Thirty-six lawmakers from across the European Union have called on member states to vote against plans by the bloc’s executive to require tech companies to monitor their platforms for child sexual abuse content, citing data security concerns.In an open letter made available to dpa, the politicians said they were convinced the proposed measures are incompatible with EU basic rights.

The European Commission in 2022 presented the proposed Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse, designed to curb the spread of material showing the sexual abuse of children.

The law would make it compulsory for social media platforms to scan private encrypted chats on social media platforms for certain identifiers that might flag child grooming or the sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and to report any suspicious activity. Under current law, this monitoring of online activity is voluntary.

Critics have slammed the proposed measure as “chat control.” They see it as an attempt to scan all online communication, including encrypted messages, raising fears of mass surveillance.

EU member states representatives are expected to discuss the issue on Wednesday.

The open letter calling on members to vote against the proposal was signed by lawmakers from national parliaments as well as the European Parliament, including from Germany and Austria.

In the letter, the lawmakers call for the protection of the right to anonymous and pseudonymous use of the internet as well as for a strengthening of end-to-end encryption.

In order to effectively combat child sexual abuse, more resources and targeted coordination among European law enforcement authorities are needed, they say.

“Instead of effectively protecting children from sexualised violence online, the compromise draft continues to massively encroach on the protection of everyone’s digital privacy,” co-initiator Tobias Bacherle, a lawmaker for the German Green Party, told dpa. AGENCIES

Patients nationwide in South Korea experienced increased healthcare disruptions on Tuesday, having to return home without treatment or endure long waits, as neighbourhood clinics closed as part of a general strike by doctors protesting the medical school quota hike.Some community doctors across the nation closed their clinics for the day to participate in a one-day walkout organised by the Korea Medical Association, a major lobby group for doctors, protesting against the government’s medical reform initiative, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The health ministry said that only 4 per cent of the country’s 36,371 community clinics, excluding dental and oriental medicine practices, have submitted mandatory reports for business suspension for Tuesday.

Healthcare service disruptions for patients were, however, pronounced as the walkout came amid significantly reduced services at general hospitals nationwide due to a monthslong strike by trainee doctors.

The previous day, Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul and three of its affiliated hospitals also went on an indefinite walkout, demanding that the government reconsider the medical school quota increase and withdraw punitive measures against protesting trainee doctors.

A 33-year-old patient surnamed Kim, was taken aback after discovering that the otolaryngologist’s office in her neighborhood in Seoul’s southern Seocho district, where she visited for sudden deafness, was closed.

“I am in big trouble. I was told to preserve the ‘golden time’ for treatment because I can permanently lose my hearing if not treated promptly,” the patient said, as she urgently checked a nearby clinic for service availability.

Including Kim, seven patients visited the clinic in Seocho during a 20-minute period on Tuesday, only to walk away after discovering a notice of service closure posted on the office front.

A normally busy paediatrics office located in an apartment-crowded area in Suwon, south of Seoul, was also among the clinics that suspended services for the day.

A notice posted on its entrance said, “Hospital closed due to an internal situation. We are sorry for the inconvenience.”

Three of the four paediatrics clinics in another apartment-heavy area in Yongin, south of Seoul, were closed, resulting in a waiting list of more than a dozen patients at the clinic that remained open.

“I’ve heard a lot about the medical-government conflict, but I have never been so directly affected by it as I am today,” a resident told Yonhap News Agency.

“I am very disappointed with both the government and the medical sector for aggravating the issue to this extent,” the resident said.

University general hospitals nationwide, already experiencing disruptions due to the prolonged absence of trainee doctors, suffered further setbacks as senior doctors took the day off to join the general walkout.

No critical emergency medical situations were reported due to the one-day walkout, however, as only a fraction of the neighbourhood clinics across the nation participated in Tuesday’s collective action. AGENCIES

Nikhil Gupta, who has been accused of being involved in a ‘murder-for-hire’ plot against a Khalistani separatist, has told a federal court here that he is not guilty.

Appearing before Magistrate Judge James Cott on Monday, he made the “not guilty” plea through his lawyer Jeffrey Chabrowe. This was his first appearance before a US court after he was extradited on Friday from the Czech Republic.Outside the courtroom, Chabrowe told reporters that the case is a “complicated matter for India and the US” and there should be “no rush to judgment”. 

“We will pursue his defence rigorously,” he said.He added that information will come out that will call into question the prosecution version.Assistant Federal Prosecutor Ashley Nichols told the court that Gupta is charged in the murder-for-hire plot.Cott ordered to keep him in custody till the next court date on June 28, when a conference on the case is scheduled. Chabrowe did not ask for bail while reserving the right to ask for it later.According to the indictment — the chargesheet — Gupta, who also uses the name “Nick”, is accused of participating in a plot to assassinate the leader of a “US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of Punjab state” and the establishment of a “Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan”.

The group’s leader, who is not named in the court documents, is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer with US and Canadian citizenships, who lives in New York and runs a campaign for Khalistan. 

Designated as a terrorist by the Indian government, Pannun leads the organisation called Sikhs for Justice which is conducting what it calls a “referendum” on Khalistan among Sikhs. 

Gupta, a slightly-built 52-year-old, entered the courtroom dressed in black pants and a sweater and sat beside his lawyer at the defence table. 

He and his lawyer talked before the proceedings began, at one point both of them laughed during their conversation.

When the hearing was over, the marshals escorting him made him take off the sweater and give it to his lawyer because he was not allowed to have it.He was left with the T-shirt he wore underneath.

 Before entering the courtroom, his handcuffs had been removed.Chabrowe told the magistrate the conditions are bad at the Metropolitan Detention Centre where Gupta is being held and that he has not eaten because vegetarian food was not available.He said that it was a matter of religion for Gupta. 

Cott told the lawyer and prosecutors to take it up with the prison officials and report to him if it was not resolved in 24 hours.Chabrowe also told the magistrate that arrangements should be made to allow Gupta to pray. 

During the proceedings when the lawyers and the defendants had to identify themselves, Cott greeted him, as is customary, when it was his turn, “Good afternoon, Mr Gupta”.The magistrate, seated on a podium with the US Seal and Flag behind him, read him his rights to a fair trial such as his right to remain silent if interrogated and the right to a lawyer. 

He also said that since he was a foreign citizen, the US government may have to inform consular officials.Nichols said that although it was not mandatory in this case, the government would do so.Cott reminded the prosecution of the rules for a fair trial that requires them to provide the defence with all information that is “favourable to the accused” as soon as it becomes available to enable the defence to make its case. 

Should the government fail to follow this, the case can be dismissed and disciplinary action can be taken against the lawyers, he said.He later put this in a written order.Jagjit Singh, an associate of Pannun in his law practice, was in the courtroom observing the proceedings.After the proceedings ended, he recorded videos outside the court about the case. 

Outlining the case against Gupta, the chargesheet said that he was recruited to “orchestrate the assassination”.Gupta, in turn, the document said, contacted a person he believed was a “criminal associate, but was, in fact, a confidential source working with US law enforcement”. 

That person introduced him to a “purported hitman” who was an undercover US law enforcement officer who was offered $100,000 to carry out the assassination, the document said. 

Gupta arranged for an advance of $15,000 to be delivered by an associate to the presumed “hitman”, who was also given details about Pannun and also told him that a Canada-based Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in British Columbia had been a “target”, according to the document.The prosecution said that Gupta had himself described his “involvement in narcotics and weapons trafficking”Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic last June at the request of the US.His extradition was held up by his appeal to the Czech Constitutional Court earlier this year against his extradition, which was rejected last month clearing the way for him to be sent to the US.  AGENCIES

 New Zealand researchers use new algorithms to speed up response times to serious biosecurity and epidemic threats such as bird flu.

University of Canterbury Associate Professor of Data Science Alex Gavryushkin is co-leading work to develop technology that could provide real-time predictions in response to health and biosecurity events.

“Our algorithms can present a range of possible outbreak scenarios, rather than just the one that’s the most statistically plausible, as well as updating their predictions in real time,” Gavryushkin said on Monday.

Using the Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to inform transmission tracking systems, the technology can use epidemiological and genetic data to track the transmission and spread of the disease, updating the likelihoods of these scenarios as new data emerges, in a situation like the Avian influenza, reports Xinhua news agency.

“With this new technology results can be updated in real-time, revising previous calculations,” Gavryushkin said, adding science can be applied at the scale needed to protect both biosecurity-sensitive industries and livelihoods.

“Once we have this efficient infrastructure for biosecurity algorithms in place, we will be in a far better position to prevent problems further down the track by doing the difficult, time-consuming pre-computations early on, including before outbreaks start and in parallel to them,” he said.

New Zealand is a small population with a high dependence on biology-rooted industries, he said, adding applying powerful AI algorithms supports health, growth and innovation in a large global economy.

Gavryushkin collaborates with researchers from the University of Auckland, Massey University, the University of Otago and the Environmental Science and Research on this project. AGENCIES

Israel’s military has said that its troops have defeated about half of the Hamas forces in Gaza’s Rafah. 

According to a statement issued on Monday by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), soldiers from the 162nd Division, which has been fighting in Rafah for more than 40 days, have killed about “550 militants in the city, while 22 Israeli soldiers lost their lives during the battles”, Xinhua news agency reported.

Two of the four Hamas battalions in Rafah are “on the verge of being defeated”, the army said, adding that ground battles are still ongoing against the other two battalions.

The Israeli forces gained “operational control” over the entire area between Gaza and Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, according to the army.

“Now the forces on the ground are working to continue and complete the mission. It is estimated that it will take a few more weeks to complete the mission in Rafah,” the army said.

About 200 tunnel shafts and 25 tunnel routes, some crossing to Egypt and suspected to be utilized for smuggling activities, have been located, according to the statement. AGENCIES

India’s non-banking financial sector has grown to become the third largest in the world, next only to the United States and the United Kingdom, according to an SBI (NS:SBI) report that highlights the growing strength of the country’s financial sector.Non-banking financial institutions do not possess a full banking licence and thus, cannot accept public deposits. These entities focus on giving loans to consumers and businesses which play a key role in driving up economic growth.

Over the past decade, the Indian banking system has demonstrated remarkable resilience, overcoming numerous challenges posed by both domestic and international economic environments, the report states.

It said that the improvement in asset quality and the strong macroeconomic fundamentals have played a crucial role in improving the Indian banking sector.

It highlighted that the Indian government and regulatory bodies have focused on creating a level playing field for financial institutions. This has involved initiatives such as the creation of strong banks through mergers and capital infusion, improving governance practices, expanding the reach and quality of financial services, and enhancing the adoption of digital banking.

During the pandemic, the government maintained the financial sector’s stability through substantial capital and liquidity buffers. This resilience is credited to the proactive measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The report also points out that the RBI’s efforts in strengthening the financial system included enforcing the regulatory measures that ensured the sector remained well-cushioned against economic shocks. These measures have not only helped in maintaining stability but also in fostering growth and innovation within the sector.

Recently India’s digital banking landscape has also seen significant advancements. The push towards digital banking has been a major contributor to the sector’s growth. This transition to digital platforms has expanded access to financial services, making them more inclusive and efficient. The report also highlights that the government and regulatory bodies have prioritised customer protection, ensuring that the interests of the public are safeguarded amidst the digital transformation. AGENCIES

Torrential rains triggered mountain torrents and landslides in the city of Changji, northwest China’s Xinjiang.The landslides hit the region at about 6:50 p.m. Monday, leaving roads clogged and four people missing, according to local emergency response and fire departments, reports Xinhua news agency.

Police received reports of vehicles being trapped at around 7:55 p.m. Monday, and immediately launched rescue operations.

By 3 a.m. Tuesday, roads had been cleared, with trapped people and vehicles moved to safe locations.

Search and rescue efforts for the four missing people are still underway. AGENCIES

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been charged with defaming the monarch, the Bangkok Post reported on Tuesday, citing the attorney-general’s official spokesman.Shinawatra, 74, appeared in a Bangkok court and was released on bail of 500,000 baht ($13,600), the report said.

Thaksin is accused of defaming the monarch, known as lèse-majesté under the Thai criminal code, during a 2015 interview in South Korea. Thai prosecutors took up the case again last year after he returned from 15 years in exile. He faces a sentence of up to 15 years in prison in a country where lèse-majesté is regarded as a serious offence.

Thaksin, prime minister between 2001 and 2006, will also have to answer computer crime charges related to inputting information into a computer system seen as a threat to national security, the Bangkok Post reported.

He has denied all charges.

The billionaire prime minister was ousted in coup in 2006. He was subsequently charged with corruption and abuse of power, as well as failing to respect the monarchy. He fled the country in 2008 to avoid a prison sentence.

Thaksin was arrested and tried on his return to Thailand in 2023. King Maha Vajiralongkorn cut his sentence to one year from the eight imposed by the court, and he was released in February. Thailand permits prisoners older than 70 to apply for parole or a royal pardon. AGENCIES

Eight people have died in a fire at a hospital in Iran, according to media reports.The fire broke out in a hospital in the city of Rasht near the Caspian Sea in the north of the country, the state news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday.

According to initial findings, the dead were patients in an intensive care unit. Dozens of firefighters were deployed, as the head of the emergency services in the city said in an interview with state television.

The cause of the fire is being investigated. Around 140 patients had been rescued, the report said. There was concern that there could be more victims.Details are awaited.  AGENCIES

The Chinese and Australian governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to restart strategic economic dialogue with a focus on forward-looking economic issues.Both countries on Monday agreed to enhance communication and exchange with the aim of fostering practical and effective economic cooperation, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planner.

The signature of the MoU was witnessed by leaders of the two countries. Liu Sushe, deputy head of the NDRC, and Treasurer of Australia Jim Chalmers represented their respective governments at the signing ceremony.

In the Australian capital Canberra on Monday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that China is willing to enhance coordination and cooperation with Australia at regional and international levels, calling for opposing camp confrontation and a “new Cold War”.

Li made the remarks during the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. AGENCIES