Bodyguards' fitness app reveals locations of Swedish leaders
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An investigation by a Swedish newspaper revealed bodyguards for Sweden's royal family and PM Ulf Kristersson uploaded their workout routes to Strava, a fitness app that allows users to map and share their movements. The popular app has built a global social media community, but users' enthusiastic uploads have also raised questions about data privacy, especially among security personnel.
In Sweden, the data reveal added to security concerns of a country that was recently rattled by what it called an "act of sabotage" against an undersea cable.
This week, Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported it tracked over 1,400 workouts by seven bodyguards over last year. The data showed the bodyguards trained in the Alps, along Ukraine's border with Poland and at a military base in Mali. Sweden's security police confirmed the data was linked to some employees of secret service.
Their routes gave away the address of the PM's private residence. The Strava data also revealed a high-level meeting in Norway in June 2024, unannounced at the time, between Kristersson and leaders of Norway and Finland.
Sweden's security police said it was investigating the effect of the publicised data. "To be clear, there has not been a leak or breach of user data," a Strava spokesperson said in a statement Friday.
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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Bodyguards' fitness app reveals locations of Swedish leaders
LONDON: Trying to keep fit with runs through Central Park, a jog around a tropical island and bicycle ride around Stockholm, bodyguards in Sweden inadvertently revealed secret locations of Swedish leaders they were assigned to protect. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now An investigation by a Swedish newspaper revealed bodyguards for Sweden's royal family and PM Ulf Kristersson uploaded their workout routes to Strava, a fitness app that allows users to map and share their movements. The popular app has built a global social media community, but users' enthusiastic uploads have also raised questions about data privacy, especially among security personnel. In Sweden, the data reveal added to security concerns of a country that was recently rattled by what it called an "act of sabotage" against an undersea cable. This week, Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported it tracked over 1,400 workouts by seven bodyguards over last year. The data showed the bodyguards trained in the Alps, along Ukraine's border with Poland and at a military base in Mali. Sweden's security police confirmed the data was linked to some employees of secret service. Their routes gave away the address of the PM's private residence. The Strava data also revealed a high-level meeting in Norway in June 2024, unannounced at the time, between Kristersson and leaders of Norway and Finland. Sweden's security police said it was investigating the effect of the publicised data. "To be clear, there has not been a leak or breach of user data," a Strava spokesperson said in a statement Friday.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Desperate for a Nobel Peace Prize? Donald Trump's dream faces these brutal committee rules
A lot of people have been talking about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to nominate US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is the first time the president has been nominated for his work to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas. But is it possible for him to win? Anyone who is alive can win the Nobel Peace Prize , but the committee has a strict process, and nominations from politicians often cause problems. The Nobel Peace Prize is the esteemed worldwide honor bestowed upon persons or institutions acknowledged for their noteworthy achievements in "promoting fellowship among nations." ALSO READ: Red Bull fires Christian Horner: You won't believe how much he and Geri Halliwell are really worth by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo According to Netanyahu's online message to the Nobel Committee, Trump has "exhibited unwavering and remarkable commitment to advancing peace, security, and stability globally." Donald Trump has already been nominated and is trying to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Owing to President Trump's attempts to mediate a conflict between India and Pakistan, Pakistan declared in June that it would nominate him for the honor, as per a report. Live Events Who is eligible to nominate? Names can be suggested by thousands of people, including former Nobel Peace Prize laureates, heads of state, members of parliaments and governments, and professors of philosophy, law, social sciences, and history at universities. You are not allowed to nominate yourself. Though there is nothing to prevent nomination makers from sharing their selections, nominee lists are kept confidential for 50 years, as per a report by Reuters. Who is eligible to win? As stated by Swedish entrepreneur Alfred Nobel, the man who invented dynamite, the prize is given to the person "who has contributed most significantly to the advancement of fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses." All active organizations or living people are qualified. The chair of the Peace Prize Committee, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, says in an introduction on the Nobel website that "in practice anyone can be the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The history of the prize shows clearly it's given to people from all layers of society from all over the world." Does Trump's nomination stand a real chance? This year, Netanyahu's nomination of Trump cannot be taken into consideration since the Nobel Prizes are announced in October each year, but nominations close in January. Several others have criticized Netanyahu for his support of Donald Trump, including former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, who said on X that Netanyahu was trying to win over Trump. How does the Nobel Committee choose the winner? The Norwegian Nobel Committee is the arbiter and is made up of five members chosen by the parliament; these members are frequently but not always retired politicians. The head of PEN International's Norwegian branch currently serves as the committee's leader, and the appointments made to the committee represent the distribution of power in Norway's parliament. A group of permanent advisers and experts evaluates each of the 338 candidates nominated in 2025- 244 individuals and 94 organizations, before the committee narrows the field to a shortlist. The committee strives for consensus but may make a decision by majority vote. The Nobel Prize winner this year will be awarded a medal, a diploma, 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.15 million), and international recognition. The Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo will make the announcement on October 10 and hold a ceremony on December 10, Alfred Nobel's death anniversary. A political message has frequently been associated with the Nobel Peace Prize. Some Nobel laureates have been "highly controversial political actors," according to the Nobel website, and the award has also raised awareness of domestic or international conflicts. When it was decided in 1973 that U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho should receive the Peace Prize for their efforts to negotiate an end to the Vietnam War, two committee members resigned, as per a report by Reuters. FAQs Is Donald Trump eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize this year? No. Nominations closed in January, so Netanyahu's proposal was too late for 2025 consideration. Can anybody be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize? Pretty much. They are eligible as long as they are alive and have not self-nominated, though the final selection is closely monitored.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Turkey: Government silences last critical media outlets
AI generated image Turkey's freedom of expression and press freedom has been making headlines in Germany for years. The non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders has ranked Turkey 159 out of 180 countries in its global press freedom index 2025. At the moment, officially "only" four people are in prison for their journalistic activities. While this marks a significant drop from a few years ago, the government is constantly finding new ways to suppress independent journalism. For example, passports of media professionals released from prison have been withheld so they are not able to leave the country. Foreign journalists are also unable to work freely in Turkey, as the arrest of Swedish journalist Kaj Joakim Medin shows. According to estimates by reporters without borders and the international press institute (IPI), more than 95 per cent of Turkish media are considered to be close to the government. This means that they are either directly or indirectly run by business people loyal to the government. New wave of repression Observers report systematic interference in journalistic work. "The situation of media freedom in Turkey has been tense for 20 years," states Berk Esen, a political scientist at Sabanci university in Istanbul. The government's interventions have gradually worsened the situation. "The remaining mainstream broadcasters have been brought into line methodically over the past few years. What has remained is a handful of stations close to the opposition," says Esen. Now the political pressure has taken on a new form: Turkey's two largest TV stations critical of the government, Sözcü TV and Halk TV, will not be allowed to broadcast any programs for 10 days. The broadcasting ban came into force on Tuesday in accordance with a decision by the radio and television supreme council, or short, RTÜK. The decision was justified with the accusation of "incitement of the people". The ban of Halk TV is due to statements made by a studio guest on June 26. The guest had said: "Turkey is not becoming more religious, but more sectarian." In the case of Sözcü TV, RTÜK judged the live broadcast of the protests following the arrest of Istanbul mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu as "incitement to hatred and hostility," according to observers. Imamoglu has been in custody since March and is considered the most important opposition politician and a promising rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "The government intended to quickly weaken the opposition by arresting Imamoglu. That didn't work, Imamoglu has even become more popular with the government's opponents. That is why the government is changing its strategy and increasing the pressure on other areas," analyzes Esen. Criticism is no longer tolerated On Monday, one day before the ten-day broadcasting ban came into force, a court upheld the appeal by Halk TV's lawyers and suspended the enforcement for the time being. Nevertheless, the broadcasting bans are seen as a new escalation in the handling of press freedom. For the first time, two opposition broadcasters were silenced on the same day and for the same period of time. "With these punishments, RTÜK is trying to prevent the media from reporting on public affairs and suppress critical voices," the Turkish Journalists' Association, or TGC, stated. Also the deputy leader of the largest opposition party, Gökce Gökcen, expressed her outrage: "The broadcasting bans affect the very stations that have shown how unfounded the accusations against our local political representatives are. This is no coincidence. The fact that the [oppositional] Republican People's Party, or CHP, has become the strongest party in Turkey is being punished, and the press is being punished for reporting on it. In the end, the people themselves are being silenced." The CEO of Halk TV, Cafer Mahiroglu, warned that this step could be followed by the complete withdrawal of the broadcasting license. Also the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey, Nacho Sanchez Amor, wrote on X "I doubt even George Orwell could think of something like RTÜK! (...) Freedom of media speech are becoming a distant memory in Turkey. There is now a generation that never knew it and it's so sad." Increasing economic pressure The consequences of those bans are also serious in economic terms. Without advertising revenue, opposition broadcasters are basically unable to survive. "Media that report critically on the government are put under pressure with broadcasting bans and fines and weakened economically," the Turkish Journalists' Association said. According to the Media and Legal Studies Association (MLSA), RTÜK imposed fines totaling 124 million Turkish lira (around €4m at the exchange rate at the time) between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2024 and ordered broadcasts to be interrupted in 1357 cases. In the first half of 2023 alone, five opposition broadcasters were fined around 20 million Turkish lira (around €1.5 m at the time), while pro-government media remained virtually untouched. A critical phase for Turkey The TV bans hit Turkey at a politically tense time: the peace process with the PKK is causing controversy. Furthermore, numerous high-ranking oppositional CHP politicians are in custody. The former mayor of Izmir, Tunc Soyer, has been under arrest since the weekend. Turkey's third-largest city is considered a CHP stronghold and was previously one of the last major cities in which an opposition party had a majority. "The government currently wants to control rather than eliminate. Of course, this could change in the future," analyst Esen told DW, adding that despite the extremely tense situation, press freedom could continue to worsen. "We haven't hit rock bottom yet," he fears.
