World

Pakistan Bombing Raises Fears Over Security Breach, 100 Dead

Published

2 years ago

2023-01-31

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistani authorities were scrambling on Tuesday to figure out how a suicide bomber could carry out one of the country’s deadliest militant attacks in years, exploding in a crowded mosque inside a heavily fortified police compound in Peshawar. The death toll from the explosion has risen to 100.

At least 225 people were hurt in the bombing on Monday morning, which made officials worry about a major security breach at a time when the Pakistani Taliban, the main anti-government militant group, has been stepping up attacks, especially on police and the military.

Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said that the Pakistani Taliban, also known by their acronym TTP, attacked a televised speech to parliament on Tuesday. He said that they were running their operations from Afghan territory next door and asked the Afghan Taliban to do something about them. At first, a TTP commander took the blame, but later, a TTP spokesman distanced the group from the violence by saying that it was not the TTP’s policy to attack mosques.

Officials said the bomber detonated his explosives vest as more than 300 worshippers were praying in the Sunni mosque, with more on their way. According to Zafar Khan, a police officer, the blast blew off part of the roof, and what was left caved in, injuring many more.

Rescuers worked all night and into Tuesday morning to clear away piles of rubble so they could reach worshippers who were stuck under it. The death toll rose as more bodies were discovered, and several critically injured people died, according to Mohammad Asim, a government hospital spokesman in Peshawar.

According to him, the majority of the victims were police officers.

Pakistan Police Are Looking Into How The Bomber Got Inside

Police are looking into how the bomber got into the mosque inside a walled-off police headquarters compound called Police Lines. The compound is in Peshawar’s high-security district, which houses other government buildings.

“Yes, it was a security lapse,” said Ghulam Ali, the provincial governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar’s capital.

Former regional interior secretary Akhtar Ali Shah, based in Peshawar then, said the attack “was not a spur-of-the-moment attack.”

“It was the work of a well-organized group,” he said, according to The Associated Press. He said that the people who did the attack needed help from insiders to get into the compound and that they probably went in there more than once to keep an eye on things or to put bombs there ahead of time.

“It’s a security breach, not a security lapse,” he explained. “There are multiple layers of security you must cross from all entry points,” with ID checks.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan told parliament that investigators believe the bomber was assisted by someone from the families of government employees who live in the compound near the mosque. He stated that 97 of the 100 people killed were police officers and that 27 officers were still in critical condition.

97 Of The 100 People Were Police Officers

The military’s media wing turned down an interview request for the chief of army staff. Asim Munir, who took office in November, has yet to appear in the media.

The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s provincial secretary-general, Kamran Bangash, blamed the insecurity on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government.

“The government has failed to improve the economy and law and order situation,” he said, adding that it should resign to pave the way for snap parliamentary elections. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the party’s leader, condemned the attack.

Pakistan is in the middle of a political and economic crisis because of a disputed election and floods last summer that killed 1,739 people, destroyed more than 2 million homes, and flooded up to a third of the country. The bombing happened at the same time.

After the bombing, Sharif went to a hospital in Peshawar and said that those who did it would face “stern action.” He dismissed criticism of his government on Tuesday and called for unity. “My message to all political forces is unity in the face of anti-Pakistan elements. “We can fight our political battles later,” he said on Twitter.

In a tweet shortly after the explosion, Pakistan Taliban commander Sarbakaf Mohmand claimed responsibility for the attack.

Taliban Has Not Taken Responsibility

Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the TTP, said a few hours later that it was not the group’s policy to attack mosques, seminaries, and other religious sites, and that anyone who did so could be punished by TTP policy. He did not explain why a TTP commander claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Pakistan, predominantly Sunni Muslim, has seen an increase in militant attacks since the Pakistani Taliban brokered a cease-fire with government forces in November.

The Pakistani Taliban are the main group of militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and Peshawar has been attacked many times.attacks. In 2014, a Pakistani Taliban faction attacked an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 154 people, most of whom were children.

However, in recent years, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, a regional affiliate of the Islamic State group and a rival of the Taliban, has been behind deadly attacks in Pakistan. Overall, violence has increased since the Afghan Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021, following the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from the country after 20 years of war.

So Many Lives Lost

The TTP is distinct from but close to, the Afghan Taliban. It has been fighting an insurgency in Pakistan for the past 15 years, demanding stricter enforcement of Islamic laws, the release of its members detained by the government, and a reduction in Pakistani military presence in areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where it has long been based.

Earlier this month, the Pakistani Taliban claimed that one of its members shot and killed two intelligence officers, including the director of the Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency’s counterterrorism wing. According to security officials, the gunman was killed in a shootout near the Afghan border.

The Taliban-run Afghan Foreign Ministry expressed “sadness” that “numerous people lost their lives” in Peshawar and condemned attacks on worshippers contrary to Islamic teachings.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in the Middle East, tweeted his condolences, calling the Peshawar bombing a “horrific attack.”

“Terrorism for any reason and in any location is indefensible,” he said.

SOURCE – (AP)

World

Biden Escalates Ukraine War With Long-Range Missiles

Published

6 days ago

2024-11-18

Geoff Brown

The Kremlin announced on Monday that President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia with US military long-range missiles is “fuel to the fire” and will exacerbate international tensions.

Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to employ US military long-range missiles to strike deep within Russia has raised concerns about growing tensions, with many fearing that this decision could lead to world conflict.

On Monday, with less than two months remaining in office, President Joe Biden authorized American-provided Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike deep within Russia.

“It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps and they have been talking about this, to continue adding fuel to the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions around this conflict,” said Peskov, the spokesman for the president.

Peskov reminded journalists of a September statement by President Vladimir Putin, who stated that enabling Ukraine to target Russia would dramatically raise the stakes.

It would alter “the very nature of the conflict dramatically,” Putin stated. This would mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries would be at war with Russia.”

Peskov asserted that Western countries that deliver longer-range weaponry also provide targeting services to Kyiv. “This fundamentally changes the modality of their involvement in the conflict,” he said.

Ukraine War Escalation

In June, Putin threatened that if NATO permitted Ukraine to utilize the arsenal of its partners to attack Russian territory, Moscow would send longer-range weapons to others to strike Western targets.

“The Westerners supply weapons to Ukraine and say: ‘We do not control anything here anymore and it does not matter how they are used.'” Putin had said. “We can also say, ‘We supplied something to someone — and now we have no control over anything.'” “And let them think about it.”

Putin again emphasized Moscow’s willingness to deploy nuclear weapons if it perceived a threat to its sovereignty.

Biden’s decision will “mean the direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in military action against Russia, as well as a radical change in the essence and nature of the conflict,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated.

The new policy has unpredictable consequences. ATACMS, with a range of roughly 300 kilometers (190 miles), can travel deep behind Ukraine’s 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, although their range is modest compared to other types of ballistic and cruise missiles.

President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, has not responded, but he won the election on promises to stop the conflict, and some people close to him have decried the action as a hazardous escalation.

Missile Decision Sparks Anger

The Military Industrial Complex appears to want to start World War III before my father has a chance to restore peace and rescue lives. We need to lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!! Imbeciles!” Donald Trump Jr., the President-elect’s son, posted on X

“On his way out of office, Joe Biden is dangerously trying to start WWIII by authorizing Ukraine to use U.S. long-range missiles against Russia,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on X. “The American people gave a mandate on November 5 against these exact American last decisions.”

Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) officer and author of “Putin’s Playbook,” speculated that the stories were a “trial balloon to disrupt Trump” and that Biden may not have authorized the ATACMS strikes yet.

According to Dani Belo, PhD, Director of Security and International Relations at Global Policy Horizons Research Lab, Ukraine’s ability to currently hit Russian territory has the potential to escalate the war with Russia.

However, Donald Trump’s victory is likely to moderate the escalation.

There is speculation that Donald Trump’s administration would restrict military hardware deliveries to Ukraine, putting political pressure on Kyiv to resolve the crisis. This implies Ukraine has no motivation to escalate now and lose its fighting capability in a matter of months.

Russia sees no reason to escalate the situation at this time. Moscow expects that Trump’s administration will try to finish the war soon, so the Kremlin will likely take a wait-and-see approach until the new presidential administration takes office without significantly escalating the conflict. As a result, any escalation is unlikely.

Source: AP

Trump Shakes Up Pentagon Names Pete Hegseth Defence Secretary

Trump Shakes Up Pentagon Names Pete Hegseth Defence Secretary

World

A Court Filing Reveals Elon Musk Flatly Rejected OpenAI’s ICO in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

2024-11-15

Salman Ahmad

(VOR News) – Elon Musk, the billionaire and CEO of Tesla, claims in a subsequent court filing that was submitted on November 14 that he was successful in stopping OpenAI from doing an initial coin offering (ICO) in 2018.

According to the filing requirements, this information was disclosed.

Musk and his legal team have claimed that two of OpenAI’s founders, Greg Brockman and Sam Altman, tried unsuccessfully to create a token in early 2018 to help the company grow. To the best of our knowledge, this was the founders’ intention.

Elon Musk accurately described the scenario.

Elon Musk made the remark during the pertinent time period, according to the lawsuit’s accusations.

This, in his opinion, would lead to a significant decline in trust in OpenAI and everyone involved in the initial coin offering (ICO). These statements are extracted from his initial declaration.

A unique project backed by Altman, Worldcoin launched a token twenty-three years ago with the goal of creating digital identification for verified individuals.

Furthermore, the company in charge of token distribution was Worldcoin. Through the use of the token, Worldcoin was able to authenticate individual identities.

When OpenAI was first founded, it was a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating safe artificial general intelligence (AGI).

In this context, the acronym AGI stands for artificial global intelligence. “Musk has continuously voiced concern about the grave threat that these sophisticated systems pose to humanity,” his attorney wrote in the complaint. These sophisticated technologies represent a serious threat to humankind.

“Musk remains apprehensive regarding this threat.” “Musk regards these threats with the utmost seriousness.” “Elon Musk has harbored these concerns for an extended period.”

This led to Musk joining OpenAI’s board of directors and continuing to serve as co-chair of the board. Furthermore, he was appointed to that board of directors post.

Elon Musk contributed $44 million to the enterprise.

OpenAI declared in a March 5th news release that it was imperative that the company adopt a profit-making structure in order to obtain the necessary funding to achieve its objectives. In order to enable OpenAI to fulfill its objectives, this transition was necessary.

According to both the OpenAI statement and the amended filing, Elon Musk advocated for the combination of OpenAI and Tesla to help the artificial intelligence startup with its financial issues.

The aforementioned measures were implemented to mitigate the challenges that the organization was facing at that specific moment. Musk submitted his resignation as an OpenAI employee in February 2018.

He founded his own artificial intelligence company, which he named XAI, in the ensuing years. His efforts directly led to the achievement he achieved.

We are deeply disappointed that our friendship with someone we have always held in the highest respect has deteriorated.

As we started to make significant strides toward OpenAI’s goal on our own, this person, who had previously motivated us to achieve greater heights, abruptly predicted that we would fail, established a rival company, and filed a lawsuit against us, according to the group’s press release.

In August of this year, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEOs, Altman and Brockman, claiming that they had violated federal RICO statutes, engaged in unfair competition, and committed fraud. OpenAI is the target of legal action taken by Elon Musk.

According to Elon Musk, they have engaged in additional illegal activity. Microsoft was named as one of the defendants in the dispute in the updated complaint, which was submitted on November 14.

It’s being presented as a case at the moment. Microsoft and OpenAI started working together in 2019, and Microsoft committed $1 billion in the partnership.

In July 2023, OpenAI’s native cryptocurrency, Worldcoin (WLD), was made available to the general public. Not too long ago, an article published by The Block disclosed this knowledge. When the market closed on November 15 at 11:36 p.m. Eastern Time (16:36 UTC), the price of a share of WLD was $2.21.

SOURCE: TB

World

Trump Appoints Robert F. Kennedy Jr to Head HHS

Published

1 week ago

2024-11-15

Geoff Brown

Trump Appoints Robert F. Kennedy Jr to Head HHS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

President-elect Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr) to run the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), sending Democrats and Big Pharma allies into a tailspin.

“I am delighted to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and medicine firms, which have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation regarding public health,” Trump stated in his announcement.

“The safety and health of all Americans is the most important role of any administration, and HHS will play an important role in ensuring that everyone is safe from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to this country’s overwhelming health crisis.

Mr. Kennedy will restore these agencies to gold-standard scientific Research and Transparency traditions, stopping the Chronic Disease Epidemic and making America Great and Healthy Again!” Trump added.

Reactions to RFK Jr HHS Appointment

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversees the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Medicare, Medicaid, and the National Institutes of Health.

Kennedy is a former environmental justice lawyer who has recently started an anti-vaccine nonprofit. He ran for president as an independent candidate in 2024 but dropped out to join Trump’s closest circle.

House Republicans have reacted to Donald Trump’s nomination of former presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary.

Chip Roy, a Texas congressman, calls it “great news”. He tells me, “We need disruption throughout the federal government.” He’ll be fantastic at HHS [the Department of Health and Human Services] to do that.”

Roy adds that he expects Kennedy’s candidacy will clear the Senate.

“There’s been a few Kennedy’s in the Senate in the past so maybe there’ll be some legacy there that they will want to move him through,” he speculates.

South Carolina Congressman Ralph Norman concurs with Roy on Kennedy’s confirmation in the Senate: “I believe he was an excellent choice by the president, as have all of them. Kennedy is interested in, and passionate about, the medical industry. He will do a terrific job with it.”

According to Public Citizen, a progressive nonprofit group focused on consumer protection, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “is a clear and present danger to the nation’s health.”

He should not be allowed to enter the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), let alone be appointed director of the nation’s public health agency.”

“Donald Trump’s mishandling of public health policies during the Covid outbreak resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. “By appointing Kennedy as secretary of HHS, Trump is courting another policy-driven public health disaster,” the organization continued.

Apu Akkad, an infectious disease physician at the University of Southern California, described the statement as a “scary day for public health”.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical stocks such as Pfizer and Moderna plummeted following news of Kennedy’s nomination for HHS Secretary, as investors considered his potential impact on vaccine sales.

Novavax and BioNTech finished down more than 7%, with almost all losses occurring when word of the selection broke—Novavax shares fell to $7.22, and BioNTech shares fell to $103.56.

Moderna’s stock closed 5.6% at $39.77, reaching its lowest point of the year.

Sanofi’s stock fell 3.4% to $47.82, continuing a weeks-long share price decline that began after the company’s latest earnings report last month.

Pfizer lost less than its competitors on Thursday, closing down 2.6% at $26.02, despite having its sharpest drop of the day immediately following the RFK Jr. announcement.