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New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Guantanamo Bay mission, Ulu Tiram attack among defining moments with outgoing IGP, says home minister
KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail reflected on two of the most defining moments in his collaboration with outgoing Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain — the repatriation of two Malaysians detained at Guantanamo Bay and the deadly attack on the Ulu Tiram police station in Johor. Speaking at the handing-over of duties and farewell ceremony for Razarudin at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) today, Saifuddin said he was grateful to have worked with both Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, Malaysia's 13th IGP, and Razarudin, the 14th IGP. "There are certainly many moments in the past two years, but among the most significant was when the cabinet decided that two Malaysians held at Guantanamo Bay must be brought home. That was the directive," he said in his speech. "In September 2023, I went there with Razarudin. Before that, we had to meet with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency — it was a huge task. "But I felt at ease because I had an IGP who was competent and knew his responsibilities well. That made half the burden lighter. Alhamdulillah, both Malaysians were successfully brought back," he said, also recalling the tense hours following the attack on the Ulu Tiram police station in May 2024. He said the prime minister, who was overseas at the time, contacted him to ask whether the incident involved terrorist elements. "Tan Sri (Razarudin) was calm and immediately went to the scene himself, even before I was flown in for the briefing," he said, adding that it was then when he learned the term "lone wolf". Saifuddin said in such crises, leadership must be calm, analytical and able to present a convincing narrative. "We managed that narrative well," he said, praising Razarudin for his calm demeanor, professionalism and extraordinary work ethic. "One unique thing about him — if I sent him a message at 2.01am, he would reply by 2.05am. If I texted at 3.30pm, the reply came at 3.33pm. That's the kind of responsiveness that builds strong working chemistry," he said. The ceremony also marked the official appointment of Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail as Malaysia's 15th inspector-general of police in succeeding Razarudin.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Is your smart home spying? FBI warns devices could be linked to crime
Cyber criminals have managed to gain unauthorized access to home networks by compromising at-home technology such as streaming devices and digital picture frames, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in a statement. By leveraging Badbox, cyber criminals are able to access the at-home streaming devices, digital projectors, aftermarket vehicle infotainment systems, digital picture frames, and more, the agency explained. Criminals exploit Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected to home networks to conduct criminal activity, the statement reads. They do so by using the BadBox 2.0 botnet, which turns Android-based devices into a controlled network of infected machines. The malware typically spreads through hidden apps downloaded from unofficial stores, and is often pre-installed on cheaper devices. By leveraging Badbox, cyber criminals are able to access the at-home streaming devices, digital projectors, aftermarket vehicle infotainment systems, digital picture frames and more, the agency explained. 'Most of the infected devices were manufactured in China,' the FBI said. 'Cyber criminals gain unauthorized access to home networks by either configuring the product with malicious software prior to purchase or infecting the device as it downloads required applications that contain backdoors, usually during the set-up process.' Once these compromised devices are connected to home networks, they are susceptible to becoming part of the BadBox botnet and residential proxy services, according to the press release. Possible indicators of BadBox activity include: The presence of suspicious marketplaces where apps are downloaded Requiring Google Play Protect settings to be disabled Generic TV streaming devices advertised as unlocked or capable of accessing free content Home devices advertised from unrecognizable brands Android devices that are not Play Protect certified Unexplained or suspicious internet traffic 'The public is urged to evaluate IoT devices in their home for any indications of compromise and consider disconnecting suspicious devices from their networks,' the FBI said. People can minimize exposure to unauthorized residential proxy networks by: Maintaining awareness and monitoring internet traffic of home networks Assessing all IoT devices connected to home networks for suspicious activity Avoid downloading apps from unofficial marketplaces advertising free streaming content Keeping all operating systems, software and firmware up to date Consumers who think they have been a victim of an intrusion can file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) here. Andover man accused of having sexual conversations with purported 13-year-old Supreme Judicial Court upholds 2018 murder conviction in Latin King case N.H. man arrested in Saugus, suspected of killing father in 2003 Boston police seek man involved in hit-and-run that left victim seriously injured 3rd Needham Public Schools employee charged with having child sexual abuse material Read the original article on MassLive.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
German police arrest man suspected of online child abuse after FBI tip-off
BERLIN - A 20-year-old man accused of abusing children with mental health problems on the internet and driving one of them to suicide has been arrested in Germany after a tip-off from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, officials said on Wednesday. The police chief in the north German city of Hamburg, Falk Schnabel, told a press conference that the more than 120 criminal acts the man was accused of committing laid bare "the unbelievable abyss of sexual abuse that is almost unbearable". The man is accused of being a leading member of an online exploitation group dubbed 764 that targets vulnerable people, including children, with tactics designed to induce self-harm, police said in a separate statement. Hamburg authorities launched an investigation against him after the tip-off from the FBI, which was investigating a teen suicide. The unnamed suspect is accused of forcing children and teenagers to perform sexual acts on themselves in front of a camera and to injure themselves by carving symbols and letters into their skin with knives, according to the police statement. He later used that footage to blackmail his victims to injure themselves even more severely, which resulted in a 13-year-old boy taking his own life, the police statement said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
US man arrested in Greece after bodies of infant and her mother found in Roman park
A tip from a member of the public to a popular Italian television show led to the arrest on a Greek island of an American man suspected of murdering a baby girl and hiding her mother's body in a busy park in Rome. 'On June 13, in Skiathos, police officers of the island's police department, in collaboration with (Italian) state police… identified and stopped an American citizen, credibly suspected of the murder of a newborn and the concealment of her mother's cadaver, whose lifeless bodies were found in Rome on June 7 inside Rome's Villa Doria Pamphili Park,' Rome police prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi said in a statement Friday. The body of the baby girl, thought by Italian state police to be between six and 10 months old, was found under bushes in a corner of Rome's largest park on June 7. A few hours later, a child playing in the park noticed an arm sticking out from under a black garbage bag, leading to the discovery of the naked body of a young woman, thought to be in her late 20s or early 30s. DNA tests showed that the woman was the baby's mother, police said in a press conference on June 11. Initial autopsy reports were inconclusive in the cause of death of the woman, they said, adding that she had no visible wounds. The baby, whose stomach was empty, showed signs of strangulation. Unable to identify the bodies, police released photos of the mother's extensive tattoos. These tattoos were shown on June 9 on the popular missing persons TV show 'Chi l'ha visto?' ('Who has seen him/her?'), which invited the public to call in with any information about the identities of the mother and child. Several people came forward, including some who had seen the young woman and her baby in various soup kitchens in the city, and another who had witnessed an altercation between the woman and a man in a central square in Rome, according to witnesses featured in 'Chi l'ha Visto.' Police had been called to that incident and took the man's details. No arrest was made at the time, but the information led to the man's identification. The woman's details were not taken at the incident. Photos reported to be of the man, covered in blood from a head wound, sitting next to the woman and the baby also surfaced as a result of the TV appeal, as well as a photo of the man without the woman – with the clearly crying baby girl in his arms – talking to police just two days before the infant was found dead. The woman, whose body was in a more advanced state of decomposition than the baby's, according to police, was not seen in the photo. The United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation also helped by tracing the man's credit and SIM cards, police said during a press conference in Rome on Friday following the arrest. The suspect's identity has not been officially released in Italy, but he has been widely named in the Italian and Greek media. CNN will not publish his name unless and until he is charged with a crime. Police told CNN on Monday that they still had not been able to confirm the identity of the woman or her baby, but DNA testing was underway to determine if the American arrested in Greece was the baby's father. The US embassy in Rome said it provides consular services to any Americans arrested, but it would not comment specifically on this case. CNN has been unable to determine if the man currently has an attorney. The Italian prosecutor's office said it will seek the man's extradition from Greece, which could take up to three weeks. Barbie Latza Nadeau reported and wrote from Rome and Antonia Mortensen reported and wrote from Milan. Additional reporting from Juan Pablo O'Connell.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Minnesota shooting suspect faces US charges including murder
US prosecutors charged alleged shooter Vance Boelter with two counts of murder in the deaths of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, in what officials referred to as a 'murderous rampage' on Saturday morning. Boelter, 57, was apprehended Sunday evening after a weekend manhunt that had the region on edge. The Federal Bureau of Investigation had offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Hortman, the Democratic leader in the state House, and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot Saturday at their home in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis. John Hoffman, a Democratic Minnesota state senator, and his wife, Yvette, were wounded in a separate shooting at their home that was also linked to the suspect, who police say arrived at the two homes posing as an officer. In addition to the two federal counts of murder with a firearm, Boelter faces two counts of stalking and two gun counts under US law. Before the federal charges were made public, he was booked into the Hennepin County Jail and held on state murder charges with bail of $5 million. An agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a filing that Boelter was caught with a list of more than 45 Minnesota state and federal public officials, focusing on Democrats, including Hortman. 'This is not a document that would be like a traditional manifesto that's a treatise on all kinds of ideology and writings,' said Drew Evans, superintendent of the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Instead, he called it 'a notebook with a lot of lawmakers and others that are listed,' along with 'other thoughts.' The federal charges could result in a death sentence if Boelter is convicted. State prosecutors said they intend to file charges that could bring a sentence of life without parole. Boelter appeared briefly in federal court in St. Paul on Monday and did not enter a plea to the charges. A lawyer representing him from the Office of the Federal Defender declined to comment on the charges. The shootings sparked fear in Minnesota on a day when protesters filled the streets in cities across the US to oppose Republican President Donald Trump's administration as he held a military parade in Washington. The attacks renewed a focus on political violence that both major parties have deplored for years. Threats against national lawmakers in Washington increased to 9,000 last year from 1,700 in 2016, said US Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat. In a message published by Klobuchar, Yvette Hoffman said she had been shot eight times and her husband, John, nine times. 'We are both incredibly lucky to be alive,' Yvette Hoffman wrote. 'There is never a place for this kind of political hate.' A man wearing a flesh-colored latex mask, blue shirt, tactical vest, badge, gun and flashlight knocked on Senator Hoffman's front door early Saturday, identifying himself as a police officer, according to police and FBI statements filed in court. Boelter knocked on the door shouting 'This is the police. Open the door,' according to the FBI. When the Hoffmans noticed Boelter was wearing a mask, they said he wasn't a real police officer and Senator Hoffman tried to push him out the door. Boelter shot Hoffman 'repeatedly,' then shot Yvette Hoffman, according to filings. The couple's daughter called 911, saying that a masked man had come to the door and shot both her parents. A video surveillance recording showed a Ford SUV with 'police-style lights' parked in the driveway. Boelter drove to the home of an unidentified public official in Maple Grove, repeatedly ringing the doorbell and ordering the occupants to open the door, according to the FBI. No one was home and Boelter left. Boelter then allegedly drove to the home of another Minnesota representative in New Hope. A local police officer, dispatched to the home to make a safety check, saw Boelter in his fake police car nearby, thinking he was a real cop, according to filings. Boelter didn't respond to her attempts to talk with him. The officer continued to the home and Boelter left. Local officers were also sent to State Representative Hortman's home, where they saw Boelter shoot Hortman's husband through the open front doorway, according to filings. The officers exchanged fire with Boelter, who ran inside the house and then fled, leaving the SUV behind. They found Hortman and her husband inside the house, shot dead. Sometime after sunrise Boelter allegedly texted his wife and other family members: 'Dad went to war last night... I don't wanna say anymore because I don't wanna implicate anybody.' A search of the SUV yielded 'at least three AK-47 assault rifles,' a handgun and a list of names and addresses that included other public officials, according to the police. Authorities found Boelter crawling through the woods near his home in Sibley County, the Associated Press reported. They had earlier found a vehicle he was using abandoned in the rural area, the AP said.
