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Showing posts from September 26, 2021

3 terrorist attacks in J&K; 1 civilian killed, another injured

  Three separate terrorist attacks rocked Srinagar on Saturday leading to the death of a civilian in one of the attacks. Another civilian was injured in the second attack that took place in Srinagar, while in the third incident where terrorists hurled a grenade towards a CRPF bunker in Anantnag district, no damage was reported. In the first incident at about 5.50pm, terrorists fired at Majid Ahmad, a resident of Chattabal Srinagar at Karan Nagar, injuring him critically, a police official said. Ahmad was taken to the nearby SMHS hospital, where he succumbed to injuries during treatment, PTI reported. At about 8pm, militants shot at and injured another person, identified as Mohammad Shafi Dar, at SD Colony Batamaloo. Dar received critical gunshot injuries and was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital. The J&K police have registered cases in the twin incidents and investigations have been launched. In Anantnag, a grenade was hurled towards 40 Battalion CRPF bunker at K P Road in t

Gunmen kill 2 Taliban, 2 civilians in Afghanistan's Jalalabad city

Jalalabad: Gunmen shot and killed two Taliban fighters and two civilians on Saturday in the eastern city of Jalalabad, a Taliban official said. Two other civilians were wounded in the attack, said Mohammad Hanif, a cultural official for the city's surrounding province, Nangarhar.   No one claimed responsibility for the shooting, but the Islamic State group, which has a strong presence in Nangarhar and considers the Taliban an enemy, has previously claimed several attacks against them, including several killings in Jalalabad. The two civilians killed were Sayed Maroof Sadat, a former spokesman for the Nangarhar department of agriculture, and his cousin, Sharif Sadat told the AP. Sadat's son was among the two wounded, he added. Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August, attacks by IS militants against them have increased. The rise has raised the specter of a wider conflict between the two extremist groups. On Friday, Taliban fighters raided a hideout of the Islamic

Shura Mujahideen, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan declare 20-day truce in Pakistan’s North, South Waziristan

  A militant group active in North Waziristan has announced a 20-day cessation of hostilities to pursue peace with the Pakistani government on Friday. In a statement, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan fighters in South Waziristan have also declared the ceasefire.   Headed by commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, the Shura Mujahideen of North Waziristan has announced the ceasefire, a report said, citing official sources as saying.   Also Read:  Will Pakistan stop aiding terrorists ever?   The Shura’s decision seems to have been taken after negotiations were held with the government intermediaries some two weeks ago. The move has also been endorsed by two other militant commanders of North Waziristan, Sadiq Noor and Sadiqullah, the report said.   According to the TTP statement, the leaders have asked all fighters to observe a ceasefire from today to October 20. The leaders are engaged in some "secret talks", said the TTP, without elaborating any further.   Also Read:  Militant group accused of

Taiwan rebukes China over record fighter jet incursion

  Beijing marked its National Day on Friday with its biggest aerial show of force against Taiwan to date, buzzing the self-ruled democratic island with 38 warplanes, including nuclear-capable H-6 bombers. Democratic Taiwan's 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion by China which views the island as its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary. Under President Xi Jinping, Chinese warplanes are crossing into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on a near daily basis. But Friday's incursion sparked a particularly sharp rebuke from Taipei. "China has been bellicose and damaging regional peace while engaging in many bullying acts," Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters Saturday. "It's evident that the world, the international community, rejects such behaviours by China more and more." Taiwan's defence ministry said it scrambled its aircraft to broadcast warnings after 22 fighters, two bombers a

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin: Allegations of safety issues at company

The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has said it will review safety concerns raised by whistleblowers at Blue Origin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' space company.  The announcement comes after 21 current and former employees claimed the company had ignored safety concerns to gain an advantage in the space race.  Staff also complained of a culture of sexism within the company.  Blue Origin rejected the charges and said it stands by its safety record.  A spokesperson for the company said that it provides "numerous avenues for employees, including a 24/7 anonymous hotline, and will promptly investigate any new claims of misconduct".  It added that it "has no tolerance for discrimination or harassment of any kind". Staffers led by Blue Origin's former head of internal communications, Alexandra Abrams, made the allegations in a letter that was sent to the FAA before being published on the whistleblowing website, Lioness, on Thursday.  Raising concerns over the st

Idaho school bans backpacks after finding gun; students mock ban with clever ideas

From shopping carts to a popcorn machine, an aquarium to a stroller, the students used clever ideas to ridicule the backpack ban. Watch the video here: The decision to ban backpacks was taken after a 13-year-old girl was found carrying a gun in her bag. According to  East Idaho News , the girl was discovered with a gun in a bathroom of the school. Even though no shots were fired, she was immediately taken into custody. As reported by the  Daily Mail,  the spokesperson for Jefferson School District 251, Monica Pauley, asked the school to ban backpacks as a precautionary measure. Other than in Rigby Middle School, this decision was imposed in another local middle school and two high schools. Chad Martin, the School District Superintendent, gave an assurance of students' safety to the parents and guardians in a press release, reported  KSL . He also urged parents to keep a check on their children for any signs of change in behaviour, and said they could approach school authorities for

'I got Covishield from India': President of the 76th UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid

UNITED NATIONS: President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid has said he had received the two doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured in India, as have a "large portion" of other countries around the world. The Covishield vaccine, which has been developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, is manufactured in India by Pune-based Serum Institute of India. "On vaccines, that's a very technical question you have asked me. I got Covishield from India, I've got the two doses. I don't know how many countries would say that Covishield is acceptable or not, but a large portion of the countries have got Covishield," Shahid said at his first press conference here on Friday He was responding to a question on whether any COVID vaccine should be recognised and considered or the ones that have been validated by the World Health Organisation or any other group. "And I've survived. But let someone else, a medic

Cyberattack on Hospital in US Causes Death of Baby Girl, Lawsuit Claims

  The lawsuit by Teiranni Kidd, the baby’s mother, also adds the Springhill Medical Centre didn’t inform her that the servers were down due to the cyberattack. The incident took place in July 2019, but the baby passed away in April 2020. Kidd initially sued the hospital in January 2020, then amended the lawsuit after her daughter died. The lawsuit alleges, “On July 9, 2019, Springhil Memorial Hospital suffered a serious ransomware attack that blocked and encrypted the hospital’s computer systems, network systems, and data. On the same day, Springhill Memorial Hospital told media outlets that it experienced a ‘network event’ but that the issue ‘has not affected patient care.” Kidd claims the hospital missed key tests when she arrived to deliver the baby. The tests would have shown that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck, leading to brain damage and death nine months later. The lawsuit also notes that had Kidd been informed about the cyberattack, she would have chosen

Women in Cyber: Setting cyber policy in the Philippines

  Genalyn Macalinao, Policy Lead, Cybersecurity Bureau, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Philippines discusses her work creating the country’s cybersecurity plans.   “A goal without a plan is just a wish”, said writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Governments looking to ensure national cybersecurity must create a plan of how to do so. Genalyn Macalinao, Policy Lead, Cybersecurity Bureau, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Philippines creates cybersecurity plans for the government. She discusses her work protecting critical infrastructure and highlights the collaboration between the public and private sectors. Tell us more about your role. How do you protect the digital realm and improve citizens’ lives? I currently serve as the Policy Lead for the Cybersecurity Bureau, Department of Information and Communications Technology. Fundamental to a country’s cybersecurity policy is a framework for ensuring cybersecurity across critical infrastructures

Malaysia seen as ‘safe haven’ for terrorists, says anti-terror chief

  PETALING JAYA: Foreign terrorists usually view Malaysia as a safe haven or transition country before continuing their activities elsewhere, the chief of the Special Branch’s counter-terrorism division said today. Normah Ishak said this was the reason why there were not many violent terrorist acts occurring in the country. Speaking at a forum on women’s role in terrorism financing, Normah also said 51 of the 558 people detained over terrorism links were women, with 36 of them being Malaysian. Normah said a “pull factor” for these terror groups was Malaysia’s friendly immigration policies, with the visa-on-arrival facility for citizens from many countries, including those from which these foreign terrorists come. “I don’t think there is any memorandum of understanding (MoU) or cooperation between terrorist groups in Malaysia and those in other countries,” she said. Instead, she said, foreign members of terror organisations are only “transiting our area” and thus, would try very hard to

Tackling the Maoists: On Left Wing Extremism

In a meeting with State leaders and representatives, Home Minister Amit Shah noted that the  geographical influence of the Maoists has reduced  from 96 districts in 10 States in 2010 to 41 now. The contraction is not surprising. Armed struggle has found few takers beyond select pockets untouched by development or linkages with the welfare state; and far from consolidating its presence — a prospect that seemed possible following the merger of two major Naxalite groups into the proscribed  Communist Party of India (Maoist)  — the organisation is limited to the remote and densely forested terrains of central and east-central India. Rather than mobilising discontents with the Indian state by projecting its weaknesses and ensuring inclusion and welfare, the Maoists have privileged armed struggle, invited state repression and sought to use this to recruit adherents.  Such a strategy has led to some of India’s poorest people, the tribals in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in particular, being caug

Blue Origin employees say they wouldn't feel safe riding the company's rockets, and it's 'lucky' nothing has happened

  Twenty-one Blue Origin employees  published a whistle-blowing  open letter on Thursday. Some employees said they wouldn't ride a  Blue Origin  rocket due to  safety concerns. One said it's "lucky" nothing has happened. No federal agency regulates passenger  safety  on  private spaceflights .  In a  scalding open letter , a group of current and former  Blue Origin  employees said they would not fly aboard the company's rocket because they don't think it's  safe  enough. Jeff Bezos, who founded the company in 2000, launched to the edge of space aboard its  New Shepard  rocket in July. Since that flight, Blue Origin has opened ticket sales, and four customers are scheduled to launch on October 12. But  the new letter  says that Blue Origin's leadership has ignored employees' safety concerns in favor of "making progress for Jeff" and accelerating New Shepard's launch schedule. The only named author on the letter is Alexandra Abrams, who

Human rights activists call on China to release Uyghur scholar

  Human rights activists on Thursday called on China to release an Uyghur scholar, who was sentenced seven years ago to life in prison for "separatism," for raising his voice against discrimination against Uyghurs in northwest China's Xinjiang region, according to a media report. "Human rights activists on Thursday called on China to release jailed Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti, sentenced seven years ago to life in prison for "separatism," for his advocacy work in northwest China's Xinjiang region, while his daughter says his family does not even know his whereabouts," Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported. An economist at the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing, Tohti pushed for a peaceful solution for Uyghur issues and equal rights for the persecuted group, submitting his proposals to the Chinese government for improving relations between Uyghurs and Han Chinese, said the report. Tohti also ran the Uyghur Online website, formerly at uyghurbiz.

US Plans To Prevent Al-Qaeda Resurgence In Afghanistan With Air Strikes

Washington:  The Pentagon plans to rely on air strikes to prevent a resurgence of Al-Qaeda now that US troops have left Afghanistan, but experts and some lawmakers are skeptical about the effectiveness of the so-called "over-the-horizon" strategy. Announcing the complete withdrawal of US troops in April, President Joe Biden vowed he would not allow a comeback of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden hatched the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. Since then, the Pentagon has repeatedly claimed it is capable of keeping Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) militants in Afghanistan in check through "over-the-horizon" strikes from US bases or aircraft carriers. "Over-the-horizon operations are difficult but absolutely possible," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. "And intelligence that supports them comes from a variety of sources, and not just US boots on the ground." Austin&#

Women in Cyber: Securing one of the world’s top digital nations

  The world looks to Estonia as a leader in digital government. But the country’s innovation does not come without risks, as their many digital services provide more areas for hackers to target. Estonia looks to non-government organisations for support in securing its digital services. That’s where Merle Maigre, Senior Expert on Cyber Security in e-Governance Academy can help. She discusses her role advising the Estonian government and how cyber threats have had a direct impact on her life. Tell us more about your role. How do you protect the digital realm and improve citizens’ lives?  I currently work as the senior expert on cybersecurity at the E-Governance Academy of Estonia (eGA). It is a nonprofit organization that helps governments to go digital. Active since 2002, eGA creates and transfers knowledge and best practice in the area of digital transformation. eGA aims to empower central and local government decision-makers to lead digital transformation programmes to create smart, s

Military airstrike did not kill fishermen in Lake Chad – DHQ

  The Defence Headquarters has dismissed the report of killing of 20 fishermen in an airstrike by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai at Kwatan Daban Masara in the fringes of Lake Chad. The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. Onyeuko explained that the air Component, acting on credible intelligence on the activities of terrorists in an identified ISWAP camp at the said location, conducted air strikes on the target on Sept. 26. He said the air interdiction was conducted after careful Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance missions revealed the activities of ISWAP elements in the location. According to him, the intelligence gathered was processed and carefully analyzed between the period of August 19 and September 23. “Persons wearing combat vests and uniforms identified as ISWAP-styled uniforms were seen within the camp. “Furthermore, neither women nor children were noticed in or around the cam