The General Department of Immigration (GDI) of the Ministry of Interior has extradited 130 Chinese nationals for cybercrimes, online fraud and illegal gambling. Lieutenant General Sok Somnea, Spokesman and Deputy Director General of the GDI, said yesterday, “130 Chinese nationals were extradited on April 13, for their involvement in cybercrimes, online fraud and illegal gambling.” “We are still looking for more of those involved in these crimes and I cannot go into more detail, as it is under investigation by the Immigration Police,” he said. Lt Gen Somnea said that the seized servers, computers, mobile phones, SIM cards and other equipment believed to have been used for criminal activity, have been sent to the provincial court as evidence. The Cambodian authorities are working closely with their Chinese counterparts to exchange information on the investigation, crackdown and rescue of victims of cybercrime, he said. On Sunday, China Daily reported that China’s public security authorities, in conjunction with the Cambodian police, had recently organised a joint operation to combat gambling and fraud-related crimes. During the operation, the Cambodian police dismantled several gambling dens and fraud operations in Preah Sihanouk province, apprehended a large number of Chinese nationals suspected of criminal offences, and seized a batch of servers, computers, mobile phones and other equipment, it said. Under the command of the Ministry of Public Security in Hubei province, a working group was dispatched to Cambodia to carry out the extradition work in conjunction with the Cambodian police, it said. Starting from Saturday, the individuals were extradited in batches via chartered civil aviation flights to China, it added. Anti-gambling operations by the Cambodian authorities have been active throughout the country, especially in Preah Sihanouk province. In a two-day operation to crack down on online fraud from March 9 to 10, the provincial authorities arrested 479 people, comprising 279 Cambodians, 109 Vietnamese, 55 Thais, 28 Chinese, eight Taiwanese and one Myanmar national.   Source: KHMER Times

The European Union will investigate whether ByteDance's TikTok breached online content rules aimed at protecting children and ensuring transparent advertising, an official said on Monday, putting the social media platform at risk of a hefty fine. EU industry chief Thierry Breton said he took the decision after analysing the short video app's risk assessment report and its replies to requests for information, confirming a Reuters story, opens new tab. "Today we open an investigation into TikTok over suspected breach of transparency & obligations to protect minors: addictive design & screen time limits, rabbit hole effect, age verification, default privacy settings," Breton said on X. The European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), which applies to all online platforms since Feb. 17, requires in particular very large online platforms and search engines to do more to tackle illegal online content and risks to public security. TikTok's owner, China-based ByteDance, could face fines of up to 6% of its global turnover if TikTok is found guilty of breaching DSA rules. TikTok said it would continue to work with experts and the industry to keep young people on its platform safe and that it looked forward to explaining this work in detail to the European Commission. "TikTok has pioneered features and settings to protect teens and keep under 13s off the platform, issues the whole industry is grappling with," a TikTok spokesperson said. The European Commission said the investigation will focus on the design of TikTok's system, including algorithmic systems which may stimulate behavioural addictions and/or create so-called 'rabbit hole effects'. It will also probe whether TikTok has put in place appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors. As well as the issue of protecting minors, the Commission is looking at whether TikTok provides a reliable database on advertisements on its platform so that researchers can scrutinise potential online risks. This marks the second DSA investigation after Elon Musk's social media platform X found itself in the EU's crosshairs in December last year. This marks the second DSA investigation after Elon Musk's social media platform X found itself in the EU's crosshairs in December last year. Source: Reuters

The High Court has directed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to remove BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman's all speeches from online. More to Follow................  

The National Identity Card (NID) server of the Election Commission was back online from the afternoon due to maintenance work. NID wing's System Manager Mohammad Ashraf Hussain confirmed the matter to this afternoon. The NID server was down from this morning due to maintenance work.  Asked whether the server was down fearing a cyber-attack. Earlier from Tuesday, National Identity Card (NID) server was down. Many people had not been unable to access the server. 

Tech giant Elon Musk said on Sunday that his proposed fight with Meta head Mark Zuckerberg would be live-streamed on his social media platform X, previously known as Twitter. Amid the professional competition between them, the duo have been egging each other into a mixed martial art cage fight since June. Quite how serious both sides are about the proposal isn't clear as most communications regarding it have been jocular. No date has been set for the fight but Musk had suggested the Las Vegas Octagon, an events center where mixed martial arts (MMA) championships are often held. The build up to 'Zuck v Musk' Musk and Zuckerberg continued mimicking boxers taunting their opponents in the build-up to a fight over the weekend.  Musk said that the Twitter website he bought and is now trying to rebrand as X would livestream the fight and that "All proceeds will go to charity for veterans."  Zuckerberg's riposte, meanwhile, was posted on his rival site Threads, and questioned whether X would have a large enough reach.  "Shouldn't we use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity?," he asked.  Zuckerberg, also appeared to question whether Musk, who has a habit of issuing social media comments with his tongue in his cheek, was serious about the fight.  He suggested an August 26 date, and said "I'm ready today... but [Musk] hasn't confirmed."  The 39-year-old is a mixed martial arts enthusiast who has taken part in several ju-jitsu competitions, and Zuckerberg said on Sunday: "I love this sport and will continue competing with people who train no matter what happens here."  A history of sparring The maelstrom began when Musk in June provoked Zuckerberg by asking him if he was "up for a cage fight." Zuckerberg in return asked Musk to "send location," which was when Musk first suggested Vegas. Over the years, the giants have clashed on several issues ranging from politics to artificial intelligence. In early July, the duo became direct competitors after Meta launched a Twitter-like platform called Threadswhich rapidly drew 120 million users, according to Quiver Quantitative.

The central government has established an online counselling centre named "Tele Manas" at the only major hospital for mental illness in the Kashmir Valley where mental health counsellors listen to patients' problems on the phone and offer comfort and advice. Eighteen women's councils have been organized at this centre since November last year and they are performing their services 24 hours a day. In such a situation, "Tele Manas" is receiving 80 to 100 calls daily and most of them are from female patients who are dealing with various mental problems. The patients do not have to reveal their identity during the counselling process. This digital hub for mental health works on a three-tier system which includes counsellors, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists. Bisma, a counsellor at Tele Manas said, "More phone calls are received from women aged between 30 and 40 who are going through various mental conditions. Apart from anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses, women who are driven by suicidal thoughts or have tried to commit suicide also call seeking help." Meanwhile, suicide incidents in Jammu and Kashmir UT have been increasing at an alarming rate. "Due to the increasing trend of suicide, we are hearing the news that at such and such a place, such and such a young man or woman ended his life by putting a noose around his neck or by eating poison or such and such a person killed himself by jumping into the river", one of the counsellors said. According to Crime Gazette 2021, about 600 people attempted suicide in Jammu and Kashmir and this number is higher than the 2020 figures. Experts say the actual number could be much higher. Due to social fear and stigma, most cases of suicide go unreported. A patient can call this mental health counselling centre from any part of Jammu and Kashmir. Video conferencing facilities will also be made available soon here in the coming time so that those mental patients who fear stigma in society or for any other reason if they are not able to visit the hospital in person can also get treated. Coordinator of the centre Dr Hina said, "The establishment of the centre has greatly benefited the patients suffering from mental diseases and more than 7000 calls have been received during the last 5 months, from which it can be estimated that to what extent mental disorders are increasing in Kashmir." This digital mental health counselling centre of the Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences has managed to make its place among the top three centres in the country. It should be noted that according to a report from the World Health Organization, every 40 seconds, somewhere in the world, a person dies by suicide. One of the main reasons is such mental problems. There are many types of mental illnesses, among which depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality, and PTSD are common and can be treated with medication and therapy. Since the awareness of mental illness is not proper in society and also lack of familiarity with psychology and other new sciences has resulted in people posing a negative attitude towards people suffering from psychological problems. (ANI)

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta on Friday launched three online services offered by the Department of Science and Technology of the state, said an official statement. Saurabh Bhagat, Commissioner Secretary, Science and Technology was also present for the launch. The services include Sponsored Research & Extension Programme, Support for Innovation & Patent Filing scheme, and Science Talent Promotion Scholarship Scheme. "All these schemes are offered by the J&K Science, Technology and Innovation Council (JKST&IC) and are primarily meant for inculcating the scientific culture among students/scientific community in particular and common masses in general", reads the statement. Chief Secretary stressed the need for scientific solutions to various issues of local importance such as waste management, biomass energy, plastic to fuel stressing need to run a waste to wealth campaign. He complimented the Science & Technology Department for establishing Industrial Biotechnology Parks, Sub Regional Science Centre, and instructed for establishment of various Centre of Excellences across UT of Jammu & Kashmir. He enjoined upon the Department to collaborate with other departments for innovative solutions to problems faced by people in their day to day life. "Science and Technology should contribute to ease of living. Our focus should be on innovations for larger public interest so that the knowledge actually gets transferred from lab to land", he said. The chief secretary also took stock of various schemes of Science & Technology Department including Jammu Smart City Mission, Jammu Solar City Mission, PM-KUSUM, Rooftop Solar Power Plant Mission and focused on the need to increase the demand of solar energy within the UT of J&K. On the occasion it was given out that the Sponsored Research & Extension Programme envisages that the research proposals/scientific surveys should be invited through open advertisement from the Scientists/professors/ academicians/scholars/research etc, get it evaluated by the Scientific Advisory Committee(SAC)/ Technical Committee (TC) constituted by the Government for furnishing of recommendations and then should be provided with the financial support for carrying out the research on the local specific issues. Later the outcome/recommendation of these research projects/surveys are forwarded to the line departments for implementation. Regarding the Support for Innovation & Patent Filing scheme it was said that the JKST&IC provides financial support (seed money) to the innovator/ institution working on novel ideas for development of prototype. The scheme is aimed at the promotion of Innovations and encouragement of local youth for their pursuits in different fields of Science & Technology. As far as Science Talent Promotion Scholarship Scheme is concerned it aims at encouraging the students to pursue Science subjects in their higher classes. The scholarships are provided to the meritorious students at 10+2 up to PG levels for a period of 2, 3 and 2 years respectively at each level. The three online schemes/services detailed above being implemented in the online mode now are also RAS integrated therefore open for public feedback. Post launch of these services, the Department of Science & Technology will be e-Governance Complaint as envisaged under the 'Digital J&K' mission of the UT. Giving details about the performance of the Department it was said that a total of 2169 works have been completed under different schemes during 2022-23 out of 2400 works taken in hand. Moreover, the ST & IC has registered an expenditure of nearly 99.8% of its funds released for the previous financial year. Commissioner Secretary IT and other senior officers of IT department were also present during the inaugural function.

Online registration for enrolment to Indian Army as AGNIVEER has commenced. An announcement in this regard was made by the Indian Army on February 15 and the registration process shall close on March 15, 2023.  “All eligible unmarried male candidates born between 01 Oct 2002 to 01 Apr 2006 (both dates inclusive) with requisite educational qualifications from UT of J&K belonging to Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Pulwama, Badgam, Kupwara, Shopian, Ganderbal, Bandipora and Kulgam districts and UT of Ladakh belonging to Leh and Kargil districts can apply for enrolment under categories of Agniveer General Duty, Agniveer Technical, Agniveer Clerk/Store Keeper Technical and Agniveer Tradesmen,” the Army said in a statement. The recruitment rally by Army Recruiting Office, Srinagar is tentatively scheduled to be conducted in June 2023 at Anantnag High Ground, South Kashmir, UT of J&K. “Candidates are advised to register online at website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in at the earliest. Indian Army further amplified that this would be the first recruitment under the new procedure introduced with the written examination being scheduled before the physical and medical test,” the Army statement said. “Army Recruiting Office, Srinagar has advised that recruitment is a free service and selection is fair and purely based on merit. No money is required to be paid to anyone. Details can be obtained on Email ID – [email protected] and Landline Nos 0194-2311282 and 0194-2310164. Additional information has been made available as videos in Urdu and can be accessed by scanning the barcode in the notice published by ARO Srinagar.” Source: Good Morning  Kashmir

International Cricket Council (ICC) is the main governing body of cricket. The organization is enrich with money and security. But a group of fraudsters shook the ICC and grabbed near about 2.5 Million US dollars! The mother organization of cricket has to face a huge financial loss. Due to an online fraud so much money has been lost. This is what the website 'ESPNcricinfo' baesd on cricket said. However, they did not specify the amount of money. It is believed that a US-based hacker group has done this. The medium used by fraudsters for this financial scam was Business Email Compromise (BEC). This is also known as mail account compromise. Business email compromise (BEC) is a form of targeted phishing, or spear phishing. Criminals target organisations and try to scam them out of money or goods. They also target employees and try and trick them into revealing important business information. Criminals use emails to pretend to be business representatives Seeking legal assistance, ICC informed the US about this fraud.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has achieved significant milestones by successfully implementing an e-governance system and providing about 444 services online to the citizens. The Department of Information Technology has been working to ensure 'Digital Jammu and Kashmir'. The number of online services provided by the Planning Department is 411, in addition to the 33 services integrated into Rapid Assessment System (RAS). Out of these 411 online services, 195 services have already been integrated with a feedback system. Around 103 more services are to be integrated with the RAS soon, authorities said. According to the authorities, harmonisation with automatic appeal for services of a few departments has yielded encouraging results with 99 percent of applications being disposed of within the stipulated period under the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA). This system not only ensures the timely delivery of services but also penalizes officials who fail to maintain it. A senior official told Malap News Network, that the UT administration is soon going to integrate all its online services with auto-appeal so that all services are provided to its citizens as per the timelines specified in the PSGA, and are beneficial to all. In this regard, the Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta also held a meeting of the administrative secretaries of all departments and reviewed the implementation of online services. Chief Secretary urged the information technology department officials to continue this momentum and make every service in digital mode to make life easier for the citizens and eliminate corruption. He said that they should ensure an environment where citizens would not have to physically visit any government office in the UT for its services. Dr Mehta further pointed out that contactless administration ensures transparency, accountability, and speed. He added that technology is the cure for all evils and the vision of J&K LG management is to use IT/ITs to empower its population as much as possible.