Türkiye Orders 83 Arrests Over Online Praise for School Shootings

Mortuary vans are parked in front of a hospital morgue, after a deadly shooting at a school, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Ensar Ozdemir
Mortuary vans are parked in front of a hospital morgue, after a deadly shooting at a school, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Ensar Ozdemir
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Türkiye Orders 83 Arrests Over Online Praise for School Shootings

Mortuary vans are parked in front of a hospital morgue, after a deadly shooting at a school, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Ensar Ozdemir
Mortuary vans are parked in front of a hospital morgue, after a deadly shooting at a school, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Ensar Ozdemir

Turkish police said on Thursday they had ordered dozens of arrests for people accused of posting controversial content on social media after two deadly school shootings this week.

"Arrest orders were issued for 83 individuals found to have engaged in posts and activities praising crime and criminals and negatively affecting public order, and legal action has been taken against them," the police said in a statement.

Funerals will be held on Thursday for nine people killed when a 14-year-old opened fire at a school in Türkiye, sending shock waves across the country.

The attack in the southern province of Kahramanmaras was Türkiye's second such incident this week in a country where such shootings have been rare.

The funerals will be for eight children aged 10 and 11 and a 55-year-old teacher, the local authorities said.

Police said Thursday that the teenager had referenced US mass killer Elliot Rodger in a photo on his WhatsApp profile.

"Initial findings from the investigation revealed that the perpetrator used an image on his WhatsApp profile referencing Elliot Rodger, who carried out an attack in the United States in 2014," the police said in a statement.

Rodger -- a 22-year-old American-- killed six people on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, before taking his own life.

Rodger explained in a video released before his crime that the attack was "punishment" for the women who had rejected him.

The 14-year-old who carried out Wednesday's shooting died at the scene, officials said, though it was not clear how his death happened.

The father of teenager, identified as a former police inspector, was arrested on Wednesday and taken into custody, the police said.

"Digital media seized during searches of the perpetrator's home and his father's vehicle have been confiscated and are currently being analyzed," the police said.

"Based on initial findings, no link to terrorism has been established. This appears to be an isolated act."



NKorea's Kim Calls for 'Military Revolution' as he Urges Stronger Army Units

This picture taken between October 22 and 23, 2026 released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on October 24, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking during the third meeting of company leaders of the Korean People's Army at the Pyongyang Gymnasium in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken between October 22 and 23, 2026 released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on October 24, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking during the third meeting of company leaders of the Korean People's Army at the Pyongyang Gymnasium in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
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NKorea's Kim Calls for 'Military Revolution' as he Urges Stronger Army Units

This picture taken between October 22 and 23, 2026 released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on October 24, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking during the third meeting of company leaders of the Korean People's Army at the Pyongyang Gymnasium in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken between October 22 and 23, 2026 released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on October 24, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking during the third meeting of company leaders of the Korean People's Army at the Pyongyang Gymnasium in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for the country's army companies to be turned into elite, self-sufficient combat units during a two-day meeting of company commanders in Pyongyang, state media KCNA said on Saturday.

The event underscored Kim's consistent policy priority of strengthening the ⁠military.

In a speech ⁠at a conference of company commanders for North Korea's Army on October 22-23, which KCNA said was the first military-wide gathering ⁠since the Ninth Congress of North Korea's ruling party in February, Kim called for every company to fully prepare so that "the goal of the new-era military build-up" can be achieved.

"Let us build the strongest army and speed up a ⁠military revolution ⁠in our style,” Reuters quoted Kim as saying.

During the Ninth Congress of North Korea's ruling party in February, which sets the country's direction for the next five years, Kim called for stronger conventional armed forces as well as reaffirming efforts to develop nuclear weapons and missiles.


Rubio Urges Cubans to Work with CIA, but Warns: Be Discreet

FILE PHOTO: A man rides a bicycle taxi past parked vintage cars normally used for public transportation, in Havana, Cuba, July 21, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A man rides a bicycle taxi past parked vintage cars normally used for public transportation, in Havana, Cuba, July 21, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez/File Photo
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Rubio Urges Cubans to Work with CIA, but Warns: Be Discreet

FILE PHOTO: A man rides a bicycle taxi past parked vintage cars normally used for public transportation, in Havana, Cuba, July 21, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A man rides a bicycle taxi past parked vintage cars normally used for public transportation, in Havana, Cuba, July 21, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez/File Photo

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday called for Cubans to make "discreet" contact with the American intelligence services as Washington seeks to force an end to the island's communist government.

For months, President Donald Trump and other senior US officials have openly hinted at a military intervention or takeover of Cuba, ramping up economic, political and legal pressure on the country.

"To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba -- now is the time," Rubio said on social media.

"The disappointment of failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few; seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA."

The unusual post appeared to confirm that the CIA is currently active in Cuba after a long history of covert operations including backing the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961.

The CIA later uploaded a video to X offering instructions in Spanish for those who believe they have information of interest to the intelligence agency, encouraging them to first and foremost visit an official US installation in person if they can safely travel to one.

For those hoping to contact the CIA online via the cia.gov website, the agency instructed users to access the internet on a secure network like a VPN using a private browser and a burner email account unassociated with any personal details.

Those sharing information should be prepared to include their city, job, level of access and contact information with their message.

Trump, speaking at a rally in Florida earlier Friday, underlined his ambitions to impose regime change in Cuba.

"Those beautiful (US military) ships will pass Cuba. We'll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast," he said. "They'll raise up their hands. And then we're going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal."

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez quickly dismissed Trump's threats.

"Our coastline is full of beautiful beaches, but there are also razor-sharp limestone spikes, an inhospitable environment for those who make it to our shores with hostile purposes and lust for domination," he posted, according to AFP.

In the latest US move against the Cuban leadership, Florida's top prosecutor this week announced an arrest warrant for former president Raul Castro on state murder charges that echo a federal indictment unveiled earlier this year.

Castro, 95, is wanted on murder charges connected to the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft from "Brothers to the Rescue," an organization assisting Cubans fleeing to the US state by sea.

Castro, brother of the late revolutionary leader and US nemesis Fidel Castro, was indicted on federal charges related to the incident in May.

Trump previously seized on a US indictment to justify military action that toppled Venezuela's then-president Nicolas Maduro, a staunch ally of the Cuban authorities.

Current Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said the US federal indictment against Castro has "no legal basis" and was an attempt "to justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba."

Washington also imposed a de facto energy blockade on Cuba in January, threatening to sanction any country that supplies fuel to the island of 9.4 million people.


Trump Weighs Quick End to Iran War Against Letting Conflict ‘Wither’

 23 October 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press before departing the White House for a political rally in Fort Myers, Florida. (dpa)
23 October 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press before departing the White House for a political rally in Fort Myers, Florida. (dpa)
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Trump Weighs Quick End to Iran War Against Letting Conflict ‘Wither’

 23 October 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press before departing the White House for a political rally in Fort Myers, Florida. (dpa)
23 October 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press before departing the White House for a political rally in Fort Myers, Florida. (dpa)

President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States could end the war with Iran quickly, but questioned whether ‌Washington should ‌seek a ‌swift conclusion ⁠or allow the ⁠conflict to gradually wind down.

"We could end it very quickly," Trump said. "Do ⁠we want to finish ‌it ‌off or just ‌want to let ‌it wither?"

Speaking to reporters on the White House South ‌Lawn as he left on a trip to ⁠Florida, ⁠Trump said oil is getting out through the Strait of Hormuz.

"We are getting everything we want,' he said.