7th March 2021
Shorts:
News at a glance
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Microsoft Exchange email hack
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-Devansh Mishra
Source: BBC
When you think of an emailing server, you would normally think of a more dormant, quiet, peaceful ambience oozing out of the billions of computer chips in the server room. You don’t think of a thousand red, blaring alarms, people running helter-skelter to alleviate the chaos, and a public apology and instructions to help mitigate the damages.
On Tuesday, Microsoft got wind of a widespread hack of their email server Exchange. Based in the US, the server has aided several businesses, small and large alike, to maintain their email systems and enhance their speeds as far as possible. The hack has resulted from a few holes in their systems, resulting in the attackers being able to control the victim’s computer.
Microsoft has been quick to blame the Chinese agency Hafnium to be the root of the attack. They believe with “high confidence” that it is a “state-sponsored threat actor” which they traced back to be Hafnium. The multinational claims that Hafnium was in search of information from groups such as infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions and defence contractors. In response, a Chinese government agent gave an exclusive to the Reuters news agency, terming all allegations against the country to be untrue.
The White House Press Secretary said “this is an active threat” and it could have a “far-reaching impact”. Around 20,000 businesses have supposedly been exposed to the attack, as Microsoft is trying their level best to help those in need.
Source: BBC, NYTimes, KrebsSecurity
Pakistani PM Khan wins vote of confidence after Opposition boycott
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-Grace treesa
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan won a vote of confidence from parliament on Saturday with a session highlighted by the opposition boycott and clashes outside the parliament building. The speaker announced that he was able to secure 178 of the 172 votes required to win confidence, out of the 342 member National Assembly. The motion was presented by the foreign minister and party leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
The Prime Minister had won his current position with his party Tehreek-e-Insaf after the 2018 general elections and tried to seek the confidence vote after a finance minister lost their senate seat in an election recently.
On Friday, the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) which formed the 10-party opposition boycotted the session citing that Khan no longer had confidence in the House and the Senate defeat was enough to show it.
“An illegal session is being called to cheat the people,” says former PM and opposition head, Mr. Shahid Abbasi. The benches are seen as almost completely deserted, with the exception of Mohsin Pawar; an independent candidate and leader.
Local media footage shows the opposition leaders being attacked by supporters of Khan’s while speaking to the media. Both Abbasi and a female senator are seen being hurt in the scuffle.
Sources: Reuters, CNBC
The PM has finally won the vote of confidence. What's next for the former national cricket captain?
Source: NDTV
Art for Survival: Kyohei Sakaguchi
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-Grace Treesa
People in the spotlight
Source: Outlook India
This started early on when he wanted to move into one of his “zero yen” houses, made completely of recycled materials when the 2011 tsunami of Japan put a hold on it. Sakaguchi had just begun treatment for his bipolar disorder. He left Tokyo and moved southwest to a coastal city, Kumamoto.
Leaving his work gave him suicidal instincts, and he started to think about how he might care for himself when he published his phone number as a suicide helpline. It was a direct link to his cellphone, and still is working to this day.
He began receiving calls, ranging from five to over a hundred a day as his popularity increased. That number has only increased following the pandemic, as suicide rates in Japan have risen.
While moving to Kumamoto wasn’t a complete retreat for modernity, as it is still a modern developing city in the centre, it is just half an hour from the hills and the calming sea. He moved into a neighbourhood with nineteenth-century buildings and papermakers. Exploring his heritage here has inspired him artistically and mentally.
He calls art a technique for life and has written experimental fiction and self-help books, painted modern abstract art all while successfully running the helpline. Sakaguchi shows us how we can turn to things like art for both survival and relaxation in such uncertain times.
Source: Washington Post, NYTimes, The Japan Times
Road to the WTC Final
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-Devansh Mishra
A victorious Indian team stepped out of the grounds of the Motera Cricket Stadium on Saturday, hoisting the trophy that they won in the air. Vanquishing the tourists by a mighty margin of 3-1, the Indian team has now qualified for the solitary spot in the WTC Final that was up for grabs.
Mounting the score of 365 on the board in their first innings, the English team couldn’t surpass the score even in their allotted 2 innings, as the home team emerged victorious by an inning and 25 runs. The highlight of the test was clearly the whirlwind knock of Rishab Pant, amassing 101 runs in just 118 balls, accompanied by the solid Washington Sundar who played the supporting role. The young man was on the cusp of his maiden International hundred on the score of 96 but unfortunately ran out of partners at the other end. In the bowling department, the local boy Axar Patel and his partner-in-crime Ravi Ashwin wreaked havoc in the lines of the English battalion. In both their innings, they were bowled out with only 205 and 135 on the board respectively. Patel got 9 wickets and Ashwin got 8 in the whole match. The only player who provided some resistance was Dan Lawrence who scored a 50 in the second innings, while the other players somewhat surrendered meekly.
Rishab Pant was awarded the Man of the Match, while Ravi Ashwin was clearly the Man of the series. He got 32 scalps to his name, and he accompanied that with a century too.
Source: DNA India