Category Archives: SECURITY

Reuters The US has made “direct contact” with the HTS rebels who now control Syria after toppling the Assad regime, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said. It is the first acknowledgement of direct American contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the US currently still designates as a terrorist organisation. Blinken was speaking in Jordan after talks with representatives from several Arab countries, Turkey and Europe to discuss the future of Syria. Officials agreed to support a peaceful transition process in the country, with Jordan’s foreign minister saying that regional powers did not want to see it “descend into chaos”. A joint communique called for an inclusive Syrian government that respects the rights of minorities and does not offer a base for “terrorist groups”. The talk both inside and outside

Israeli strikes in the northern and central Gaza Strip on Wednesday killed at least 31 Palestinians, most of them in Beit Lahiya town in the north of the enclave, medics said. Health officials said an Israeli air strike on a house in Beit Lahiya killed at least 22 people, including women and children. Relatives listed the names of the dead on social media. The Palestinian news agency WAFA said at least 30 people were living in the multi-storey building before it was struck, adding that several members of the family remained missing as rescue operations continued through morning hours. The Israeli military said it was checking the report. Destroyed houses in the Nuseirat camp, central Gaza Strip. Photo: Xinhua Earlier on Wednesday, at least seven Palestinians were killed and several

The Israelis reportedly left the shop quickly but the shopkeeper was said to have followed them outside with her shovel raised. The backpackers recorded the incident. By JERUSALEM POST STAFF NOVEMBER 24, 2024 09:36 A shopkeeper at Flinders Tobacco, Queensland, Australia, calls a customer a ‘dirty f***ing Jew’ outside the shop. November 23, 2024. (Credit: Anti-Defamation Commission) Two Israeli backpackers visiting Townsville, in Queensland, Australia, were subjected to an antisemitic verbal attack on Saturday by a local tobacco shop worker, the Anti-Defemation Commission (ADC) reported on Sunday.  The ADC is an Australian civil rights organization that combats antisemitism and other forms of hate. It was established in 1979 and now works to bridge communities, collect data on antisemitism and other biases, and respond to incidents of discrimination. As the two

The NGOs want the Netherlands to ban the export and transit of weapons, weapon parts, and dual-use items to Israel. Pro-Palestinian organisations have taken the Dutch state to court, urging a halt to arms exports to Israel and accusing the government of failing to prevent what they termed a “genocide” in Gaza. They argue that the Netherlands, a staunch ally of Israel, has a legal obligation to do everything in its power to stop violations of international law and the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. “Today, the plaintiffs are here to hold the Dutch state accountable for failing to comply with international law by failing to intervene against violations of the rights of the Palestinian people committed by the state of

Washington’s provision of advanced boat drones to Manila will act as “a force multiplier” for the Philippine Navy, analysts say, allowing the US to enhance its ally’s surveillance and operational capabilities in the South China Sea while avoiding direct provocations that could escalate Beijing’s territorial challenges. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the US government has given the Philippine Navy an undisclosed number of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its operations in the West Philippine Sea – Manila’s term for the parts of the South China Sea that lie within its exclusive economic zone and the Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratlys – on Tuesday during a two-day visit to the Philippines . He promised that “many more” would be delivered before the end of the Biden administration. “We

Parliament was briefly suspended as people in the gallery joined in, and shouting drowned out others in the chamber. By REUTERS NOVEMBER 21, 2024 05:07 People march to the parliament in protest of the Treaty Principles Bill, in Wellington, New Zealand, November 19, 2024. (photo credit: REUTERS/Lucy Craymer)  New Zealand’s parliament was briefly suspended on Thursday after Maori members staged a haka to disrupt the vote on a contentious bill that would reinterpret a 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Maori. First signed in 1840 between the British Crown and more than 500 Maori chiefs, the Treaty of Waitangi lays down how the two parties agreed to govern. The interpretation of clauses in the document still guides legislation and policy today. Rulings by the courts and a separate Maori

An overwhelming majority of Southeast Asian elites prefer the Asean bloc to lead the region, especially as issues such as China ’s assertive actions in South China Sea tensions strain relations with Beijing, according to a new study. The findings come from the study, “Elite Perceptions of a China-Led Regional Order in Southeast Asia” by National University of Singapore political science professors Selina Ho and Terence Lee. The study surveyed nearly 600 politicians, business leaders, diplomats, bureaucrats, and experts from Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Singapore , Thailand , and Vietnam as “they are directly responsible for formulating their countries’ foreign policy.” Respondents said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( Asean ) was the most influential entity in the region, followed by China and then the

Ukraine said the nuclear-capable missile had targeted the central city of Dnipro, and while Russia declined to confirm. Kyiv on Thursday accused Russia of launching a non-nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine in what would mark the first-ever use of the weapon in combat and a sharp escalation of the conflict. Ukraine said the nuclear-capable missile had targeted the central city of Dnipro, and while the Kremlin declined to confirm it had launched the strike, it said it was doing everything possible to avoid a nuclear escalation. The Russian missile barrage on the industrial city, which authorities said had injured two people, is only the latest escalation since Ukraine fired Western-supplied long-range missiles on Russia this month. The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that Russia had launched several

Police in KwaZulu-Natal fatally wounded three hijacking suspects in a shoot-out in Mariannhill. South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson in the province, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said the trio had just hijacked a Hyundai H1, loaded with home appliances on Wednesday. “Police intelligence traced the hijacked vehicle to the Klaarwater hostel in Mariannhill and information indicated that the suspects were loading the hijacked goods into a bakkie,” Netshiunda said. He said when police approached the area they spotted the identified bakkie and signalled for the driver to stop, however, the driver chose to ignore police’s instructions and sped off and police gave chase. “During the high speed vehicle chase, the suspects started firing shots at the police and a shoot-out ensued. The suspect’s vehicle came to a standstill at the corner

In July, a jury in New York convicted South Korean-born Hwang on 10 of the 11 charges he faced. Photo: ANGELA WEISS / AFPSource: AFP The founder of US investment firm Archegos, Bill Hwang, was jailed for 18 years on Wednesday for a multibillion-dollar fraud that contributed to the fund’s 2021 implosion, US media reported. In July, a jury in New York convicted South Korean-born Hwang on 10 of the 11 charges he faced and for which he could have been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. “The sentence has to reflect the seriousness of the event,” said judge Alvin Hellerstein according to The New York Times, which also reported the 18-year prison sentence. Hwang’s family-owned hedge fund had taken huge bets on a few stocks

JAY JAY BANDA ARRESTED By Balewa Zyuulu Fugitive Petauke Central Member of Parliament Emmauel Jay Banda has been apprehended in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he was renting a flat. Addressing the media in Lusaka this afternoon, Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu says Mr Banda who escaped from lawful custody in august this year was apprehended yesterday and that government is working with the authorities in that country to extradite Mr. Banda back to Zambia. Mr. Mwiimbu has also clarified claims by the opposition Patriotic Front that Mr Banda did not surrender himself to authorities in an attempt to avoid losing his parliamentary seat, following a seven-day ultimatum given by National Assembly Speaker Nelly Mutti yesterday. He has disclosed that the fugitive lawmaker is currently detained at a police

A 26-year-old house help is before the Bekwai Circuit  Court for allegedly pouring acid on a Senior High School leaver. Ernest Agyei has denied causing harm to Benjamin Asante. He was granted a GH₵50,000.00 bail with two sureties to reappear on December 17, 2024. Police Chief Inspector Christian Amartey, substituting the old charge sheet with a new one, had earlier told the Court presided over by Mr Isaac Apeatu that Asante, the victim, was also the complainant and a former student of Yamfo Anglican Secondary School near Sunyani. Chief Inspector Amartey said the victim was a resident of Trede as Agyei, the accused person, was a house help resident at Pakyi No 2. Prosecution said on December 22, 2021, complainant’s brother Francis Agyei invited the complainant to assist him in

An airport in South Korea has defended subjecting a woman to an invasive body search on suspicion of being a drug mule that left her with vaginal bleeding. Customs officials intercepted the passenger from the Philippines when she transited through Daegu airport last month after a scanner indicated she was carrying drugs in her luggage. The traveller said the detected item was a liquid contained in e-cigarettes intended for her personal use, prompting officers to deploy a different device to frisk the visitor. The scan showed an object near her pants, which turned out to be a sanitary pad. A female official later took the woman to another room and inspected the napkin for 20 minutes, and allowed her to leave after finding no narcotic substances. The flier said the