Latest news with #SITE
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
ISIS Attempts to Revive Operations in Syria
ISIS has claimed responsibility for its first attack on Syrian government forces since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime last December. The announcement, made on Thursday, suggests the militant group is seeking to exploit Syria's fragile transitional period to rebuild its presence and revive its operations. According to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity, ISIS issued a statement claiming it had detonated an explosive device targeting a vehicle belonging to what it described as the 'apostate Syrian regime' in the southern province of Suwaida. The group referred to the new government as 'apostate' despite its origins in Islamist factions that played a role in Assad's ouster, underscoring ISIS' continued rejection of any authority outside its own ideology. SITE reported that this marks the group's first confirmed attack against Syria's new government forces. Local sources reported that the blast, which occurred Wednesday, killed one person and injured three others from a unit of the Syrian army. Separately, local news outlet Suwayda 24 reported an explosion Thursday morning on the Arika-Najran road in western Suwaida. Citing a source in the Engineering Unit of the 'Men of Dignity' movement - active in the predominantly Druze region - the report said an IED damaged an ambulance but caused no casualties. The device, weighing several kilograms and recently planted, appeared intended to strike any passing vehicle. The source described the incident as a 'terrorist act,' though it appears distinct from the attack claimed by ISIS. The group's renewed activity coincides with an intensifying crackdown by Syrian government forces on ISIS sleeper cells. In recent weeks, Syria's Interior Ministry released images of alleged group members captured during a raid in eastern Aleppo. Officials said the cell was involved in attacks on security personnel, including the killing of an officer. Authorities also confiscated weapons, explosives, and suicide vests. Earlier this month, Damascus' regional internal security chief, Hossam Al-Tahan, announced the arrest of several ISIS suspects in western Ghouta. The detainees were reportedly operating in areas such as Kiswa, Deir Khabiyeh, and Zakiyah. Security forces seized a cache of light and heavy weapons, including rocket launchers and IEDs. The regime also claims to have dismantled a separate ISIS cell earlier this year that was allegedly plotting an attack on a Shiite religious site near the capital. ISIS has not limited its threats to government forces. The group has continued attempts to destabilize the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the country's east. Though the group was territorially defeated in 2019 in the town of Baghouz, its fighters have reverted to guerrilla tactics, maintaining cells across central and eastern Syria.
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. hopes $5 million program will help reduce shoplifting, vandalism in downtown cores
The province has announced a $5 million program meant to help police step up patrols and target non-violent crime as communities in B.C. struggle with increased theft and vandalism. Business owners say they appreciate the efforts but that playing 'Whac-A-Mole' with thieves will not address the wider mental health and addiction struggles that are driving people to shatter windows and steal merchandise. John Neate Jr., JJ Bean founder and CEO, said people are stealing so that they can afford drugs and that the courts have been reluctant to put them in jail unless they steal over $5,000 worth of products. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Meanwhile, business owners are having to pay for repairing broken glass, for covering up graffiti, and for lost stock. 'At our Alberni location two days ago, somebody broke the window, super-strong windows of reinforced glass. They had to work at it and they could only get through the first layer of glass. So it's double glass, $5,000 to replace,' said Neate, who has shut down his shop in the Woodward's building in Vancouver due to repeated theft and vandalism. 'There's no repercussions. I've never heard of somebody going to jail for breaking glass.' Terry Yung, B.C.'s minister of state for community safety and integrated services, didn't provide specifics as to how the new program will work outside of saying that it will be administered by the B.C. RCMP and each police department that applies for funding must come up with its own local plans to target non-violent crime such as vandalism. He said it is meant to work in conjunction with a related program that provides funding for police departments to target repeat violent offending. The Vancouver Police Department says that program, known as SITE, was responsible for a 27 per cent drop in violent crime in the retail zone around the Woodward's complex in Gastown, and nearby areas of the Downtown Eastside. They also reported a 45 per cent drop in weapon-related assaults in Gastown between October 2024 and January 2025. Chief Superintendent Wendy Mehat, president of the B.C. Associations of Chiefs of Police, said the new community safety program will help officers 'tackle repeat offending through outreach, targeted enforcement and partnerships.' She said partnerships with businesses and social service agencies will help connect individuals with supports where needed but admitted that metrics to determine whether or not the program is successful are still being developed. 'We will be checking in with our ministry and our partners here, and providing them with updates as to how that funding is working,' said Mehat. 'That work has not been started yet.' Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko, who is a former RCMP officer, criticized the program, saying it is grossly underfunded compared to the scale of the crisis. She said the emphasis should be on upscaling treatment and recovery, not enforcement that will only work in the short-term. 'It will get people caught up with court cases, but eventually they will be free of those court cases, and they will still have untreated mental illness. They will still have brain damage, they will still likely be using drugs and likely continue to cause problems in their community,' she said. Sturko also pointed out that there is a shortage of prosecutors available to try these cases and that the B.C. Crown Counsel Association has filed a formal grievance against the B.C. Prosecution Service over staff shortages in the Kootenay and Okanagan regions. Across the Downtown Eastside, businesses that have been on the front lines of the toxic drug crisis and seen the deteriorating conditions firsthand are split on what to do. Where they are in agreement is that the province's enforcement efforts so far haven't moved the needle and that the underlying problems of mental health and addiction challenges, lack of housing and toxic drugs need to be addressed. Tommy Aird of Tommy's Whole Grain believes the whole discourse around the crime levels in the neighbourhood are overblown. He said he has only had a couple minor incidents in the 17 months he's been open and that it is the rhetoric coming from city councillors, provincial politicians and others that is causing businesses to suffer. 'We have customers I meet at farmers markets, and I'll say, 'Oh, you have to come see us at the bakery sometime.' And then they say, oh, they'd never do it, because they hear it's dangerous,' said Aird. Others such as Erin Templeton, owner of the leather goods store of the same name, said she loves the Downtown Eastside but frequently witnesses drug dealings and stabbings outside her front door. She said that all the businesses now have locks on their doors and that the police have not been helpful in assisting with disturbances, recalling one story where an officer simply got addicts to apologize for doing drugs outside her store. 'If the cops are going to be down here, they can't just be coming down here once a week,' said Templeton. 'It has to be the same people, getting to know everybody, finding out who the dealers are, and dealing with them.'
Arabian Post
2 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
PIF Considers SITE IPO Amid Economic Diversification Push
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund , is evaluating an initial public offering for its wholly-owned technology arm, Saudi Information Technology Company , as part of broader efforts to bolster the kingdom's economic diversification strategy. According to individuals familiar with the matter, PIF has approached investment banks to submit proposals for roles in a potential share sale of SITE. The discussions are in preliminary stages, with specifics such as the IPO's size and timeline yet to be determined. Established in 2017, SITE operates at the forefront of Saudi Arabia's digital transformation, offering services in cybersecurity, cloud computing, and systems integration. The company has been instrumental in securing critical national infrastructure and supporting various digital initiatives aligned with Vision 2030, the kingdom's blueprint for reducing reliance on oil revenues. ADVERTISEMENT SITE's portfolio includes a range of digital platforms and services, such as SITE Postal, SITE Inform, and SITE Guard, designed to enhance the digital ecosystem within the country. The company has also forged strategic partnerships to advance its technological capabilities. Notably, in collaboration with South Korea's AhnLab, SITE has invested over SAR 500 million to bolster cybersecurity technologies across the Middle East and North Africa region. The potential IPO of SITE reflects PIF's ongoing strategy to monetize its assets and inject liquidity into the national economy. This move aligns with previous initiatives, including the exploration of public listings for other PIF-backed entities such as Nupco, the kingdom's largest medical procurement firm. Saudi Arabia's push into the technology sector has gained momentum, with significant investments aimed at positioning the country as a global tech hub. The launch of Humain, a state-owned artificial intelligence company backed by PIF, underscores this ambition. Humain plans to invest heavily in AI infrastructure and has secured partnerships with major international tech firms to develop data centers and AI models. The kingdom's commitment to technological advancement is further evidenced by initiatives like the LEAP Tech Event, an annual conference that has attracted global attention and investment. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to foster innovation, create high-tech employment opportunities, and diversify the economy away from oil dependency.
Argaam
3 days ago
- Business
- Argaam
PIF explores IPO of SITE: Report
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is exploring an initial public offering (IPD) of its wholly-owned technology firm, Saudi Information Technology Co. (SITE), Bloomberg reported, citing a source familiar with the matter. Banks have been invited to pitch for roles on a potential share sale of SITE, but talks are at an early stage and details such as the size and timing of the offer are still under discussion. Established in 2017, SITE provides various technology services, including cybersecurity, cloud computing, and system integration.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia's Wealth Fund Is Said to Explore Tech Unit's IPO
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is exploring an initial public offering of a wholly-owned technology firm, according to people familiar with the matter, as the kingdom steps up efforts to raise cash for its economic diversification drive. Banks have been invited to pitch for roles on a potential share sale of Saudi Information Technology Co., or SITE, the people said, asking not to be named discussing private information. The deliberations are at an early stage and details such as the size and timing of the offer are still under discussion, the people said.
