Extra body scrutiny measure draws strong criticism
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Fazle Rashid
FROSTY weather in the US, Europe and China with the news of global economic turnaround has helped pushing the price of oil over $81 a barrel, the highest in past 15 months. Bad news for Bangladesh. India has already announced a hike in the price of petrol to meet the exigencies. This will encourage smuggling of petrol from Bangladesh to India.
Energy markets are beginning the year with a number of economic signs that could help push prices higher still. A fierce debate is going on about the correct nature of the global economy. This is a time of considerable debate over the clarity of economic indicators and the staying power of apparent improvement, the New York Times (NYT) in a report said the other day.
World's biggest investment funds are shying away from American and British government bonds, fearing the rising public debts and withdrawal of support of the central banks could hamper a global recovery. Pimco, one of the largest bond funds with a portfolio of $940 billion under its management warns that the record levels of government issuance in the US and the UK and of lose money will put financial markets under intense pressure.
Meanwhile many states in the United States are facing a shortfall in their public pension finance. Public pension finance could face a deficit of $2500 billion putting pressure on many states to meet both ends meet.
In another development, the Obama administration's decision to force extra body scrutiny including full body pat down for passengers flying into the United States from 14 Muslim nations has provoked criticism from security experts airing views that the new measure would not yield the desired outcome. Under new rules, passengers flying into the US from Muslim populated countries must receive a "pat down". Bangladesh has not been included in the list. Countries that sponsor terrorism like Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria will face similar rules.
The NYT quoted the Nigerian information minister as saying, "it is unfair to discriminate over 150 million people because of a behaviour one single individual". Algerian Ambassador to the US has said he would lodge a formal protest once he has received the government order. The list includes the name of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, two of the most trusted allies of America.
National Counter-terrorism Centre questions the effectiveness of the new measure and asked the government to improve its intelligence network to disrupt plots before would be terrorist reach airport checkpoints. "We have to be careful about the risk involved in the measure to allienate moderate population whose help is of pivotal importance to combating terrorism", the counter-terrorism agency said.
Diplomats and civil right activists have criticised the government move saying "first look at the behaviour not at faith or the colour of the skin".
FROSTY weather in the US, Europe and China with the news of global economic turnaround has helped pushing the price of oil over $81 a barrel, the highest in past 15 months. Bad news for Bangladesh. India has already announced a hike in the price of petrol to meet the exigencies. This will encourage smuggling of petrol from Bangladesh to India.
Energy markets are beginning the year with a number of economic signs that could help push prices higher still. A fierce debate is going on about the correct nature of the global economy. This is a time of considerable debate over the clarity of economic indicators and the staying power of apparent improvement, the New York Times (NYT) in a report said the other day.
World's biggest investment funds are shying away from American and British government bonds, fearing the rising public debts and withdrawal of support of the central banks could hamper a global recovery. Pimco, one of the largest bond funds with a portfolio of $940 billion under its management warns that the record levels of government issuance in the US and the UK and of lose money will put financial markets under intense pressure.
Meanwhile many states in the United States are facing a shortfall in their public pension finance. Public pension finance could face a deficit of $2500 billion putting pressure on many states to meet both ends meet.
In another development, the Obama administration's decision to force extra body scrutiny including full body pat down for passengers flying into the United States from 14 Muslim nations has provoked criticism from security experts airing views that the new measure would not yield the desired outcome. Under new rules, passengers flying into the US from Muslim populated countries must receive a "pat down". Bangladesh has not been included in the list. Countries that sponsor terrorism like Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria will face similar rules.
The NYT quoted the Nigerian information minister as saying, "it is unfair to discriminate over 150 million people because of a behaviour one single individual". Algerian Ambassador to the US has said he would lodge a formal protest once he has received the government order. The list includes the name of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, two of the most trusted allies of America.
National Counter-terrorism Centre questions the effectiveness of the new measure and asked the government to improve its intelligence network to disrupt plots before would be terrorist reach airport checkpoints. "We have to be careful about the risk involved in the measure to allienate moderate population whose help is of pivotal importance to combating terrorism", the counter-terrorism agency said.
Diplomats and civil right activists have criticised the government move saying "first look at the behaviour not at faith or the colour of the skin".