Latest news with #DIA
Mint
15 hours ago
- Mint
Indian Youtuber Malik Swashbuckler draws outrage for offensive videos aimed at Turkish women
An Indian YouTuber has sparked massive outrage in Turkey after posting videos in which he made derogatory and sexually explicit remarks about Turkish women. The content, which quickly went viral, has led to calls for legal action and, according to unconfirmed reports, his detention by Turkish police. The YouTuber, known online as Malik Swashbuckler, whose real name is Malik SD Khan, reportedly made the offensive comments while travelling in Turkey. In several videos originally uploaded to YouTube and Instagram, he is heard speaking in Hindi—allegedly to avoid being understood by locals—while using demeaning language about Turkish women. Malik has since deleted his YouTube and Instagram accounts, though clips of the videos continue to circulate on social media. In one of the widely-shared clips, Malik is heard referring to a Turkish woman as 'maal' and 'item,' both derogatory slang terms used to objectify women. Another video shows him entering a Turkish shop and angrily questioning why there was no Indian flag displayed, during which he also used abusive language towards the shopkeeper. One of the most disturbing videos reportedly includes a rape threat, in which Malik, again speaking in Hindi, asks viewers if he should 'rape' his Turkish tour guide at night. Read | India views China, not Pakistan, as 'primary adversary', says DIA report | 10 things to know Due to the graphic and offensive nature of the content, the specific language used is not being reproduced here. Turkish users on social media were quick to flag the videos, leading to a massive backlash. According to Turkiye Today, Malik was detained by Turkish police last week, although no official statement has been released by authorities at the time of reporting. The controversy comes amid already strained perceptions between Indian tourists and Turkey, particularly after recent online calls to boycott the country over its political stance in support of Pakistan. Officials in both India and Turkey have yet to issue formal comments on the matter.
The Print
a day ago
- Business
- The Print
LAC tensions, China aiding Pakistan's WMD ambitions—what US flagged in annual worldwide threat report
The report says Pakistan perceives India as an 'existential threat' and will continue to pursue its military 'modernisation effort, including the development of battlefield nuclear weapons, to offset India's conventional military advantage'. The report, released earlier this month, also said sometimes these supplies are transshipped through Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. New Delhi: Pakistan almost 'certainly procures' foreign materials and technology for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) from foreign suppliers and intermediaries, 'very likely acquired primarily from suppliers in China', the United States' Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has said in its 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment report. The report has further said the 'ongoing tensions along India and China's Line of Actual Control border demarcation are capable of escalating quickly'. Referring to the troop disengagement in Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh in October last year, it says 'the disengagement did not resolve the longstanding dispute about border demarcation but reduced some tension still lingering' since the 2020 Galwan clash, with India considering China its 'primary adversary' and viewing Pakistan as 'an ancillary security problem to be managed despite cross-border attacks in mid-May by both India's and Pakistan's militaries'. Notably, Pakistan deployed Chinese-supplied fighters such as JF-17 and J10C, PL-15E beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) against India during the military hostilities between 7 and 10 May. Besides, multiple reports indicate that Pakistan is expected to receive the fifth-generation J-35A fighter jet from China later this year. Subsequently, the assessment states that Pakistan 'primarily is a recipient' of Beijing's 'economic and military largesse' and its forces conduct multiple military exercises with Chinese forces every year. 'Foreign materials and technology supporting Pakistan's WMD programs are very likely acquired primarily from suppliers in China and sometimes are transshipped through Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates,' the report said. India had launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of 7 May, targeting nine terror training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The strikes came in retaliation to the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, carried out by terrorists trained and backed by Pakistan, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. Pakistan reached out to Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai 10 May to propose cessation of hostilities. The report released just the day after describes the escalation in detail, stating it included 'rounds of missile, drone and loitering munition attacks, and heavy artillery fire, by both militaries from 7 to 10 May'. Also Read:All about J-35A, the Chinese fifth-generation stealth fighter Pakistan plans to acquire On China A substantive portion of the DIA report focuses on China's rapid military and nuclear modernisation. The report estimates that China's operational nuclear warhead count has surpassed 600 and could exceed 1,000 by 2030. These warheads will 'be maintained at higher readiness levels to enable faster response times during conflicts,' it adds. On countering Beijing's expanding influence, it says that India is 'boosting its global leadership role' by advancing bilateral defence partnerships in the Indian Ocean region and increasing its participation in multilateral forums. These include the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) with the US, Australia and Japan; the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa); the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The paper also highlights India's strengthening of its nuclear triad and deterrence capabilities in 2024 by 'conducting the test of the nuclear-capable Agni-I Prime medium range ballistic missile (MRBM) and the Agni-V multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle while also commissioning its second nuclear-powered submarine'. India had commissioned its second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), INS Arighaat, in August last year. The DIA further outlines India's focus on building indigenous defence capabilities through the 'Make in India' initiative, aimed at modernising the armed forces and mitigating supply chain risks. The assessment also says that, despite a reduction in arms procurement from Moscow, India will maintain its relationship with Russia 'since it views its ties to Russia as important for achieving its economic and defence objectives'. It adds that India continues to rely on 'Russian-origin spare parts to sustain a significant portion of its tank and fighter aircraft inventory', which has been described as 'the backbone of its military's ability to counter perceived threats from China and Pakistan'. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: India used this battlefield hack to keep Soviet-era missile systems firing against Pakistan in Op Sindoor
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Incoming City Council president said he felt 'threatened' by another City Councilman
There was a tense moment in a Jacksonville City Council meeting this week. Incoming City Council president Kevin Carrico, said he felt 'threatened' by City Councilman Matt Carlucci and requested that the sergeant at arms remove Carlucci from council chambers. The two were debating a bill that would make some changes to the Downtown Investment Authority. Carrico is the sponsor of that bill. It would enable the DIA to file legislation directly with the council president, thereby sidestepping the Mayor's budget review process. It would also require the DIA's CEO to be confirmed by the council, and gives the council and/or the DIA Board the authority to remove the CEO with a majority vote. Councilman Carlucci is not a member of the special committee on the future of downtown. But he helped put the DIA together. He said the DIA is meant to be independent. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< 'The DIA has its own board,' Carlucci said. 'They hire and then they fire the DIA board, who the executive director or the CEO reports to. That's the way it should stay.' Councilman Carrico said, 'With autonomy comes accountability. It is not a power trip, it's an accountability thing. The likelihood of the council wanting to remove a CEO would be pretty extreme.' In a video from Thursday's meeting, you can see Carlucci get up from his seat and stand near Carrico. That's when Carrico said he felt threatened. Action News Jax asked Carlucci what he was doing by approaching Carrico. Carlucci said, 'I walked up, as I normally do, before I leave a meeting early, and walked over to the chair and to say I'm leaving early. He was engaged in conversation.' We reached out to Councilman Kevin Carrico for an interview. He replied back saying 'no comment'. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
New Zealand Is Not Yet Capturing Alternative Remittance In Anti-Money Laundering Laws
Alternative Remittance New Zealand has not yet aligned its AML/CFT Act to the International Standards set by FATF to regulate Alternative Remittance Services. Countries such as Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and the USA all provide regulations that explicitly capture Alternative Remittance. The legislative frameworks of those countries also provide separate reporting frameworks to capture both Conventional money or value transfer and Unconventional money or value transfer. Though New Zealand's AML/CFT regime captures conventional money or value transfers that occur through a Wire Transfer, it does not capture unconventional methods of trading. The problem with restricting money or value transfer services to Wire Transfers is that Alternative Remittance services do not need to rely on a Wire Transfer. Nor does a method of Alternative Remittance need to 'pass through' a financial institution or involve 'cross-border'. This is where the anomaly clearly lies in New Zealand's AML/CFT Act. It is only catering to conventional money or value transfer services and not unconventional. The NZ AML/CFT Act also limits its international money or value reporting framework to a 'Prescribed Transaction'. A Prescribed Transaction is defined as a 'Wire Transfer' (section 5 of the AML/CFT Act). It is clear New Zealand's AML/CFT Act is weakened in its ability to detect or prevent the use of Alternative Remittance services that assist in the facilitation of terrorism financing and evasion of sanctions. NZ AML/CFT Act Anamoly Already Known During the 2021 Statutory Review of the NZ AML/CFT Act, the Ministry of Justice released a document and acknowledged the definition of 'Wire Transfer' did not capture 'Hawala'. (Hawala is another terminology used for 'Alternative Remittance' or 'Traditional Remittance'.) The document states - 'However, under the current definitions of a wire transfer, this type of transaction is not explicitly captured as a wire transfer, and there are accordingly no specific CDD or PTR obligations for the transaction.." Despite this recognition, no changes have been recommended to address this anomaly. Use of the term 'Money Remittance' Though the DIA AML/CFT Supervisor is purporting the NZ AML/CFT Act regulates 'money remitters', the reality is the AML/CFT Act has not yet defined 'money remittance' and nor does it define 'alternative money remittance'. The use of the term 'money remittance' without the AML/CFT regime having a definition of money remittance, is only confusing the industry. Underground Banking One consequence of New Zealand failing to provide an AML/CFT regime that captures Alternative Remittance, is the increased use of underground banking channels. As underground banking channels are where transnational criminals operate – it is time for New Zealand to plug this gap. More on this topic will be reported.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Government employee held after attempt to share classified information with foreign country
A government employee in Virginia accused of attempting to share classified information with a foreign country was held pending a detention hearing, and could face up to life in prison, or even death, depending on the details of the case brought against him, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Virginia-based Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick ordered that 28-year-old Nathan Laatsch be held pending a detention hearing scheduled for June 4. Laatsch allegedly attempted to transmit classified national defense information or documents to a foreign government. Depending on the details of the case, Laatsch faces "any term or years, or life…or even death," according to DOJ prosecutor Gordon Kromberg. Us It Specialist Arrested After Attempting To Share Classified Information With Foreign Government: Doj Laatsch, an IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) since 2019, appeared in court on Friday wearing street clothes, which were presumably the same clothes he wore when he was arrested the day before. Read On The Fox News App He was arrested after the FBI received a tip in March that someone was willing to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. Laatsch was a civilian employee in the DIA's Insider Threat Division and held a top-secret security clearance, according to the DOJ. Former Us Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced For Selling Sensitive Documents To Chinese National An email to the FBI said that the person — later identified as Laatsch — didn't "agree or align with the values" of the Trump administration and would be willing to share classified information that he could access, including "completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation." Laatsch communicated with an FBI agent, whom he believed to be a foreign government official, multiple times and would confirm that he was ready to share classified information that he transcribed onto a notepad at his desk, the DOJ said. He allegedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace multiple times over a three-day period in preparation. The FBI set up an operation at a northern Virginia park where Laatsch was to deposit classified information "for the foreign government to retrieve," according to the DOJ. He was observed by the FBI on or around May 1 depositing an item at the specified location. Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira Receives 15 Years For Secrets Leak Once he left, the DOJ said FBI agents retrieved a thumb drive from the area found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents with information portion-marked for Secret or Top-Secret levels. His message allegedly indicated that he was sharing "a decent sample size" of classified information to demonstrate the types of things he has access to. On May 7, after Laatsch learned that the thumb drive had been retrieved, he allegedly sent a message to the undercover agent appearing to say that he was seeking something in exchange for providing the information. The following day, he specified that he was interested in "citizenship for your country" because he didn't expect things in America "to improve in the long term," the DOJ said. He also allegedly said he was "not opposed to other compensation," but not in a place where he needed "material compensation." Laatsch was told on May 14 by the FBI agent that the "foreign government" was ready for additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, he transcribed more information and began to remove it from the building by folding the notes and hiding them in his clothing. On Thursday, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia to drop the information off to the "foreign country." He was arrested once the FBI received the documents. Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this article source: Government employee held after attempt to share classified information with foreign country
