A break in bad weather raised hopes on Thursday that divers would be able to investigate what is believed to be the sunken wreck of the jet off the coast of Indonesia, and retrieve the black boxes that could explain the cause of the crash. "
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Search resumes for bodies from AirAsia plane
A break in bad weather raised hopes on Thursday that divers would be able to investigate what is believed to be the sunken wreck of the jet off the coast of Indonesia, and retrieve the black boxes that could explain the cause of the crash. "
The Refuseniks Hiding From ‘Happy New Year’
Not everyone will be popping Champagne corks tonight. Some will be avoiding New Year festivities entirely—and very sensible folk they are too. Are you a New Year’s Eve refusenik? Someone who regularly rebels against the most socially sanctioned night of the year?
North India's cities the most polluted, south's cleanest
Almost all of the most polluted cities in India are located in the north with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan dominating the list, according to a WHO report on the most polluted cities in the world published earlier this year.
Incidentally, UP, Punjab and Delhi also lie in the fog belt of northern India and there's evidence to show that air pollution is worsening the problem. Early last year, TOI had reported on a study which found that average fog hours in the month of January in Delhi had increased by as much as eight hours since 1989 — a trend attributed to rising pollution.
But not as much attention was paid to which were the most polluted among Indian cities. Of the worst 30 cities, UP laid claim to nine, Punjab to five and Rajasthan to four. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra had three cities each while J&K, Bihar and Uttarakhand had one each. Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Delhi rounded out the list.
Two were in Kerala - Kollam and Pathanamthitta, one in Karnataka - Hassan, one in Tamil Nad
u - Madurai, and Pondicherry. READ ALSO: Air pollution set to rise drastically in Indian cities, report says Delhi has the worst air pollution in the world: WHO The WHO used the concentration of particles in the air under 2.5 microns to determine how bad air pollution is.
Such particles cause the most damage to health because when inhaled, they can penetrate deep into the lungs, whereas larger particles are generally filtered out before they reach that far. Pathanamthitta,
the cleanest city on the list, recorded a concentration of 10 parts per million of particles under 2.5 microns. Compare that to Delhi, which has a concentration of 153 parts per million of such particles - more than fifteen times that of Pathanamthitta. Dr Gufran Beig,
In addition to local sources of pollution, Indo-Gangetic cities also get pollution from neighboring regions and other parts of India, so as a result the pollution level becomes very high," Beig said.Because of the location of the Indo-Gangetic plains at the foothills of the Himalayas, climate conditions are such that air masses often converge in the plains, both in the summer and the winter.
"During the summer, winds sweep towards the Indo-Gangetic plains through south India and from the north through the Himalayas, converging in the plains," Dr. Beig said. "This means the polluted air from south and central India and from the north and Nepal all converge in the plains."
Mars Orbiter Spies Alien Ice 'Spiders
The Martian surface is covered with a diverse array of landscapes and features, but this is one of the weirdest. Imaged by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on board NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) that orbits the planet 150 miles overhead, strange spider-like formations cover this south polar region of Mars. And these are truly alien features that are found nowhere on Earth.
Ezell Ford: Autopsy of unarmed black man shot by police shows key details
His name isn't as recognizable as Michael Brown's. But like Brown, Ezell Ford was an unarmed black man shot and killed by police in August. Now, newly released details of Ford's death could raise a host of new questions. Among the findings: The 25-year-old was shot three times, including once in the back. And that wound was surrounded by a muzzle imprint, Ford's autopsy report shows. But
Have numbers but want to respect mandate, Mehbooba Mufti says after meeting J&K governor
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti refused to open her party's cards for government formation even as she put the onus of honouring the J&K mandate on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Congress.
The fall from grace of a Korean heiress
It's hard to overstate the extent of Cho Hyun-ah's fall. Her grandfather founded one of the huge conglomerates, the Chaebols, that spurred South Korea's incredible economic growth. Her father is his main heir, chairman of Hanjin Group, which includes Korean Air, where Cho herself was a Vice President. Cho is third-generation Chaebol,
UNSC set to vote on Palestinian resolution
United Nations Security Council is expected to vote shortly on a Palestinian draft resolution that calls for a peace deal with Israel within a year and an end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories by late 2017. Jordan's UN Ambassador Dina Kawar said Arab delegations had agreed the draft should go to a vote as soon as possible. UNSC set to vote on Palestinian resolution
UNSC set to vote on Palestinian resolution
Obama Is Right on Race. The Media Is Wrong.
Yes, in our day-to-day interactions, Americans are less racially divided than we were before the president took office—but highlighting our unity just doesn’t make good TV, does it? It seemed as though President Obama couldn’t possibly say anything to make conservatives,
But then he said what some apparently consider his biggest half-truth or untruth to date: that he believes the country is less racially divided now than it was when he took office. The disbelief was evident in article after article, with one conservative site using “President Pinocchio” in its headline. The thinking seems to go like this:
With protests across the nation over racially charged deaths, from Michael Brown to Tamir Rice, how could the president say with a straight face that our nation is not less divided than it once was? Especially when polls show that some Americans think we are.
And yet the answer to that question can be found in Obama’s own words. “I actually think that it’s probably in its day-to-day interactions less racially divided,” he told NPR. He’s right. Despite the images perpetuated by the media highlighting divisions
Friday, December 19, 2014
Taliban Commander Directed Peshawar School Massacre in Real Time
A Taliban commander was communicating live with militants as they carried out the Pakistan school massacre that killed 148 people, according to one of the group's media units.
Mehsud Media, which is one of the Pakistani Taliban's (TTP) official media arms, released a statement claiming the attack was "conducted under direct supervision" of a commander named Omar Mansour who gave the terrorists "directions during the operation." The report was highlighted by Flashpoint Intelligence — a global security firm and NBC News counterterrorism consultant. The group also demanded that Pakistan halt all military operations, stop killing militants' relatives and release all of the women imprisoned by security forces. Officials must not "confront or detain Muslims in the future,
Mehsud Media, which is one of the Pakistani Taliban's (TTP) official media arms, released a statement claiming the attack was "conducted under direct supervision" of a commander named Omar Mansour who gave the terrorists "directions during the operation." The report was highlighted by Flashpoint Intelligence — a global security firm and NBC News counterterrorism consultant. The group also demanded that Pakistan halt all military operations, stop killing militants' relatives and release all of the women imprisoned by security forces. Officials must not "confront or detain Muslims in the future,
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Delhi beats Maharashtra as India's e-commerce hub: eBay
NEW DELHI: Delhi has toppled Maharashtra as the No. 1 market where maximum number of mobiles and accessories were sold online this year, e-commerce major eBay has said. Last year, Maharashtra was the top market of eBay. According to eBay's Census 2014, tier-II and -III cities are driving the e-commerce market in India,
Watch-incredible-moment-double-amputee-uses-TWO-mind-controlled-prosthetic-arms-time.
A groundbreaking experiment has given a double amputee two new mind controlled arms.
Les Baugh, who lost both arms in an electrical accident 40 years ago, was able to operate the system by simply thinking about moving his limbs.
After training his muscles to use the new arms, he was able to lift cups, and perform a range of motions with each arm, in a procedure experts say could change the way prosthetics are used
Miss World is hanging up her bikini! Pageant reveals famous swimsuit round will be removed from competition as of 2015
The owners of the Miss World pageant have announced that there will be no swimsuit round in next year's competition.
In an interview with Elle, chairwoman Julia Morley explained: 'I really... don't need to see women just walking up and down in bikinis. It doesn't do anything for the woman.
'I don't care if someone has a bottom two inches bigger than someone else's. We are really not looking at her bottom. We are really listening to her speak.' Scroll down for video Big move: The owners of the Miss World pageant have announced that there will be no swimsuit round in next year's competition.
'I don't care if someone has a bottom two inches bigger than someone else's. We are really not looking at her bottom. We are really listening to her speak.' Scroll down for video Big move: The owners of the Miss World pageant have announced that there will be no swimsuit round in next year's competition.
Elizabeth Warren’s quiet (but huge) win: Why Wall Street lobbyists really hated her “cromnibus” fight
Democratic defenders of the “cromnibus” — no, we haven’t forgotten that horrid word quite yet — have defended the inclusion of a Citigroup-written rider relaxing derivatives regulation in much the same way: It could have been worse. The White House,
. First, they claim that it won funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Security and Exchange Commission — a trade floated by the banking lobbyists themselves, who were apparently the lead negotiators here.
. First, they claim that it won funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Security and Exchange Commission — a trade floated by the banking lobbyists themselves, who were apparently the lead negotiators here.
Man finds woman with same name as ex to join him on round-the-world trip
Man finds woman with same name as ex to join him on round-the-world trip.
Elizabeth Quinn Gallagher will join Axani on the trip that begins in New York City on Sunday. Photograph: Uncredited/AP A Toronto man who made headlines last month by offering a free round-the-world air ticket to a woman with the same name as his ex-girlfriend has found Ms Right. Jordan Axani, 28, and his then girlfriend,
Young-mother-handed-200-cash-stranger-street-did-Christmas-shopping-toddler-daughter.
Young-mother-handed-200-cash-stranger-street-did-Christmas-shopping-toddler-daughter.
When Kayleigh Moran was handed an envelope by an elderly stranger while she was Christmas shopping she presumed it was probably a request for a charity donation. Following the man's directions not to open it until he was out of sight, Ms Moran waited until he disappeared among shoppers in Ashton in Greater Manchester. But when she opened the envelope she discovered £200 inside in cash from a real-life secret Santa. Young-mother-handed-200-cash-stranger-street-did-Christmas-shopping-toddler-daughter.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Exonerated After Execution: Judge Tosses Teen's Murder Conviction
Seventy years after South Carolina executed a 14-year-old boy so small he sat on a phone book in the electric chair, a circuit court judge threw out his murder conviction. Exonerated After Execution: Judge Tosses Teen's Murder Conviction
Obama Realizes What 10 Presidents Didn’t: Isolating Cuba Doesn’t Work
Obama Realizes What 10 Presidents Didn’t: Isolating Cuba Doesn’t Work
President Barack Obama made the dramatic announcement Wednesday that his administration is ending efforts to isolate Cuba that go back more than 50 years.
While Congress will have to decide whether to end a formal economic embargo and a ban on casual tourism, senior administration officials said in a White House conference call that they would do everything within their power to end what Obama called a “failed policy.” “Isolation has not worked,” said Obama from the White House. Isolation has not helped to promote human rights in Cuba, it has not led to the downfall of the Castro government, and it is a policy carried out by the United States alone in the world.
Peshawar school attack: Meet the boy who slept in and survived
Peshawar school attack: Meet the boy who slept in and survived
Did a faulty alarm clock save the life of 15-year-old Dawood Ibrahim? As Pakistan reeled from deadly bombing and Peshawar went about the grim task of burying it dead youngsters, reports emerged of how one pupil at the Army Public School and College survived because he slept in. A report in Express Tribune newspaper said that Dawood had attended a wedding on Monday evening with other members of his family. On Tuesday morning, he failed to wake up and as a result he was late getting ready for school.
Methane 'belches' detected on Mars
Methane 'belches' detected on Mars
Nasa's Curiosity rover has detected methane on Mars - a gas that could hint at past or present life on the planet. The robot sees very low-level amounts constantly in the background, but it also has monitored a number of short-lived spikes that are 10 times higher.
Methane on the Red Planet is intriguing because here on Earth, 95% of the gas comes from microbial organisms. Researchers have hung on to the hope that the molecule's signature at Mars might also indicate a life presence.
Pakistan school attack: Most of victims shot in head
Pakistan school attack: Most of victims shot in head
Most of the victim students of the Army Public School in Peshawar received bullets in the head and they were targeted from a point blank range by the attackers,
The students said that the attackers scaled the boundary wall from the adjacent graveyard and started firing while moving towards the classrooms and auditorium, Pakistani daily Dawn reports. They said that a large number of students had gathered in the auditorium to get first aid training. “
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Pakistan mourns after Taliban Peshawar school massacre
Pakistan mourns after Taliban Peshawar school massacre
allnewse24 jarnalist by calection. 'It started as a normal school day... but it turned into a massacre'' Continue reading the main story Pakistan massacre Survivors tell of chaos School attack updates Pupils recall attack Rising anger against militants The Pakistani city of Peshawar has begun burying its dead after a Taliban attack at a school killed at least 132 children and nine staff. Mourners crowded around coffins bedecked with flowers, while other families waited at hospitals for news.
Australia stands with its Muslims after siege
Ezdihar Malas was worried about catching the train to work this morning.
held 17 people for more than 16 hours and played on ISIL symbolism to make people believe his actions were terrorism related. As it happened, the image of a black-and-white flag with the Islamic shahadah, or declaration of faith, that Monis forced hostages to hold in the café window was beamed around Australia - with the country's Muslim community preparing for the inevitable backlash.
No capacity to tackle oil spills
No capacity to tackle oil spills
No capacity to tackle oil spills
Having no oil-spill management capacity, the government continues stopgap measures to remove the furnace oil spread over vast areas of the Sundarbans, whose biodiversity is at a serious stake. The authorities have not sought any foreign assistance to control the spread, after an oil tanker carrying 3.58 lakh litres of furnace oil capsized in the Shela river near Mongla on December 9.
Sydney siege: Three dead after commandos storm cafe
le died, along with an Islamist gunman, after commandos stormed a caThe moment police stormed the cafe Continue reading the main story Sydney cafe siege Hostage-taker How siege unfolded In pictures Media reactions Two peopfe in Sydney,
Four people were injured, including a policeman hit by shotgun pellets. Central Sydney was put in lockdown as the gunman, identified as an Iranian refugee, seized dozens of hostages early on Monday. The Lindt Chocolat Cafe is located in Martin Place,
Sunday, December 14, 2014
UN talks adopt format for carbon pledges
UN members on Sunday adopted a format for national pledges to cut greenhouse gases,
.jpg "UN talks adopt format for carbon pledges it like must")
UN talks adopt format for carbon pledgesUgandan leader calls on Africa to quit ICC
Ugandan leader calls on Africa to quit ICC .
Yoweri Museveni, the Ugandan president, has called on African nations to pull out of the treaty
establishing the International Criminal Court, amid accusations that it unfairly targets Africans. Museveni's comments, made at a ceremony to mark Kenya's 51 years of independence from Britain, came a week after the chief prosecutor at the Hague-based court dropped crimes-against-humanity charges against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. Museveni criticised the ICC for continuing with Kenya's deputy president William Ruto's case despite an African Union (AU) resolution that no sitting African head of state or deputy should be tried at the court.
"I will bring a motion to the African Union's next session. I want all of us to get out of that court of the West. Let them [Westerners] stay with their court," he said in Swahili. Although prosecutors dropped charges against Kenyatta, the trial of Ruto on similar charges is under way at the ICC. "With connivance, they are putting Deputy President Ruto,
Saturday, December 13, 2014
India to build nuclear reactors with Russia
India is to build at least ten more nuclear reactors with Russia,
"We have outlined an ambitious vision for nuclear energy of at least 10 more reactors," Modi said at a press briefing on Thursday. Russia's President Vladimir Putin held talks with India's new prime minister as sanctions-hit Moscow seeks to strengthen energy, defence and strategic ties in Asia. Putin on was looking to advance nuclear power, oil and natural gas and even diamond deals with long-
A Single Spark Gives Ebola New Life
Especially deadly outbreak of Ebola burned unseen in a remote part of Sierra Leone for several
weeks, giving public health experts a reality check.
It's also a perfect embodiment of the warning that they've been giving for months: that a single spark can set off a conflagration of disease and death. It happened in Kono,
weeks, giving public health experts a reality check.
It's also a perfect embodiment of the warning that they've been giving for months: that a single spark can set off a conflagration of disease and death. It happened in Kono,
Friday, December 12, 2014
The most stunning drone pictures of 2014
Earlier this year we brought you news of a new competition, backed by National Geographic,
The most stunning drone pictures of 2014. It was arranged in conjunction with Dronestagram - a website for drone photographers to share and discuss their favourite work. The winner was of a beautiful eagle, soaring majestically above a national park in Indonesia.
As 2014 draws to a close, we invited the Dronestagram team to bring us up to date with the very best pictures taken over the past 12 months. This is their choice.
allnewses24: Missing California mom found dead in trunk of car
allnewses24: Missing California mom found dead in trunk of car: A woman found dead in the trunk of a car in Los Angeles County was a California mom who had been missing for days, as were her husband and ...
Missing California mom found dead in trunk of car
A woman found dead in the trunk of a car in Los Angeles County was a California mom who had been missing for days, as were her husband and children until Thursday.
Investigators found Erica Perez's body inside a vehicle abandoned at a hospital parking lot near the family's home in Montebello, California,
Lima climate talks: Final push amid ongoing divisions
The negotiators in the capital, Lima, are tasked with preparing a text to serve as the basis for a new compact to be signed in Paris next year.
But long-running divisions between rich and poor continue to hamper progress.
US Secretary of State John Kerry warned the world was "still on a course leading to tragedy", http://chimalaya.org/category/mountain-issues/climatic-changes-in-himalayas/
Negotiators have been meeting in Lima for almost two weeks to prepare the elements of the new treaty.
Grey line Lima climate talks Aerial view of Lima The negotiations were hosted by Lima, the
Negotiators have been meeting in Lima for almost two weeks to prepare the elements of the new treaty.
Grey line Lima climate talks Aerial view of Lima The negotiations were hosted by Lima, the
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/11/politics/walkout-planned-for-congress/index.html?sr=fb121114congressionalwalkout5pStoryVideo
Minority congressional staffers plan walkout in wake of Brown,
Garner decisions By Athena Jones, their support for the families of Michael Brown and Eric Garner in the wake of the decision by two grand juries not to indict the police officers responsible for their deaths, according to three staffers who plan to participate in the event. The planned walkout comes after days of protests across the country, including in Washington, D.C.,
where demonstrators have marched through downtown, blocking roads and bridges on an almost nightly basis since last Wednesday's decision by a grand jury in Staten Island not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the chokehold death of Garner.
"We're proud to have this moment of solidarity with the families of Michael Brown and Eric Garner and the thousands of peaceful protesters around the country who are telling this country that black lives matter," said one staffer who was helping to plan the event.
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association and the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association joined black staffers and the Congressional Black Associates in planning the event, which is set to take place at 3:30 p.m., and is expected to draw at least 50 people. .
"I believe it's important, because what affects one community really affects the entire country," the staffer told . "It's not just one group of minorities that's affected. How one group is treated affects Asians, Hispanics, women. It's important that we show our solidarity and come together and really speak out about the injustices that are being done. http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/11/politics/walkout-planned-for-congress/index.html?sr=fb121114congressionalwalkout5pStoryVideo
USD 60 million project is aimed at repairing nearly 1,300 cracks that have emerged in the nine-million-pound (4.1-million-kilogram) cast iron dome, according to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) office. Construction on the dome began in 1855.
Work symbolically continued through the US Civil War and the structure was eventually completed in 1866. AFP Photo/Paul J. Richards (Photo credit should read ) The US Capitol dome is cocooned in scaffolding on October 28, 2014 in Washington,
DC as it undergoes its first comprehensive repairs in more than half a century a century. The two-year, USD 60 million project is aimed at repairing nearly 1,300 cracks that have emerged in the nine-million-pound cast iron dome, according to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) office. Construction on the dome began in 1855.
Work symbolically continued through the US Civil War and the structure was eventually completed in 1866. AFP Photo/Paul J. Richards (Photo credit should read ) The group will gather in front of the Capitol and plan to take a photo at 345 p.m.
. "We're just trying to highlight this issue, to show solidarity with people who have been affected." Chaplain Black has drawn attention before for his topical prayers. Last year during the budget battle that shut down the government for 16 days,
he opened each session with a prayer appealing the lawmakers to end the impasse. "Obviously, there are probably some people who feel that my prayers should not have been as pointed as they were, http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/11/politics/walkout-planned-for-congress/index.html?sr=fb121114congressionalwalkout5pStoryVideo
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
allnewses24: http://www.kalerkantho.com/online/miscellaneous/20...
allnewses24: http://www.kalerkantho.com/online/miscellaneous/20...: http://www.kalerkantho.com/online/miscellaneous/2014/12/08/160545
http://www.kalerkantho.com/online/miscellaneous/2014/12/08/160545 World big tower http://ooomedianetwork.blogspot.com/2014/12/mengapa-pihak-hospital-tidak.html
Salam Saya akan menceritakan salah satu kejadian yang pernah saya alami. Saat itu saya sedang bekerja di Hospital Banyumas, di Jawa Tengah, Indonesia.
http://www.kalerkantho.com/feature/a2z/2014/12/08/160164
Bd airfroce.
bd airfroce.
Mig Fighters Episode 2 Mig-3 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 was a Soviet fighter aircraft used during World War II. It was a development of the MiG-1 by the OKO (opytno-konstruktorskij otdel — Experimental Design Department) of Zavod (Factory) No. 1 to remedy problems that had been found during the MiG-1's development and operations.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
https://www.facebook.com/dhakafm90.4/photos/a.291996814180801.64008.237935976253552/783104608403350/?type=1&theater
Good Morning....... Wake Up Bangladesh with Leena..........
https://www.facebook.com/mohsin.mollik2/posts/698548303577209
নতুন বেতন কাঠামোর সুপারিশ চূড়ান্ত নতুন বেতন কাঠামোর সুপারিশ চূড়ান্ত মিজান চৌধুরী প্রকাশ : ০৭ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১৪ সরকারি কর্মকর্তা ও কর্মচারীদের সর্বোচ্চ বেতন ৭২ হাজার টাকা এবং সর্বনিু ১০ হাজার টাকা নির্ধারণ করে অষ্টম বেতন কমিশনের প্রতিবেদন প্রায় চূড়ান্ত করা হয়েছে।
.jpg "https://www.facebook.com/mohsin.mollik2/posts/698548303577209 it like must")
প্রস্তাবিত বেতন স্কেলে রাখা হয়েছে ১৬টি গ্রেড। এছাড়া বাড়িভাড়া, গৃহনির্মাণ, চিকিৎসা ভাতাসহ অন্যান্য আর্থিক সুবিধা বাড়ানোর প্রস্তাবও থাকছে। বেতন কমিশনের প্রতিবেদনে প্রথমবারের মতো প্রস্তাব করা হচ্ছে স্বাস্থ্যবীমা ও এককালীন চিকিৎসা খরচ দেয়ার সুবিধা।
বীমা সুবিধা পরিবারের সদস্যরাও পাবেন। পাশাপাশি চাকরিজীবীদের সুচিকিৎসা নিশ্চিত করতে প্রত্যেকের নামে পাঁচ বছর মেয়াদি একটি স্বাস্থ্যকার্ড ইস্যু করার কথা বলা হয়েছে প্রতিবেদনে।
চলতি সপ্তাহেই বেতন কমিশনের প্রতিবেদন অর্থমন্ত্রী আবুল মাল আবদুল মুহিতের কাছে জমা দেয়ার কথা রয়েছে বলে কমিশন সূত্রে জানা গেছে। এ প্রসঙ্গে জানতে চাইলে কমিশনের চেয়ারম্যান বাংলাদেশ ব্যাংকের সাবেক গভর্নর ড. মোহাম্মদ ফরাসউদ্দিন যুগান্তরকে বলেন, কর্মকর্তা ও কর্মচারীদের জন্য অসংখ্য সুপারিশ করা হয়েছে। কমিশন নির্ধারিত সময়ের আগেই বেতন কাঠামো চূড়ান্ত করেছে। বীমা সুবিধা ও অন্যান্য সুবিধার জন্য সুপারিশ থাকবে।
অন্য সুবিধাগুলো বাস্তবতার সঙ্গে মিল রেখে যৌক্তিক করার সুপারিশ করা হয়েছে। আর নতুন বেতন স্কেলে গ্রেড নির্ধারণ করা হয়েছে ১৬টি। গত বছরের ২৪ নভেম্বর ড. মোহাম্মদ ফরাসউদ্দিনকে প্রধান করে ১৭ সদস্যের অষ্টম জাতীয় চাকরি ও বেতন কমিশন গঠন করা হয়। যার মেয়াদ শেষ হবে আগামী ১৪ ডিসেম্বর। কমিশন সূত্র জানায়, বর্তমান বেতন কাঠামোতে সর্বোচ্চ বেতন ৪০ হাজার টাকা এবং সর্বনিু ৪ হাজার ১শ’ টাকা নির্ধারণ করা আছে।
প্রস্তাবিত বেতন স্কেলে সর্বোচ্চ বেতন ৭২ হাজার টাকা এবং সর্বনিম্ন ১০ হাজার টাকা করার সুপারিশ করা হচ্ছে। এর সঙ্গে বিদ্যমান বাড়িভাড়া, চিকিৎসা ভাতা, যাতায়াত, আপ্যায়ন, উৎসব, শ্রান্তি বিনোদন, টেলিফোন, গাড়ি, মোবাইল ফোনসহ অন্যান্য আর্থিক সুবিধা যুগোপযোগী করার প্রস্তাব থাকছে। কমিশনের সুপারিশে কোনো ভাতাই বাতিল করা হচ্ছে না।
এসব অসামঞ্জস্যতা দূর করতে প্রয়োজনীয় সুপারিশ করা হয়েছে বেতন কমিশনে প্রতিবেদনে। সরকারি চাকরিজীবীদের আবাসিক সংকট মোকাবেলায় সহজ শর্তে ঋণ দেয়ার সুপারিশ থাকছে।
বর্তমানে এক লাখ ২০ হাজার টাকা পর্যন্ত গৃহনির্মাণ ঋণ নিতে পারেন। নতুন বেতন স্কেলে বাড়ি নির্মাণ বা কেনা বাবদ ঋণের পরিমাণ ৪০ মাসের মূল বেতনের সমান করার সুপারিশ করা হচ্ছে। এ ঋণ হবে সুদযুক্ত। সুদের হার হতে পারে ৫ শতাংশ।
সংবিধানে নাগরিকদের স্বাস্থ্যসেবা দেয়ার অধিকার এবং কল্যাণ রাষ্ট্রের ধারণাকে সামনে রেখে সরকারি চাকরিজীবীদেও বীমা সুবিধার আওতায় আনার সুপারিশ করা হচ্ছে কমিশনের প্রতিবেদনে। তাদের পরিবারের সদস্যরা এ সুবিধা পাবেন। কমিশনের নতুন সুপারিশে বেতন বা স্বাস্থ্যভাতা থেকে প্রতি মাসে একটি নির্দিষ্ট হারে টাকা কেটে রাখা হবে।
এর বিনিময়ে তাদের পরিবারের সদস্যদের সর্বোচ্চ ১০ লাখ টাকা পর্যন্ত চিকিৎসা ব্যয় সুবিধা দেয়ার সুপারিশ করবে কমিশন। তবে কেউ মারা গেলে অথবা দুর্ঘটনার কারণে শারীরিকভাবে অক্ষম হয়ে পড়লে আলাদাভাবে ৫ থেকে ১০ লাখ টাকা দেয়ার প্রস্তাব করা হচ্ছে। কমিশন সূত্রে আরও জানা গেছে, বীমা সুবিধার জন্য প্রিমিয়াম বাবদ বড় অঙ্কের অর্থ ব্যয় হবে। এই অর্থসংস্থানের উৎস নিয়ে বেশ কয়েকটি প্রস্তাব থাকছে বেতন কমিশনের সুপারিশে।
এক্ষেত্রে পুরো বীমার অর্থ সরকারের কাছ থেকে নেয়া অথবা কর্মকর্তা-কর্মচারীদের বেতন থেকে কেটে নেয়ার প্রস্তাব থাকছে। এছাড়া বিকল্প প্রস্তাব হিসেবে প্রিমিয়ামের টাকা সরকার ও চাকরিজীবী- উভয়ের কাছ থেকে আদায় করা হবে। বিকল্প প্রস্তাবের মধ্যে আরও রয়েছে কর্মকর্তা- কর্মচারীদের চিকিৎসা ভাতা বাড়িয়ে সেখান থেকে প্রিমিয়ামের টাকা কেটে নেয়া।
এছাড়া চাকরিজীবীদের নামে পাঁচ বছরের জন্য একটি স্বাস্থ্যকার্ড প্রদানের প্রস্তাব করা হয়েছে বেতন কমিশনের প্রতিবেদনে। এ কার্ড প্রদর্শন করে সরকারি এবং মাঝারি মানের বেসরকারি হাসপাতাল থেকে চিকিৎসা সুবিধা গ্রহণ করতে পারবেন সংশ্লিষ্টরা।
বেতন কমিশনের রিপোর্টের ব্যাপারে অর্থমন্ত্রী আবুল মাল আবদুল মহিত সংবাদমাধ্যমকে বলেছেন, সুপারিশ পেলে এটি পর্যালোচনা করা হবে। পর্যালোচনার পর আইনি প্রক্রিয়ায় এটি চূড়ান্ত আকারে পাস করা হবে।
তবে নতুন বেতন কাঠামো বাস্তবায়ন করা হবে আগামী ২০১৫ সালের পহেলা জুলাই থেকে। নতুন বেতন স্কেল বাস্তবায়ন করতে অতিরিক্ত আরও ১৭ থেকে ১৮ হাজার কোটি টাকার প্রয়োজন হবে বলে অর্থ মন্ত্রণালয়ের সংশ্লিষ্ট সূত্রে জানা গেছে।
নাম প্রকাশে অনিচ্ছুক কমিশনের এক সদস্য জানান, সরকারি চাকরিজীবীদের কর্মদক্ষতা বাড়াতে হলে তাদের আকর্ষণীয় বেতন দিতে হবে। কমিশনের সুপারিশ কার্যকর করলে সরকারি কর্মকর্তা- কর্মচারী সবাই উপকৃত হবেন। সরকারি চাকরিজীবীরা দুর্ঘটনার শিকার হলে যাতে আর্থিক সুবিধা পান, সে জন্য বীমা সুবিধা দেয়ারও সুপারিশ করা হচ্ছে।
নিয়ম অনুযায়ী পাঁচ বছর পরপর সরকারি চাকরিজীবীদের জন্য নতুন বেতন নির্ধারণ করার কথা। এখন যে বেতন কাঠামো কার্যকর রয়েছে তা ২০০৯ সালে প্রণয়ন করা হয়েছে। যেখানে আগের চেয়ে সর্বোচ্চ ৭৪ শতাংশ পর্যন্ত বেতন বৃদ্ধি করা হয়েছিল।
Saturday, December 6, 2014
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-05/november-job-gains-are-strongest-since-2012
Economy November Job Gains Are the Strongest Since 2012 By Matthew Philips December 05,
2014 Workers at a construction site in New York on Tuesday, Nov. 18 Photographer: Diane Bondareff/Invision for Brookfield Properties/AP Images Workers at a construction site in New York on Tuesday, Nov. 18 November saw the most substantial pace of hiring in nearly three years as businesses added 321,000 jobs to their payrolls last month. That’s the most robust monthly number since January 2012. Pace of job growth since 2008 Bloomberg Pace of job growth since 2008 Alhough the unemployment rate stayed unchanged at 5.8 percent, the jobs report is fantastic overall. Revisions to the previous two months added an additional 44,000 jobs. . That’s more than any year since 1999,
back when the economy was growing at 4.7 percent and unemployment was around 4.2 percent. There are still 9 million people who are unemployed in the U.S. That’s down from 15 million in 2009 and still historically high. The decline has been impressive nonetheless. Just as a reminder of how damaging the financial crash was, it’s worth remembering that in November 2008, the economy lost 533,000 jobs.
VIDEO: 2014 on Track to Be Strongest for Jobs Since 1999 There are still 9 million people who are unemployed Bloomberg There are still 9 million people who are unemployed The labor force participation rate was unchanged at 62.8 percent, which is still close to historic lows. Although it’s
At least part of the decline over the past three years has been attributed to people falling out of the labor force. Those who give up looking for work aren’t counted as unemployed. The unemployment rate among adult men rose in November. Job growth was spread out across sectors and demographics. One sign of that, the diffusion index, which measures the breadth of job gains,
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-05/november-job-gains-are-strongest-since-2012s. VIDEO: Obama: U.S. Job Creation Strongest Since 1990’s Looking through the growth in payrolls across industries, the retail sector, not surprisingly,
saw some of the strongest growth, with 50,000 new jobs added as stores staff up for the holidays. Previous Novembers have seen outsize gains in temporary jobs, such as couriers and messengers, but those jobs were up only 5,000 last month. Last year, those jobs increased more than 20,000. In one sign that the housing sector is coming back, and that people are starting to spend money on home improvement, specialty trade contractor jobs rose by 20,000 VIDEO: El-Erian: Nov. Jobs Report Is Great News for Economy
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/its-alive-nasas-new-horizons-pluto-probe-wakes-work-n262996
. The first signals were received at the mission's control center at Johns Hopkins University's
Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland via a giant radio antenna in Australia just before 9:30 p.m. ET, nearly four and a half hours after it was sent by the piano-sized probe. It takes that long for signals to travel between there and here at the speed of light. Later readings confirmed that New Horizons was fully awake.
.jpg "http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/its-alive-nasas-new-horizons-pluto-probe-wakes-work-n262996 it like must")
Outlaw killed in Kushtia ‘shootout’ Star Online Report Police recovered a shutter gun and bullets after a shootout in Kushtia that left an outlaw of Purbal Banglar Communist Party dead on Sunday. Photo: STAR Police recovered a shutter gun and bullets after a shootout in Kushtia that left an outlaw of Purbal Banglar Communist Party dead on Sunday. Photo: STAR A leader of Purba Banglar Communist Party (ML-Lal Pataka) was killed in a “shootout” with police in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia early today. Deceased Enamul Haq, 35, was a regional commander of the PBCP and an accused in 26 cases including seven for murders, police said. Kazi Jalal Uddin, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, said Enamul demanded Tk 2 lakh as extortion from Sahidul Islam, a brick kiln owner of Bhanga Bot Tola area, several days back. Enamul finally threatened to kill Shahidul and destroy his brick kiln as he denied to pay the money. “Separate teams of Kushtia Detective Branch (DB) and Mirpur police took position near the brick kiln after receiving information that Enamul and his cohorts were going to the brick kiln at about 3:30:am,” the OC said. At one stage, police cordoned off the outlaws and asked them to surrender. But defying the police call, the outlaws opened fire, forcing the law enforcers to retaliate with bullets, the OC said.
Outlaw killed in Kushtia ‘shootout
’ Star Online Report Police recovered a shutter gun and bullets after a shootout in Kushtia that left an outlaw of Purbal Banglar Communist Party dead on Sunday. Photo: STAR Police recovered a shutter gun and bullets after a shootout in Kushtia that left an outlaw of Purbal Banglar Communist Party dead on Sunday. Photo: STAR A leader of Purba Banglar Communist Party (ML-Lal Pataka) was killed in a
“shootout” with police in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia early today. Deceased Enamul Haq, 35, was a regional commander of the PBCP and an accused in 26 cases including seven for murders, police said. Kazi Jalal Uddin, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, said Enamul demanded Tk 2 lakh as extortion from Sahidul Islam, a brick kiln owner of Bhanga Bot Tola area, several days back. Enamul finally threatened to kill Shahidul and destroy his brick kiln as he denied to pay the money.
the OC said. At one stage, police cordoned off the outlaws and asked them to surrender. But defying the police call, the outlaws opened fire, forcing the law enforcers to retaliate with bullets, the OC said.
Outlaw killed in Kushtia ‘shootout’
Star Online Report
Police recovered a shutter gun and bullets after a shootout in Kushtia that left an outlaw of Purbal Banglar Communist Party dead on Sunday. Photo: STAR
A leader of Purba Banglar Communist Party (ML-Lal Pataka) was killed in a “shootout” with police in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia early today.
Deceased Enamul Haq, 35, was a regional commander of the PBCP and an accused in 26 cases including seven for murders, police said.
Kazi Jalal Uddin, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, said Enamul demanded Tk 2 lakh as extortion from Sahidul Islam, a brick kiln owner of Bhanga Bot Tola area, several days back.
“Separate teams of Kushtia Detective Branch (DB) and Mirpur police took position near the brick kiln after receiving information that Enamul and his cohorts were going to the brick kiln at about 3:30:am,” the OC said.
At one stage, police cordoned off the outlaws and asked them to surrender.
But defying the police call, the outlaws opened fire, forcing the law enforcers to retaliate with bullets, the OC said.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-02/nasas-orion-test-flight-gets-us-closer-to-mars
Mission to Mars NASA Is Launching a Spacecraft That Will Take Humans to Mars By Justin Bachman December 02, 2014 NASA Is Launching a Spacecraft That Will Take Humans to Mars Photograph by Kim Shiflett/NASA (Corrects the Orion's planned altitude in the first paragraph. )
NASA is launching its boldest test flight in decades this week. An unmanned capsule will head off on Thursday to reach a distance of 3,600 miles from Earth—the farthest space mission with a craft designed to accommodate humans since the final Apollo 17 trip to the moon in 1972.
Called Orion, the program will mark a key initial step toward a human mission to Mars. Orion is also designed to excite the public’s imagination for deep-space exploration, much as the Apollo moon missions sparked an interest in space and produced civilian engineering triumphs.
, NASA wants to make it abundantly clear that much of the hardware that can get humans to Mars already exists and is ready to fly. “My hope is that when we fly the capsule on Thursday, it will energize the public and energize that middle schooler [who] isn’t quite sure what he wants to do, but he likes math and science,” says Richard Boitnott, an engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center. VIDEO: Want to Go to Mars? Meet the Man That Can Make It Happen No one is about to strap on a suit and launch to Mars any time soon.
Despite NASA’s excitement, the pace of development—driven by Congressional funding—means that the next Orion test flight won’t happen for nearly three years. The first flight with astronauts isn’t planned to take place until six years from now. VIDEO:
carrying 1,200 sensors. After a flight of four hours and 24 minutes, Orion will drop into the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles from San Diego, slowed to about 17 miles per hour by large parachutes. The USS Anchorage will collect the capsule. Lockheed Martin (LMT) is lead contractor for the project. The first flight is designed primarily to test the craft’s thermal protection—the largest shield system in the history of space flight, according to NASA. The distance is needed to help Orion achieve a speed that could top 20,000 mph to test the thermal shield.
As a deep-space capsule designed to return to earth, Orion’s speed will generate reentry temperatures of 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit—much higher than vessels descending from low-earth orbit, such as Russia’s Soyuz capsules or the retired space shuttle fleet. The Apollo missions had to manage reentry heat up to 5,000 degrees;
STORY: NASA Just Bought Two Space Taxis. Will Competition Save Money? The first flight will also test Orion’s launch-abort system, a powered crew-escape pod that is certified to work between launch and 300,000 feet. The system, which responds in milliseconds if an emergency is detected, is the most sophisticated NASA has flown to date, according to Kevin Rivers, the manager who oversees the system.
,” he says. The initial flight will be conducted with a Delta IV rocket built by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing (BA) and Lockheed Martin. Future Orion missions will be powered by the Space Launch System, the largest rocket in NASA history. It is scheduled to fly an Orion mission in 2018.http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-02/nasas-orion-test-flight-gets-us-closer-to-mars
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8386451821967723709#editor/target=post;postID=5971393905928598396
Privacy of presidential kids not always respected By Ed Payne and Dana Bash,
2014 -- Updated 1318 Watch this video GOP aide quits after dissing Obama girls STORY HIGHLIGHTS There's an unwritten rule that presidential kids are off-limits A GOP staffer is resigning after breaking that rule Commentators and satirists made fun of Chelsea Clinton The
Monday, December 1, 2014
Court on Monday again deferred until December 8 the recording of statements by prosecution witnesses against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia,
and eight others in the Zia Charitable Trust, and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases. Khaleda’s lawyers created chaos at the courtroom after the recording of statements of some witnesses.
At the beginning of the day’s proceedings, the judge ordered the deposition although Khaleda Zia’s lawyers filed a petition seeking time. Later, Khaleda’s lawyers filed another petition to reconsider their prayer and stay the testimony until the High Court passes its order on a review petition filed by Khaleda Zia for changing the court fearing injustice.
Some 30-35 lawyers, including Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon, AJ Mohammad Ali, Joynul Abedin and Sanaullah Mia, On August 8, 2011, the Anti Corruption Commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people,
of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources. t , ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid, pressed charges against the accused on January 16, 2012. The ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, her eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK,
and four others for misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans. On August 5, 2010, ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid submitted a charge-sheet to the court in the case against six people,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)