29 December 2023

Qatar court drops death penalty for eight Indians

 The Court of Appeals in Doha, Qatar, has commuted the death sentences of eight former Indian
naval personnel, sentenced to death in the Dahra Global case.
 The former naval officers were employees of the Dahra Global defense services company.
 The court's decision to reduce the sentences was the first positive development for the families of
the eight men, who have been on death row since their conviction on October 26.
 The verdict has waived the death penalty but upheld the guilty verdict, believed to involve charges
of espionage.
 The families expressed disappointment with the upheld guilty verdict and stated their
commitment to proving the innocence of the accused.
 India's Ministry of External Affairs is in close touch with the legal team and family members to
decide on the next steps.
 The detailed judgment is awaited, and the families hope to bring the men back by proving their
innocence.

Pegasus spyware found on journalists’ phones after Apple alert, says Amnesty

 Founder editor of The Wire news website, Siddharth Varadarajan, and another journalist in India
were targeted with Pegasus spyware this year, according to the Security Lab of Amnesty
International.
 The journalists received an alert from Apple about being targeted by "state-sponsored hacking,"
prompting them to provide their phones for testing by the non-profit organization.
 NSO Group, the developer of Pegasus spyware, sells its technology to governments, and India's
Intelligence Bureau imported hardware from NSO Group in 2017.
 The Washington Post reported that after Apple's security alerts in October, government officials in
India pressured the tech giant to offer alternative explanations to the public regarding the
warnings sent to Opposition leaders and journalists.
 Union Ministers and Apple made unsubstantiated statements, such as claims that these messages
had gone out in 150 countries, despite no other countries' citizens or ruling party lawmakers
reporting similar warnings.

Union Minister fails to break stalemate over SYL canal

  The stalemate over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, a water-sharing dispute between Haryana
and Punjab, continued with an inconclusive meeting chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra
Singh Shekhawat.
 Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal stated that the SYL issue has been pending for years, and
Punjab disagrees on its construction despite a Supreme Court mandate. Punjab committed to
submitting an affidavit detailing the SYL and water situation for presentation in the Supreme
Court.
 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann emphasized that Punjab does not have a single drop of
water to share and questioned the need for the SYL canal construction. He called for a
reassessment of water availability based on international norms, highlighting Punjab's high
percentage of over-exploited groundwater blocks compared to Haryana.

Shut factory, demand Ennore residents day after ammonia leak

 Residents of Periyakuppam and surrounding villages in Ennore continued their protest against
Coromandel International Limited after an ammonia leak from the company's pipeline forced
temporary closure.
 The ammonia leak, which occurred on Tuesday, December 26, led to a strong odor, causing
residents to evacuate. Over 50 people from Periyakuppam and Chinnakuppam were admitted to
hospitals, with three more seeking a check-up on Thursday.
 Protesters demanded the permanent closure of the fertiliser unit, expressing dissatisfaction with
the company's handling of the situation. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board issued a notice to
suspend the unit's offshore pipeline activity for precooling and ammonia transfer.
Age-old ritual: The traditional temple ritual theatre of Mudiyettu, an offshoot of the Bhadrakali cult
based on the tale of a battle between Goddess Kali and demon Darika performed by Thirumariyoor
Kunjan Marar Smaraka Gurukulam in Irinjalakuda

Disabled staff to get quota in promotion with effect from 2016

 The Union government has issued an order allowing persons with disabilities to be considered for
reservation in promotions up to the lowest rung of Group A posts in the Central government.
 This decision is effective from June 30, 2016, the day when the Supreme Court initially ruled that
candidates with disabilities should be entitled to reservation in promotions regardless of whether
the positions were filled through reservation or not.
 Candidates with disabilities have been advocating for reservation in promotions for over a decade,
and after the 2021 Supreme Court order upholding this right, the government issued rules for its
implementation.
 The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) clarified that candidates eligible for notional
promotion will not receive any financial arrears for the period from the date of notional
promotion to the date they assume the charge of the promoted post.

SC Collegium recommends CJs to five High-Courts

The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, has recommended the
appointment of Chief Justices to five High Courts:
1. Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava has been proposed for appointment as the Chief Justice of
Rajasthan High Court.
2. Justice Sheel Nagu has been recommended for appointment as the Chief Justice of the High Court
of Punjab and Haryana.
3. It has suggested the appointment of Justice Vijay Bishnoi as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High
Court.
4. Justice Arun Bhansali has been proposed for the Chief Justiceship of the Allahabad High Court.
5. Justice B.R. Sarangi has been recommended for the Jharkhand High Court.
Women account for 49% of Ayushman cards, says Ministry
 Women constitute around 49% of the 28.45-crore Ayushman cards created under the AB PM-JAY
scheme.
 They also account for approximately 48% of total authorized hospital admissions.
The AB PM-JAY scheme provides an annual health cover of ₹5 lakh for a family for secondary- and
tertiary-care hospitalization.
 About 9.38 crore Ayushman cards were created in 2023, totaling 28.45 crore since the scheme's
inception.
 The total authorized hospital admissions under the scheme amount to 6.11 crore, with 1.7 crore
admissions worth over ₹25,000 crore authorized in 2023.
 The scheme includes 26,901 empanelled hospitals, including 11,813 private ones.
 Screenings for health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, oral cancer, cervical cancer, and
breast cancer have been conducted.
 Additionally, 2.80 crore Yoga/wellness sessions have been conducted in operational Ayushman
Arogya Mandir.

FIU slaps Binance and other crypto exchanges with show-cause notices
 The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has issued notices to cryptocurrency exchanges, including
Binance, for "operating illegally" in India through offshore entities.
 Notices were sent to Binance in the Seychelles, Cayman Islands, and Switzerland, along with other
exchanges like Kucoin, Huobi, Kraken, Gate.io, Bittrex, Bitstamp, MEXC Global, and Bitfinex.
 The FIU, under the Finance Ministry's Department of Revenue, stated that virtual digital assets
service providers (cryptocurrency services) were brought under the Anti Money
Laundering/Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML-CFT) framework in March 2023.
 The notices were sent under Section 13 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
 The FIU has requested the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to block the
websites of these cryptocurrency services.
 Compliance with Indian law is not contingent on physical presence, but the FIU emphasized that
these companies failed to follow reporting obligations to the government.
 While 31 cryptocurrency firms have complied with reporting requirements, several offshore
entities serving a significant part of Indian users did not register and come under the AML and CFT
framework.
 Cryptocurrency firms are required to report suspicious activities, similar to traditional banking
institutions.

Russia, NASA agree to continue joint ISS flights until 2025

 Russian and U.S. space agencies have agreed to continue delivering crews to the International
Space Station (ISS) until 2025.
 Space Station (ISS) until 2025.
 The agreement aims to maintain the reliability of the ISS as a whole.
 This collaboration highlights ongoing international cooperation in space exploration.

Duty-free imports of dal extended till March 2025

 The Indian government has extended the duty-free import treatment for Urad and Tur Dal until
March 31, 2025.
 This extension comes amid concerns about pulses inflation at both the retail and wholesale levels,
exceeding 20%.
 The move is aimed at stabilizing the pulse market, and India imports pulses from various
countries, including Canada, Australia, and Mozambique.

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Houthi attacks: a threat to global shipping?

[TH Text and Context]
How have previous incidents of maritime threats, such as piracy, prepared nations to respond to the
recent drone attacks in the Red Sea?
What specific measures have the Yemenbased Houthi rebels employed to execute the drone attacks on
merchant vessels?
In what ways might rerouting vessels affect specific industries?

The story so far:

The story so far:
 On December 23, the Red Sea crisis extended to Indian waters.
 The Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Chem Pluto, en route to Mangalore port, was hit by a
projectile about 271 miles from Porbandar in Gujarat, just outside the Indian Exclusive Economic
Zone (EEZ).
 The incident occurred amid a surge in missile and drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Red
Sea by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
 The escalation follows Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

What is the latest on m.v. Chem Pluto?

 Chem Pluto, the vessel attacked near Porbandar, managed to sail to Mumbai under its power,
escorted by the Indian Coast Guard Ship Vikram.
 A preliminary assessment by the Navy suggests a drone attack on Chem Pluto.
 The Navy conducted a preliminary analysis of the attack site and debris found on the ship, pointing
towards a drone attack. Further forensic and technical analysis is needed to determine the attack
vector, explosive type, and amount used.
 A joint investigation by various agencies is underway.
 Another vessel, m.v. Sai Baba, reported a drone attack in the Southern Red Sea on December 23
and is en route to India.
 The attacks on m.v. Sai Baba and m.v. BLAAMANEN represent the 14th and 15th attacks on
commercial shipping by Houthi militants since October 17, according to the U.S. Central
Command.

How do these events impact India and the world?

 Threats to shipping in the Red Sea, especially the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint, have escalated due
to Houthi rebels declaring their intention to target maritime commerce linked to Israel.
 About 12% of global trade passes through the Red Sea, and the recent attacks have prompted
some global shipping majors to avoid the route, opting for longer routes through the Southern
Indian Ocean, leading to increased fuel, operating costs, and disruptions in shipping schedules.
 The strategic shift in transit passage has implications for the revenue of the Suez Canal and
operational dynamics of ports in Djibouti and the Gulf of Aden.

What is being done to address this?

 To counter attacks and protect commerce in the Red Sea, the U.S. announced Operation
Prosperity Guardian (OPS) under the Combined Maritime Forces.
 Companies are reviewing re-routing decisions in response to OPS, and India has increased naval
and Coast Guard presence in the region.
 The Indian Navy has deployed destroyers, patrol aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters,
and Coast Guard ships to counter piracy and drone attacks.
 The Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram actively monitors
the region, coordinating operational responses and assistance to vessels.
 Questions remain about the response to a major attack affecting Indian sailors, vessels, and cargo,
and the regional crisis poses a threat to global economies in terms of delays and price rises.

-----------------------------------

Is Pegasus spyware targeting journalists in India?

The story so far:

 Pegasus spyware targeted journalists in India, including Siddharth Varadarajan of The Wire and
Anand Mangnale of OCCRP, according to reports by The Washington Post and Amnesty
International.
 The intrusion was detected in October 2023 after Apple warned users, including MPs, of potential
  The intrusion was detected in October 2023 after Apple warned users, including MPs, of potential
'state-sponsored attacks' on their iPhones.

What has Amnesty International alleged?

 After Apple issued a security notification to certain iPhone users, including MPs, in October,
researchers at Amnesty International's Security Lab analyzed allegedly infected devices, including
those of Siddharth Varadarajan and Anand Mangnale.
 Traces of Pegasus's activity were found on Varadarajan's and Mangnale's devices, with the latter
receiving a message facilitating a "zero-click exploit" over iMessage on August 23.
 Mangnale's phone was targeted when he was working on a story about an alleged stock
manipulation by a large multinational conglomerate in India.
 Varadarajan was allegedly targeted on October 16, with the attacker using the same email
address.

What is a zero-click exploit?

A zero-click exploit is malicious software that allows spyware installation on a device without the
owner's consent and without requiring any actions from the device owner.
 The specific exploit allegedly used on the targeted devices is called BLASTPAST, previously
identified as BLASTPASS, which operates in two phases.
 In the first phase, the attack attempts to establish a link with Apple HomeKit on the target device,
and in the second phase, malicious content is sent via the iMessage app to deliver the full spyware
payload.
 The two-stage attack process is similar to the PWNYOURHOME Pegasus attack vector described by
Citizen Lab and observed by the Security Lab. The purpose of the first phase (outreach) could be to
determine how the device can be exploited or to keep it in sight for further exploitation in the
future.
 Evidence has not been found for Pegasus successfully infecting the devices in both cases, as per
Amnesty's report.

How has Pegasus’s maker responded?

 The Israeli company NSO, which develops and distributes Pegasus spyware, emphasized that all
users of their technology are vetted law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
 NSO stated that their technologies are licensed exclusively for the purpose of fighting terrorism
and major crime.
 The company claims to have no visibility into the targets or the collected intelligence, according to
statements quoted by The Washington Post.

What has happened?

 In response to the revelations of the 'Pegasus Project,' activists filed petitions with the Supreme
Court, alleging mass surveillance by the government to suppress free speech and democratic
dissent.
 The Supreme Court asked the Centre (Indian government) to file a detailed affidavit regarding its
use of Pegasus.
 The Centre refused to comply, arguing that a public affidavit on the matter would compromise
national security.

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Old and strong

India and Russia seem keen on renewing ties in a changed world
 External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's five-day visit to Russia holds significance, highlighting the
efforts to enhance bilateral ties.
 efforts to enhance bilateral ties.
 The visit included meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which is unusual for lower-
ranking foreign officials.
 India and Russia signed agreements on:
○ collaboration in future Kudankulam nuclear power projects,
○ connectivity,
○ trade,
○ and resuming talks for the Eurasian Economic Union-India free trade agreement.
 The visit aimed to address concerns over the perception of differences between the two nations,
with a focus on defense supplies, payment for imports, and other bilateral engagements.
 Multilateral cooperation, especially within BRICS and other forums, was emphasized, and the
annual leadership summit is set to resume in 2024.
 Despite geopolitical challenges, the India-Russia relationship was described as the "only constant
in world politics" over the last six decades, highlighting the strategic convergence in a multipolar
world.