In a key revelation, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer John Kiriakou has said that Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, who was the most wanted terrorist for the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, had escaped from the Tora Bora hills in Afghanistan in the guise of a woman.
'If the government sincerely addressed the issue of missing persons, it would alleviate 80% of the grievances in Balochistan.' 'No matter how many development projects Islamabad announces for the region, the people will remain upset as long as their loved ones are missing.'
'The next two to three weeks will not be decided in Washington.' 'They will be decided in Tehran, in whatever calculation Iran makes about the costs of continued resistance against the costs of appearing to have yielded.'
Dhurandhar's most dangerous idea is that Director Aditya Dhar envisions an Indian state run by a deep state -- an intelligence machinery not accountable to Parliament, courts, or voters. A future political system where unelected officials decide when Indian democracy is 'fit' to function, observes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasizes the need for a unified anti-terrorism structure and a strong anti-terrorism grid across India to effectively counter terror attacks. He also announced a new plan to combat organized crime.
The available information further indicates a declining trend of violence in Jammu & Kashmir and North Eastern States
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Gujarat police arrest a woman allegedly involved in trafficking job aspirants to Myanmar and Thailand for cyber slavery. The accused lured people with promises of high-paying jobs and forced them to work for international cyber crime syndicates.
The Election Commission has directed enforcement agencies and security forces to take proactive measures during the Bihar elections to prevent the use of drugs, liquor, and cash to influence voters.
Thousands of Amritpal's supporters had entered the Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23 this year to free a member, who had been arrested in an abduction case.
The agency also ran a parallel investigation into cyber-slavery and the organised digital exploitation networks in Southeast Asia, with slave compounds in Myanmar and neighbouring areas, that are emerging as incubators for the execution of such frauds.
'The entire US ecosystem built over decades at the bases in the Gulf region, especially the UAE, costing trillions of dollars have been decimated, dealing a mortal blow to the US Central Command's war capability,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
Taking Kharg would give the US control over virtually all of Iran's oil exports and thus provide significant leverage, notes Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War. It would also put American troops within range of Iran's remaining missiles, drones, and artillery on a piece of real estate that is just eight square miles in size, and just 15 miles from the Iranian mainland.
An elderly couple in Delhi was robbed of valuables in a staged ED raid orchestrated by their domestic help and her accomplices, including an ITBP constable and a former army personnel.
60 years ago, on January 24, 1966, Dr Homi J Bhabha, the father of India's nuclear programme, died in an air crash on Mont Blanc. The official inquiry said the plane went off course in bad weather, but coincidences, missing evidence, and later unproven claims have kept conspiracy theories alive. A fascinating excerpt from Bakhtiar Dadabhoy's book, Homi J Bhabha: A Life.
Here's a look at some memorable portrayals of the CIA in Hollywood.
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
'You cannot 'clear' your way to peace.' 'You need intelligence, calibrated force, impartial law enforcement, political neutrality, humanitarian returns and a sustained reconciliation plan.'
The intense exchange of fire between the two sides lasted several hours before the guns fell silent. Reinforcements have been deployed to strengthen the cordon and neutralise the terrorists, the officials said.
Israel has for more than two decades and several US presidencies worked to draw the United States into a full-scale war with Iran. Having finally achieved that, the last thing it wants is Trump declaring victory and going home, as he is prone to do. Ali Larijani was the figure most capable of handing Trump a negotiated exit with something to show for it. Without Larijani, the road to an exit gets considerably narrower. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Chaitanya Baghel, son of Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, was released from jail after being granted bail in cases related to the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. The release was met with celebration by Congress supporters.
"I submitted my letter of resignation last night, which felt pretty good," Clapper told members of the House Intelligence Committee during a Congressional hearing on Thursday.
The US may re-look its human and technical intelligence apparatus in Pakistan following the attack on seven CIA officers in Khost and the failed New York bombing plot, writes security expert B Raman
Official sources said preliminary investigations have indicated the blasts were carried out by some Students Islamic Movement of India cadres, who had received training in handling of explosives in the Gulf.
Two primary suspects in the murder of Inquilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi have fled Bangladesh and are believed to be in India, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The suspects allegedly crossed into Meghalaya with assistance. Bangladesh is working with Indian authorities for their arrest and extradition.
'Why would a highly qualified doctor with a promising future choose to wage war against his own country?'
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi of having a 'deeper connection' with a Pakistani national and violating FCRA rules, prompting calls for a national probe.
He was asked whether there are terrorist organisations that now have the capability of detonating a nuclear device in the United States.
'Rather than deploying Pakistani nationals or using identifiable cross-border materials, the ISI sought to radicalise and recruit local Indian youth, including well-educated professionals such as doctors.'
Baghaei also alleged that recent unrest in Iran was fuelled by foreign interference, claiming riots were triggered by "very evident" interventionist remarks by US and Israeli officials.
Security forces in Manipur have launched a major crackdown on the banned People's Liberation Army (PLA) following an ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy. Fifteen cadres have been arrested, including suspects directly involved in the attack. Investigations are underway to determine if the PLA has political patronage and if weapons looted during ethnic clashes are being used against security forces.
United States President Joe Biden and his family received tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts from foreign leaders in 2023, with the most expensive gift going to First Lady Jill Biden from Prime Minister Narendra D Modi.
Jain currently heads RAW's Aviation Research Centre (ARC), which deals with aerial surveillance, among others.
Punjab Police arrested two terror operatives in Amritsar and seized a rocket-propelled grenade intended for a targeted attack. The suspects were in contact with a Pakistani ISI operative and an inmate in Ferozepur Jail.
The government has allowed the Enforcement Directorate to share information about economic offenders with 15 more agencies, including SFIO, CCI and NIA, a move that will expedite nailing of law-breakers. The finance ministry notified changes to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, on November 22. Through the notification, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which deals primarily with cases of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws, would be able to share data with a total of 25 agencies, including the 10 specified earlier.
The Maharashtra Police has received inputs from Central intelligence agencies about possibility of terror attacks on luxury buses plying between Mumbai and Ahmedabad and steps have been taken to foil any such bid.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety has determined that the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express accident was caused by sabotage, prompting increased security measures and investigations.
'Sujatha's decision to surrender reflects the deep crisis of confidence that the Maoist ranks are facing in recent times.'
