Archives for March 2022

PUNE: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said the Centre did not take timely steps to check the prices of petrol and diesel due to elections in five states. He also said that the rates of fuel went up due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Queried about inflation and hike in fuel prices after polls, the former Union minister said the prices of petrol, diesel and oil went up mainly due to two reasons.

“There was a need to take some measures but the government didn’t take any steps as there were polls in five states. Secondly, the effect of the Ukraine-Russia war is also there (on fuel prices) and people of India will have to pay the price,” he said.

Asked about the growing demand for one-time FRP (Fair and Remunerative Price) payments to sugarcane cultivators, Pawar said there was no objection to giving one-time FRP payments.

“But if the one-time FRP payment has to be given, sugar factories will have to obtain loans from banks and that is not a practical solution.

As per my opinion, farmers should get the remuneration on time by sugar mills, not by obtaining loans from banks but by selling the produce (sugar) in the market,” the former Union agriculture minister suggested to sugar mills.

Pawar said that in some states, where there is no sugarcane cultivation, ethanol is produced using grains.

“If there is maximum production of ethanol, the import of crude oil will come down, which is a good thing. But while doing this (encouraging ethanol production from grains), the Centre should ensure that there should not be any bad effects on the process of making ethanol from sugarcane,” he said.

Pawar said a precaution should be taken to ensure that the sugar business will survive in the process of producing ethanol from grains and ethanol from sugar.

LUCKNOW: Alleging that the Congress-led government in Rajasthan had completely failed in protecting Dalits and Adivasis, BSP president Mayawati on Wednesday demanded the imposition of President’s rule in the state.

It is clear, she added, that the Congress government had completely failed in Rajasthan, particularly in protecting Dalits and Adivasis. “Therefore, it would be appropriate to dismiss this government and impose President’s rule there. This is the demand of the BSP,” Mayawati said.

---

It is clear, she added, that the Congress government had completely failed in Rajasthan, particularly in protecting Dalits and Adivasis. “Therefore, it would be appropriate to dismiss this government and impose President’s rule there. This is the demand of the BSP,” Mayawati said.

NEW DELHI: The country’s largest lender State Bank of India on Tuesday said banking services may get impacted to an extent as various employees’ unions have called for a two-day strike on March 28-29.

SBI said it has been advised by the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) that All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) and All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA) have served a notice about their decision to go on a nationwide strike.

The strike has been called to oppose the government’s move to privatise public sector banks and the Banking Laws Amendment Bill 2021.

“We advise that while the bank has made necessary arrangements to ensure normal functioning in its branches and offices on the days of strike, it is likely that work in our bank may be impacted to a limited extent, by the strike,” SBI said in a regulatory filing. The bank said it cannot quantify the potential loss due to the strike.

MOSCOW: A Moscow court banned Facebook and Instagram on Monday for what it deemed extremist activity in a case against their parent company, Meta.

Prosecutors have accused the social media platforms of ignoring government requests to remove what they described as fake news about the Russian military action in Ukraine and calls for protests in Russia.

The court’s ruling bans Meta from opening offices and doing business in Russia.

Meta declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press.

Prosecutors haven’t requested to ban the Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp, which is widely popular in Russia.

The authorities also emphasized that they do not intend to punish individual Russians who use Facebook or Instagram.

Instagram and Facebook were already blocked in Russia after the communications and media regulator Roskomnadzor said they were being used to call for violence against Russian soldiers.

In addition to blocking Facebook and Instagram, Russian authorities also have shut access to foreign media websites.

The court’s verdict comes amid multipronged efforts by Russian authorities to control the message amid the military action in Ukraine, which the Kremlin describes as a “special military operation” intended to uproot alleged “neo-Nazi nationalists.”

A new law fast-tracked on March 4 by the Kremlin-controlled parliament, a week after Russia launched the attack on Ukraine, envisions prison terms of up to 15 years for posting “fake” information about the military that differs from the official narrative.

Russia has warned that relations with the US are “on the verge of a breach” and summoned the US ambassador for an official protest against President Joe Biden’s criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement Monday referred to “recent unacceptable statements” by Biden about Putin.

Biden referred to Putin last week as a “war criminal” in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry says that at the meeting with US ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan “it was emphasized that remarks such as these by the American President, which are unworthy of a state figure of such a high rank, put Russian-American relations on the verge of a breach.”

President Joe Biden is urging U.S. companies to make sure their digital doors are locked tight because of “evolving intelligence” that Russia is considering launching cyberattacks against critical infrastructure targets as the war in Ukraine continues.

Biden’s top cybersecurity aide, Anne Neuberger, expressed frustration at a White House press briefing Monday that some critical infrastructure entities have ignored alerts from federal agencies to fix known problems in software that could be exploited by Russian hackers.

“Notwithstanding these repeated warnings, we continue to see adversaries compromising systems that use known vulnerabilities for which there are patches,” said Neuberger, who is the president’s deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies.

“That makes it far easier for attackers than it needs to be.”

The federal government has been providing warnings to U.S. companies of the threats posed by Russian state hackers since long before the country invaded Ukraine last month.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has launched a “Shields Up” campaign aimed at helping companies strengthen their defences and has urged companies to back up their data, turn on multifactor authentication and take other steps to improve cyber hygiene.

Neuberger said there’s no intelligence suggesting a specific Russian cyberattack against U.S. targets, but she did add that there has been increase in “preparatory activity,” like scanning websites and hunting for vulnerabilities, that is common among nation-state hackers.

In a statement, Biden said Russia could launch an cyberattack against U.S. targets as retaliation for “the unprecedented economic costs we’ve imposed” on Russia through sanctions.

“It’s part of Russia’s playbook,” Biden said.

The United States and its allies have put a slew of sanctions in place aimed at crippling the Russian economy, and Biden recently announced the U.S. is sending more anti-aircraft, anti-armor weapons and drones to help Ukraine.

John Hultquist, a vice president of intelligence analysis at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said cyberattacks gives Russia the ability to punch back.

“Cyberattacks are a means for them to exact costs without crossing a major red line,” he said.

Russia is considered a hacking powerhouse but its offensive cyberattacks since it invaded Ukraine have been muted compared to what some feared.

Russia has carried out significant cyberattacks against Ukraine in years past, including the devastating NotPetya attack in 2017 that spread far and wide and caused more than $10 billion in damage globally.

Neuberger said Russia cyberattacks against Ukraine are ongoing, though did not provide specifics.

She said the Biden administration has made clear there will be consequences if Russia engages with the U.S. in cyberspace.

“We’re not looking for a conflict with Russia. If Russia initiates a cyberattack against the United States, we will respond,” she said.

The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says he is encouraging Switzerland to take bolder steps in cutting off Russian oligarchs who support Russian leaders from the billions of US dollars they have in Swiss banks or in business there.

Morawiecki spoke Monday at a joint news conference with visiting Swiss President Ignazio Cassis.

They held talks about the situation in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russian troops February 24.

Morawiecki noted that Russia’s richest businessmen have deposited billions of US dollars in Swiss banks, were doing business there and had other assets.

He said the assets could be used to help Ukraine rebuild from the war’s destruction.

Cassis noted that Switzerland has joined the European Union’s sanctions on Russia and has also has frozen the bank accounts and business of Russian oligarchs who are on the EU sanctions lists and also of some others.

Poland’s government is working on amendments to the constitution that would allow for the seizure of Russia’s assets in Poland.

Russia’s central bank has cautiously reopened bond trading on the Moscow exchange for the first time since the country invaded Ukraine.

The price of Russia’s ruble-denominated government debt fell on Monday, sending borrowing costs higher.

Stock trading has remained closed, with no word on when it might reopen.

The central bank bought bonds to support prices.

It has imposed wide-ranging restrictions on financial transactions to try to stabilise markets and combat the severe fallout from Western sanctions that have sent the ruble sharply lower against the US dollar and the euro.

Ratings agencies have downgraded Russia’s bonds to “junk” status.

The country’s finance ministry last week flirted with default by threatening to pay foreign holders of dollar bonds in massively devalued rubles before sending the money in dollars.

Stocks last traded on February 2

The UK government on Monday accused Russia of deploying distraction tactics and outright lies as part of a disinformation campaign around the Ukraine conflict, including making hoax calls to British ministers.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had referenced receiving such fake calls over social media last week.

Downing Street has confirmed that they were targeted alongside Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to hide the scale of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“The Russian state was responsible for the hoax telephone calls made to UK ministers last week,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson at 10 Downing Street told reporters.

“This is standard practice for Russian information operations. Disinformation is a tactic straight from the Kremlin playbook to try to distract from their illegal activities in Ukraine and the human rights abuses being committed there.”

“We are seeing a string of distraction stories and outright lies from the Kremlin, reflecting Putin’s desperation as he seeks to hide the scale of the conflict and Russia’s failings on the battlefield,” the spokesperson said.

Downing Street has said that the calls should never have happened and a cross-department inquiry has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the calls.

Last week, Wallace took to Twitter to reveal that an attempt was made by “an imposter” claiming to be Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to speak with him.

“He posed several misleading questions and after becoming suspicious, I terminated the call. No amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks can distract from Russia’s human rights abuses and illegal invasion of Ukraine. A desperate attempt,” he tweeted on Thursday.

In response, Patel said on Twitter: “This also happened to me earlier this week. Pathetic attempt at such difficult times to divide us. We stand with Ukraine.”

The UK government has stressed that it remains vigilant against such actions attributed to the Kremlin.

New Delhi (PTI): The legendary Devendra Jhajharia on Monday became the first para athlete to receive the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third highest civilian award.

The 40-year-old Jhajharia received the prestigious award from President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Jhajharia is a multiple-time Paralympics medal winner, having won his maiden gold during the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, his second gold medal during the Rio Games in 2016, and a silver medal during the 2020 Tokyo edition last year.

The javelin thrower competes in the F46 events in the Paralympics and was among the four Paralympic medallists to be conferred with the Padma awards this year.

Tokyo Paralympics double medallist shooter Avani Lekhara received the Padma Shri for her excellent showing last year. Lekhara won a gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing event and a bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.

Alongside Jhajharia and Lekhara, gold medal-winning javelin thrower Sumit Anil, gold medallist in badminton Pramod Bhagat were the other Paralympic stars to be conferred with the honour.

That he has achieved a first was not lost on Jhajharia.

“This is the first time a para athlete has got the Padma Bhushan, and I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this. Now I will have more responsibility towards the country, to win more medals for India,” Jhajharia said.

“To the youth, I will say work hard. One minute of work will not get you anything. I have worked hard for the past 20 years, 2002 was the first time I won a gold medal,” he added.

Lekhara tweeted, “Honoured and grateful to be awarded the Padma Shri. This award is a testament to not only my efforts, but the sacrifices of my family and the support of everyone involved in my career helping me achieve all I have.

“I look forward to representing the country with the same passion!” 

Mangaluru: The CPI (M) Politburo member, Brinda Karat on Monday said that the recently hyped-up film, The Kashmir Files does not give a realistic portrayal of Kashmir. 

Speaking to reporters here on Monday, she said that “Along with Kashmiri Pandits, people belonging to several other communities have also struggled during the exodus.”

“Hand in hand with the Kashmiri Pandits were the majority of Muslims, who rebelled against the terrorists, which The Kashmir Files fails to display. Also, the film’s depiction of the hardships underwent by only one religion would not do any good to Kashmir and its people today,” she added. 

Further, she added that, “The consequences of terrorist infiltration in Kashmir have been suffered by the collective lives of people in Kashmir. The portrayal of this history as being affected to only one religion or community is not healthy to the development of our country.”

Beijing: Hopes to find the survivors among the 132 people travelling by the crashed Chinese aircraft in the thick forests in the southern Guangxi province on Monday receded as the night fell making efforts by scores of rescuers difficult.

The Boeing 737 aircraft of China Eastern Airlines, which flew from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed in Tengxian County near the city of Wuzhou, causing a mountain fire in the worst air disaster in the country in over a decade.

State television showed teams of rescuers armed with search lights scurrying through the sprawling area in the forests on the remote mountainous area Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as darkness enveloped the forest region.

The 132 people included 123 passengers and nine crew members, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on its website.

While the airline has announced that no foreigners were on board, families of some crew members from the crashed Eastern Airlines flight have arrived in the company’s branch office in Yunnan Province and they were being assisted to work on follow-up issues , state-run CGTN-TV reported.

A “shocked” Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered “swift action to identify the cause of the crash and to strengthen the safety overhaul of the civil aviation sector to ensure the absolute safety of the sector and people’s lives, Xinhua reported.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has promptly mobilized rescue forces in the city of Wuzhou to the crash site of the China Eastern Airlines flight, the Southern Theater Command said on Monday.

According to the official media, the plane sharply descended onto the mountainous area and crashed.

Footage shot by locals in their phones showed the area of the crash was engulfed by massive mountainous fire with explosions heard in the background.

There is no official word here yet on the number of casualties or survivors except speculation about the unlikelihood of survivors.

The crash shattered China’s airlines record of over 100 million continuous hours of safe flight as of February 19.

The last domestic fatal air accident was in 2010, when an Embraer passenger plane crashed in Yichun, Heilongjiang province, killing 42 people.

As soon as the plane crashed in the forest area, Chinese officials rushed hundreds of fire brigades as well as rescue teams to find the survivors before the night fell.

The fire has been put out and the rescue operation is underway, said Chen Jie, an official with the regional emergency management department.

In his instructions issued soon after the incident, President Xi said he was shocked to learn about the incident involving China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou.

He ordered the immediate launch of emergency response, all-out search and rescue efforts and proper settlement of the aftermath, Xinhua reported.

He said swift action should be taken to identify the cause of the crash and to strengthen the safety overhaul of the civil aviation sector to ensure the absolute safety of the sector and people’s lives.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged efforts to console the families of the victims and provide them with assistance, release accurate information in a timely manner, conduct a serious probe into the incident, and take strong measures to strengthen the safety of civil aviation.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FFA) said via Twitter that it was ready to assist in investigation efforts if asked. Boeing China said it was aware of the media reports of the plane crash and is working to gather more information.

Meanwhile, China Eastern Airlines – one of China’s three major air carriers – has grounded its all Boeing 737-800 after the crash on Monday, company officials said.

The airline also made its website have a black-and-white homepage after the crash as it prepared to announce the casualties.

According to news portal The Paper, a staff member at Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport said that flight MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou has not arrived at its destined time, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

The domestic flight was scheduled to take off from Kunming at 1.10 pm (local time) and arrive at Guangzhou at 2.52 pm (local time) and is now marked out of reach on Baiyun airport’s app.