Latest news with #alQaeda
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Warren asks if X violating sanctions with ‘blue checks'
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) raised concerns Wednesday about whether Elon Musk's social platform X is violating sanctions by reportedly allowing members of terrorist organizations to obtain 'blue checks.' In a letter to Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent and national security adviser Marco Rubio, Warren pointed to a recent report finding that sanctioned individuals from al Qaeda, Hezbollah and the Houthis had been allowed to obtain the check marks and the benefits that come with them. 'Although X's official policies state that its premium services are off limits for those subject to U.S. sanctions, in practice, X nevertheless appears to have facilitated payments for terrorists and other sanctioned individuals,' Warren wrote. The Massachusetts Democrats underscored that X Premium users receive other advantages beyond the blue check, including revenue-generating features that allow users to 'transfer cash or cryptocurrency to sanctioned individuals.' 'In essence, X allowed its platform to be transformed into a sanctions-evasion service for individuals that threaten the safety of Americans on a daily basis,' Warren said in Wednesday's letter. 'These revelations raise serious questions about whether X is breaking the law and endangering the safety of Americans — and about whether the Treasury Department is prepared for the deluge of illicit, sanctions-evading transactions that will occur if platforms like X are able to create their own stablecoins, as proposed by the GENIUS Act,' she added. Warren has been a fierce opponent of the GENIUS Act, a bill that would create a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. She has argued that the legislation doesn't go far enough to prevent Big Tech firms, like X, from launching their own stablecoins and lacks restrictions blocking President Trump and his family from profiting off the industry. The bill cleared a key early hurdle on the Senate floor last month, garnering support from more than a dozen Democrats. However, many have indicated they want to see changes to the GENIUS Act before voting for final passage. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has vowed a return to so-called regular order, allowing for an open amendment process on the floor that would permit more tweaks to the legislation but threatens to slow its progress. A key point of contention has become the Credit Card Competition Act, which Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) has offered up as an amendment to the GENIUS Act. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), would require large financial institutions to provide an option other than Visa or Mastercard to process credit card transactions. The legislation has been aggressively opposed by the credit card industry, which argues it would enrich major retailers and force credit card companies to do away with popular rewards programs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Al Qaeda tried to poison UK water supply, ex-security minister shares shocking details
Former counter terrorism minister Lord West, who held office at the time, revealed how al Qaeda terrorists attempted to poison London's water supplies in 2008, but were thwarted by the security services. The government at the time tackled Westminster over steps to protect Britain's reservoirs against attack by hostile forces. Lord West, who served as home office minister for security and counter-terrorism from 2007 to 2010, said in 2008, there were attempts by eight al Qaeda operatives to poison the water supplies of north London. 'I am pleased to say that our agencies worked brilliantly to stop it from happening,' he said further. The former Navy chief added that as a result of this incident, a series of efforts were put on the police response times, indicators of where the outflows from reservoirs went and new barriers. 'Where has all that work gone? These things somehow seem to disappear,' he said further. These revelations have come following the publication of comprehensive military plans to protect the UK amid threats from Russia and China. Sir Keir Starmer praised the strategic defence review (SDR), published earlier this week and said that it would create a 'battle-ready, armour-clad' nation. In response, Lady Hayman from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that, 'I will certainly look into it, because it is an important point.' Earlier, the minister said that Defra recognises how the drinking water supply can become a potential target for hostile actors. However, Lord Harris of Haringey, chairman of the National Preparedness Commission, questioned Defra for merely monitoring and said: 'I wonder whether her department is being a tad complacent in talking simply about monitoring the threat rather than looking at what practical arrangements can be made.' He questioned the department's inadequacy at making practical arrangements for situations like when a drone deposits something in a reservoir. Countering him, Lady Hayman said tackling such diverse threats requires a cross-government and cross-society response. 'In Defra, we work closely to look at the threats and the appropriate levels of response, drawing on expert advice from the National Protective Security Authority, the National Cyber Security Centre and the home office. Former Metropolitan Police chief Lord Hogan-Howe, who led the UK's largest force from 2011 to 2017, talked about his concern related to confusion between the Home Office, Defra and others. He said, 'I worry that there is sometimes confusion between the Home Office, Defra and others about who is looking after security…. it needs to be higher in the priorities than it presently appears.'(With Inputs from PA Media)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Syrian stock exchange reopens after a 6-month hiatus as part of U.S.-led push for a new free market economy
Stocks resumed trading in Damascus, a promising sign for Syria's recovery. With a new government in place and U.S. sanctions, leaders push to turn Syria into the sort of free-market economy that can attract the investments it needs to rebuild itself. On Monday, the Syrian stock exchange reopened for the first time since President Bashar Al-Assad was deposed. After a six-month hiatus, instituted just days before the toppling of Assad's regime, the Damascus Securities Exchange resumed trading. The stock exchange closed in earlier December in the lead-up to the swift and clinical rebel offensive that ultimately took the capital and forced Assad into exile. The Syrian finance minister Mohammad Yusr Barniyeh attended the opening ceremony in Damascus. At the event, he pointed to the stock exchange as a sign of Syria's widespread economic recovery. The stock exchange 'will operate as a private company and serve as a genuine hub for Syria's economic development, with a strong focus on digital,' Barniyeh said according to comments reported by the state-run news agency SANA. Reopening the stock market is part of Syria's plans to rebuild the country and its economy after 14 years of civil war. The new Syrian government, helmed by former al Qaeda member Ahmed Al-Sharaa, pledged to operate under free-market principles rather than the state-controlled economy of Assad's rule. Barniyeh reiterated the importance of the private sector during his comments on Monday. 'Our approach is centered on fairness, equity, private sector leadership, and investment attraction,' he said. 'We will facilitate business operations and open doors to promising investment opportunities.' In an effort to ease Syria's rebuilding, the U.S. and Europe both lifted the extensive sanctions it had placed on the country. Among the restrictions lifted were those banning U.S. citizens and companies from doing any business at all in Syria. In recent weeks, Syria has already succeeded in securing some initial investments in the country, which was ravaged by more than a decade of war. A group of investors from the U.S., Qatar, and Turkey signed a $7 billion deal with the new Syrian government to develop an energy project projected to deliver about 5,000 megawatts. The deal, though, does not include direct involvement of U.S. companies; instead, the American subsidiary of Qatari energy company Power International will participate in the project. The signing of the agreement featured the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Syria Thomas Barrack, who urged the countries represented to weave 'a tapestry of commerce and cooperation,' starting with the lifting of sanctions. 'President Trump made a bold decision that he would erase the bondage of 50 years in an instant,' Barrack said of U.S. sanctions at last month's signing ceremony. Elsewhere in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia also pledged additional economic and financial support to Syria. Saudi Arabia will finance public-sector salaries in an arrangement that also includes Qatar. In a meeting last week, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said investors from his country would visit Syria in the coming months to start looking into deals related to telecom, agriculture, infrastructure, and oil. This story was originally featured on Sign in to access your portfolio
Ya Libnan
a day ago
- General
- Ya Libnan
US gives nod to Syria to bring foreign ex-rebels into army, Reuters
A member of the former rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham stands guard near an image of Syria's Bashar al-Assad at the fourth division headquarters in Damascus, Syria, January 23, 2025 REUTERS/Yamam Al Shaar/File Photo By Timour Azhari and Suleiman Al-Khalidi he United States has given its blessing to a plan by Syria's new leadership to incorporate thousands of foreign jihadist former rebel fighters into the national army, provided that it does so transparently, President Donald Trump's envoy said. Three Syrian defence officials said that under the plan, some 3,500 foreign fighters, mainly Uyghurs from China and neighbouring countries, would join a newly-formed unit, the 84th Syrian army division, which would also include Syrians. Asked by Reuters in Damascus whether Washington approved the integration of foreign fighters into Syria's new military, Thomas Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey who was named Trump's special envoy to Syria last month, said: 'I would say there is an understanding, with transparency.' He said it was better to keep the fighters, many of whom are 'very loyal' to Syria's new administration, within a state project than to exclude them. The fate of foreigners who joined Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels during the 13-year war between rebel groups and President Bashar al-Assad has been one of the most fraught issues hindering a rapprochement with the West since HTS, aone-time offshoot of al Qaeda, toppled Assad and took power last year. At least until early May, the United States had been demanding the new leadership broadly exclude foreign fighters from the security forces. But Washington's approach to Syria has changed sharply since Trump toured the Middle East last month. Trump agreed to lift Assad-era sanctions on Syria, met Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh and named Barrack, a close friend, as his special envoy. Two sources close to the Syrian defence ministry told Reuters that Sharaa and his circle had been arguing to Western interlocutors that bringing foreign fighters into the army would be less of a security risk than abandoning them, which could drive them into the orbit of al Qaeda or Islamic State. The U.S. State Department and a Syrian government spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. CHINESE CONCERNS Thousands of Sunni Muslim foreigners joined Syria's rebels early in the 13-year civil war to fight against Assad, who was himself aided by Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias. Some fighters formed their own factions, while others joined established groups such as Islamic State, which briefly declared a caliphate in swathes of Syria and Iraq before being routed by an array of forces backed both by the United States and Iran. Foreign fighters within HTS earned a reputation as loyal, disciplined and experienced militants, and formed the backbone of the group's elite so-called suicide units. They fought against Islamic State and against other wings of al Qaeda from 2016, when HTS broke away from the group founded by Osama bin Laden. The Uyghur fighters from China and Central Asia are members of the Turkistan Islamic Party, a group designated as terrorists by Beijing. A Syrian official and a foreign diplomat said China had sought to have the group's influence in Syria restricted. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said: 'China hopes that Syria will oppose all forms of terrorism and extremist forces in response to the concerns of the international community.' Osman Bughra, a TIP political official, told Reuters in a written statement that the group had officially dissolved and integrated into the Syrian army. 'At present, the group operates entirely under the authority of the Ministry of Defence, adheres to national policy, and maintains no affiliations with external entities or groups,' he said. In December , the appointment of a handful of foreign jihadists who were part of HTS's senior leadership to top military posts had alarmed Western governments, raising concerns over the direction of Syria's new Islamist leadership. Demands to freeze the appointments and expel rank-and-file foreign fighters became a key point of contention with Washington and other Western countries up until the week of Trump's landmark meeting with Sharaa. Sharaa has said that foreign fighters and their families may be granted Syrian citizenship due to their role in fighting Assad. Abbas Sharifa, a Damascus-based expert on jihadist groups, said the fighters being included in the army had shown loyalty to Syria's leadership and were 'ideologically filtered.' But 'if you abandon them they become prey to ISIS or other radical groups' he said. Reuters
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Extremists kill dozens of soldiers at a Mali military base, sources say
Extremists have killed dozens of soldiers in an attack on a military base in Mali, civil society and military sources said on Tuesday, in the latest militant violence in West Africa's restive Sahel region. The attack on Sunday on the base in Boulkessi, near the border with Burkina Faso, killed at least 60 soldiers and wounded 40 more, a civil society activist in the area told The Associated Press. Advertisement They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to reporters. The al Qaeda-linked JNIM group claimed responsibility. A military source told the AP there were around 280 soldiers in the base, and 'all of those who didn't die were taken prisoner by the terrorists'. Mali's army acknowledged the attack in a statement on Monday, adding that soldiers had fought 'to their last breath'. It did not provide an exact death toll. Advertisement Mali, along with neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, has battled an insurgency by armed groups, including some allied with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, they have expelled French forces and turned to Russia's mercenary units for security assistance. In a separate attack on Monday, JNIM claimed responsibility for co-ordinated attacks on a military airport, a military base and army checkpoints in the northern town of Timbuktu. Mali's army said on social media it repelled the attack and that 13 extremists had been killed. It did not say whether any soldiers were killed. Advertisement A hospital employee in the town said one soldier died of his wounds and 10 other people were wounded. Timbuktu residents said they heard heavy gunfire and saw armed men enter the town on motorcycles. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals. Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Morocco-based Policy Centre for the New South, said the high level of co-ordination in the two attacks shows that JNIM had been planning them for a while. Attacks by extremists have been on the rise in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso in recent weeks. JNIM has established a strong presence in both. Advertisement
