Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The Pampas are drying again!

With bond buyback Argentina raises fears of another economic collapse

Dry winds are all over the Pampas once again! And interestingly it’s the same that swept away most of it in 2001. Remember the $95 billion default (largest by any country) by the Argentinean government on its bonds that led to the devastating financial collapse! The reminiscences of it still sends shivers down the spines of many! Well, the same doubts are growing over Argentina’s creditworthiness, yet again!

Though the Argentinean government is already into its third week of a debt buyback programme (has bought back $430 million worth of its 2008 and 2009 bonds) to bolster investor confidence, but it hasn’t been of much help. “Bond buyback by government has boosted some investors’ confidence. But still a lot more needs to be done to restore Argentina’s lost credibility,” P. B. Henry, Professor at Stanford University and an expert of Argentinean issues tells B&E. Certainly at 50% (an estimated $140 billion) of GDP (market exchange rate), Argentina’s public debt is still large.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Monday, November 26, 2012

TERRORISM: BIOLOGICAL WEAPONRY

Bio-terrorism adds to the global fear of organised terrorist attacks

But then, all that is, as they say, officially. It is well documented that Iraq was alleged to have conducted R&D to develop bio-weapons in the 80s, which – at a secondary level to WMDs – ultimately led to the Gulf war. In 1984, members of a quasi-religious sect of a spiritualist leader called Rajneesh were accused of using salmonella on local people in New Oregan to win a local election, which resulted in over 751 people falling sick. 1995 saw Aleph, a small terror group using Sarin gas in Japan, which killed twelve and injured over 5,000 people. In 2001, the US was frightened sick with several Anthrax attacks on US citizens.

Bioterrorism is becoming easier as agents are much easier to make. Any trained biologist can engineer it with comparatively lesser cash, but remain equally lethal. Only the US has been able to fight back bio-terrorism with strong regulation and with its capability to produce vaccines. Most of the remaining countries remain vulnerable to it. As the threat from terrorism is increasing, so is the same from bio-terrorism.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Friday, November 23, 2012

Stoned over sex

Gay pride surfaces on the streets of India and around the world...

“We are humans and are born like everyone else, but have feelings contrary to what is acceptable to the society. I am a guy and I love a guy, which means that people hate me and consider me to be different and weaker than others,” says Mayank, a front runner at the gay parade held in Delhi. On 29th June, 2008, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore played hosts to India’s first gay pride parades that drew a huge number of people. Holding placards with slogans like, ‘As good as you’, ‘Hindu-Muslim, Sikh-Isai, hetro-homo bhai bhai,’ the gathering marched peacefully through the streets, and was successful in making the Indian gays, bisexuals and transgenders surface and express their individuality.

Commemorating the Stonewall riots of 1969, which occurred in New York and kick-started the modern gay rights movement, homosexuals around the world came out on the roads holding high their rainbow-coloured flags. Like every year, parades were held in several countries and like India, Bulgaria and Czech Republic too held these parades for the first time ever. Though unlike India, those who assembled at Sofia and Brno were given a rather hostile reception. In Bulgaria; stones and gas-bombs were thrown at people attending the parade, while in Brno, right-wing extremists attacked the people with tear gas even before the march began! “I feel sorry to hear of such incidents where people do not respect people and cannot give heed to others’ feelings. I feel sorry for people who cannot accept us. At times we feel that we do not wish to be a part of this heartless society,” reacts Sachin, who had also participated at the parade.

“Hum honge kamyab ek din...” was the song on the lips of the people at the parade, and it showed the high spirits and firm belief of the activists that they would get their rights. All they want is that they should be recognised as a part of the society and people should not hurt their sentiments by mocking at them.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Mom, can I have a ministry too?

Is portfolio shuffling a born trait or can it be learnt? B&E’s deep review

A few months ago, a research done by the most prestigious Yale University revealed that Indian politicians are extraordinarily intelligent. Well, we should mention they prove to be equally intelligent as ‘fund’ (or should we say, ‘post’) managers to have learnt how to arrange ministerial portfolios to minimise political risk.

Some months ago, when UPA coalition partner, DMK leader Karunanidhi, called back Minister of Communications and IT, Dayanidhi Maran, who was replaced by another party loyalist and Environment Minister A. Raja without any stated specific reasons, even the Prime Minister had no say on it. And Minister of State for Home, S.Rogupathy, another loyal DMK leader, was brought to the Environment Ministry. Similarly, in the era of the NDA government, Suresh Prabhu, who was the then Power Minister, was also forced to leave the Ministry and was replaced by another party leader Anant Geete, a protege of Shiv Sena Chief Raj Thakeray.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Not at war?!?!

Unbelievably, Balkans improve...

After the break-up from Yugoslavia, the decade long internal disturbance seems to have settled down. Recently, a UN report on ‘Crime and its Impact on the Balkans’ concluded most positively that the Balkans have become a low-crime region and also are gradually trying to get into the league of some of the world’s most peaceful places. Nevertheless, the report further also warns that politics and organised crime will continue to hamper the region’s path to stability. Crimes like smuggling of drugs, guns and human trafficking is quite rampant. Over 100 tonnes of heroine are traded each year. Creditably, local murder rates fell by almost 50% in the last eight years [from 2,185 to 1,130].

The report further compares Romania with Switzerland in terms of safety and proves that the number of prisoners has gone down dramatically.

Human Rights Watch has also encouraged a country like Kosovo to cooperate with the EU to deploy a sensible rule-of-law mission, which may eventually reform the criminal justice system of the country.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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