Lanka Tamil party slams delay in UN rights report

Sri Lanka’s main Tamil party has expressed dismay over the UN’s decision to delay a report on the human rights situation in the country describing it as “justice delayed is justice denied”. Denouncing the decision by the UN to defer its report by six months, Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) northern provincial councillor M K Shivajilingam…

U.S. names first-ever LGBT human rights envoy

The United States Department of State on Monday named its first-ever special envoy to advocate globally for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Randy Berry, an openly gay senior diplomat, has served as U.S. Consul General in Amsterdam since 2012. His earlier foreign service postings included Nepal, Bangladesh, Egypt, Uganda,…

Digital India to prepare nation for tech-based transformation: President Pranab Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee Monday said Digital India programme would prepare the country for technology-based transformation. “My government has envisioned an ambitious umbrella programme, Digital India, to prepare the country for technology-based transformation and citizen centric transparent governance with service orientation,” he said, addressing a joint session of both the houses of parliament on the first day…

Cyber Criminals, Financial Institutions & Digital Money

Last weekend, on Valentines’ Day, The New York Times reported on revelations made by a prominent Russian Security firm about an organized cybercrime ring, dubbed the “Carbanak cybergang,” who they claim conducted a sophisticated long-term cyber-heist involving over 100 banks and financial institutions in over 30 countries, with a haul estimated to be anywhere in the range…

Secrecy and information theft

Government offices the world over are notoriously porous. Even those which boast of a high standard of physical security sometimes do not have a matching ability to protect their information systems. WikiLeaks is a striking example of how even one of the most technologically advanced nations like the United States can be found wanting in…