Free introductory course on meditation
The introductory course will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days. Registration will end on July 25, according to Y. Narayana Murthy of IRSC Vizag centre. For registration and more information, contact mobile no.'s 8500094810 or 9490423383. They can also log on to the website: www.sriramachandra.in
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Netherlands Labels Israel 'Threat To National Security' In Unprecedented Move
The Netherlands has, for the first time, included Israel on a list of states which pose a threat to its national security, according to a report from the Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) – the country's main counterterrorism agency. The report bears the title Assessment of Threats from State Actors. It notes that Israel has made efforts to manipulate and influence public opinion and policy in the Netherlands, via disinformation campaigns. According to the Dutch report, an Israeli ministry circulated a document to journalists and officials in the Netherlands last year, which included personal details of Dutch citizens. This took place after fans of the Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv carried out provocative acts after their team lost a match in Amsterdam in November 2024, triggering tension and clashes with locals. The report by the Dutch agency also noted concerns over threats against the International Criminal Court at The Hague, from both Washington and Tel Aviv. It said these threats could negatively affect the court's work. Israel has long posed a threat to the ICC. According to a report by The Guardian from May last year, Tel Aviv has waged a years-long intimidation campaign against the ICC, which included the 'stalking' and 'threatening' of its officials in a bid to stifle investigations into Israeli war crimes. Since the court issued arrest warrants against Israel's premier and former defense minister last year, Washington has imposed sanctions on the ICC. Israel and the US are not signatories of the 1998 Rome Statute nor members of the ICC. The American Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2002, nicknamed the 'Hague Invasion Act,' authorizes a US president to use 'all means necessary and appropriate' to free any US or allied personnel detained by the ICC. This includes the potential use of military force. The law also restricts US cooperation with and support for the ICC. The Dutch Assessment of Threats from State Actors notes that the Netherlands has a 'special responsibility' to protect the operations of the international legal institutions it hosts. While the NCTV has previously listed Israeli spyware as a concern, this latest report does not include Israel in its espionage section. Israeli spyware has infected the devices of millions across the planet, including journalists and activists. It has also been used as a tool for targeted assassinations.
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Kuwaiti Couple Sentenced To Death For Fatal Abuse Of Domestic Worker
A Kuwaiti criminal court has sentenced a husband and wife to death by hanging for the fatal beating of their domestic worker. The verdict, issued Monday by the Criminal Court under the chairmanship of Judge Abdulwahab Al Muaili, found the couple guilty of unlawful detention, repeated assault with a stick, denial of medical care, and forced labor, acts that ultimately led to the worker's death. According to court documents, the victim, whose nationality was not revealed, was held against her will inside the couple's home, where she endured persistent beatings and was prevented from seeking treatment despite her visibly deteriorating health. Prosecutors said the couple forced her to continue working under duress until she succumbed to her injuries. The court convicted them of assault leading to death, a charge that carries capital punishment in Kuwait. The Public Prosecution had earlier ordered the couple's pre-trial detention for 21 days on suspicion of murder. Following formal charges of premeditated murder, the prosecution called for the maximum penalty, stating that the defendants 'intentionally and repeatedly beat the maid, ultimately causing her death.' This latest case comes against the backdrop of heightened concern over the treatment of migrant domestic workers in Kuwait, concerns that reached a boiling point earlier in 2023 following a separate, highly publicized case involving the rape, murder, and burning of a Filipina worker by a teenage Kuwaiti boy. On January 22, 2023, authorities discovered the burned body of the woman in Salmiya. Forensic investigations revealed that she had been raped, murdered, and set on fire in an attempt to hide the crime. The suspect was a teenage Kuwaiti national, and the victim had reportedly worked in his household. The brutal killing led the Philippine government to impose a temporary ban on sending domestic workers to Kuwait, citing systemic abuse and lack of adequate protection for Filipino laborers.
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Britons Flock To VPNs To Dodge New Age Verification Checks Online
Downloads of virtual private network (VPN) apps have surged in the UK as users look for ways to bypass new age verification rules introduced after the latest provisions of the Online Safety Act took effect on July 25. The rules require online platforms to implement strict age checks to shield children from content deemed harmful, including bullying, pornography, self-harm, and hateful content. They effectively mean that all adult internet users in the UK must prove they are not children to access certain websites. Rather than upload their ID or have their faces scanned, users are moving towards VPNs. A VPN allows users to establish a secure and encrypted connection over the internet. They effectively mask Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and anonymize online presences, making it more difficult for websites, advertisers, and government agencies to track a user's activities. On July 25, ProtonVPN said on X it was experiencing a surge in sign-ups from UK users. 'Just a few minutes after the Online Safety Act went into effect last night, Proton VPN signups originating in the UK surged by more than 1,400,' ProtonVPN stated. 'Unlike previous surges, this one is sustained, and is significantly higher than when France lost access to adult content.' Created by the former Conservative government as the world's first comprehensive online safety law, the Online Safety Act received Royal Assent in October 2023. The now-Labour government states on its website that platforms 'have a legal duty to protect children online.' Telecommunications regulator Ofcom said on July 25 that the most popular adult service providers, including Pornhub, along with thousands of smaller sites, have committed to deploying age checks across their services. 'This means it will be harder for children in the UK to access online porn than in any other OECD country,' it said, referring to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member nations. Ofcom also said that other online platforms have now announced they will deploy age assurance, including Bluesky, Discord, Grindr, and X. News aggregation website Reddit said that, from July 14, a third-party provider called Persona will perform age verification for the social media platform either through an uploaded selfie or 'a photo of your government ID,' such as a passport. 'Reddit will not have access to the uploaded photo, and Reddit will only store your verification status along with the birthdate you provided so you won't have to re-enter it each time you try to access restricted content,' it said. The Age Verification Providers Association lists several approved methods for age checks, including mobile phone account verification, credit database matching, transactional records, and digital ID apps. Biometric age estimation can be done using facial or even voice blueprints, gestures, and keystrokes (how you type), though it is said that these methods are currently less well-developed than facial analysis, but are progressing fast. Ofcom said that it is now actively checking compliance. If companies fail to comply with their new duties, Ofcom has the power to impose fines and, in very serious cases, apply for a court order to block the site or app in the UK. Google Trends data showed that searches for VPNs in the UK quadrupled following the law's implementation. A recent petition to repeal the act has already gathered more than 350,000 signatures. Many of the top 10 free apps in the UK Apple Store are currently VPNs. Economist Maxwell Marlow told The Epoch Times that he believed that the rise in the use of VPNs is 'indicative of how short-sighted, malicious, and authoritarian this Act is.' 'It seems members from all parties were taken in by the spiel of 'safety first,' disregarding concerned critics and specialists, about how this legislation will only crush freedom of speech and association, and not protect a single vulnerable person,' he said by email. 'Young and old know what VPNs are, no matter if the government tries to prevent their usage, they are ubiquitous and will easily side-step the provisions in the law. The government should repeal this dreadful law,' Marlow said. Conservative Peer Lord Daniel Moylan told The Epoch Times that during the passage of the Online Safety Act, he challenged the government over the 'unintended effects of implementing blanket protections for children from harm.' 'The government was not keen to engage and, remarkably, expressed confidence in Ofcom to get these fine balances right,' he said via email. 'I'm not surprised that many people appear to be seeking to circumvent requirements to disclose personal details to often foreign websites with no proven track record of data security. Wasn't this predictable? And how many of those doing so are in fact children?' Moylan previously told NTD's 'British Thought Leaders' that while the intention to protect children is 'laudable,' he doesn't believe that seeking to 'regulate the entire internet is a proportionate or effective answer to that particular problem.' An Ofcom spokesman told The Epoch Times by email that some teenagers might bypass checks. 'Until now, kids could easily stumble across porn and other online content that's harmful to them without even looking for it. Age checks will help prevent that. We're now assessing compliance to make sure platforms have them in place, and companies that fall short should expect to face enforcement action,' the spokesperson said. 'But age checks are not a silver bullet, and some determined teenagers may get round them. Ultimately, this needs to work alongside education, awareness campaigns and through supportive conversations with trusted adults.' VPNs are legal in the UK. A government spokesman told The Epoch Times by email that platforms 'have a clear responsibility to prevent children from bypassing safety protections.' 'This includes blocking content that promotes VPNs or other workarounds specifically aimed at young users,' he said. 'Where platforms deliberately target UK children and promote VPN use, they could face enforcement action, including significant financial penalties.'
