Terrorism Watch

Later, Gabbard met Prime Minister  Narendra Modi  and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Modi, in a post on X, said, “Glad to welcome @TulsiGabbard to India. Exchanged views on further advancing the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Both countries are committed to combating terrorism and enhancing maritime and cyber security cooperation.” The discussions assume significance since Gabbard also attended the conference of intelligence chiefs Sunday which was hosted by NSA Ajit Doval, R&AW chief Ravi Sinha and IB director Tapan Deka. It was also attended by Canada’s CSIS chief Daniel Rogers, UK’s National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell and New Zealand’s intelligence head Andrew Hampton – all part of the Five Eyes, the intelligence-sharing alliance of US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Australia’s intelligence chief Andrew Shearer was in India last month, and couldn’t make it to the conference this time, but a senior intelligence official from ...

Less than four years ago, in a moment of historical irony, the Taliban walked triumphantly into Kabul, 20 years after their ejection - mirroring how Emperor Babar seized the city 500 years ago. Since the takeover, the Taliban have faced diplomatic isolation, as no country has formally recognized their government. Western powers remain unwilling to grant legitimacy to a regime that continues to enforce, what is perceived as, draconian policies on women and girls. They have also in retaliation, imposed various sanctions, frozen Afghanistan’s overseas assets, and restricted financial transactions. The abrupt cessation of development assistance in 2021 caused Afghanistan’s economic situation to worsen significantly. This left the country struggling to finance infrastructure projects, public services, and salaries for government employees. The World Bank estimated that Afghanistan lost approximately 26 per cent of its GDP between 2021 and 2022, a contraction that pushed millions of Afghans ...

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim responsibility for a second attack on an American aircraft carrier group in 24 hours, calling it retaliation for US strikes. A spokesperson for the group says that “for the second time in 24 hours,” Houthi fighters launched missiles and drones at the USS Harry S. Truman and several of its warships in the northern Red Sea. The statement also vows to keep targeting Israeli vessels until the “siege” on Gaza is lifted   Source:  Iran-backed Houthis claim second attack on US ships in 24 hours | The Times of Israel

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian Columbia student, used the CBP Home App, launched by the Donald Trump administration to allow individuals to lawfully 'self-deport', avoiding the risk of arrest and detention. As the Donald Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on foreigners allegedly violating immigration laws, Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Monday endorsed a  new mobile application designed for self-deportation . Musk's endorsement came a day after  Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian student at Columbia University,  self-deported from the US using the CBP Home App, becoming one of the first individuals in the country to utilise the feature. Sharing a post by US Customs and Border Protection about the app, Musk, who is the chief of the US's governance reform agency DOGE, wrote, "New app to assist in self-deportation!" Initially developed to facilitate asylum appointments, the CBP Home App was repurposed by the Trump administration to enable individuals to "self-...

The main accused in the recent  grenade attack on a temple in Amritsar  was killed in a police encounter early Monday morning after a brief exchange of fire. The suspect, identified as Gursidak Singh, was shot during a confrontation with Punjab Police and later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. His accomplice, Vishal, managed to escape. According to police officials, specific intelligence was received about the accused moving around the Rajasansi area. A team comprising personnel from the CIA and Chheharta police was formed to detain them. When police attempted to stop the duo on their motorcycle, they abandoned their vehicle and opened fire. Head Constable Gurpreet Singh was hit on the left arm, while another bullet struck Inspector Amolak Singh. A third round hit a police vehicle. In self-defence, Inspector Vinod Kumar fired back, injuring Gursidak. Both the injured officer and the accused were rushed to the civil hospital, where Gursidak later died. His accomplice ...

Yemen’s Houthis report new raids on the Red Sea port of Hodeidah as the death toll from  US’s attacks on Sunday  rises to 53. The victims include five children. US officials say they will keep hitting Yemen until the rebel group backs down on its threat to  resume attacks  on Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea. In Gaza, Israel continues its  attacks  and punishing blockade of the Strip, killing a 62-year-old Palestinian man, as an Israeli delegation travelled to Cairo to discuss the details of the ceasefire with Egyptian officials. Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 48,572 Palestinians have been confirmed killed and 112,032 wounded in  Israel’s war on Gaza . Gaza’s Government Media Office has updated its  death toll  to more than 61,700, saying thousands of Palestinians missing under the rubble are presumed dead. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive. ...

The US military will continue to strike on Yemen's  Houthi  militants until they stop targeting ships in the Red Sea, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said, only a day after President  Donald Trump  ordered new operations in the Middle East. Catch the latest updates here: “This campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence. The minute the Houthis say, ‘We’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones,’ this campaign will end,” Hegseth said in an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures. “But until then, it will be unrelenting.” Hegseth said the latest strikes were also a warning to Iran, which backs the Houthis. “Iran has been enabling the Houthis for far too long. They better back off,” he said. On Saturday, 31 people were killed and at least 191 injured in US strikes on Sana’a, Saada and Albaydha provinces. Most of the casualties were women and children. Speaking about the attack Trump said he ordered “decisive and powerful”...

A former headteacher who urged pupils to “recite the Koran” and “wear hijabs outside of school” has been appointed as the chairman of Ofsted. Sir Hamid Patel will take up the interim role while a successor for Dame Christine Ryan is found. This is believed to be the first time a religious school leader has been appointed to the role. Patel is the chief executive of Star Academies Trust, which runs around 40 primary and secondary schools including Islamic schools, grammar schools and one Christian school In addition, the school became one of the first in the UK to advise students to wear a hijab outside the classroom. The institution also came under fire for allowing a visit from Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais, a Saudi Arabian cleric who had called Jewish people “pigs”, praying for God to “terminate” them. Speaking to The Sunday Times about the visit, Patel said: “The girls wanted to see this guy with 5 million followers. They had seen him on YouTube. He stayed 20 minutes.” A spokesman f...