NEW YORK, July 14: US technology giant Apple is fighting Chinese claims that the iPhone threatens national security through its ability to track and time-stamp a user’s location.
The frequent locations function, which can be switched on or off by users, is available on iOS 7, the operating system used by the current generation of iPhones released in September 2013.
“We appreciate CCTV’s effort to help educate customers on a topic we think is very important,” Apple said Saturday in a statement in Chinese and in English on its China website.
“We want to make sure all of our customers in China are clear about what we do and we don’t do when it comes to privacy and your personal data.”
Ma Ding, director of the Institute for Security of the Internet at People’s Public Security University in Beijing, told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday that the frequent locations function could be used to gather “extremely sensitive data,” and even state secrets.
But Apple strongly denied the claim.
“As we have stated before, Apple has never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services,” it said.
“We have also never allowed access to our servers. And we never will. It’s something we feel very strongly about.”
Apple stressed that its phones used GPS geolocation services for practical purposes, such as helping a user find the closest restaurant, check the weather forecast or calculate travel time to work.
“It’s important to point out that during this collection process, an Apple device does not transmit any data that is uniquely associated with the device or the customer,” the California-based company said.
Users also have several tools available to deactivate their iPhone’s geolocation services.
Ma gave the example of a journalist being tracked by the software as a demonstration of her fears over privacy.
The dispute is not the first time Apple has been embroiled in controversy in China, where its products are growing in popularity in a marketplace dominated by smartphones running Google’s Android operating system.
Apple lost a lawsuit against a Chinese state regulator over patent rights to voice recognition software such as the iPhone’s “Siri” just this week.
In March 2013, it was notably the target of criticism orchestrated by the Chinese media on behalf of consumers, who were critical of poor after-sales service.
And in 2012, the US firm paid USD 60 million to settle a dispute with another Chinese firm over the iPad trademark.
The privacy scare also reflects mutual distrust between the US and China after a series of allegations from both sides on cyber-espionage. (AGENCIES)
Apple denies Chinese report of location tracking security risk
Russia: 1 killed near Ukraine border by shell fire
MOSCOW, July 14: Russia’s foreign ministry said today that a Ukrainian shell hit a Russian border town, killing one person and seriously injuring two others. Ukraine denied firing a shell into Russian territory.
President Vladimir Putin expressed “grave concern” over the incident, Russian news agencies quoted his spokesman as saying.
A statement from Russia’s foreign ministry labeled the event a “provocation,” and warned of the possibility of “irreversible consequences, the responsibility for which lies on the Ukrainian side.”
Russia said the shell hit the courtyard of a residential building in the Russian town of Donetsk, near the Ukrainian city of the same name that has become a rebel stronghold, early today.
Ukraine’s restless east has been mired in a pro-Russian separatist insurgency against the Kiev government.
Ukrainian officials denied that any Ukrainian shells had fallen on Russian territory. Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, was quoted by Interfax Ukraine as saying that Ukrainian forces “do not fire on the territory of a neighbouring country.
They do not fire on residential areas.” He placed blame for the attack on the rebels themselves.
Russia has made repeated claims that settlements along its porous border with Ukraine, which the West and Kiev say is a key supply route for the rebels, have been hit by Ukrainian fire, but no deaths have been previously reported.
The claims come as President Vladimir Putin, whose nation will host the 2018 World Cup, is attending today’s final in Rio de Janeiro to take part in a handover ceremony with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
Brazilian officials said yesterday that both Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, would attend the match. But Poroshenko announced today that he would not be going.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine over a cease-fire between the rebels and Kiev’s troops have stalled in recent weeks, as Ukrainian troops have succeeded in pushing insurgents out of key towns in the east.
Putin met today with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Brazil to discuss the situation in east Ukraine. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told Russian news agencies that Putin and Merkel believed the situation in east Ukraine was “deteriorating.” (AGENCIES)
CPSEs contribution to GDP on the decline
NEW DELHI, July 14: The contribution of public sector enterprises towards GDP in terms of gross value addition was declining for three years up to 2012-13, according to figures presented in Parliament today.
“The turnover of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) for the last three years, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 was Rs 14,98,018 crore, Rs 18,22,049 crore and Rs 19,45,777 crore respectively”.
“The contribution of gross value addition of CPSEs in gross domestic product (GDP) is 6.18 per cent, 6.14 per cent and 5.85 per cent respectively,” Minister of State for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises P Radhakrishnan said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
Moreover, the percentage increase in turnover of CPSEs also reduced considerably from 20.34 per cent in 2010-11 to 6.79 per cent in 2012-13, according to figures.
Percentage wise increase in GDP at current market prices also witnessed a downward trajectory. It was reported at 12.25 per cent in 2012-13, down from 15.74 per cent in 2011-12 and 20.17 per cent in 2010-11. (PTI)
Row over journalist meeting Saeed, Cong seeks to corner govt
NEW DELHI, July 14: A row erupted over yoga guru Ramdev’s close aide Ved Pratap Vaidik’s meeting with Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed with Congress today seeking to corner the government inside and outside Parliament over whether it had given its approval.
The government on its part distanced itself from the meeting and declared it had nothing to do with the journalist “directly, indirectly or even remotely” and asserted there was no sanction from its side. “There is no Track-2 or Track-3 diplomacy involved,” it added.
Vaidik had met the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, said to be the parent organisation of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT), in Lahore on July 2 while touring Pakistan along with a group of journalists and politicians invited by a peace research institute.
As the Congress demanded his arrest, Vaidik defended his parleys with Saeed, saying he has been meeting all kinds of people and that it was a “simple thing” for him.
He also rejected suggestions by Congress that he might have acted as government’s envoy, saying he was “nobody’s envoy but my own”.
The meeting generated heat in Parliament with Rajya Sabha witnessing two adjournments during Question Hour.
Congress members in both Houses sought a detailed statement from the government on the “purpose and motive behind the meeting with India’s most wanted terrorist”.
They created uproar in Rajya Sabha forcing two adjournments during Question Hour, as they and their colleagues in Lok Sabha, as well as those from their allies, sought to know whether the journalist had sought government’s permission before meeting Saeed and who facilitated it.
They demanded a statement by either the External Affairs Minister or Home Minister saying this was “a serious matter concerning national security”.
In Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said for India, Saeed was a terrorist and indeed involved in terrorism against India.
Government has nothing to do with “directly, indirectly or even remotely” with any journalist meeting Saeed, he said, adding “government has not sanctioned permission to anyone for meeting him (Saeed).”
Congress members also demanded the arrest of the journalist, with their leader Digvijay Singh seeking to know from Jaitley if the meeting had government’s sanction.
“I want to clarify that we don’t approve any such activity(meeting with Saeed),” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said, as he accused the Congress of being desperate.
“For the government, there is no change of stand as far Hafiz is concerned. For India, Hafiz is an accused in the terror attack. He is a terrorist who conspired to attack India,” Javadekar told reporters outside Parliament.
The Minister also said there is no “Track-2 or Track-3 diplomacy” involved. (PTI)
CERT-In reports over 62,000 cyber attacks till May 2014: Govt
NEW DELHI, July 14: Government’s cyber security arm Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In) reported 62,189 cyber security incidents in the first five months of the current calendar year, Parliament was informed today.
Similarly, the government body reported that 9,174 Indian websites were hacked by groups spread across the world, Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
“During the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 (till May), a total number of 21,699, 27,605, 28,481 and 9,174 Indian websites were hacked by various hacker groups spread across worldwide. In addition, during these years, a total number of 13,301, 22,060, 71,780 and 62,189 security incidents, respectively, were reported to the CERT-In,” Prasad added.
These incidents include phishing, scanning, spam, malicious code and website intrusions, the Minister said.
Prasad told the House that there have been attempts from time to time to launch cyber attacks on Indian cyber space.
“These attacks have been observed to be originating from the cyber space of a number of countries including the US, Europe, Brazil, Turkey, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Algeria and the UAE,” he added.
It has been observed that the attackers compromise computer systems located in different parts of the world and user masquerading techniques and hidden servers to hide the identity of the actual system from which the attacks are being launched, Prasad said.
“Cyber space is virtual, borderless and anonymous due to which it becomes difficult to actually trace the origin of a cyber attack,” the Minister added.
In a separate query in the House, Prasad said with the increase in the proliferation of IT and related services there is a rise in the number of cyber crime and cyber security incidents. The trend in increase in cyber crime incidents is similar to that worldwide.
“As per the cyber crime data maintained by National Cyber Records Bureau, a total of 1,791, 2,876 and 4,356 cyber crime cases were registered under Information Technology Act during the year 2011, 2012 and 1013, respectively, thereby showing an increasing trend,” he added.
A total of 422, 601 and 1,337 cases were registered under cyber crime related sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) during the year 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, he said. (PTI)
Rs 500 fakes more in circulation as Rs 1000 notes ‘costly’
NEW DELHI, July 14: Pakistan ISI-run mafia indulging in production of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) has been laying more emphasis on counterfeiting Rs 500 and lesser denomination notes as compared to those of Rs 1,000.
This came to light after some consignments of fake currency were intercepted by security agencies and during interrogation of people involved in the racket it was found that counterfeiting of Rs 1,000 was costlier than notes of lesser denominations, official sources said.
According to a report by Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), India is “extremely vulnerable” to FICN from Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand through Pakistani operators and their conduits.
“The most widely circulated FICN denominations are Rs 500, followed by Rs 100 and Rs 1,000. Seizures also indicate notes of Rs 50 and Rs 20 in circulation,” it said.
Intelligence assessments and seizure reports confirm that India is extremely vulnerable to FICN from Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand. “Pakistani operators based in Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand act as recipient of FICN from Pakistan as well as conduits to the distribution channels in India through air and land border,” the report said.
Seizure reports also indicate FICN racketeers using villages, weekly haats, liquor shops and petrol pumps of the border areas with Nepal and Bangladesh to pump the fake currency into the system, it said.
“Bulk detections of FICN in the bank branches including Reserve Bank of India (RBI) offices indicate easy acceptance of such currency by public and the FICN has crossed different filtering barriers because of high quality counterfeiting including sophisticated security features in FICN,” said the report.
The intelligence agencies have found that fake currency notes are being printed in Dhaka. “FICN seizure in Bangladesh from a local revealed that the FICN is also printed locally in Dhaka as their principal handler had sufficient equipment to print the fake currency,” the report said.
In border areas of Malda district of West Bengal, it has been noticed by the intelligence agencies that cattle smugglers are “main couriers” for smuggling the fake Indian currency from Bangladesh.
Incidentally, the smuggling of FICN from abroad has shown an increase in the recent past prompting intelligence agencies to heighten vigil.
There has been seizure of FICN with face value of Rs 28.4 crore in 2010, Rs 37.42 crore in 2011, Rs 58.60 in 2012 and Rs 26.68 crore in 2013 (up to August end), the report said.
The central intelligence agencies have found that China has emerged as a new transit hub for Pakistan-based operators to circulate fake Indian currency which was also being routed in ‘diplomatic bags’ to Pakistan High Commission in Colombo and via two leading courier services.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), country’s lead agency to check smuggling, had during April, 2013 and January this year registered five cases outside India and seized FICN with face value of Rs 15 lakh with the help of other authorities, the sources said.
During 2012-13, eight cases of smuggling of FICN from abroad were registered. About 14 people, including five Pakistanis, were arrested in this connection. FICN with face value of Rs 6.35 lakh were seized in these cases, they said. (PTI)
Pregnant Stacy Keibler does not have any food craving
LOS ANGELES, July 14: Former WWE wrestler Stacy Keibler, who is expecting her first child with husband Jared Pobre, says she does not have any craving to have junk food, something which is common with pregnant women.
Keibler, 34, who is due next month, feels women should have a healthier lifestyle during pregnancy, reported Us magazine.
“I really truly believe that pregnancy is not a time to have an excuse to eat donuts,” she said, adding, “I haven’t had any cravings believe it or not!”
The ‘Supermarket Superstar’ host said pregnancy is the time when a woman should be careful of what she does.
“(Pregnancy) is a time to be as healthy as you can be and build the foundation for your baby. I think that you should be even more conscious of what you’re doing,” she said, adding she has a ‘pizza party’ once in a while but otherwise sticks to her organic diet.
“Everything I eat or put on my skin is organic. I only use organic products. Everything I put on my skin, basically I can eat,” Keibler said.
Keibler said she has had the best year of my life, adding, “I’m so grateful for my life, my husband, the new baby on the way. Life is all about timing and everything happens for a reason. I literally wake up every day and say how grateful I am.”
The prepared parents-to-be have already decided on a name for their baby. “It’s a secret for now,” Keibler said.
“We just cannot wait to meet her. I feel like we have such a connection already. I feel like we intuitively talk to each other, and so I just can’t wait to actually meet her,” she added. (PTI)
Inflation dips to 5.43 per cent in June
NEW DELHI, July 14: After rising to a five-month high in May, inflation dipped to 5.43 per cent in June mainly on account of decline in prices of food items and vegetables with the exception of potato and onion.
It was at 5.16 per cent a year ago in June 2013.
As per the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation, prices of vegetables as a category declined by 5.89 per cent during the month, while that of potato and onion soared by 42.51 per cent and 10.70 per cent respectively in the wholesale market.
Inflation had soared to a five-month high of 6.01 per cent in May 2014.
Among other important items, prices of sugar and edible oils fell by 2.09 per cent and 0.75 per cent respectively during June.
The food items that became expensive during the month include fruits (up 21.40 per cent), followed by milk (10.82 per cent), egg, meat and fish (10.27 per cent) and rice (10.24 per cent).
The inflation of food items as a category, however, continued to remain high at 8.14 per cent during the month and will continue to be a cause of concern for the government which is gearing up to meet the impact of poor monsoon on the price situation. (PTI)
Mention of monkey menace in North Block evokes laughter in RS
NEW DELHI, July 14: Mention of monkey menace in the corridors of power and how it can haunt even the high and mighty evoked peals of laughter in the Rajya Sabha today, even as a Congress member blamed the simians for mysterious disappearance of files.
Members burst into laughter in course of a serious debate on destruction of Home Ministry’s 11,100 files when Rajeev Shukla (Cong) condemned the act and said the situation was so bad that files were kept scattered in the corridors, where monkeys create havoc.
He said that to top it all, a minister in the present government was dead against any action against the primates.
Shukla said even former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would shudder to recall how dreadful it was to pass through the corridors of Finance Ministry when he was Finance Minister.
Singh who was sitting in the opposition benches could not control his smile.
Shukla said it was a common practice to fix the blame of any missing file on monkeys and urged the government to initiate immediate measures to protect the files.
He said the situation had worsened to such an extent that the government had to hire ‘langurs’ to keep the monkeys at bay. (PTI)
Ram Naik new UP Governor, O P Kohli moves to Gujarat
NEW DELHI, July 14: Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ram Naik was today appointed as Governor of Uttar Pradesh and party’s veteran Delhi leader O P Kohli will move to Gujarat, in the first appointment of five Governors by the Narendra Modi government.
According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, Naik will take over in Uttar Pradesh after B L Joshi, perceived to be a close confidante of Gandhi family, was asked to tender his resignation. Joshi was the first Governor who tendered his resignation after the Modi Government came to power on June 17 this year.
A three-time Parliamentarian, 80-year-old Naik has the rare distinction of being the only Minister who completed five years as Petroleum and Natural gas minister in one government.
Hit by cancer, Naik was bedridden in 1994 but fought back resolutely and overcame the deadly disease. He had announced in 2013 that he would not be contesting the 2014 elections.
78-year-old Kohli, who was a Rajya Sabha member from 1994 to 2000, takes over as Governor in Gujarat after 87-year-old Kamla Beniwal was shifted to Mizoram by the Government for remainder of her term till November this year.
A former Chief of BJP’s Delhi unit in 2009, Kohli has been associated with BJP since his student days and was President of its student wing — ABVP — and later became Chief of Delhi University Teacher Association.
According to the communique, Keshari Nath Tripathi, a former Uttar Pradesh Speaker will take over in West Bengal, a post which had fallen vacant after the resignation of M K Narayanan after he was nudged to resign.
A poet and author of books, Tripathi, who will turn 80 in November this year, was a five-time MLA and has written a few books like Commentary on “The Representation of the People Act, 1951” and two poetic books in Hindi – ‘Manonukriti’, ‘Aayu Pankh’.
In his student life, he went to jail in connection with the Kashmir Movement.
Balram Das Tandon, 87, founder member of Jan Sangh in 1951, was appointed Governor of Chhatisgarh after Shekhar Dutt tendered his resignation on June 18 after he too was sounded by the Union Home Ministry.
Tandon was the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab in 1969 and later served as Cabinet Minister in Parkash Singh Badal’s government. A six time MLA, Tandon was critical of Badal government’s decision in 2012 of providing free electricity to state farmers.
Padmanabha Acharya, a member of working group on North East region of BJP and Co-Convener of Overseas Friends of BJP, was appointed Governor of Nagaland after President Pranab Mukherjee accepted resignation of Tripura Governor Vakkom Purushothaman, who was also officiating as Nagaland Governor.
The President asked Acharaya to perform the duties of Tripura Governor until regular arrangements are made, the communique said. (PTI)