
JNUSU polls to be held on April 25, EC resumes elections process
Four days after putting the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union polls on hold, the university's election committee on Tuesday confirmed that they will be held on April 25 as per schedule.
The panel has resumed the election process by releasing the final list of candidates, with 13 in the fray for the post of president, five for vice-president, for general secretary, and five for joint secretary. The polls were postponed on April 18 following an incident of violence and vandalism at the committee's office, triggering a blame game between Left-affiliated student groups and the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.
The results will be declared on April 28.
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First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
Phantom crash: How Chinese hackers covertly targeted smartphones of US officials and journalists
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Experts warn that such security failures could expose sensitive data and compromise American interests. 'The world is in a mobile security crisis right now,' Rocky Cole, a former cybersecurity expert at the National Security Agency and Google and now chief operations officer at iVerify told AP. 'No one is watching the phones.' US authorities warned in December of a sprawling Chinese hacking campaign designed to gain access to the texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. 'They were able to listen in on phone calls in real time and able to read text messages,' Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois told Associated Press. He is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the senior Democrat on the Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, created to study the geopolitical threat from China. Chinese hackers also sought access to phones used by Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance during the 2024 campaign. The Chinese government has denied allegations of cyberespionage, and accused the U.S. of mounting its own cyberoperations. It says America cites national security as an excuse to issue sanctions against Chinese organizations and keep Chinese technology companies from the global market. 'The U.S. has long been using all kinds of despicable methods to steal other countries' secrets,' Lin Jian, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said at a recent press conference in response to questions about a CIA push to recruit Chinese informants. US intelligence officials have said China poses a significant, persistent threat to U.S. economic and political interests, and it has harnessed the tools of digital conflict: online propaganda and disinformation, artificial intelligence and cyber surveillance and espionage designed to deliver a significant advantage in any military conflict. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Mobile networks are a top concern. The US and many of its closest allies have banned Chinese telecom companies from their networks. Other countries, including Germany, are phasing out Chinese involvement because of security concerns. But Chinese tech firms remain a big part of the systems in many nations, giving state-controlled companies a global footprint they could exploit for cyberattacks, experts say. Chinese telecom firms still maintain some routing and cloud storage systems in the US, a growing concern to lawmakers. 'The American people deserve to know if Beijing is quietly using state-owned firms to infiltrate our critical infrastructure,' U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich. and chairman of the China committee, which in April issued subpoenas to Chinese telecom companies seeking information about their U.S. operations. Mobile devices can buy stocks, launch drones and run power plants. Their proliferation has often outpaced their security. The phones of top government officials are especially valuable, containing sensitive government information, passwords and an insider's glimpse into policy discussions and decision-making. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The White House said last week that someone impersonating Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff, reached out to governors, senators and business leaders with texts and phone calls. It's unclear how the person obtained Wiles' connections, but they apparently gained access to the contacts in her personal cellphone, The Wall Street Journal reported. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles' number, the newspaper reported. While most smartphones and tablets come with robust security, apps and connected devices often lack these protections or the regular software updates needed to stay ahead of new threats. That makes every fitness tracker, baby monitor or smart appliance another potential foothold for hackers looking to penetrate networks, retrieve information or infect systems with malware. Federal officials launched a program this year creating a 'cyber trust mark' for connected devices that meet federal security standards. But consumers and officials shouldn't lower their guard, said Snehal Antani, former chief technology officer for the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'They're finding backdoors in Barbie dolls,' said Antani, now CEO of a cybersecurity firm, referring to concerns from researchers who successfully hacked the microphone of a digitally connected version of the toy. It doesn't matter how secure a mobile device is if the user doesn't follow basic security precautions, especially if their device contains classified or sensitive information, experts say. Mike Waltz, who departed as Trump's national security adviser, inadvertently added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief to a Signal chat used to discuss military plans with other top officials. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office so he could use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, the AP has reported. Hegseth has rejected assertions that he shared classified information on Signal, a popular encrypted messaging app not approved for the use of communicating classified information. China and other nations will try to take advantage of such lapses, and national security officials must take steps to prevent them from recurring, said Michael Williams, a national security expert at Syracuse University. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'They all have access to a variety of secure communications platforms,' Williams said. 'We just can't share things willy-nilly.' With inputs from agencies


Scroll.in
7 hours ago
- Scroll.in
Row erupts in Kerala about Bharat Mata portrait at Raj Bhavan during official event
A political row has erupted in Kerala after the state government boycotted an event at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday, objecting to a portrait of Bharat Mata on display there, The Indian Express reported. The state government claimed that the Bharat Mata portrait at the central hall of the governor's residence was 'one that is used by RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]'. Bharat Mata is a personification of India as a mother goddess. The iconography is widely used by Hindu nationalists, and is frequently criticised for propagating a Hindu-centric image of nationhood. The incident took place during an event organised by the state agriculture department for World Environment Day at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday, with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as the chief guest, according to The Indian Express. During a review of the preparations for the event, government officials noticed that a picture of the Bharat Mata displayed at the central hall of the governor's residence was similar to the one used by the RSS. Subsequently, Communist Party of India leader and state Agriculture Minister P Prasad was notified about the image and event was moved to the darbar hall of the state secretariat, The Indian Express reported. The Communist Party of India is part of the state's ruling Left Democratic Front. 'The picture of Bharat Mata displayed at the venue is one that is used by RSS,' the newspaper quoted Prasad as having told reporters. 'A seat of a constitutional body should not use that. Constitutionally, it is not proper to use that picture at a government function.' Prasad claimed that Arlekar insisted on using the image. 'But we could not agree with that decision,' the minister said. 'So the government function was shifted out of Raj Bhavan.' The Communist Party of India leader noted that no image of Bharat Mata had ever been acknowledged as the official or authorised version by the Constitution or any of the governments in power since independence, The Hindu reported. The minister also claimed that the Bharat Mata image in the Raj Bhavan did not carry an Indian flag, but that of a political organisation, and hence could not be honoured during a government event. The governor, addressing another function at the Raj Bhavan later in the day, noted that Prasad wanted the image of the Bharat Mata to be removed from the stage. 'I informed them that we cannot remove Bharat Mata,' The Indian Express quoted him as having said. 'Bharat Mata cannot be kept away…Whatever be the pressure from whichever quarters, there will be no compromise whatsoever on Bharat Mata.' On Saturday, the Communist Party of India hoisted the national flag and planted saplings in protest against the usage of the Bharat Mata image in the Raj Bhavan, PTI reported. Communist Party of India leader Binoy Viswam also asked whether the Constitution or the policies of the RSS was more important for Arelkar. Hoisting the national flag, Viswam said that there was 'no Bharat Mata other than this'. Any other attempt to impose another concept of Bharat Mata was 'unconstitutional' and 'anti-national', he added.


News18
8 hours ago
- News18
Colombian Leader Shot At: Kidnapped By Pablo Escobar, His Journalist Mother Died During Rescue Op
Last Updated: 'Narcos' on Netflix to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 'News of a Kidnapping', the story of Diana Turbay, a brave journalist and daughter of ex-President, and the botched rescue lives on Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot at thrice, twice in the head, during a rally in Bogota on Saturday. While Uribe's wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, said he is 'fighting for his life", a 15-year-old boy has been arrested. Uribe's father was a union leader and businessman linked to the Liberal Party. His mother, Diana Turbay, a journalist and daughter of former Colombian president Julio Cesar Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by a group working under drug lord Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel. Soy Maria Claudia Tarazona, esposa de Miguel. Miguel está luchando en estos momentos por su vida. Pidamos a Dios que guíe las manos de los doctores que están atendiéndolo. Les pido a todos unirnos en una cadena de oración por la vida de Miguel. Pongo mi Fe en Dios 🙏🏼 — Miguel Uribe (@MiguelUribeT) June 8, 2025 HOW THE BRAVE JOURNALIST WAS TRAPPED Turbay was the founder of news magazine Hoy x Hoy who was known for her refusal to sensationalise violence, a rarity in Colombia's world of drug cartels at the time. Turbay, five other journalists and cameraman Richard Becerra were kidnapped on August 30, 1990, when she was tricked into going to a supposed interview with a guerrilla leader, the Spanish priest Manuel Pérez Martínez, alias El Cura Pérez from the ELN (National Liberation Army) in Antioquia. The guerrillas were members of Escobar-linked Los Priscos. She was held at a remote ranch in Copacabana, north of Medellin. She smuggled out letters, encouraged the release of another journalist and even won the respect of those who guarded her. DEATH MIRED IN CONTROVERSY On January 25, 1991, the Colombian police launched an operation to rescue her, without informing Turbay's family, which they botched up. Turbay was hit by a bullet in her back, which partially destroyed her liver and left kidney. Becerra was rescued unharmed. It was never confirmed whether the fatal shot came from her captors or the police, but the operation was widely condemned. JUST IN: Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe shot in Bogota during a political to local reports, Uribe was hit with a bullet and was rushed to the hospital. 'We energetically reject this attack that not only endangers the life of a political leader,… — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 8, 2025 IN POPULAR CULTURE Turbay's death was chronicled in author Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 'News of a Kidnapping'. Her story also featured in popular Netflix series 'Narcos'.