Category Archives: SECURITY

Leaders urge state to reopen Mandera border

Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif. [File, Standard]

Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif. [File, Standard] Leaders have raised concern over the long closure of the Mandera border and called for the directive to be lifted to open up opportunities and enhance revenue collection. The border was closed more than 10 years ago but the leaders and locals have said that the situation may not have completely stopped illegal cross border trade, a situation that has a serious ripple effect on legitimate businesses. The Government closed the border as part of efforts to curb Al Shabaab terror attacks and prevent smuggling of goods into the country. Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif said discussions are underway to explore re-opening of the border. Khalif argued that while closing the over 500 kilometer border has reduced insecurity, it should be reopened with

Israel questions ICC judge’s impartiality in Netanyahu arrest case

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a state memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem last week, marking a year since the Hamas attack against Israel that took place on October 7/Simchat Torah, followed by the ongoing Gaza war. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

The request requires the approval of ICC judges, but their decision has been delayed, partly because of several rounds of legal filings by Israel that have challenged the court’s jurisdiction. By REUTERS NOVEMBER 13, 2024 16:43 PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a state memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem last week, marking a year since the Hamas attack against Israel that took place on October 7/Simchat Torah, followed by the ongoing Gaza war. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST) Israel has questioned the impartiality of an International Criminal Court judge appointed to a panel deciding whether an arrest warrant should be issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The move could further delay a decision in the case, in which the ICC chief prosecutor

Prof. Kenneth Attafuah retires as NIA Executive Secretary

Prof. Kenneth Attafuah retires as NIA Executive Secretary

After seven years of leadership (2017-2024), Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah has officially retired as Executive Secretary of Ghana’s National Identification Authority (NIA).  Reflecting on his tenure, Professor Attafuah highlighted both the challenges and achievements that have defined his time with the NIA, expressing pride in the strides made to build a comprehensive national identity system. “When I first took on this role seven years ago, the NIA faced numerous challenges,” Professor Attafuah said in his farewell message, noting obstacles that ranged from operational hurdles to public skepticism. His leadership transformed the NIA into what he described as a “service-driven organisation committed to providing every Ghanaian with a unique and secure identity.” Under his stewardship, the NIA digitised its operations, establishing a widespread network of 16 regional offices, 276 district offices

Who is Pete Hegseth, the pro-Israel Fox News host picked to head Pentagon?

Trump hailed Hegseth as "tough, smart and a true believer in America First" in a social media post announcing the nomination [File: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images]

United States President-elect Donald Trump has picked Fox News host and military veteran Pete Hegseth, a pro-Israel and Iran hawk, to serve as his defence secretary, lauding him as “tough, smart and a true believer in America First”. The 44-year-old’s nomination to lead the world’s most powerful military has come in for criticism from the Democrats, who pointed out his “lack of experience” on the global stage. “The job of Secretary of Defense should not be an entry-level position,” Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, posted on X. So, who is Hegseth and will his inexperience come in the way of discharging his duty as the Pentagon chief? Who is Pete Hegseth? Hegseth, who served Afghanistan and Iraq, joined Fox News as a contributor

British police officer arrested on suspicion of Hamas support

man is led away by police after he confronted demonstrators who gathered to take part in a mass funeral procession protest to commemorate the Palestinians who have been killed in the ongoing conflict in Gaza on March 23, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England (photo credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

The alleged support for Hamas related to online activity, Gloucestershire Police said. By MATHILDA HELLER NOVEMBER 13, 2024 12:33 man is led away by police after he confronted demonstrators who gathered to take part in a mass funeral procession protest to commemorate the Palestinians who have been killed in the ongoing conflict in Gaza on March 23, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England (photo credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) A British police officer was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of support for Hamas, local police announced. The officer, a serving constable with the Gloucestershire Police, was arrested by Counter Terrorism Policing South West (CTPSW) on account of contravening Section 12 of the Terrorism Act. The alleged support for Hamas related to online activity, Gloucestershire Police said. Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable

US says Israel hasn’t breached its law against blocking aid in Gaza

The US says Israel has not breached American laws on blocking aid supplies, after a 30-day deadline it gave Israel to boost humanitarian aid access in Gaza or risk having some military assistance cut off lapsed. Officials said on Tuesday that Israel has taken a number of steps to address its demands to surge supplies into Gaza, but added that more progress must be made. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel cited the opening of a new land crossing, and deliveries resuming in the north – although he did not say any had entered the besieged Jabalia refugee camp. Despite the US claims, the UN has warned that the amount of aid getting into Gaza is at its lowest level in a year. A UN-backed report recently warned that there was

Crypto expert with links to gang shot dead at Brazilian airport

Getty Images A Brazilian businessman, with ties to one of the country’s most powerful criminal groups, has been shot dead at Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paolo. Antônio Vinicius Gritzbach had recently entered into a plea bargain with local prosecutors to provide information about Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) – or First Capital Command. He received death threats from the gang as a result, local media reports. Three others were injured in the attack, with footage online showing the aftermath. Police said officers had been deployed to the airport and surrounding area. The moment two hooded men exited a car holding sub-machine guns and began firing outside the airport terminal was caught on security camera. Gritzbach, a former member of the PCC, dropped his bag and tried to run away –

Trump mass deportation pledge faces legal, economic barriers

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. Photo: SERGIO FLORES / AFP/File Source: AFP

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. Photo: SERGIO FLORES / AFP/FileSource: AFP Donald Trump has pledged to launch — on day one of his presidency — the largest deportation operation of undocumented immigrants in US history. Carrying it out may be another matter. “Rhetoric is one thing,” said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law at Cornell University. “Actual implementation is something else.” “The Constitution provides due process for everyone in the country, not just US citizens, so Trump cannot just round up people and send them out of the country the next day,” Yale-Loehr told AFP. “There already is a backlog of over 3.6 million cases in our immigration courts.” Aside from the legal and humanitarian issues, a mass deportation of millions of

Russia sees imminent victory in war following Trump election win

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they meet in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018 (photo credit: REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE)

“His words about his desire to restore relations with the Russian Federation and to help resolve the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, deserve attention,” Putin said referring to Trump. By JERUSALEM POST STAFF NOVEMBER 8, 2024 18:22 U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they meet in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018 (photo credit: REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE) Russia is confident in its imminent victory against Ukraine following president-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the US elections, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. Following the US election, Putin officially congratulated Trump on his victory while speaking at the Valadai forum in Sochi, saying that the West’s post-Cold War monopoly on global power was “irrevocably disappearing.” He then went on to praise Trump for behaving “courageously” during the assassination

Is it time for the Philippines and China to resume talks over their maritime row?

As the Philippines confronts an increasingly assertive China in the South China Sea , debate is intensifying over whether renewed diplomacy can strengthen Manila’s sovereignty or if Beijing’s stance makes meaningful dialogue unlikely. Despite a 2016 international arbitral ruling dismissing China’s expansive claims over the disputed waterway, Beijing has increased its maritime activities there, including inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, triggering repeated confrontations between their vessels. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue have made little headway, with the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) – a dialogue platform set up by both sides to ease tensions – yielding few concrete results. Luis Gabriel Estrada, a political science lecturer at the University of the Philippines (UP), said that the Philippines “has not left the discussion table” and that it was in the

Israel Blows Up Houses On Lebanons Border Lebanon Media

An excavator clears rubble and debris at the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on town of Sarafand, between Sidon and Tyre in southern Lebanon, on October 30, 2024. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)

An excavator clears rubble and debris at the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on town of Sarafand, between Sidon and Tyre in southern Lebanon, on October 30, 2024. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP) Lebanese state media said the Israeli army on Friday detonated explosives planted inside houses in three border villages that have been battered by the Israel-Hezbollah war. Hezbollah says it is engaged in fighting Israeli forces in the area, more than a month into an Israeli ground invasion aimed at pushing the Iran-backed group away from the border. Rescuers walk in front of a destroyed building following an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese town of Ghaziyeh on November 3, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)

Thousands evacuated as wildfires ravage homes near Los Angeles

Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate from a wildfire northwest of Los Angeles as fierce seasonal winds blew flames into ranches and neighbourhoods, destroying dozens of homes. The wildfire has destroyed 132 structures in less than two days, fire officials said on Thursday. Firefighters and police cleared residents from neighbourhoods near Camarillo before homes were set ablaze by embers blown 3.2km (2 miles) from the firefront, Ventura County Fire Department Captain Tony McHale said. “It’s like trying to put out a blowtorch with a squirt gun,” said McHale of the fire, which started in a hillside canyon on Wednesday and tore west, driven by Santa Ana winds. Fuelled by abundant grass and scrub, with wind gusts up to 130km/h (80 mph), the blaze had burned more than 8,094

IDF discovers Hezbollah terror training center next to UNIFIL post

A tunnel shaft and weapons located in the Hezbollah terrorist training center. (photo credit: IDF)

The discovery occurred during one of many raids carried out by the 9th Reserve Brigade against Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure and underground infrastructure.  By JERUSALEM POST STAFF NOVEMBER 8, 2024 14:35 A tunnel shaft and weapons located in the Hezbollah terrorist training center. (photo credit: IDF) IDF troops in Lebanon discovered a Hezbollah terrorist training center just 200 meters from a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) outpost, the IDF announced on Friday. The discovery occurred during one of many raids carried out by the 9th Reserve Brigade against Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure and underground infrastructure.  The Hezbollah terrorist training center, in close proximity to the UNIFIL base, was used by Hezbollah for training, studying, and storing large quantities of weapons, the IDF said. Footage of a tunnel shaft and weapons located

Trump Still Has Four Criminal Indictments Waiting For Him Here’s What Happens Now That He’s Won

Winning the 2024 election can help Donald Trump in all four of his criminal cases. Trump has vowed to fire the special prosecutor who brought two federal cases against him. Being president-elect may also help him delay his state cases in Georgia and New York. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go. By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking “unsubscribe” at the bottom of the email. Donald Trump’s presidential victory is also a win as he seeks to resolve his four criminal indictments. His win may largely free Trump from dealing with his criminal cases for the foreseeable future, experts

New deals with Balkan states to target people smugglers

New deals with Balkan states to target people smugglers Getty Images The UK will sign new agreements with western Balkan countries to tackle people-smuggling gangs, as part of efforts to bring down small boat crossings. The deals will increase intelligence sharing and cooperation with Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo to intercept and arrest the gangs, with the aim of breaking their business models at source. The government said the region was a key route used by those who end up in the European Union or UK illegally, with almost 100,000 migrants transiting through the western Balkans last year. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will announce the plans at a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in Hungarian capital Budapest on Thursday. During the summit, the prime minister will also