NEW DELHI (TIP): Paving way for additional foreign investment in insurance and to move ahead with the re-allocation of cancelled coal mines, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday signed the two ordinances in this regard. The government had decided to promulgate these ordinances to move ahead with reforms in the two sectors, as respective bills could not get through during the just-concluded Parliament Session that ended on December 23. The President has signed the two ordinances, press secretary Venu Rajamony said. The Cabinet had had approved promulgation of the Ordinance on Insurance Bill and re-promulgation of the Coal Ordinance on Wednesday, a day after the conclusion of the Winter session of Parliament. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had expressed the hope that hiking of the foreign investment cap in the insurance sector to 49 per cent, which has been pending since 2008, will result in capital inflow of $6-8 billion. Earlier, this foreign investment limit was capped at 26 per cent. “The Ordinance demonstrates the firm commitment and determination of this government to reforms. It also announces to the rest of the world including investors that this country can no longer wait even if one of the houses of Parliament waits indefinitely to take up its agenda,” he had said.
Year: 2014
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NC adds twist to J&K govt search, offers to back PDP
SRINAGAR (TIP): Post-poll manoeuvres over government formation and the likelihood of Jammu and Kashmir being placed under Governor’s rule kept politics on the boil even as National Conference claimed it had offered unconditional support to PDP and the latter denied it vehemently.
NC’s move came just as reports of BJP’s negotiations with PDP gathered momentum and speculation about terms and conditions started doing the rounds. Although negotiations eventually hit a wall over the stiff terms set by PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, they had stirred the political cauldron raising enough mist about who was talking to whom and on what conditions.
Sources said BJP-PDP talks got stalemated over Mufti’s demands for a full-year tenure as CM, gradual withdrawal of AFSPA and an iron-clad guarantee that politicians from Jammu (read BJP) would not meddle in the affairs of Kashmir Valley and others.
Sources said BJP rejected the conditionalities as unacceptable.
But by then NC had stepped into the game with the claim that it had followed up outgoing CM Omar Abdullah’s public statement of unconditional support to PDP with a verbal offer which was conveyed by a trusted intermediary. NC leader Devendra Rana said: “The NC has verbally offered unconditional support. It is a fractured verdict this time and for the stability of the state and smooth functioning of the government, we are offering support to the single largest party.”
JK Guv invites proposals from PDP, BJP on govt formation
Governor NN Vohra on December 26 set the ball rolling for a viable government formation by asking the single largest party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the close runner-up, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to come up with their proposals to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir by January 1, it is learnt from reliable sources. Sources said that the Governor sent two separate letters inviting the PDP and BJP to come out with their respective ideas of forming the next government. The deadline set for them is almost a week away. Sources said that the identical letters written to the two parties made a mention of an unclear mandate that emerged out of the results of the recently concluded Assembly elections on Tuesday. It stated that the exercise was aimed at the formation of the government before the expiry of the current Assembly. The term of the current Assembly ends on January 17. The parties have been asked to meet the Governor at their mutual convenience on January 1. The PDP has 28 MLAs and BJP has 25. Neither party has numbers close to 44 — the simple majority in the House of 87. But as they were close to each other seat-wise, hence, the two letters, which may also test their claim that they have the support of the Independents. These letters have been addressed to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Jugal Kishore Sharma, the state unit president of the BJP, as neither of the two have elected their legislature party leader till date.
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Increasing tension between US police and people
A black suspect was recently shot by a white police officer in Berkeley, Missouri, USA. The incident sparked off a fresh round of protests in the US and further exposed the uneasy relationship between the police and society.
In New York, two police officers were murdered by a black man who later killed himself. Earlier, black suspects were killed at the hands of white officers.
All this points to an unfortunate level of mistrust and violence in the way the police and people engage with each other.
While those protesting against the police actions have taken to the streets and found a degree of sympathy from political officials and others, the police officers too are said to be feeling angry and besieged, given that they undertake a job fraught with danger. It is difficult to understand why these relations have been allowed to sink to such a level.
Many explanations have been given, ranging from the historical mandate of the police that stressed more on
‘order’ than law to the decrease in the police force of various cities following budgetary cutbacks. However, there is no doubt that there is a fundamental distrust between the police force and the community it serves. This is unfortunate, but it seems that the recent incidents have forced government officials at various levels to confront the issue and look for solutions.(Tribune, Chandigarh)
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FABINDIA, MANYAVAR EMERGE AS INDIA’S MOST PROFITABLE APPAREL COMPANIES
MUMBAI (TIP): Ethnic retail chains Fabindia and Manyavar have emerged as the country’s most profitable apparel companies by avoiding discounts, staying away from prime real estate and making products in-house in a market where most international brands are looking to grab share by offering price cuts. Fabindia Overseas posted a net profit of Rs 54 crore in the year ended March 31, 2014, according to filings at the Registrar of Companies. Kolkata-based Vedant Fashions, which owns ethnic wear brand Manyavar, made a Rs 49-crore profit. Levi’s India was the only marquee international brand that could match them, posting a Rs 49-crore net profit. This is the first time Levi’s India has made a profit since entering the country in 1994. None of the other overseas brands, including Zara, Benetton and Marks & Spencer, were able to come close to the performance of the Indian companies. “We didn’t get into the trap of discounting even as others did to chase top line. To build a sustainable business, we need profits and cash flow,” said Sunil Chainani, executive director at Fabindia, also the largest apparel brand in the country with Rs 604 crore in sales. “There are instances where we didn’t open stores in prime localities or high-footfall zones at malls that guaranteed higher sales as rentals would have impacted margins.” Right from local boutiques to established traditional retailers and regional brands, every ethnic wear retailer is vying for a share of the consumer wallet in a market that is governed more by design than brand name. Fabindia opened 17 new retail outlets in FY14, taking the number of stores to 175. Manyavar has been more aggressive, adding nearly two stores every week on average, taking the count to 360 now, clocking annual sales of Rs 373 crore. “There was a lot of disconnect between customers and manufacturers in the occasion-wear segment.We are just trying to fill that void,” said Manyavar’s founder Ravi Modi. The first outlet opened in 1999 in Kolkata but Manyavar didn’t expand at all in the following decade
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US gives Pakistan a free pass — and $1 billion — by ignoring LeT, LeJ
WASHINGTON (TIP): The United States may well have subscribed to Pakistan’s policy of “bad terrorists” (from its Afghan front, who mostly attack Pakistan and US) versus “good terrorists” (from West Punjab, who mostly attack India).
A defence authorization bill signed by President Barack Obama last week that provides for $1 billion in aid to Pakistan in 2015 conditions it on Islamabad taking steps to disrupt the Haqqani Network and eliminating safe havens of al-Qaida and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
However, it makes no mention of the Punjab-centric terror groups such as the Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT) aka Jamaat-ul-Dawa (JuD), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and others that are considered proxies of the Pakistani state.
A review of the 1640-page text of S.1847, formally known as the Carl Levin and Howard P ‘Buck’ McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, shows US emphasis on calling Pakistan to account for terrorist activity on its western flank, mainly through the Taliban, which impacts the US drawdown in Afghanistan.
It makes the $1 billion US aid contingent on Pakistan taking steps that have “demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that North Waziristan does not return to being a safe haven for the Haqqani network.” It also seeks a description of any strategic security objectives that the US and Pakistan have agreed to pursue and an assessment of the effectiveness of any US security assistance to Pakistan to achieve such strategic objectives.
But missing from the legislation is any concern, let alone any conditions, about Pakistan’s fostering of the Punjabi terror groups such as LeT that not only attacked Mumbai on 26/11 (an incident in which six Americans were also killed), but also the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a sectarian outfit that has killed hundreds of Pakistani Shias.
Both groups are patronized by Pakistan’s military and political establishments, which derive their power from the country’s heartland of west Punjab, much like the terror groups themselves.
A charitable explanation for the legislative oversight (or lack of it) maybe to take into account the broad and fleeting reference to “other militant extremist groups” in the text of the legislation. But in a remarkable coincidence, the Pakistan establishment began freeing its so-called “good terrorists” from Punjab even as President Obama signed the defense authorization bill on December 19. The easing up also followed the Pakistani army chief Gen Raheel Sharif’s visit to Washington DC last month.
In a series of moves demonstrating the Pakistani establishment was easing up on its own terrorist proxies in return for acting on US concerns, the Pakistani courts first released 26/11 planner Zaki-ur Lakhvi from prison, temporarily holding him back following Indian outrage; Islamabad then dawdled over filing replies in court in the case against JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and his deputy Hafiz Abdur Rehman Makki, saying it is yet to get response to its questions from the US; most recently, it released LeJ head Malik Ishaq, who is accused of scores of sectarian murders inside Pakistan, before extending his incarceration for two weeks following outrage within Pakistan.
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Honoring Complex Legacies
By conferring the highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, on former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, who was president of the Indian National Congress more than once before Independence but was better known as the founder of the Banaras Hindu University, the country has recognized the contributions made by these leaders to public life and India’s political evolution.
The decision of the Bharatiya Janata Party government is also indicative of a certain resoluteness to emphasize its own political tradition – Mr. Vajpayee was the first BJP Prime Minister of India, for 13 days in 1996, and again, from 1998 to 2004; Malaviya was among the founding leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha in the early 20th century.
Mr. Vajpayee, now ailing, still retains appeal that cuts across political divisions because he was particularly mindful of seeking a larger consensus on national issues. As Prime Minister his tenure was eventful, marked by a war with Pakistan, a series of terror attacks including the hijacking of IC-814 and the Parliament attack, and India’s decision to go publicly nuclear. Through all this, Mr. Vajpayee’s statesmanship and his ability to demonstrate strength and large-heartedness simultaneously, only got better.
Freedom-fighter, journalist, educationist and social activist, Malaviya belonged to the Hindu nationalist stream within the Indian National Congress. He was fiercely opposed to Congress participation in the Khilafat movement and disfavored separate electorates for different communities proposed by the British government. An important figure in the Non-Cooperation Movement, he was a delegate in the First Round Table Conference in 1930. But Malaviya’s living legacy is the BHU that he founded in 1916 in the city of Varanasi with the help and support of Annie Besant.
Previous ‘Bharat Ratna’ awards have had their share of controversies, and accusations that many dispensations have used it to further their own political interests and negate those of opponents are not unfounded. The fact that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was conferred the Bharat Ratna only in 1990 when a government in which his followers had influence was in power is a telling example. Historical figures often leave mixed and complex legacies, and Mr. Vajpayee and Malaviya are no exceptions.
Honoring a personality is not necessarily an endorsement of all of his politics, or being blind to his failures and shortcomings. It is also not about jettisoning disagreements in our public space. It would be unfortunate if the highest civilian award of the country becomes a matter of political disagreement rather than of collective celebration and endorsement of those who have contributed in significant measure to the making of India as a diverse and multifaceted nation. (The Hindu)
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NO MORE HANDWRITTEN PASSPORTS
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Indian Embassy in Washington issued December 23 an advisory to public regarding re-issuance of passports. The advisory says ” Indian citizens living in India and abroad are advised to apply for urgent re-issuance of their passports in the following cases:-
(i). HANDWRITTEN PASSPORTS
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has set a deadline of the 24th November, 2015 for globally phasing out of all non-Machine Readable Passports (MRPs). From the 25th November, 2015 onwards, foreign Governments may deny Visa or entry to any person travelling on a non-Machine Readable Passport.The Government of India has been issuing Machine Readable Passports since 2001. The Passports, however, issued before 2001 and particularly those issued during mid 1990s with a validity of 20 years will fall in the category of non-MRPs. All handwritten passports with pasted photographs are also considered non-MRPs.
By the end of November 2014, it is estimated that there are approximately 2.86 lakh handwritten passports in circulation. Approximately 6 crore Indian hold valid passports.
Indian citizens residing in India and abroad and holding such passports with validity beyond the 24th November, 2015 are advised to apply for re-issue of their passports well before the deadline in order to avoid any inconvenience in obtaining valid visa or international travel.
(ii) PASSPORTS VALID FOR LESS THAN SIX MONTHS
Many international travellers may not realise that having an unexpired passport is sometimes not enough to obtain Visas or to enter certain foreign countries. Indian citizens travelling on Passports which may expire in less than six months should renew their passports before any upcoming international travel. It is especially important to check the passports needs of any minor who may be accompanying their parents as passports for minors have a shorter validity period (5 years) than passports for adults (10 years). The universal practice in vogue now is; “Once your passport crosses the nine-year mark, it is time to get new passport”.
(iii) EXHAUSTION OF VISA PAGES
Some countries do not accept passports which may have fewer than two pages remaining. Please check your passport to ensure that you have enough visa pages. There is no provision of additional booklets/pages and you will be required to apply reissuance of passport following standard procedures. Frequent travellers may opt for Jumbo Passport containing 64 pages.
All Passport Issuing Authorities have instituted a simple and fast-track procedure for renewal of passports. For more details related to passport services, website – www.passportindia.gov.in – or the National Call Centre (1800-258-1800 – Toll Free) may be accessed. Indian citizens living abroad should visit the website of respective Indian Mission/Post.
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Russia to impose wheat export duty from February
MOSCOW (TIP): Russia has said it will from February apply a duty of at least 35 euros ($43) per tonne of wheat sent for export as it tries to lower prices on its domestic market, hit by the ruble’s fall. The duty, announced in a government decree published late Thursday, aims to narrow a price difference that has emerged as Russia’s ruble has slumped by 40 per cent against the dollar this year. Despite a near-record wheat harvest this year, prices on the Russian market have been rising as growers prefer to export where prices, linked to foreign currencies, are now considerably higher. Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said on Thursday that farmers were getting around 225 euros ($275) per tonne if they export and 160 euros ($195) if they sold on the domestic market. The duty in force from February 1 to June 30 will be 15 per cent of the price per tonne plus 7.5 euros, with a minimum rate of 35 euros per tonne. At a price of 225 euros per tonne, the duty of 41.25 euros would still leave a price difference of over 20 euros. Even before it announced plans to introduce the duty in order to protect the country’s “food security”, market participants said the government had taken other measures to slow exports as it suddenly became difficult to book rail transportation and obtain food safety export certificates. Dvorkovich said on national television on Thursday that food safety inspections would remain “strict” as Russia “can’t afford any longer to close its eyes to violations”. Russia has long been accused by its trade partners of using food safety inspections as a trade weapon, but usually to block imports. Wheat prices have risen on international markets over the past week as traders were anxious that Russia, usually the world’s number 3 exporter, may ban exports as it did in 2010 when it had a poor harvest due to a drought.
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US protesters rally for 2nd night after teen killing
BERKELEY (TIP): Between six and eight protesters were arrested in Berkeley, Missouri, following the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white officer, Berkeley Police Chief Frank McCall said on December 25. A television channel in St Louis said the demonstrators were taken into custody on Wednesday after they blocked part of a busy roadway in a “die-in” protest against a string of shootings of black people in the United States by white police officers.
They briefly blocked traffic on Interstate 170 during a march before returning to the gas station where Antonio Martin was shot at. Later, about 75 people staged a peaceful protest early on Christmas morning outside a nearby church. Police in riot gear were present.
The actions were calmer than a night before, when a crowd of about 300 gathered at the gas station, throwing stones in a scene reminiscent of the sometimes-violent protests that followed the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson.
Unlike in the death of Brown, who was unarmed when killed and whose shooting was not captured on video, Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins said on Wednesday that surveillance footage appeared to show Martin pulling a gun on the unidentified 34-year-old officer. Hoskins urged calm, saying, “You couldn’t even compare this with Ferguson or the Garner case in New York,” refering to the chokehold death of Eric Garner, another black man killed by a white cop.
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OUTSIDERS SET TO GET ACCESS TO SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, FLATS IN SEZS
NEW DELHI (TIP): After months of discussion, the government is set to allow developers of special economic zones (SEZs) to throw open apartments, schools and hospitals to those who live outside the enclaves, a move that may attract criticism. The commerce department is going to insist that the concession will only be available to developers, who are willing to refund the taxes that they saved on buying raw materials and services that went into construction of the non-processing facilities, sources familiar with the development said. With developers complaining of facilities remaining unutilized due to low occupancy levels in SEZs, the commerce department had for long been pitching for allowing outsiders to access these facilities. While the revenue department had blocked the move, the sources said a decision is expected to be notified over the next few days. The move was part of a package to boost investment in SEZs, which have collapsed due to withdrawal of tax sops and tougher land acquisition norms. The revenue department is, however, unrelenting in its position on exemption from minimum alternate tax and dividend distribution tax, two concessions that were withdrawn despite the SEZ Act promising the sops. While developers and the commerce department are still insisting on the tax sops, a fresh proposal may be sent to the finance ministry in the run up to the Budget, said sources, adding that a few options are being discussed. The developers will have to contend with the concessions in the nonprocessing area, although it is unclear how the rules play out, especially related to the amount of refund. But, with the fresh measures, developers can look forward to better revenues from hospitals, schools and flats that have been lying idle as the demand for setting up units is much lower than what was anticipated.
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SMARTPHONE TOUCHSCREEN USE LEADS TO GREATER BRAIN ACTIVITY
LONDON (TIP): Your smartphone touchscreen can actually change the way your thumb and brain work together, a new study has found. More touchscreen use in the recent past translates directly into greater brain activity when the thumbs and other fingertips are touched, researchers found. “I was really surprised by the scale of the changes introduced by the use of smartphones,” said Arko Ghosh of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich in Switzerland. “I was also struck by how much of the interindividual variations in the fingertip-associated brain signals could be simply explained by evaluating the smartphone logs,” Ghosh said. Ghosh and his colleagues realised that smartphones could be a grand opportunity to explore the everyday plasticity of the human brain. Not only are people suddenly using their fingertips, and especially their thumbs, in a new way, but many of us are also doing it a lot, day after day, researchers said. The phones are also keeping track of our digital histories to provide a readymade source of data on those behaviours. To link digital footprints to brain activity in the new study, Ghosh and his team used electroencephalography (EEG) to record the brain response to mechanical touch on the thumb, index, and middle fingertips of touchscreen phone users in comparison to people who still haven’t given up their old-school mobile phones. The researchers found that the electrical activity in the brains of smartphone users was enhanced when all three fingertips were touched. In fact, the amount of activity in the cortex of the brain associated with the thumb and index fingertips was directly proportional to the intensity of phone use. The thumb tip was even sensitive to day-to-day fluctuations: the shorter the time elapsed from an episode of intense phone use, the researchers said, the larger was the cortical potential associated with it. The results suggest that repetitive movements over the smooth touchscreen surface reshape sensory processing from the hand, with daily updates in the brain’s representation of the fingertips, researchers said. “We propose that cortical sensory processing in the contemporary brain is continuously shaped by personal digital technology,” Ghosh and his colleagues said.
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Wayne Rooney gives Newcastle a Boxing Day lesson
MANCHESTER (TIP): Wayne Rooney scored twice as Manchester United rewarded manager Louis van Gaal’s decision to grant his players Christmas Day off by beating Newcastle United 3-1 on December 26. Rooney, relishing the deeper midfield role which he has been assigned recently, effectively decided the contest with two lethal finishes and set up a third goal for Robin van Persie in the second half. But although United won for the 18th time in their last 21 Boxing Day outings, they were obliged to survive a spirited opening quarter to the match from Alan Pardew’s visitors. Rooney settled nerves with an excellently worked 23rd-minute opener, but United had lived dangerously up to that point, despite enjoying a glut of possession. The visitors looked dangerous on the counter-attack and United were fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty when Juan Mata appeared to clip the heels of Yoan Gouffran, sending the Newcastle man clattering to the ground. Just six minutes later, United were indebted to the everimpressive David de Gea as the Spanish goalkeeper flew to his right to keep out a magnificent 25-yard shot from Daryl Janmaat, who had been set up by Newcastle’s teenage debutant Adam Armstrong. The 17-year-old Armstrong was an unwitting accomplice to the opening goal, showing brilliant pace to beat Paddy McNair but then wasting possession by shooting directly at the legs of a United defender. It proved a costly decision by the teenager as Rooney broke upfield and squared the ball for Mata, who, in turn, launched an accurate pass into the area for Radamel Falcao. The Colombian forward seemed poised to shoot from a tight angle, but instead squared the ball for Rooney to convert into a gaping goal. It was an impressive assist from Falcao, who could have single-handedly put the game beyond Newcastle in the first half, given the amount of half-chances that came his way. On 13 minutes, he should have done better from Ashley Young’s left-wing cross, appearing to duck out of the way of the winger’s fiercely hit centre. Then, shortly after United had taken the lead, the onloan Monaco striker did connect with a cross from Young, only to glance his header just wide of the far post. Rooney, however, did not need a second invitation to double United’s lead after 36 minutes with another goal orchestrated by a magnificent Mata pass. After Falcao won the ball back, Phil Jones found Mata, who waited for Rooney to arrive and slipped through a perfect assist for the England captain, who made no mistake with a clinical 12-yard finish. It did not take long for United to punish Newcastle further in the second half, with Rooney this time the provider. He advanced, paused, and then lifted an inviting pass forward for Van Persie, who steered a header past the dive of Jak Alnwick. Not for the first time, a brilliant Young cross was wasted as Van Persie and Falcao both failed to make a connection. Meanwhile, Rooney, seeking a hat-trick, went close with a 19-yard free-kick that soared over the wall and dipped onto the roof of the Newcastle goal. Van Persie also spurned a glorious chance, completely mis-kicking with an attempted volley, while Ayoze Perez, one of the few bright points on the day for Newcastle, forced De Gea into a rare piece of action, low at the foot of his near post, as the game wore down.
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Obama on Christmas: World safer due to US troops
KANEOHE BAY (TIP): US President Barack Obama says Afghanistan has a chance to rebuild thanks to the extraordinary service of US troops.
Obama is honoring troops on Christmas at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. It’s an annual tradition for Obama during his family vacation on the island.
Obama says the world is more prosperous and the American homeland is protected because of the sacrifices made by US military members and their families.
Obama points out that the US has been at war in Afghanistan for more than 13 years. He says this year is an important one because the US combat mission there will end next week. Obama says the U.S. is safer and that Afghanistan will never again be the source of terrorist attacks.
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NORTH KOREA BLAMES US FOR INTERNET OUTAGES
SEOUL (TIP): North Korea accused the United States on December 27 of being responsible for Internet outages it experienced in recent days amid a confrontation between them over the hacking of the film studio Sony Pictures.
North Korea’s main internet sites experienced intermittent disruptions early in the week for reasons that US tech companies said could range from technological glitches to a hacking attack.
“The United States, with its large physical size and oblivious to the shame of playing hide and seek as children with runny noses would, has begun disrupting the Internet operations of the main media outlets of our republic,” the North’s National Defence Commission said in a statement..“It is truly laughable,” a spokesman for the commission said in comments carried by the North’s official KCNA news agency.
The spokesman again rejected an accusation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation that North Korea was behind the cyber attack on Sony Pictures and demanded the United States produce the evidence for its accusation.
“Obama had better thrust himself to cleaning up all the evil doings that the US has committed out of its hostile policy against (North Korea) if he seeks peace on US soil. Then all will be well.”
North Korea experienced Internet problems last weekend and a complete outage of nearly nine hours before links were largely restored on Tuesday.
U.S. officials said Washington was not involved.
Following the hacking attack on Sony, the studio cancelled the release of a comedy called “The Interview”, about the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
After criticism from President Barack Obama that it was caving into pressure from North Korea, Sony reversed its decision and decided on a limited release.
The film took in more than $1 million in a Christmas Day release in 331 mostly independent theatres after large movie theatre chains refused to screen the comedy following threats of violence from hackers.
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PlayStation, Xbox networks go offline
WASHINGTON (TIP): The online gaming networks for Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox consoles —hot gifts this Christmas — have gone dark in what hackers said was a coordinated attack. The outage started Christmas Day and went into Friday, PlayStation and Xbox said on their Twitter feeds, adding that they were working to restore service. A new Twitter user going by the name “Lizard Squad” took credit for the disruption, claiming it had the “nation on strings.”
The name is the same used by a group of hackers that has targeted Sony in the past, though it was not possible to verify the Twitter account’s authenticity. The account did not return request for comment and only became active on Wednesday. Sony this month was hit by a sophisticated hacking attack that stole massive amounts of data from its servers.
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Following New York, Hindus urge rest 49 US states to allow Diwali school holiday
NEVADA (TIP): Hindus have welcomed reports of New York Governor’s signing the bill allowing school holiday on Diwali, most popular of their festivals.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada , December 25, describing it as a step in the right direction, urged other 49 US states also to do the same.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that it would be a positive thing to do in view of presence of a substantial number of Hindu students at schools around the country, as it was important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of these students.
Rajan Zed indicated that schools should make efforts to accommodate the religious requirements of Hindu students and show respect to their faith by not conducting regular business and scheduling classes on Diwali. We did not want our students to be put at an unnecessary disadvantage for missing
tests/examinations/papers, assignments, class work, etc., by taking a day-off to observe Diwali.If schools had declared other religious holidays, why not Diwali, Zed asked. Holidays of all major religions should be honored and no one should be penalized for practicing their religion, Zed added
Rajan Zed urged all US schools, both public and private, to seriously look into declaring Diwali as a holiday, recognizing the intersection of spirituality and education. Zed noted that awareness about other religions thus created by such holidays like Diwali would make all students well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow.
Zed further says that Hinduism is rich in festivals and religious festivals are very dear and sacred to Hindus. Diwali, the festival of lights, aims at dispelling the darkness and lighting up the lives and symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Besides Hindus, Sikhs and Jains and some Buddhists also celebrate Diwali, which falls onNovember 11 in 2015.
Hinduism is oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksh
(liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in US. -
Dal Lake, water bodies freeze in J-K
SRINAGAR (TIP): Famous Dal Lake and other water bodies froze partially as Srinagar city, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, witnessed the coldest night of this winter with mercury plunging to minus 5.6 degrees Celsius. Dal Lake located in the heart of the city was partially frozen early this morning as cold wave conditions intensified with mercury plunging nearly 1.5 degrees to settle at the season’s lowest minimum temperature so far. Dal dwellers, using their oars, were seen breaking the layer of ice at several places to make way for their shikaras to reach the banks of the lake. While the freezing cold added to the woes of the residents, the tourists were happy to witness it.
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Sony hacking shows all’s fair in a cyberwar
WASHINGTON (TIP): For years now, the Obama administration has warned of the risks of a “cyber-Pearl Harbor”, a nightmare attack that takes out America’s power grids and cellphone networks and looks like the opening battle in a full-scale digital war.
Such predictions go back at least 20 years, and perhaps that day will come. But over the past week, a far more immediate scenario has come into focus, first on the back lots of Sony Pictures and then in back-to-back strategy sessions in the White House situation room: a shadow war of nearly constant, low-level digital conflict, somewhere in the netherworld between what President Obama called “cybervandalism” and what others might call digital terrorism.
In that murky world, the attacks are carefully calibrated to be well short of war. The attackers are hard to identify with certainty, and the evidence cannot be made public. The counterstrike, if there is one, is equally hard to discern and often unsatisfying. The damage is largely economic and psychological. Deterrence is hard to establish. And because there are no international treaties or norms about how to use digital weapons — indeed, no acknowledgment by the US government that it has ever used them itself — there are no rules about how to fight this kind of conflict.
“Until now, we’ve been pretty ad hoc in figuring out what’s an annoyance and what’s an attack,” James Lewis, a cyberexpert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said last week. “If there’s a lesson from this, it’s that we’re long overdue” for a national discussion about how to respond to cyberattacks — and how to use America’s own growing, if unacknowledged, arsenal of digital weaponry.
All those issues have been swirling in the background in the drama of North Korea’s effort to intimidate Sony Pictures, and the retaliation by the US — if that was the case —against one of its oldest Cold War adversaries.
“If you’d told me it would take a Seth Rogen movie to get our government to really confront these issues, I would have said you are crazy,” one senior defense official said
a few days ago, referring to the Sony Pictures film ‘The Interview’. “But then again, this whole thing has been crazy.”Like most cyberattacks, it started with a simple question: Who did it?But this was no ordinary effort to steal credit card data. What made it different was its destructive nature. By some accounts, it wiped out roughly two-thirds of the studio’s computer systems and servers — one of the most destructive cyberattacks on US soil.
It took three weeks for Mr. Obama to take the extraordinarily rare step of publicly identifying North Korea, and its leadership, as the culprit. But Washington’s declaration came paired with Obama’s warning of a
“proportionate response”. But that leaves him with a “short of war” conundrum. How much American power should be deployed to stop a cybervandal from becoming a cyberterrorist? The mystery now is whether the young, untested Kim will back off, or whether he will push ahead, figuring that an unpredictable North Korea has kept enemies at bay for 60 years, and that his new weapon may extend the streak. -
Inquiry planned in Dallas tower fire that killed 3 workers
DALLAS (TIP): One of the three men who died last week in a construction fire in downtown Dallas had worked as a welder for only three months and had no training in the field, his family says.
Concerns about whether lax standards contributed to the fire have prompted two of the workers’ families to launch an independent inquiry into the fatal fire in an underground tank at Thanksgiving Tower, their attorney said Thursday, December 18.
“It’s been a very difficult time for these families to lose their husbands and fathers in this holiday season,” said lawyer Domingo Garcia, who is representing the relatives of Nicacio Carrillo-Martinez and Oscar Esparza-Romo.
The family of the third man, Luis Carrillo-Solorzano, hasn’t decided whether to pursue legal action, Garcia said.
Best Mechanical Inc. had subcontracted the three Texas HVAC employees to clean several water tanks at the 50-story tower. They died of smoke inhalation after they were trapped by fire in one of the 35-foot-deep tanks, which was part of the building’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
Questions of liability have arisen since officials said the men and Best Mechanical lacked permits for welding, cutting and hot work. Best Mechanical has said safety equipment and evacuation procedures were in place at the work site.
Dallas Fire-Rescue and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the fire. But Garcia said his firm also has hired a former OSHA investigator.
He said an inspection is scheduled next week that will lay the foundation for a private inquiry, which will include interviews with witnesses.
A family spokesman said Esparza-Romo, who worked for Texas HVAC for about two years, had 10 years of welding experience but had not been formally trained.
Carrillo-Martinez, 60, moved to North Texas three months ago. He had recently been introduced to welding when his nephew, Luis Carrillo-Solorzano, helped him get a job at Texas HVAC.
At a news conference Thursday, the workers’ relatives expressed their grief and discussed their decision to seek legal representation.
“We’re here because we want justice. As you can see, it’s caused a lot of pain and suffering to my family,” said Jose Velasquez, a spokesman for Esparza-Romo’s family. “More than anything, we want to prevent this stuff from happening to other families.”
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Texas is in danger of a recession
DALLAS (TIP): The shale oil boom has been a blessing to Texas, making the state an economic standout during the past few years of ho-hum U.S. growth. But oil’s dramatic plunge below $55 a barrel is scaring the shale industry. Since some wells are unprofitable at lower prices, shale companies will be forced to dial back capital spending and cut jobs.
While cheap gas is likely to be a net positive for the U.S., Texas is poised to take a hit because of the pivotal role that oil plays in the state’s economy.
“We think Texas will, at least, have a rough 2015 ahead, and is at risk of slipping into a regional recession,” Michael Feroli, JPMorgan Chase chief U.S. economist, predicted Thursday, December 18.
Texas has become a dominant oil producer, boosting its share of U.S. crude production from 25% to more than 40% over the past five years.
That heavy exposure to crude should go from a big positive to a big negative. Crude oil traded above $100 in June. Now the price is about half that at $54.1986 all over again? The current situation has echoes of 1986, when oil prices collapsed and caused a painful recession in Texas but the rest of the country kept humming along.
“The labor market response was severe and swift,” said Feroli, pointing to a two-percentage point jump in the state’s unemployment rate from January to March of 1986 alone.
Of course, it’s not entirely the same. As Feroli concedes, natural gas prices aren’t collapsing now like they did in 1986, exacerbating the industry’s problems.Also, the oil industry has undergone dramatic technological changes that have make extraction profitable at lower and lower prices.Real-estate, banking fallout: Still, JPMorgan believes Texas will bear the brunt of the pain caused by the oil meltdown, along with North Dakota, America’s second-largest crude producer. “There are some reasons to think that it may not be as bad this time around, but there are even better reasons not to be complacent about the risk of a regional recession in Texas,” Feroli wrote.
The fallout of a recession in Texas could throw cold water on the state’s hot real estate market and cause pain for regional banks.
Home prices shrank 14% from their peak during the 1986 recession and hundreds of banks were forced to shut down, JPMorgan said.
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Indian American Vivek Murthy is confirmed as surgeon general
WASHINGTON (TIP): The US Senate has at long last confirmed Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., to be the 19th surgeon general of the United States. An educator and practicing internal medicine physician, Murthy has been an outspoken champion on a number of public health issues of keen importance to family medicine.
The 37-year-old Indian-American physician Vivek Hallegere Murthy is youngest person and first person of Indian-origin to hold the post.
The upper house of US Congress confirmed Murthy’s nomination by 51 votes to 43 more than a year after President Barack Obama had nominated him to this top administration post on public health issues in November 2013 which saw a strong opposition from the powerful pro-gun lobby National Rifle Association (NRA).
The final voting came yesterday soon after the Senate invoked cloture – a procedural hurdle – by same numbers (51 to 43 votes)
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Pitching strongly for Murthy’s confirmation, Senator Dick Durbin praised Murthy for his dedication to fighting obesity, tobacco related diseases and other chronic diseases that account for seven out of the top 10 causes for death in America and make up for 84 per cent of America’s health care costs.
“I believe Dr Murthy understands the importance of the national crises before him, and feel confident that his experiences, his training, and his tenacity have provided him the qualifications he needs to tackle these issues, and the many more he’s sure to face, head-on,” Durbin said.
“Not only is Dr Murthy an outstanding doctor and public health expert, but he also remains closely connected to his community and family,” he said.
“There is no question about the qualification of Dr Murthy to do his job,” said another Senator Chris Murphy, adding that Murthy has a really impressive history of commitment to international public health, building two international organizations, one that empowers hundreds of youths in the US and India to educate over 45,000 students on HIV prevention.
Senator Richard Blumenthal said Murthy has addressed some of the nation’s most pressing health problems over the times. “Dr Murthy’s credentials are without question. They are impeccable, unquestionable and indisputable”.
Coming out in support of Murthy, senator Daniel Markey said he has developed a skill set which is much needed for the 21st century and in an era where disease cross international boundaries.
“It is an opportunity to put a real leader in this position,” he said.
Senator Mazie Hirono said Murthy would make an effective surgeon general.
On the one hand, when several senators have lauded Murthy’s nomination there were others who continued to oppose his confirmation.
“The American people deserve a surgeon general who has proven, throughout his or her career that their main focus is a commitment to patients, not a commitment to politics.
Murthy’s confirmation has been widely applauded.
Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus and Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, released the statement below following the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Vivek Hallegere Murthy as the next surgeon general
“I congratulate Dr. Murthy on his confirmation as our nation’s next surgeon general. He is a dedicated fighter for public health and I know he will work tirelessly to improve the health of all Americans. I was proud to stand with him during his confirmation process, and I look forward to working with him in his new role.
“I’m glad that this nomination didn’t fall victim to partisan bickering and pressure from special interests, but this is more than a political victory. The confirmation of the first surgeon general of Indian descent is a victory for the entire Indian-American community, whose young children will grow up knowing that anything is within their reach.
“It’s a victory for our medical community, with a dynamic and skilled physician leading our public health policies as our nation’s top doctor.
“And, this is a victory for the American people and ensuring better health for all.”
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard in her Statement on Confirmation of Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General, said “I extend my sincere congratulations to our new Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has demonstrated dedication to serving others. Dr. Murthy has shown his commitment and passion for improving healthcare, especially in the areas of mental health, obesity, chronic disease, and vaccinations. I look forward to working with him to serve the health and wellness needs of the American people.”
Dr. Murthy’s parents are originally from Karnataka, India. He was born in Huddersfield, England and the family relocated to Miami, Florida when he was three years old. Dr. Murthy attended college at Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in three years with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemical Sciences. He received an MD from the Yale School of Medicine and an MBA in Health Care Management from the Yale School of Management. He is currently a practicing physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, as well as the Hospitalist Attending Physician and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
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10 South Asians accused of scamming more than $1 million in New York City travel agency scheme
NEW YORK (TIP): Ten people have been arrested in what prosecutors call a commercial travel scam in which the suspects used stolen credit cards to purchase airline tickets for customers of online travel agencies.
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced the indictments Friday, December 12 saying the suspects were able to steal more than $1 million in total from approximately 200 victims.
The majority of the tickets were ultimately canceled by the airlines or unusable by travelers, which many of them only discovered upon arriving at the airport for their trips, leaving them stranded or unable to travel.
In some cases, Vance said travelers were prevented from attending weddings or visiting sick family members.
The defendants are each charged with varying counts of second-degree grand larceny, first-degree identity theft and scheme to defraud, among others.
“During the holiday season, when so many people are traveling to visit their families at great personal expense, it is especially important to be on high alert for scam artists and cybercriminals,” Vance said. “This alleged scheme left a pregnant woman stranded during a multi-part trip, forced relatives to miss a family wedding abroad, and made it impossible for a son to visit his cancer-stricken father in India. I encourage individuals to report this type of fraud by calling my Cybercrime and Identity Theft Hotline at 212-335-9600.”
According to the indictment and statements made on the record in court, between June 2012 and November 2014, the suspects are accused of operating a business involving multiple incorporated travel agencies, including Bombay Travel and Tours, Raj Travel, Gandhi Travel, Patel Travel and Maha Guru Travel, and several bank accounts that were fraudulently opened in the name of the aforementioned travel agencies using falsified passports and licenses.
Prosecutors say the suspects also placed advertisements in predominately Indian-American publications throughout the U.S. and purported to offer competitively priced tickets to and from popular destinations in India.
Travelers seeking assistance with arrangements were instructed to provide names, passport numbers and flight information, and deposit payment checks directly into bank accounts controlled by the defendants. However, in lieu of using customers’ checks to pay for tickets, the defendants pocketed the money and instead used stolen credit card information to buy the tickets that were later sent to their customers.
When travelers arrived at the airport for their scheduled trips, many were informed that their tickets had been canceled or that they would not be able to travel using the illegally purchased tickets, for which they had already paid thousands of dollars.
The suspects are identified as:
● Sadaqat Ali, 48, of the Bronx
● Sumit Chawla, 42, of Pakistan
● Zubair Dar, 49, of Queens
● Sarfraz Kahn, 51, of Queens
● Shah Nawaz Kiani, 29, of Pakistan
● Muhammad Asif, 32, of Pakistan
● Chaudhary Muhammad Arif, 56, of Brooklyn
● Rana Muhammad Tariq, 32, of Brooklyn
● John Doe, of Queens
● Manjeet Singh, 40, of Queens -
India Association of Long Island (IALI ) to soon have a home
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK (TIP): At the Annual General Body Meeting of India Association of Long Island (IALI) on December 14, 2014, the association President Satnam Parhar laid down his vision of buying a small property for IALI Home / India Community Center to fulfill the cherished dream of most of the members and the past presidents. He emphasized that when we came to this country, we all started with a small house and upgraded from there to bigger and better luxury homes. Therefore starting small, which fits our budget in terms of price and its maintenance, is the way to go. Gobind Munjal, past president of IALI and Chairperson of IALI Home / India Community Center, who also joined Parhar, in his commitment to realize the dream for IALI during this year, gave a detailed power point presentation about the property, along with Prasad Kambhampathy (finance chair), and answered all the frequently asked questions about the property, which IALI is buying for its office and to have a permanent address, keep records, do small programs for the Indian Community; like Senior Forum, Sangeet Forum. Youth Forum, Yoga classes, Hindi classes for the children, English and computer classes for the seniors and adults.
This commercial property (92 East, Old Country Road) is ideally located on the main Old Country Road just east of Broadway (route 107) in Hicksville, which is the hub of the growing Indian Community in Long Island and is accessible by Rail Road and public transportation.
A few members expressed their opinions, both positive and negative, but it was mostly positive, except for a couple of people. The General Membership present at the IALI Annual General Body Meeting endorsed the decision of the Executive Council of buying the IALI Home with an overwhelming majority. The contract to buy this property has been signed and the closing is set to take place early next week. At the end of the presentation, Parhar and Munjal appealed to all members present for their generous donations towards the IALI Home.
Parhar stated that 2014 turned out to be a good year, despite the tragic and untimely death of his son Dr. Romeo. He thanked each and every member of the executive council for their co-operation, help and support, and hard work in making all the functions and programs quite successful during the year.
The Treasurer, Ms. Gunjan Rastogi presented accounts for the year. She said around $25,000 were added during the year by the current administration towards IALI Funds which stood at approximately$350,000, as of Nov 2014. She appealed and asked the members present to be generous in giving donations for IALI Home.
Election results were announced by the Election Committee Chair and past president of IALI, Dr. Bhavani Srinivasan. Following is the list of elected executive council members.
President – Satnam Parhar; Vice President – Bina Sabapathy; Secretary -Rekha Valliappan; Treasurer – Gunjan Rastogi.
Members-at-Large: Ajay Batra, Damayanti Goklani, Vimal Goyal, Jyoti Gupta, Rakesh “Pinki” Jaggi, Sushil Khanna, Veena Lamba, Mohinder Miglani
Over 200 members attended this meeting. Mrs. Anila Midha, past president of IALI was the Master of Ceremony (MC) .
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks from the Secretary Ms. Rekha Valliappan.
INDIA ASSOCIATION OF LONG ISLAND (IALI) is one of the largest and oldest (37 years old) organization in the whole Tri State Area. It is a community based non-profit 501 (c) (3) entity, with a mission to promote, share and celebrate the culture of India. It has about 2,000 members.
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NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito speaks with Ethnic and Community Media
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): At a Dec. 11 roundtable with ethnic, community and independent journalists, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced the launch of an initiative to strengthen the Council’s outreach efforts to diverse media across New York City.
“My vision is for a New York City that is more equitable and inclusive -and this includes of all media,” said Mark-Viverito to a meeting attended by more than 60 representatives that covered dozens of ethnic publications, communities of color and a cross-section of neighborhoods. “We also know that editors and reporters like you are leaders in your communities and that you wear several hats – as guides to navigating a broader society, as providers of news and information that is relevant to your communities, and as advocates for their rights.”
As part of this vision, the Speaker has brought on Juana Ponce de León as Director of Media Diversity Relations, a position created specifically to provide ethnic, community and independent media with equal access to information. Ponce de León is the former Founding and Executive Director of the New York Community Media Alliance, a nonprofit organization that worked with and advocated for more than 350 publications in New York City serving the city’s immigrant and communities of color.
At the roundtable, the Speaker heard the concerns of some of the attendees, who expressed interest in more responsiveness from city agencies and fairness in the distribution of ad dollars, among other issues. The Speaker also outlined some of the Council’s achievements during the first year of her leadership, including passage of legislation to create a Municipal ID, funding for legal services for unaccompanied minors, and a stabilization fund for community-based organizations.
This is the first time that such an effort is undertaken by a New York City Council Speaker to promote a culture of media diversity and ensure that the Council’s outreach is inclusive and consistent. The roundtable was convened with the help of the Center for Community and Ethnic Media at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and is the first in a series to be held during the Speaker’s tenure.
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Discovery of naked murder victim in Brooklyn
Discovery of naked murder victim in Brooklyn leads cops to crack love-triangle double homicide, arrest cuckolded husband
NEW YORK (TIP): The stabbing death of a man whose naked body was found outside of a Brooklyn apartment building exposed a sordid love triangle that ended in two killings, not one -and the arrest of a suspect Thursday, November 18.
Jerome Barrett, 35, is believed to have been having sex with a co-worker in a car parked near his East New York home early Wednesday when the woman’s husband interrupted their sexual encounter, police sources said.
The husband, Steve Whittingham,48, stabbed Barrett several times in the chest and did the same to his wife, Jonelle Barker, 36, killing them both, police said in announcing Whittingham’s arrest early Thursday night.
Barrett was mortally wounded but managed to flee, still naked and clutching his clothing, the sources said. He made his way to the entrance of an apartment building on Louisiana Ave. near Seaview Ave. in Starrett City shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday, the sources said.
He was ringing the buzzer for various apartments, trying to summon help, when his wounds overcame him, the sources said. His clothes and wallet were found a few feet from his body, just outside the building’s entrance.
Roughly a day later, about 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, Barrett’s Kia was found parked on New Lots Ave. in Brownsville, the sources said.
Inside the trunk was Jonelle Barker’s body. She, too, was naked, the sources said.
Investigators believe that Barrett and Barker, who worked as baggage handlers at JFK Airport, were having an affair and that Whittingham killed them both in a rage after learning about her infidelity, the sources said.
Barker and Whittingham lived together in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, police said.
Shortly after Barker’s body was discovered, Whittingham surrendered himself to authorities, the sources said.