CBS News
Troops deployed to Jewish community center in Sri Lanka surfing town after U.S. warns of possible attack in area
Sri Lanka deployed troops and increased police patrols around a Jewish community center in a popular surfing town on Wednesday after the U.S. embassy warned American citizens of a possible attack on popular tourist sites in the area.
The stepped-up security and warning came after social media posts called for a boycott of Israeli-owned businesses in eastern Arugam Bay.
“The information was that a place called ‘Chabad House’ run by Israelis could be a target and we have taken measures to strengthen security,” said police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa.
He said there had recently been tensions between the Jewish tourists visiting Chabad House and the bay’s Muslim-majority population.
The army and the navy along with police commandos were deployed in the area to step up patrols and man roadblocks, he said.
Wasantha Chandrapala / AP
Protests by local Muslim groups against Israel’s fighting of Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have drawn support from the wider community in the predominantly Buddhist South Asian nation.
Israelis accounted for less than 1.5% of the 1.5 million tourists who visited the island in the first nine months of this year — or around 20,000 people altogether.
But Arugam Bay, a hotspot for surfing around 250 miles east of Colombo by road, is a popular destination for Israeli tourists.
In a rare notice of an imminent threat, the U.S. embassy in Colombo said Wednesday that it had “received credible information warning of an attack targeting popular tourist locations” in eastern Arugam Bay.
“Due to the serious risk posed by this threat, the Embassy imposed a travel restriction on Embassy personnel for Arugam Bay effective immediately and until further notice,” the embassy said, adding that “U.S. citizens are strongly urged to avoid the Arugam Bay area.”
Britain and Canada shared the U.S. warning on their own websites, while the Russian embassy advised its nationals to avoid crowded places while visiting the island.
Israel’s National Security Council meanwhile “raised the travel alert level for Sri Lanka due to credible terrorism threats at the tourist and coastal areas.”
Israel urged its citizens in Arugam Bay and other southern and western coastal areas to “leave the country or at least to the capital Colombo, where there is a high presence of local security forces.” The Level 4 travel alert included the Sri Lankan cities Ahangame, Galle, Hikkaduwa and Weligama.
Along with Arugum Bay and the other coastal regions, Israel’s National Security Council raised the travel risk for the rest of Sri Lanka to Level 3. The National Security Council ranks travel warnings on a scale of 1 to 4, with warnings assigned Level 4 indicating a “high threat level” and warnings assigned Level 3 indicating a “moderate threat.” A place given the latter ranking means Israeli security recommends avoiding unnecessary travel to the destination.
“In addition, the NSC stresses that Israelis in Sri Lanka must exercise increased precaution,” the travel notice said. It urged citizens currently in Sri Lanka to “avoid openly exhibiting anything that could identify you as Israeli, such as t-shirts with Hebrew writing, or any symbol that discloses your religion or nationality.”
Security officials also cautioned against “gatherings of Israeli citizens in public places where there is no security.”
New hotline
There have been no attacks in Sri Lanka since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people, including 45 foreign nationals.
The coordinated attack against three luxury hotels and three churches was blamed on a local jihadist group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Tourism numbers fell sharply afterward, and took another hit during a 2022 economic meltdown that precipitated widespread civil unrest.
But foreign visitor numbers have picked up after an International Monetary Fund bailout last year helped stabilize the economy.
Following the U.S. embassy warning, police said they were unveiling a new security plan to protect tourists island-wide.
“In view of the war situation in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the police, together with intelligence agencies, are working on a plan to protect tourists and resorts,” said a statement issued by the Sri Lanka Police.
It did not give details, but said a hotline had been established for tourists to alert authorities of any safety concerns.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Gun control is one of the most polarizing issues in American politics, and it’s been a topic of contention in the 2024 presidential election. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have been at odds over guns — Trump has told voters Harris “wants to confiscate your guns,” a point Harris denies. She wants to see stronger gun control laws on the books but also says she’s a gun owner. Here are Trump’s and Harris’ stances and policy plans to address gun violence in America.
Kamala Harris’ stance on guns
- Harris says she favors the Second Amendment and said in the Sept. 10 debate with Trump that she owns a gun, a revelation she originally made when she ran for president in In 2019. “I own a gun for probably the reason a lot of people do — for personal safety,” she said at the time. “I was a career prosecutor.” She recently told 60 Minutes she owns a Glock and has fired it at a shooting range.
- Harris oversees the White House Office of Gun Violence and Prevention, which was created by the Biden administration in 2023 with an eye toward finding ways around congressional inaction on stronger gun control laws.
- The Biden administration in 2022 enacted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in the wake of the mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. It represents the most significant update to gun safety law in almost three decades, augmenting background checks for gun buyers under 21, providing billions for mental health services and closing the so-called “boyfriend loophole” to prevent convicted domestic abusers from purchasing a firearm for five years. It also clarified the definition of gun dealers. The law faces challenges from 26 GOP-led states that are suing to block it.
- Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also owns a gun and is an avid hunter. He even held an “A” rating from the NRA at one time, but his grade fell to an “F” in 2018, when he backed stricter gun laws in Minnesota following the Parkland, Florida, school shooting. On the campaign trail in October 2024, Walz went hunting with his own Beretta in an appeal to gun owners.
Kamala Harris’ policy plans on guns
- Harris oversees the White House Office of Gun Violence and Prevention, which was created by the Biden administration in 2023 in order to find a way around congressional inaction on stronger gun control laws.
- Her campaign website says if Harris is elected, she would “ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require universal background checks, and support red flag laws that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.”
- Though she says she is a Second Amendment advocate, Harris also favors stronger gun control measures. In a speech on Sept. 12, Harris promised to “pass an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and red flag laws.”
- While running for president in 2019, Harris vowed to take executive action on guns, saying in April 2019 that she would implement “near-universal” background checks, close loopholes to prevent those convicted of domestic violence from obtaining firearms and revoke licenses from gun manufacturers and dealers who break the law. In Oct. 2019 she said she supported a mandatory gun buyback program, but at the Sept. 10 debate, she told Trump, “We’re not taking anybody’s guns away, so stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.”
Donald Trump’s stance on guns
- Trump “believes that every American has a God-given right to protect themselves and their family and has proven through his actions that he will defend law-abiding gun owners,” his campaign said.
- The NRA endorsed Trump in May at its annual convention, and he has addressed the group several times, including in 2022, shortly after the Uvalde mass shooting.
- Shortly after taking office in 2017, Trump signed a bill that rolled back an Obama-era regulation that made it harder for people with mental illnesses to purchase a gun.
- During a White House listening session with students and families affected by the 2018 Parkland mass shooting, Trump suggested bonuses for teachers who are “adept at guns” and offered support for providing concealed carry permits for teachers or retired military personnel on campus.
- After the Las Vegas mass shooting in Oct. 2017, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms under the Trump administration banned bump stocks, devices that greatly increase the rate of fire of semi-automatic weapons. The ban was later struck down by the Supreme Court.
Donald Trump’s policy plans for guns
- Trump’s campaign said in a statement that he would “terminate every single one of the Harris-Biden’s attacks on law-abiding gun owners his first week in office and stand up for our constitutionally enshrined right to bear arms.”
- He has not spoken on the campaign trail about specific policy proposals on guns. At the NRA’s Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in February, Trump promised that “no one will lay a finger on your firearms” if he wins the election.
- Trump said in the same speech he “did nothing” to restrict guns while he was in the White House, although his administration enacted the 2017 bump stock ban. After the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, he called on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to strengthen and improve the national instant criminal background check system. And after the 2019 mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, Trump reiterated support for “red flag” laws and stronger background checks, although many Second Amendment activists fought the measure, and it was ultimately abandoned later that year.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
If you were looking for a cost-effective way to borrow a large sum of money in recent years, home equity provided the best option. Not only were interest rates lower on home equity loans and home equity lines (HELOCs) than they were on most popular alternatives, but both provided a way to access a six-figure sum that others often couldn’t provide. And now, with one interest rate cut already issued by the Federal Reserve in September and additional ones likely for when it meets again in November and December, both products are poised to be even cheaper for borrowers in the final weeks of 2024.
That noted, home equity borrowing comes with some inherent risks, and borrowers will need to be careful to only withdraw what they’re comfortable repaying or they could risk their homeownership in the process. Understanding this, as well as the dynamics of borrowing home equity in today’s changing rate climate, borrowers should know some important home equity loan dos and don’ts going into November. Below, we’ll break down four of them.
See what home equity loan rate you could secure here now.
Home equity loan dos and don’ts to know this November
Home equity loan borrowing has some timely benefits and disadvantages that can affect your approach. This November, borrowers should specifically consider the following steps:
Do: Choose a HELOC over a home equity loan
Sure, a HELOC has a slightly higher rate than a home equity loan does right now (8.69% versus the latter’s 8.36%). But if you lock in that home equity loan rate now and rates fall as expected, you’ll need to refinance (and pay to refinance) to secure that lower rate. HELOCs, meantime, will simply adjust on their own, lowering your monthly payments as long as interest rates continue to decline.
Explore your best HELOC options online now.
Don’t: Wait for rates to fall
For starters, if you wait for rates to fall, you’ll delay paying the expenses you need the financing for. And if it’s to consolidate high-rate debt, for example, that will come at a cost. But, just as importantly, waiting for rates to fall is a risky move. There’s no guarantee that they will fall or, if they do, by how much. Plus, home equity loan rates don’t move directly in tandem with the federal funds rate anyway. So even if rates were to be cut by 25 basis points, it’s unlikely that home equity loan rates will drop by the same amount.
Do: Shop for lenders
With rates on the decline, it’s more important than usual to shop around for lenders. While most will offer a rate in the approximate same range, every basis point helps. Some lenders, for example, may be more proactive in terms of pricing in presumed rate cuts while others may closely follow the Fed. You won’t know which approach each takes, however, until you shop around.
Don’t: Miss out on certain dates
As noted, some lenders will preemptively price in rate cuts before they’re formally issued. And this often takes place when data that could affect the Fed’s actions is released. So don’t miss out on certain dates in November, like November 7, when unemployment data for October is released. That’s also the date the Fed is set to conclude its next meeting. But keep an eye out for October inflation data, too, which could set the stage for the Fed’s actions in December (scheduled to be released on November 13).
The bottom line
If you’re looking for a way to access large sums of money in a cost-effective way, home equity borrowing can be the smart way to do so this November. Just be sure to take a strategic approach when you do. This means choosing a HELOC over a home equity loan, not waiting for rates to fall and shopping around for lenders to find one offering the best rates and terms. And be sure to monitor certain upcoming dates for opportunities to capitalize on the cooling rate climate.
Have more questions? Learn more about your current home equity loan options here.