Former German Spy Chief August Hanning Arrested on Suspicion of Attempted Treason
German authorities arrested former intelligence chief August Hanning on suspicion of attempted treason for allegedly paying for secret documents and using them in an analysis for a foreign spy service.
Arrest of Former German Spy Chief
August Hanning, who previously headed Germany's Federal Intelligence Service, was detained on Tuesday in a case described as one of the country's biggest intelligence scandals since the Cold War. [3] Prosecutors accuse him of obtaining state secrets and providing an analysis based on them to an unidentified foreign intelligence service; it is unclear if the analysis reached its recipient. [3] Hanning has been detained on suspicion of attempted treason. [3] Prosecutors accused him of paying for secret documents and using them in an analysis for a foreign spy service. [3] They did not identify the intelligence service and it was not immediately clear whether the analysis reached its intended recipient. [3]
Potential Impact on Intelligence Ties
The arrest is unprecedented for a former head of Germany's foreign intelligence and could damage the country's intelligence relationships with allied nations. [3] The arrest of a former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence is unprecedented and could damage the country’s intelligence relationships with allied nations, according to a senior security lawmaker. [3]
Laos Methamphetamine Seizure
In separate incidents, Laotian authorities seized 521kg of methamphetamine from a private jet that departed from Malaysia and was bound for Manila, with the drugs originating in Laos. [2] The 521kg of suspected methamphetamine seized by Laotian authorities from a private jet was not sourced from Malaysia, with the drugs believed to have originated in Laos and been destined for Manila, the Philippines. [2] Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Hussein Omar Khan said police were informed by Laotian authorities on Tuesday that the cross-border smuggling attempt had been foiled at Luang Prabang International Airport last Thursday. [2] Hussein said the private jet had initially departed from Subang airport in Malaysia without any cargo before flying to Luang Prabang. [2] “The drugs seized were meant for the Manila market in the Philippines and not the Malaysian market,” he said in a statement. [2]
US Charges in Canadian School Shooting
US prosecutors charged James Cody Bryant with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country for allegedly providing money and online advice to the perpetrator of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting in Canada that killed six people. [4] Law enforcement in the northwestern United States have charged a suspect in connection with a deadly shooting at a Canadian school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. [4] On Tuesday, prosecutors charged 30-year-old James Cody Bryant, a resident of Washington state, with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country. [4] Bryant allegedly provided money and technical advice to the attacker in conversations over the internet, starting six months before the February 10 attack. [4] The shooting was “a horrific tragedy for that small community and for all of Canada”, acting US Attorney Neil Floyd said at a news conference in Seattle. [4] Canadian officials have described the attack as one of the country’s worst mass shootings. [4] The suspect, 18-year-old transgender woman Jesse Van Rootselaar, shot and killed her mother and half-brother at their home before travelling to the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opening fire. [4] Six people were killed, including five students, and 27 other victims were injured. [4] Van Rootselaar, a former student at the school, died by suicide at the end of the attack. [4] US prosecutors allege Bryant and Van Rootselaar had been in touch through the social media service Discord and had discussed how to carry out the mass shooting. [4] The pair discussed how to maximise notoriety after the attack, with Bryant allegedly agreeing to livestream it through Twitch, Floyd said on Tuesday. [4] Bryant also allegedly provided money for items like a pair of shoes for the attack and instructed Van Rootselaar on how to start and then drive a car to reach the school. [4] Prosecutors alleged Bryant, whom officials cited by The Associated Press and Reuters say identifies as female, had admitted to investigators that she was “maybe the only one who could have stopped the shooter”. [4]
Cult Killings Prompt Security Meeting in Nigeria
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has summoned heads of security agencies in the state to a meeting following a spike in security breaches, particularly recent killings involving rival cult groups in the state. [1] The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Samuel Ojo, disclosed this during an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, saying the meeting would be held on Wednesday. [1] Ojo said the meeting would deliberate on and address the killings by suspected cultists in the state. [1] He added that the meeting would also discuss measures to make forests in the state safer, in view of the recent killing of an ISWAP leader in Owo, Ondo State. [1] “We are holding a security meeting on Wednesday, by the special grace of God, to reassure our people and put our security agencies on their toes,” Ojo said. [1] “What happened in Ondo is a lesson to those criminals hibernating in the forests. We will not take it lightly with anyone using the forest as a hideout,” he said. [1] He further said, “Aside from that, we are also using the meeting to address the incessant killings by rival cult groups in the past weeks.” [1] “We need to meet and discuss how to stop these killings by cult groups or any other violent crimes hiding under that canopy.” [1] The governor’s aide, who stressed the need to stop the killings to protect Osun’s corporate image, warned perpetrators of violent crimes to desist or face dire consequences. [1] “We need to stop it, so as not to give our state a bad name, because nobody knows what they are fighting for or why they are killing themselves,” Ojo said. [1] The PUNCH reports that two separate attacks by members of rival cult groups, which occurred in Osogbo, the state capital, between last Friday and Sunday, left two people dead and about five others injured. [1] In reaction to the latest cult attack, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, subsequently ordered tactical teams to raid suspected criminal hideouts in Osogbo. [1]
Roadside Stabbing After Washington Crash
A woman allegedly stabbed a young girl after sending her SUV careening into a semi-truck and rolling over on a Washington state freeway, prompting two soldiers to tackle her and disarm her. [5] The 35-year-old woman from Steilacoom allegedly threatened two girls with a knife following Monday morning’s crash on southbound Interstate 5 near DuPont, FOX 13 Seattle reported, citing Washington State Patrol. [5] A 9-year-old girl suffered multiple broken bones and a stab wound, while a 15-year-old girl was hospitalized without serious injuries, according to the outlet. [5] Witness Nathan Wilkinson told KING 5 he was driving to work when he came upon the wreck and saw two men in military uniforms from Joint Base Lewis-McChord intervene. [5] "There's people standing around, then all of a sudden there was a flash, and then the two soldiers jumped on a person. … I heard a scream at that time," Wilkinson told the outlet. [5] "I saw one of the soldiers had a knife in his hand that he had dislodged from the person they tackled." [5] Troopers investigating the crash said the SUV struck the left-side barrier, veered toward the right shoulder and then swerved back across the freeway, hitting a semi-truck in the middle lane, according to FOX 13. [5] The SUV struck the barrier again and rolled over. [5] The semi-truck driver was not injured, the outlet reported. [5] Officers told KING 5 that the woman was allegedly driving erratically before the crash. [5] The woman was initially taken to a hospital for evaluation. [5] FOX 13 reported Monday that authorities were investigating her for DUI, vehicular assault and first-degree assault. [5] In a Tuesday morning update, KING 5 reported that she had since been booked into the Pierce County Jail and was expected to face two counts of assault, vehicular assault and two counts of reckless endangerment. [5] The service members’ names were not immediately available. [5] Wilkinson said that he hoped they would be recognized for stepping in. [5] "They didn't run away, they didn't pass, drive on by. They stopped and helped," he told KING 5. [5]
What to watch next: The security meeting scheduled for Wednesday will address cult group killings in Osun State and forest safety measures following the recent ISWAP leader killing in Ondo State.
