US military has acted against ransomware groups, general acknowledges
The U.S. military has taken actions against ransomware groups as part of its surge against organizations launching attacks against American companies, the nation’s top cyberwarrior said Saturday, the first public acknowledgment of offensive measures against such organizations. Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, said that nine months ago, the government saw ransomware attacks as the responsibility of law enforcement. But the attacks on Colonial Pipeline and JBS beef plants demonstrated that the criminal organizations behind them have been “impacting our critical infrastructure,” Nakasone said.
Anger spreads in India after security forces kill 14 civilians
Protests and clashes raged Sunday in northeastern India after 14 civilians were killed by soldiers, one of the deadliest outbursts of violence in recent years in a region long torn by insurgency and ethnic divisions. Eight of the civilians were killed when a truck carrying coal miners returning from work was mistakenly ambushed late Saturday by security forces searching for insurgents in the Tiru area of Nagaland state, along the border with Myanmar, according to local officials. The Indian army said that the soldiers had been responding to “credible intelligence” reports about the movement of insurgents, who often cross into Myanmar after attacking soldiers.
900 bison at Yellowstone targeted for removal
It was a conservation success story: In 1902, fewer than 100 bison were scattered throughout the Great Plains. More than a century later, 5,400 bison roam the fertile grounds of Yellowstone National Park. But now, there are too many bison, according to the National Park Service. Wildlife officials and tribal entities agreed Wednesday that as many as 900 bison from Yellowstone National Park would be slaughtered, shot by hunters or placed in quarantine at the service’s Stephens Creek Capture Facility, where the animals will be tested for brucellosis, a disease that causes abortions or stillbirths in cattle.
Spike in omicron variant cases puts Europe on edge
Dozens of new cases of the omicron variant were reported in Britain and Denmark on Sunday, adding to increases across Europe and fueling fears that the virus has already spread widely. The coronavirus variant has spread to at least 45 nations worldwide, with the United States and much of Europe reporting a number of new cases in recent days. With cases of omicron now growing worldwide, the prospects of even more stringent restrictions are looming over a holiday period that many had hoped would be a return to some normalcy. On Sunday, Britain’s health security agency confirmed 86 additional cases of the omicron variant, bringing the total nationally to 246.
Fatalities reported after military truck rams protesters in Myanmar
A military vehicle drove through a group of protesters in Myanmar on Sunday, resulting in fatalities and leaving at least eight people injured, according to the local news media, witnesses and video footage from the scene. The incident occurred Sunday morning in Yangon, Myanmar’s most populous city. Soldiers fired into the group, according to two eyewitnesses. A video of the incident included the sound of gunfire, but it was not clear who or what was being fired upon. There were conflicting reports on fatalities. The Irrawaddy and Myanmar Now, two news outlets that cover Myanmar, reported that five protesters had died.
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