Latest news with #leaks
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Three key questions after Afghan data leak sparked unprecedented secret evacuation
It has been more than three years since a British official inadvertently leaked a dataset containing the names and contact details of thousands of people who were attempting to flee possible Taliban revenge April 2024, the government began relocating some of them to the UK - but we are only learning this now because extraordinary lengths were gone to in order to prevent the breach and subsequent response coming to the full picture is finally disclosed to the public, these are the questions still facing Britain's security establishment. What can be done about the danger of leaks? It has happened before and it will doubtless happen again. Think Wikileaks, Snowden and all the countless cyber-hacks and ransomware suffered by companies on an almost daily basis. Data leaks are not new but sometimes – and it is quite possible that this is one of those times – they can be life-threatening. The revelations that have come to light will have sent a chill down the spine of hundreds, possibly thousands, of Afghans who fear retribution by the Taliban. For those already spirited out to Britain, it means they can probably never go back home as long as the Taliban are in the 600 former Afghan government soldiers and their estimated 1,800 dependants still in Afghanistan, the news will mean they are unlikely to breathe easily until the UK delivers on its promise to get them safely out. It's important to bear in mind that all this was not the result of some deliberate, sophisticated cyber attack by a state-backed hacking group. It evolved from an unintentional mistake made by just one individual working for the Ministry of Defence. What does this say about Britain's moral responsibility? UK forces were deployed to Afghanistan, alongside US and Nato allies, over a period of almost 20 years, from October 2001 to August this time they worked closely with their Afghan government allies, relying heavily on their local knowledge and expertise. The most sensitive area was in Special Forces (SF), for whom the Taliban reserved a particular hatred. When Kabul and the rest of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in the summer of 202, there was a realisation that those now-former Afghan SF soldiers and their families were a priority for relocation to safety. But thousands more Afghans also risked their lives to work with the British over those two decades. Many did it out of patriotism, believing they were working to secure a better did it for the money, some did it because they trusted Britain to safeguard their lives and their personal details. A data breach like this now threatens to undermine any future promises by a British official who says: "Trust us, your data is safe with us." Was there a cover-up? When this "unauthorised data breach" was finally discovered, a full 18 months after it occurred, the UK government obtained what is known as a super-injunction, preventing its publication by the media. A super-injunction is so draconian that it means you cannot even report the fact that you cannot report it. That measure has only just been lifted now, following an independent review. There is a logical case to be made that this measure was necessary to protect the lives of those affected by the data breach. However, questions are now being raised about whether the injunction - applied for by the previous, Conservative government - might also have been for political purposes. The High Court judge who lifted the super-injunction, Mr Justice Chamberlain, said that it had "had the effect of completely shutting down the ordinary mechanisms of accountability which operate in a democracy".
Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
A secret meeting, a photo, next a reunion for King Charles and Harry?
Leaks, he's known a few. Prince Harry, that is. A close reading of his autobiography would suggest that there are so many leaks at the Palace that the Windsors risk sinking without trace. Harry rails against a spin doctor who leaked 'the details of our private summits with Camilla' before her wedding to Charles. He is furious that a plan for him and Meghan to move to South Africa 'got leaked and scuppered' and he accuses Palace staff of attempting to 'sabotage' his relationship with Meghan by 'leaking private stuff to the press about Meg and me'. Now a 'peace summit' between Harry's PR team and the King's spokesman has been leaked. Images of the meeting were splashed across a Sunday newspaper — a sign, for some, that the ice was thawing in the long-running feud between Harry and the royal family. Or his father, at least. There were two particularly interesting things about the summit: the first being that it happened at all, given the animosity between the Sussexes and the rest of the family in the five years since they quit royal duties. The second most interesting thing is that the 'pap' pictures of the meeting appeared. Let's deal with them in reverse order. Assuming it wasn't a good old-fashioned journalist's tip, whoever tipped off the press would have had a goal in mind. But it's not entirely clear who the information serves. Harry is understood to be 'sanguine' about the pictures. After all, that's what he has come to expect. His aides, meanwhile, say they are 'frustrated' about the leak. That would point towards the only other party present at the meeting. There's only one problem with that; the Palace is not known for benevolently dishing out such delicious nuggets of gossip to the Sunday papers. • Behold the 'secret' royal summit. Is a Charles and Harry reunion next? The meeting itself was otherwise nondescript — or at least it was meant to be. A chance for both sides to start up 'a new open channel of communication', according to Harry's side. In May, Harry opened up his own channel of communication — via a primetime interview on the BBC. The Palace was not given advance warning. The BBC had expected the duke to deliver a short statement after his defeat in the courts over his long-running bid to have his police security reinstated in the UK. Instead, they got a 30-minute stream of consciousness in which Harry simultaneously set out his stall as the injured party and launched what appeared to be another insult, saying that 'some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book'. He added: 'Of course, they will never forgive me for lots of things.' It sounded petulant and it felt like another attack, but it was the first time we'd heard Harry articulate a eureka moment; that it was his family's role to forgive him, not the other way round. He went on: 'I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight any more. As I said, life is precious. I don't know how much longer my father has. He won't speak to me because of this security stuff. But it would be nice to reconcile.' On Wednesday that process appeared to begin. Charles and Camilla returned to London after bidding farewell to President Macron and his wife, Brigitte. The Queen had just headed off to Wimbledon and the King had finished hosting a reception with his Tour Artists at Buckingham Palace. Late afternoon, Tobyn Andreae, the King and Queen's communications secretary, left the Palace to keep a commitment at the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL). The club, of which the King is patron, was a seemingly appropriate setting for a meeting with his PR counterparts from Harry's office, given that the club 'champions international friendship across the world'. Andreae's guests were Meredith Maines, Harry's communications officer and head of his household in Montecito, and Liam Maguire, his PR representative in the UK. Maines was over from the US for a few days and had set up meetings with various London contacts, all with the duke's blessing. The Times has learnt that there was no instruction from Harry for her to contact the Prince of Wales's office. Buckingham Palace, however, was contacted and agreed to a meeting. When the King's spokesman arrived at the club, Harry's aides were already waiting inside. Andreae brought a bottle of wine as a gift for Maines. Should they sit outside or in? The decision was taken, ironically it now seems, to sit outside for fear of being overheard within. On a balcony overlooking Green Park, the conversation began but within ten minutes Maguire had spotted a photographer. He alerted Andreae and the three moved back inside to continue the meeting there. On Saturday night the mystery of the photographer in the bushes was revealed when Andreae had a call from the Mail on Sunday alerting him to the story. He duly informed Harry's team. So, how did they know? And who does it suit? While a social media commentator has remarked that Andreae 'is giving main character energy' he much prefers to be in the background, leaving the 'main character' role to 'the boss', aka the King, and 'the lady boss', aka the Queen. Similarly Maguire, put in post a few weeks ago after the sudden departure of two of Harry's former press officers, appears to enjoy a low profile. A former military man, Maguire has known Harry for several years through his work as a trustee for Blesma, the charity for limbless veterans. Meanwhile, Maines was on a short visit to London and Andreae was just one of several on her list of people to meet. In a previous role she reportedly ruled publicity for the Netflix series The Crown with 'an iron fist'. So, was it leaked and why? Both sides claim innocence. Which brings us to the issue of why the meeting occurred at all. What many don't realise, however, is that the meeting was the result of years of trying on Harry's part to reconnect with the royal family. This latest attempt is the closest he has got so far, which is probably worth a picture. So, why was a meeting granted now? From the King's perspective, it helps that Harry's court case against His Majesty's government has come to an end. Charles cannot be co-opted into saying anything about a case where his son is using his father's courts to sue his father's government about a security decision. With that out of the way, the King is more open to hearing what his younger son has to say. There's another reason too. When Harry's book Spare was published, the duke told Tom Bradby in a television interview that he wanted an apology from the royal family for all the hurt they had caused him and his wife. This repeated demand meant that any possible meeting with the Palace was doomed to fail and promptly rejected. A source described the negotiations as including 'untenable demands from the American side'. The King couldn't possibly be left open to a tirade of abuse from his younger son, particularly after his cancer diagnosis. But now it appears that Harry has changed his objective. He is no longer publicly demanding an apology. A source who has known Harry well for several decades said: 'He appears to be softening on his demand for an apology now. There seems to be a realisation that this is not going to be granted. The meeting may have been a chance to put it all behind them and move on.' This concession on Harry's part appears to have opened a channel whereby the Palace is prepared to meet him. 'Harry has made no secret of the fact that he wants to be reconciled,' says a well-placed source. 'And he knows that talking and communication is by far the best way to go ahead.' In other words, the damaging accusations — and threats of more to come — are now in the past. Or so they say. Perhaps he is finally growing up, knowing that the door is likely to be permanently shut to him when his brother, Prince William, becomes king. Others are less charitable. A well-placed observer described the meeting and its subsequent publicity as a 'desperate' attempt of the duke to get back into the royal fold. With no discernible job, other than that of a supporting role to his highly driven and successful wife, Harry may well be realising what he has given up. He has said that he was left 'devastated' by the decision to leave his charity Sentebale, along with his co-founder and all the trustees, after a row with the chair. Yet he still clings to what he has always known. Maines's title, as head of Harry's 'household', suggests that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no interest in divorcing themselves from their previous royal lives. They continue to use their duke and duchess titles, as is their right. They are not, however, permitted to use their HRH titles. Meghan appeared to overstep when 'HRH' was used on a card sent to a friend as a personal gift. Whether their children, Archie and Lilibet, will use their prince and princess titles will surely be a matter for them. All this is to say that a very public link with the royal household is no bad thing for the Sussexes, at least from a PR perspective. Could the publicity help his case or at least show his brother that he is serious about reconciliation? It doesn't hurt the King either, whose reluctance to see his son baffled some commentators. Similarly, the King comes across well from the meeting. But whether such a febrile truce can withstand such a major breach of discretion is uncertain. The meeting is said to have 'opened the channel of communication' between father and son for the first time in months. It is probably what Harry should have done in the first place rather than trying to have a dialogue through television networks, a million-dollar book deal and various podcasts and interviews. But it prompts the question: what does Harry want? He clearly wants to see his father, who is still receiving regular cancer treatment. Yet he also wants to be welcomed back with open arms and to come and go in the UK as he pleases so that he can stay in touch with his charities. When it comes to rebuilding a relationship with his family, his past behaviour makes that tricky. Whether he likes it or not, dropping his demand for an apology may not be enough. It may now require one from him.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
How the FBI is hunting agents behind media leaks
The FBI has reportedly increased its use of polygraph lie-detector tests on staff, with Director Kash Patel allegedly seeking agents who have criticised his leadership or leaked information. Sources told The New York Times that dozens of FBI personnel have been questioned, including a senior employee asked about negative comments regarding Patel and another about leaks concerning Patel's request for a service weapon. The use of polygraph tests for internal criticism or leaks marks a departure from previous FBI practice, where they were typically reserved for serious offences or betraying the country. Michael Feinberg, a former top FBI agent, claimed he was threatened with a polygraph over his friendship with Peter Strzok, who was involved in the FBI's probe into Trump - Russia allegations. The FBI declined to comment on the Times report.
Android Authority
30-06-2025
- Android Authority
Hate the leaked Nothing Phone 3 design? These new leaks are bad news for you
TL;DR New leaked images add weight to the previously leaked renders of the Nothing Headphone 1 and Nothing Phone 3. In these leaked images, the Nothing Headphone 1 appears once again with its retro-futuristic cassette-inspired look. Meanwhile, the images for the Nothing Phone 3 indicate we might have to make our peace with the asymmetric and misaligned rear camera setup and the busy back panel. Nothing is set to launch the Nothing Phone 3 and the Nothing Headphone 1 tomorrow, July 1. Ahead of the launch, more leaks have emerged, showing off marketing renders, but more importantly, confirming that the previously leaked Phone 3 renders might just have been on point. Reddit user _nilkin_ has shared an image of the Nothing Phone 3 and the Nothing Headphone 1. This appears to be a photo taken of the headphones' feature sheet, and in it, we can spot both the headphones and the Phone 3. The leaked promo content mentions a few Nothing Headphone 1 features: Clear Voice technology, On Head Detection, and support for both Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair. X user @007_mrnitin has shared a better look at the Phone 3 and Headphone 1 combo: In the image above, you can notice the periscope zoom camera that Nothing has already confirmed for the Phone 3. Perhaps a bit of a stretch, but there also appears to be a semicircle-shaped LED strip between the periscope zoom camera and the Glyph Matrix module, unless I am over-reading the design element. These images corroborate that at least one set of previously leaked renders for the Phone 3 could be correct. The first set of leaked Phone 3 renders are looking more and more likely to be incorrect — those may very well be for a Phone 3a prototype instead. Because of the bamboozle, Nothing fans have treated the new renders skeptically too (as one should with all leaks), with many deeming the off-centered camera design 'fake,' especially since the new renders did not include a periscope zoom lens (characterized by its rectangular camera lens opening). Note that these leaked images still aren't a confirmation from the company, so you should continue treating them with skepticism. You won't have to hold your breath for too long, though, as we'll learn everything straight from the horse's mouth tomorrow. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
23-06-2025
- Android Authority
Galaxy Z Flip 7, Flip 7 FE renders leak, showing bold colors and a huge cover screen
Evan Blass TL;DR Leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 show a nearly full-screen external display and three color variants: Blue Shadow, Coral Red, and Jet Black. The more budget-friendly Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE appears almost identical to the Z Flip 6 with standard White and Black colors. Both devices are expected to launch at next month's rumored Galaxy Unpacked event, possibly powered by Exynos chips. Samsung is rumored to hold a Galaxy Unpacked next month, where it is expected to launch its next generation of foldables, wearables, and audio lineup. We've been hearing about these products for months now, and we've even seen renders of them before. Now, a prominent leaker has shared what appear to be finalized product renders for the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Flip FE, giving us our cleanest look yet at two of the upcoming foldables. Leaker Evan 'evleaks' Blass has shared these new Galaxy Z Flip 7 renders through their Leakmail substack: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 - Blue Shadow Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 - Coral Red Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 - Jet Black In the renders above, we see three colors for the Flip 7, namely Blue Shadow, Coral Red, and Jet Black. Curiously, this Jet Black hasn't been mentioned for the flip foldable in previous color leaks, so there's a chance it could be exclusive either to the US or to In these renders, we can see Samsung has finally moved on to an almost full-screen cover display with the Galaxy Z Flip 7. There don't appear to be other physical changes, though I love what Samsung is going for with the Blue Shadow color. Here are the renders shared for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE - White Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE - Black The Flip 7 FE looks much like the Galaxy Z Flip 6, especially in these simpler White and Black colors that were also present on the Flip 6. While foldable tech still feels futuristic, the cover display looks dated, especially since several competitors offer a larger cover display. Evan Blass has an excellent track record, but we still have to treat all leaks with skepticism until the company makes an official announcement. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to come with the Exynos 2500 SoC, while the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is expected to come with the Exynos 2400e SoC. We hope to learn more about these phones in the coming weeks. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
