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6.59 million cyber fraud complaints resulting in loss of Rs 55,659 crore in 5 years: MHA | India News

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MHA: 6.59 million cyber fraud complaints resulting in loss of Rs 55,659 crore in five years

NEW DELHI: Around 6.59 million cyber fraud complaints involving a total amount of Rs 55,659 crore have been reported by citizens through the National Cyber ​​Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and the Citizens Financial Cyber ​​Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) of the India Cyber ​​Crime Coordination Center (I4C) in the last five years, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.More than 2.4 million complaints of cyber fraud were reported in 2025, compared with 1.92 million in 2024, 1.31 million in 2023, 6.90 million in 2022 and 2.60 million in 2021, Junior Home Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The annual cyber fraud amount reported by NCRP and CFCFRMS in 2021 has increased exponentially from Rs 551 crore to Rs 22,495 crore in 2025, although the latter was slightly lower than the Rs 22,848 crore reported in 2024.Kumar said the CFCFRMS prevented more than Rs 8,189 crore from being stolen by fraudsters through actions taken on 2.36 million complaints.

Immigration lawyers say not only visas, but green cards may also be delayed after social media review; “Posts about side hustles…”

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Immigration lawyers say not only visas, but green cards may also be delayed after social media review; “Posts about side hustles…”

Abhisha Parikh, an immigration attorney in New Jersey, said that while consular officials can deny a visa after reviewing an applicant’s social media history, the same can happen to green card applicants. This can even include old dating app activity. Indian CEO Jasveer Singh caused an uproar over his B1/B2 visa denial, with Singh blasting the embassy’s lack of logic on X, telling him that his relationship with India was not strong enough to convince officials that he did not intend to settle in the United States and would definitely return to India. Singer’s past social media comments criticizing Americans for electing President Donald Trump in 2016 have surfaced and been touted by social media commentators as the real reason for the visa denial. But social media comments have been proven to hurt not only visa prospects, but green card chances as well. Attorney Parikh identifies five red flags that could hinder the growth of social media. Green card application. Inconsistent locationIf your application says Florida but your posts are always tagged in New York, that raises credibility issues, Parikh said. References to “side hustle”If a social media post mentions freelancing, a side hustle, or “service DM,” it will draw attention and make the hire appear unauthorized. If the post doesn’t match the reported earningsParikh said luxury travel, brand-name products or expensive cars while on a student visa could raise questions about unreported income or fraud. Timeline conflictLawyers explain that comments or captions that are inconsistent with your relationship or length of residence can be used against you.Old dating app activityParikh added that screenshots or messages claiming exclusivity or post-marriage could seriously undermine a case based on marriage.

Who is Lucy Harrison? British daughter shot dead by Texas father over ‘heated’ Trump argument

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Lucy Harrison, a 23-year-old woman with a British passport, was shot dead in her home in a Dallas suburb by her American father. Texas On January 10, Lucy Harrison’s boyfriend Sam Littler pursued the case in Cheshire, England, after claiming that authorities in Texas had not brought charges against her father, Kris Harrison.

Lucy Harrison, 23, was shot to death at the Dallas home of her father, Kris Harrison. (Cheshire Police)
Lucy Harrison, 23, was shot to death at the Dallas home of her father, Kris Harrison. (Cheshire Police)

Littler’s case was inquested at Cheshire Coroner’s Court. He claimed Chris and Lucy got into a “violent argument about Trump” at Prosper’s residence near Dallas. Few claim the argument led to the fatal incident shooting Tuesday.

However, Chris Harrison disputed the accusations and claimed Lucy was shot in an accidental discharge.

Who is Lucy Harrison?

Lucy Harrison is from Warrington, a small town between Manchester and Liverpool. Harrison and his boyfriend, Sam Littler, visited Lucy’s father, Chris Harrison, and his family in Prosper last week. Little, who is promoting the investigation into the case in the UK, claimed that the argument first broke out between Chris and Lucy on the morning of January 10.

“Chris and Lucy ended up getting into a heated argument, causing Lucy to run upstairs and become upset,” Littler said. Later that day, another argument broke out between the two in an upstairs bedroom, and Littler said he heard a loud bang. He claimed he saw Lucy lying on the floor with gunshot wounds and Chris “screaming… gibberish.”

This story is being updated.

One-third of AIIMS faculty posts vacant; over 17,000 non-faculty posts also vacant | India News

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One-third of AIIMS faculty posts are vacant; more than 17,000 non-faculty posts are also vacant

NEW DELHI: Nearly a third of the faculty posts at India’s premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are vacant, the Center informed fellows of the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences, exposing a huge staffing gap between the old and newly established institutions.In a written reply to Shri Golla Baburao’s question, Health Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav listed out the institutional details of sanctioned, filled and vacant posts in 20 functioning AIIMS.Data shows that there is a serious shortage of teachers nationwide. At AIIMS, New Delhi, the country’s flagship institution, 446 posts out of 1,306 sanctioned faculty posts are vacant. There are 184 vacancies in Jodhpur, 138 in Mangalagiri, 135 in Nagpur, 134 in Kalyani and 126 in Rishikesh.Newer institutions appear to be particularly nervous. AIIMS Madurai has only 70 teaching staff as against the total approved teaching staff of 183 and 113 vacancies. There are 105 teaching posts vacant in Rajkot, 98 teaching posts in Raebareli and 96 teaching posts in Gorakhpur.The shortage is even more pronounced among non-teaching staff, which includes nursing staff, technicians, administrative staff and support service staff critical to hospital operations. There are 17,205 non-teaching posts vacant in 20 AIIMS.AIIMS New Delhi alone has 2,542 non-teaching vacancies. There are 1,144 vacancies in Rishikesh, 1,132 in Patna, 1,069 in Raipur, 1,026 in Bhubaneswar and 1,050 in Kalyani. In AIIMS Madurai, only 40 out of 911 sanctioned posts for non-teaching staff have been filled, leaving 871 vacancies.The ministry said the creation and recruitment of positions is an ongoing process. Each AIIMS has a standing selection committee constituted under the respective Act for recruitment of teachers.To bridge this gap, the government has allowed retired teachers below the age of 70 to participate in the new AIIMS on a contractual basis. A visiting faculty program was introduced, inviting professors from other institutions to teach. Recruitment for nursing staff is conducted through the Nursing Care Recruitment Common Eligibility Test (NORCET), while category B and C non-teaching staff posts are conducted through the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE). Junior and senior residents are selected twice a year through the INI-CET and INI-SS examinations.The disclosure comes at a time when the AIIMS institution is rapidly expanding with increasing number of patients, academic seats and super-specialty services. The size of the vacancies has raised concerns about whether staffing levels can keep up with infrastructure growth and growing demand for tertiary care.

Indian-American man jailed in US over false Walmart kidnapping charges, files lawsuit: ‘Biggest headache of my life’

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Indian-American man jailed in US over false Walmart kidnapping charges, files lawsuit: 'Biggest headache of my life'

A Georgia man accused of trying to kidnap a toddler at a Walmart and spending more than six weeks in jail has filed a federal lawsuit alleging wrongful prosecution and civil rights violations.Mahendra Patel, 57, of Acworth, Georgia, was arrested in March 2025 after a shopper told police he tried to kidnap her 2-year-old son inside a Walmart Supercenter. He spent more than 40 days in the Cobb County Jail without bail, and the case was dismissed later that year.On February 9, 2026, Patel filed a lawsuit in an Atlanta court. The lawsuit names 1) the woman who accused him, Caroline Miller, 2) the Acworth Police Department, 3) the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office, and several investigators. Patel’s attorney said the charges continued despite surveillance footage showing he had done nothing wrong.Patel said the video exonerated him. In the photo, he is helping the child, who appears to be shaking, while he buys medicine. He wasn’t trying to take the boy away: “I went to buy Tylenol and got the worst headache of my life,” he told a news conference.The lawsuit seeks damages and penalties, as well as attorney fees. Patel’s lawyers say police and prosecutors ignored or suppressed evidence, gave him no good reason to charge him and violated his rights.According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , Patel said he was stopped by police and arrested at gunpoint shortly after the Walmart incident. As a result of his arrest and imprisonment in 2025, he suffered lost wages, emotional distress and damage to his reputation, according to the complaint.Patel’s lawyers said the case exposed problems when police and prosecutors pressed charges even though there was evidence that Patel had done nothing wrong.

Delhi HC granted bail for 24-hour production violation in MCOCA case India News

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Delhi HC granted bail over 24-hour production violation in MCOCA case
Delhi High Court (file photo)

New Delhi: In an important ruling, delhi high court Bail has been granted to an accused charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) on the ground that his fundamental constitutional rights were violated in terms of time spent before a magistrate. The appellant Harsh Pal Singh alias Rubal is allegedly involved in an organized criminal group and faces charges under the Indian Act 2023 and the Arms Act. Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha delivered a judgment on February 10, 2026, setting aside the earlier trial court order denying him bail.The legal dispute centers on the timing of the appellant’s arrest and subsequent court appearance. On the evening of September 25, 2025, Singh was detained at Amritsar Airport while trying to travel to Bangkok. He was subsequently handed over to the Delhi Police Special Cell and produced before a special court on September 27, 2025. The defense team, led by advocates Rajani and Nishant Rana, argued that the total period of time he was detained before being produced before a magistrate exceeded the 24-hour limit prescribed under Article 22(2) of the Constitution and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Although the prosecution claimed that Singh was briefly questioned and told to join the investigation the next day, the High Court found these claims to be “rather suspicious”. General diaries show that Singh’s belongings, including his passport and bag, were handed over to the Delhi team who then took him away in a government vehicle, making a formal release unlikely.The court emphasized that the right to be tried within 24 hours is a mandatory constitutional provision. Citing Supreme Court precedent, the court noted that any detention beyond this period without judicial authorization would constitute an unlawful detention. Despite prosecutors’ concerns about the seriousness of the offence, and the fact that Singh tried to book a flight to abscond shortly after being notified by police, the court insisted that procedural law must be strictly adhered to. Accordingly, the bail was granted under strict conditions, including a personal surety bond of two lakh rupees.

U.S. payrolls surge in January; unemployment rate drops to 4.3%

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The number of U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by the largest amount in more than a year in January, and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell, indicating that the labor market will continue to stabilize in early 2026.

In January 2026, the U.S. labor market showed signs of stabilization, with 130,000 new jobs created and the unemployment rate at 4.3%. (AFP)
In January 2026, the U.S. labor market showed signs of stabilization, with 130,000 new jobs created and the unemployment rate at 4.3%. (AFP)

employer Data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday showed that 130,000 new jobs were created last month and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%. This follows a revision to the previous year, which showed a marked slowdown in hiring. Job creation averaged just 15,000 per month last year, down from the 49,000 initially reported.

Reports show the labor market is finding its footing after a year of rising unemployment and minimal hiring. While economists expect hiring to remain generally sluggish in 2026, the president’s impact will become clearer donald trump Economic policies and lower borrowing costs may encourage some employers to increase headcount.

January’s data reinforced Fed officials’ preference to keep interest rates on hold for now. Traders pushed back the timetable for the next rate cut from June to July.

Chairman Jerome Powell left interest rates unchanged last month, citing signs that the job market was stabilizing.

“It’s good news coming out of the hiring slump in 2025,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. “I think Fed Chairman Powell is right — the labor market appears to be stabilizing.”

With the release of the jobs report each January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics compares the payroll to a more accurate but less timely series called the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. The data is based on state unemployment insurance tax records and covers most U.S. jobs.

The adjustment shows job growth in the 12 months to March 2025 was nearly 900,000 lower than initially reported. That number is roughly in line with preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Job growth in January was led primarily by health care, which will account for the majority of job growth in 2025. Construction, professional and business services also added jobs, while manufacturing posted its first monthly job gain in more than a year. Federal employment continues to decline.

While layoffs have generally remained limited, companies such as Amazon.com Inc., United Parcel Service Inc. and others have made a wave of layoff announcements in recent weeks. Job openings across the economy fell to their lowest level since 2020 heading into this year.

two surveys

The jobs report consists of two surveys, one of businesses (which produces employment data) and the other of households (which is the source of the unemployment rate). In the household survey, the participation rate – the share of people working or looking for work – edged up to 62.5% in January.

There are other positive aspects, including the biggest fall since June 2022 in the number of people working part-time for economic reasons. More workers are leaving their jobs, signaling confidence in their ability to find new jobs. The number of people unemployed for at least 27 weeks also fell significantly.

Wednesday’s release also includes broad revisions to employer surveys. With the release of January 2026 data, the Bureau of Labor Statistics updated its so-called births and deaths model, which takes into account the net number of businesses opening and closing. Economists noted that the change should improve the model’s responsiveness to current economic conditions and reduce the size of baseline revisions over time.

Employment numbers have adjusted more sharply than usual in recent years, which some economists attribute to unique post-pandemic dynamics. The revisions have also become highly politicized, which was largely behind Trump’s firing of the former BLS commissioner when he claimed without evidence that the data had been manipulated for political purposes.

While the January jobs report typically incorporates new population estimates from the Census Bureau into household surveys, those data were delayed by a month because of last year’s record-breaking government shutdown. Trump administration officials have tried in recent days to recalibrate expectations for incoming jobs data due to deportations and slowing population growth.

Separately, the employment report showed average hourly earnings increased 0.4% from December. Economists watch this indicator closely as a driver of household spending.

Wednesday’s jobs report was originally scheduled for February 6 but was postponed due to the partial government shutdown.

‘Episode of terrorism’: Congressional briefing calls out ‘coordinated violence’ against Hindus in Bangladesh ahead of February 12 elections

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'Episode of terrorism': Congressional briefing calls out 'coordinated violence' against Hindus in Bangladesh ahead of February 12 elections

The Coalition of Hindus in North America (CoHNA) and HinduAction hosted a congressional briefing that highlighted testimony from witnesses and activists describing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh under Chief Counsel Muhammad Yunus Violence as coordination.The report comes a day before Bangladesh holds national elections on February 12. Participants in the event, which included journalists, human rights advocates, survivors, policy experts and the Bangladeshi Hindu diaspora, painted a picture of worsening fear, institutional breakdown and a climate of impunity. HNA Group Board member Sudha Jagannathan urged policymakers to center “the voices of victims,” ​​saying silence was unacceptable and describing the current situation as a massacre. Speakers called on Congress and the State Department to publicly condemn the violence, hold hearings, designate Bangladesh as a country of special concern, designate the Jamaat-e-Islami as a foreign terrorist organization, and impose Global Magnitsky sanctions against Muhammad Yunus. Michael Rubin, a keynote speaker at the American Enterprise Institute, advocated for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act and compared Bangladesh’s trajectory to Islamist trends in Turkey and Iran. He warned the international community not to have false trust in Yunus. Lawmakers and former officials have expressed concern. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) encouraged continued advocacy against extremist threats. Rep. Subrahmanyam (D-VA) questioned whether the upcoming elections can be considered “free and fair,” noting that Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has been banned since May 2025 and its student wing has been declared a “terrorist organization” since October 2024. Former Senator Samuel Brownback warned that continued violence against minorities could destabilize the country and drive out religious communities. Witnesses shared first-hand accounts of intimidation, allegedly coordinated violence and targeting of Hindu families and institutions. Some warn that the population could disappear if current trends continue. Diaspora youth spokespeople described recording incidents, alleged voter coercion and the psychological toll taken on minorities. Other experts have alleged institutional collusion, citing cases of mob violence, arrests of peaceful protesters, the release of Islamist militants and attacks on the media. Some have warned that Bangladesh risks political instability and wider regional security consequences.Rana Hassan Mahmood of the Center on U.S.-Bangladesh Relations warned that Bangladesh was heading toward “a sham election with a predetermined outcome.” He warned that by allowing Muhammad Yunus to remain in power, “we are contributing to the creation of a new center of terrorism whose repercussions will extend far beyond Bangladesh’s borders.” Organizers said the briefing was part of a broader grassroots campaign to draw international attention to issues of minority rights and religious freedom in Bangladesh.

‘Let’s work together’: Rahul Gandhi interjects as minister Ashwini Vaishnaw speaks – Watch | India News

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'Let's work together': Rahul Gandhi interjects as Minister Ashwini Vishno speaks - Watch

New Delhi: Minutes after the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha accused the Center of “selling out Bharat Mata” in the House, Rahul Gandhi“, continuing to interrupt the ministers outside. Disruption occurs as ministers Ashwini Vashno Prahlad Joshi addressed reporters while standing outside the House of Representatives. Vishno spoke about the security of Indians’ data and how Rahul Gandhi should verify the claims before raising serious allegations against the Center in the House.

BJP MPs counter Rahul Gandhi’s trade deal attack, Anurag Thakur says ‘grasping’ comments expose weaknesses

When the Information Technology Minister was speaking, Rahul Gandhi came up to him from behind and started speaking.“Come on, let us stand together. Let us do this together,” the Congress leader said as the ministers walked away.Earlier in the day, Rahul claimed that the India-US interim trade deal amounted to “wholesale capitulation” and accused the Center of “selling out Bharat Mata” to the detriment of the country’s energy security and farmers’ interests.Rahul said during the debate on the Union Budget that he did not believe any Indian prime minister, including Narendra Modi, would agree to such a deal unless he was “stifled”.“Why he (Modi) sold India – because they (the United States) had him by the neck. They had him by the neck,” Gandhi said. He began his speech with a martial arts metaphor of first choking, then choking his opponent until he withdraws.He referred to earlier remarks by Prime Minister Modi and NSA Ajit Doval that the era of war is over. “The fact is, we are entering an era of war. There is war in Ukraine, there is war in Gaza, there is war in the Middle East, there is the threat of war in Iran, and we have Operation Sindor.”“We are entering a dangerous world. We must understand our strengths, and the core strength of our country is our people,” he said, stressing the need to protect the country’s people, data, food supplies and energy systems.Rahul said if the Indian bloc government negotiates the deal, it will insist on equality with the United States.“The first thing we say (to Trump) is that the most important asset in this equation is India data. If the United States wants to protect the dollar, it must recognize that India’s data is its greatest asset. The second thing we’re saying to President Trump is, ‘If you want it, then you’re going to talk to us as equals, not as if we’re your servants,'” he said.He added that the Indian bloc government would declare energy security non-negotiable. “The third thing we’re telling President Trump is, ‘We understand you have a farm voter base and you need to protect farmers, but we’re also going to protect our farmers,'” he said.“The Indian bloc government will say data is our greatest strength, now let’s talk. We will go there (for talks) as equals. We will not be equals to Pakistan. If President Trump decides that Pakistan’s Army Chief will have breakfast with him, we will have something to say,” he added.The Indian Congress claimed that under the interim agreement, India’s energy security has effectively been ceded to the United States.“They will decide who we buy oil from, our prime minister will not decide. They will monitor and if India buys oil (from places they don’t want us to buy), they will punish us and increase the tariff to 50 per cent,” he said.Gandhi accused the government of enabling “the weaponization of energy and finance” and said it allowed Americans to “weaponize our finance and energy against us.”“How can you come to this house and defend it? Are you not ashamed of what you have given?” he asked.“I am saying you betrayed India. Aren’t you ashamed of betraying India? You betrayed our mother – Bharat Mata. Aren’t you ashamed?” he said.Finance bench members have repeatedly raised objections, calling the allegations “baseless” and asked Gandhi to corroborate his claims. Gandhi expressed his willingness to comply.

Nancy Guthrie’s family faces call to take polygraph test, ‘I thought Savannah…’

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as Nancy Guthrie“Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother has been missing since February 1, and Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld is urging the entire Guthrie family to take polygraph tests, saying the puzzling case of the 84-year-old’s disappearance doesn’t seem to defy logic.

During the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, Greg Gutfield suggested that the Guthrie family, especially Savannah, should take polygraph tests. (Savannah Guthrie/Facebook)
During the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, Greg Gutfield suggested that the Guthrie family, especially Savannah, should take polygraph tests. (Savannah Guthrie/Facebook)

“Did they give everyone a polygraph? I don’t believe they did. I think Savannah Guthrie probably volunteered to take a polygraph and said, ‘I just don’t want people to speculate that I might have been involved,'” Gutfield said on Monday’s show.

Often mistaken for a polygraph test, a polygraph is a pseudoscientific instrument or method used to measure and record various physiological parameters, including blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration, and skin conductivity, as an individual responds to a series of questioning.

Also read: Annie Guthrie’s neighbors are speaking out after the FBI discovered a SWAT vehicle during a search of bushes near her home

Greg Gutfield questions authenticity of ransom note

He stated that the accused ransom The notes sent to media organizations demanding Bitcoin to ensure the 84-year-old’s safe return are questionable.

He expressed skepticism about the ransom note, saying it appeared to be “a ruse because it doesn’t start and end with anything.”

“If you really want to make money, you don’t go to TMZ. You don’t go to Harvey Levin. You go to the wealthy family behind the scenes who are doing this, and then you [the public] Probably never heard of it,” the Fox News host said.

He emphasized that this conclusion raised questions about the payment process, such as where and how payments are made. “So I think it’s all a red herring.”

Also read: Carlos Palazuelos Family: Man jailed in Nancy Guthrie case released, mother-in-law exclaims: ‘My daughter and him…’

Greg Gutfield urges Savannah Guthrie to take polygraph test

Fox News host says if Savannah Guthrie Voluntarily submit to a polygraph test, which will help eliminate any doubts about the involvement of family members as they will also feel compelled to take a polygraph exam.

“It puts an obligation on everyone else in her circle to aggregate. They might have resisted doing it before, but if you actually say, ‘I’d like to do this,’ and everyone else decides to do it, that’s great,” Gutfield said.

“So if you said no after your daughter publicly said she was going to have one, that looks different to me,” he added.

Gutfeld also called for a re-examination of the financial status of Nancy’s relatives.