(Undated photo of Amit Shah: PTI)

Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison told Parliament that Indian Home Minister Amit Shah ordered a campaign of violence, intimidation and intelligence-gathering targeting Sikh separatists inside Canada. Morrison did not elaborate on how Canada knew of Shah’s alleged involvement.

PM Justin Trudeau said a year ago that Canada had credible evidence agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023. Canadian authorities have repeatedly said they have shared evidence of that with Indian authorities.

Indian government officials have repeatedly denied Canada has provided evidence and have called the allegations absurd. India’s embassy in Ottawa didn’t immediately respond to messages for a request for comment on the allegation against Shah.

On 14 Oct, Canada expelled the Indian high commissioner and five other diplomats, alleging they were persons of interest in multiple cases of coercion, intimidation and violence aimed at quieting a campaign for an independent Sikh state known as Khalistan.

Canada is not the only country that has accused Indian officials of plotting an assassination on foreign soil. The FBI announced criminal charges in mid-October against an Indian government employee in connection with an alleged foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in NYC.

Vikash Yadav, who authorities say directed the NYC plot from India, faces murder-for-hire charges in a planned killing that prosecutors have previously said was meant to precede a string of other politically motivated murders in the US and Canada.

Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau’s national security adviser, said Canada has evidence the Indian government first gathered information on Indian nationals and Canadian citizens in Canada through diplomatic channels and proxies.

She said the information was then passed to the government in New Delhi, which allegedly works with a criminal network affiliated with Lawrence Bishnoi.

Bishnoi is currently in prison in India, but Drouin said his vast criminal network has been linked to homicides, assassination plots, coercion and other violent crimes in Canada.

Before the RCMP went public with allegations that Indian diplomats were persons of interest in criminal investigations, Drouin said there was an effort to work with the Indian government to ensure accountability, but it became evident the Indian government would not cooperate with Canada

The RCMP took the extraordinary step of talking publicly about ongoing investigations because of threats to public safety. The Indian government denies the allegations and has expelled six Canadian diplomats in return.

Hardeep Nijjar Singh (45) was fatally shot in his pickup truck after he left the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, BC. An Indian-born citizen of Canada, he owned a plumbing business and was a leader in what remains of a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland. Four Indian nationals living in Canada were charged with Niijar’s murder and are awaiting trial.

Where Khalistan would be were it a country. Approximately 21,000,000 Sikhs live in India, the majority in Punjab State (16,000,000); 16,000 Sikhs reside in Pakistan; nearly 772,000 Sikhs call Canada their home.

There are probably less than 100 Sikhs remaining in Afghanistan. (Photo: Andrew Scheer)

The idea of creating an independent Sikh homeland (Khalistan) has existed for decades. When India became independent, Hindus had a homeland (India) and Muslims carved out a homeland (West and East Pakistan), but Sikhs were left out.  The chances of achieving an independent Sikh state are as remote as an independent Kurdistan emerging in the Middle East. But brutal Indian repression of Sikhs will fill the ranks of their many pro-secession organizations.

India Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1983.

At the height of Sikh extremism in the 1980s, on 31 Oct 1984 (today), Indira Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi by her two personal security guards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, both Sikhs, in retaliation for Operation Blue Star. And in June 1985, Canada suffered its worst terrorist incident when Sikh terrorists bombed Air India Flight 182 killing 268 Canadians, 27 Brits, and 22 Indians.

As previously posted here on Coriolanus, we see the murderous regime of Indian PM Nahendra Modi at work. He is following the playbook of any rightwing despot, like Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, North Korean supremo Kim Jong-Un, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping: eliminate enemies of the state. But as GOP Presidential candidate NYS Governor Thomas E. Dewey said in 1948: “You can’t shoot an idea with a gun.”

Baltej Singh Dhillon made history as the first turbaned Sikh officer in the RCMP. (Undated photo).

Sources:

Canada alleges Indian Home Minister Amit Shah ordered campaign targeting Sikh separatists – ABC News (go.com)

Statement by the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs on the RCMP’s findings regarding criminal activity in Canada with connections to agents of the Government of India – Canada.ca

China Declares Success: Youngest Astronauts Reach Space

Taikonauts (L-R) Wang Haoze, Song Lingdong and Cai Xuzhe before the launch (Photo: EFE)

A Chinese spacecraft with a three-person crew, including the country’s first female space engineer, has docked after a journey of more than six hours.

The crew will use the homegrown space station as a base for six months to conduct experiments and carry out spacewalks as Beijing gathers experience and intelligence for its eventual mission to put someone on the Moon by 2030.

Beijing declared the launch of Shenzhou-19 a “complete success” – it is one of 100 launches China has planned in a record year of space exploration as it tries to outdo its rival, the US.

The BBC was given rare access to the Jiuquan Satellite launch center in Gansu and we were just over a kilometer away when the spacecraft blasted off.

Flames shot out of the rocket launcher as it took to the skies, lighting up the Gobi Desert with a deafening roar.

Hundreds of people lined the streets, waving and cheering the names of the taikonauts, China’s word for astronauts, as they were sent off.

At the Tiangong space station, the Shenzhou-19 crew met with three other astronauts who are manning the Shenzhou-18 and will return to Earth on 4 Nov.

Just two years ago, President Xi Jinping declared that “to explore the vast cosmos, develop the space industry and build China into a space power is our eternal dream.”

But some in Washington see the country’s ambition and fast-paced progress as a real threat.

Earlier this year, NASA chief Bill Nelson said the US and China were “in effect, in a race” to return to the Moon, where he fears Beijing wants to stake territorial claims.

D/NASA told Congress that he believed Beijing’s civilian space program is camouflaging a military program.

This Chinese space plane can reportedly travel at hypersonic speed.

While the US wasted trillions of dollars and American military lives in the beginning of the 21^st century waging two wars against Iraq and Afghanistan, China quietly and steadily used their immense resources wisely to begin their conquest of space. Meanwhile, NASA has contracted out a large portion of its space program to zillionarie megalomaniac Elon Musk, a man in secret contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin. To read more of this South African’s nefarious activities, please see previous posts from Coriolanus.

Source:

China declares success as its youngest astronauts reach space (bbc.com)

Over Hatred, Three Youngsters Flush Their Lives Away; Two in US, One in UK

As China is sending their youth into the cosmos, the US and UK sent three youngsters into the dumpster.

First, the UK.

Axel Muganwa Rudakubana (18) and his three child victims.

A teenager accused of killing three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class for young children in the United Kingdom has been charged with possessing an al Qaeda training manual and ricin poison.

Axel Muganwa Rudakubana (18) already faces three murder charges, ten counts of attempted murder and one count of knife possession. The new charges were filed under the UK’s Terrorism Act.

The poison and PDF study, “Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The al Qaeda Training Manual,” were found during a search of Rudakubana’s home. 

Tests later confirmed the substance found was ricin. The risk of exposure to the public was low said the UK Health Security Agency and there was no evidence that any victims, first responders, or members of the public were exposed to ricin.

Rudakubana allegedly committed the 29 July stabbing spree that killed three girls — Alice Dasilva Aguiar (9), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7), and Bebe King (6) – and injured several others, in Southport, a town north of Liverpool. Merseyside Police did not declare the events a terror incident because no motive has been determined, authorities said during a news conference in Liverpool. 

(Map: Courtesy of getthedata.com)

His victims: (L-R) Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar were killed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event. The teen suspect faces numerous charges related to the slaying.  (Photos: Merseyside Police)

Rudakubana‘s attacks sparked widespread protests and riots across the country amid inaccurate reports the suspect was an asylum seeker. A police van burns as an unruly crowd clashed with police 30 Jul 2024, in Southport, northwest England, near where three girls were stabbed to death in a dance class. (Richard McCarthy/PA via AP)

Rudakubana was born in England to Rwandan parents. Despite being a minor at the time of the stabbings, a judge lifted restrictions that prevented the reporting of his name. 

Rudakubana, obviously in need of intensive psychiatric care, killed three innocent children who had just barely begun their lives. Too bad UK authorities weren’t able to intervene before his stabbing spree and indoctrination into al-Qaida. Now he has caused irreparable harm to three families forced to bury their daughters. His actions also led to riots, arson, and looting against innocent immigrants in the UK.    

Now, the US.

Neptune Beach Florida Police arrested braces-wearing Caleb James Williams (18) who was wielding a machete with an 18-inch blade outside a polling station in Florida as part of a mob of teenagers accused of intimidating Democratic supporters. The US election is mere days away.

Williams was arrested on charges of aggravated assault for allegedly brandishing his weapon at two unidentified women, ages 71 and 54, and improper exhibition of a weapon.

We cannot see acme-prone 18-year-old Caleb James Williams braces as he is not smiling in his mugshot. (Neptune Beach Florida Police Dept)

While his high school classmates are enjoying Florida State University, Caleb will be enjoying Florida State Penitentiary in a few months.

In NYC, a 23-year-old woman was indicted on hate crime and assault charges for pepper spraying a 45-year-old Uber driver in an anti-Muslim attack in NYC. As the Uber driver approached a red light, he began praying in Arabic. Jennifer Guilbeault lunged forward toward the driver’s seat, holding a can of pepper spray. The idiot sprayed Shohel Mahmoud in the face, causing burning, redness and pain.

Jennifer Guilbeault pepper spraying Shohel Mahmoud (Image: Social media)

Thousands of young people drown every year trying get to the US, Australia, Canada, or the EU for a chance at a better life; some just want to live one more day. Those young migrants would have loved to have just one-tenth of the breaks privileged Caleb and Jennifer had growing up in the US.

In 2023, at least 8,565 people died on migration routes worldwide according to the IOM. Undated photo of unfortunate refugees courtesy of the Vatican News Service.

The charges against Caleb James Williams and Jennifer Guilbeault are merely allegations and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

All three of these youngsters (between 18 and 23) have flushed away their lives over hatred, stupidity, and/or mental illness. Muganwa Rudakubana will most likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. But Caleb James Williams and Jennifer Guilbeault will one day be released from prison, assuming the two will be convicted and imprisoned for their felonies. But police records, like the internet, are forever, GOP VPOTUS candidate JD Vance is finding out now. Who would ever hire, date, matriculate into higher education, or marry Jennifer and Caleb?  

Sources:

UK teen charged in stabbing found with al Qaeda material, poison, police say | Fox News

Teen Accused in U.K. Taylor Swift Dance Class Stabbing Charged With Terror Offenses – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Florida Teen Wielded Machete Outside Polling Station (politicalwire.com)

https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-hate-crimes-indictment-of-woman-for-pepper-spraying-uber-driver-on-the-upper-east-side/

America’s Defense Contractors Failing Basic Cybersecurity Which China is Exploiting

A new report from Merrill Research states that only four percent of defense contractors are fully prepared to meet the DoD minimum cybersecurity requirements known as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). These requirements represent basic cyber hygiene, not cutting-edge tools — yet the vast majority of contractors fail to meet even these minimum standards.

The US faces an unprecedented and persistent cyber threat, particularly from China. Recently, hackers linked to Beijing breached several US internet service providers in an attack dubbed Salt Typhoon. This latest intrusion is part of a broader wave of sophisticated cyber campaigns orchestrated by China, including Volt Typhoon and Flax Typhoon, which have penetrated critical sectors ranging from energy to telecommunications.

D/FBI Christopher Wray bluntly stated, “China’s hacking program is larger than that of every other major nation, combined.”

The gap between what Americans believe about the security of our defense contractors and the grim reality exposed by the Merrill report should alarm everyone.

The CMMC is the digital equivalent of locking your doors at night. Multi-factor authentication and patch management are fundamental requirements, yet the Merrill report shows that only 21% of defense contractors use multi-factor authentication, which most civilians need to log into their social media accounts, and a dismal 15% have implemented patch management, which ensures that software vulnerabilities are regularly updated.

The disconnect between belief and reality is stark. While 75% of contractors believe they are compliant, their reported cybersecurity readiness tells a different story. The average Supplier Performance Risk System score across surveyed contractors is a staggering -12, far below the required 110 to meet CMMC standards. This isn’t just a compliance failure; it’s a national security crisis.

If these contractors — many of them responsible for safeguarding classified data and developing our military’s most advanced technology — are this unprepared, what does that say about the rest of the US critical infrastructure? 

The defense industrial base is one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors in the US, alongside other essential industries like energy, healthcare, and financial services. These sectors are integral to the functioning of our nation.

The Salt Typhoon, Volt Typhoon, and Flax Typhoon attacks highlight just how deeply Chinese cyber operatives are infiltrating that critical infrastructure. According to the USIC, China’s ultimate goal is to disrupt America’s ability to respond to military crises, particularly in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. Chinese hackers could paralyze our power grids, disrupt water systems, or compromise defense communications.

Contractors that remain non-compliant could be shut out from future DoD contracts and subject to False Claims Act penalties if they had previously attested to being compliant. Now that the DOD has aligned contractor profit incentives with national security interests, there may be fewer breaches like Salt Typhoon. 

The Chinese government has demonstrated its intent and capability to exploit any weaknesses in America’s critical infrastructure and contractors must recognize that cybersecurity is more than just a regulatory box to check.

As we read above, China is making tremendous strides into space thanks to Research and Development (R & D), but also thanks to espionage, hacking, and intellectual property theft.

Sources:

info.cybersheath.com/eBook-Third-Annual-Merrill-Research-Report-op-ed?utm_source=media_outlet_NextGov_FCW&utm_medium=article_op-ed&utm_campaign=merrill_research_report

America’s defense contractors are failing basic cybersecurity and China is exploiting it – Nextgov/FCW

Spain Battles Deadliest Flooding Disaster in Decades as Death Toll Rises

Spain deployed more than 1,000 troops to help with rescue efforts but many crews remain cut-off from towns by flooded roads and downed communication and power lines.

Spain is enduring its worst flooding disaster in decades with at least 95 people dead and dozens more missing after huge rains swept the eastern province of Valenica and beyond.

Torrential rain triggered flash floods which swept away bridges and buildings and forced people to climb onto roofs or cling to trees to survive.

President Pedro Sánchez has declared three days of national mourning as the wild conditions continue, restricting some rescue efforts.

The death toll is feared to climb as “many people are still missing.”

The churning floodwaters swept away hundreds of cars in Valencia. Guillermo Serrano Pérez (21) said the water had rushed down a highway “like a tsunami” forcing him and his parents to abandon their car and climb onto a bridge to survive. (Photo: AP)

In his national address, President Sanchez urged citizens to remain vigilant and pledged a full recovery, telling victims: “The whole of Spain weeps with you… we won’t abandon you”.

His government is yet to make an explicit link between the “unprecedented” extreme weather and climate change but scientists tell the BBC it is clear that global temperature rise made the downpours worse.

One of the first-hit towns near Valencia, Chiva, reported one year’s worth of rainfall in just a period of eight hours according to national weather agency Aemet.

As Spanish army and emergency crews rushed to carry out rescues on Wednesday morning- including winching people to safety from balconies and car rooftops- survivors in Valencia recounted the horror of the floods on Tuesday night.

Sudden surges turned streets and roads into rivers- catching many motorists unaware.

Source:

Scores dead after torrential rain in Spain’s Valencia region (bbc.com)

Oregon: First Case of Avian Flu Found in Pig

A severe form of bird flu has been detected for the first time in a pig on a small unidentified farm in Crook County in central Oregon.

The same strain – highly pathogenic avian influenza – has turned up in backyard and commercial flocks across the US. Hundreds of cows have also been infected, along with some people who worked around the infected animals.

Two of the latest cases of human infection were announced last week in Washington state. The CDC confirmed that two people working in a commercial egg farm in Franklin County in south-central Washington were infected.

But this is the first time the virus has crossed over to pigs. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the presence of the strain in one of five pigs on the farm. Results on the other four pigs are pending. The testing can take a little while because the CDC analyzes the DNA of the virus.

The farm also has backyard birds that became infected. State and national officials humanely euthanized all 70 of the birds and the five pigs to prevent further spread of the disease. None of the meat entered the food supply chain – it is not a commercial farm – and it was not intended for retail.

The discovery of the virus in pigs potentially could be a concern in Iowa, the top pork-producing state in the country. But Chris Rademache, a clinical professor in the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, was not worried by the Oregon case.

“This is a very unique case,” Rademache said.

Rademache said the situation in Oregon involved a backyard pig, not intended for consumption, which was in close contact with poultry and domestic waterfowl, which is “a very different situation” than a hog farming operation.

He said pork producers are aware of the need to separate poultry and hogs, and they “do a good job” of that. Additionally, Rademache said the state has a “robust” monitoring and testing program to catch any sort of outbreak.

“Pork continues to be safe to eat,” Rademache said.

Oregonians raise about 3,000 pigs every year and at least one just became infected with bird flu. (Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Agriculture)

The property was quarantined and state officials are conducting surveillance at the site. The agriculture department also has provided the owners with protective gear to avoid further infection, and officials are educating and monitoring the exposed individuals.

State officials didn’t say how many people might have been exposed. Many people develop mild respiratory symptoms, including a runny nose, sore throat and cough. People can also get conjunctivitis – or “pink eye.” Some people who’ve been infected have become severely ill and have required hospitalization.

The current strain of the virus that’s circulating in the US and worldwide is endemic in wild birds, causing outbreaks in poultry, wild mammals, including seals and sea lions, along with domestic animals and dairy cows. Avian flu has been confirmed in dairy cattle in 14 states, including California and Idaho. Oregon has not had any cases in dairy cattle. The number of cases of human infections is relatively low.

Food safety officials recommend properly cooking meat and eggs to kill the virus along with other harmful bugs like E. coli, which can be deadly. The CDC also recommends pasteurizing milk and dairy products to kill pathogens. Check the USDA website for food safety tips.

State officials expect the measures taken at the farm will end the outbreak, but they advised others to take precautions to prevent their animals from becoming infected.

Source:

First case of bird flu in pig discovered on small Oregon farm (yahoo.com)

Kazakh Experts Sound Alarm Over Mysterious Mass Deaths of Caspian Seals

The Caspian Sea, bordered by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, is rich in oil and gas reserves.

The unexplained deaths of scores of Caspian seals in Kazakhstan’s Manghystau region is raising alarm bells among local authorities and scientists.

As of 29 Oct 289 seal carcasses had been found along the coastline over the previous five days, prompting urgent monitoring efforts by the Interregional Fishery Inspection of the Ural-Caspian Basin and experts from the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology.

Seal researcher Asel Baimuqanova said some of the dead seals showed signs of trauma. Although the exact cause of death remains unclear, Baimuqanova noted that several seals were pregnant, adding urgency to the investigation.

(Undated photo: RFE/RL)

Caspian seals are the only marine mammals in the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland body of water. Once numbering over a million in the early 20th century, their population has now dwindled to an estimated 70,000 due to overhunting and pollution.

Since late September, dedicated scientific teams have conducted daily inspections along the Tupqaraghan Peninsula’s western coast to investigate the unexplained surge in mortality rates.

The discovery of the dead seals follows a similar event in April, when 27 seal carcasses were found in the area, which was attributed to storm-related beaching. Authorities suspect those seals may have died at sea before washing ashore.

Pollution from hydrocarbon extraction and declining water levels have been threatening both local species and the sea’s ecological future, according to experts.

Animal die-offs sometimes remain a mystery to researchers, whether it’s a flock of birds found dead or whales beaching themselves. Pesticides and poisons have been attributed to some bird die-offs and sonar interference may contribute to whale beachings. Necropsies will reveal whether poisons, pollution, or pathogens killed these poor creatures.

Source:

Kazakh Experts Sound Alarm Over Mysterious Mass Deaths Of Caspian Seals (rferl.org)

Beautiful Black Halloween Cat Has Most Unique Orange Eyes