International
They confess plans to immolate themselves at a Taylor Swift concert after canceling her performance in Vienna
The Minister of the Interior of Austria, Gerhard Karner, said on Thursday that “a tragedy has been avoided” at Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna since the main suspect intended to be immolated this Thursday or tomorrow in front of the stadium where the show was going to be held.
“A tragedy has been avoided” in Swift’s concerts but the situation is “serious,” said Karner, who indicated that the main suspect has confessed his plans and the manufacture of the explosive was very advanced. The police are not looking for other suspects but the investigations continue.
The goal, according to the Austrian Police, was to “kill himself and a large crowd at the concert scheduled for today or tomorrow.” After the arrests were known, Taylor Swift announced yesterday the cancellation of the three concerts planned in the Austrian capital.
According to the investigators, there are three detainees, a 19-year-old leader, a second 17-year-old suspect who had recently been hired as a member of the private security device of the concert and a third under the age of 15.
That 17-year-old was arrested by anti-terrorist teams in the vicinity of the Ernst Happel stadium and, apparently, he intended to facilitate the actions of the leader.
Various substances were found in the records, including hydrogen peroxide as well as technical and material devices for the manufacture of pumps, such as detonators, cables and machines to start an explosion.
Among the material seized, according to the Police, there is also a police siren that is suspected to be used to make its way and facilitate the arrival at the site of the attack or the escape.
The detainees had focused on the attack plans since the end of July and the leader of the cell had sworn allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State.
The 19-year-old arrested in Ternitz, 65 kilometers from Vienna, resigned from his job on July 25 and declared that he “had great plans for the future,” Franz Ruf, director general of Public Security, explained to the press.
“Since then, he has focused on the preparations for a terrorist attack,” Ruf added, who indicated that they had also taken measures to change his physical appearance.
“The results of the research show that hydrogen peroxide was used as a precursor in the manufacture of explosives, and this explosive was effectively manufactured. The main nineteen-year-old suspect has confessed everything,” added the police official.
Ruf indicated that the Police are not looking for more suspects nor are there other concrete indications, but he stressed, like Karner, that at the moment we do not have to lower our guard and the investigations must continue.
The director of the internal intelligence service (DSN), Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, confirmed that the investigation was produced thanks to information from foreign secret services and said that young people, especially the 19-year-old, had become radicalized on the internet.
“He consumed and spread a lot of propaganda, and as we saw after the seizure of his mobile phone yesterday, he also constantly downloaded and shared instructions for the manufacture of bombs,” he explained.
“He had been informed about the manufacture of pumps and the necessary materials, and during the raiding of his house yesterday a lot of material was found,” he added.
The confession of the 19-year-old jihadist indicates that, in addition to the explosives, they intended to attack with knives Swift’s followers who were on the outskirts of the stadium where the concert was going to be held.
The goal, according to Haijawi-Pirchner, was to “kill himself and a large crowd at the concert today or tomorrow.”
The director of the DSN indicated that although there are no more fleeing suspects, it is possible that people in the environment of the detainees knew about their plans and it is necessary to continue investigating.
International
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
Not even the wires were left behind at a small grocery store. Before the ground had even stopped shaking, looting and theft began in the areas hardest hit by the double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
Reports of robberies have multiplied in the coastal state of La Guaira, located near Caracas and now transformed into a landscape of collapsed buildings and debris.
Videos circulating on social media show groups of people removing boxes of household appliances from a damaged store. Other images show similar boxes being carried on top of vehicles and motorcycles.
Social media platforms have also been filled with accusations against police officers and military personnel who allegedly stole from homes and even from victims who died during the disaster.
A branch of a major pharmacy chain was looted, along with supermarkets and other businesses. Some residents have described the situation as “disaster tourism,” while others say the looting reflects hunger and desperation among people who lost everything in a country already facing a prolonged economic crisis.
“Is it fair that our own people turn against our own people?” said María Esther Bernal, 71, who rented commercial spaces to Chinese merchants, all of which were looted. “They left nothing behind, not even the wallpaper. They even took the cables,” she said.
“Next door, a man died. He was Chinese. People walked over his body while they looted the place. It was a supermarket,” she added.
An AFP journalist witnessed looting in La Guaira since Thursday, following the earthquakes.
Jenifer Mayora, 34, defended some of the actions, saying that “the things people took were because the owners of the stores allowed us to take them.”
However, she criticized the limited response from authorities. “I have been waiting for a mattress so my children can sleep,” she said.
Residents have expressed anger over what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from authorities after the double earthquake, which has left around 1,450 people dead and tens of thousands missing.
Communities are demanding not only faster rescue operations in La Guaira, but also stronger security measures and urgent assistance with food, water, and medicine.
International
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
Up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, according to an assessment released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency.
The organization said the projections are based on available population data and damage assessments, and include up to two million people living in Caracas, the country’s capital.
The estimates highlight the potentially massive humanitarian impact of the disaster, the IOM warned.
Entire buildings collapsed in La Guaira, a coastal area north of Caracas, following the powerful twin earthquakes that reached magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on Wednesday.
The national death toll has risen to 920, while rescue teams continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble in coastal regions and other affected areas.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday that more than 50,000 people were reported missing.
The IOM also revealed that it worked with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence laboratory on an initial satellite mapping analysis, which showed that 31.5% of buildings in the town of Catia La Mar had suffered damage.
Authorities and international rescue teams continue operations as Venezuela faces one of its largest humanitarian emergencies in recent years.
International
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday expressed his condolences to the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country and highlighted the ongoing coordination between UN humanitarian teams and interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Speaking during the UN’s daily press briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
“The Secretary-General is deeply distressed by the loss of life and the widespread devastation caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela yesterday. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” Dujarric stated.
Venezuela was struck on Wednesday by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. According to official figures, the disaster has left at least 164 people dead and 971 others injured.
Dujarric noted that preliminary reports indicate significant damage across several states, including the capital, Caracas. Numerous casualties have been reported, while other individuals remain trapped beneath collapsed structures or are still missing.
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged and essential services have been disrupted,” the spokesperson said.
The United Nations confirmed that its humanitarian team remains in close contact with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and other relevant authorities as emergency operations continue.
To support relief efforts, the UN has established a coordination center in Caracas and is assisting local authorities to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches affected communities as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Guterres also welcomed the expressions of solidarity and offers of assistance from countries around the world that responded following news of the disaster, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in addressing the humanitarian emergency.
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
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