BANGLADESH - It’s a big story that has stayed beneath the radar of most American media. Somehow, cyber criminals stole $81 million from Bangladesh’s central bank (its Federal Reserve). The theft surely qualifies as one of the biggest cyber heists ever. It’s also a reminder that the world’s financial systems remain vulnerable to cyberattacks from groups or countries more interested in making war — disrupting societies — than money. Still, money is the big draw. “The financial system is the primary target of the most sophisticated cyber criminals,” says James Lewis, a cyber expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. “This is where the biggest payoffs are. Banks are under constant siege [from hackers].”
FRANCE - A chilling internal French police report has revealed that as many as 90 “kamikazes” may be roaming the EU. The report also states how terrorists are mastering encryption and bomb making techniques to help them achieve their aims. The 55-page testimony, which was produced exclusively for the French Interior Ministry and was seen by the New York Times, shows the scale of planning that went into the November 13 Paris terror attacks, including precise encryption, top level document forgers and even sending bomb makers from Syria to Europe.
SAUDI ARABIA - The documentary introduces viewers to a large public space nicknamed Chop Chop Square because it is the site of so many executions in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The camera lingers on the red-stained drainage system used to wash away the blood of those executed.
BELGIUM - More than 30 people are believed to have been killed and dozens injured in attacks at Brussels international airport and a city metro station. Twin blasts hit Zaventem airport at about 07:00 GMT, with 11 people reported killed.
USA - The rally of the last month has many scratching their heads. That is, until you realize:
1) Most of it was driven by “short-covering.”
2) The primary buyers of stocks today are corporations buying back their stock to juice EPS, not actual investors.
3) Actual investors have been selling the farm.
CHINA - China plans to initiate 20 space missions this year including the testing of its most sophisticated rocket and the launching of a habitual space module. But security analysts in the US are expressing suspicions they have military implications.
NORTH KOREA - Enraged North Korean leader gathers forces on the coastline and 'prepares for fifth nuclear test' after South Korea holds biggest ever military parade alongside US troops.
USA - Since 1980, the number of Americans who believe in God has decreased by half and the number who pray has declined five-fold. Has America lost its faith? The United States formally separates Church and State, but it’s hard to deny that America is inundated with religious innuendo, from its controversial pledge of allegiance all the way down to its Judeo-Christian courthouse displays and faith-espousing legal tender. Yet fewer Americans pray or believe in God than ever before, according to a new study in the journal Sage Open.
USA - In the US, public-sector pensions have proven to be a huge problem for state budgets. The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) found September 29 that unchecked union power has prompted unsustainable member benefits, perhaps most notably rapidly expanding pension obligations. With the threat of striking workers and government shutdowns, politicians rarely stand up to organized labor. The Commonwealth Foundation found Pennsylvania alone has $50 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. A significant percentage of school budgets across the country often go to huge pension funds. Teachers unions, among some of the most powerful labor groups in the country, make sure pension reform is incredibly difficult.
UK - Extensive new powers to intercept and store communications data have been approved as Theresa May told MPs that privacy is "hardwired" into the new rules. The Investigatory Powers Bill, dubbed the Snoopers' Charter, was passed by 266 votes in the House of Commons after Labour and the SNP backed down and abstained rather than voting against. But Ms May faced criticism from her own MPs over concerns that the bill is ill-defined and allows too many organisations too much access to sensitive data. Ken Clarke, a former Home Secretary and Dominic Grieve, the ex-Attorney General, both backed the measures but warned changes must be made at a later stage to ensure privacy is protected.
USA - With Americans transfixed by election melodrama, especially on the Republican side, this would be a great time to pause for just a few minutes and seriously consider – possibly for the first time – this absolutely bizarre thing we call “the left.”
UK - Supporters of Brexit are more likely to vote in the forthcoming referendum which could give the Leave campaign a decisive edge in the final result, a new Telegraph poll suggests. Analysis of the survey by Sir Lynton Crosby shows that voters who want Britain to leave the European Union are more motivated than those who say they are in favour of staying in. Writing exclusively for The Telegraph, the electoral strategist who helped secure David Cameron’s surprise win last year, says that victory now hinges on whichever campaign inspires people to turn out and vote.
USA -This is neither a drill nor a Bad Santa spin-off: there really was an Easter Bunny-related fistfight in a shopping mall in Newport, New Jersey this weekend. The big furry bunny was anything but cuddly as he repeatedly punched a customer during the Easter celebrations. Video recorded from a floor above does not show what or who ignited the fight, but does show several people attempting to separate the rival parties. It is not clear yet if anyone will be charged in relation to the incident - or if the bunny will retain his seasonal post. The bright side is that he did bring joy to at least some people this Easter…
GERMANY - Germany must have a UK-style referendum on its membership of the EU, the political party which gave Angela Merkel a bloody nose over the migrant crisis insists. Alternative fur Deutschland, formed in 2013, shocked the German establishment last week with huge gains in state elections.
PHILIPPINES - The US and the Philippines announced Friday five locations where American forces will have access under a new defense pact, including one facing disputed islands in the South China Sea.