News of the World
03-23-2025, 09:13 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-24-2025, 05:01 AM by kyonides.
Edit Reason: Added Rogue FBI Agent's Arrest
)
USA
Quote:Heavyweight champion George Foreman has died at the age of 76, his family announced Friday.
Foreman died surrounded by loved ones, his family said.
"Our hearts are broken," the family wrote in an Instagram post. "With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr., who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones."
"A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose," the post continued.
"A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, He was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family," the post added.
His family said they "are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own."
Foreman became an Olympic gold medalist in 1968 when he defeated the Soviet Union's Jonas Čepulis in that year's Mexico City Olympics. After his victory, he wielded an America flag in the boxing ring while bowing to the crowd, in an iconic American Olympics moment.
Foreman has said that his Olympic gold is the accomplishment he is most proud of, even more than his other professional boxing titles.
Quote:Jessica D. Aber, who until recently served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), was found dead at her Alexandria home on Saturday morning. Alexandria Police confirmed responding to a call at approximately 9:18 a.m. on Beverley Drive, where officers located the 43-year-old former federal prosecutor.
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Aber's death comes just two months after she resigned from her position as one of the few women to lead the prestigious U.S. attorney's office in Northern Virginia, a role to which she was nominated by former President Joe Biden in 2021.
The EDVA is considered one of the most significant federal prosecutor's offices in the country, overseeing cases related to national security, terrorism, and high-profile white-collar crime across a jurisdiction that includes numerous defense and intelligence agencies.
What To Know
Aber served as U.S. Attorney from October 2021 until early 2025, when she stepped down to allow President Donald Trump to select a successor.
During her tenure, she managed approximately 300 lawyers and staff across four divisions in Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, and Newport News, serving over six million residents, according to her U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) biography.
Before she was appointed U.S. Attorney, Aber had worked in the EDVA since 2009, handling financial fraud, public corruption, violent crime, and child exploitation cases. She was part of the prosecution team that secured a conviction against former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell on corruption charges in 2014, though the Supreme Court later overturned the convictions.
A California native born in 1981, Aber established her legal career in Virginia after graduating from the University of Richmond in 2003 and obtaining her law degree from William & Mary School of Law in 2006.
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What Happens Next
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will determine the cause and manner of Aber's death as the Alexandria Police Department continues its investigation. Meanwhile, colleagues and the legal community are mourning the loss of someone widely regarded as a mentor and dedicated public servant.
Quote:An FBI agent who publicly accused the agency of a pro-Trump bias has been arrested and charged with disclosing confidential records after authorities say he included sensitive material about investigations and informants into a draft of his memoir.
Johnathan Buma, who claimed in 2023 that the FBI went after President Joe Biden’s son Hunter while stifling his own investigation of President Donald Trump’s ally Rudy Giuliani, was arrested Monday evening at Kennedy Airport in New York as he was about to board a flight out of the country, authorities said.
In the draft of his book, Buma described himself as “the most significant whistleblower in FBI history.”
Federal prosecutors in California, where Buma had worked as a counterintelligence and counterproliferation agent, charged him on Tuesday with a single count of disclosure of confidential information. The charge is punishable by up to one year in prison.
Buma submitted a letter of resignation Sunday, according to an affidavit prepared by an FBI agent involved in the investigation. The probe into Buma’s conduct began well before Trump took office for his second term. The FBI searched Buma’s home in November 2023, when Biden was in office.
Messages seeking comment were left with Buma’s lawyer.
After filing a whistleblower complaint and testifying before Congress, the court affidavit said Buma went to his FBI office in Orange County, California, in October 2023 and printed copies of about 130 confidential files. The files included summaries of information provided by confidential informants, the identity of an informant and screenshots of text messages he exchanged with an informant, the affidavit said.
Some of that information also appeared in a draft of Buma’s book, the affidavit said.
After emailing his bosses that he was taking an unpaid leave of absence, Buma posted excerpts of the draft on social media and emailed copies to various people, some of whom were helping him negotiate a publishing deal, according to the affidavit. Among other things, the book contained information about an FBI investigation into a foreign country’s weapons of mass destruction program, the affidavit said.
Quote:Three individuals were charged in federal cases after they used Molotov cocktails to violently attack Tesla properties around the country in acts of "domestic terrorism," Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Thursday.
"The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended," Bondi said. "Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars."
All three face charges carrying a minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison, the department said.
Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, on Jan. 20, threw approximately eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership located in Salem, Oregon, federal prosecutors said. One vehicle was completely destroyed, and several others were damaged.
Lansky also threw a "large heavy object through the dealership window," they said. At the time of the attack, he was armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle.
Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, 42, was arrested in Loveland, Colorado, on Jan. 29 after attempting to light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails, prosecutors said.
Nelson was later found in possession of materials used to produce additional incendiary weapons, including a container of gasoline, bottles, and wick materials, on Feb. 24, prosecutors said.
In Charleston, South Carolina, Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, allegedly wrote profane messages against President Donald Trump and advocated for Ukraine around Tesla charging stations before lighting three of the charging stations on fire with Molotov cocktails on March 7.
Court documents, citing witnesses, say Clarke-Pounder spray-painted in red paint, "F--- Trump" and "Long Live Ukraine" in a Tesla charging station parking spot.
Lansky and Nelson were charged with arson of property in interstate commerce and possession of unregistered destructive device. Clarke-Pounder was charged with arson of property in interstate commerce.
Quote:A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt the planned deportation of a Georgetown University scholar arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Monday over allegations he spread Hamas propaganda online.
Judge Patricia Giles ordered that Badar Khan Suri, an Indian citizen, "shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court issues a contrary order."
Suri was detained in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Suri, a postdoctoral scholar student in the United States on a student visa, was accused of "actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media," a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said in a statement.
"Suri has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas."
The agency did not name the suspected terrorist or Hamas advisor.
However, The New York Times reported that Suri's wife is Palestinian American. Her father is Ahmed Yousef, a former advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader Israel assassinated last year in Iran.
In a voice message, Yousef said Suri is his son-in-law, adding Suri was not involved in any "political activism," including on behalf of Hamas, the Times report states.
Yousef lives in Gaza but said he left his position in the Hamas-run government more than a decade ago. He doesn't hold a senior position with the terrorist group and has publicly criticized Hamas’ decision to attack Israel Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the group's ongoing war with Israel.
Quote:Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., took a swipe at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., in a tweet on Friday.
"We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us too," the congresswoman said during speeches on Thursday.
"Fight ‘harder’—a stunt that would have harmed millions and plunged us into chaos," Fetterman wrote when sharing a screenshot featuring a quotation of Ocasio-Cortez's comment. "We kept our government open. Deal with it."
Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez's office on Friday to request a comment from the congresswoman, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Fetterman and other Democrats — including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — voted last week to overcome a procedural hurdle, which cleared the way for the chamber to vote on a government funding measure to avoid a partial government shutdown.
But after that cloture vote, Fetterman, Schumer, and most other Democrats voted against passing the actual funding measure, which ultimately passed anyway.
Ocasio-Cortez had urged senators to vote against cloture and against the measure.
"It should be very clear to every Senate Democrat that any vote for Cloture will also be considered a vote for the bill. People aren’t going to be tricked with procedural games. They know exactly what is going on. Defend Medicaid. Vote NO on Cloture. NO on bill," she had declared in a tweet.
Quote:President Donald Trump proposed that the United States take control of Ukrainian nuclear power plants to protect them from Russian attacks during a Tuesday call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky said Kyiv was "ready" to pause attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, a day after Moscow agreed to halt similar strikes on Ukraine.
Donald Trump told Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday that the United States could own and run Ukraine's nuclear power plants as part of his latest bid to secure a ceasefire in Russia's invasion of its neighbour.
The Ukrainian president said following their call that Kyiv was "ready" to pause attacks on Russia's energy network and infrastructure, a day after Vladimir Putin agreed to halt similar strikes on Ukraine.
Zelensky also said he had discussed Trump's power plant takeover plan.
"We talked only about one power plant, which is under Russian occupation," Zelensky, who was on an official visit to Finland, said during an online briefing, referring to the plant in Zaporizhzhia.
He added that he had "not felt any pressure" from Trump to make concessions to Russia.
But a wider ceasefire remains elusive with the Kremlin leader insisting in his own call with Trump on Tuesday that the West first stop all military aid for Ukraine.
Republican Trump's tone was markedly more positive after the Zelensky call, with the White House describing it as "fantastic" – despite the fact that the two men had a blazing televised row in the Oval Office recently.
Trump "discussed Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants" and said Washington could be "very helpful" in running them," National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a joint statement.
"American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure," it said.
Quote:The Trump administration said on Friday it would terminate the legal status of 532,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, giving them 30 days to either secure an alternative immigration status or leave the country.
The United States said Friday it was terminating the legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, giving them weeks to leave the country.
President Donald Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history and curb immigration, mainly from Latin American nations.
The order affects around 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who came to the United States under a scheme launched in October 2022 by Trump's predecessor Joe Biden and expanded in January the following year.
They will lose their legal protection 30 days after the Department of Homeland Security's order is published in the Federal Register, which is scheduled Tuesday.
That means immigrants sponsored by the program "must depart the United States" by April 24 unless they have secured another immigration status allowing them to remain in the country, the order says.
Welcome.US, which supports people seeking refuge in the United States, urged those affected by the move to "immediately" seek advice from an immigration lawyer.
The Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) program, announced in January 2023, allowed entry to the United States for two years for up to 30,000 migrants per month from the four countries, which have grim human rights records.
Biden touted the plan as a "safe and humane" way to ease pressure on the crowded US-Mexico border.
But the Department of Homeland Security stressed Friday that the scheme was "temporary."
"Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status, nor does it constitute an admission to the United States," it said in the order.
'Chaos'
Nicolette Glazer, an immigration lawyer in California, said the order would affect the "vast majority" of the half a million immigrants who entered the United States under the CHNV scheme.
"Only 75,000 affirmative asylum applications were filed, so the vast majority of the CHNV parolees will find themselves without status, work permits, and subject to removal," she posted on X.
"The chaos will be unreal".
Karen Tumlin, director of immigrant rights group Justice Action Center, said the Trump administration was "breaking a commitment the federal government made to the hundreds of thousands" of immigrants and their sponsors in the United States.
"Suddenly revoking the lawful status of hundreds of thousands of CHNV humanitarian parole recipients is going to cause needless chaos and heartbreak for families and communities across the country," she said in a statement.
Trump last weekend invoked rare wartime legislation to fly more than 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador, which has offered to imprison migrants and even US citizens at a discount.
More than seven million Venezuelans have fled their country over the last decade as the oil-rich country's economy implodes under leftist leader Nicolas Maduro, a bugbear of Washington who has faced major sanctions.
Quote:US President Donald Trump on Friday awarded Boeing a $20 billion contract to build the US Air Force's most sophisticated fighter jet, which will be called the F-47. The win marks a reversal of fortune for Boeing, which has struggled on both the commercial and defense sides of its business.
US President Donald Trump on Friday awarded Boeing the contract to build the US Air Force's most sophisticated fighter jet, handing the company a much-needed win.
The Next Generation Air Dominance program will replace Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor with a crewed aircraft built to enter combat alongside drones. The plane's design remains a closely held secret, but would likely include stealth, advanced sensors, and cutting-edge engines.
Trump, the 47th president, said the new jet will be called the F-47.
"We've given an order for a lot. We can't tell you the price," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"Our allies are calling constantly," Trump added, saying foreign sales could be an option. "They want to buy them also." Shares of Boeing rose 5% after the news. The Seattle-based company beat out Lockheed Martin for the deal. Lockheed's shares fell nearly 6%.
Reuters reported Boeing's victory before the official announcement. "Compared to the F-22, the F-47 will cost less and be more adaptable to future threats -- and we will have more of the F-47s in our inventory," said Chief of Staff of the Air Force General David Allvin.
Boeing and Lockheed did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
For Boeing, the win marks a reversal of fortune for a company that has struggled on both the commercial and defense sides of its business. It is a major boost for its St. Louis, Missouri, fighter jet production business.
The engineering and manufacturing development contract is worth more than $20 billion. The winner will eventually receive hundreds of billions of dollars in orders over the contract's multi-decade lifetime.
NGAD was conceived as a "family of systems" centered around a sixth-generation fighter to counter adversaries such as China and Russia.
Quote:A North Dakota jury on Wednesday found Greenpeace liable for defamation and other claims brought by a pipeline company in connection with protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The nine-person jury awarded Dallas-based Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
A jury in North Dakota on Wednesday ordered Greenpeace to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in a closely watched lawsuit brought by a US pipeline operator, raising serious free speech concerns.
The verdict delivers a stunning legal blow to the environmental advocacy group, which Energy Transfer (ET) accused of orchestrating violence and defamation during the controversial construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline nearly a decade ago.
ET, which denies any intent to stifle speech, celebrated the verdict. The jury awarded more than $660 million in damages across three Greenpeace entities, citing charges including trespass, nuisance, conspiracy, and deprivation of property access.
"We would like to thank the judge and the jury for the incredible amount of time and effort they dedicated to this trial," the company said.
"While we are pleased that Greenpeace will be held accountable for their actions, this win is really for the people of Mandan and throughout North Dakota who had to live through the daily harassment and disruptions caused by the protesters who were funded and trained by Greenpeace."
Greenpeace vows appeal
Greenpeace vowed to appeal the verdict and continue its environmental advocacy.
"The reality is you can't bankrupt a movement," Greenpeace USA interim executive director Sushma Raman told AFP.
"This movement exists all around the world: individuals who want a cleaner, greener planet, more vibrant and inclusive democracy, protection of oceans, forests, and land. The people who power organisations like Greenpeace – you can't bankrupt them, and the work will continue."
Greenpeace International is counter-suing ET in the Netherlands, accusing the company of using nuisance lawsuits to suppress dissent. A hearing is set for July 2.
At the heart of the North Dakota case was the Dakota Access Pipeline, where from 2016 to 2017, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe led one of the largest anti-fossil fuel protests in US history.
CANADA
Quote:Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the country will negotiate with U.S. President Donald Trump over his tariff plans once Canada is "shown respect" as a sovereign nation.
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Trump has risked a major diplomatic crisis with the U.S.'s northern neighbor over his threats to impose significant import tariffs and his repeated suggestion that Canada could become the U.S.'s 51st state.
His tariff plans have resulted in a trade war between the two countries and deepening political and ideological divisions, raising concerns about the future relationship between the longtime allies.
What to Know
Carney, who recently replaced Justin Trudeau as leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party, held a meeting with the Council on Canada-U.S. Relations on Thursday.
Carney's office said the virtual meeting discussed Trump's tariff plans, including those expected to hit Canada on April 2.
This new wave of reciprocal tariff hikes is set to come into effect on top of the increases Trump has already announced against Canada, Mexico, China and elsewhere.
In a Wednesday post on X, formerly Twitter, Carney said Canada was ready to engage with Trump regarding the "unjust tariffs" the U.S. president had proposed. He also appeared to again reject the idea that Canada could become the U.S.'s 51st state.
Speaking to Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Tuesday, Trump said Canada was one of the "nastiest" countries to deal with and repeated his suggestion that it could become the 51st state to avoid paying tariffs and stop receiving subsidies from the U.S.
When asked by Ingraham why he was acting "tougher" on Canada than some of the U.S.'s adversaries, Trump replied, "Only because it's meant to be our 51st state."
Earlier in March, Trump temporarily delayed his long-threatened 25 percent tariffs on many goods from Mexico and Canada until April 2. The one-month tariff exemption covers goods included in the USMCA free trade agreement, which Trump negotiated between the U.S., Canada and Mexico during his first term.
About 62 percent of imports from Canada still face the tariffs because they are not USMCA-compliant, a White House official previously told the Associated Press.
Quote:Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said China has executed four Canadian dual citizens in recent months.
Joly said she and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked for clemency in the drug-related accusations, but Beijing’s embassy noted that China does not recognize dual citizenship.
Relations between China and Canada have been further strained recently as the countries impose tariffs on one another's exports amid global trade tensions.
China executed four Canadians in recent months, Canada's foreign affairs minister said Wednesday. Such executions of Westerners are relatively rare.
Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said she and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked for clemency in the drug-related accusations involving the dual citizens.
Beijing’s embassy in Ottawa said the executions were due to drug crimes and noted that China does not recognize dual citizenship.
"We strongly condemn the executions," Joly told reporters in Ottawa. "I asked personally for leniency ... They were all dual citizens."
Joly said Canada consistently asks for clemency for Canadians facing the death penalty abroad. She said the families have asked the government to withhold details of the identity of the four individuals.
Global Affairs spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said they continue to provide consular assistance to families and requested that the media respect their privacy. She said Ottawa continues to advocate for clemency for Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian who was sentenced to death for drug smuggling.
"China always imposes severe penalties on drug-related crimes," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said. "The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient."
China is believed to execute more prisoners each year than the rest of the world combined, though the total is a state secret. Executions are traditionally carried out by gunshot, though lethal injections have been introduced in recent years.
The embassy spokesperson said Beijing "fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned," and urged Canada's government to "stop making irresponsible remarks."
The two countries have some tensions. China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports earlier this month, after Canada imposed duties in October on Chinese-made electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products. The tariffs add to global trade tensions amid rounds of tariff announcements by the United States, China, Canada and Mexico.
EUROPE
Quote:President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed his case for more weapons supplies to Ukraine during a summit with EU chiefs on Thursday. He also urged leaders to keep pressuring Russia to commit to a ceasefire deal ahead of a new round of peace talks with the US next week.
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged EU leaders Thursday to step up weapon supplies to Ukraine and keep pressuring Russia, as officials from Kyiv and Moscow readied to hold fresh talks with the United States next week.
Europe is scrambling to weigh on the outcome as US President Donald Trump forges ahead with Russia on ending its war on Ukraine, and top military brass gathered in London Thursday to thrash out how to police any peace deal.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said afterwards that the plans of the so-called "coalition of the willing" around Ukraine were "coming together".
The London meeting came after Zelensky addressed an EU summit in Brussels via video call, charging that "despite Putin's words... nothing has changed".
Zelensky said a new Russian strike had "hit our energy infrastructure" on Wednesday night, even after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed with Trump to halt such attacks.
The Kremlin leader must "stop making unnecessary demands that only prolong the war", he added, calling on the EU to ramp up arms deliveries and keep sanctions in force.
In Norway, Zelensky said Ukrainian and US officials would meet in Saudi Arabia on Monday to build on US-led efforts to secure a speedy end to the Russian invasion, now grinding into its fourth year.
The Kremlin had earlier confirmed Russian officials would also hold talks with the US side in Saudi Arabia on the same day.
Power plants
Zelensky and Putin both held talks with Trump this week, and have indicated they are prepared to halt attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days.
But there has since been no let-up in fighting. Both countries reported a barrage of new drone strikes overnight, as questions remained about the exact details of any lasting peace deal.
Trump, who has spooked European and NATO allies by his overtures to Putin and lukewarm commitment to European security, suggested on Wednesday night the United States could take over and run Ukraine's power plants.
But on Thursday, Zelensky poured cold water on the idea, saying he could not legally negotiate ownership of the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
"If they want to take it back from the Russians, if they want to modernise it, invest -- this is a different question, this is an open question, we can talk about it," Zelensky added.
Putin has made an end to further Western military support for Ukraine a red line for Russia agreeing to a long-term truce.
Meanwhile, some 30 military leaders from countries keen to help secure any lasting ceasefire in Ukraine huddled at a military base near London.
Afterwards, Starmer reported progress had been made, saying the talks were focused on turning the "political intention" of security guarantees for Ukraine into "reality".
Quote:Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says she agrees with recent comments from Vice President JD Vance that mass migration into Europe is a major problem.
Frederiksen made the comment during an interview with Politico published Thursday, saying it is critical that Europe begin stemming the flow of foreign migrants.
"I consider this mass migration into Europe as a threat to the daily life in Europe," Frederiksen said in a throwback to Vance's Feb. 14 speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Frederiksen has backed up her rhetoric with policy as well, with her administration building on anti-migrant policies. Denmark now confiscates valuables from migrants to refund the cost of housing them, and the country's "No Ghetto" laws ensure no neighborhood has an outsized concentration of migrants, Politico reported.
"I totally believe in equal opportunities and a Scandinavian welfare model with a tax-paid education, social benefits and health care. But for me that’s only one traditional pillar of being a social democrat," she argued to Politico.
"Being in control of migration is the second pillar," she added.
Vance's speech in Munich served as a general wake-up call to Europe from President Donald Trump's administration, admonishing leaders across the continent for straying from traditional values and quashing dissent.
Quote:A court in France on Friday has sentenced Mehdi Nemmouche, a 39-year-old French jihadist indicted for allegedly holding four journalists hostage for the Islamic State group in war-torn Syria over a decade ago, to life in prison. Nemmouche is already in prison for killing four people at a Jewish museum in Brussels in May 2014.
A court in France ruled on Friday that 39-year-old French jihadist Mehdi Nemmouche, accused of holding journalists hostage in war torn Syria over a decade ago, is sentenced to life in prison.
Mehdi Nemmouche was indicted over allegedly holding the French reporters hostage for the Islamic State jihadist group from June 2013 to April 2014.
All four journalists during the trial said they clearly recognised Nemmouche's voice and manner of speech as belonging to a so-called Abu Omar who terrorised them and made sadistic jokes while they were in captivity.
But Nemmouche has denied ever being their jailer, only admitting in court he was an IS group fighter in Syria.
From the beginning of the trial last month, he has claimed only to have fought against the forces of former president Bashar al-Assad, who Islamists previously linked to al-Qaeda helped topple in December.
"It's through terrorism that the Syrian people freed themselves from dictatorship," he claimed on Friday morning ahead of the evening verdict.
"Yes I was a terrorist and I will never apologise for that."
Nemmouche has said he joined al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate and then IS group -- both listed as "terrorist" in the European Union -- while in the Middle Eastern country.
Clutching notes on Friday morning, he cited a range of figures from German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a diatribe criticising the "West", especially the United States.
Nemmouche is already in prison after a Belgian court jailed him for life in 2019 for killing four people at a Jewish museum in May 2014, after returning from Syria.
French prosecutors have now requested he be handed another life term with a minimum of 22 years without parole.
Quote:Russian drones killed three people and wounded 12 in the city of Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian officials said Saturday. The attack underlined Moscow's intention to pursue aerial attacks even as it agreed to temporarily halt strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities.
Russia launched a drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing three people and wounded 12, Ukrainian officials said Saturday, despite agreeing to a limited ceasefire.
Zaporizhzhia was hit by 12 drones, police said. Regional head Ivan Fedorov said that residential buildings, cars and communal buildings were set on fire in the Friday night attack. Photos showing emergency services scouring the rubble for survivors.
Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after US President Donald Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders, though it remains to be seen what possible targets would be off limits to attack.
The three sides appeared to hold starkly different views about what the deal covered. While the White House said “energy and infrastructure” would be part of the agreement, the Kremlin declared that the agreement referred more narrowly to “energy infrastructure.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would also like railways and ports to be protected.
The dead in Zaporizhzhia included three members of one family. The bodies of the daughter and father were pulled out from under the rubble while doctors unsuccessfully fought for the mother’s life for more than 10 hours, Fedorov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia fired a total of 179 drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday. It said 100 were intercepted and another 63 lost, likely having been electronically jammed.
Officials in the Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions also reported fires breaking out due to the falling debris from intercepted drones.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, said its air defense systems shot down 47 Ukrainian drones.
Zelensky told reporters after Wednesday’s call with Trump that Ukraine and U.S. negotiators will discuss technical details related to the partial ceasefire during a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Monday. Russian negotiators are also set to hold separate talks with U.S. officials there.
Quote:Equipped with wings to help them glide over dozens of kilometres, the bombs are part of an arsenal developed by Russia to let it hit deeper into Ukrainian territory and stretch the front line.
Maryna recalled to AFP just one of the recent strikes.
"Six people didn't get back up. There was blood everywhere," she said.
Overhead, the threat of a fresh attack is constant.
In a recent visit to the city, AFP reporters saw Russian planes flying over frequently and a dozen strikes in the area in less than half an hour.
Each drop triggered a blast, seeming to unfold in slow motion, followed by a high column of black smoke.
Kostyantynivka used to be relatively sheltered, lying a dozen kilometres (7 miles) from the front line.
But Russian forces are now pounding the city with the cheaply made bombs.
Usually made from Soviet stocks and modernised with satellite control systems, each can carry up to a tonne of explosives.
The glide bombs themselves are mostly impossible to intercept for the Ukrainian airforce, whose only option is to try to shoot down the planes.
Throughout the three-year war, Russia has used them to devastating effect -- razing cities like Chasiv Yar to the ground and obliterating Ukrainian defensive positions across the front line.
Quote:Nadim Khmaladze has been joining thousands of fellow Georgians on the streets every evening since November, when Tbilisi's increasingly repressive government shelved EU membership talks.
The 60-year-old rights activist said he was "ready to face police violence" when he first joined the anti-government rallies in Tbilisi, but he never imagined that standing on the street for a few hours could cost him more than 22 months' salary.
Three months into the protests, he received a summons: a total of 45,000 lari (around $16,000) in fines for briefly blocking traffic along Tbilisi's central avenue.
"The government is using Russian-style methods to abolish freedom of assembly in Georgia," he told AFP.
Khmaladze is one of thousands of Georgian protesters facing crippling fines for taking to the streets.
Prominent writer Mikheil Tsikhelashvili, who returned to Georgia last year from emigration in Portugal to fight against the ruling Georgian Dream party's "pro-Russian policies," has been attending protests daily.
He says he and his girlfriend were each fined the equivalent of $1,850, in what he called a "financial terror aimed at extinguishing popular anger."
"I took the case to court," he said, adding however that he had "little hope in Georgia's justice system, which is fully controlled by the ruling party."
Unprecedented protests
Braving bitter frost, protesters continue to rally daily in Tbilisi and cities across the Black Sea nation, in what has become an unprecedented protest movement against Georgian Dream's perceived democratic backsliding and growing rapprochement with Moscow.
The mass protests first erupted following disputed parliamentary elections in October, which the opposition rejected as rigged in favour of Georgian Dream.
Quote:London Heathrow Airport said it was “fully operational” on Saturday, after an almost daylong closure sparked by an electrical substation fire. But airlines warned that severe disruption will last for days as they scramble to relocate planes and crews and get travelers to their destinations.
Inconvenienced passengers, angry airlines and concerned politicians sought answers about how one seemingly accidental fire could shut down Europe’s busiest air hub.
“We have hundreds of additional colleagues on hand in our terminals and we have added flights to today’s schedule to facilitate an extra 10,000 passengers traveling through the airport,” Heathrow said in a statement. “Passengers traveling today should check with their airline for the latest information regarding their flight.”
British Airways, Heathrow’s biggest airline, said it expects to operate about 85% of its scheduled flights at the airport on Saturday.
More than 1,300 flights were canceled and some 200,000 people stranded Friday after an overnight fire at a substation 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away from the airport cut power to Heathrow, and to more than 60,000 properties.
Residents in west London described hearing a large explosion and then seeing a fireball and clouds of smoke when the blaze ripped through the substation. The fire was brought under control after seven hours, but the airport was shut for almost 18. A handful of flights took off and landed late Friday.
Police said they do not consider the fire suspicious, and the London Fire Brigade said its investigation would focus on the electrical distribution equipment at the substation.
Britain's government commissioned the national energy system operator, Ofgem, to urgently investigate the power outage. "We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned," Energy Minister Ed Miliband said in a statement.
The huge impact of the fire left authorities facing criticism that Britain’s creaking infrastructure is ill-prepared to deal with disasters or attacks.
Quote:The oil tanker 'Eventin', believed to be part of Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions, was already towed into safer waters by a German tugboat in January after it was discovered adrift in heavy seas off the Baltic coast.
German customs authorities have seized the Panama-flagged tanker 'Eventin', which has been anchored off Germany's Baltic Sea coast since January.
The ship is believed to be part of Russia's so called 'shadow fleet' of aging tankers of uncertain ownership and safety practices that Western governments say Moscow has resorted to using to dodge sanctions and keep oil revenue flowing.
Security sources told German news magazine Der Spiegel that a confiscation order was issued by the General Customs Directorate and that both the tanker and the approximately 100,000 tons of crude oil, valued at over €40 million, will now become German property.
According to the report, the German government decided to confiscate the ship rather than let it go after it was listed as part of Russia's shadow fleet in February.
It added that the government and Foreign Ministry believe this approach is intended to send a signal to Russia that Germany will not stand by as Russian oil transits through the Baltic Sea.
Evading international oil sanctions
The shadow fleet is made up of aging tankers bought used, often by non-transparent entities with addresses in non-sanctioning countries such as the United Arab Emirates or the Marshall Islands, and flagged in places like Gabon or the Cook Islands.
The new owners use new insurers in Russia or other non-Western locations.
Some of the vessels are owned by the Russian state Sovcomflot shipping company. Their role is to help Russia's oil exporters elude the $60 per barrel price cap imposed by Ukraine's allies.
The cap is aimed at limiting Russia's profits while keeping the oil flowing to global markets and avoiding an energy crunch that would drive up gasoline prices and inflation.
Estimates vary, but S&P Global and the Kyiv School of Economics Institute have put the number at over 400 ships that can transport oil, or products made from crude such as diesel fuel and gasoline.
Quote:Former minister of defence and deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak have been charged after leaking government plans in the case of a Russian invasion.
Poland's former defence minister has been charged by prosecutors after publishing government contingency plans in the case of a Russian invasion.
Mariusz Blaszczak, who served in the conservative Law and Justice party that held power between 2015 and 2023, revealed in 2023 a military defence plan that had been drawn up in 2011 in the case of a Russian invasion.
That document laid out plans for Polish forces to retreat westward to the Vistula River in the case of an attack from the east.
Prosecutors allege Blaszczak exceeded his powers by publishing the information, which they say was classified.
Blaszczak was read the charges by Polish prosecutors in Warsaw on Friday, but told reporters he believed the allegations were unfounded.
He wrote on X that the prosecutor’s office was to "bring charges against me for declassifying the plan of the first Tusk government to give up half of Poland without a fight."
"I would do it again without hesitation. I had not only the right, but also the duty," he said.
Speaking to reporters, Blaszczak said he would explain to the prosecutor that he had an obligation to reveal the information.
The charges against Blaszcak are the latest in a string of legal troubles for members of the Law and Justice.
Former MP Dariusz Matecki was arrested last week on corruption charges and former deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski was granted political asylum in Hungary after being accused of defrauding the state.
Quote:In the municipality of Mejorada del Campo near Madrid 48 people were evacuated after storm Martinho brought heavy rains.
Spain continues to be hit by rainstorms, with the latest one, called Martinho, causing some cities to declare a state of emergency and evacuate their inhabitants.
Dozens of roads have been closed, and rivers have been seen overflowing in large areas of central and northern Spain.
In the city of Ávila in central Spain, a state of emergency was declared due to flooding after the Adaja and Chico rivers overflowed.
In Madrid, several roads have been closed as the alert remains in place due to the flooding of the Manzanares River. Meanwhile, the municipality of Mejorada del Campo had to evacuate 48 people due to the flooding of the Jarama and Henares rivers.
Meanwhile, in the southern Andalusia region, police are still searching for a motorcyclist who disappeared four days ago.
Footage from the Guardia Civil police force showed officers wading through a river near the town of Pujerra in search of the missing man.
Spain has faced a severe drought in recent years, however in the past two weeks steady rainfall, especially in the south has overwhelmed reservoirs and riverbanks.
In Madrid, officials are releasing water from the El Pardo reservoir to prevent flooding.
In Toledo, emergency crews have set up flood barriers around a hospital for paraplegic patients as the Tagus River continues to rise. Authorities say they are ready to evacuate residents if needed.
Quote:Right-wing extremists aimed to march through Berlin's district of Friedrichshain. However, they didn't get very far as counter-protests blocked the way.
A right-wing extremist demonstration in Berlin's Friedrichshain district was ended prematurely on Saturday after about four hours in the face of numerous counter-protests.
Participants in the neo-Nazi march got little further than their arrival point at the German capital's eastern Ostkreuz train station.
The leader of the rally ended it prematurely, police reported said on X.
What do we know about the march?
Police said they deployed around 1,500 officers — including reinforcements from Bavaria and Bremen — to separate the marchers and counter-protesters.
Around 850 people, significantly more than at recent demonstrations, participated in the march, according to police. A nationwide mobilization was organized under the title "For Law and Order. Against Left-Wing Extremism and Politically Motivated Violence."
The organizer had previously estimated 1,200 participants. Meanwhile, several thousand people loudly protested against the neo-Nazi demonstration. The police reported that significantly more than 2,000, but less than 5,000 people had taken part.
According to police, there were 15 counter-protests along the planned march route in Friedrichshain, with hundreds of people blocking the street in some cases.
What do we know about the arrests?
Police reported repeated scuffles, with the atmosphere heated at times.
According to a police spokeswoman, demonstrators from the left-wing camp attempted to break through a barrier. Officers also used pepper spray for this reason. Some people were temporarily arrested.
Police said there had been around 100 arrests, saying they would provide further details on Sunday. Several were reportedly detained for not complying with a ban on wearing masks.
Three participants were legally prevented from attending the neo-Nazi march, police spokesperson Florian Nath announced on the social media platform X. A judge had confirmed a so-called preventive detention order.
The people concerned had previously been arrested for displaying symbols of unconstitutional organizations including one man who had given a Hitler salute.
It was the third demonstration by right-wing extremists since December under the same title: "For law and order. Against left-wing extremism and politically motivated violence."
Some 150 neo-Nazis took part in last month's march, police said, while there were about 60 participants at the first event in December.
MIDDLE EAST
Quote:A Turkish court jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Sunday pending trial, state media and other broadcasters said, in a decision likely to fuel the country's biggest protests in more than a decade. His imprisonment is widely considered a political move to remove a significant contender from the next presidential race, currently scheduled for 2028.
A court formally arrested the mayor of Istanbul and key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday and ordered him jailed pending the outcome of a trial on corruption charges.
Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained following a raid on his residence earlier this week, sparking the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkey in more than a decade. It also deepened concerns over democracy and rule of law in Turkey.
His imprisonment is widely regarded as a political move to remove a major contender from the next presidential race, currently scheduled for 2028.
Government officials reject accusations that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated and insist that Turkey’s courts operate independently.
The formal arrest came as his opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, began holding a primary presidential election to endorse Imamoglu as its presidential candidate despite the arrest.
The party has also set up symbolic ballot boxes nationwide — called “solidarity boxes” — to allow people who are not party members to express their support to the mayor.
The mayor’s arrest marks an escalation of a government crackdown on opposition figures and dissenting voices.
Before his detention, Imamoglu had already faced multiple criminal cases that could result in prison sentences and a political ban. He was also appealing a 2022 conviction for insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council.
Earlier in the week, a university nullified his diploma, citing alleged irregularities in his transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus some 30 years ago. The decision effectively bars him from running for president, since the position requires candidates to be university graduates. Imamoglu had vowed to challenge the decision.
Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkey’s largest city in March 2019, in a major blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. Erdogan’s party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.
The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won.
The mayor retained his seat following local elections last year, during which the CHP made significant gains against Erdogan’s governing party.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
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My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
