Daesh claims responsibility for knife attack in Solingen, Germany that killed 3

Update Daesh claims responsibility for knife attack in Solingen, Germany that killed 3
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Police and ambulances near the scene where people were killed and injured in an attack at a festival in Solingen, western Germany. (dpa via AP)
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Updated 24 August 2024
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Daesh claims responsibility for knife attack in Solingen, Germany that killed 3

Daesh claims responsibility for knife attack in Solingen, Germany that killed 3
  • Police say still hunting suspect in Germany knife attack
  • The city of 160,000 residents was holding its “Festival of Diversity” to mark the city’s 650th anniversary

SOLINGEN, Germany: Daesh on Saturday claimed responsibility for a knife attack in Solingen, Germany that killed three people and wounded eight others, according to its Amaq news site.
The group said the attacker targeted Christians and is a “soldier of the Islamic State” who carried out the attack “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.”
Police began raiding a home for asylum seekers in the city center of Solingen, including with special forces, the German news agency DPA reported.
“We have received tips and therefore we are currently conducting police activities,” a police spokesperson said.
Special police units had joined the search for the unknown knifeman who cut the throats of revelers at a crowded festival in the western German city, killing three people and wounding at least eight others, four of them seriously.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested early Saturday. Police said he was suspected of knowing about the planned attack and failing to inform authorities, but he was not the attacker.
Markus Caspers, from the counterterrorism section of the public prosecutors office, told a news conference on Saturday that authorities have not found the perpetrator.
“So far we have not been able to identify a motive, but looking at the overall circumstances, we cannot rule out” the possibility of terrorism, Caspers said, though he did not offer further details.
The three people who died were two men aged 67 and 56 and a 56-year-old woman, authorities said. Police said the attacker appeared to have deliberately aimed for his victims’ throats.
Thorsten Fleiss from the German police, who was the chief of operations on Friday night, said that police are conducting various searches and investigations in the entire state of North Rhine Westphalia that will continue throughout the day.
He said that it is a “big challenge” to bring together available evidence and testimony from witnesses in order to come up with a overall picture.
Fleiss also said that police have found several knives but added that he was unable to confirm whether any of them have been used as weapon by the perpetrator during the attack.

Police warned people to stay vigilant even as well wishers started to leave flowers at the scene. Authorities established an online portal where witnesses could upload footage and any other information relevant to the attack.
Churches in Solingen have opened their doors to offer a space for prayer and emergency pastoral care.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser paid a visit to Solingen on Saturday evening. She said that the government would do everything possible to support the city and the people Solingen.
“We will not allow that such an awful attack divides our society,” she said, appearing alongside Minister-President of the German State of North Rhine Westphalia Hendrik Wüst and State Minister for Internal Affairs Herbert Reul.
Wüst described the attack as “an act of terror against the security and freedom of this country.” But Faeser, the country’s top security official, hasn’t classified it as a “terror attack.”
Reul announced that the planned visit of the interior minister to the crime scene wouldn’t take place because of the ongoing police operation in the affected areas of the city. He pleaded with the public to “give time to the police” so that they can do their work. He also said that police presence would be increased at larger events, especially because the perpetrator hasn’t been caught yet.
People alerted police shortly after 9:30 p.m. Friday to an unknown attacker having wounded several people with a knife on a central square, the Fronhof.
“Last night our hearts were torn apart. We in Solingen are full of horror and grief. What happened yesterday in our city has hardly let any of us sleep,” the mayor of Solingen, Tim Kurzbach, said, speaking to reporters on Saturday near the scene of the attack.
The “Festival of Diversity,” marking the city’s 650th anniversary, began Friday and was supposed to run through Sunday, with several stages in central streets offering attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics.
The attack took place in the crowd in front of one stage. Hours after the attack, the stage lights were still on as police and forensic investigators looked for clues in the cordoned-off square. The rest of the festival was canceled.
Solingen has about 160,000 residents and is located near the bigger cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf.
Caspers told the news conference that the 15-year-old boy was arrested after two female witnesses contacted police. They said they had listened to a conversation between the boy and an unknown person before the attack, speaking about intentions that corresponded to the events that followed.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that the perpetrator must be caught quickly and punished with the full force of the law.
“The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me greatly. An attacker has brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen’s mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and stand by their families,” Scholz said on X.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also spoke to Kurzbach on Saturday morning.
“The heinous act in Solingen shocks me and our country. We mourn those killed and worry about those injured and I wish them strength and a speedy recovery from all my heart,” Steinmeier said in a statement on Saturday.
“The perpetrator needs to be brought to justice. Let’s stand together — against hatred and violence.”
There has been concern about increased knife violence in Germany, and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser recently proposed toughening weapons laws to allow only knives with a blade measuring up to 6 centimeters (nearly 2.4 inches) to be carried in public, rather than the length of 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) that is currently allowed.


South Korea’s parliament presses for Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal as impeachment trial winds down

South Korea’s parliament presses for Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal as impeachment trial winds down
Updated 51 min 10 sec ago
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South Korea’s parliament presses for Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal as impeachment trial winds down

South Korea’s parliament presses for Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal as impeachment trial winds down
  • Lawyers for both sides summarize their arguments and evidence at the Constitutional Court
  • Yoon Suk Yeol has argued that he had a right as president to issue his martial law decree

SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol could try to impose martial law again or undermine constitutional institutions should he be reinstated, lawyers for parliament argued on Tuesday as his impeachment trial entered its final phase.
After weeks of testimony by high-ranking current and former officials, including some facing criminal charges for their role in the brief imposition of martial law on December 3, lawyers for both sides summarized their arguments and evidence at the Constitutional Court.
“Declaring martial law in a situation that doesn’t fit a national emergency is a declaration of dictatorship and military rule,” Kim Jin-han, a lawyer for the parliament, told the justices.
He cited pro-Yoon protesters who stormed a different court in January.
“If he returns to work, we don’t know if he will again exercise martial law,” Kim said. “If he returns to work, we can’t rule out the possibility that he will attack other state and constitutional institutions.”
The Constitutional Court is due to hold another hearing to question three more witnesses on Thursday, including the impeached prime minister and the former police chief.
The court is reviewing parliament’s impeachment of Yoon on December 14 and will decide whether to remove him from office permanently or reinstate him. If he is removed, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.
Yoon has argued that he had a right as president to issue his martial law decree, which lasted around six hours before he rescinded it in the face of parliamentary opposition. He said the move was also justified by political deadlock and threats from “anti-state forces” sympathetic to North Korea.
His case at the Constitutional Court has also included arguments that he never actually intended to stop parliament from operating, even though the order was publicly declared and troops and police were deployed to the legislature.
Yoon also sent troops to the National Election Commission and later said the decree was necessary in part because the NEC had been unwilling to address concerns over election hacking, a claim rejected by election officials.
Prosecutors have also indicted Yoon on separate criminal charges of leading an insurrection. He was arrested last month and is being held at a detention center.
The first preparatory hearing in that case is scheduled for Thursday.
Insurrection is one of the few criminal charges from which a South Korean president does not have immunity. It is punishable by life imprisonment or death, although South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.


Philippines accuses China’s navy of ‘reckless’ flight maneuvers  

Philippines accuses China’s navy of ‘reckless’ flight maneuvers  
Updated 18 February 2025
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Philippines accuses China’s navy of ‘reckless’ flight maneuvers  

Philippines accuses China’s navy of ‘reckless’ flight maneuvers  
  • People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter flew as close as three meters to a Philippine government fisheries aircraft

MANILA: The Philippine coast guard accused the Chinese navy of performing dangerous flight maneuvers on Tuesday when it flew close to a government aircraft patrolling a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.
“This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers,” the coast guard said in a statement.
The Philippine coast guard said the government fisheries aircraft was conducting what it called a maritime domain awareness flight on Tuesday over the Scarborough Shoal, a rocky atoll and prime fishing patch located inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
The Chinese defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter flew as close as three meters to the aircraft, which the Philippine coast guard said was a “clear violation and blatant disregard” for aviation regulations.
Named after a British ship that was grounded on the atoll nearly three centuries ago, the Scarborough Shoal is one of the most contested maritime feature in the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have clashed repeatedly.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a vital waterway for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, putting it at odds with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. A 2016 arbitration ruling invalidated China’s expansive claim but Beijing does not recognize the decision.


US and Russia meet for talks in Riyadh on Ukraine war

US and Russia meet for talks in Riyadh on Ukraine war
Updated 18 February 2025
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US and Russia meet for talks in Riyadh on Ukraine war

US and Russia meet for talks in Riyadh on Ukraine war
  • Two sides were expected to discuss ways to end the conflict in Ukraine and restore American-Russian relations
  • Conversation could pave the way for a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is hosting talks on Ukraine between Russia and the US as part of its efforts to enhance global peace and security, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.

A statement under the directive of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “Saudi Arabia hosts today, Tuesday, in the city of Riyadh, talks between the Russian Federation and the United States of America, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance security and peace in the world.”

The meeting involved Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the presence of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Saudi Minister of State and National Security advisor Musaed Al-Aiban.

The talks between US and Russian officials in Riyadh are the most significant to date between the two former Cold War foes on ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The two sides were expected to discuss ways to end the conflict in Ukraine and restore American-Russian relations. The conversation could pave the way for a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine, which is not attending the talks, says no peace deal can be made on its behalf in Riyadh.

Russia said Lavrov would meet top US officials in talks that would focus on ending the Ukraine war and restoring “the whole complex” of Russia-US ties.

The head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund on Tuesday described Trump as a problem solver ahead of the discussions in Saudi Arabia.

“We really see that President Trump and his team is a team of problem solvers, people who have already addressed a number of big challenges very swiftly, very efficiently and very successfully,” Kirill Dmitriev told reporters in Riyadh.

Dmitriev, a US-educated former Goldman Sachs banker, played a role in early contacts between Moscow and Washington during Trump’s first term as president from 2016-2020.

 

 

Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, said on Monday that Dmitriev might join the delegation to discuss any economic questions that might arise.

“It’s very important to understand that US businesses lost around $300 billion from leaving Russia. So there is huge economic toll on many countries from you know what’s happening right now, and we believe as a way forward is through solutions,” Dmitriev said.

The talks come after European leaders gathered in Paris on Monday for an emergency summit to agree on a unified strategy. They were blindsided by Trump’s push for immediate talks on Ukraine after a phone call with Putin last week.

The European leaders said they would invest more in defense and take the lead in providing security guarantees for Ukraine.

“Everyone feels the great sense of urgency,” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X. “At this crucial time for the security of Europe we must continue to stand behind Ukraine.”

“Europe will have to make a contribution toward safeguarding any agreement, and cooperation with the Americans is essential,” he said.

Initial contact

In Riyadh, Rubio, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff were due to meet Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to Putin, officials from both sides said.

The meeting comes barely a month after Trump took office and reflects a significant departure from Washington’s position under the administration of US President Joe Biden, who eschewed public contacts, concluding that Russia was not serious about ending the Ukraine war.

Russia, which has occupied parts of Ukraine since 2014, launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

US officials sought to cast Tuesday’s talks as an initial contact to determine whether Moscow is serious about ending the war in Ukraine.

“This is a follow-up on that initial conversation between Putin and President Trump about perhaps if that first step is even possible, what the interests are, if this can be managed,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters in Riyadh.

The Kremlin, however, suggested the discussions would cover “the entire complex of Russian-American relations,” as well as preparing for talks on a possible settlement regarding Ukraine and a meeting between the two presidents.

Russia said Lavrov and Rubio in a call on Saturday discussed removing barriers to trade and investment between the two countries.

Then-President Biden and Kyiv’s allies around the world imposed waves of sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine three years ago, aimed at weakening the Russian economy and limiting the Kremlin’s war efforts.

Riyadh, which is also involved in talks with Washington over the future of the Gaza Strip, has played a role in early contacts between the Trump administration and Moscow, helping to secure a prisoner swap last week.

How to engage Washington

It remains unclear how Europe will engage Washington after Trump stunned Ukraine and European allies by calling Putin, long ostracized by the West.

“We agree with President Trump on a ‘peace through strength’ approach,” a European official said after the Paris meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The US decision has sparked a realization among European nations that they will have to do more to ensure Ukraine’s security.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who before the meeting said he was willing to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, said on Monday there must be a US security commitment for European countries to put boots on the ground.

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Ukraine envoy, said he would visit Ukraine from Wednesday and was asked if the US would provide a security guarantee for any European peacekeepers.

“I’ve been with President Trump, and the policy has always been: You take no options off the table,” he said.


Thousands of Indian investors lose $100 million in Ponzi scheme

Thousands of Indian investors lose $100 million in Ponzi scheme
Updated 18 February 2025
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Thousands of Indian investors lose $100 million in Ponzi scheme

Thousands of Indian investors lose $100 million in Ponzi scheme
  • Indian police arrest two individuals after a case was filed against Falcon Invoice Discounting
  • Falcon promised returns of up to 22 percent to nearly 7,000 investors since 2021

HYDERABAD: Thousands of investors in India are scrambling to recoup nearly $100 million after they were caught in a Ponzi scheme that duped them into making short-term investments promising high returns, according to a police statement and multiple victims Reuters spoke to.
Indian police arrested two individuals on Saturday after a case was filed against Falcon Invoice Discounting, which promised returns of up to 22 percent by claiming to connect depositors with the likes of Amazon and biscuit maker Britannia.
Falcon collected 17 billion rupees (about $196 million) from nearly 7,000 investors since 2021 but has repaid only half, according to a statement from police in the southern state of Telangana.
Ankit Bihani, a New Delhi-based jeweler, met with 50 other investors last week to discuss measures, including legal remedies, to recoup the collective 500 million rupees they said they had lost.
“Most of them (investors) got to know about the investing platform through social media and invested in it,” Bihani said.
Falcon used the money from new investors to pay out older ones and diverted the remaining funds to various shell entities, the police said. Authorities are hunting for Amardeep Kumar, Falcon’s founder and the main accused, a source said.
However, some of the victims that Reuters spoke to are left wondering if they will recoup the money – entire life savings, in some cases – they entrusted to Falcon.
“It is my hard-earned money. We don’t know when and how will we get it back,” said Roopesh Chauhan, a tech employee who lost 15 million rupees.
S. Smriti, an assistant professor, reached out to the police after losing over 3 million rupees.
“The money was all our savings,” said Smriti.
Indian authorities have expressed concerns over a recent surge in complaints from people being duped by phoney investment schemes that rely on fraudulent apps, websites and call centers to deceive unsuspecting investors.
Britannia, Amazon and Falcon did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters sent on Monday.


Myanmar detains 270 foreigners from scam compounds on Thai border

Myanmar detains 270 foreigners from scam compounds on Thai border
Updated 18 February 2025
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Myanmar detains 270 foreigners from scam compounds on Thai border

Myanmar detains 270 foreigners from scam compounds on Thai border
  • Hundreds of thousands of people trafficked by criminal gangs forced to work in scam compounds
  • Despite operating for years, the scam centers have only recently faced renewed scrutiny

Myanmar authorities detained 273 foreigners from scam compounds along the border with Thailand on Monday, as a senior Chinese official visited frontier towns on both sides in a widening crackdown on illegal online operations.
Hundreds of thousands of people trafficked by criminal gangs have been forced to work in scam compounds that have sprung up across Southeast Asia, including the border between Thailand and Myanmar, the United Nations says.
Despite operating for years, the scam centers have only recently faced renewed scrutiny after the rescue and return to China of actor Wang Xing, abducted in Thailand after being lured there with the promise of a job.
Officials from China, Myanmar and Thailand met in Myawaddy this week, including China’s assistant public security minister, Liu Zhongyi, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar said on Tuesday.
“The representatives held a coordination meeting in Myawaddy and discussed the preventive system for telecom fraud between the three countries,” it said, referring to the Myanmar town abutting Thailand in the vicinity of which Wang was rescued.
Since the end of January, Myanmar authorities have found 1,303 foreigners who entered the country illegally and worked in scam compounds in the Myawaddy area, with 273 detained on Monday, the paper added.
Myanmar has been in the throes of a widening civil war since 2021, when its powerful military overthrew an elected government, sparking protests that have morphed into a rebellion against the junta.
Swathes of the Southeast Asian country are now controlled by armed groups, including parts of Myawaddy that are run by the Karen National Army, a militia led by regional warlord Col. Saw Chit Thu.
“We will work until the scam centers and human trafficking are eradicated,” he told reporters on Monday, that signalled the growing pressure on his group from regional countries.
Their tactics include the cutting of Thai electricity, fuel and Internet supplies to some border areas.
A group of 260 scam center survivors from Myawaddy entered Thailand last week, most of them victims of human trafficking, said Choocheap Pongchai, the governor of the Thai province of Tak.
Two of the group have handed to police for further investigation, he added.