Will Thalaiva take the plunge? Rajinikanth politics in Movie-mad Tamil Nadu

Rajinikanth’s comments to his fans were as cryptic as Kamalahaasan’s comments on state politics

Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Sharath Kumar, Vijayakanth…take your pick. In movie-mad Tamil Nadu, the transition from a film actor/director to politics is effortless. And, the latest chatter is about Rajinikanth joining politics. This is not the first time. Before the 2009 general election, a gathering of diehard Rajini fans converged at a small temple in Rajapalayam to pray that their icon get a divine message and join politics.

With the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in a shambles after Jayalalithaa’s death and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam seemingly powerless in wresting power, the state is sensing a leadership vacuum. Rajinikanth, once a bus conductor in Karnataka, who then made good in Tamil Nadu’s film industry, was supposed to meet fans from April 12 to 16. This meeting, for fans to get themselves photographed with the legendary actor, would have been the first time in 10 years that the star met his admirers personally.

Also Read : IPL final 2017: Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant; Dhoni defeated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on Rajini at the latter’s residence a few days before the 2014 Lok Sabha poll. Last week, Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary H Raja said Rajini was a “popular” personality and welcome to join their party. Rajini on board the BJP will be an electoral trump card for the latter, yet to make inroads in the state.

Sensing that his fans would ask questions about political options, the April 12 meeting never happened and was postponed indefinitely, to be then held in Chennai last week, in truncated form. “Please don’t ask political questions,” he told reporters when they quizzed him about joining politics. To his fans, the actor said: “My life is in the hands of God. I’m not sure what he has in store for me. But, I will always perform the duty that he bestows on me. So, don’t feel disappointed if I don’t enter politics.” ReadMore

IPL final 2017: Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant; Dhoni defeated

For Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it was yet another final that ended in a defeat

LATEST| Magnificent death bowling saw Mumbai Indians snatch an incredible one-run victory from the jaws of defeat against Rising Pune Supergiant in a thrilling grand finale of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday.

This was Mumbai Indians third IPL trophy in 10 editions and more special for their skipper Rohit Sharma, who is the only captain to win a hat-trick of titles. Rohit has in fact ow won four IPL titles (one for Deccan Chargers in 2009).

For Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it was yet another final that ended in a defeat -- fifth in seven summit clashes.

In one of the closest finals during the 10 editions, the trio of Jasprit Bumrah (2/26 in 4 overs), Mitchell Johnson (3/26 in 4 overs) and Lasith Malinga (0/21 in 4 overs) were brilliant at the death defending a lowly total of 129/8 as Supergiant were restricted to 128 for 6 at the end.

It was Johnson, who kept his nerve during the final over where 11 runs were needed. Manoj Tiwary smacked the first one to mid-wicket boundary bringing the eqaution down to 7 from 5 balls.

However the next two deliveries turned out to be disaster with both Tiwary and skipper Steve Smith (51, 50 balls) were caught in the deep.

With four required off final ball and 3 for a Super Over, Dan Christian went for an impossible 3rd run only to be run out as Mumbai players celebrated like never before.

Credit should also be given to Bumrah and Malinga for giving away only 10 runs between them in the 17th and 18th over which suddenly increased the pressure.

While the target was an easy one, it turned out to be tricky with 47 needed off the last five overs.

With Mahendra Singh Dhoni (10) at the crease in company of Smith, the Krunal Pandya over yielded 14 runs. Dhoni square cut Krunal and then Smith played a reverse pull for a six to get 14 runs off the over.

But death overs specialist Jasprit Bumrah bowled a fuller delivery inducing a thickish edge from Dhoni to bring some cheer back in the MI camp.| READ MORE....

Like Kulbhushan Jadhav, Sarabjit could also have been saved, says sister

ICJ stayed the execution of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav on Thursday

“It is a victory of crores of Indians,” said Dalbir Kaur on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday staying the execution of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav ordered by a Pakistan military court.

Kaur is the sister of Sarabjit, who was convicted in a case of alleged spying and carrying out four bomb attacks that killed 14 people in the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Faisalabad in 1990.

Who was Sarabjit?

The unfortunate tale of Sarabjit has often been told and retold. His tragic death became all the more famous after a biographical film directed by Omung Kumar was made last year. Actress Aishwarya Rai essayed the role of Singh’s sister, Dalbir Kaur, while, Randeep Hooda and Richa Chada played the roles of Sarbjit Singh and his wife, Sukhpreet, respectively.

Sarabjit Singh was a resident of Bhikhiwind, located along the Indo-Pakistani border in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. In 1990, he was arrested for illegally crossing over to Pakistan. Since then, he spent over 19 years in solitary confinement. On April 26, he was brutally beaten up in a Lahore jail and he succumbed to his injuries in May 2013.

Narendra Modi Vs Manmohan Singh

On Sarabjit’s death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat had said, “Truth about Sarabjit Singh’s death in Pakistan must come out”.

“Centre is unable to give a strong answer to Pakistan’s inhuman acts”.

Modi, then BJP’s PM candidate, added, “The Indian government had the time to take the Sarabjit issue on the international level. But they left it on the family to fight.”

Voicing his opinion, Dalbir too lashed out at the UPA regime and called for Manmohan Singh’s resignation.

In case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, while the likes of Sitaram Yechury criticised the NDA government for running to ICJ for help, others are mostly pleased. (READMORE…)

Do you order food on Zomato? Beware! Hackers may have stolen your data

Records of 17 mn users up for sale on the Dark Web; Zomato says users' payment info still secure

 

#COMPANIES|Zomato users should start taking steps to secure their personal information. According to a blog post by India's largest online restaurant guide, about 17 million user records have been stolen from their database. The stolen information, according to Zomato, has user email addresses and hashed passwords.

So, how bad is the hack? The company claims that payment-related information is stored separately from the stolen data "in a highly secure PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) compliant vault". Zomato has claimed that no payment information or credit card data has been stolen or leaked. 

Also, the post claims that the hashed passwords cannot be converted or decrypted back to plain text, thereby preserving their "sanctity". However, the post advises users to change their passwords, especially if they use the same password for any other online services.| read more.... 

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Upcoming bank and government exams in 2017

The candidate should be careful while filling out the application

More than 1.5 crores candidates took up the bank exams of IBPS (Institute of Banking Personnel Selection) in the last three years and vacancies in the Indian banks equaling 68000 were occupied.

When it comes to making a career choice that promises security and financial stability, bank jobs in India have always been roped in first. Public sector banks are getting a tough competition from private banks. As a result, they are reaching out to rural and semi-urban areas. Despite the rise of Information Technology, millions of people still prefer bank jobs and apply for various positions in public sector banks.

Here’s the list of upcoming bank exams and jobs in 2017. It also features other government exams.

Listed are the important details regarding the bank exams and jobs for the year 2017-18: | Read More

CBI raids on Karti Chidambaram: Plot decoded and some unanswered questions

FIR only focusses on unnamed officials of finance ministry and doesn’t name former FM as an accused

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday raided 16 properties linked to Karti P Chidambaram, son of former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Gurugram. The raids are related to foreign investment clearances approved by the Centre’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board to media firms in 2007 during the United Progressive Alliance rule.

The First Information Report, which facilitated the raids, was filed in Delhi on Monday. The firms under scanner, INX Media Private Limited and INX News Private Limited, had Indrani Mukherjea and Peter Mukherjea as former directors. The two are currently in prison on charges of killing their daughter Sheena Bora in April 2012. Their bunglow in Mumbai was also raided.

Apart from the three, the FIR names Padma Vishwanathan as director of Advantage Strategic Consulting, “unknown officials” of the Ministry of Finance and “other unknown persons”. Chess Management Services, a firm in which Karti Chidambaram was a director during the alleged transactions, also finds a mention.

The plot

The Foreign Investment Promotion Board is an “inter-ministerial body, responsible for processing Foreign Direct Investment proposals and making recommendations for government approval”.

According to the FIR, INX Media approached the Board for foreign investment clearances on March 13, 2007. The investment was to be raised through allotment of shares to three companies – Dunearn Investments (Mauritius) Private Limited, NSR-PE Mauritius Private Limited and New Vernon Private Equity Limited. The shares were to be issued at a face value of Rs 10 each.

The foreign funding was sought to promote and run television channels in both English and regional languages.

In the application, INX Media also expressed its intention to allot 26% of the investment raised to INX News Private Limited and sought permission for the same.

Unanswered questions

While the CBI has named Karti Chidambaram and has gone after him with the raids, the investigating agency chose to remain mysteriously silent on the identity of officials, which it chose to mention as “unknown”.

According to the FIPB’s website, the board consists of the following officials:

• Secretary to Government, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance – Chairperson.
• Secretary to Government, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Secretary to Government, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Secretary to Government, Economic Relations, Ministry of External Affairs.
• Secretary to Government, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.

Apart from the above mentioned, the FIPB can co-opt any secretary in the government to process an application. (READMORE…)

Ransomware attack: Why do hackers want payments through bitcoins?

'WannaCry' - the ransomware, asked users to pay a $300 ransom in bitcoins

 

The recent ransomware attack has renewed a long-running debate about the dangers of digital currency. For those who are not yet aware, a malicious malware attacked almost 150 countries. The concept of the attack was simple: Your computer gets infected with a virus that encrypts your files until you pay a ransom.

Why do hackers prefer Bitcoin over other modes of payments?

Of late, digital currency Bitcoin has emerged as a favourite tool for hackers.

Why is it a soft target? - When you pay something digitally, you use net banking, credit card or debit card. Now your information is attached to the card such as name, address, etc).

However, the case is different with bitcoin. The transactions you make using the currency are completely anonymous. According to a NDTV report, whenever customers trade in bitcoin, a private key associated with their wallet is used to generate a bit of code. That code is publicly associated with customer transaction but with no personal identifying information. 

Thus, every transaction is recorded and securely signed in an open ledger that anyone can read and double-check.

Experts say that one of the probable reasons why hackers chose bitcoin as a form of payment was this - It protects identity.

Earlier, hackers used to ask for money from PayPal but due to stringent KYC (Know Your Customer) norms in PayPal, they have shifted to bitcoins.

This Twitter user has put an interesting flowchart on the Ransomware cyber attack.

But what is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin however, is not just a technology that can facilitate crime. It is a kind of digital currency. The coins are created by users who “mine” them by lending computing power to verify other users’ transactions. They receive bitcoins in exchange. The coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with U.S. dollars and other currencies.

You store it in an online "wallet." And with that wallet, you can spend bitcoin online and in the physical world for goods and services.

Bitcoin trade

According to Investopedia, Bitcoin price has undergone a price revision following the WannaCry cyber-attack. Bitcoin has enjoyed a phenomenal rally in the past few weeks, hitting a record high at $1,800 levels. However, now, the correlation between Bitcoin and criminals appeared to rapidly affect sentiment about the currency and Bitcoin’s price dropped.

The correlation between Bitcoin and criminals appeared to rapidly affect sentiment about the currency and Bitcoin’s price dropped.| read more...

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ALSO READ: CBI raids on Karti Chidambaram: Plot decoded and some unanswered questions

• ALSO READ: CBI raids on Karti Chidambaram: Plot decoded and some unanswered questions

OnePlus 5 launch soon: Device to have flagship features for half the price

The OnePlus 5 smartphone might launch sometime this summer

OnePlus 5, the next flagship device from the stable of China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus, is making a lot of buzz over the internet. The smartphone, expected to launch in a couple of months, is making the tech community keep an eagle eye on every small information available.

While big names such as Samsung and LG have already announced their flagship smartphones, the keen wait for the OnePlus 5 is understood, given that OnePlus devices are known to throw in top-tier specifications at half the price of other flagship devices.

Recently, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau posted a picture on Weibo confirming the development of OnePlus 5. Soon, the smartphone features, specifications, camera samples and even the price of the smartphone surfaced online. And, as days passed, the OnePlus 5 specification sheet was leaked by an online technology-based portal Slashleaks.

OnePlus 5 specification sheet Courtesy: Slashleaks

Business Standard compiles the latest details of the OnePlus 5 as available online:

The name

The next iteration of the flagship device from the stable of OnePlus would be named OnePlus 5. This, however, is yet to be confirmed by the company. In Chinese culture, numeric 4 is considered bad omen, so the buzz is that the smartphone manufacturer would skip number 4, and the device coming after OnePlus 3 would bear the OnePlus 5 moniker.

Display

According to the specifications leaked through Slashleaks, the OnePlus 5 smartphone is to carry the legacy 5.5-inch screen size but with a major bump in screen resolution. The smartphone screen would be raised to quad-HD resolution from the full-HD resolution, standard across all OnePlus devices so far.

Camera

Earlier leaks suggested that the OnePlus 5 would feature a dual-camera set-up at the rear. However, the latest leaks hint that the device would feature a single camera of 23-megapixel at the rear and a 16 MP camera at the front.| read more...

Full text: Govt using CBI to target my son, alleges Chidambaram post raids

Chidambaram alleged that the Modi govt was trying to muzzle his voice

Former Union minister P Chidambaram said that Tuesday’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids at his and his son, Karti Chidambaram’s, residences were an attempt by the Modi government to muzzle his voice.

While no official word has come from the CBI, sources have said that the raids were conducted in connection with the Aircel-Maxis probe, where Chidambaram’s role as then finance minister in granting Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to the deal has been called into question. Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also searched Chidambaram’s house.

In his official statement regarding the Tuesday morning raids, Chidambaram said that the Modi government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son. The Congress leader alleged that the government was trying to silence his voice and stop him from writing against its policies and actions.

“FIPB approval is granted in hundreds of cases,” the statement said, adding, “Every case was processed according to law and approval was granted or refused in accordance with the recommendations of the FIPB consisting of five secretaries to the Government of India.”

Below is the full text of his official statement:
FIPB approval is granted in hundreds of cases. The five Secretaries who constitute the FIPB, the officials of the FIPB Secretariat and the competent authority in each case are the public officials. There is no allegation against any of them. There is no allegation against me.

Every case was processed according to law and approval was granted or refused in accordance with the recommendations of the FIBP consisting of five Secretaries to the Government of India.

The government, using the CBI and other agencies, is targeting my son and his friends. The government’s aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing, as it has tried to do in the cases of leaders of Opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organizations. All I will say is, I shall continue to speak and write. |READMORE…

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After India-Pak face-off, ICJ says ruling on Jadhav 'as soon as possible'

India has demanded that Pakistan annul Kulbhushan Jadhav's death sentence

 

India and Pakistan on Monday clashed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the fate of alleged spy Kulbushan Jadhav with New Delhi invoking the court's jurisdiction to see that the death sentence against him was annulled immediately.

Pakistan rejected the plea on the ground that India had no right to invoke the jurisdiction of the UN's highest court because the Vienna Convention does not provide for matters relating to spies, terrorists and those who indulge in espionage.

However, Islamabad suffered a jolt when it was not allowed by the court to play the video containing a purported confession by Jadhav, a former navy official, who India says was abducted from Iran and taken to Balochistan.

At the end of the day's proceedings, ICJ President Ronny Abraham announced that the verdict in the matter would be given "as soon as possible" and the date delivered in a public sitting.

The Indian case was put up strongly by noted lawyer Harish Salve who demanded that Pakistan should annul Jadhav's death sentence and see that he was not executed as his trial was held under "farcical" circumstances in violation of the Vienna Convention.

"I urge the ICJ to ensure that Jadhav is not executed, Pakistan reports to this court that the action (of not executing him) is taken and that no action is taken that might prejudice the rights of India in the matter of Jadhav," Salve said in his over 90-minute presentation.

The ICJ had last week "stayed" the execution on a petition by India, which approached the UN court after 46 years on an issue with Pakistan. (READ MORE)

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Cyber attack alert! Malware 'Wannacry' is spreading: Know all about it

Nearly hundred countries, including India, have been hit by a massive cyber-attack

 

Nearly 100 countries, including India, have been hit by a massive cyber-attack, which, according to experts, was carried out with the help of "cyber weapons" stolen from the US' National Security Agency. The cyber attack was first reported from Sweden, Britain and France, US media outlets reported. Cyber extortionists tricked victims into opening malicious malware attachments to spam emails that appeared to contain invoices, job offers, security warnings and other legitimate files.

It has been reported that a new ransomware, "Wannacry", is spreading widely. Wannacry encrypts the files on infected Windows systems. This ransomware spreads by using a vulnerability in implementations of Server Message Block (SMB) in Windows systems. This exploit is named

According to cyberswachhtakendra, the file extensions that malware 'Wannacry' is targeting contain certain clusters of formats like:

Commonly used office file extensions (.ppt, .doc, .docx, .xlsx, .sxi).

Less common and nation-specific office formats (.sxw, .odt, .hwp).

Archives, media files (.zip, .rar, .tar, .bz2, .mp4, .mkv)

Emails and email databases (.eml, .msg, .ost, .pst, .edb).

Database files (.sql, .accdb, .mdb, .dbf, .odb, .myd).

Developers' sourcecode and project files (.php, .java, .cpp, .pas, .asm).

Graphic designers, artists and photographers files (.vsd, .odg, .raw, .nef, .svg, .psd).

Encryption keys and certificates (.key, .pfx, .pem, .p12, .csr, .gpg, .aes).

Virtual machine files (.vmx, .vmdk, .vdi).

After infecting, this Wannacry ransomware displays following screen on infected system:

Ransomware is writing itself into a random character folder in the 'ProgramData' folder with the file name of "tasksche.exe" or in 'C:\Windows\' folder with the file-name "mssecsvc.exe" and "tasksche.exe".

Ransomware is granting full access to all files by using the command:
Icacls . /grant Everyone:F /T /C /Q

Using a batch script for operations:
176641494574290.bat

It also drops a file named !Please Read Me!.txt which contains the text explaining what has happened and how to pay the ransom.(READ MORE)

Kapil Mishra vs AAP: Money laundering allegations fly thick and fast

Mishra accused Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of money laundering using hawala channel

Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra’s indefinite fast against the AAP on Saturday saw high drama with a ruling party legislator attempting a counter fast outside the former’s house, but was detained by police.

Sanjeev Jha, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator from Burari, attempted to hold a counter hunger strike outside Mishra’s Civil Lines house to demand that he present proof of his bribery allegations against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Jha was detained by the police, who said the legislator did not have the requisite permission.

Mishra, who began his hunger strike on Wednesday, accused Kejriwal of using Jha as a pawn to disrupt his agitation. He insisted that he will present proof of his allegations only to investigative agencies.

He is on fast demanding that Kejriwal reveal the source of funding of the foreign trips of five AAP leaders – Sanjay Singh, Ashish Khetan, Satyendar Jain, Raghav Chadhha and Durgesh Pathak – in the last two years.

“I would like to advise Jha against sitting on a hunger strike as he is being used as a pawn,” said Mishra, and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will resort to “new drama” to distract attention from the “foreign trips controversy”.

“They must know that I will handover the evidence only to investigative agencies. But Kejriwal wants that I hand them over to the ‘thief’ who then will judge himself and then proclaim himself to be innocent (referring to Kejriwal). That is not going to happen,” he asserted.

AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia dubbed Mishra’s hunger strike as “BJP facilitated”.

Mishra declared that Kejriwal’s attempts to foil his “Satyagraha” will not be successful.

Mishra alleged that the Chief Minister has asked “at least 20” MLAs to launch hunger strikes to counter him “but only one (Jha) was willing”.

He said that Jha should be provided security, alleging that there could be an attack on Jha to portray Mishra in bad light. | READMORE…

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