CERT-In issues high-severity alert on WhatsApp GhostPairing attack

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a high-severity cybersecurity advisory warning users about an active threat campaign targeting WhatsApp accounts across India. The attack technique, known as GhostPairing, allows cybercriminals to take over WhatsApp accounts without passwords, OTP interception, or SIM swapping, raising serious concerns amid the surge in digital fraud and social engineering attacks.

Paliyar families petition for revenue village recognition in Dindigul

Seventeen families belonging to the Paliyar tribe from Shanmugam Parai Paliyarkudi in Periyammapatti panchayat of Palani taluk, Dindigul district, have approached the district administration seeking formal recognition of their settlement as a revenue village. The petition highlights long-standing concerns over land rights, culturally appropriate housing, and access to basic welfare services.

A Long-Awaited Reset in India’s Nuclear Journey

Parliament’s passage of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill marks a decisive attempt to reboot India’s stalled civil nuclear programme. Despite early technological ambition, legal uncertainty, liability fears and regulatory ambiguity kept investment and global collaboration limited. SHANTI seeks to replace this fragmented architecture with a coherent framework, aiming to make nuclear power a core pillar of India’s clean energy mix, with a target of 100 GW by 2047.

A Structural Redesign of the H-1B System

The United States has announced a fundamental overhaul of the H-1B visa programme, scrapping the long-standing lottery system and replacing it with a weighted, wage-based selection model. Effective from February 27, 2026, the change will apply to the FY 2027 H-1B cap cycle, covering around 85,000 visas annually. While framed as a move towards “merit-based” migration, the reform carries major implications for India, which accounts for over 70% of H-1B recipients.

A Turning Point in Global Oil Pricing

For decades, global oil prices were shaped primarily by production decisions taken by OPEC and its allies (OPEC+). That assumption was decisively challenged in 2025, when China, the world’s largest crude oil importer, emerged not merely as a price-taker but as a price stabiliser. Instead of altering output, China influenced prices through strategic use of crude oil storage, shaping both the floor and ceiling of the market.