Turkish man ‘confesses’ to Austrian authorities about plot to kill Kurdish politician

The Turkish flag is seen outside their embassy in Vienna, Austria, March 31, 2017. (Reuters)
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Updated 24 September 2020
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Turkish man ‘confesses’ to Austrian authorities about plot to kill Kurdish politician

LONDON: A Turkish man who identified himself as an intelligence agent has admitted to Austrian authorities that he was ordered in August to kill a Kurdish-Austrian politician, according to media reports.
Austrian authorities are investigating the case of Feyyaz O, who claims to work for Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (known as MIT).
Turkish media outlets Ahval and ETHA said Feyyaz O confessed that he was ordered to kill Kurdish-Austrian politician Berivan Aslan, who is a member of Austria’s Green Party.
He told authorities that he had been surveilling Aslan for a while and that he reportedly booked a hotel room to wait for the politician. 
Aslan, who focuses on minorities in Austria, had previously revealed a network of Turkish intelligence agents in several Austrian provinces, including the capital Vienna. 
Those agents, according to reports, were tasked with triggering unrest among the Turkish and Kurdish communities in the country.
Earlier this month, the Austrian interior minister said that the country was preparing to bring charges against a person who confessed to spying for Turkish intelligence. 
It did not provide more details about the person’s identity at the time.


UN food aid agency chief stepping down over ill health

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UN food aid agency chief stepping down over ill health

  • McCain had suffered a mild stroke in October 2025
  • “With a heavy heart, I am announcing my intention to step down”

ROME: The head of the Rome-based UN World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, said Thursday she would be stepping down in three months’ time because of poor health.
McCain, the WFP’s Executive Director, had suffered a mild stroke in October 2025 and returned to work last month.
But she “found the demands of the job were outpacing her recovery,” the United Nations agency said in a statement.
“With a heavy heart, I am announcing my intention to step down,” McCain was quoted as saying.
McCain, 71, is the widow of former US Senator John McCain, who was the Republicans’ 2008 presidential nominee.
She has served as the WFP’s head since April 2023.