Alleged mastermind behind Sri Lanka Easter attacks is confirmed dead - New York Post

The fiery Islamic cleric who allegedly masterminded the Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka has been confirmed dead, the country’s president reported.

President Maithripala Sirisena announced that Zahram Hashim died at the Shangri-La hotel in the country’s capital, Colombo, the BBC reported Friday.

Sirisena identified Hashim as the leader of the attack on the popular tourist hotel. He was joined by another man known as Ilham, the president said.

Hashim, a radical preacher who has used the burning Twin Towers as a backdrop for his hateful online sermons, was named earlier this week as the ringleader behind the coordinated attacks on three churches and four hotels that killed about 253 people.

He headed up the local terror cell National Towheed Jama’ar, the BBC reported.

In the wake of the attacks, video has emerged showing a man believed to be Hashim pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, according to earlier reports.

It was unclear whether Hashim was directly connected to ISIS or simply a local jihadist who pledged allegiance to them.

Mohomed Hashim Madaniya, Hashim’s sister, said Thursday she doesn’t want to have anything to do with her brother and hopes he is dead.

Hashim began as a small-time preacher, but his teachings became more and more popular in some areas, she said.

Many residents of his hometown, the Muslim community of Kattankudy, were reluctant and afraid to speak about him.

Share this:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://nypost.com/2019/04/26/alleged-mastermind-behind-sri-lanka-easter-attacks-confirmed-dead/

2019-04-26 13:24:00Z
52780273201173

More than 30,000 residents evacuated from high-risk areas as Tropical Cyclone Kenneth hits Mozambique - CNN

Kenneth made landfall between the districts of Macomia and Mocimboa da Praia in the far northern Cabo Delgado Province on Thursday evening.

The storm built up on Wednesday, with a wind speed of 140 kph (85 mph), and intensified as it moved over the Comoro Islands and later struck Mozambique.

Thursday, it had maximum sustained winds of 220 kph (140 mph) -- the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane.

The tropical cyclone comes a little more than a month after the country was dealt a devastating blow by the deadliest and costliest storm in its history -- Tropical Cyclone Idai, which killed more than 700 people, displaced tens of thousands and wiped away homes in the central city of Beira.

UNICEF Mozambique's Daniel Timme said the agency began putting aid in place ahead of the cyclone from Beira and Maputo to the north of Mozambique.

Timme added that UNICEF is still providing humanitarian assistance for around 1 million children in central Mozambique from Cyclone Idai.

In the provincial capital and economic hub of Pemba, one of the areas struck by the storm, residents told CNN they met daybreak with a sense of relief on Friday.

"The rain has stopped for now," homeowner Innocent Mushunje said.

"Mostly the damage has come from fallen trees, but it hasn't been severe in Pemba. I'm more worried about low-lying villages where the structures are more precarious."

Andre Luis, manager of the popular Pemba tourist spot the Nautilus Hotel, told CNN there was minimum damage to their beachfront restaurant.

"The strongest wind and rain came around 1 a.m. The power has been out since 11 p.m. At the moment there is no rain and the wind is dying down for now. At the moment, we aren't worried, this is not as bad as we anticipated," he said.

Luis lives on the outskirts of Pemba and said there was no damage to his house, but in his area, fallen trees have caused some damage to fencing.

Another hotel manager, Vitaliano Hivala of Raphael's, said many people arrived before the storm to seek shelter. "There was heavy wind and rain overnight, but not nearly as bad as I expected, and there is no damage that I can see," Hivala told CNN.

Winds from the storm are weakening rapidly, but Kenneth is expected to bring torrential rainfall and significant flooding in the coming days. More than 20 inches of rain is projected over the next three days -- roughly four times the average monthly rainfall for the region.

Kenneth is the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the southern African nation in known history, but its impact is not expected to be as devastating as that of Idai, which came with heavy rains for days before and after making landfall on March 15, with winds near 175 kph (109 mph).

Northern Mozambique is not as populated as Beira, the city most affected by Idai, and the region struck by Kenneth has not had intense rainfall in recent days, which hopefully will mitigate the impact of flooding compared with Idai.

Minimum impact in Tanzania

Kenneth was also expected to hit the coastal areas of Dar es Salaam, the port city of Tanga and Pemba Island in Tanzania, according to that country's meteorological agency on Wednesday.

Authorities told residents in its mountainous regions and Lake Victoria Basin to move to higher ground or stay indoors as heavy rainfall poured into the areas on Thursday. Schools were also closed as a precaution.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/26/africa/cyclone-kenneth-hits-mozambique-intl/index.html

2019-04-26 12:58:00Z
52780275137990

Daimler says it has no idea how Kim Jong Un got his limos - NBC News

Breaking News Emails

Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

SUBSCRIBE

April 26, 2019, 11:19 AM UTC / Source: Associated Press

By Associated Press

German automaker Daimler, which makes armored limousines used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, says it has no idea where he got them and has no business dealings with the North.

Kim has raised eyebrows by using Daimler-branded stretch limousines at several very high-profile summits, including his meeting this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and both of his earlier summits with President Donald Trump.

The sale of luxury goods, including limousines, is banned under U.N. sanctions intended to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons.

Kim nevertheless had two limos waiting for him at Vladivostok station — a Mercedes Maybach S600 Pullman Guard and a Mercedes Maybach S62. He is believed to have also used the S600 Pullman Guard for his summits with Trump in Singapore in June last year and in Hanoi in February.

"We have absolutely no idea how those vehicles were delivered to North Korea," Daimler spokeswoman Silke Mockert said. "For Daimler, the correct export of products in conformance with the law is a fundamental principle of responsible entrepreneurial activity."

Daimler, based in Stuttgart, Germany, is one of the world's biggest and more prestigious automobile companies. It is one of the biggest providers of high-end passenger cars and the world's largest producer of trucks above six tons. North Korea, however, isn't one of its official customers.

"Our company has had no business connections with North Korea for far more than 15 years now and strictly complies with E.U. and U.S. embargoes," she said. "To prevent deliveries to North Korea and to any of its embassies worldwide, Daimler has implemented a comprehensive export control process. Sales of vehicles by third parties, especially of used vehicles, are beyond our control and responsibility."

Kim's ability to procure the limousines anyway is a good example of how porous the international sanctions tend to be.

According to Daimler, the Mercedes-Benz Pullman limousines offer their passengers "a superbly appointed setting for discreet meetings."

The version used by Kim is believed to be equipped with all the key communications and entertainment systems so that, according to a company description of the car, its occupants can remain "fully in touch with the rest of the world while enjoying the luxury and comfort of their own very special place in it."

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/daimler-says-it-has-no-idea-how-kim-jong-un-n998821

2019-04-26 11:19:00Z
CAIiENZGl4-ZhNK27DvRnxinb30qGQgEKhAIACoHCAowvIaCCzDnxf4CMM2F8gU

Kim Jong Un accuses US of acting in 'bad faith' - CNN

The report in North Korea's state-run KCNA news was released on the final day of Kim's visit to the far-eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. Kim and Putin met there for the first time Thursday, spending about three and a half hours together. The North Korean leader left Vladivostok Friday afternoon aboard his armored government train.

KCNA reported that "Kim Jong Un said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the region is now at a standstill, and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state, as the US took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks," using the acronym for North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

KCNA also said Kim told his Russian hosts that "peace and security on the Korean Peninsula will entirely depend on the US' future attitude, and the DPRK will guard itself for every possible situation."

US President Donald Trump's second meeting with Kim in Hanoi in February ended earlier than expected and without a deal. Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the two sides could not agree on the amount of sanctions relief to exchange for concrete steps by North Korea to eliminate its nuclear weapons program.

While Trump said both sides left things on good terms, North Korean officials have accused the US of sabotaging the talks.

Diplomats from Pyongyang have used similar language to Kim's in describing US demands at the Hanoi summit.

North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters in March that the country has "no intention to yield to the US demands (put forward at the Hanoi summit) in any form, nor are we willing to engage in negotiations of this kind."

Putin and Kim did not sign any documents or agreements after their meetings, nor were they weren't expected to. The summit was instead heavy on lavish symbolism and platitudinous remarks about mutual friendship. Kim called the relationship "a precious treasure of our two nation's people that is an amalgamation of the mutual goal and interest based on historical tradition."

Analysts say the meeting may have been attempt by the Russian leader to reinsert Moscow into one of the most important regional conflicts after months of sitting on the sidelines while China, South Korea and the US engaged in diplomatic talks with North Korea.

Others say Pyongyang may have been shopping for deals, seeking to lessen its economic reliance on Beijing and hedge against the possibility that talks with Washington fail.

"The trip is more about stirring other interlocutors into renewed talks/concessions," said Robert Kelly, a professor of international relations at Pusan National University in South Korea.

CNN's Jake Kwon, Zahra Ullah and Nathan Hodge contributed to this report

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/26/asia/kim-jong-un-vladivostok-intl/index.html

2019-04-26 07:44:00Z
52780277221893

Sri Lanka authorities say Easter attack leader killed in one of nine hotel bombings - Fox News

The suspected leader of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka died in the Shangri-La hotel, one of six hotels and churches targeted in the attacks that killed at least 250 people, authorities said.

Police said Mohamed Zahran, leader of the National Towheed Jamaat militant group, had been killed in one of the bombings. The group’s second in command was also arrested, police said.

Zahran amassed an online following for his hate-filled sermons. Some were delivered before a banner depicting the Twin Towers.

Sri Lankan authorities said Friday that Islamic cleric Mohammed Zahran died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel during the Easter Sunday atatcks that killed at least 250 people.  (YouTube)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday that the attackers responsible for the bombings were supported by the Islamic State group. Around 140 people in Sri Lanka had connections to ISIS, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said.

"We will completely control this and create a free and peaceful environment for people to live," he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Investigators determined the attackers received military training from someone called "Army Mohideen.” They also received weapons training overseas and at some locations in Sri Lanka, according to authorities.

A copper factory operator arrested in connection with the bombings helped Mohideen make improvised explosive devices, police said. The bombings have led to increased security throughout the island nation as authorities warned of another attack.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.foxnews.com/world/sri-lanka-authorities-say-easter-attack-leader-killed-in-one-of-nine-hotel-bombings

2019-04-26 07:26:45Z
52780273201173

Daimler Says It Has No Idea How Kim Jong Un Got Its Limos - TIME

this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

http://time.com/5578569/kim-jong-un-north-korea-daimler-limousines/

2019-04-26 06:59:32Z
52780277221893

Kim Jong Un accuses US of acting in 'bad faith' - CNN

The report in North Korea's state-run KCNA news was released on the final day of Kim's visit to the far-eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. Kim and Putin met there for the first time Thursday, spending about three and a half hours together. The North Korean leader left Vladivostok Friday afternoon aboard his armored government train.

KCNA reported that "Kim Jong Un said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the region is now at a standstill, and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state, as the US took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks," using the acronym for North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

KCNA also said Kim told his Russian hosts that "peace and security on the Korean Peninsula will entirely depend on the US' future attitude, and the DPRK will guard itself for every possible situation."

US President Donald Trump's second meeting with Kim in Hanoi in February ended earlier than expected and without a deal. Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the two sides could not agree on the amount of sanctions relief to exchange for concrete steps by North Korea to eliminate its nuclear weapons program.

While Trump said both sides left things on good terms, North Korean officials have accused the US of sabotaging the talks.

Diplomats from Pyongyang have used similar language to Kim's in describing US demands at the Hanoi summit.

North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters in March that the country has "no intention to yield to the US demands (put forward at the Hanoi summit) in any form, nor are we willing to engage in negotiations of this kind."

Putin and Kim did not sign any documents or agreements after their meetings, nor were they weren't expected to. The summit was instead heavy on lavish symbolism and platitudinous remarks about mutual friendship. Kim called the relationship "a precious treasure of our two nation's people that is an amalgamation of the mutual goal and interest based on historical tradition."

Analysts say the meeting may have been attempt by the Russian leader to reinsert Moscow into one of the most important regional conflicts after months of sitting on the sidelines while China, South Korea and the US engaged in diplomatic talks with North Korea.

Others say Pyongyang may have been shopping for deals, seeking to lessen its economic reliance on Beijing and hedge against the possibility that talks with Washington fail.

"The trip is more about stirring other interlocutors into renewed talks/concessions," said Robert Kelly, a professor of international relations at Pusan National University in South Korea.

CNN's Jake Kwon, Zahra Ullah and Nathan Hodge contributed to this report

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/26/asia/kim-jong-un-vladivostok-intl/index.html

2019-04-26 06:38:00Z
52780277221893