Page 43 - MIN TTC

WORLD NEWS A11
Wednesday 3 February

EU unveils plan to curb
funding to extremists

In this image released by the Dutch Police Tuesday Feb. 2, 2016, A protester holds a banner extremist financing. tremists.
a trained eagle is about to put its claws into a flying drone. reading: “ Stop of state of It would boost intelligence- French Finance Minister Mi-
emergency during a protest, sharing among EU finance chel Sapin welcomed the
Associated Press in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 30, experts and give them proposals. He had urged
2016. France imposed a state more access to bank and for more rapid EU action
Eagles vs Drones: Dutch of emergency, which gives payment data. two weeks ago, more than
more power to police and ad- Virtual money like bitcoins a year after the issues were
police eye birds ministrative authorities, after would come under scrutiny first raised.
the Nov. 13 Paris attacks that when exchanged for real
to prey on drones killed 130. Last week, a French currencies, and limits would “What I want now is that
high court upheld the mea- be imposed on anonymous they are rapidly put into
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — It may sound like a flight sure, saying the danger “has transactions with pre-paid effect,” he said in a state-
of fancy, but Dutch police are considering using birds of not disappeared.” cash cards. ment.
prey to swoop down and pluck rogue drones out of the The EU’s executive Com-
sky. Associated Press EU agencies will also give mission would be able to
Police are working with a Hague-based company that support to countries in the take immediate action on
trains eagles and other birds to catch drones to investi- BRUSSELS (AP) — The Eu- Middle East and North Af- some measures, while oth-
gate whether the birds can be used above large events ropean Union unveiled rica so that they can better ers would have to be en-
or near airports, where the small flying machines are new measures to curb fight the trafficking of cul- dorsed by member states.
banned. the financing of extremist tural goods and artefacts The full plan could be in
Dennis Janus of the national police said Tuesday that groups Tuesday amid calls which could help fund ex- force by the end of 2017.q
trainers exploit the birds’ natural instincts to tackle the for more action following
high-tech problem of drones flying in restricted areas. last year’s attacks in Paris.
Janus says the birds are trained “to think drones are their The proposals aim to track
prey” and get a reward if they catch one. extremists as they move
Video released by police showed a small white drone money or assets and limit
with four propellers rising into the air and a bird of prey their ability to raise funds
grabbing it from above with its talons in one fluid motion. by targeting their sources
Dutch police will likely make a decision later this year of income.
whether to use the birds. “We want to improve the
Janus said part of the evaluation includes research by oversight of the many fi-
a respected Dutch scientific organization into whether nancial means used by
catching drones could harm the birds of prey.q terrorists, from cash and
cultural artefacts to virtual
currencies and anony-
mous pre-paid cards,”
said European Commission
Vice President Valdis Dom-
brovskis.
The plan would oblige EU fi-
nancial institutions to carry
out compulsory checks on
money flows from coun-
tries with doubtful records
on money-laundering and