Mexico sacks 700 custom officers
Reforma newspaper had reported earlier that the contracts of 1,100 agents were allowed to expire on Saturday as part of a plan to modernise the customs services. A new force of 1,470 agents is being sworn in to replace the former workers. Soldiers took control of at least one border crossing at Ciudad Juárez, across from Texas, to assist with the transition. Pedro Canabal, a spokesman for the tax administration service, said the agency had decided not to rehire the officers when their contracts expired. They were replaced by agents who had undergone months of training and background checks to ensure they had no criminal records. "This change is part of a response to new demands in the fight against contraband. Some of the former customs workers will be permitted to reapply for their jobs in the new service, but details on the alleged criminal ties of many former employees are being turned over to federal prosecutors.
BJP rethinks its Hindutva card at Shimla meet
After shining bright for nearly a decade and a half on the national political stage, the question of leadership and Hindutva is once again haunting the party. Rise of secular parties and the malfunctioning Hindutva card has slided the party into a dilemma. Some factions are favoring a softer and diluted version of hard line Hindutva, in order to expand its vote bank. The moderate faction is right in its approach, if the BJP wants to retrieve lost ground and ensure its survival by appealing to the young. It must remember that by pursuing a hard line Hindu fundamentalist ideology, it can never reach out to the political allies or the young voters who are reluctant to go to the BJP because of its radical Hindutva issue. The expulsion of BJP veteran Jaswant Singh for favoring Jinnah on partition proves that it is still tied to the past and reluctant to look ahead.
Jordanian Basketball team qualifies for World Basketball Championships
For the first time ever, The Jordanian basketball team is qualified for the World Championship. The Jordanian team was qualified after winning the game played against the Lebanese team, which happens to be a three-times world championship qualifier. The jordanians teams victory on Sunday placed it in the third place, while first place went to Iran, and the second went to China. Jordans Portuguese coach Mario Palma said that the team will not just take part in the championship, but will actually work hard to leave a finger print in it. Whether Jordan wins anything in the championship or not, the mere fact of them being in the game is considered a good first step, which needs to be built on at later stages for further victories.
East Africa's Mau Forests near Extinction
The Mau system of forests is the biggest of Kenyas five water sources. It is the source of 12 rivers, which sustain five lakes. Already, the rivers and lakes are drying up. The wanton destruction of the forest is as a result of human settlement which started in 1996 when more than 60,000 hectares of forest cover was destroyed and turned to farmland. A recent report reveals how grave the situation is and calls on the government to give alternative land to the settlers. The whole nation is now facing a disaster even as politicians turn the issue into a gold mine to black mail each other. The ongoing fall out between Prime minister Raila Odinga and a section of ODM Members of Parliament over the matter depicts the lack of political will by our leaders to solve the issue amicably. This is an import issue which will affect the country's future generations in a big way and the impact is not far from being reality.
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