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Showing posts from September 14, 2020

Licence of 56 customs brokers suspended, several others under CBIC scanner

Hindustan Times, New Delhi Edited by Kanishka Sarkar Sep 13, 2020 21:10 IST  The action, CBIC said, came after the Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management (DGARM) carried out data analytics of customs brokers linked with fraudulent or unscrupulous exporters. There were 7,516 exporters in the ‘risky exporter’ list of CBIC till mid July.   The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on Sunday suspended the licence of 56 customs brokers after they were found to be associated with fraudulent exporters. The action, CBIC said, came after the Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management (DGARM) carried out data analytics of customs brokers linked with fraudulent or unscrupulous exporters. The directorate’s findings resulted in the suspension of licences of 56 customs brokers, including those of 37 from Delhi, since August 2019 till date. The exercise found that as many as 62 customs brokers had handled more than 15,290 export consignments of 1,431 untraceable e

China, Russia key adversaries to world order: Top UK intel official

 Hindustan Times, London Prasun Sonwalkar Sep 13, 2020 16:39 IST Adversaries of the UK are investing in Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and other ground-breaking technologies, says chief of Defence Intelligence in rare media briefing. Chinese President Xi Jinping (second left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (second right) during the former’s visit to Russia in 2018. Chinese President Xi Jinping (second left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (second right) during the former’s visit to Russia in 2018.(AP File)    In a rare media interaction, the chief of Britain’s Defence Intelligence (DI) on Sunday identified China and Russia as key adversaries challenging the existing world order without promoting direct conflict, and operating in the expanding grey zone between war and peacetime. Lt Gen Jim Hockenhull said the United Kingdom’s adversaries are developing new ways of operating, backed up by cutting-edge military capabilities that leverage advanced technologies such a

Afghan forces, Taliban continue to clash even as peace talks start

Reuters , Kabul Posted by Arpan Rai (Reporting by Abdul Qadir Sediqi in Kabul, Writing by Gibran Peshimam; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Sep 13, 2020 21:02 IST Talks between the two sides were to begin shortly after a US-Taliban agreement in February, but began only over the weekend after months of delays, caused in part by continuing Taliban offensives in the war-torn country.  Taliban and Afghan government forces clashed across Afghanistan hours after the start of long-awaited peace talks in Doha on Saturday, officials said, underscoring the uphill challenge of settling a 19-year insurgency. Talks between the two sides were to begin shortly after a US-Taliban agreement in February, but began only over the weekend after months of delays, caused in part by continuing Taliban offensives in the war-torn country. “With the start of intra-Afghan talks we were expecting the Taliban to reduce the number of their attacks, but unfortunately their attacks are still going in high numbers,”

Xi’s aggressive moves against India ‘unexpectedly flopped’: Report

Press Trust of India, Washington Posted by Susmita Pakrasi Sep 14, 2020 10:25 IST Xi, 67, already roiling the Communist Party with a “rectification” campaign and mass persecution of foes, will launch “another brutal purge” following the Chinese army’s failures on the Indian border, the Newsweek said in an opinion piece. The Indian Army and the PLA have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May. The Indian Army and the PLA have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May.(REUTERS)    Describing Xi Jinping as the “architect” of the PLA’s recent aggressive moves against India, a leading US magazine has reported that the Chinese President has risked his future with the high-profile incursions into Indian territory that “unexpectedly flopped” in the face of ferocious fightback by the Indian Army. Xi, 67, already roiling the Communist Party with a “rectification” campaign and mass pe

Bastar sees recent spike in Maoist activities, police cite ‘desperation’

Express News Service | Raipur | September 14, 2020 8:49:57 am  According to Bijapur SP Kamlochan Kashyap, “We have been foiling their plans that could inflict damage on the security personnel and they haven't been able to carry out anything substantial for months now. The frustration is coming out on the lone targets.” Police from Bastar division, under which Bijapur and Sukma fall, have said the rebels are acting out of desperation. The Bastar division in Chhattisgarh is witnessing high incidence of Maoists activities of late, with Bijapur district reporting six killings by the rebels in a fortnight. In the neighbouring Sukma district, Maoists have made two families leave a village for allegedly helping the police. Police from Bastar division, under which Bijapur and Sukma fall, have said the rebels are acting out of desperation. Explained| How forces are tackling Maoists in Chhattisgarh, what challenges remain On September 4, two men were killed by the Maoists on Dantewada-Bijapu

ExplainSpeaking: Why unemployment could become a bigger headache for govt

 Indian Express, New Delhi  Written by Udit Misra , Edited by Explained Desk September 14, 2020 9:55:25 am Migrant workers who had left Maharashtra during lockdown returned to the state as restrictions eased.  Rapid spread of Covid-19 and inadequate spending by government could result in India suffering a permanent loss of Rs 30 lakh crore, which is roughly the size of the Union Budget for 2020-21 Dear Readers, This week started with several economists coming out with their revised GDP growth expectations for India in response to the official GDP growth data that was released on August 31. With the economy shrinking more than what most analysts expected, the revisions — be it India Ratings and Research, Goldman Sachs, ICRA or Crisil — were all in the negative direction. For instance, Crisil in its September update (over the May assessment) stated the following two main reasons: “With the pandemic’s peak not yet in sight and the government not providing adequate direct fiscal support,

China is watching — Hybrid warfare: What data they collect, why cause for concern

 Indian Express, New Delhi Written by Jay Mazoomdaar , P Vaidyanathan Iyer   September 14, 2020 7:10:32 am What kind of data has it collected on the targets, what does it mean when it says it’s engaged in hybrid warfare, what’s the cause for concern? Through targeted cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and espionage, hybrid warfare seeks to incite social discord, disrupt economic activities, undermine institutions, and discredit political leadership and the intelligentsia. Early this month, the Chinese-only website of Zhenhua Data Information Technology Co, the company monitoring foreign targets, was pulled down soon after The Indian Express approached it for comments. What kind of data has it collected on the targets, what does it mean when it says it’s engaged in hybrid warfare, what’s the cause for concern? Here are the key questions answered: What does Zhenhua Data do? It targets individuals and institutions in politics, government, business, technology, media, and civil society

GST compensation: 12 states pick Rs 97,000-crore borrowing option, one state picks option 2

Indian Express Written by Aashish Aryan | New Delhi |  September 14, 2020 10:05:10 am Only one state, Manipur, has so far opted for Option 2 which involves borrowing the entire compensation deficit from the market. GST compensation: 12 states pick Rs 97,000-crore borrowing option, one state picks option 2 The Centre has, however, stated that it is unlikely to borrow given the impact it would have on yields of its government securities and also indicated that since the repayment has to be made from compensation cess receipts, it cannot borrow since cess is a resource dedicated to states. (File) A fortnight after the Centre detailed two options for states to borrow to meet the compensation deficit of Rs 2.35 lakh crore this fiscal under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, a total of 12 states, mostly consisting of BJP-ruled states, have opted for Option 1 — borrowing of Rs 97,000 crore through a RBI-facilitated special window. Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Megh

China watching: President, PM, key Opposition leaders, Cabinet, CMs, Chief Justice of India…the list goes on

  The Indian Express, New Delhi Written by P Vaidyanathan Iyer , Jay Mazoomdaar , Kaunain Sheriff M  China is Watching: Over 10,000 Indians, entities from politics to business, judiciary to media, even crime-accused, tracked by big-data firm linked to Chinese govt. China is watching, China Indians hacked, China Indian politicians hacked, Artificial Intelligence, big data hacking techniques, Indian Parliamentarians hacked, China cyber attack, cyber attack narendra modi, Shenzhen information technology, big data hybrid warfare, Express Investigation, cyber war, internet date safety, chinese hackers, China hacking Indian politicians, Chinese government, Chinese Communist Party, Zhenhua Data Information Technology, Ram Nath Kovind, Narendra Modi online data, india china border dispute, darknetm darkweb, Indian Express investigation, Express investigation, Indian express Not just influential individuals in the political and official establishment, Indians being monitored cut across discipli

Covid-19 pandemic’s worst impacts on poverty yet to come, says UN expert

  Sep 11, 2020 15:37 IST Associated Press Geneva Posted by: Harshit Sabarwal “The social safety nets put into place are full of holes,” said Olivier De Schutter, a Belgian legal scholar appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. “These current measures are generally short-term, the funding is insufficient and many people will inevitably fall between the cracks,” De Schutter said. “These current measures are generally short-term, the funding is insufficient and many people will inevitably fall between the cracks,” De Schutter said.(Reuters file photo)  The United Nations independent expert on poverty has warned that the worst impacts from the coronavirus pandemic on poverty are yet to come, and that measures taken by governments to protect people so far have been insufficient. “The social safety nets put into place are full of holes,” said Olivier De Schutter, a Belgian legal scholar appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as spe

Uncertain outlook for India as public debt rise underscores policy challenges in A-Pac: Report

    Asian News International Hong Kong Posted by Shankhyaneel Sarkar Sep 11, 2020 14:22 IST The majority of rated sovereigns in the Asia Pacific will see a sustained increase in GG debt as a share of GDP in 2020-2022. In this file picture, workers prepare to carry a basket on their heads at a wholesale market, in Kolkata. Within South Asia, it forecast that India’s ratio of general government (GG) debt-to-GDP will stabilise in the fiscal year ending March 2022 at just above 85 per cent. In this file picture, workers prepare to carry a basket on their heads at a wholesale market, in Kolkata. Within South Asia, it forecast that India’s ratio of general government (GG) debt-to-GDP will stabilise in the fiscal year ending March 2022 at just above 85 per cent. (PTI)  Economic growth will turn positive for Asia in the second half of this calendar year but the process of fiscal consolidation is set to be more protracted for the region, according to Fitch Ratings. Within South Asia, it forecas

‘23 Maoists were killed in Minpa encounter which took place in March’: Bastar Police

  Hindustan Times, Raipur Sep 12, 2020 23:50 IST Ritesh Mishra | Edited by Sparshita Saxena Ritesh Mishra | Edited by Sparshita Saxena   On March 21, in an encounter with police near the jungles of Minpa village of Sukma, total 17 security forces were killed.Bastar Police claimed that a total of 23 Maoist cadres were killed in Minpa encounter which took place in March this year between Maoists and security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district of Bastar division. Inspector-General of Police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P, issued a press release on Saturday and claimed that the recent letters of communication between Maoist leaders, recovered from an encounter on September 8, suggest that a total 23 Maoists were killed in Minpa encounter. On March 21, in an encounter with police near the jungles of Minpa village of Sukma, total 17 security forces were killed. Two days after the encounter, the Maoists released a press note and claimed that three of their cadres also got killed in the encoun