FB suffers 24-hour outage worldwide

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

15.03.2019  TOI 

In one of the biggest cases of outage, Facebook was down for about 24 hours across the world between Wednesday and Thursday. At the time of the filing of this report, the website had been restored in many parts of the world. On a live outage chart put out by a technology website, India looked alright but not entirely unaffected.

Facebook subsidiaries — Instagram and WhatsApp — also also experienced interruptions across the world. The outage led to a flurry of memes on Twitter with #FacebookDown, #WhatsAppDown and #InstagramBlackout2019 trending for several hours.

Facebook confirmed the prolonged disruption. The company also said it was considering whether to refund advertisers for lost exposure due to the problems, which internet outage trackers showed affected users in Europe, Japan, North and South America. “Yesterday, a server configuration issue made it difficult for people to access our apps and services. We are 100% back up and running and apologise for any inconvenience,” an FB spokesperson said. FB takes tens of millions of dollars of advertising revenue every day.

According to downdetector.com, a Dutch company which “detects technology failures” real-time, showed the number of people affected by the outage spiked to 12,000 people around 6am, but then reduced considerably in the next 12 hours. At 6pm, number of malfunction reports from users had come down to 196. For Instagram, too, the worst impacted hour was between 6-7am, when 30,000 people reported that the site was down. Around 10am, the platform tweeted a meme featuring Oprah Winfrey and wrote: “Anddddd... we’re back.”A real-time tracking by downdetector.com, however, showed 282 reports of malfunction by users at 6pm, eight hours after Instagram had tweeted that its services were restored. A Twitter user posted: “Hey everyone! While #Instagramdown and #FacebookDown, I just found a new social app. It’s called “outside”.

With inputs from agencies

Facebook subsidiaries — Instagram and WhatsApp — also experienced interruptions across the world

FB data deals under criminal probe in US

Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals Facebook struck with some of the world’s largest tech companies, intensifying scrutiny of the social media giant’s business practices. A grand jury in New York has subpoenaed records from at least two prominent makers of smartphones and other devices, according to two people familiar with the requests. The firms were among more than 150, including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Sony, that had cut sharing deals with the world’s dominant social media platform. The agreements let the companies see users’ friends, contact information and other data, sometimes without consent. FB has phased out most of the partnerships. “We are cooperating with investigators,” an FB spokesman said. NYT

Kolkata docs earn black belts in bid to stave off mob attacks

Suman.Chakraborti@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:15.03.2019

Five junior doctors and a faculty member of Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital are set to become Taekwondo Kukkiwon 1st Dan black belt holders, the first for any government-run medical college in the country.

In March 2017, NRS hospital was the first medical college in the country to introduce taekwondo training for students, interns and junior doctors as a method to manage stress and help in crises, like when they come under attack from the public.

The six doctors — Pritam Rahman, Rituparna Mukherjee, Tausif Mirza, Kaushiki Raman, Indrayudh Bandyopadhyay and Akash Mandal — appeared for their test on the hospital premises on Monday. “It’s a dream come true. We are proud that NRS hospital has become the first government hospital in the country that can boast of such an achievement,” said Bandyopadhyay.

“Not just acquiring self control, discipline and mental strength in a non-violent manner, taekwondo students can also get scholarship facilities at foreign universities and educational institutes once they become Kukkiwon certified 1st dan black belt taekwondo atheletes,” said Kukkiwon grand master Pradipta Kumar Roy, who judged the students.

“It is a unique thing that has happened for any government medical college. Taekwondo helps build mental strength and calmness, which are essential for doctors who go through stress on a daily basis.”

“Taekwondo helps them face any challenge with confidence in a non-violent way. Since taekwondo training has been introduced at NRS hospital, incidents of doctor-public altercations have reduced significantly,” NRS hospital deputy superintendent and state nodal officer for taekwondo training Dwaipayan Biswas said.

TO HELP DOCS: NRS hospital was the first medical college in the country to introduce taekwondo training for students, interns and junior doctors as a method to manage stress and help in crises

‘PUNISHED FOR NOT BRINGING DOWRY’

Woman raped by husband, kin on wedding night in UP

Mohd Dilshad TNN

Muzaffarnagar:15.03.2019

A 26-yearold woman was allegedly gangraped by her husband and his brother-in-law on the night of her wedding even as her inlaws locked the room from outside in a village on the outskirts of Muzaffarnagar town.

After the assault, the woman lay bleeding for the entire night and was taken to a hospital next morning, where she is recuperating after undergoing a surgery. The assault took place on March 6 and came to

light on Thursday. The FIR was registered on Sunday.

According to police, the two accused were inebriated at the time of assault. The case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the family of the survivor, who alleged that the accused were demanding dowry.

“The accused and his relative got drunk on the night of wedding and raped her. His family is greedy and they were demanding dowry. I have spent ₹7 lakh on my sister's wedding,” her brother said.

Superintendent of police (rural) Alok Sharma said, “We are conducting an investigation into the matter. Victim was sent to district hospital for medical examination also. Action will be taken accordingly.”

‘Wealth test’ tweak to help determine OBC creamy layer?

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi 15.03.2019

The law ministry has said that “salary” and “agricultural income” should not be included in the “wealth test” of OBCs whose parents work in PSUs and banks, to determine if he belongs to the “creamy layer” — an opinion which can upend the Centre’s stance on the issue which has created a permanent source of career crisis for the youth of this category.

Agreeing with the law ministry’s opinion, Parliament’s “committee on welfare of OBCs” has told the Centre that it should ensure that “salaries” and “agri income” are not considered in the “wealth test” for any category of OBCs.

“Creamy layer” is the section of backward castes which is considered economically advanced and ineligible for reservations.

The department of personnel and training has been treating the OBCs from PSU background differently from those working in state or central governments.

The guiding charter (1993 OM) has laid down that Group A and Group B (with caveats) are ineligible for quotas while others are eligible provided their annual income is not above ₹8 lakh. It states that annual income does not include the “salaries” of parents and “agricultural income”.

The department of personnel and training has been treating the OBCs from PSU background differently from those working in state or central governments

POLL BUZZ
Notice to SEC on poll date change

15.03.2019

Hearing a plea, the Madurai bench of the Madras high court directed the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (SEC) to file a counter on how it would manage to conduct elections in Madurai Lok Sabha constituency during Chithirai Festival. The judges said they were not convinced with the SEC’s stand that there was no possibility to change the date. On a separate plea, the court prohibited parties from using banners, flex boards and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cut-outs as they pose health risks.

No animals in poll campaigns

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has advised political parties not to use animals while campaigning. In its ‘Manual on Model Code of Conduct’ (MCC), it says: “Election Commission has advised political parties and candidates to refrain from using any animal for campaign. Even a party with reserved symbol depicting an animal, should not make live demonstration of that animal”. The MCC also states “display of animals in road shows is totally banned”.

Action sought against official for puja in office

Action has been sought against commissioner of the welfare of differently abled B Maheswari, for renovating her office as per vasthu and performing pujas violating the model code of conduct which came to effect on Sunday. S Namburajan, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently-Abled and Caregivers, on Thursday submitted a complaint to state CEO Satyabrata Sahoo. He charged that the officer spent ₹10 lakh to renovate her office.

MNM calls for bypoll applicants

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) invited aspirants keen to contest in the bypolls to avail applications from the party’s Chennai and Pollachi offices from Thursday. Forms can also be downloaded from www.maiam.com and have to be submitted along with a demand draft for ₹10,000 in favour of MNM by March 16.

Officers get poll briefing

Ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, the Election Commission organized the first briefing for observers to be deployed in the poll-going states. Over 1,800 senior officers drawn from IAS, IPS, IRS and a few other central service ranks attended the briefing. The ECI launched ‘Observer App’, for observers to submit reports securely to the ECI.

SIGN OF SUPPORT:Porters from Central railway station on Thursday visited the DMK headquarters to show their support for the party in the coming Lok Sabha polls. DMK president M K Stalin interacted with them and posed for photos in front of the statues of DMK leaders Anna and Karunanidhi

Flying squads seize more than ₹13cr cash in four days

40% Poll Code Violation Cases In 2014 Ended In Conviction

B.Sivakumar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:15.03.2019

Election surveillance teams have seized ₹13.35 crore in form of cash, cheques and promissory notes in the last four days from across the state after the model code of conduct came into force on Sunday.

In the latest incident, flying squad officials in Trichy recovered 192 signed cheques worth ₹8.76 crore and two promissory notes worth ₹1.2 crore from a SUV in Srirangam assembly constituency late on Thursday.

“Any person who carries ₹50,000 or more in cash is being questioned. People carrying proper papers to show the source of money are allowed to go. If they fail to explain the source of money, it is seized,” said state chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo. In case of seizure of ₹10 lakh or more from a person, the information is immediately passed on to the income tax department, he said. Income tax department has appointed joint director Murali Mohan as the nodal officer for handling election-related work.

Sahoo said a three-member committee would be formed in each district to avoid causing inconvenience to genuine businessmen carrying cash. The committee shall look into all cases of cash seizures as per the standard operating procedure and take immediate steps to release the money to those who produce proper documents, he said.

While static surveillance teams have taken positions on major roads from the date of notification, the teams would be strengthened in the last 72 hours before the polls, particularly in expenditure sensitive pockets, the CEO said. If credible information was available, the teams could check any premises including transport hubs, residences and offices, he said. The income tax investigation wing has opened a separate control room with a tollfree number — 1800425666 — to check transportation and distribution of cash and other valuables.

Various agencies in Tamil Nadu had seized ₹18.31 crore in cash during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and ₹54 crore during the 2016 assembly elections.

The conviction rate in pollrelated cases in 2014 was more than 40% in Tamil Nadu, said an election department official. In the 2014 polls, 3,746 cases were registered, of which 2,907 were charge-sheeted and 1,548 convicted. In the southern districts, 1,856 FIRs were registered and Ramanathapuram led the list with 398 cases.

Of the 6,616 FIRs registered in the 2016 elections, 2010 cases (30%) resulted in convictions.

“Most cases were against cadres involved in defacing walls, distribution of cash or influencing voters near polling booths. There were very few cases involving senior leaders,” said a senior election department official.

Gvoernment of Puducherry Admission Notification 2019-20