Us Security

Several arrested in Michigan in Halloween weekend attack plot: FBI director

Multiple people who had been allegedly plotting a violent attack over the Halloween weekend were arrested Friday in Michigan, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post. The law enforcement effort was focused on suburban Detroit. Patel said more information would be released later. Investigators believe the plot was inspired by Islamic State extremism and are investigating whether those in custody were potentially radicalised online, according to two people briefed on the investigation who could not publicly discuss details. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. FBI and state police vehicles were in a neighbourhood near Fordson High School in Dearborn. People wearing shirts marked FBI walked in and out of a house, including one person who collected paper bags and other items from an evidence truck. Jordan Hall, an FBI spokesperson in Detroit, said investigators were also in Inkster, another suburb. There is no current threat to public safety, said

US counterterrorism agency issues warning over threat from al Qaeda

Memo urged govt officials to avoid surveillance, to not post or publicly share details about travel plans, schedules and locations, and to remove badges and other forms of identification out of work

White House seeks $58 million security boost after Charlie Kirk shooting

The request to include the extra funding in an upcoming stopgap bill comes ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline when the current federal spending law runs out

Trump admin partially retreats from a takeover of Washington's police

Federal troops are patrolling the National Mall and neighborhoods across Washington while President Donald Trump's administration exerts extraordinary power over law enforcement in the nation's capital. But the administration backed down from an attempt to take over the city's police department by installing its own emergency police commissioner after a federal judge indicated she would rule against it. The partial retreat interrupted one aspect of the most sweeping uses of federal authority over a local government in modern times. How it will play out and whether the federal government will use this experience as a potential blueprint for dealing with other cities remains up in the air. Here's what to know about the situation and what might come next: Why is Trump taking over the police in DC? The Republican president this week announced he's taking control over Washington's police department and activating National Guard troops to reduce crime, an escalation of his aggressive ...

Trump's 'Golden Dome' still shrouded in mystery, even for its builders

Golden Dome will include existing systems, accelerated development of advanced technology, and ultimately new components such as space-based interceptors, according to Trump

US SEC unveils major reforms to support crypto, blockchain trading

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins said in remarks that he has directed commission staff to craft guidelines to determine when a crypto token is a security as well as proposals

US airport security may soon drop shoe removal rule for all travellers

TSA's reversal would end a policy that has been for nearly two decades one of the most visible - and criticized - features of the post-9/11 heightened US airport security system

Senate confirms Dan Caine as Joint Chiefs of Staff chair in overnight vote

The Senate confirmed retired Air Force Lt Gen Dan Razin Caine to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, filling the position almost two months after President Donald Trump fired his predecessor. Trump nominated Caine to become the top US military officer in February after abruptly firing Gen CQ Brown Jr, the second Black general to serve as chairman, as part of his administration's campaign to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks. The Senate confirmed Caine 60-25 in an overnight vote before heading home for a two-week recess. Caine is a decorated F-16 combat pilot who served in leadership in multiple special operations commands, in some of the Pentagon's most classified programs and in the CIA. He does not meet prerequisites for the job set out in a 1986 law, such as being a combatant commander or service chief. But those requirements can be waived by the president if there is a determination that such action is necessary

US agents blocked Pannun's bid to summon NSA Doval in assassination case

A US court ruled that Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's hired process servers failed to successfully deliver court summons to India's NSA Ajit Doval, dismissing his claim

Real Ukraine peace discussions require a real US security guarantee

The security guarantee that Mr Zelenskyy understandably wants, and Mr Putin fears, is Ukraine's accession to NATO

Explained: Trump's 'Golden Dome' to protect US in 'a very dangerous world'

The initiative aims to shield US from a rapidly evolving array of aerial threats, including a range of ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles

US Treasury Secretary Yellen's computer hacked in Chinese cyber breach

The computers of two of Yellen's lieutenants, Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo and Acting Under Secretary Brad Smith, were also breached, the report said

Trump's Cabinet picks, appointees targeted by bomb threats, swatting attack

Several of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and swatting attacks," Trump's transition said Wednesday. Last night and this morning, several of President Trump's Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting.' In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action. Swatting entails generating an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The FBI said in a statement that it is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement .

Secret Service failures before Trump rally shooting were preventable: Panel

Multiple Secret Service failures ahead of the July rally for former president Donald Trump where a gunman opened fire were foreseeable, preventable, and directly related to the events resulting in the assassination attempt that day, according to a bipartisan Senate investigation released on Wednesday. Similar to the agency's own internal investigation and an ongoing bipartisan House probe, the interim report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found multiple failures on almost every level ahead of the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting, including in planning, communications, security and allocation of resources. The consequences of those failures were dire, said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the Democratic chairman of the Homeland panel. Investigators found that there was no clear chain of command among the Secret Service and other security agencies and no plan for coverage of the building where the shooter climbed up to fire the shots. Officials were ...

US Secret Service investigates how gunman who shot Trump got so close

The gunman, who was killed by Secret Service personnel, fired multiple shots at the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue, the agency said

Biden declares support for Israel and Ukraine is 'vital' for US security

President Joe Biden declared it is vital for America's national security for Israel and Ukraine to succeed in their wars, making the case Thursday night for deepening US involvement in a rare Oval Office address as he preparedto ask for billions of dollars in military assistance for both countries. If international aggression is allowed to continue, Biden said, conflict and chaos could spread in other parts of the world. Hamas and Putin represent different threats," Biden said. "But they share this in common. They both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy. He said he would send an urgent funding request to Congress, which is expected to be roughly USD 100 billion over the next year. The proposal, which will be unveiled on Friday, includes money for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, humanitarian aid and border management. It's a smart investment that's going to pay dividends for American security for generations," Biden said. Biden hopes that combining all of these issues

Despite lack of credible threats, US cities boost security amid Israel war

Police in New York, Los Angeles, and other US cities increased patrols, authorities put up fencing around the US Capitol and some schools closed Friday amid fears of violence inspired by the Israel-Hamas war. But law enforcement officials stressed there were no credible threats in the US. A former Hamas leader's call for a "day of rage" put American Jewish communities on edge, and sparked heightened security around houses of worship, schools and cultural institutions. The jitters were a sign of just how much the war between Israel and Hamas is reverberating around the world, striking fear in communities even in the absence of a credible threat. Law enforcement officials said they were on high alert for violence driven by antisemitic or Islamophobic sentiments in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel. Jewish and Muslim groups have reported an increase of hateful and threatening rhetoric on social media. "We cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or and other foreign .

US Pentagon warns of disruptions as army, marines lack confirmed leaders

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that troop readiness and retention is at risk as the Army's chief stepped down Friday, leaving the military's two ground combat forces without Senate-confirmed leaders for the first time in history. Speaking during a ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Austin said the Senate's failure to confirm the services' new leaders is disruptive to the force and could impact relationships with allies and partners around the globe. The confirmation of the next Army chief and Marine commandant are among more than 300 military nominations stalled by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican, over the Pentagon's policy to pay for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Today for the first time in the history of the Department of Defense, two of our services will be operating without Senate confirmed leadership, said Austin. Great teams need great leaders, and that's central to maintaining the

China has no allies, the US has many: American Defence Secretary Austin

That the US has many allies around the world gives it greater capacity and greater capability, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers

US designates five Chinese companies including Huawei as security threats

In light of the worsening relations between the United States and China, Washington has labeled Chinese tech companies, including Huawei, as national security threats