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Showing posts from January 6, 2013

DHS: Cyber Attacks Against U.S. Infrastructure Increased by 52 Percent in 2012

Cyber vulnerabilities around the U.S. (Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security) There were 198 attacks total The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that the number of cyber attacks launched against U.S. infrastructure in 2012 increased by over 50 percent, and over 7,000 key industrial control systems are vulnerable to attack. According to the DHS report, the number of cyber attacks in the U.S. jumped by 52 percent in 2012. There were 198 attacks total, and some were successful. The report noted that 82 of the attacks were against the energy sector; another 29 were against the water industry, seven against the chemical plants and six against nuclear companies. It was noted that these were just the cases that were reported -- there were likely several that were either unreported or undiscovered. It doesn't end there, however. The security advocacy group InfraCritical used a special search engine to find Internet-connected devices, and it discovered ab

U.K. Armed Forces Leaving Cyber Back Door Open

Gary Flood Huge resources have been promised to beef up country's cyber warfare defense, but little has actually been sent to armed forces, bipartisan report says. Has the U.K. left itself dangerously open to serious harm from a cyber attack on its armed forces? That's the danger suggested by a report by lawmakers, who point out that brave talk about major investment in the form of £650 million ($1 billion) in protecting the U.K.'s cyber defenses has translated to a much more modest £90 million ($144 million) for British soldiers, sailors and air force personnel. In fact, IT security leaders in the British fighting forces found that sum so paltry they've dipped into their own hard-pressed 2012-13 budget by a further £30 million ($48 million) -- which is also deemed inefficient. This has to be put in the context that in the 2011-12 financial timeframe, these forces had a budget of $63 billion (the U.K. hovers between being the fourth or fifth biggest combatant in

Cyber security becoming the 'arms race of the 21st century'

Defence policy is changing as countries rush to grow the technologies and skills, which will allow them to dominate the domain, writes former Europe minister It is not an exaggeration to say that the emergence of cyberspace is among the biggest changes in human history. Until now we have operated in four contested areas – land, sea, air and space. We now have a fifth: information. Digital technologies dominate all aspects of our society - from education to how we support critical infrastructure, from communication to business and of course how we support and enable our Armed Forces. From the Stuxnet virus to American warnings of increased state-led cyber attacks, the threat has become central to the modern security landscape. Global by nature and dependent on a loosely governed and rapidly evolving technology, cyber diffuses power among different actors. As the scale of our security posture's dependence on digital technologies grows, so too will the potential for disruption an

Govt has a new cyber security plan; PC hardware to come with statutory warning

In light of the rising instances of cyber crime in the country, the government reportedly has some changes lined up. The Times of India reports that the government wants every piece of computer hardware sold in the country to come with Cyber Security Awareness Brochures – similar to statutory warnings on cigarette packets. The move, however, is giving manufacturers sleepless nights, the report adds. "Hardware firms briefed about the government's plan are concerned that they will be faced with a logistical nightmare, all for the sake of an archaic but well-intentioned step of doubtful effectiveness," it says. Computer hardware with statutory warnings! TV Mohandas Pai, an IT industry veteran and chairman of the Karnataka government's panel on information and communication technology, opines that the government should first get some credibility on its side, before it expects citizens to listen to it on issues of cyber security. He was quoted as saying, "Governm

Iran refutes cyber strike allegations

Fri 11 January 2013 ‘Iran not involved in cyber strikes like US’. Iran’s mission to the United Nations has dismissed allegations of the Iranian government being behind cyber attacks on the US banking system. The mission said in a statement on Thursday that the Islamic Republic condemns any use of malware that target important service-providing institutes by violating the national sovereignty of states. “Unlike the United States, which has, per reports in the media, given itself the license to engage in illegal cyber-warfare against Iran, Iran respects the international law and refrains from targeting other nations’ economic or financial institutions,” the statement said. The US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has claimed that Iran has orchestrated cyber attacks on US financial institutions. “We believe that raising such groundless accusations are aimed at sullying Iran’s image and fabricating pretexts to push ahead with and step up illegal actions again

Russia's hand exposed: Spying Imams and mosque plots reveal Chechen link to Syria

With the crisis in Syria seemingly never ending, the question of Russia’s influence in the world has resurfaced. The former Soviet state has been playing its hand in the Arab world with an eye to widening its influence. While Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may be glad of the Slavic support, the history of Muslim/Russian relations inside the ex communist state shows he would be wise to be wary. However, with foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, announcing earlier this month that his “military advisers… have kept close watch over its [Syria’s] chemical arsenal”, the Middle East may already be in too deep. Lavrov may have said “military advisers” but most Middle East watchers suspected that Russian intelligence services had a greater part to play. The Federal Security Service (FSB), formerly the KGB, has a fearsome reputation, particularly when dealing with Muslims. The secret war in Chechnya, the largely Muslim area of Russia, has seen dissidents as far away as Istanbul and Duba

Anti-Terror Arrests: Police Question Four Men

3:00pm 10th January 2013. Police have arrested four men on suspicion of terror offences - three in London and one as he attempted to take a flight from Gatwick. They form part of an investigation into travel to Syria in support of alleged terrorist activity. Three men aged 18, 31 and 21, were arrested at separate addresses in east London in the early hours. A 33-year-old man was arrested at Gatwick Airport on Wednesday as he attempted to take a flight out of the UK. They are all being held in custody at a south London police station where they will be questioned by officers from the Metropolitan Police's counter terrorism command. Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "This is part of an investigation that has been going on for some months. "For a while MI5 and Scotland Yard's counter terror unit have been concerned about several dozen, they think, British men, travelling to Syria and taking part in the civil war there." Source http://www.964e

Sudan rebels seize 2 Darfur towns

KHARTOUM Rebels have seized two towns in Darfur, international peacekeepers quoted a local leader as saying, as fighting raged in at least two parts of the troubled region of western Sudan. Sudan’s military denied the report, but the UNAMID peacekeeping force said Central Darfur’s governor Youssef Tibin had told it armed groups had seized the towns of Golo and Rockero in the Jebel Marra area. “He also stated that approximately 850 families had been displaced and fled to Nertiti village as a result of the fighting, while others are believed to be wandering in the mountains seeking safety,” the UN/African Union force said in a statement. Tibin could not be reached for comment but Sudan’s army denied the government had lost control of the area, the state-linked Sudanese Media Center (SMC) said on its website. The army repulsed an attack in the same area by rebels of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction led by Abdel Wahed Mohamed El Nur, killing more than 30 fighters, the M

Fighting rages in Mali, troops seize rebel town

BAMAKO Mali’s army clashed with armed rebels along the front line in northern Mali on Thursday and said its forces had seized an important town, but the insurgents denied the claim. The fighting is the first major attempt by government forces to push back the insurgents since they seized the north, including the fabled desert city of Timbuktu, last year and could squash hopes of peace talks. Three armed groups – Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and Ansar Dine (Defenders of the Faith) -- have taken control of the northern zones of Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao. Mali’s army attacked rebel positions in Douentza, a gateway town between Mali’s rebel-held north and government-held south that had been in the hands of the Islamists since September. “The army has retaken Douentza, we just had confirmation that the rebels have withdrawn following the clash,” an officer at the military junta headquarters said on Thursday. But a

5 children among 10 killed in retaliatory attacks in Kenya

NAIROBI At least 10 people, five of them children, were killed in a retaliatory raid on Thursday in Kenya’s volatile Tana River delta region, the latest outbreak of violence ahead of elections due in less than two months, officials said. Red Cross officials said the victims in the Pokomo village of Kibusu were killed by raiders carrying guns and machetes. “There are 10 dead and two critically wounded, with gunshot wounds, machete cuts and burns,” local Red Cross official Caleb Kilunde said. The attack follows a dawn raid on Wednesday by members of the Pokomo tribe on the nearby village of Nduru, inhabited by members of the Orma tribe, in which nine people died. Violence between the two communities first erupted in August, pitting the Pokomo farming community against their Orma pastoralist neighbours and leading to a series of vicious reprisal killings and attacks that left more than 150 people dead. The repeated outbreaks of violence have raised security concerns ahead of el

Scotland to extradite Basque separatist to France

A Scottish court has granted a request to extradite an alleged member of the Basque separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) to France, says a Jurist report. Benat Atorrasagasti Ordonez, who had relocated to Scotland in 2001, was sentenced in absentia by a French court in 2008 to five years imprisonment on charges of criminal conspiracy, carrying out acts of terrorism, and recruiting and training members for ETA. Sheriff Alastair Noble, of the Edinburgh Sheriff Court, granted the extradition at a hearing on Monday. Ordonez was arrested in July and has remained in custody of Scottish authorities since. Ordonez faces an additional extradition demand from Spain, which has accused him of being a member of ETA as well as moving men and supplies between France and Spain and gathering reconnaissance on police officers and politicians. Ordonez denies that he is a terrorist and had fought a five-month court battle against both extradition claims before ending his opposition of the French

Tense calm in N. Ireland as violence abates

BELFAST Northern Ireland enjoyed its first night of calm in almost a week on Wednesday when protests at the removal of the British flag from Belfast City Hall passed off peacefully. Pro-British loyalists protested again in Belfast on Wednesday and police said rallies had spread to Londonderry, which this month became the first centre to take on the new title of UK City of Culture. But with the Union Flag flying at City Hall for the first time in over a month - to mark the birthday of Prince William’s wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge - there was no repeat of the brick-throwing battles that have raged for much of the last five weeks. However, more protests are planned this week. The flag is set to be raised on only 16 more days this year and community workers warned that more efforts may be needed to ease the tensions, which have led rioters as young as 11 to pelt police with petrol bombs and fireworks. “I think there are two things that might stop it: Someone loses the

Basques, Catalans angry at "provocative" defence minister speech

Two Spanish regions with strong pro-independence movements reacted angrily on Monday to a speech by the country's defence minister that said the military was prepared and calm in the face of "absurd provocations". Defence Minister Pedro Morenes made the comments at Spain's annual Epiphany military parade on Sunday, provoking reaction from politicians in Catalonia, where leaders are moving towards a referendum on independence from Spain, and the Basque Country. "The military is prepared, they are keeping calm and in good spirits and not reacting to absurd provocations," said Morenes, without directly mentioning either region. He also praised the armed forces as an example of "unity, honesty, generosity and bravery". After the death of dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975, Spain was carved up into 17 autonomous regions with power over education and health budgets, as well as the right to use local languages suppressed under Franco. Bu

'Drug alliances' terrorize Colombia’s Pacific coast

Drug wars and alliances between left-wing rebels and armed, criminal groups threaten stability along Colombia’s Pacific coast, says the commander of Colombia’s Navy in the Pacific. “In the Pacific operate "Los Urabeños", "Los Rastrojos", ELN and FARC. These groups are only interested in controlling drug trafficking routes, this is what generates conflicts between them and also alliances. For example, in the north, Rastrojos and FARC have allied to get drugs. FARC produces it and Rastrojos get it out of the country. In the south, there are constant encounters between armed gangs and the guerrillas over the control of routes,” Naval commander Rodolfo Amaya told Colombian newspaper El Pais. Colombia’s Pacific coast, the Choco, Cauca, Valle and Nariño departments, are home to left-wing guerrilla groups FARC and ELN, the drug-trafficking gang Rastrojos and the neo-paramilitary group Urabeños. Loyalties between these groups are constantly shifting, with reports of ce

Colombia civil society hand over proposals to FARC

Members of civil society on Thursday sent close to 500 proposals to peace negotiators for the country's largest left-wing guerrilla group, FARC. According to the FARC negotiators, most of the proposals concerned government neglect, abandonment and misery in rural areas. Lack of infrastructure and markets for agricultural projects, deficiencies in the credit system, health, education and housing, were also expressed, reported newspaper El Espectador. Other proposals included that the right to land be declared a constitutional right, limit land ownership of businesses to no more than 10% of the total land in a given municipality, formalize property rights and what plots are to be given to displaced people as well as regulating against large-scale landowners who leave land unused. The FARC also highlighted proposals which stressed the importance of victims of forced displacement receiving political, economic and cultural guarantees. Some proposals addressed women’s rights. Tu

Colombia’s FARC rebels say ceasefire to end Jan 20

* Military attacks have continued * Government has refused to lay down arms * Peace talks to resume on Monday in Havana HAVANA: A unilateral ceasefire declared at the beginning of peace talks with the Colombian government in November will end on Jan. 20 unless the government agrees to also lay down its arms, the country’s Marxist FARC rebels said on Wednesday. The rebels announced the ceasefire on Nov. 19, the first day of peace talks in Havana aimed at ending five decades of conflict in Colombia, but said it would last only two months if the government did not observe the truce. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has refused to take part, choosing instead to keep up military pressure to try to force the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, to reach an accord. “There will not be an extension of a unilateral ceasefire,” FARC lead negotiator Ivan Marquez told a news conference in the Cuban capital. “Only the signing of a bilateral ceasefire would be possible,

WV Army chief supports lobby for local ceasefire

BRGY. TILING, Cauayan - The Philippine Army in Western Visayas yesterday expressed its support to the move of Col. Oscar Lactao, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, to recommend to Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. a local ceasefire with the New People’s Army in Negros. Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said he has been pushing for localized ceasefires, because, “We feel that (peace) talks on the national level are very slow, as a lot of issues need to be addressed”. Not a single violent activity by the New People’s Army has been monitored by the 302nd and 303rd Infantry Brigades in Negros island, since the yuletide truce started Dec. 16. It will end on Jan. 15 as agreed on by both the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front. Since January last year, Mabanta said, the NPA in the region has not initiated major attacks against government forces and they are happy for it. On the contrary, he said, they have recorded an influx of rebel surrenderees, incl

Yemen officials say tribal chief killed in apparent revenge attack by al-Qaida

CAIRO — Yemeni security officials say a prominent tribal chief has been killed in an ambush, an apparent revenge attack by al-Qaida for his security links. The officials said suspected al-Qaida militants fatally shot Ali Abdul-Salam Thursday and wounded two of his guards as they rode in his vehicle in the southern province of Abyan. Security and tribal officials said Abul-Salam, an elected local council member in Shabwa province, was accused by militants of providing information to security agencies and foreign intelligence that led to the targeting of al-Qaida members. The officials were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters. The government, backed by the U.S., has been going after al-Qaida militants who have established strongholds in Yemen’s south. Source http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/yemen-officials-say-tribal-chief-killed-in-apparent-revenge-attack-by-al-qaida/2013/01/10/5a18f090-5b63-11e2-b8b2-0d18a64c8df

Pakistan’s ‘dramatic’ Islamic scholar challenges political dynasties

The scholar and political activist, Dr. Mohammad Tahirul Qadri, recently held a massive public rally in Lahore. (AFP) The Pakistani political scene has been shaken by the highly controversial Islamic scholar, Dr. Mohammad Tahirul Qadri. The scholar and political activist resigned from retired General Pervez Musharraf’s parliament. Qadri proceeded to obtain Canadian nationality for his entire family and has lived in Toronto for the past six years. The activist is known for his dramatic measures to win political support and sympathy, for example he insists that the Prophet Mohammed appeared in his dream two decades ago with the message that Qadri would lead Pakistan out of its crisis and assume a position in the country’s highest political office. He is considered the darling of the West among Pakistani clerics due to his issuance of a religious edict (Fatwa) declaring suicide attacks by the Taliban on armed forces as forbidden (Haram). Qadri recently held a massive public meet

Bomb halts Yemen Marib oil pipeline flows again- officials

Yemen resumed oil pumping on Dec. 31 at a rate of around 70,000 barrels per day (bpd) after the latest repairs to a pipeline which used to carry around 110,000 bpd of Marib light crude an export terminal on the Red Sea before a spate of attacks began in 2011. (Reuters) Flows of oil through Yemen’s main crude export pipeline have stopped again after it was blown up by unknown attackers on Thursday morning, government and oil industry officials said. Yemen resumed oil pumping on Dec. 31 at a rate of around 70,000 barrels per day (bpd) after the latest repairs to a pipeline which used to carry around 110,000 bpd of Marib light crude an export terminal on the Red Sea before a spate of attacks began in 2011. Just 10 days after flows restarted, unknown attackers blew up the pipeline again by placing a roadside bomb near the line in Serwah area in the central Maarib province, a government security official said. “The bombing of the pipeline made us stop the crude pumping from the fiel

Saudi foreign minister warns Iraq against sectarian extremism

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said Iraq will not stabilize until it starts handling issues without sectarian extremism. (Reuters) Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal warned Iraq on Sunday against sectarian extremism after two weeks of protests by Sunni Muslims against the Shiite-backed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Nationwide street demonstrations in Iraq's Sunni heartland have strained the Arab state's fragile political balance and renewed fears of intensified sectarian strife. “We are convinced that Iraq will not stabilize until it starts handling issues without sectarian extremism... Until these issues are addressed, we don't think there will ever be stability in Iraq, which pains us,” Prince al-Faisal told a news conference in Riyadh. Iraq's Arab majority is mostly Shi'ite but the country was dominated by Sunnis under former strongman Saddam Hussein and much of the fighting since he was deposed has fallen along sectarian

Samutsevich to appeal Pussy Riot extremism ruling Jan. 24

MOSCOW, January 10 - RAPSI. On January 24, Moscow City Court will hear Pussy Riot member Yekaterina Samutsevich's appeal of an earlier declaration of video footage of the group's various antics should be banned due to their extremist content, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court press service told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) Thursday. On November 29, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court restricted access to four Pussy Riot videos posted on five websites in accordance with the motion submitted by prosecutors. The video footage featured the band's performance at the Christ the Savior Cathedral, and the band's rallies on Red Square, on the roof of a detention center, and in a trolley. In late February, five young women wearing brightly colored balaclavas performed a "punk-style" prayer at the altar of Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral. An edited video of their performance that was posted on the Internet caused a public outcry

Maldives cleric's murder raises fears of growing religious extremism

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (left) with the man who succeeded him, Mohamed Nasheed, the day after the 2008 elections which ended his three-decade rule. More conservative strands of Muslim thought have made inroads since Gayoom left power. Photograph: Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images The killers worked quickly. Their victim did not even have time to reach his front door, only a few yards away. Stabbed repeatedly in the head and back, Afrasheem Ali, member of parliament and a cleric, bled to death in minutes. The murder last October in Malé, the capital of the Maldives, shocked many. Claim and counterclaim quickly circulated. The police hinted the killers of the cleric, from a party loyal to the former autocratic ruler of the island nation, had political links to the opposition. But according to Ibrahim, a gang leader in Malé, the murderers were from a gang of extremist Muslims angered by Ali's moderate views. He was slain immediately after a live TV show in which he discussed hi

Court considers demand that U.S. release photos of bin Laden's body

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was buried at sea after he was killed in a raid in Pakistan. Should photos of Osama bin Laden's body be release? Weigh in at CNN iReport, Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments below. Washington (CNN) -- A federal appeals court panel is considering whether photos of Osama bin Laden's body should be released. Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group, argued Thursday before a three-judge panel that the Freedom of Information Act requires the government to release the pictures or better explain why the release of specific images would damage national security. The judges, with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, did not say how soon they may rule. Judicial Watch attorney Michael Bekesha said government records indicate there are 52 images of bin Laden taken just after his death or when his body was aboard the USS Carl Vinson and then buried at sea. During the court hearing, Bekesha argued the shots of the burial at sea could be relea

Islamic extremism dominates persecution list

WASHINGTON – Islamic extremism, especially in Africa and the Middle East, dominates the latest annual report on global persecution of Christians. Eight of the top 10 persecutors of Christians – and 24 of the top 30 – are countries marked by militant Islam, according to Open Doors’ 2013 World Watch List released Jan. 8. Meanwhile, North Korea, a non-Islamic country, maintained its hold on the No. 1 spot in the Open Doors list for the 11th consecutive year. “Islamic extremism is the prime persecutor of Christians in the world today,” said Ron Boyd-MacMillan, Open Doors’ chief strategy officer, at a Washington, D.C., news conference. Among 24 of the leading 30 persecuting countries, “it is Islamic extremists, either in government or in violent opposition forces, that are the source of the persecution,” he said. The new list of the world’s most severe persecutors of Christians includes five African countries that were unranked last year but reached the top 50 because of the impact

Extremism: So Hot Right Now

According to Liberal frontbencher Eric Abetz, the Australian Greens Party is the “epitome of extremism”. Talk about the pot calling the kettle extremist. Abetz was inspired to his alliterative epithet because a couple of Greens Senators, notably party leader Christine Milne, refused to condemn the anti-coal activist Jonathan Moylan, over a hoax which — for about 90 minutes, until it was discovered — decreased the value of Whitehaven Coal by more than $300 million on Monday. It was the simplest of hoaxes. Moylan dummied up a press release, purporting to be from the ANZ Bank, saying it had withdrawn a $1.2 billion loan for a new coal mine. (The trick, we might add, would not have had its effect if members of the financial media had bothered to check the veracity of Moylan’s fake press release before publishing stories.) Milne described the hoax as being part of “a long and proud history of civil disobedience” in Australia. This was, when you parse it, a pretty mild endorsement

State police have terrorism reporting app

In case you see suspicious activity and want to report it, state police have an app for that. Police announced the release of the "See Something, Send Something" app for smartphones on Thursday. The app allows users to report suspicious activity that may be linked to terrorism, police said in a news release. Tips will go to the Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center to be evaluated by analysts and assigned for investigation as warranted. The application, which is available free to iPhone and Android phone users, also includes information on what to look for and when to report suspicious activity, and how to receive important alerts, the release states. Factors such as race, ethnicity, national origin, or religious affiliation alone are not suspicious activity. Because of that, residents should report only suspicious behavior and situations, such as an unattended backpack in a public place. In addition to the new mobile app, residents can call the toll-free Sta

Terrorism, cyber security issues dominate BRICS security meet

Terrorism and cyber security were among the issues which dominated the fourth meeting of the national security advisors (NSAs) of BRICS nations here on Thursday. The top security officials of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India -China-South Africa) also discussed regional and international issues, including conflict in Syria and situation in Libya. Noting the mandate of their meeting, which was the first stand alone meet since they started holding parleys in 2009, was to look at the issues of common concern and international situation, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon said the aim was to "consult, coordinate and see where we can cooperate on some of these issues". The meeting also discussed how the grouping, which now accounts for about 43 per cent of the world's population and about one quarter of world's GDP, can work together for the global peace, stability, growth and betterment, he said. "Most of our discussions concentrated on important regional

Shooting erupts at high school in California, two hurt

by FP Staff Jan 11, 2013 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Gunfire erupted on Thursday at a California high school in inland Kern County in a shooting in which two people were injured, county officials said, and media reports indicated the assailant had been arrested. A Kern County sheriff’s dispatcher confirmed the shooting at Taft Union High School but gave no other details, and the county fire chief said two people had been wounded, including one who was airlifted to a nearby hospital. The other refused treatment. The shooting comes on the heels of a December rampage at a Connecticut elementary school in which a gunman killed 20 children and six teachers in an attack that shocked the nation and has fueled a heated national debate over gun control. In California, an ABC affiliate reported that sheriff’s deputies were going room-by-room to secure the school in the city of Taft, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles. It said the shooter had been apprehended by police. The statio

South Asia mulls cost of ongoing terrorist violence

Pune residents hold a peace rally in their city in February 2010, protesting a terror attack against a popular landmark, the German Bakery. A new report, the Global Terrorism Index, finds that South Asia remains a hotspot for violent extremism. [Saijad Hussain/Khabar] A new survey on terrorism around the world highlights the continuing threat in South Asia, while also providing some grounds for cautious optimism – particularly in Bangladesh. The first-of-its-kind Global Terrorism Index, produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), was published on December 4th. It surveyed 158 countries around the world and ranked them based on the number of terrorist attacks, the number of fatalities and injuries from terrorism, as well as the estimated property damage. India and Pakistan were both among the top five countries affected by terror threats, with Pakistan at number two on the list. India was ranked fourth. The findings underscore the degree to which South Asia remains a

Digvijay compares attack on Indian soldiers to terrorism

Rewa: Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh today said killing of two soldiers on the LoC was similar to “a terrorist attack” and India should adopt a tough posture against Pakistan. “In view of the brutal manner in which Pakistani Army has killed the two Indian Army personnel, India should adopt a tough posture against Pakistan. The act of Pakistani Army is like a terrorist act,” the Congress leader told reporters after a party rally. Source http://www.firstpost.com/india/digvijay-compares-attack-on-soldiers-to-terrorism-584098.html

UN wants drones over Congo to keep the peace

The United Nations is considering using unmanned drones in its peacekeeping operations for the first time, as it seeks to strengthen its forces in eastern Congo. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, is pushing for the deployment of drones in a diplomatic battle in New York that could have far-reaching implications for the future of international peacekeeping. The proposal to use the unarmed intelligence-gathering drones has the backing of council members the US, UK and France but faces opposition from China and Russia. Rwanda, which holds one of the council's rotating seats, and is accused of meddling in its larger neighbour, is also determined to block the move. Monusco, the UN's mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the largest of its kind, was humiliated last year after first vowing to prevent armed rebels from taking the regional capital before standing aside and allowing them to march into Goma. The M23 rebels routed the Congolese national army, despite

Turkey's war hits streets of Paris

The brutal assassination in central Paris of three Kurdish militants, including a founder member of the separatist group the PKK, sent a wave of shock through France and Turkey today. The three women were found shot in the head at a Kurdish “information centre” a few steps from the Gare du Nord in the early hours of yesterday morning. The attack is believed to have occurred at least eight hours earlier. Police broke down the blood-stained door of office in a classic Parisian apartment block and discovered what one officer called a scene of “cold-blooded butchery, almost certainly an execution”. Two of the women had been shot in the back of the head and the other in the forehead and chest. Turkish government officials and French intelligence sources last night blamed faction-fighting within the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) for the killings. They said that the murders were probably connected to exploratory talks between the Turkish government and the imprisoned PKK leader, Abdu