Author Archives: Pat Turnbaugh

Russian officials accuse Turkish president of involvement with ISIS oil trade

Russian officials have reportedly accused the president of Turkey and his family of a direct tie to the Islamic State, claiming Tayyip Erdogan and his family are linked to the group’s oil smuggling.

Multiple media outlets reported the accusation Wednesday, saying Erdogan denied the notion.

According to Russian television network RT, the country’s defense ministry briefed the media on its investigation into the Islamic State’s oil activities and funding. The country’s deputy defense minister Anatoly Antonov laid out some of the evidence, claiming it directly implicates Turkey.

RT reported the evidence included clips of Russian airstrikes on ISIS oil interests, like refineries and pumping stations. The ministry reportedly claimed those strikes, and the bombing of more than 1,000 oil trucks, have cut the Islamic State’s daily income from $3 million to $1.5 million, but a significant amount of ISIS’ stolen oil was still entering Turkey via three smuggling routes.

“Turkey is the main destination for the oil stolen from its legitimate owners, which are Syria and Iraq,” Antonov said at the media briefing, according to a NBC News report. “Turkey resells this oil. The appalling part about it is that the country’s top political leadership is involved in the illegal business — President Erdogan and his family.”

But the BBC reported that Russia did not provide any concrete proof of Erdogan’s involvement at the briefing. Russia said it was only showing a portion of the evidence Wednesday, and RT reported that the ministry would be providing additional material on its website at a later date.

Erdogan reportedly dismissed the claims as slanderous.

“No one has the right to slander Turkey, especially the slander of Turkey buying ISIS oil,” CNN quoted Erdogan as saying during a speech at Qatar University. “Turkey has not lost its moral values to buy oil from a terror organization.”

Tensions between the two countries have been high since a Turkish plane shot down a Russian plane near the Syrian border last Tuesday. The two countries have disputed the circumstances of the incident, with Turkey saying the Russian plane ignored repeated warnings and crossed into its airspace and Russia claiming no warnings were given and Turkish airspace was not violated.

Earlier this week, CNN reported Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Turkey of shooting down the plane to keep its ISIS oil activity hidden. Erdogan vowed to resign if that was proven.

Russia has imposed some economic and travel sanctions on Turkey for its role in the incident.

President Barack Obama has asked the two nations to reduce tensions.

The United States has also asked Turkey to seal off its border with Syria to prevent Islamic State insurgents from shuffling oil and manpower, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told CNN on Wednesday that Turkey plans to shut down the portion of its border that’s still not secure.

100-year rains displace 200,000 in India

At least 200,000 people in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu were driven from their homes after the heaviest rainfall in more than 100 years led to major flooding, according to published reports.

It’s the latest extreme weather to hit the region, which has been hammered by heavy rainfall. The BBC reported that floods have killed at least 188 people in Tamil Nadu in the past month.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported 200,000 people have been displaced by the floods, and meteorologists expected more than 40 inches of additional rainfall in the next 48 hours.

According to Reuters, weather experts say El Nino is partly at fault for the historic rainfall and widespread flooding, as the weather pattern caused India’s monsoon season to intensify. The United Nations has warned that this year’s El Nino looks be one of the three strongest in the past 65 years and could have significant impact on the world’s economy and food supplies.

The flooding has been particularly bad in the coastal capital city of Chennai, one of India’s most populous areas and a major player in its automobile industry. The Times of India reported the city’s flooded airport will be closed through Sunday and at least a dozen trains were cancelled.

One Chennai resident told the BBC that the latest deluge began Monday and hasn’t let up, producing two to three feet of water in some parts of the city.

The BBC reported that about 60 percent of the city’s neighborhoods lacked power on Wednesday. Reuters reported a hospital was running short on fuel for its generators and oxygen for its patients.

According to The Times of India, some residents who still had electricity and Internet were using social media to invite those affected by the floods into their homes as relief efforts continued.

Google accused of improperly tracking students’ web activity

A civil liberties group is accusing Google of invading the privacy of schoolchildren by improperly collecting information through their computers, according to a federal complaint filed this week.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) claims the information is being obtained through the Google for Education program, which many schools are utilizing. Through that program, schools can buy Chromebook laptop computers and provide them to their students for educational use.

Fortune reported that 3.4 million Chromebooks were added to the education sector last year.

The problem, the EFF alleges in the complaint, is a default setting on those Chromebooks allows Google to collect and store data about the websites students visit and use it for its own benefit.

The feature is called Chrome Sync, and the EFF says it’s automatically turned on in the Google Chrome web browser. It allows users to have the same Internet browser configuration — things like saved settings, bookmarks and passwords — anytime they log in to Chrome on any device.

But the EFF alleges that also allows Google to collect and keep track student’s browsing records, including things like their search history and what videos they watch on YouTube. They say that’s a violation of the Student Privacy Pledge, which Google and other tech companies signed. One of the terms of that pledge is that companies will only use data for educational purposes.

The EFF alleges Google is using the data to improve its products and asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the company and order it to destroy any student data it collected.

Google disputes the claims, telling Fortune that its programs comply with the law and its pledge.

“Our services enable students everywhere to learn and keep their information private and secure,” Google said in a statement reported by the Associated Press. And the Future of Privacy Forum, which helped draft the Student Privacy Pledge, thinks the allegations are unfounded.

“We have reviewed the EFF complaint but do not believe it has merit. … The Chrome Sync setting is a general feature of all Chromebooks, whether purchased by schools or the general public. We don’t believe the complaint raises any issues about data use that are restricted by the Student Privacy Pledge,” the forum’s executive director, Jules Polonetsky, said in a statement.

ISIS-related arrests in America surge

More than 50 people have been arrested in the United States for activities linked to the Islamic State this year alone, the highest number of terrorism-related arrests in any year since 2001.

That’s according to a new report released by a research group at George Washington University.

The report, published by the university’s Program on Extremism, says authorities have charged 56 people with ISIS-related crimes in 2015, and 71 have been arrested since March of last year.
It provides an alarming glimpse into the scope of the Islamic State’s influence in America.

The report indicates authorities have investigated ISIS sympathizers in all 50 states, and there were 900 active probes as of this fall. It also says those accused of ISIS-related activities come from many different social and ethnic backgrounds and they had a wide variety of motives.
Some were just inspired by the group’s jihadist message, while a few reached leadership roles.

Much of the data in the report focuses on the 71 people who had been arrested. The report’s co-authors, Lorenzo Vidano and Seamus Hughes, wrote that the accused group was incredibly diverse and that there was no “cookie-cutter profile of the American ISIS supporter” to be found.

The data show the vast majority of the accused were male (86 percent), and they ranged in age from a 15-year-old boy to a 47-year-old former Air Force officer. Their average age was 26. Researchers found almost all of them were either U.S. citizens (58) or permanent residents (six), and the status of the other seven individuals cited in the report could not be determined.

More than half of the accused (51 percent) tried to or successfully traveled abroad, and more than a quarter (27 percent) were allegedly involved in terrorist plots against targets in America.

Their alleged involvement with ISIS ranged from those who had traveled overseas to others who simply posted “support and personal fantasies about joining the group” online, the report says.

The report indicates the arrests “merely the tip of the iceberg, as U.S. authorities estimate that the number of individuals linked to ISIS is much larger.” While the report notes that many of them “will never make the leap from talk to action,” it does caution that some of them could.

The report found the Islamic State’s vast social media reach helped radicalize some Americans, and in one instance helped incite two men to attack a Muhammad Art Exhibit in Texas. But it notes there wasn’t one common theme that inspired the 71 arrested people to align with ISIS.

“These individuals differ widely in race, age, social class, education, and family background,” Vidano and Hughes wrote in the report. “Individuals with such diverse backgrounds are unlikely to be motivated by the same factors.” They also wrote there is no “silver bullet that will blunt ISIS’s allure” to Americans, as the recruit profile is so diverse that there’s no one clear solution.

“American political and civic leaders will need to be bold, experimental, and receptive to novel policies and initiatives in order to defeat ISIS and protect some of our fellow citizens from falling into its clutches,” the report concludes.

Groups call human embryo editing ‘a line we must not cross’

Scientists, scholars and advocates are among those calling for a worldwide ban on the genetic manipulation of human embryos, warning the practice would “irrevocably alter the nature of the human species and society.”

The words appeared in an open letter on the website of the Center for Genetics and Society on Monday, a day before the International Summit on Human Gene Editing began in Washington.
The letter accompanied a report that the Center for Genetics and Society jointly released with the Friends of the Earth, in which the groups call for a ban on editing genes in human embryos.

Modern advancements have brought humans close than ever to creating “genetically modified humans,” but those who signed the open letter agree that humans should not engineer genes that will be passed on to their children, particularly with so little known about long-term effects.

“Genetic modification of children was recently the stuff of science fiction,” Pete Shanks, a consulting researcher with the Center for Genetics and Society and the report’s lead author, said in a statement. “But now, with new technology, the fantasy could become reality. Once the process begins, there will be no going back. This is a line we must not cross.”

The most pertinent technological advancement in the field is CRISPR/Cas9, a cost-effective tool that allows researchers to search for a specific DNA sequence in a cell. Once it finds what it’s looking for, the tool can be used to cut out the DNA strand and paste a different one into its spot.

While those who signed the open letter acknowledge that human gene editing could have some potentially good applications, like treating damaged tissues in a grown person, they wrote there isn’t any justification for tweaking the genes of future children. They wrote that parents who want to prevent their children from inheriting genetic diseases, one of the major arguments used in favor of gene editing, can usually do that another way — like a traditional embryo screening.

The letter also states that allowing any kind of reproductive cell editing “would open the door to an era of high-tech consumer eugenics in which affluent parents seek to choose socially preferred qualities for their children,” or so-called designer babies.

“At a time when economic inequality is surging worldwide, heritable genetic modification could inscribe new forms of inequality and discrimination onto the human genome,” the letter states.

Scientists are expected to discuss recent developments and technologies in human gene editing at this week’s summit. They’re also slated to discuss potential ethical and legal concerns, weigh the risks and benefits of research and examine regulations, according to the summit’s website.

New diabetes treatment could be ‘game-changer’

A new form of treatment for Type 1 Diabetes that uses a patient’s own cells to fight the disease is being hailed as a potential “game-changer” after an early trial suggests that it’s safe for patients.

A research team headed by University of California San Francisco scientists recently put the treatment through its first U.S. safety trial and said patients reported no serious side effects.

That’s cleared the way for more tests, but there’s a way to go before the method is mainstream. Researchers still need to determine how effective the new form of treatment is against Type 1 Diabetes, an immune disease in which human bodies attack the cells that produce insulin.

While many traditional treatment methods go after the immune system, the researchers wrote in a news release that may increase the odds of a person developing an infection or even cancer.

The method being studied involves removing less than two cups of blood from a patient’s body to find certain kinds of cells called regulatory T cells, or Tregs. Scientists sort the Tregs and place them in a growth medium to boost their numbers, then inject them back into the patient’s body.

The goal is for those enriched Tregs to help bodies battle the attacks on insulin-producing cells while still keeping their immune systems fit enough to hold off other diseases and infections.’

The researchers said in the news release that all the signs to date have been encouraging, and that all of the 14 patients tolerated the Treg treatment well. The next step is a Phase 2 trial, another step toward confirming the treatment is actually beneficial for patients with the disease.

“This could be a game-changer,” UC San Francisco researcher Jeffrey A. Bluestone said in the news release. “For type 1 diabetes, we’ve traditionally given immunosuppressive drugs, but this trial gives us a new way forward. By using Tregs to ‘re-educate’ the immune system, we may be able to really change the course of this disease.”

About 1.25 million Americans have Type 1 Diabetes, the American Diabetes Association says.

Obama wants Turkey, Russia to reduce tensions

President Barack Obama met with his Turkish counterpart on Tuesday in Paris, reportedly asking Tayyip Erdogan to reduce tensions with Russia over the downing of a warplane last week.

The two leaders met during the COP21 climate change summit, according to published reports.

Tensions between Turkey and Russia have been high since a Turkish jet shot down a Russian warplane last Tuesday. The two sides have disputed the sequence of events surrounding the incident, with Turkey saying the Russian plane ignored repeated warnings and violated its airspace and Russia saying its plane never entered Turkey and no warnings were provided.

The BBC reported that Obama continued to support Turkey’s right to defend its airspace (the United States believes Turkey’s version of the events), but stressed Turkey and Russia need to find a diplomatic solution and not detract from the common goal of defeating the Islamic State.

Those calls were dealt a setback just hours later, when the Russian government announced a slew of sanctions against Turkey. In a message on its website, Russia said it won’t buy certain raw material and food products from Turkey and also banned charter flights to the country.

Obama also asked Turkey to do more in the fight against the Islamic State, according to Reuters. He reportedly asked the country to close off its border with Syria to help prevent the Islamic State insurgents from importing oil, which they use to make money, and manpower for their causes.

Germany set to join fight against ISIS

German leaders have supported a plan that would allow the country to send 1,200 soldiers to the Middle East to join the fight against the Islamic State, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.

According to the Associated Press, the plan was endorsed by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet.

The BBC reported the German soldiers won’t be used in combat, and that the country will also send a naval frigate and aircraft for refueling and reconnaissance. Reuters reported Germany’s forces would stay in the region for up to a year and the mission is expected to cost $142 million.

French leaders had asked Germany to help fight the Islamic State after gunmen and suicide bombers linked to the group attacked Paris on Nov. 13, according to multiple media reports.

Germany’s parliament still technically needs to OK the plan, but the AP notes Merkel’s group is in the majority and appears to have the necessary votes needed to formally approve the measure.

Still, some Germans are skeptical about the plan.

Reuters reported some leaders from other political parties fear joining the fight against the Islamic State will ultimately increase the odds of terrorists executing an attack in Germany.

UNICEF: Millions of children in Nepal at risk of disease, death

Severe shortages of essential supplies have put millions of young children in Nepal in danger of starving, falling ill or dying this winter, the United Nations Children’s Fund warned Monday.

The organization commonly known as UNICEF issued a news release saying the shortages, caused by political unrest, have imperiled more than 3 million Nepalese kids below the age of 5.

The Associated Press reported protesters upset over the mountainous country’s new constitution have blocked its border with India for months, stalling thousands of supply trucks at the pass.

UNICEF said some government stores are already out of the tuberculosis vaccine and other medicine supplies are at “critically low” levels. The organization also said that some 200,000 families are still living in temporary shelters after being displaced by two major earthquakes in the spring, and those at higher elevations could be particularly at risk during the months ahead.

“The risks of hypothermia and malnutrition, and the shortfall in life-saving medicines and vaccines, could be a potentially deadly combination for children this winter,” UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said in the news release.

Fuel shortages have also put children at risk.

The Associated Press reported that the country’s gas stations are only getting 15 percent of their usual supply of fuel. That’s taken a toll on the country’s ambulances, UNICEF added, which has led to fewer babies being born in hospitals. At least 125,000 births are expected this winter.

With less fuel, UNICEF said more families are relying on firewood to heat their homes. The organization worries that could lead to more indoor pollution and increase cases of pneumonia, which killed 5,000 children under five and sickened some 800,000 more in Nepal last year.

Children among 5 million affected by VTech hack

Hackers gained access to the private information of about 5 million adults and children who used VTech toys, and some security experts warn that similar data breaches could follow.

The Hong Kong-based digital toy manufacturer announced the massive data breach in a news release on Friday, saying a hacker compromised the company’s Learning Lodge earlier this month. The Learning Lodge is a portal that customers use to download content to VTech toys.

The hackers gained access to VTech’s customer database, which the company said includes information like email addresses and passwords but not social security or credit card numbers.

PC Magazine reported the hack was the fourth largest breach of consumer data on record.

The online technology magazine Motherboard reported on Monday that it spoke to the hacker behind the breach. The hacker claimed he also accessed photographs of children and transcripts of conversations between parents and their kids, some of which dated back to last November.

That data was reportedly sent through VTech’s Kid Connect service, a channel through which adults with smartphones and children with VTech tablets can exchange text and audio messages.

The hacker told Motherboard he didn’t intend to publish or release any of the data he obtained.

VTech said it investigated the breach and implemented steps to combat further attacks. Attorney generals from Connecticut and Illinois said they will also investigate, Reuters reported Monday.

The Reuters report quoted cyber security experts who cautioned that additional breaches like this one are possible. While many digital toys collect data, the experts told Reuters that toy makers don’t necessarily have the same security background as others in the tech industry.

“VTech is a toymaker and I don’t expect them to be security superstars,” Tod Beardsley, the security research manager at the cyber security company Rapid7 Inc., told Reuters. “They are amateurs in the field of security.”

Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data began a “compliance check” on VTech on Tuesday, according to a news release. The inquiry will examine if VTech did enough to safeguard the data before it was breached, as well as the corrective measures it implemented.