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AP file image of ISIS used for representational purpose only.

HYDERABAD:Konakalla Subrahmanyam alias Omer, who was arrested recently by the Hyderabad Special Investigation Team (SIT) for having links with ISIS, was allegedly influenced by reading three books on Islam.

In his confessional statement, the 24-year-old Omer said he had met one Abdul Shukur, who worked in a madarsa at Pedana in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh and was gifted three booksShrushtini Kaadu, Shrushti Kartanau Poojinchu, O Manishi Nee Shrushti Kartanu Gurtinchu and Life History of Prophet Mohammed and Laailaahailla-Illaihu Mahummadur - Rasoolu-Illahwhich influenced him to convert to Islam.

I got circumcision (Kathana) at Machilipatnam with the help of Dr Chand Pasha. I also attended prayers at Tabligh Jamath Masjid in Machilipatnam. Later, I attended Tablig Jamat at Siddipur in Gujarat where I met one Mohammed Shafi of Hyderabad. I underwent training in rituals at Darul-ul- Uloom madarsa for nine months at Khali village near Siddipur, he told investigators during his five-day-long questioning.

Omer also allegedly assisted Srinagar youth in collecting funds in Hyderabad. In May, Mohammed Amir of Islamic Global School of Srinagar told him that they wanted to visit Hyderabad to collect donations for his school. Amir advised me to listen to the speeches and bayaans of prominent religious scholars such as Zakir Naik, Fayaz Syed, Abu Zahid Iamir, Qarie Shoib Ahmed, Mufti Menk, Arshad BashirMadani, Mohammed Ali Mirza that are available on social networking sites. I followed his instructions. I worked for Islamic State Iraq and Syria (ISIS) through social netwokring by motivating the youth and discussing atrocities on Muslims in India, Omer said in his confessional statement.

Omer, who was born and brought up at Kotha Majeru village in Krishna district, came in contact with one Abu Qahafa Al-Hindi Waseem, a resident of Saudi Arabia, through Telegram App. Omer also contacted Abu Muhammad of Pakistan, Abudl Jaleel Oyelese of Nigeria and Aidi Sumaili of Johannesburg Ismail Sha Sahil of Pakistan through Facebook.

The investigators have obtained Omers Facebook messenger details from his mobile phone in which Omer had conversation with one Ismail of Pakistan on June 7, 2016 regarding Moulana Masood Azhar, a dreaded terrorist residing in Pakistan. Omer also had a chat with Abu Mohammad of Pakistan on December 20, 2016. Omer received a PDF file by Telegram App from Abu Qahafa Al Hindi on March 3, 2017 on how to prepare a petrol bomb and how to use it. Similarly, Abu informed him that he would sent another important file that would give a useful formula, said sources.

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'I worked for ISIS through social networking sites to motivate youths ... - The New Indian Express

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Theres a certain 10-letter word that incites dread among shy college students and young professionals: networking.

Whether youre in high school, college or just starting out in the workforce, chances are you have a relative or teacher who lives by the Its not what you know, its who you know mantra. But what actuallymatters most when it comes to landing a dream internship or job: who you know or what you know?

While its nice to think that a stellar GPA and packed resume will land you the job, a recent LinkedIn study proves as painful as it may be to hear that, in some cases, our parents and teachers have been right all along. For students looking to go into certain industries like banking, film and higher education it does matter who you know after all.

Seventy percent of professionals worldwide were hired by a company at which they had a connection, the professional social networking service found.

(Graphic provided by LinkedIn)

Industries that require highly specialized training or degrees such as technology, entertainment, and defense companies are most likely to hire within their own networks.

Since those individuals tend to have specific capabilities and experiences, the hiring pool tends to be much smaller, the study states. Whats more, hiring managers will often rely on current employees with the specialized skill or qualification theyre looking to attract recommendations.

So, if you want to work in these industries, its in your best interest to hold on to all those business cards.

(Graphic provided by LinkedIn)

But if youre looking to go into fields like graphic design, photography and medicine, you can clear some of those business cards out of your wallet or purse.

Those fields are among the least likely to hire from within their networks. LinkedIn speculates this ispossibly because many medical positions are decided on a more geographically-random application process and often value quantitative results like test scores over culture fits or referrals.

In other fields, though, the importance of networking isnt as clear cut.

Students looking to work in higher education should focus on building their networks, but those who want to work in primary or secondary education dont have to worry about their networks as much.

Only 16.1% of primary and secondary education hires come from network connections, compared to 36% of higher education hires. Professionals at colleges and universities rely on the work of professionals at other schools, which is how they forge network connections. The primary education industry, however, is less driven by these relationships.

If you plan to enter an industry where networking is key but dont know where or how to start, dont worry. LinkedIn Senior Product Manager Kylan Nieh has some helpful tips:

Acomplete LinkedIn profileincreases your chances of being discovered by recruiters. Even just adding a photo makes you stand out from the crowd. Add any relevant job or volunteer experience, education and skills both soft and hard skills to make yourself stand out.

Yourprofessional network is the best tool you haveas you embark on the job hunt. Add friends from your class or campus clubs, and consider joining LinkedIn Groups that are relevant to your professional interests.

Reach out to alumni from your university, as they may be more open to talking with current students. In addition to helping your search, this can also give you a better sense of the types of jobs people with your same major got after graduation.

People and companies that you find interesting. This will help you understand more about the industries you care about. But also, when you follow a company on LinkedIn, you will be among the first to know about their job listings and news. You can also see shared connections and those who can help you find your way in to a new opportunity.

Kyler Sumter is a USA TODAY College digital producer and a Boston University student.

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Your connections matter most in these industries, according to LinkedIn - USA TODAY

You don't have to look very far to notice teenagers with their noses glued to their phones, but it's hard to know what -- or who -- is on the other side.

Caresse Jackman , WWLTV 10:24 PM. CDT July 12, 2017

NEW ORLEANS- You don't have to look very far to notice teenagers with their noses glued to their phones, but it's hard to know what -- or who -- is on the other side.

This week, police say a 13-year-old girl left her home with a 22-year-old man she met through social media. Experts say this kind of incident is more common than you think.

"Unfortunately this story is not surprising. What we're seeing play out more is thisfalstsense of security," Dr. SherylKennedy-Haydel, Associate Professor at Xavier University said, "That you know someone just because maybe you interact with them through a direct message maybe a few times a day. When, in essence, you don't know them. All you know is what they're allowing you to know through the social media platform."

The New Orleans Police Department arrested 22-year-oldRigobertoUsher on July 12 for the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl. Investigators tell Eyewitness News he picked up the teenager from her home against her guardian's consent. The two reportedly met on social media.

In a study by KidsLiveSafe.com, the number of sexual predators using social media has more than doubled over the last few years, with more than 82 percent of sex crimes starting on social networking sites.

Jim Kelly with Convenant House knows this leads to potentially dangerous consequences.

"This past year we cared for over 90 human trafficking victims. And what we're finding this summer, is that we're coming across more and more who are under 17 years of age," Kelly said.

Kelly said those victims often become scarred for life.

"There are people out there preying on them. And what happens to those women, and their dignity taken away. And they're raped and assaulted," Kelly said.

According to Dr.Kennedy-Haydel, preventing these crimes could be as easy as talking to your children about social media and what might be out there.

"Whether you like it or not. Whether you think it's useful or not, it's still going to be around for quite some time," she said.

Usher is now in central lockup on a count of simple kidnapping.

2017 WWL-TV

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Kidnapping case reminder of social media dangers - WWL

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. CircuitPresident Donald Trump will soon have the opportunity to fill a key vacancy on the federal bench. As The Wall Street Journal and Buzzfeed have reported, Janice Rogers Brown, an outspoken federal judge with strong libertarian tendencies, will retire next month after serving 12 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

A former California Supreme Court justice, Brown was first nominated to the federal judiciary in 2003 by President George W. Bush, but Senate Democrats repeatedly blocked her confirmation. She was eventually confirmed in 2005.

During her tenure on the D.C. Circuit, Brown emerged as a powerful voice in defense of civil and economic liberties. In the 2015 case of United States v. Gross, for example, Brown filed a sharp dissent lambasting the pro-police "prevailing orthodoxy" in Fourth Amendment cases. The right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, Brown maintained, should clearly forbid law enforcement from conducting "a rolling roadblock that sweeps citizens up at random and subjects them to undesired police interactions culminating in a search of their persons and effects." Yet somehow "our case law considers such a policy consistent with the Fourth Amendment." Brown disagreed: "I continue to think this [case law] is error."

Brown has been equally critical of government malfeasance in the economic realm. In the 2012 case of Hettinga v. United States, for instance, Brown came out swinging against the Supreme Court case law that left the D.C. Circuit with no choice but to uphold a federal price-rigging scheme that made it illegal for an upstart family dairy farm to bottle and sell its own milk for 20 cents less than the competition. This case "reveals an ugly truth," Brown wrote. "America's cowboy capitalism was long ago disarmed by a democratic process increasingly dominated by powerful groups with economic interests antithetical to competitors and consumers. And the courts, from which the victims of burdensome regulation sought protection, have been negotiating the terms of surrender since the 1930s."

Brown also has the distinction of being denounced as a crazy libertarian by Barack Obama. In 2005, then-Sen. Obama voted against Brown's confirmation to the D.C. Circuit because he disliked her views on economic liberty and the Constitution. "One of the things that is most troubling is Justice Brown's approval of the Lochner era of the Supreme Court," Obama said, referring to Lochner v. New York, the 1905 case in which the Supreme Court struck down a state economic regulation because it served no legitimate health or safety purpose and thus violated the 14th Amendment. As it happens, Obama is the one who is wrong about Lochner.

The news of Brown's retirement has already prompted speculation and debate about her possible replacement. At The Volokh Conspiracy, Case Western law professor Jonathan Adler suggests that the Trump administration may want "to use the D.C. Circuit opening to break the apparent logjam over nominations to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit." That logjam, which has been extensively covered and analyzed by David Lat at Above the Law, boils down to this: There are currently two Texas openings on the 5th Circuit and three real contenders in the running. Each contender has the support of powerful political figures in Texas.

One of the three contenders is Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett. Because Willett recently appeared on Donald Trump's Supreme Court shortlist, he would seem to be a natural pick for the 5th Circuit. But Texas politics have so far apparently prevented any 5th Circuit nominees from being named. The solution now proffered by Adler is for Trump to nominate Willett (or one of the other two) to the D.C. Circuit and thus make federal appellate judges out of all three in one swoop.

Hugh Hewitt, the conservative talk radio host and influential political pundit, is now pushing this very plan. "The retirement of Judge Janice Rogers Brown solves 5th logjam problem. @JusticeWillett to D.C. Circuit," Hewitt recently tweeted.

Nominating Willett to the D.C. Circuit does make sense. Besides breaking the "logjam," it would replace the liberty-minded Brown with the liberty-minded Willett. Much like Brown, Willett is famous for his judicial benchslaps against both overreaching law enforcement and against overreaching government regulators.

If the White House is looking for a fitting replacement for Janice Rogers Brown on the D.C. Circuit, Don Willett would appear to be it.

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Janice Rogers Brown, America's Most Libertarian Federal Judge, Is Retiring - Reason (blog)

Early last month, Director of National Intelligence Dan CoatsDan CoatsGranting NSA permanent bulk surveillance authority would be a mistake Sessions, deputy AG to tour Guantanamo Bay prison The Memo: GOP pushes Trump to curb Mueller attacks MOREreneged on a promisethat the National Security Agency would provide an estimate of just how many Americans have seen their communications collected under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It was the same broken promise made to Congress by his predecessor, James Clapper.

Indeed, for the past six years, the NSA has flummoxed congressional oversight with its reluctance to give lawmakers this kind of hard data. And yet, despite this pattern of obfuscation of promising transparency and then dialing back said promisesCongress is now debating a bill that would give immense power to that same agency.

The legislation, which has left many privacy advocates aghast, comes in the form ofa proposalby Sen. Tom CottonTom CottonOvernight Finance: GOP goes after arbitration rule | Bill allocates .6B for Trump border wall | Fed officials cautious on rate hike | McConnell aiming for debt vote before August recess Overnight Regulation: GOP senator aims to repeal arbitration rule | Feds to rethink fuel efficiency fines | EPA moves to roll back restrictions on Alaska mine Lawmakers press Sessions over online gambling MORE (R-Ark.) for a so-called "clean" reauthorization that would leave the current Section 702 intact. Of course, it isn't actually clean, in that Cotton's bill would remove the sunset provision that forces the program to expireDec. 31unless Congress explicitly re-authorizes it. In other words, even as Coats now deems it infeasible that the NSA will ever tell Congress how many Americans have been surveilled under Section 702a number that likely would shock the conscienceCotton wants to ensure 702 is never up for debate again.

Coatsexplainedto the Senate Intelligence Committee last month that the NSA ended about collectionthat is, the practice of collecting digital communications in which a foreign target is mentioned, but is not the sender or recipientdue to technical limitations on the agency's ability to protect wholly domestic communications. However, he didnt rule out resuming about collection if the agency discovers a technological fix. Paul Morris, deputy general counsel for operation at the NSA,toldthe Senate Judiciary Committee several weeks later they might decide to come back to it anytime. NSA representatives also havewarnedthey would oppose a permanent legislative ban on this type of collection.

A recurring theme from law-enforcement and intelligence community representatives in recent House and Senate hearings is that technological developments can drastically change how government conducts surveillance. But even as agency representatives tell us how rapidly surveillance methods change, a permanent reauthorization of current surveillance methods presumes that future revolutions in technology won't affect Americans relative privacy. Not long ago, few could have conceived of an email or that it would become a major tool of communication.

If the intelligence community decides to resume about collection, a method proven to have violated Americans rights in the past, Congresss oversight role should not be hamstrung by a permanent reauthorization. Eliminating the law's sunset provision would limit Congress's ability to revisit these questions and examine exactly how surveillance methods might change in the future. With far-reaching technological change always looming, Congress must periodically revisit the legal authority behind these intelligence tools both to ensure they remain effective at protecting the nation, and that adapting an old law to new technologies doesnt open the door to abuse.

Establishing a sunset for the program shouldnt be anathema to those who are primarily concerned with national security. To the contrary, it is the best way to ensure the program remains viable and accomplishes the purpose of keeping Americans safe. Permanent reauthorization would limit any attempts to modify surveillance. It also increases the risk of another leak and public outcry, which easily leads to a knee-jerk reaction. Intelligence agencies could shy away from reasonable and effective procedures, absent any obligation to report to congressional oversight.

A kid genius working from a basement today may change the way our systems work tomorrow, crippling the effectiveness of Section 702 or opening the door to abuse. Giving law enforcement and the intelligence community's great power without built in opportunities to revisit that authorization would be a disservice to the security and civil rights of the American people. In the end, the most critical reform to Section 702 might already be part of thestatus quo.

Arthur Rizer(@ArthurRizer)is the national security and justice policy director at the R Street Institute, and Ashkhen Kazaryan (@Ashkhen) is an affiliated fellow at the non-profit TechFreedom.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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Granting NSA permanent bulk surveillance authority would be a mistake - The Hill (blog)