KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Five suspected members of Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf have been shot dead in a firefight with police on the Malaysian part of Borneo island, authorities said Tuesday. Police were attacked by men armed with guns and machetes Monday when they raided a settlement near the town of Beaufort in Sabah state and returned fire. “Five male suspects were successfully defeated,” said Sabah police commissioner Hazani Ghazali in a statement. […]
Tag: Security
OSG to probe reported data breach of 345,000 court docs; perpetrators to be “punished”
London-based information security firm TurgenSec says sensitive court documents were made publicly available online for at least two months (Eagle News) – The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is investigating a reported data breach of some 345,000 sensitive court documents that was first revealed by a U.K. security company. In a statement, it said that it would also prosecute and punish those responsible for the data breach that involved its court documents. The […]
Acting US Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf resigns
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, resigned Monday amid rising worries over the possibility of more violence during President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week, a DHS official said. “The acting secretary is stepping down effective 11:59 tonight,” the official told AFP. He gave no reason for the resignation but said that Pete Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, would take over. © […]
Trump fires US election security official who rejected fraud claims
by Paul HANDLEY Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump on Tuesday fired the government’s top election security official, who had rejected the president’s unsubstantiated claims of “massive” fraud in the vote he lost to Joe Biden. Trump announced on Twitter the termination “effective immediately” of Chris Krebs, who leads the agency that jointly declared “the November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.” Trump, who refuses to acknowledge […]
Trump bans investment in firms that aid China’s military
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning Americans from investing in Chinese firms deemed to be supplying or supporting Beijing’s military and security apparatus, earning a sharp rebuke from China. The order listed 31 companies Thursday it said China was using for the “increasing exploitation” of US investment capital to fund military and intelligence services, including the development and deployment of weapons of mass destruction. US-China […]
After White House, Covid-19 breaches Pentagon
by Sylvie LANTEAUME Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US commander-in-chief has Covid-19 and the top military brass are isolating as the coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on the national security establishment of the most powerful nation in the world. As Covid-19 breached the walls of the Pentagon, the Defense Department was quick to stress on Tuesday that there had been “no change to the operational readiness or mission capability of […]
Eiffel Tower evacuated for 2 hours after bomb threat: police
PARIS, France (AFP) — The Eiffel Tower in Paris was evacuated for two hours Wednesday after an anonymous caller threatened to blow up the great edifice in the heart of the French capital, police said. After an inspection, nothing suspicious was found and the Eiffel Tower was able to reopen to visitors. “A man phoned up, shouted ‘Allah Akbar’ and said he was going to ‘blow up everything’” at the Eiffel Tower, said a police […]
Pentagon slams Chinese missile launches in South China Sea
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Defense Department said Thursday that Chinese test launches of ballistic missiles in the South China Sea were threatening peace and security in the region. Confirming reports that Beijing’s forces launched as many as four ballistic missiles during military exercises around the Paracel islands, the Pentagon said the move called into question China’s 2002 commitment to avoiding provocative activities. China’s “actions, including missile tests, further destabilize the situation in […]
US blacklists Chinese individuals, firms for South China Sea work
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions and restrictions on two dozen Chinese companies and associated officials for taking part in building artificial islands in disputed waters in the South China Sea. The 24 state-owned firms include subsidiaries of construction giant China Communications Construction Co., telecommunications firms and a unit of the China Shipbuilding Group. The move was the latest step in Washington’s efforts to pressure Beijing over its military […]
Man shot outside White House, Trump evacuated mid press conference
by Sebastian Smith WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Secret Service agents shot and wounded a man who was apparently armed outside the White House on Monday, President Donald Trump said just after being briefly evacuated in the middle of a press conference. As the president was speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room, a Secret Service bodyguard abruptly approached him and interrupted, saying in a quiet voice, “Sir, could you please come […]
Thousands protest in Hong Kong over China security law proposal
by Yan ZHAO / Xinqi SU Agence France Presse Police fired tear gas and water cannon at thousands of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters who gathered Sunday against a controversial security law proposed by China, in the most intense clashes for months. As the demonstrators and police were facing off in the semi-autonomous financial hub, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi insisted in Beijing that the proposed law must be imposed “without the slightest delay”. The […]
Hong Kong security proposal submitted to China legislature
PEKIN, China (AFP) — A proposal to enact new Hong Kong security legislation was submitted to China’s rubber-stamp on Friday, state media said, a move expected to fan fresh protests in the semi-autonomous financial hub. The proposal, which has been condemned by the United States and Hong Kong pro-democracy figures as an assault on the city’s freedoms, was tabled on the opening day of the week-long National People’s Congress, Xinhua news agency said. Parliament spokesman […]





