17/09/2025

WEDNESDAY | SEPT 17, 2025

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Crime scene DNA in Kirk murder matches suspect

with Petro. “The failure of Colombia to meet its drug control obligations over the past year rests solely with its political leadership,” wrote Trump. Washington’s disavowal of Petro had been expected since January, when he became embroiled in a blazing row with Trump over migrant deportations. The downgrade is a major blow for Colombia, coming as the military and police reel from a string of deadly attacks by the guerrillas. On Aug 21, 12 police officers were killed when breakaway members of the defunct FARC rebel group shot down a police helicopter during a coca eradication operation in the country’s northwest. On the same day, a truck bomb was detonated on a busy street near a military aviation school in the city of Cali, killing six. – AFP Poland downs drone over govt buildings WARSAW: Polish state security forces neutralised a drone flying over government buildings in Warsaw, German Press Agency reported on Monday, citing Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Tusk said on X the drone had also flown over Belvedere Palace, the official residence of the Polish president. Two Belarusian citizens were detained in connection with the incident, he said, adding that police are investigating its circumstances. Authorities have not yet disclosed the type of drone involved or whether it could have been used for military purposes. Deputy Interior Minister Wiesaw Szczepañski said the incident demonstrated the efficiency of the Interior Ministry’s services in protecting the country’s most important institutions, as reported by the PAP news agency. The drone flight comes amid heightened tensions over Polish airspace. Last week, Russian drones entered Polish territory during an attack on Ukraine, violating Nato airspace. The Polish Air Force shot down several drones for the first time. It remains unclear whether the drones were programmed to strike targets on Nato territory or intended merely as a provocation or a test of Nato’s air defences. – Bernama-dpa Brunner said the EU is working on the Eastern Flank Watch to strengthen real-time surveillance of member states bordering Russia, including the creation of a “drone wall”, which is expected to be delivered within the next two years. – Bernama-Xinhua EU to boost Finland border security HELSINKI: The European Union (EU) would increase financial and operational support for Finland’s eastern border security, including plans to build a “drone wall” along the frontier, Xinhua reported. EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said the European Commission has provided Finland with €80 million (RM395 million) in targeted funding over the past two years. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency is also launching a €150 million equipment programme, 90% EU-funded, mainly for drones. A Finnish government press release said the Commission has proposed allocating €1.6 billion for Finland’s home affairs sector under the EU’s next multiannual financial framework starting in 2028, nearly €1 billion more than the current period. Immediate priorities include enhancing drone and anti-drone capabilities for border control.

WASHINGTON: DNA found at the murder scene of US conservative influencer Charlie Kirk has been matched to suspect Tyler Robinson, said FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday. Robinson, 22, was arrested on Thursday after a 33-hour manhunt and is expected to be formally charged in the murder case later this week. Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot on Wednesday during a speaking event on a Utah university campus. He was the founder of the hugely influential conservative youth political group Turning Point USA. Authorities said the suspect used a sniper rifle to shoot Kirk with a single bullet to the neck from a rooftop. o There appears to have been multiple warning signs, says FBI Trump signs order sending National Guard to Memphis WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an order sending National Guard troops to the city of Memphis, in the latest stage of his crime crackdown that critics have branded authoritarian. Trump said the task force would be a “replica” of the one he sent into the capital Washington in August. “The effort would include the National Guard as well as the FBI” and other federal agencies, Trump told reporters at a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, adding that it is “very important because of the crime that is going on”. He added that “we are going to be doing Chicago probably next”. He has claimed that troop deployments and deportation raids in Washington and Los Angeles have saved the cities from immigrant crime, one of his key election pledges. US Attorney-General Pam Bondi said at the signing ceremony federal agencies would use the “highly successful” Washington model to

His vice-president J.D. Vance hosted Kirk’s podcast on Monday. The alleged murderer was a brilliant high school student raised in the Mormon faith by Republican parents and was expected to be charged yesterday by Utah authorities. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson was romantically involved with a transgender roommate and had “leftist ideology”. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, also a prominent right-wing podcast host and appointed to the FBI under the Trump administration, said the suspect had shown “intent” before the attack. “There appears to have been multiple warning signs.” Bongino cited friends and family members who said the suspect had become “more political”. Patel has been criticised for his actions in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, including having announced the arrest of a suspect a few hours after the shooting then confirming the person’s release two hours later. Patel was expected at Congress yesterday to answer questions from lawmakers. – AFP

“I can report that the DNA hits from the towel that was wrapped around the firearm and the DNA on the screwdriver are positively processed for the suspect in custody,” said Patel on Fox News, referring to a screwdriver recovered from the scene. Patel also discussed a note that Robinson is believed to have written before the crime. The note is “basically saying ‘I have the opportunity to take out Kirk and I am going to take it.’ That note was written before the shooting,” he said. He added that the note was left at the suspect’s family home. “Although it had been destroyed, we have found forensic evidence of the note.” Kirk, a father of two, used his audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for conservative talking points, including strong criticism of the transgender rights movement. He often posted carefully edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events. Trump will attend a memorial service on Sunday at a stadium in Arizona.

Trump displaying the presidential memorandum after signing the document in the Oval Office, accompanied by (left to right) Bondi, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R-TN). – AFPPIC

has a Republican governor. The Trump administration last week launched a new immigration enforcement operation in Chicago to target what it called the “worst of the worst criminals”. – AFP

“Make Memphis Safe Again”. Trump has targeted Democratic-run cities in his crackdown. Memphis, a Black-majority city in Tennessee, has a Democratic mayor while Tennessee state

US decertifies Colombia as ally in war against drugs BOGOTA: The United States said on Monday it has decertified Colombia as an ally in the fight against drugs, a decision that could cost Bogota hundreds of millions of dollars in US military support. countries against narco-terrorists,” wrote Trump. In a meeting with his Cabinet, leftist Petro confirmed the change, saying “the United States is decertifying us after dozens of deaths of police officers and soldiers” in the fight against drug cartels and leftist guerillas funded by drug trafficking. trafficking and benefiting from the production of cocaine responsible, including through improved cooperation with the United States to bring the leaders of Colombian criminal organisations to justice.”

The decertification is seen as punishment for the failure by the world’s biggest cocaine producer to curb cultivation of coca, the key ingredient in cocaine, and trafficking of the drug to global markets. It comes amid a drive by Trump against drug cartels, in which US forces have blown up two alleged Venezuelan drug boats, killing 14 people. Despite the decertification, US officials praised Colombia’s authorities for continuing “to show the skill and courage in confronting terrorist and criminal groups”, adding that the United States appreciates the South American country’s public servants, laying blame squarely

Despite decades of close alliance in the so-called war on drugs, US President Donald Trump slammed his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro for not only failing to curb cocaine production, but also overseeing its surge to “all-time records”, according to a signed determination that the White House sent to Congress on Monday. “Under Petro’s leadership, coca cultivation and cocaine production have reached record highs while Colombia’s government failed to meet even its own vastly reduced coca eradication goals, undermining years of mutually beneficial cooperation between our

Since coming to power in 2022, Petro has championed a paradigm shift in the US-led war on drugs, which he considers a failure, to focus on the social problems that fuel drug trafficking. Since 2022, coca cultivation has increased by about 70%, according to Colombian government and United Nations estimates. To regain the designation, Trump called on Colombia’s government to take “more aggressive action to eradicate coca and reduce cocaine production and trafficking”. He urged them to “hold those producing,