Afghan suspends Peace talks with Taliban in Doha

The Afghanistan government has suspended "Bilateral Security Agreement talks" around due to its "inconsistent statement and action" within the Taliban peace process.
Hamid Karzai led government was miffed around government over the announcement it would engage in "direct negotiations with Taliban", who officially opened a political office in Doha, Qatar, recently [ The united states State Department has however denied this report ].

• Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) : is supposed to provide a strategic framework for all of us troops to remain in the country following a NATO combat mission ends after 2014 and its troops formally exit Afghanistan . It'll finalise issues such as the quantity of troops to remain, where they'll be based and under what terms they'll operate.

Karzai has also protested over the name from the Taliban's Doha office- "Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan" (the formal name of their 1996-2001 government), which seems an effort to portray itself like a "state in exile" (US do not recognise this name).

• Karzai government has additionally declared that it will boycott any peace talks unless these were led by his government i.e Afghan led (instead of US- Taliban bilateral talks ). Till then the High Peace Council (an appearance set up in 2010 to seek a negotiated peace using the Taliban) will not participate in Qatar Talks.

The NATO command in Kabul had recently completed handing over lead security responsibility to Afghan government forces across the nation as it plans to end all combat operations in Afghanistan by December 2014.

• India's Position : India has always maintained that it'll be happy with whatever decision is taken by Afghanis themselves BUT the Peace initiative ought to be Afghanistan-owned and Afghanistan-driven. Further on issue of Doha talks it's cautioned Afghan government not to cross "Red Lines drawn through the International community".
• James Dobbins: US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan

General Joseph Dunford: US commander in Afghanistan

Kosovo observes fifth year of its independence from Serbia

Kosovo celebrated the fifth anniversary of the declaration of independence from Serbia, the very first time since 1998-99 with a parade of police and military, in the main square of Pristina, the main city. The landlocked nation is recognised as independent nation only by 96 nation (i.e. no UN nation) and Serbia is constantly on the claim it as its own territory. Its population comprises mainly of ethnic Albanians and Serbians.

Europe is currently mediating talks between the two former foes who fought a war regarding this in 1998-99. Recently both side were built with a skirmish at the border which caused problems for 30 NATO soldiers.Later both side agreed for any joint border management strategy.

Bhiwani, Mahendragarh and Bharatpur included in National Capital Region (NCR)

National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB), headed by Urban Development Minister , provides approval to add three more districts to National Capital Region.

They're : Bhiwani and Mahendragarh (in Haryana) and Bharatpur ( in Rajasthan). Using these additions, the number of districts inside the NCR now stands at 19, with total area increasing by 34% to 45,887sq km.

• Jaipur included just like a Counter-Magnet Area
• Jind and Karnal in Haryana and Mathura-Vrindavan of UP may also be being considered for inclusion.
• National Capital Region Transport Corporation for implementation of Regional Rapid Transit System ,proposed earlier, is underactive consideration
• A Draft Revised Regional Plan 2021 has the capacity to be approved soon

The National Capital Region (NCR)

An extended metropolitan area (agglomeration) centered on Delhi and comprising cities surrounding it in neighbouring states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

• aims to reduce pressure on the infrastructure of Delhi (health, educational, economic etc.) along with protect it from excessive population pressure. Additionally, it seeks to make sure a better planned development of the entire region.
• NCR Planning Board Act : constituted in 1985 to fulfill the objectives
• Benefits : Funding from NCRPB at Cheaper rates for infrastructure projects ; integrated planning leading to better development
• NCR is the India’s largest and world’s second largest (After Tokyo) agglomeration

Sub Region :

• Haryana Sub-Region : 11 districts, Largest area under NCR (Bhiwani ,Mahendragarh, Gurgaon, Faridabad , Mewat , Palwal , Rewari , Jhajjar, Rohtak , Sonipat , Panipat)
• Uttar Pradesh : 5 districts [Gautam Budha Nagar Dist (Noida and Greater Noida) , Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Meerut]
• Rajasthan : Alwar and Bharatpur
• The nation's Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi : comprises minimum area under NCR

Counter-magnet towns :

Role : As interceptors of migratory flows into NCR; As Regional Growth Centres

• The cities within 250 km. radius from Delhi that could serve and develop as alternative centres of growth thereby reducing pressure on Delhi.
• Criteria: Should have their own established roots and potential of growth and can't be centres of religious, strategic or environmental importance.

List: Gwalior, Hisar, Kota, Patiala, Bareily, Ambala, Dehradun, Kanpur and Jaipur

Scientists claim, a child in US functionally cured of HIV

A child treated for Hiv (HIV/ AIDS) ,in Mississippi continues to be claimed to be “functionally cured”(a condition whenever a patient achieves and maintains long-termviralremission without lifelong treatment and standard studies fail to detect HIV replication within the blood. However,it is likely that the minute amount of the virus remains in your body) after being exposed to the virus during birth. The kid was given standard anti-retroviral (ARV) drug therapy within 30 hours of birth whichled to undetectable amounts of virus in the body, 29 days after birth. This is actually the 2nd such case ,theonly documented case of the actual cure was those of an adult in Germany (Timothy Ray Brown) who had bone marrow transplant, there was several such instances of “non-progressors” who was simply exposed tothe virus but seem “naturally resistant.”

The study team behind this project included Johns Hopkins Children’s Centre virologist Deborah Persaud, University of Massachusetts School of medicine immunologist Katherine Luzuriaga, and University of Mississippi Medical Centre paediatric HIV specialist Hannah Gay. The findings could imply “prompt antiviral therapy in newborns that begins within times of exposure may help infants pay off the virus and achieve long-term remission without lifelong treatment by preventing viral hideouts from forming to begin with in the body as in the case of adults who don't realise they were being infected by the time they did, these were already highly infected. In this instance however, infection was caught early, potentially as the virus was still entering the baby’s system and so the doctors supplied the ARVs instead of cases where adults have been infected for a while.

However scientists claim are cautious when it comes to generalising these results and emphasised this may be a single, anecdotal case because it was not a “controlled randomised trial”. Further “Complete viral eradication on the large scale is long-term goal which might come from aggressive, timely and precisely targeted utilization of antiviral therapies in high-risk newborns in an effort to achieve functional cure.” The result of ARVs is to suppress and slow the progress from the infection rather than act as a “sterilising cure,” that is a complete eradication of all viral traces in the body. Prevention really is the very best cure, and it is already proven strategy that 98 percent of newborn infections could be prevented by identifying and treating HIV-positive women that are pregnant.

Chinese Astronauts successfully completes 5th manned space mission

Three Chinese astronauts completed their space journey and returned safely to Earth aboard Shenzhou-10 spacecraft which landed in Gobi desert in inner Mangolia

About Mission

• China's 5th manned space mission since 2003
• 15 days Trip ; longest in Chinese Space history
• Spaceship : Shenzhou 10 ; Launcher : Long March-2F rocket ; Launching Station : Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (Gobi Desert)
• Astronauts : Wang Yaping, Nie Haisheng (commander from the mission) and Zhang Xiaoguan

Wang Yaping : China's second woman astronaut

• Wang also gave an area lecture in orbit which was transmitted to Chinese students on the planet
• First Chinese Woman wide was Liu Yang ( Mission- Shenzhou-9, 2012)
• first ever Chinese astronaut directly into Space : Yang Liwei (2003)

Objective :

• To dock using the Tiangong-1 space module (was final trial docking) ; transfer supplies towards the Chinese space lab (in orbit since September 2011)
• master the rendezvous and docking capabilities required for the operation of a manned space platform (proposed Chinese space lab set to become ready by 2020 )
• to acquire the technological and logistical skills to operate a full space station that may house people for long periods
• China's first manned docking exercise : with Tiangong 1 (means Heavenly palace) of Shenzhou-9, June 2012

Challenges :

• However to trap on the reigning superpowers in Space technology, US and Russia, besides mastering these Docking manuoevres , launching of cargo and fuel via space freighters and recycling air and water for longer manned missions needs to be mastered by China.
• Tiangong 2- a functional space lab in orbit is planned in 2 years.

The U.S. closed its toyota tows program in 2011 (with the retirement of Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour Spacecrafts ; The ultimate space shuttle mission was STS-135, Atlantis, July 21, 2011) and it is no longer aggressively pursuing manned space exploration (instead encouraging private sector the likes of Virgin Galactic, Orbital corp, Space X etc to go in the arena)

• Russia and China now 3 countries in the world capable of independently sending humans into space.
• International Space Station (ISS) : some pot venture between NASA, Russia's RKA space agency, Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency, the ecu Space Agency and the Canadian CSA (China isn't part of the project that maintains the ISS).

PM inaugurates 'Gandhi Heritage Portal'

Prime Minister inaugurated “Gandhi Heritage Portal” which will help in disseminating writings of Mahatma Gandhi- “The Father of the united states, in an authentic and unabridged form. An internet based archive, developed under the guidance of Secretary of state for culture, it seeks to examine his message of non-violence, humanism and demanding aspects of our freedom find it difficult to the world and specially to Indian youth.

• in line with the recommendations of the The Gandhi Heritage Sites Panel towards preservation, protection and dissemination from the tangible and the intangible heritage of Mahatma Gandhi (another recommendation was the establishing of the Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission that also has been completed ).
• Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, Ahmedabad : was entrusted the job of concept design, development and maintenance ( the largest repository of Gandhiji’s original writings, photo archive, assortment of over 45,000 books on contributing to Gandhiji and the Indian National Movement).

Options that come with portal :

• The Gandhi Heritage Sites’ section: might have detailed information regarding places that Gandhiji visited.
• “The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi” : obtainable in 3 languages- English, Hindi and Gujarati.

A few of the literary work of Gandhiji :

An Autobiography (The storyline of My Experiments with Truth),
Hind Swaraj,
From Yervada Mandir,
Satyagraha in Nigeria,
Constructive Programmes: Their Meaning and put,
Ashram Observances in Action,
Key To Health and
Gandhiji’s translation from the Gita as Anasakti Yoga.

Journals by Gandhiji :

Indian Opinion
Young India
Navjivan
Harijan Bandhu
Harijan
Harijan Sevak etc.
Just before his project, Ministry of Culture is promoting Bichitra - the web archives of writings of Rabindra Nath Tagore included in its commitment to create and sustain free archive movement to democratise use of our intangible cultural and philosophical heritage. These initiatives would also strengthen and facilitate teaching , research and inquiry.

Computer Mouse Inventor Douglas Engelbart dies

Douglas Engelbart, a computer scientist credited with conceiving the thought of computer mouse- now ubiquitous and indispensable a part of computer system, has died. He worked like a computer scientist at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) which later patented Mouse (later licensed to Apple making commercially available in 1984 with Apple’s new Macintosh).

• ardent believer from the idea that human-computer interaction can be used to “augmenting human intellect”
• Initially documented as “X-Y position indicator for any display system” invention of mouse made computers user- friendly

He earned some other pioneering and “ahead of their time” discoveries in his lab- “Augmentation Research Center” :

• Illustration showing the idea and display of initial ever “video conferencing”
• Development of ‘hypertext’- explained how pages of knowledge could be tied together using text-based links
• Utilization of multiple windows – real-time collaboration on a single desktop; division of a screen into windows-like subsections
• Helped develop ARPANet – the federal government research network that led to the Internet
• Precursors to graphical user interfaces
• Concept of Networked computers

His famous presentation in December 1968 about his vision for future years of human-machine interaction – has become known as ‘The Mother of all Demos’

• US $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize in 1997
• National Medal of Technology by President in 2000 “for allowing the foundations of personal computing”.

Nicolas Maduro wins Venezuela's presidential election

Ruling party candidate Nicolas Maduro has narrowly won Venezuela's presidential election with 50.Eight percent of votes in comparison to unified opposition candidate and Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles who had been polled 49.1 % from the ballots. Due to narrow margin of votes Capriles has refused to concede defeat and demanded full recounting alleging there were attempts to let people vote after polling stations closed and pressuring civil servants to prefer Maduro.

The elections were held following a death of Hugo Chavez , Venezuela's charismatic president for 14 years, in March 2013. Maduro, former foreign minister and v . p . and named his political heir by Chavez, was widely likely to win the right to complete the brand new six-year term Chavez won in October 2012, promising to carry on his oil-funded policies that cut poverty from 50 to 29 percent with popular health, education and food programs.

Kenyan presidential candidate is a ICC under trial

Uhuru Kenyatta, a candidate for the Kenyan presidency,is really a undertrial in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for charges of crimes against humanity. Kenyatta, an old finance minister and the son of his country's founding president, is among four accused at the ICC of orchestrating bloody clashes by which 1,200 people died and thousands were uprooted using their homes after disputed elections in December 2007

.
Also accused is Kenyatta's one-time political rival and today running mate, William Ruto, an old higher education minister alongwith Francis Mathaura, Kenya's cabinet secretary, and Joshua Arap Sang, an invisible broadcaster.Kenyatta is running a close second to Pm Raila Odinga in election polls within the run-up to the March 4 presidential election.

UN Peacekeeping Missions

UN Peacekeeping Missions (* in April 2013 UN Security Council approved New Mission in Mali "MINUSMA" taking final amount to 15)

A peacekeeping operation is led through the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), and activly works to create the conditions for lasting peace inside a country torn by conflict. It includes military, police and civilian personnel, who try to deliver security, political and early peace building support. United Nations Peacekeeping Forces was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988. [SEE Nobel Peace Prizes to UN Organization ]

• Total UN Peacekeeping operations since 1948 : 68
• Current peacekeeping operations (as on Feb 2013): 15*
• Current peace operations directed through the Department of Peacekeeping Operations: 16* [In accessory for peacekeeping operations, DPKO directs one political mission: the Un Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)]
• Countries contributing uniformed personnel: 116

(all data are by 31st May 2013)

Current operations :

• Un Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) : since April 1991- according to settlement proposals accepted in August 1988 by Morocco and also the Frente POLISARIO ( Popular para la Liberación de Saguia el-Hamra y de Río de Oro) and authorized by the Security Council, It deliver to a transitional period for that preparation of a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara would choose from independence and integration with Morocco. The Special Associated with the Secretary-General was to have sole and exclusive responsibility over matters concerning the referendum and was to be have helped his tasks by a built-in group of civilian, military and civilian police personnel, to become known as the MINURSO.
• United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) : since June 2004- to revive a secure and stable environment, to advertise the political process, to bolster Haiti’s Government institutions and rule-of-law-structures, in addition to promote and to protect human rights. Numbers increased following 2010 devastating earthquake to aid the immediate recovery, reconstruction and stability efforts.
• Un Organization Stabilization Mission within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) : since July 2010 - took control of from an earlier UN peacekeeping operation - the U N O Mission in Democratic Republic from the Congo (MONUC) - on 1 July 2010, to mirror the new phase reached in the united states. The new mission has been authorized to make use of all necessary means to execute its mandate relating, amongst other things, to the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of assault and to support the Government from the DRC in its stabilization and peace consolidation efforts.
• African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) : since July 2007 - protection of civilians is its core mandate, but can also be tasked with contributing to security for humanitarian assistance, monitoring and verifying implementation of agreements, assisting a comprehensive political process, contributing to the promotion of human rights and also the rule of law, and monitoring and reporting around the situation along the borders with Chad and also the Central African Republic (CAR).
• Un Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) : in Syrian Golan Heights since June 1974 (for utilizing disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria and looking after ceasefire)
• United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) : since March 1964 to avoid further fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, to supervise ceasefire lines, conserve a buffer zone, undertake humanitarian activities and offer the good offices mission from the Secretary-General.
• United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) : since March 1978- to verify Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and profit the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the region. The mandate had to be adjusted twice, because of the developments in 1982 and 2000. Following a July/August 2006 crisis (war with Israel), the Council enhanced the Force and decided that as well as the original mandate, it would, amongst other things, monitor the cessation of hostilities; accompany and offer the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy through the south of Lebanon; and extend its help help ensure humanitarian use of civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons.
• Un Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) : In Abyei, Sudan since June 2011 -The operation will monitor the flashpoint border between south and north Sudan, and is authorized to use force in protecting civilians and humanitarian workers in Abyei. UNISFA’s establishment came following the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) reached a contract in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to demilitarize Abyei and let Ethiopian troops to watch the area.
• United Nations Mission within the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) : In South Sudan since July 2011- UNMISS is on the floor to consolidate peace and security and also to help establish conditions for development because the Security Council determined the situation faced by South Sudan continued to constitute a menace to international peace and peace of mind in the region.
• United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire/ Ivory Coast (UNOCI) : since April 2004- to facilitate the implementation through the Ivorian parties of the peace agreement signed by them in January 2003. Following a 2010 Presidential election and the ensuing political crisis in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), UNOCI has always been on the ground to protect civilians and offer the Ivorian Government in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants, and also on security sector reform.
• Un Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK): since June 1999- to supply an interim administration for Kosovo to which the people of Kosovo could enjoy substantial autonomy. UNMIK had authority within the territory and people of Kosovo, including all legislative and executive powers and administration from the judiciary. Subsequently, following the declaration of independence through the Kosovo authorities and the entry into force of the new constitution on 15 June 2008, the duties of the Mission have significantly been modified to concentrate primarily on the promotion of security, stability and respect for human rights in Kosovo.
• Un Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) : since September 2003- to aid the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and also the peace process; protect Un staff, facilities and civilians; support humanitarian and human rights activities; in addition to assist in national security reform, including national police training and formation of the new, restructured military.
• Un Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) : In India and Pakistan since January 1949 -to observe developments regarding the strict observance of the ceasefire of 17 December 1971 and report thereon towards the Secretary-General ,for the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Un Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) : In Middle East since May 1948, Placed in May 1948, UNTSO was the first ever peacekeeping operation established through the United Nations. Since then, UNTSO military observers have remained in the centre East to monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating and assist other UN peacekeeping operations in the area to fulfill their respective mandates.

German Education Minister Stripped of Doctorate Degree

Germany's Education Minister Anette Schavan has been stripped of her Doctorate degree after a study was launched into allegations that part of her 1980 thesis in Philosophy was plagiarised. The choice was taken by a committee of academics at Dusseldorf's Heinrich Heine University.

Inside a similar case in 2011, former Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg,resigned from his post after revealation he copied large parts of his doctoral thesis.

United Nations observes July 12 as Malala Day

United Nations observed July 12 as Malala Day, the birthday of Pakistani girl child Malala Yousafzai, to convey global solidarity for the objective of education for all children. The young Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai originates to symbolise the "global fight for right of education; and specially girl's to education after her heroic stand against Taliban to advocate education for those in Pakistan's Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. She was shot through the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education but survived the bullet after complex surgery in UK and it is now leading the campaign to make use of education as a weapon against extremism.

Malala Day -12th July

• She gave a inspiring speech in UN general assembly addressing countless young people around the globe on the need for "Education for all"
• Invoked Mahatma Gandhi in her speech

7 girls, including 2 Indians, were awarded the "UN special envoy for global education’s youth courage award" included in the Malala Day celebrations :

• Ashwini (21) from Bangalore - Visually impaired but campaigns for the best to education for children with disabilities
• Razia (15) from Uttar Pradesh - an old child labourer, helped stop the exploitation of 48 child labourers making sure that they were enrolled in school.
• Other Awardees : Urmila (22, Nepal) ; Shazia (15, Pakistan) ; Raouia ( 12, Morocco) ; Keshob (18, Bangladesh ); Aminata (20, Sierra Leone )

July 12 only has been dubbed/ promoted as Malala day : i.e. not official entry as UN Day (observances ) like Non Violence day (2nd Oct)
The UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Global Education - Gordon Brown ( former British Pm )

Mehvish Mushtaq - first Kashmiri to develop an Android application

A 23-year-old computer engineer, Mehvish Mushtaq, is just about the first Kashmiri to develop an Android application named 'Dial Kashmir' containing over 500 contacts of presidency and private departments - a 1 stop source for "essential information" planning to help to the locals and tourists.

'Dial Kashmir' provides users more information like addresses, phone numbers and email ids of numerous essential services and other departments in Kashmir. It's a one stop source for info on healthcare, education, transport, police and thus many others and one does not need to surf through websites, official websites and directories.