• Pakistani judge who sentenced Taseer's assassin sent to Saudi Arabia for protection

    The Pakistani government has sent the judge who issued the death sentence to the assassin who killed Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer to Saudi Arabia to protect his life; Judge Pervez Ali Shah, sentenced Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, Taseer’s self-confessed assassin, on 1 October; Shah went on leave after his courtroom was ransacked and several hardline religious groups offered a reward for anyone who killed him; Shah and his family have been provided with security and safe lodging in Saudi Arabia; religious and hardline groups are actively appealing the government to remove Shah from his post for his decision to sentence Qadri to death

  • Guerillas injure four in four attacks in Kashmir

    On Tuesday four security personnel were injured in four attacks carried out by separatists in the Indian provinces of Jammu and Kashmir; the attackers targeted state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) hurling grenades and shooting from vehicles in four separate attacks; in the city of Lal Chowk, Surinder Singh, the head constable, was injured along with two others; the attacks appeared to be coordinated, but so far no group has claimed responsibility; the attacks come ahead of the Indian government’s plan to lift the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from certain parts of Jammu and Kashmir; the act gives security forces broad powers to deal with terrorists in restive areas

  • Local Indian CT force severely short-staffed

    In the state of Maharashtra, India, counterterrorism forces are struggling with severe staffing shortages particularly in its lower and middle ranked officers, the core of its investigative staff; 89 percent of the agency’s sub-inspector posts were vacant as of September 1, and overall, 238 out of the squad’s 732 posts were unfilled; the state government said that it is working to quickly fill vacant positions and address the problem; “We are aware of the staff shortage. The problem should be resolved by March next year,” said additional chief secretary Umesh Chandra Sarangi

  • Head of Indian Navy warns of pirates teaming up with terrorists

    Admiral Nirmal Verma, the head of India’s Navy, warned that pirates could begin forging ties with terrorist organizations which had “cancerous potential”; Verma’s remarks come as part of a U.S. Naval War College Symposium held in Newport, Rhode Island; Verma also said that it was critical to begin effectively sentencing captured pirates rather than just releasing them; “It is estimated that nine out of 10 apprehended pirates benefit from the ‘catch and release’ policy followed by most navies till now,” he said; India has yet to prosecute the more than 100 pirates that its Navy has captured

  • U.K. introduces harsher sentences for serious crimes

    Kenneth Clarke, the U.K.’s justice secretary, is introducing harsh new prison sentences for individuals convicted of serious crimes as part of a broader shift to stricter penalties; changes include a new mandatory life sentence for individuals convicted on their second serious sexual or violent crime; a mandatory minimum four-month prison sentence for juveniles convicted of aggravated knife offenses; the move signals a shift to a harsher U.S.-style of law with minimum mandatory sentences; the decision was reportedly highly controversial and resulted in fierce internal disputes with home secretary Theresa May

  • China proposes anti-terror legislation

    Chinese lawmakers are considering new laws that would legally define terrorism and help organize counterterror operations; Legislator Sui Mingtai said anti-terror laws do exist, but current laws do not provide enough legal ground for anti-terror operations; the proposed legislation will help clear the way for future efforts to combat terrorism including freezing assets and publishing the names of known terrorists

  • Turkish PM criticizes builders for unsafe practices

    Sunday’s 7.2 tremor in Turkey killed at least 460 people, injured 1,350, destroyed more than 2,000 buildings, and displaced thousands; Turkish prime minister harshly criticizes Turkish builders, saying negligence amounts to murder

  • Jersey first responders learn to rescue large animals

    Last weekend first responders from Green Village, New Jersey and nearby New Vernon and Madison gained a unique set of skills — rescuing large animals

  • Sandia's rescue robot wins technology prize

    The remote-control robot contains color video cameras, a thermal imaging camera, microphones, and sensors that act as eyes and ears for rescue crews and provide air-quality information; two-way audio enables survivors to communicate with rescuers

  • DC officials receive priority disaster phone access

    During major disasters or a terrorist attack, phone lines quickly become inundated with traffic which makes it nearly impossible for residents to make calls or send texts; to ensure that local officials have the ability to communicate during disasters, DHS recently issued special calling cards to members of the Washington, D.C. City Council that allow their calls to take priority during moments of heavy phone traffic

  • India urges UN to adopt anti-terror convention

    Last week, India urged the United Nations to adopt the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism; speaking to the UN General Assembly, India’s deputy chairman Rahman Khan argued that the UN’s global counterterrorism strategy would be incomplete if it did not pass the convention; “India believes that adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) would provide a solid legal basis for the fight against terrorism. In our view the UN global counter-terrorism strategy is incomplete in the absence of such a comprehensive convention,” Khan said.

  • Indian police: revenge, jealousy drive terrorism hoaxes

    Indian police are urging lawmakers to pass stricter laws that punish individuals who make fake terrorist threats via e-mail or phone; authorities say the majority of hoaxes are generated by jealous lovers or teenagers playing pranks; law enforcement agencies have been forced to devote a large portion of their time and resources to verify the authenticity of fake threats

  • U.K. debuts new "passenger friendly" airport checkpoint at Gatwick

    On Tuesday, the U.K.’s aviation minister said that due to the “real and ongoing threat of terrorism” airport security must remain at elevated levels; speaking at Gatwick airport during the unveiling of a new security checkpoint, Theresa Villiers noted that while security levels must remain high, it must also be done in a “more passenger-friendly way”; “It’s entirely possible to do two things at once - maintain the highest levels of security and deliver them in a passenger-friendly way,” she said; Gatwick’s new security checkpoint area features nineteen passenger lanes that can process almost 5,000 people an hour with each passenger taking less than five minutes to be searched