Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the creation of an “army of Europe” to guard against Russia as he suggested the US may no longer come to the continent’s aid. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he also said that Ukraine would “never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement” after US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to start peace talks. In a speech on Friday, in which he attacked European democracies, US Vice President JD Vance warned that Europe needed to “step up in a big way” on defence. Zelensky said: “I really believe the time has come – the armed forces of Europe must be created.” He said: “Yesterday here in Munich, the US vice president made it clear [that] decades
Category Archives: SECURITY
Feb
The men are not believed to actually be DOGE representatives. February 14, 2025, 8:36 PM Three men in shirts referencing Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” showed up at San Francisco City Hall on Friday demanding access to city files, authorities said. The men are not believed to actually be DOGE representatives, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The men, who were also wearing “Make America Great Again” hats, entered multiple offices in city hall around 12 p.m. local time, demanding employees turn over digital information related to alleged wasteful government spending and fraud, the sheriff’s office said. Citizens cast their vote for presidential and congressional elections at Department of Elections in the City Hall of San Francisco, California, United States on November 5, 2024. (Photo by
Feb
Hitmen on Friday gunned down an Ecuadorian colonel in charge of anti-drug operations in a city hard-hit by the narcotics crime that has plunged this once-peaceful South American country into violence. Police said Colonel Porfirio Cedeno, who led an air force special operations unit, was shot multiple times in the city of Guayaquil while travelling to a military ceremony. More than 20 shots were fired at the pickup truck transporting him, and the driver was hit in the leg, said police official Santiago Tuston. Cedeno was travelling from Guayaquil to Manta about three hours away. Both cities have been caught up in fighting between rival drug gangs that has seen homicide rates in Ecuador soar. The truck ended up stalled in the middle of the road with shattered windows, its
Feb
Scammers could be using illegal radio jammers to transmit text messages with a sender ID prefixed with a hashtag, a symbol only available to registered companies, Hong Kong communications authorities warned on Friday. The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) said some people had reported receiving suspicious text messages with a “#” symbol, used in the “SMS Sender Registration Scheme” that was implemented in 2023 as part of efforts to combat phishing scams. Under the scheme, messages from major telecoms providers such as SmarTone, 3HK and 1010 incorporate a hashtag as part of their sender IDs. Only registered parties can use the symbol. “OFCA has recently received inquiries from members of the public stating that they have received suspected fraudulent text messages sent with the name of the text message
![The protective shelter over the remains of the nuclear reactor Unit 4 at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant near the city of Chornobyl, Ukraine [File: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA-EFE]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Drone-strikes-Chornobyl-nuclear-plant-in-Ukraine-Russia-says-not-to-blame.jpg)
Radiation levels remain normal at Chornobyl, IAEA says, as world leaders gather in Munich to discuss Russia-Ukraine war. A Russian drone with a high-explosive warhead has hit the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in the Kyiv region, Ukraine said, amid warnings by the military that Russia launched 133 unmanned vehicles against the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that the drone strike significantly damaged the protective containment shelter and started a fire, which has been put out. The Kremlin responded saying Russia does not hit nuclear sites. Radiation levels at the site have not increased, according to Zelenskyy and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA did not attribute blame but said the drone strike occurred at 01:50am local time (23:50 GMT) and that there was “no indication
![Several Chinese nationals using fake IDs have been apprehended in Kuwait for taking part in cyberattacks [File: Thomas White/Illustration/Reuters]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Kuwait-apprehends-members-of-international-gang-after-cyberattacks.jpg)
The group operated from a van to wage cyberattacks on companies and banks and steal sensitive information. Authorities in Kuwait have apprehended members of an international cybercrime gang of Chinese nationality, the Ministry of the Interior has said, after large-scale attacks on telecommunication towers and financial institutions across the country. The Cybercrime Combating Department was alerted after several telecommunication companies and banks reported cyberattacks on their networks to steal customers’ information and funds, the ministry said on Thursday in a post on X. Officers apprehended a driver, a Chinese national, in the Farwaniya area in Kuwait City and seized multiple electronic devices in his possession. Police later found more high-tech tools at his residence. The suspect confessed to being part of a larger network of fraudsters, who were also identified
Feb
NSPCA says community members are protecting each other after the killing of Raygun the baboon. There was a sigh of relief after a second baboon was spotted on his way to Pretoria and was captured and relocated on Thursday morning. This follows the killing of another baboon, named Raygun, at a school in Delmas last week. Brendan Murray, from the Owl Rescue Centre, said the second baboon was spotted coming from Bronkhorstspruit towards Pretoria North. It was safely captured and relocated about 130km away early on Thursday morning. Earlier this week, another male baboon was spotted going from Bronkhorstspruit to Pretoria North. NSPCA investigating killing of Raygun The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) spokesperson Jacques Peacock confirmed that the NSPCA has retrieved the remains of the male baboon, affectionately known
Feb
Detained in Russia since 2021, Marc Fogel landed back in the U.S. on Tuesday. February 12, 2025, 5:28 AM LONDON — A Russian held in a U.S. prison will be repatriated to Russia following the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel, who was returned to the United States on Tuesday, Moscow said. “In exchange for Fogel, a Russian citizen imprisoned in the United States will be returned to Russia in the coming days,” Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, said on Wednesday. Peskov did not disclose which Russian citizen held in a U.S. jail would be repatriated, but said the United States had agreed to the release during negotiations for Fogel’s retun. U.S. President Trump didn’t on Tuesday discuss the negotiations that led to Fogel’s release or describe any conversations with
Feb
A former Yeezy employee alleges West sent her “hail Hitler” texts and made degrading comments before firing her, adding to the rapper’s history of controversial antisemitic behavior. By SHIR PERETS FEBRUARY 12, 2025 02:22 Kanye West attends the Cincinnati Bengals game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium earlier this year. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) (photo credit: REUTERS) A former Yeezy employee, who is Jewish, has sued Kanye West, alleging the rapper sent antisemitic messages including “hail Hitler” and made derogatory comments before terminating her employment, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. According to Variety, the plaintiff – identified only as Jane Doe – alleged that West consistently targeted Jewish employees with hateful messages, including “Welcome to the first day of working for Hitler.” The lawsuit, filed in
Feb
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 12 – A Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court is expected to deliver a judgment on Wednesday in a graft case involving former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu. In August 2024, Waititu, his spouse Susan Wangari Ndungu, Luka Mwangi Wahinya, Charles Chege Mbuthia, Beth Wangeci Mburu, Testimony Enterprises Limited, Saika Two Estate Developers Limited, and Bienvenue Delta Hotel were charged with the irregular awarding of road tenders worth Sh588 million in Kiambu County in February 2018. “The Chief Magistrate, Thomas Nzioki, issued a summons against Waititu today after he failed to appear in court. He directed that Waititu appear physically in court on Wednesday, 12th February 2025, at 9:30 a.m. when the judgment will be delivered,” read a post from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). The accused
Feb
A rare shooting at a shopping centre jolted Malaysia this weekend, leaving one man injured and a nation on edge. A 30-year-old fugitive with a history of drug offences remains at large, forcing malls and public spaces to tighten security. The suspect vanished into the night after hijacking a car at gunpoint following the shooting on Saturday evening at Setia City Mall in Setia Alam, 40 minutes west of Kuala Lumpur. A janitor was shot in the legs, police said. Videos of terrified shoppers scrambling for cover flooded social media, offering a rare glimpse of gun violence in a country that seldom suffers from it. Malaysia imposes severe penalties – including death sentences – for offences involving firearms. Civilians cannot easily own guns, and illegal possession carries harsh punishments, making
Feb
Before anything else happens, before diplomacy, before rebuilding, before grand visions of the future – the hostages must come home. By JPOST EDITORIAL FEBRUARY 10, 2025 05:57 Updated: FEBRUARY 10, 2025 06:05 (L-R) Ohad Ben Ami, Or Levy, and Eli Sharabi, released from Hamas captivty, February 8, 2025. (photo credit: Canva, REUTERS/Ramadan Abed) The year was 1944. US bombers flew over occupied Poland, striking Nazi targets to weaken Hitler’s war machine. They passed within miles of Auschwitz, the infamous death camp where over a million Jews perished. Survivors later recalled seeing American planes overhead – a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, someone would stop the horrors unfolding inside. But the bombers never turned their sights on the gas chambers. The US military argued that an attack on Auschwitz
Feb
Intelligence leaks and concerns over being captured could be behind the no-show for North Korean troops in recent weeks at the front lines of Russia’s war with Ukraine . Observers say, however, that as long as Pyongyang can gain from the conflict in terms of material support, it will continue to provide military aid to Moscow. Citing South Korea ’s intelligence agency, the Yonhap news outlet reported on Tuesday that North Korean troops had not been fighting in Russia ’s Kursk Oblast since mid-January. “One reason for this may be the occurrence of many casualties, but the exact details are still being monitored,” the National Intelligence Service said in a statement. Last Friday, a Ukrainian military official said North Korean troops had not been seen on the front lines in
Feb
Donald Trump said the ICC abused its power by issuing “baseless arrest warrants” targeting Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. By HANNAH SARISOHN FEBRUARY 7, 2025 00:42 Updated: FEBRUARY 7, 2025 01:54 US PRESIDENT Donald Trump holds a signed executive order in the Oval Office last week. (photo credit: Carlos Barria/Reuters) US President Donald Trump issued sanctions to members of the International Criminal Court through an executive order on Thursday evening as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrapped up his day meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Trump said the ICC abused its power by issuing “baseless arrest warrants” targeting Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, according to the order. “The ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States or Israel, as neither country is a party to the
US President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Gaza’s population would only be temporary, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. It follows Trump’s suggestion that the US could “take over” Gaza and resettle the millions of Palestinians living there – an idea that has drawn criticism from the UN, human rights groups and Arab leaders. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt further clarified Trump’s comments, saying the US was not planning to put “boots on the ground” in the territory. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said Gazans “should be allowed to enjoy freedom of exit and immigration”, but gave few details on how this would work. On a trip to Guatemala, Marco Rubio said Trump’s proposal was not “hostile”, but a “generous move”, showing “the willingness of the United