Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 14 May 2014

MERS virus

Despite a recent surge of ‘Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus’(MERS-CoV) cases, a meeting of an expert committee called by the World Health Organisation has concluded that conditions for declaring a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ had not been met.
The fifth meeting of WHO’s Emergency Committee for MERS-CoV, which was first convened last year took into account the fact that there had been sharp increase in cases since this March, particularly in Saudi Arabia but also in the United Arabian Emirates.
Since the virus was first detected in humans two years back, a total of 152 people have now died and 495 have been confirmed to have contracted the virus in Saudi Arabia, according to an Associated Press report. Most cases of the disease have been in the desert kingdom.
Egypt, Greece, Malaysia, Philippines, and the U.S. have recently reported isolated cases in individuals who had travelled there from the Middle East. The Netherlands has now reported its first such case.
Seasonality could be a factor driving the recent increase. The virus is widespread in camels in the Middle East and north-east Africa, and the animals appear to become infected when young. Increased spread of the virus from camels to humans might be contributing to the outbreak.

Ambassador of Israel to India Alon Ushpiz said that negotiations between India and Israel to forge a free trade agreement (FTA), under way for three years now, are likely to be completed by next year.
The agreement was a much-needed legal framework to further strengthen ties between the two countries.
The bilateral trade of around $5 billion, which by itself was significant given the modest $180 million in 1992, was well below potential.
Areas where Israel offered its expertise included water desalination, while affordable healthcare was one where more efforts needed to be put in.
Then, there was scope for Israel to offer assistance in internal security, from policing to curbing terrorism.

United States Secretary of State John Kerry has described China’s moves to deploy an oil rig in waters disputed by Vietnam as “provocative,” prompting an angry rebuttal from Beijing.
The Chinese government accused the U.S. of making “erroneous” remarks that had “emboldened some countries’ provocations.”
In recent days, Chinese and Vietnamese vessels have been in a tense stand-off, sparked by China’s deployment of an oil rig in the waters of the South China Sea off the Paracel Islands, which are claimed by Beijing.
Vietnam dispatched ships in response, arguing that the waters were within its exclusive economic zone, located around 200 nautical miles from its coastline.
China has maintained that it was well within its rights to deploy the $ 1 billion rig in the waters off the Paracel Islands, which it claims. Beijing would, however, have been aware of the possibility of a backlash from Vietnam, which disputes China’s claims.

The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha has recently recommended the appointment of Adarsh Goel, Arun Mishra, Gopal Subramanium and Rohinton Nariman as apex court judges. The recommendations are likely to be processed by the new government.
This is the first time that two persons from the Bar, the former Solicitors-General Rohinton Nariman and Gopal Subramanium, are being elevated at one stroke.

President Pranab Mukherjee has given assent to the Whistleblowers Protection Bill, 2011, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha in February.
The law provides for an institutionalised mechanism to protect, and thus encourage, those who disclose information on corrupt practices or abuse of power by government officials.
The Bill was first passed by the Lok Sabha in 2011. The law makes a provision for inquiry into the disclosures and also prescribes punitive measures to curb frivolous complaints. According to the Centre, it supplements the Right to Information Act in fighting corruption.
In 2004, the government introduced a resolution to empower the Central Vigilance Commission for protecting whistle-blowers.

A US drone killed three suspected militants in north-western Pakistan recently, the first such airstrike in nearly five months.
The unmanned aircraft fired missiles on a suspected hideout and a car used by militants in Khyber tribal district near the Afghan border.
It was not immediately known which group was targeted but Pakistani Taliban frequently use the route to travel across the porous border.
The last drone attack in the country was on December 26. Strikes were halted since then apparently to facilitate the government’s peace talks with Islamist militants.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last year announced negotiations with Taliban insurgents to end a decade of fighting but the talks appear to be heading nowhere.