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Bravelight! Hong Kong stages first large-scale anti-terrorism drill at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

Bravelight! Hong Kong stages first large-scale anti-terrorism drill at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

"Hong Kong's Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU) carried out its first full-scale anti-terrorism exercise at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on Thursday, simulating a coordinated attack on one of the city's most high-profile pieces of infrastructure. Footage from the exercise shows a dramatic scenario in which armed assailants attempted to stage a knife and shooting attack upon arrival, followed by a bomb threat. In the simulation, accomplices then hijacked a passenger ship, triggering a gunfight with police officers onboard. Senior Superintendent Peter Leung Wai-ki of the ICTU said the choice of location was deliberate. “One of our main objectives is how to enhance the protective preparedness," he explained, adding, “because if a critical infrastructure in Hong Kong were attacked by terrorists or extremists, it would seriously damage our economy or the confidence in the government and our society.” Codenamed Bravelight, the operation brought together around 500 personnel from across Hong Kong's security and emergency services, including the Police Force, Immigration, Customs and Excise, Correctional Services, Fire Services, and the Government Flying Service. Participants deployed a range of advanced equipment during the drill, including large-scale ambulances from the Fire Services Department, handheld portable X-ray scanners and ion detectors used by customs officers, as well as robotic systems for bomb disposal, detection, and firefighting. Several of these technologies were showcased for the first time in a live exercise. The exercise comes as the Hong Kong government seeks to strengthen its counter-terrorism framework. The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address announced a new Three-tier Prevention Framework, which sets out the city's strategic direction for counter-terrorism readiness. The plan will be led by a steering group, supported by a tier chaired by Security Secretary Chris Tang to coordinate departments, and seven working groups handling areas ranging from intelligence and cybersecurity to border control and public education."

Operation Bravelight - Hong Kong stages first large-scale anti-terrorism drill at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

Operation Bravelight - Hong Kong stages first large-scale anti-terrorism drill at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

"Hong Kong's Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU) carried out its first full-scale anti-terrorism exercise at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on Thursday, simulating a coordinated attack on one of the city's most high-profile pieces of infrastructure. Footage from the exercise shows a dramatic scenario in which armed assailants attempted to stage a knife and shooting attack upon arrival, followed by a bomb threat. In the simulation, accomplices then hijacked a passenger ship, triggering a gunfight with police officers onboard. Senior Superintendent Peter Leung Wai-ki of the ICTU said the choice of location was deliberate. “One of our main objectives is how to enhance the protective preparedness," he explained, adding, “because if a critical infrastructure in Hong Kong were attacked by terrorists or extremists, it would seriously damage our economy or the confidence in the government and our society.” Codenamed Bravelight, the operation brought together around 500 personnel from across Hong Kong's security and emergency services, including the Police Force, Immigration, Customs and Excise, Correctional Services, Fire Services, and the Government Flying Service. Participants deployed a range of advanced equipment during the drill, including large-scale ambulances from the Fire Services Department, handheld portable X-ray scanners and ion detectors used by customs officers, as well as robotic systems for bomb disposal, detection, and firefighting. Several of these technologies were showcased for the first time in a live exercise. The exercise comes as the Hong Kong government seeks to strengthen its counter-terrorism framework. The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address announced a new Three-tier Prevention Framework, which sets out the city's strategic direction for counter-terrorism readiness. The plan will be led by a steering group, supported by a tier chaired by Security Secretary Chris Tang to coordinate departments, and seven working groups handling areas ranging from intelligence and cybersecurity to border control and public education."

'We always prepare for worst' - Venezuelan Interior Minister says country is ready to counter any threat amid row with US

'We always prepare for worst' - Venezuelan Interior Minister says country is ready to counter any threat amid row with US

"The Venezuelan Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, stated on Thursday during his television programme that the country is prepared to defend its territory against 'any aggression'. Amid rising tensions with the United States over the deployment of eight warships in the Caribbean and Pacific waters for an anti-narcotics operation, Minister Cabello assured that Venezuelan youth are ready to defend their homeland. "Our people, our comrades, our women, our young people, have stepped forward to defend the homeland from any aggression," he declared. Cabello stated that the Venezuelan government will not underestimate any type of threat, referring to recent US military actions. "We always prepare for the worst; it is a condition for facing whatever comes, no matter how tough it is," he commented. On August 23-24, a mass enlistment into the Bolivarian militia took place in response to a call by President Nicolas Maduro as a reaction to the US military operation in the Caribbean. The deployment of US warships is part of a reinforced anti-narcotics operation aimed at carrying out missions to combat drug trafficking in Latin America. A few weeks ago, Washington accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading the criminal organisation known as the Cartel of the Suns. In early August, the US Departments of Justice and State increased the reward from $25 million to $50 million for information leading to the arrest of the Venezuelan leader."

'We always prepare for worst' - Venezuelan Interior Minister says country is ready to counter any threat amid row with US

'We always prepare for worst' - Venezuelan Interior Minister says country is ready to counter any threat amid row with US

"The Venezuelan Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, stated on Thursday during his television programme that the country is prepared to defend its territory against 'any aggression'. Amid rising tensions with the United States over the deployment of eight warships in the Caribbean and Pacific waters for an anti-narcotics operation, Minister Cabello assured that Venezuelan youth are ready to defend their homeland. "Our people, our comrades, our women, our young people, have stepped forward to defend the homeland from any aggression," he declared. Cabello stated that the Venezuelan government will not underestimate any type of threat, referring to recent US military actions. "We always prepare for the worst; it is a condition for facing whatever comes, no matter how tough it is," he commented. On August 23-24, a mass enlistment into the Bolivarian militia took place in response to a call by President Nicolas Maduro as a reaction to the US military operation in the Caribbean. The deployment of US warships is part of a reinforced anti-narcotics operation aimed at carrying out missions to combat drug trafficking in Latin America. A few weeks ago, Washington accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading the criminal organisation known as the Cartel of the Suns. In early August, the US Departments of Justice and State increased the reward from $25 million to $50 million for information leading to the arrest of the Venezuelan leader."

Teensy triumph - Jalisco zoo hatches world’s tiniest turtle in first supervised breeding

Teensy triumph - Jalisco zoo hatches world’s tiniest turtle in first supervised breeding

"Jalisco's Guadalajara Zoo has announced a breakthrough with the first supervised breeding of the ‘Casquito de Vallarta’ (Vallarta Helmet), said to be the world's smallest turtle. The hatching marks a major step in protecting the critically endangered species, which was only discovered in 2018 and is found in a limited area between Jalisco and Nayarit. Footage from Thursday shows the newborn hatchling, only 2 centimetres tall, dwarfed by a 5 peso coin. "It was just one birth, but this already gives us the possibility or the hope of saying we can reproduce other specimens," said zoo biologist Ricardo Davalos. Davalos noted that the species has very low fertility, producing clutches of just two to four eggs, many of which fail to develop. He added that only about 500 individuals are believed to survive in the wild. The reproduction programme began after environmental authorities transferred 37 turtles confiscated from illegal trafficking in 2023. From 19 adults, one hatchling has emerged, and six more eggs are being incubated.  Davalos emphasised the urgency of the project, given the threats to the turtles' natural habitats in Puerto Vallarta. "Those small lagoons are in a city that is constantly growing and developing, so they are becoming polluted," he said.  The zoo now aims to share its protocols with other institutions to encourage replication of the process. Captive breeding is seen as a key advance in the face of urbanisation and illegal trafficking to Asia, factors that have brought this endemic Mexican species to the brink of extinction."