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  INTERNATIONAL SECURITY NEWS BRIEFS:
Please note that we at Sunburst International Risk Management provides the International Security News Briefs as a value-added service to our international clients and visitors of this website. Our International Security News Briefs are updated frequently, in order to provide you with current and reliable news and events as quickly as we can. We have no control over the content of external websites, and links to various external news sources may become inactive at any time. We suggest that you bookmark our website and return frequently to check the current global news posted on our website.

Pentagon: Hack Attacks Can Be Act of War 6/1/2011
For the first time, the Pentagon has formally concluded that computer sabotage carried out by another nation can constitute an act of war that warrants a response of traditional military force, according to published media reports. more...

Kidnapping in Tijuana: The New Normal 6/1/2011
Tijuana is facing a new trend in kidnapping. Unlike the wave of indiscriminate abductions for ransom that hit this Mexican city in 2008, this time the kidnappings seem more of a way of doing business. more...

Japan widens evacuations outside plant zone May 15, 2011
Japan on Sunday started the first evacuations of homes outside a government exclusion zone after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled one of the country's nuclear power plants. more...

U.S. citizen among bus passengers abducted in Mexico April 12, 2011
At least one U.S. citizen was among dozens of men reportedly forced off passenger buses by armed attackers in the northeastern border state of Tamaulipas, where 72 bodies were found in mass graves last week, U.S. officials said Sunday. more...

Burma earthquake: More than 60 killed March 25, 2011
More than 60 people have died in a magnitude-6.8 earthquake in Burma which struck near the Lao and Thai borders. more...

Thousands march against India's embattled government  February 25, 2011
At least 100,000 trade unionists marched through the Indian capital Wednesday in a protest against high food prices and unemployment, piling pressure on an administration under fire over corruption scandals. more...

China's Web police block US ambassador's name  February 25, 2011
China widened its Internet policing after online calls for protests like those that swept the Middle East, with social networking site LinkedIn and searches for the U.S. ambassador's name both blocked on Friday. more...

Kidnapped Mexican Sugar Baron Found Dead February 22, 2011
Western Hemisphere > Mexico > Monterrey
Mexican sugar baron Federico Safi Chagnon, cousin of World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman, was found dead two weeks after he was abducted from his home, members of the victim’s family told Efe Friday. more...

BAHAMAS MURDER RATE JUMPS February 2, 2011
More murders were recorded in The Bahamas in January 2011 than in any month in 2010, according to police statistics.

SOLDIERS DETAIN 9 KIDNAPPERS, FREE 4 CAPTIVES IN MEXICO February 2, 2011
Nine suspected kidnappers, including a minor, were arrested and four captives rescued during an army operation in Coatzacoalcos, a port city in the Mexican Gulf state of Veracruz, the Defense Secretariat said Tuesday.

Major 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Chile January 3, 2011
A major earthquake of 7.1 magnitude hit central Chile Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties, local emergency officials said. more...

Reports: Blasts at Swiss, Chile embassy in Rome December 26, 2010
News reports say a package has exploded at Chile's embassy in Rome following a parcel bombing at Switzerland's embassy earlier in the day. more...

U.S. tightens air cargo security rules November 8, 2010
The U.S. has banned toner and ink cartridges that weigh more than a pound from checked and carry-on luggage. This ban, aimed at preventing a plot similar to the one foiled last month, also applies to some inbound international air cargo shipments. In addition, all cargo identified as high-risk will be subject to additional screening. The U.S. will continue to ban all air cargo shipments from Yemen, and it has also banned shipments from Somalia. The Air Transport Association issued a statement noting that U.S. air carriers "are in full compliance with the new TSA security requirements regarding printer and toner cartridges." CNN (11/8)

Jumbo jet makes emergency landing minutes after Heathrow take off  - October 02, 2010
Telegraph.co.uk: A British Airways jumbo jet forced to make an emergency landing minutes after taking off from Heathrow airport.

Security tightened for red rally  September 16, 2010
East Asia / Pacific - Thailand  Bangkok city inspectors, or Thetsakit, will work with police in guarding about 40 locations in the capital when supporters of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship gather on Sunday. more...

Jakarta International Airport faces passenger overcrowding September 03, 2010
INDONESIA: Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is facing serious problems of overcapacity and an out-dated air traffic control system. Authorities are rushing to make improvements, after two recent mishaps left thousands of passengers stranded.

Bomb Wounds 20 in Mexican Resort City August 27, 2010
Americas - Mexico  At least 20 people were wounded, four of them seriously, when unidentified individuals tossed a bomb into a bar in Puerto Vallarta, a resort city on Mexico’s Pacific coast, police said Thursday. The attack occurred around midnight Wednesday at the Pink Cheladas bar, where about 150 young people were partying, Puerto Vallarta police department spokesmen told Efe. more...

Turkey and Russia world's riskiest places to go online August 26, 2010
Turkey is the riskiest place in the world to surf the web, according to a recent survey conducted by security company AVG and reported by softpedia.com. more...

Thousands evacuated after floods in China, N. Korea August 21, 2010
More than 120,000 people have been evacuated in northeast China following serious floods that have already left four dead and forced the relocation of thousands in neighbouring North Korea. more...

Eight Mexican Cops Arrested on Kidnapping Charges July 13, 2010
MEXICO CITY – Federal Police officers arrested eight municipal police officers in Tierra Blanca, a city in the Mexican Gulf state of Veracruz, on kidnapping and other charges, the Public Safety Secretariat said.
The officers were arrested at Tierra Blanca city hall “while roll call was taking place,” the secretariat said.

Drug war hits Mexico's richest city July 9, 2010
 Mexico's richest city, once a poster child for development with its high-rise office blocks and flourishing industries, is being gripped by drug war terror with rising violence forcing dozens of its factories to freeze investment.

Thai government extends state of emergency in Bangkok July 6, 2010
The Thai government has extended a state of emergency in 19 provinces, including the capital Bangkok, because of fears of renewed violence.  more...

Japanese kidnap victim sold to FARC July 1, 2010
The wife of a Japanese man who was kidnapped in south-west Colombia on March 23 says the army told her that the criminal gang which abducted her husband sold him to the FARC. more...

40,000 may be evacuated in southern Philippine floods June 1, 2010
Up to 40,000 people may be forcibly evacuated after torrential rains caused heavy flooding in the southern Philippines, an official said Tuesday. Ten villages in the town of Sultan Kudarat on southern Mindanao island were under waist-deep waters after a river overflowed its banks due to rains that began on Friday, local social welfare department head Pombaen Kadir said.

Indian plane crash kills scores May 22, 2010
A plane crashes on landing near India's southern city of Mangalore with 166 people on board, with reports of seven survivors.

Thailand's PM declares emergency April 7, 2010
Thailand's prime minister declares a state of emergency in Bangkok amid growing anti-government protests. In a televised address, Mr Abhisit said the move - which gives sweeping new powers to the security forces to tackle protesters - would help restore order. It comes hours after thousands of "red-shirt" protesters marched on parliament - forcing MPs to flee the building.

Massive earthquake strikes Chile February 27, 2010
A massive earthquake has hit central Chile and killed at least 122 people, though the toll is expected to rise. The 8.8 quake caused widespread damage, destroying buildings, bridges and roads in many areas, including the capital where a chemical plant caught fire. President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" in affected areas and appealed for calm.

Olympic security doesn't stop at Canadian border February 10, 2010
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A few days before the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Winter Gamesin Vancouver, the doors to a nondescript warehouse will open here without fanfare.

Tourists still stranded at Machu Picchu January 28, 2010
Clayton Fredrik is standing in the distant shadow of the Incan ruins in Machu Picchu, battling boredom and helping locals repair flood-damaged roads. One of many foreign tourists stranded in the town at the base of the fabled Peruvian site since the beginning of the week, the 24-year-old Dutch man from Amsterdam has been twiddling the time away before a helicopter flies him off -- hopefully in a day or two.

Security fears in quake-hit Haiti January 16, 2010
Security concerns rise in Haiti's capital as distribution problems continue to hamper the supply of aid to desperate quake survivors. Days after the quake devastated Port-au-Prince, killing tens of thousands, there are some reports of gangs preying on residents and looting. Officials say thousands of prisoners are unaccounted for after the main prison was destroyed. Relief has been arriving, but little has moved beyond the jammed airport.

U.S. toughens air screening rules January 4, 2010
Passengers flying to the US from or via 14 nations deemed a security risk face tougher screening, under new measures.

Pilot praises crew in Jamaica runway incident  December 29, 2009
The pilot of an American Airlines plane that overshot a runway in Jamaica last week praised the quick-acting crew during the incident. "It's a testament to the professionalism of American Airlines," he said. "I have the highest praise for my first officer and eternal gratitude for the way the flight attendants reacted in their professionalism to get all the passengers home to their families, as well."

Saudi Official: 5 Dead From Swine Flu at Hajj Nov. 29, 2009
MINA, Saudi Arabia – Five people died from swine flu during the hajj, Saudi Arabia said Sunday, a relatively small number considering the event is the largest annual gathering in the world and is seen as an ideal incubator for the virus.

Massive security at Asian summit in Thailand October 22, 2009
Thailand has mounted one of its biggest security operations in recent history with more than 36,000 military and police to prevent anti-government demonstrators from overrunning a summit of Asian leaders, an official spokesman said Thursday.

Chinese ship hijacked in Indian Ocean: EU  October 18, 2009
East Asia / Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa - China, Seychelles  A Chinese bulk carrier was hijacked in the Indian Ocean on Monday, the EU's anti-piracy naval mission in the region reported, immediately launching an investigation into the incident.

UK Taxi driver told to bring 'bomb'  October 16, 2009
Armed and masked men in Strabane told a taxi driver they had put a bomb in his car and ordered him to bring it to the town's courthouse.

2 JOURNALISTS ON TRIAL IN N. KOREA June 4, 2009
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea's top court began hearing the case Thursday of two American journalists accused of crossing into the country illegally and engaging in "hostile acts" -- charges that could draw a 10-year sentence in a labor camp...

French plane lost in ocean storm June 1, 2009
An Air France airliner carrying 228 people from Brazil to Paris vanishes over the Atlantic after a possible lightning strike.

EARTHQUAKES May 28, 2009
A powerful earthquake of 7.1 magnitude has struck off Honduras and a tsunami watch is in effect for Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The quake knocked out power in some areas and a handful of houses collapsed in the town of Santa Barbara in northwest Honduras, but there were no immediate reports of deaths. The quake hit 39 miles (64 km) northeast of Roatan, an island in the Islas de la Bahia, and had a shallow depth of 6.2 miles.

11 bodies found in Mexico, some with torture signs April 6, 2009
Americas - Mexico  Eleven people were found shot to death around Mexico on Saturday, some bearing signs of torture and left with threatening messages emblematic of drug violence.

HLLN on the report that 30000 Haitians have been ordered deported ... March 19, 2009
Atlantic Free Press - Groningen,Netherlands
At this point, Haiti is in much worse shape than Central Americans were at ... the need for France to repay the extraordinary 1825 ransom it extorted from ...

Canada warns about Mexico travel - International Herald Tribune
Feb 27, 2009 ... TORONTO: Canada issued an travel advisory Friday warning a surge in ... The U.S. State Department recently issued a travel alert for... International Herald Tribune, Alison Smale, on the big global issues of the week. ...

'Small cell' behind Cairo blast February 23, 2009
Middle East / N. Africa - Egypt  Security services in Cairo believe a small Islamist cell carried out Sunday's deadly bombing, according to reports in the pro-government press.