By Phil Stewart | QAYYARA WEST AIRFIELD, Iraq QAYYARA WEST AIRFIELD, Iraq President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, voiced optimism about the long-term U.S. alliance with Iraq’s military and its campaign to retake Mosul from Islamic State on Tuesday, as he visited a base about 10 miles (16 km) from the city. Kushner was on the last day of a two-day trip to Iraq as the guest […]
By Ju-min Park and Jack Kim | SEOUL SEOUL North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday from its east coast into the sea off the Peninsula, South Korea’s military said, ahead of a summit between U.S. and Chinese leaders who are set to discuss Pyongyang’s arms programme. The launch was from Sinpo, a port city on the North’s east coast, and the missile flew about 60 […]
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The United States blamed the Syrian government and its patrons, Russia and Iran, on Tuesday for one of the deadliest chemical weapons attacks in years in Syria, one that killed dozens of people in Idlib Province, including children, and sickened scores more. A senior State Department official said the attack appeared to be a war crime and called on Russia and Iran to restrain […]
New York’s highest court on Tuesday rejected effort to challenge search warrants demanding information about hundreds of customers in connection with a Social Security fraud probe. As Law Blog earlier reported, New York City prosecutors obtained the warrants as part of a sweeping investigation into fraudulent Social Security disability claims, including claims submitted by retired […] (via WSJ)
KABUL // A member of the Kandahar governor’s staff – likely a cook – smuggled explosives hidden in food into a meeting with Emirati diplomats that killed 13 people, including the UAE ambassador, the governor told The National. Hamayoun Azizi was severely injured when the two bombs exploded around three minutes apart inside his residence in January, he said. His account of the attack differs from previous […]
RIYADH British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday she would raise “hard issues” with Saudi Arabia’s leaders during her visit, as critics urged her to pressure Riyadh over its war in Yemen and human rights record. May was expected to explore ways of boosting trade ties with the kingdom during her two-day visit, her second to a Gulf Arab state since Britain decided to leave the […]
Something is coming to Overwatch, as teased by Blizzard through a short video uploaded to the game’s official Twitter account. The tweet, a cryptic one as with previous Overwatch teasers, hints at a major announcement for the game on April 11. Blizzard ‘Overwatch’ Announcement On April 11 “Initiating archive declassification… Mission files unlock: April 11. RETWEET to confirm,” tweeted the official Overwatch account, accompanied by a short 20-second video that […]
Pegasus spyware is used to monitor activities of individual targets. Image: iStock A new version of one of the most sophisticated forms of mobile spyware has been discovered, and this time it’s being used to spy on Android users. Made public last summer, the Pegasus mobile spyware was used by a nation state to monitor iPhones belonging to activists in the Middle East. Dubbed Trident, three separate […]
Future of renewable energy in Africa discussed at the first Africa Renewable Energy Leaders Summit (ARELS) in Nairobi Future of renewable energy in Africa discussed at the first Africa Renewable Energy Leaders Summit (ARELS) in Nairobi Tuesday, April 4, 2017 The first Africa Renewable Energy Leaders’ Summit (ARELS) officially launched today at the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi. The two-day-long international conference organised by dmg events Middle East, […]
A day after an explosion ripped through St Petersburg’s metro system killing at least 14 people, authorities in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan identified a suspect in the attack as a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen. There were conflicting reports as to whether the suspect was a suicide bomber or whether he had fled the scene. Citing an unnamed official at Kyrgyzstan’s national security committee, the Russian news […]
Submitted by James Durso “The lion is back in his den!” Hosni Mubarak, former President of Egypt, walked free last week after six years in detention on charges of murder and corruption. What does the U.S. have to show for it? Nothing. In January 2011, Egyptian activists planned protests against corruption, lack of economic growth, and the heavy-handed police tactics of the recent years. The protests were […]
BAGHDAD: US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner visited Iraq on Monday with the top US military officer to meet Iraqi leaders and review the fight against Daesh, officials said.The visit comes as Iraqi forces battle to retake Mosul from Daesh with support from US-led air strikes that have recently been criticized for causing civilian deaths in the city’s west.Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs […]
KINSHASA, Congo — On Oct. 4, 2016, Etienne Tshisekedi made his final address to a crowd gathered in the courtyard of his party’s headquarters. The longtime leader of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s opposition was visibly frail, and the speech, slow and hesitant, lasted only three minutes. But the old man still managed to rev up his followers, many of whom strained to hear from the […]
Benjamin J. Rhodes, who was a foreign policy adviser to President Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter: “Kushner in Iraq before the National Security Advisor or Secretary of State. Totally normal.” Continue reading the main story That was not the only way the trip broke with usual government practice: On Sunday evening, as word of Mr. Kushner’s trip began to spread, the White House incorrectly told reporters on […]
M1 has introduced two mobile plans tailored for business users as it looks to increase its service offerings for the local enterprise market. The Singapore telco announced the M1 Enterprise Mobile 6 and 12 plans, offering unlimited local messaging and voice calls, and 6GB or 12GB data allowance that could be used locally as well as in 56 global markets. These countries were selected based on their […]
An American of Iranian descent arrested in Iran in July and sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment on dubious charges has been released on bail after he went on a hunger strike, rights activists reported on Monday. The American, Robin Shahini, who is 46 or 47, was released about two weeks ago, just before the start of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, according to the Center for Human […]
By Greg Torode and Michael Martina | HONG KONG/BEIJING HONG KONG/BEIJING China is steadfastly opposed to the deployment of advanced U.S. anti-missile radars in South Korea because it does not know whether the defences, intended for North Korean missiles, are capable of tracking and countering Beijing’s own nuclear programme, experts say. Beijing’s resistance to the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) anti-missile system put up south of […]
By Michelle Nichols | UNITED NATIONS UNITED NATIONS U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will chair a United Nations Security Council meeting on North Korea on April 28 to discuss how the body can combat Pyongyang’s banned nuclear and missile programs, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Monday. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions aimed at impeding the development of its nuclear and missile programs since […]
People who use or trade personal information obtained illegally can now be charged with an offence even if they did not perform the hacking to retrieve the data, after changes to cyber security laws were passed yesterday. In amending the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act, the Government is moving to keep pace with the evolving nature of cybercrime and criminal acts that target computer systems. Besides criminalising […]
By Julia Edwards Ainsley | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced steps on Monday to prevent the fraudulent use of H1B visas, used by employers to bring in specialised foreign workers temporarily, which appeared to fall short of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to overhaul the programme. Trump had promised to end the lottery system for H1B visas, which gives each applicant an equal […]
That big hug was just what Mr. Sisi’s government sought, said Eric Trager, a scholar on Egypt at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “It wants to see the White House legitimate it, and set it on a new course.” Continue reading the main story The scene provided a powerful counterpoint to Mr. Sisi’s many critics, in Egypt and abroad, for whom he is known as […]
Dubai, UAE – April 3, 2017 BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) today shared new details on its broad licensing strategy which addresses the growing need for secure, connected devices and endpoints in today’s Enterprise of Things. The first phase of BlackBerry’s strategy, announced in September 2016, was focused on providing the most secure and comprehensive Android software for smartphones around the world manufactured and marketed […]
ZDNet ST. MAARTEN: The cybercriminals allegedly responsible for an attack on Bangladesh’s central bank which left the country’s wallet millions of dollars lighter is showing “no signs of stopping,” according to security experts. The group, dubbed Lazarus, managed to dupe banking staff into transferring $80 million from the Central Bank of Bangladesh’s New York Federal Reserve account after spending several months studying how the financial institutions communicated […]
Bahrain’s King Hamad on Monday approved a constitutional amendment granting military courts the right to try civilians accused of terrorism, state news agency BNA said. The amendment, approved unanimously by the upper house of parliament last month, drops a clause limiting military trials to members of the armed forces or other security branches. It does not specify what constitutes an act of terrorism. The Sunni-ruled kingdom has […]
