‘Anonymous’ hackers target US think tank

‘Anonymous’ hackers target US think tank

LONDON

The loose-knit hacking movement “Anonymous” claimed Sunday to have stolen thousands of credit card numbers and other personal information belonging to clients of U.S.-based security think tank Stratfor.

One hacker said the goal was to pilfer funds from individuals’ accounts to give away as Christmas donations, and some victims confirmed unauthorized transactions linked to their credit cards.

Anonymous boasted of stealing Stratfor’s confidential client list, which includes entities ranging from Apple Inc. to the U.S. Air Force to the Miami Police Department, and mining it for more than 4,000 credit card numbers, passwords and home addresses.

Texas police find 7 dead in apartment

GRAPEVINE, Texas

Seven people who police believe to be related were found shot to death in a Dallas-area apartment on Christmas Day, and authorities said Sunday they believe the shooter is among the dead.

The four women and three men were all found in an adjoining kitchen and living room area when police entered the apartment shortly after 11:30 a.m., said Grapevine Police Sgt. Robert Eberling.

Two handguns were found inside the apartment, he added.

Training stepped up for Afghan forces

CAMP SCORPION, Afghanistan

“Attention! Attention! You are surrounded by Afghan forces. Come out with your hands up.”

The order barked by an Afghan soldier launched a training exercise last week that pitted members of the nation’s growing elite force against actors posing as Taliban fighters.

Sudan army kills rebel group leader

KHARTOUM, Sudan

The Sudanese army said Sunday that it killed the leader of the main Darfur rebel group in fighting earlier this week, touting his death as a key victory against a powerful rebel force that once threatened Sudan’s capital.

Khalil Ibrahim led the Darfur-based Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, the most organized and effective military force in Darfur, the western region torn by conflict since 2003.

The group did not join a peace deal signed last year in Doha, Qatar between other Darfur rebel groups and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s government in Khartoum.

Iranian woman to face execution

TEHRAN, Iran

Authorities in Iran said Sunday they are again moving ahead with plans to execute a woman sentenced to death by stoning on an adultery conviction in a case that sparked an international outcry, but are considering whether to carry out the punishment by hanging instead.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is already behind bars, serving a 10-year sentence on a separate conviction in the murder of her husband.

Amid the international outrage her case generated, Iran in July 2010 suspended plans to carry out her death sentence on the adultery conviction.

Tough choice looms on 9/11 lawsuits

NEW YORK

More than 1,600 people who filed lawsuits claiming that their health was ruined by dust and smoke from the collapsed World Trade Center must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop the litigation and apply for benefits from a government compensation fund.

For some, the choice is fraught with risk.

Associated Press