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Austin bombings: 4th blast in Austin stokes fears that a serial bomber is on the loose

mugisa geofrey — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 15:17:06 +0000

Austin, Texas Video

This is the Explosion site it was actually Condoned off by F.B.I

For the fourth time this month, a device exploded on residents in the Texas capital.

What makes this blast especially terrifying is that it was left on the side of a residential road and may have been triggered by a tripwire, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said.

The three previous bombs were stuffed inside packages and left on residents’ doorsteps.

And unlike the victims of the previous blasts, the two men injured in Sunday’s explosion are white, Austin police said. Both men are expected to recover.

“The use of a tripwire is far less discriminating than leaving parcel bombs at residences and suggests that the latest victims were not specifically targeted,” said Stratfor Threat Lens, a global think tank.

“The device’s success, despite significantly different design, further suggests that the bomb maker behind these attacks is an accomplished one, and has likely to have received some training, perhaps as a military or police explosive ordnance disposal technician.”

This latest attack has even impacted area schoolchildren. The Austin public school district says it can’t send buses to the affected neighborhood Monday because of police activity. “Any tardies or absences due to this situation will be excused,” the district said.

Now, investigators are trying to determine if the person responsible is linked to the trio of bombings this month that killed two people and wounded two others.

“The entire community is anxious this morning,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said Monday.

‘Extra level of vigilance’ needed

The circumstances of Sunday’s blast were different from previous explosions, the police chief said

“We’re not believing that this was similar to previous ones, as in packages left on doorsteps. But instead, this was some type of suspicious package that was left on the side of the road, that detonated and injured these two men,” Manley said.

The men had been biking or walking their bicycles in southwest Austin when the explosion happened.

“What we do understand now, is that the possibility exists this device was triggered in a different mechanism — that being a tripwire,” he said.

The latest explosion comes less than a week after police said three previous package explosions — in a span of 10 days — were connected. Those explosions killed a man and a teenager, and injured two others

Latest developments

“As the bombmaker changes up design and geography, all residents of Austin and surrounding areas should avoid suspicious items,” Stratfor says.
Residents living near the scene must stay indoors until 10 a.m. CT Monday.
The two injured men were either biking or pushing bicycles when the explosion occurred

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New York port authority attack: Akayed Ullah ‘inspired by IS’

Agencies — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 12:01:58 +0000

Akayed Ullah is a 27-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant

The suspect being held after an attempted terror attack at New York City’s main bus terminal has said it was in retaliation for US attacks on so-called Islamic State, US media say.

Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant, was injured when a “low-tech explosive device” went off at the Port Authority terminal in Manhattan.

Police say Mr Ullah chose the location because of its Christmas posters.

Three other people suffered minor wounds in the explosion on Monday.

Mr Ullah is reported to be in a serious condition in hospital after suffering burns when the device, which was strapped to his body, exploded in an underpass at the busy terminal.

ALSO READ:At least 50 killed in Nigerian mosque bombing

He told police investigators he had been inspired by Christmas terror attacks in Europe and selected the Port Authority bus terminal after seeing a number of festive posters on the subway walls, US media report.

Mr Ullah said the planned attack had been motivated by US air strikes on IS targets in Syria and elsewhere, the New York Times reports.

CNN separately reports that Mr Ullah also cited recent Israeli action in Gaza after rockets were fired at Israel on Friday.

A photo circulating on social media shows a man, said to be Mr Ullah, lying on the ground with his clothes ripped and lacerations on his upper body.

Who is the attacker?

The suspect’s home in the New York City borough of Brooklyn is being searched, the New York Times reports.

He may have been recently working at an electrical company, according to the New York Post.

Mr Ullah emigrated to the US on a family visa in 2011 from the Chittagong area of Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi government says he had no criminal record in the country, which he last visited in September.

Mr Ullah is believed to have acted alone in Monday’s attack, Mayor De Blasio said.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: “This is New York. The reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom.

“We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbour and that makes us an international target.”

US President Donald Trump has said Monday’s attack, which followed a terror attack in Manhattan in October that killed eight people, “highlights the urgent need… to enact legislative reforms to protect the American people”.

“America must fix its lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country,” Mr Trump added.

Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that if Mr Trump’s proposed immigration crackdown had already been in place, “the attacker would have never been allowed to come into the country”.

‘Nobody stopped’

The explosion occurred at about 07:30 (12:30 GMT). Andre Rodriguez, 62, told the New York Times: “I was going through the turnstile. It sounded like an explosion, and everybody started running.”

Another eyewitness, Alicja Wlodkowski, told Reuters news agency she had seen a group of about 60 people running: “A woman fell. And nobody even went to stop and help her because the panic was so scary.”

Nearby subway stations were evacuated, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal temporarily shut.

It is the biggest and busiest bus terminal in the world, serving more than 65 million people a year.

ALSO READ:Ambassador Elizabeth Paula Napeyok presents credentials

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Opportunity calls at IHS Journalism Internship

Gerald Businge — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 11:08:20 +0000

IHS Journalism Internship: Sharpen your journalism skills during a paid internship in print, broadcast, or investigative journalism during the fall, spring or summer.

The Institute for Humane Studies Journalism Internship Program offers internships at newspapers, major media networks and state-based policy organizations.

Past interns have worked at 20/20, the Orange County Register, CNN, Fox News, and many other companies and organizations.

Institute for Humane Studies is looking for skilled writers passionate about liberty and who support individual rights and free markets. Previous experience is a plus but not required.

It encourages students from all disciplines, including political science and economics, to apply.

Undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates of all majors are eligible.

As part of the internship program, you’ll attend a weeklong, summer journalism workshop during the summer.

You’ll receive career advice from experienced journalists, learn economic tools for understanding political and economic issues, and explore the foundations of a free press.

Institute for Humane Studies provides travel assistance to the workshop.

During your internship, an IHS staff member, with years of journalism experience, will check in with you to provide tips on how to make the most of your internship.

A Comprehensive Program

Eight-week internship with a $3,200 stipend and a travel allowance
Participation in our weeklong, summer workshop, Journalism & the Free Society, including travel assistance
Mentoring from IHS program staff.

Deadline: Internship applications accepted all year round

For more information, see: IHS Journalism Internship Website