Latest news with #Rakes
NDTV
16-07-2025
- NDTV
Dark Web, VPNs: Delhi Cops Scramble To Probe Bomb Threats To Schools
New Delhi: A fresh wave of bomb threats targeting schools and colleges has kept Delhi Police on its toes as many education institutes panicked for three days straight, with senior officers saying the emails were sent using encrypted networks, making them hard to track. Cyber experts of the Delhi Police and senior officers investigating the threats said the senders are using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and the dark web. The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines and is accessible only through special browsers, allowing illegal activities such as cybercrime, human trafficking and drugs and weapons trade to thrive. VPN adds a layer of anonymity by allowing users to create a secure connection to another network. "Tracking someone on the dark web is like chasing a shadow in a room full of mirrors. The moment you think you have found a lead, it vanishes behind another layer of anonymity," a Delhi Police officer explained. Ten bomb threat emails have been received by nine schools in the city in the past three days. Last February, a private school and a Delhi University college in the capital received bomb threat emails, which were later confirmed by authorities to be hoaxes. In October last year, an explosion occurred outside the CRPF school in Prashant Vihar, but no one was injured. In January this year, police arrested a Class 12 student who had allegedly sent bomb threats to over 400 schools. Amid growing concerns over such threats, the Directorate of Education (DoE) issued a comprehensive 115-point Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in May to handle bomb threats in schools. Sources said that each of the recent emails carried a similar pattern: vague but alarming language, timed before school hours and often routed through international servers. Police believe that the sender or the group involved is adept at using anonymising tools and cyber tactics to avoid detection. "It is not easy to trace emails that are routed through multiple proxy servers. They are using VPN chains and tools on the dark web to bounce their location across several countries. In such cases, even service providers are often helpless," a source said. A cyber expert of the Delhi Police said the investigating officers are no longer treating the threats as a mere prank. "Multiple probe agencies are involved in investigating the matter. These threats are affecting children, parents and the school staff psychologically," the expert said on the condition of anonymity. During a press conference, a senior Delhi Police officer said that the use of VPN by the sender of the emails significantly hampered efforts to track the threat. "We were tracking the emails, but VPN makes it difficult to track their origin. We also had to check for any possible terror link," he had said. The recurring threats have caused considerable anxiety among parents and teachers. At St Thomas School in Dwarka, which received two threats in less than 24 hours, Rakesh Arora, the father of a 12-year-old student, said, "Schools receiving bomb threats is very worrying. It not only creates fear but also disrupts the children's studies. "These may turn out to be hoaxes, but as parents, we can't help but be scared," he said. On Tuesday, Varun Kumar, whose daughter is a kindergarten student, said, "This is not the first time. These kinds of threats are happening quite often. Police must take strict action against those responsible for sending such emails. It creates unnecessary panic and disturbs everyone." "Parents are genuinely scared to send their children to school now," Kumar added. Following the DoE's SOP, schools have tightened their security protocols, increased bag checks, restricted outsider entry, and are coordinating with the local police stations on a daily basis. Police said that they are not ruling out any angle in their probe into the threats. "The January case had revealed a possible link to a civil society group and a political entity, which had drawn significant attention. The accused student's father was reportedly associated with an NGO that had previously supported terrorist Afzal Guru," a senior police officer said. Police have urged people not to panic over such threats and to report any suspicious activity. They have issued advisories and hold interactive sessions in schools from time to time, informing stakeholders how to handle threat emails and maintain evidence that could help in tracking the perpetrators. Police said that they are studying earlier cases where the teams have arrested the accused for sending bomb threats to learn how they solved the cases. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Newsweek
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Boomer's Daily Gesture to Gen Z Coworker Melts Hearts: 'Healing'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Generation Z woman has implored people to make friends with their senior co-workers, after revealing the adorable gesture her boomer colleague does for her every day. Almost a year after starting her job as a licensed health insurance agent, Lori Rakes, 23, has gained plenty of new friends, but one in particular has melted hearts online. Indeed, not only did her older coworker take her under his wing, but he has also continued to show his generosity by bringing Rakes a "homemade lunch almost every day." Indeed, despite the age difference between the Gen Zer and the baby boomer, the two colleagues have developed an enviable friendship. Rakes, of Ohio, told Newsweek that 73-year-old Don is "like a grandpa" to her, and his kindness has helped her so much over recent months. "My grandparents live in another state, but it's so nice having someone close to me who can fill that role when I need it. It's relieving to have someone close to me who can make my job so fulfilling and make it feel more like a home," Rakes said. From left: Lori Rakes poses at work; and her senior coworker, Don, who brings her homemade lunches. From left: Lori Rakes poses at work; and her senior coworker, Don, who brings her homemade lunches. @lorirakes20 / TikTok She continued: "Don brings me food every day, whether it's snacks or meals. He will often cook big meals for our entire team. In the past, he's brought in goulash, pasta salad, chicken bakes, different types of soups, and he brings in doughnuts for the team every Friday." It takes a lot of time and forward thinking to be organized enough to prep food before work, which is why Don's gesture makes all the difference. The fact that he takes time out of his day to make her life that bit easier "means so much" to Rakes. She certainly can't thank him enough. Rakes often tries to return the favor by bringing in food for the department, too. "He definitely does more for me than I do for him, so that's something I'd like to work on," she told Newsweek. Rakes shared a clip on TikTok (@lorirakes20) showing how fortunate she is to have an older colleague who brings her delicious food so regularly. In the video, she showed a Tupperware container containing ham and bean soup that Don gave her. Layered over the video, the caption added: "I can't explain how healing it is for my inner child to have someone do something like that for me." In the days since it was posted, the clip has gone viral with more than 772,300 views and over 119,900 likes at the time of writing. Rakes said she loves seeing so many internet users witness Don's kindness, something that has led to plenty of praise for him. As a result, the Gen Zer hopes it will encourage others to befriend their older co-workers, as she said that you can "learn so much about life" from them. "Our families aren't always accessible, and we spend so much of our time at work, so it's really rewarding to create a family where you work," Rakes said. "I started this job only a year ago, so being new to the role was really hard, but he made me feel welcome. You really can learn so much about yourself by interacting with people who have experienced more life than you." Many friendships might come from shared experiences and similarities, but Rakes added that sometimes the best friendships can be with those who are different to ourselves. The TikTok video encouraging others to make friends with their older colleagues has amassed over 1,700 comments so far. One comment reads: "I bet it makes his heart happy just as much as it is healing yours." Another TikTok user wrote: "the world needs more Dons." A third person added: "We all need to have a don in our life!" One comment read: "This made me tear up! How sweet." Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
