UIDAI: Vested interests spreading rumours against Aadhaar
New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Sunday slammed people with "vested interests" for spreading "rumours" against the Aadhaar, and reiterated that there was no harm in storing its helpline number on mobile phones.
It even suggested that people rather update its contact number.
"The UIDAI condemns the vested interests who tried to misuse Google's inadvertent act as an opportunity to spread rumours and go around fearmongering against Aadhaar... it must be clearly understood that by merely having a helpline number, that too an outdated one, on a smartphone, no harm can be caused," a UIDAI statement said.
It said that Google has already clarified that UIDAI's old contact number 18003001947 was added by it "inadvertently" along with police and fire number in 2014 and has since been continuing through sync mechanism.
"Google has expressed regret for the same and has also assured that it will fix this inadvertent error in their next release and stated that the users may, if they wish, delete the number. Rumours about Aadhaar database being breached are completely false and baseless and are rejected with all condemnation that it deserves. The UIDAI assures that the Aadhaar data remains fully safe and secure," the statement said.
The UIDAI had earlier clarified that it had not asked any agency to include its helpline number in the mobile phones.
"Rumours are being floated on social media such as Twitter and WhatsApp that this number 'mysteriously' popped up on mobile devices and will be harmful and that Aadhaar data has been 'breached etc, and therefore the helpline number should be deleted immediately'. This is totally false propaganda and is nothing but scare-mongering against Aadhaar by vested interests," it said.
"Just with the help of a helpline number in a mobile's contact list the data stored on the mobile phone cannot be stolen. Therefore, there should be no panic to delete the number as no harm will be caused. Rather people may, if they so wish, update it with UIDAI's new helpline number 1947," it added.
Advising people to stay away from such "rumours and malicious campaign by vested interests", the UIDAI said they should "not waste their and others' time by forwarding or circulating such "false and baseless rumours on social media".
"One must know that Aadhaar has caused tremendous benefits to our country and helped save more Rs 90,000 crore by preventing leaks and siphoning of benefits and subsidies meant for the poor. It has also helped curb tax evasion, money launderers, benami accounts and shell companies," it said.
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US warns shipping firms they could face sanctions over paying Iranian tolls in Strait of Hormuz
Dubai (AP): The United States is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The alert posted Friday by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
About a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.
Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to attack ships after the US and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28. It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through alternate routes closer to its shoreline, charging fees at times for the service.
That "tollbooth” effort is the focus of the US sanctions warning.
The payment demands could include transfers not only in cash but also “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,” including chartibale donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.
“OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of payment method,” it said.
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The US responded to Iran's closure of the strait with a naval blockade of its own on April 13, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
The US Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began.
Trump rejects Iranian proposal
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The warning came as US President Donald Trump swiftly rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war between the countries.
“They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens,” Trump said Friday at the White House. He didn't elaborate on what he saw as its shortcomings but expressed frustration with the Iranian leadership.
“It's a very disjointed leadership,” Trump said. “They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up.”
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.
The shaky three-week ceasefire between the US and Iran appears to be holding, though both countries have traded accusations of violations. The standoff is increasingly putting pressure on the global economy, driving up prices and leading to shortages of fuel and other products tied to the oil industry.
Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys' trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. Trump this week floated a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by America's Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has briefed many of his regional counterparts on the country's initiatives to end the ear, according to his social media. He also held talks Friday with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who is in contact with the EU's Gulf partners.
China's UN envoy urges Iran to lift restrictions
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Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassdor to the United Nations, said Friday that maintaining the ceasefire is “the most urgent issue" as well as bringing together the sides to resume good faith negotiations “to make sure that the ground is laid for reopening of Hormuz.”
Foreign Minister Wang Yi “has been on the phone almost constantly” with representatives from all sides, Fu said, adding that China supports Pakistan's efforts to mediate between the parties.
Fu stressed the root cause of the tremendous suffering in Iran and neighboring countries and the growing turmoil in the global economy, especially in developing countries, “is the illegitimate war by the US and Israel.
