Facebook imposes restrictions on live streaming

Facebook on May 15 announced steps to temporarily block users who break its rules from broadcasting live video, in the wake of an international outcry after a gunman killed 51 people in New Zealand last month and streamed the attack live on his page. The move comes following the initiative ‘Christchurch Call to Action’, which aims to combat online extremism. Facebook said in a statement it was introducing a “one-strike” policy for use of Facebook Live, a service which lets users broadcast live video. Those who broke the company’s most serious rules anywhere on its site would have their access to make live broadcasts temporarily restricted. The range of offences that would qualify for one-strike suspensions would be broadened. Facebook, which also owns Instagram and Whatsapp, said it’s investing $7.5 million to improve technology aimed at finding videos and photos that have been manipulated to avoid detection a problem the company encountered with the Christchurch shooting. 

CBI withdraws plea seeking further probe in Bofors case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on May 16 withdrew from a Delhi court its application that had sought permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case. The agency told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Navin Kumar Kashyap that it wants to withdraw the application filed on February 1, 2018. It had moved the trial court seeking permission for further probe in the matter saying it had come across fresh material and evidence. The CBI had also filed an appeal in the Supreme Court in February 2, 2018 against the May 31, 2005 verdict of the Delhi High Court discharging all the accused in the case. The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986.

Alabama governor signs strictest US anti-abortion law

Alabama’s governor signed a bill on May 15 to ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest, in the latest challenge by conservatives to the landmark US Supreme Court decision establishing a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy. The abortion ban is set to go into effect in six months. US abortion rights activists had already vowed to go to court to block enforcement of the Alabama measure, the strictest anti-abortion law yet enacted with the intention of provoking reconsideration of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The legislation Alabama senators passed would make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by 10 to 99 years or life in prison for the provider. The only exception would be when the woman’s health is at serious risk.

India vows to combat online extremism

India joined France, New Zealand, Canada and several other countries in launching a major initiative in Paris on May 15 to combat terrorism and extremism online and secure the Internet. The initiative — ‘Christchurch Call To Action’ — led by French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand's premier Jacinda Ardern  was named after the New Zealand city where 51 people were killed in an attack on mosques, officials said. “A free, open and secure internet is a powerful tool by which to promote connectivity, enhance social inclusiveness and foster economic growth,” the declaration on Christchurch call to action said. It said the internet is, however, not immune from abuse by terrorist and violent extremist actors, and there was a need for collective efforts globally to secure the internet from terror groups.

US bans foreign telcos posing threats

President Donald Trump has barred American companies from using foreign-made telecom equipment posing a national security threat, a move aimed at banning Chinese giant Huawei from US networks. The US and China are locked in a trade battle that has seen mounting tariffs, sparking fears the conflict will damage the global economy. President Trump signed an executive order on May 15 which did not directly name any country or company, but officials have previously named Huawei a “threat” and asked allies not to buy equipment for the next-generation 5G networks from the world’s largest provider of telecommunications. The order declared a national economic emergency that empowers the government to ban the technology and services of “foreign adversaries” deemed to pose “unacceptable risks” to national security — including from cyber espionage and sabotage.

Saudi Arabia approves permanent residency for first time

The Saudi government has approved for the first time a scheme that gives permanent residency to certain expatriates, allowing them to own real estate in the kingdom and reside with their families without a Saudi sponsor. The decision, approved by Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet and announced on May 15, is aimed at attracting long-term investments as the government tries to diversify the economy and boost domestic spending. The “Privileged Iqama” system will offer a permanent residence scheme and one that can be renewed annually to highly skilled expatriates and owners of capital funds. Officials say they hope the decision will attract more investors and entrepreneurs to Saudi Arabia to help drive private sector growth and expand employment opportunities for Saudis.

RBI aims for ‘cash-lite’ society by 2021

Aiming at a ‘cash-lite’ society, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a vision document for ensuring a safe, secure, convenient, quick and affordable e-payment system as it expects the number of digital transactions to increase more than four times to 8,707 crore in December 2021. The ‘Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2019 - 2021’,  envisages to achieve “a highly digital and cash-lite society” through the goal posts of competition, cost effectiveness, convenience and confidence (4Cs). The RBI said the payment systems landscape will continue to change with further innovation and entry of more players which is expected to ensure optimal cost to the customers and freer access to multiple payment system options. 

Yutu-2 sheds light on lunar mantle

China’s Chang’e 4 mission, the first to perform a soft landing on the far side of the Moon, has shed light on the chemical and mineralogical composition of the lunar mantle, an advance that could unravel the mystery of the evolution of Earth and its natural satellite. Using data obtained by the visible and near infrared spectrometer installed on Yutu-2, a research team led by Li Chunlai, with the National Astronomical Observatories of China under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found that the lunar soil in the landing area of the Chang’e-4 probe contains olivine and pyroxene which came from the lunar mantle deep inside the Moon. The Moon comprises a core, mantle and crust, like the Earth. With the evolution of lunar magma, the light plagioclase rose to the upper layer to form the lunar crust, while the heavier olivine and pyroxene sank to form the lunar mantle, Li said.

Abhinandan’s unit comes out with shoulder patches

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s MiG-21 Bison squadron has come out with new shoulder patches with titles ‘Falcon Slayers’ and ‘AMRAAM Dodgers’ in a tribute to his bravery in shooting down an F-16 jet of Pakistan during an aerial combat on February 27, officials said. The new patches brought out by the 51 Squadron of IAF depict a MiG-21 in the foreground along with a red-coloured F-16 with ‘Falcon Slayers’ written on top and ‘AMRAAM Dodgers’ written at the bottom of it. Any squadron can come out with such shoulder patches to mark its achievements and success stories, the officials said, adding that the Indian Air Force officially does not issue such markings. Varthaman was captured by Pakistan army in February as his MiG-21 Bison jet was hit. Varthaman had became the face of the military confrontation between the two countries. The IAF is recommending wartime gallantry medal Vir Chakra to Varthaman.

Amid Iran tensions, US orders embassy staff to leave Iraq 

The US on May 15 ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil, ramping up alarm over an alleged Iran threat even as allies appeared less than convinced. A senior Democratic senator demanded President Donald Trump’s administration brief Congress on the Iran threat, warning that the US legislature has not approved military action against Tehran. And Moscow expressed concerns that both Washington and Tehran were dangerously stoking tensions, as the Pentagon ramped up its forces in the Gulf with B-52 bombers, Patriot missiles and an aircraft carrier task force. The embassy evacuation came 10 days after Trump’s national security advisor John Bolton announced the military deployment in response to intelligence on an unspecified “imminent” plot by Iran to attack US forces or allies. Both Washington and Tehran said on May 14 they were not seeking war.

Brussels goes after fake news as EU election nears

The European Union has launched a coordinated fight against fake news ahead of this month’s European Parliament elections, but officials acknowledge there are limits to what can be achieved against a danger barely recognised a few years ago. The risk is “very high”, said Lutz Guellner, one of the EU’s top officials in charge of the anti-disinformation campaign. By funding fact-checking organisations, building up an in-house unit to counter disinformation from Russia, and enlisting Facebook, Google, Twitter and others, Brussels hopes to shield the 427 million people eligible to vote for the 751-seat EU chamber on May 23-26. Despite the pan-European nature of the risks, the vote is held as separate elections in each of the 28 EU countries, some of which have been slow to put in place safeguards. EU governments and NATO allies say Russia is targeting elections to undermine Western democracy.

Rabbit sculpture sells for a record $91 million

A sculpture by American artist Jeff Koons has sold for $91.1 million at an auction organised by Christie’s in New York — a record price for a living artist. Christie’s initially estimated that Rabbit, a stainless steel casting of an inflatable rabbit, would sell for between $50 and $70 million. Once the bidding began, the winning offer came in at $80 million which — including auctioneer’s fees — resulted in a final sale price of $91.075 million. Produced by Koons in 1986, Rabbit is among the best-known works by the artist, who built a reputation for challenging art world conventions. At 41 inches (1.04 meters) in height, the figure was auctioned from the collection of deceased publishing mogul S.I. Newhouse.

China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia

China has broadened its block of online encyclopedia Wikipedia to include all language editions, reported an internet censorship research group. According to a report by the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), China started blocking all language editions of Wikipedia last month. China’s online censorship apparatus — dubbed the “Great Firewall” — blocks a large number of foreign sites in the country, such as Google and Facebook. Wikimedia said it had received “no notice” of the move. In a statement, the foundation said: “In late April, the Wikimedia Foundation determined that Wikipedia was no longer accessible in China. After closely analysing our internal traffic reports, we can confirm that Wikipedia is currently blocked across all language versions.”

Trump to visit South Korea for talks on North’s nukes

President Donald Trump will visit South Korea in June to meet with his counterpart Moon Jae-in over their efforts to persuade North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons arsenal, the White House has said. It will be the second meeting between the pair since the collapse of a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February after they failed to reach a deal on denuclearisation. “President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearisation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,” the White House said in a statement.

Newsmaker

Conrad Black, the former media mogul who owned the Daily Telegraph and the Spectator before being jailed for fraud, has been pardoned by Donald Trump. Black, a Canadian-born British citizen, was was convicted in 2007 of fraud and obstruction of justice and spent 3-1/2 years in prison.