personnel was trapped and struck by heavy fire and landmine blasts while it was out for an operational task in the jungles of Tongapal, close to the Dantewada and 'Jeerum Ghati' axis, notorious for Naxal violence.

Jat community is included in the Central list of OBCs in nine states

Union Cabinet on 02-March-2014 approved the inclusion of the Jat community in the Central list of OBCs for the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarrakhand, Uttar Pradesh and the National capital territory of Delhi.


An approximate number of nine crore Jats are living in nine states -- Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Bihar.

2-yr age relaxation for civil service exams

recently approved two additional attempts for all categories of candidates beginning with the Civil Services Examination, 2014, and okayed the consequential age relaxation across the board.

Under the existing rules, an unreserved or general category candidate is permitted a maximum of four attempts with the age limit for such candidates to take the examination being 30 years.

But from this year onwards, unreserved category candidates will get six attempts until 32 years of age, the Ministry of Personnel said in a statement on Tuesday.

There is no restriction on the number of attempts by candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

But the age limit for such aspirants has now been extended by two years from 35 to 37 years, it said.

Till last year, the stipulation was for a total of seven attempts and an age limit of 33 years for aspirants belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

But as per the revised norms, an OBC candidate will now get nine attempts until 35 years of age.

Physically handicapped candidates in the general and OBC categories will now be eligible for nine attempts as against the seven at present.

They will also get age relaxations of 42 years for general and 45 years for OBC candidates.

There is no cap on the number of attempts by physically handicapped candidates in the SC and ST categories while there will be an age limit of 47 years for them as against the present 45 years, the statement said.

The Civil Services Examination (Preliminary), 2014, is tentatively scheduled to be held on 24th August this year.

The examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS), among others.

Information courtesy  : http://www.ddinews.gov.in/National/National%20-%20Headlines/Pages/civilexams.aspx