Brussels, Mar 31 : India and the EU have failed to arrive at any understanding on the four-year dispute involving two Italian marines accused of murdering two Indian fishermen, with the Indian side stressing the need for rendering due justice for the families of the deceased.
The joint statement, issued after the 13th India-EU Summit here late last night which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EU leaders, said the EU shares Italy’s concerns to find an expeditious solution for the prolonged restriction of liberty of the two Marines.
Both the sides stuck to their respective position and expressed their confidence in the arbitration procedure on the Italian Marines case currently underway in the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which India and Italy are strongly committed.
“Both sides will contribute to settling the case on this basis, enabling the cause of justice to be served for all those affected. The EU shares Italy’s concerns to find an expeditious solution for the prolonged restriction of liberty of the two Marines. India stressed the need for rendering due justice for the families of the Indian fishermen who were killed,” the statement said.
The statement came on a day when Italy asked the judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague to order India to release its detained marine Salvatore Girone, saying otherwise he risks four more years in India without any charges being made which would amount to “grave violation of his human rights”.
The PCA is hearing oral arguments by the two sides.
The arbitration “could last at least three or four years” which means that Girone risks “being held in (New) Delhi, without any charges being made, for a total of seven-eight years”, Italy’s representative had told the court.
Girone is one of two Italian marines accused by India of killing two of its fishermen during an anti-piracy mission in 2012. He has not been able to leave India, aside from a few brief permits, since the incident. The other marine, Massimiliano Latorre, is back in Italy after a stroke in 2014.
The Italian government has taken the marines case to international arbitration after repeated delays in the trial in India.
The India-EU joint statement also said that “the EU hoped for a swift solution, through the due process of law in India in the case of MV Seaman Guard Ohio, which concerns fourteen Estonian and six UK citizens sentenced to prison by an Indian court.
@Agency report.
New York: People infected with a common brain parasite transmitted through the faeces of infected cats, undercooked meat or contaminated water may be at increased risk of getting involved in road rage, new research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggests.
Studying 358 adults, the researchers found that toxoplasmosis, a relatively harmless parasitic infection carried by an estimated 30 per cent of all humans, is associated with intermittent explosive disorder and increased aggression.
“Our work suggests that latent infection with the toxoplasma gondii parasite may change brain chemistry in a fashion that increases the risk of aggressive behaviour,” said senior study author Emil Coccaro, professor at University of Chicago. “However, we do not know if this relationship is causal, and not everyone that tests positive for toxoplasmosis will have aggression issues,” Coccaro added.
“We don’t yet understand the mechanisms involved. It could be an increased inflammatory response, direct brain modulation by the parasite, or even reverse causation where aggressive individuals tend to have more cats or eat more undercooked meat,” Royce Lee, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience, University of Chicago, noted.
@ Agency report.
NEW DELHI : Interest rate on small savings schemes, including PPF, Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and senior citizen deposits, will be cut by up to 1.3 per cent from tomorrow as the government moves towards quarterly alignment of rates with the market.
Interest rate on Public Provident Fund (PPF) scheme will be 8.1 per cent for the period April 1 to June 30, down from 8.7 per cent.
On KVP, it will be reduced to 7.8 per cent from 8.7 per cent while senior citizen savings scheme of five years would earn 8.6 per cent interest compared to 9.3 per cent.
Girl-child saving scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi Account will see interest rate of 8.6 per cent as against 9.2 per cent, according to a Finance Ministry order.
However, unlike previous years when interest rates were set for the full year, the government will from now on set them every quarter, based on the previous 3-month yields on Government-Securities or G-Sec.
While the interest rate on Post Office savings has been retained at 4 per cent, the same for term deposits of one to five years has been cut.
The popular Five-Year National Savings Certificates will earn an interest rate of 8.1 per cent from April 1 as against 8.5 per cent, at present.
A five-year Monthly Income Account will fetch 7.8 per cent as opposed to 8.4 per cent.
Post Office term deposits of one, two and three years command an interest rate of 8.4 per cent but from April 1, a one-year time deposit will get 7.1 per cent, two-year time deposit will earn 7.2 per cent and 3-year time deposit will attract interest of 7.4 per cent.(Agencies).
@Agency report.
The extraordinary legal fight pitting the Obama administration against technology giant Apple ended unexpectedly after the FBI said it used a mysterious method without Apple’s help to hack into a California mass shooter’s iPhone.
Left unanswered, however, were questions about how the sudden development would affect privacy in the future, and what happens the next time the government is frustrated by digital security lockout features.
Government prosecutors asked a federal judge on Monday to vacate a disputed order forcing Apple to help the FBI break into the iPhone, saying it was no longer necessary.
The FBI used the unspecified technique to access data on an iPhone used by gunman Syed Farook, who died with his wife in a gun battle with police after they killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, in December. The Justice Department said agents are now reviewing the information on the phone.
But the government’s brief court filing, in US District Court for the Central District of California, provided no details about how the FBI got into the phone. Nor did it identify the non-government “outside party” that showed agents how to get past the phone’s security defenses. Authorities had previously said only Apple had the ability to help them unlock the phone.
Apple responded by saying it will continue to increase the security of its products.
“We will continue to help law enforcement with their investigations, as we have done all along,” the company added in a statement, while reiterating its argument that the government’s demand for Apple’s help was wrong.
“This case should never have been brought,” the company said.
FBI assistant director David Bowdich said Monday that examining the iPhone was part of the authorities’ effort to learn if the San Bernardino shooters had worked with others or had targeted any other victims. “I am satisfied that we have access to more answers than we did before,” he said in a statement.
The dispute had ignited a fierce internet-era national debate that pitted digital privacy rights against national security concerns and reinvigorated discussion over the impact of encryption on law enforcement’s ability to serve the public.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, said in a statement that while it was “preferable” that the government gained access to the iPhone without Apple’s help, the fundamental question of the extent to which the government should be able to access personal information remains unanswered.
Issa, a critic of the administration’s domestic surveillance practices, said the government’s legal action against Apple raised constitutional and privacy questions and that “those worried about our privacy should stay wary” because this doesn’t mean “their quest for a secret key into our devices is over.”
The surprise development punctured the temporary perception that Apple’s security might have been good enough to keep consumers’ personal information safe even from the US government.
And while the Obama administration created a policy for disclosing such security vulnerabilities to companies, the policy allows for a vulnerability to be kept secret if there is a law enforcement or national security rationale for doing so.
The withdrawal of the court process also takes away Apple’s ability to legally request details on the method the FBI used in this case. Apple attorneys said last week that they hoped the government would share that information with them if it proved successful.
The Justice Department wouldn’t comment on any future disclosure of the method to Apple or the public.
Denelle Dixon-Thayer, chief legal and business officer at Mozilla, which makes the Firefox web browser, said in a statement that “fixing vulnerabilities makes for better products and better security for everyone” and the “government needs to take that into account” and disclose the vulnerability to Apple.
Jay Kaplan, a former NSA computer expert who’s now CEO of cybersecurity firm Synack, said it is likely Apple will pursue avenues to further lock down their operating systems and hardware, especially as a result of the public announcement of some new technique to crack their phones.
US magistrate Sheri Pym of California last month ordered Apple to provide the FBI with software to help it hack into Farook’s work-issued iPhone. The Justice Department relied on a 1789 law to argue it had the authority to compel Apple to bypass its security protocols on its phone for government investigators. While Magistrate Judge James Orenstein in New York ruled last month in a separate case that the US was seeking broad powers under that legal argument, the decision wasn’t binding in the California case and the Justice Department is appealing.
Technology and civil liberties organizations say they’re concerned the case is far from settled, with some worrying that smaller companies might not have the resources to fight off similar demands.
Apple CEO Tim Cook had argued that helping the FBI hack the iPhone would set a dangerous precedent, making all iPhone users vulnerable, if Apple complied with the court order. He as well as FBI director James Comey has said that Congress needs to take up the issue.
Apple was headed for a courtroom showdown with the government last week, until federal prosecutors abruptly asked for a postponement so they could test a potential solution brought to them by a party outside of the US government last Sunday.
The encrypted phone was protected by a passcode that included security protocols: a time delay and auto-erase featured that destroyed the phone’s data after 10 tries. The two features made it impossible for the government to repeatedly and continuously test passcodes in what’s known as a brute-force attack. But with those features removed, the FBI said it would take 26 minutes to crack the phone.
A law enforcement official said the FBI would continue to aid its local and state partners with gaining evidence in cases — implying that the method would be shared with them. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to publicly comment.
@Agency report.
New Delhi : The government on Tuesday permitted 100 per cent FDI in the market place format of e-commerce retailing with a view to attract more foreign investments.
As per the guidelines issued by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on FDI in e-commerce, foreign direct investment (FDI) has not been allowed in inventory-based model of e-commerce.
At present, global e-tailer giants like Amazon and Ebay are operating online marketplaces in India while homegrown players like Flipkart and Snapdeal have foreign investments even as there were no clear FDI guidelines on various online retail models.
To bring clarity, the DIPP has also come out with the definition of ‘e-commerce’, ‘inventory-based model’ and ‘market place model’.
Market place model of e-commerce means providing of an IT platform by an e-commerce entity on a digital and electronic network to act as a facilitator between buyer and seller.
The inventory-based model of e-commerce means an e-commerce activity where inventory of goods and services is owned by e-commerce entity and is sold to consumers directly, according to the guidelines.
A market place entity will be permitted to enter into transactions with sellers registered on its platform on business-to-business basis, DIPP said.
It said that an e-commerce firm, however, will not be permitted to sell more than 25 per cent of the sales affected through its market place from one vendor or their group companies.
“In order to provide clarity to the extant policy, guidelines for FDI on e-commerce sector have been formulated,” DIPP said.
The government has already allowed 100 per cent FDI in business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce.
@ Agency report.
New Delhi : Members of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) today approved starting a new “Gurukul” fellowship under which young scholars would be associated with eminent persons of learning in various fields.
Sources said the ‘in principle’ nod to these new fellowships was given at a meeting chaired by ICHR chief Y Sudershan Rao.
Rao had earlier resigned as the chief of the history research body, but continued on the post as the HRD ministry did not accept his resignation.
“The proposal for the new fellowships was discussed and got the approval of the members. Its aim is to facilitate young scholars to learn from the expertise of masters in various fields, though modalities will be worked out in the coming days,” an ICHR member said.
Asked if the name “Gurukul” was chosen with an aim to promote ancient Indian studies, the member said it may have been chosen because it is a bit “catchy” but the aim is to allow youngsters to gain knowledge by working closely with people who are revered in their field.
@ Agency report.
Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday ordered a floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly on 31 March to resolve the political crisis and determine which party has majority in the House.
News reports also said that all MLAs will take part in the floor test, including the nine disqualified MLAs who will be allowed to participate during the proceedings of the Assembly only during the floor test.
The court also appointed its Registrar to be an observer during the floor test.
Reports further said that the result of the floor test will not be revealed immediately. The result will be enclosed in a sealed envelope by the Speaker and sent to the court.
Directions have also been given to the Uttarakhand DGP to ensure the floor test takes place in a peaceful way.
Addressing reporters after the court’s order, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, “The matter was argued extensively. The high court has passed an order which, according to us, accepts the point that despite President’s Rule, there is enough scope for judicial review to allow floor test. The floor test was asked on the basis of past precedents of the Supreme Court.”
He also said that the charges against Rawat do not justify President’s rule. “Mere horse trading allegations will not justify President’s Rule. The court has implemented what the Governor had thrice said and what the Chief Minister agreed to twice.
“The court has allowed, only for purposed of counting, voting by disqualified and non-disqualified MLAs. Votes of disqualified MLAs will ke kept separately for identification, subject to the outcome,” he said.
Congress on Monday had legally challenged the imposition of President’s Rule in Uttarakhand as it sparred with BJP, accusing the Centre of toppling its government when the Governor had given time to the Chief Minister to prove his majority in the Assembly.
The dislodged Chief Minister had moved the Uttarakhand High Court in Nainital, questioning the Centre’s decision bringing the hill state under President’s Rule.
Rawat’s petition had come up before the single bench of Justice UC Dhyani, who after hearing both sides, had said the matter would be taken up again on Tuesday. It was filed on Rawat’s behalf by senior Supreme Court counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Singhvi had contended that circumstances were not suitable for invoking Article 356 of the Constitution under which the government was sacked and the Assembly kept under suspended animation.
@ AGENCY REPORT.
India may soon have a single number for all its emergency services along the lines of 911 in the US.
Telecom Commission, an inter-ministerial committee by the central government, has accepted Telecom Regulator of India’s recommendations to use ‘112’ for emergency services such as the fire department, police ambulance services.
Sources in the telecom ministry say the new service could be rolled out within the year.
“Telecom Commission has accepted Trai’s recommendation on single emergency number 112. It will now be drafted by the Department of Telecom and will require Telecom Minister’s (Ravi Shankar Prasad) approval. It will be rolled out within months rather than a year,” the source said.
The service will be available even on landlines and cell phones whose outgoing call facility has been stopped or temporarily suspended.
Emergency contact can also be made through text messages. The system will then trace the sender’s location and relay the information to the nearest help centre.
A call centre-like system will take the emergency calls. Representatives at the centre will have to speak English, Hindi as well as the local language.
The number will replace existing individual numbers.
Currently, emergency response number for police is 100, fire brigade 101, ambulance 102 and Emergency Disaster Management 108. States have their own help line numbers. For instance, Delhi government has its own special numbers, such as Woman in Distress (181), Missing Children and Women (1094) and Crime Against Women (1096).
@ Agency report.