News of the World
7 hours ago
USA
Quote:The US government is seeking the death penalty for the suspect charged with killing two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington DC last year.
US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Friday filed a notice of intent to seek capital punishment for three out of 13 total charges against 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez.
Prosecutors allege Rodriguez opened fire on the couple - Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26 - outside the Capital Jewish Museum before shouting "Free Palestine" during his arrest in May 2025.
President Donald Trump has embraced the federal death penalty after his predecessor Joe Biden limited its use. Rodriguez has pleaded not guilty.
Pirro's office will seek death if Rodriguez is found guilty of the charges of murder of a foreign official, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.
The suspect has also been charged with other offences including hate crimes and acts of terrorism.
"My office will not rest in our efforts to hold Elias Rodriguez accountable for this horrific, and targeted act of terror against Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Milgrim and our Jewish community," Pirro said earlier this year.
Prosecutors allege that ahead of the shooting, Rodriguez expressed support for violence against Israelis, including in social media posts where he allegedly wrote "Death to Israel".
Prosecutors have said he travelled from Chicago to Washington with a handgun after researching an upcoming networking event for young Jewish professionals at the museum.
Lischinsky and Milgrim were leaving when the suspect fired 20 shots, killing them both, prosecutors allege. They were in a relationship and Lischinsky had bought an engagement ring, planning to propose to Milgrim on an upcoming trip to Israel, Israel's ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, has previously said.
After the shooting, Rodriguez then allegedly entered the museum, displayed a red keffiyeh, and said: "I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza."
Quote:A US official has struck down security funding allotted for President Trump's White House ballroom project from a proposed spending package, in a win for Democrats.
The Senate rule-keeper ruled against the use of taxpayer funds in the bill on Saturday, after Democrats argued that security money doesn't belong in it.
Trump has said private donors will fund the $400mn ballroom as Republicans have sought to use a portion of $1bn in taxpayer funds for Secret Service security upgrades.
Republicans are seeking the funds to bolster presidential safety following a shooting at a gala Trump attended in April at a hotel. The administration also tried to fast-track the project after the incident.
Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate, have used complex budget rules - known as the budget reconciliation process - to try to pass bills without Democratic support.
Their latest sprawling package to fund immigration agencies under the Department of Homeland Security also includes a $1bn provision for security funds dedicated to the overhaul of the East Wing of the White House, which includes Trump's plans for the ballroom.
Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who has acted as a referee in the upper chamber of US Congress since 2012, deemed the provision out of order on Saturday, Democrats said.
She determined that the provision funds activities beyond the jurisdiction of the Senate Judiciary Committee and does not comply with a procedure that prevents extraneous non-budgetary provisions, known as the Byrd rule.
Emphasis is mine.
Quote:A judge has declared a mistrial in the rape case against Harvey Weinstein, after the jury in New York said it was deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict.
It marks the third time a New York jury has considered the case against the 74-year-old disgraced film mogul, who remains jailed on other charges.
The month-long trial was centred around whether Weinstein raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann more than a decade ago. He was initially convicted, but the verdict was overturned. A judge declared a mistrial after a second trial last year.
Dozens of women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, including rape, since October 2017. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that prosecutors are currently determining whether to try again in court.
"While we are disappointed that the proceedings ended with a mistrial, we deeply respect the jury system and sincerely thank all of the jurors for their time and dedication," he said.
He thanked Mann for bringing her allegation against Weinstein, adding: "We will consider our next steps in consultation with Ms Mann, and in consideration of Harvey Weinstein's pending sentencing" in a separate sexual assault case.
"As always, we will continue to prosecute crimes of sexual violence – no matter who the defendant is – in a survivor-centered manner that uplifts their voices in the pursuit of justice."
Lawyers for Weinstein said the outcome shows "how deeply public perception and prejudice surrounding Harvey Weinstein have become embedded in society".
"For some people, regardless of the evidence presented, saying 'not guilty' has become emotionally or socially impossible," they argued.
"The Manhattan District Attorney's Office should stop retrying the same case and focus its time and resources on the actual violent crime, chaos, and public safety issues impacting New Yorkers every day," the statement from his lawyers continued.
CUBA
Quote:The US justice department is reportedly preparing to indict aging Cuban leader Raúl Castro in the coming days over the shooting down of two aircraft three decades ago.
The reported charges, which would need to be approved by a US grand jury, emerged as the director of the CIA travelled to Cuba to meet officials in Havana.
Castro, 94, stepped down as Cuban Communist Party leader in 2021, ending his family's more than half a century in power. He led the country for 15 years, stepping in after his brother, Fidel, resigned.
The potential indictment is the latest move in a US pressure campaign that has included an oil blockade and widespread sanctions.
The charges are said to centre on the 1996 downing of two planes operated by the US activist-humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
Unnamed US Department of Justice (DoJ) officials told US media the indictment could come as soon as next Wednesday.
Asked on Friday about the reported indictment plan, President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One: "I'll let DoJ comment on it."
He added: "But [Cubans] need help, as you know. And you talk about a declining country. They are really a nation, a country in decline."
Trump has issued an oil blockade against Cuba, which has exacerbated fuel shortages. This week the island's energy minister acknowledged that Cuba has, in essence, run out of fuel oil.
Potential charges against Raúl Castro were unclear, but officials said the investigation centred on an attack on two small planes, which happened on 24 February 1996 while Fidel was president and Raúl was armed forces minister.
Four people aboard were killed in the incident.
UNITED KINGDOM
Quote:Police officers responsible for protecting the Royal Family at Windsor Castle are being investigated over allegations they fell asleep on duty and left their posts unattended.
The Metropolitan Police said its directorate of professional standards (DPS) had launched an "urgent investigation" into a number of officers on protective duties at the castle in Berkshire.
The allegations were first reported by The Sun and involve officers from the Met's Royalty and Specialist Protection team.
The Met said: "The alleged behaviour falls below the high standards expected of officers, particularly in frontline protective roles."
The DPS will assess whether those under investigation should be placed on restricted duties, with a decision expected "before the end of next week".
The force said the Independent Office for Police Conduct had been informed and concluded the matter would be investigated locally by the Met.
Windsor Castle is one of the official residences of King Charles III and is regularly used by senior members of the Royal Family for private and state occasions.
Officers from the Met's Royalty and Specialist Protection team are responsible for guarding royal residences and protecting members of the Royal Family.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
TAIWAN
Quote:US President Donald Trump has cautioned Taiwan against formally declaring independence from China.
"I'm not looking to have somebody go independent," the US president told Fox News on Friday, at the end of his two-day summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has previously stated that Taiwan does not need to declare formal independence because it already sees itself as a sovereign nation.
The US has long supported Taiwan, including being bound by law to provide it with a means of self-defence, but has frequently had to square this alliance with maintaining a diplomatic relationship with China.
Trump earlier said he had "made no commitment either way" about the self-governing island - which China claims as part of its territory and has not ruled out taking by force.
Washington's established position is that it does not support Taiwanese independence, with continued ties with Beijing being contingent on its acceptance that there is only one Chinese government.
Beijing has been vocal in its dislike of Taiwan's president, who it has previously described as a "troublemaker" and a "destroyer of cross-strait peace".
Many Taiwanese consider themselves to be part of a separate nation - though most are in favour of maintaining the status quo in which Taiwan neither declares independence from China nor unites with it.
Quote:Taiwan has insisted it is a sovereign, independent nation, after US President Donald Trump cautioned it against formally declaring independence from China.
Trump's remarks came after a two-day summit in Beijing, after which he said he had "made no commitment either way" about the self-governing island - which China claims as part of its territory and has not ruled out taking by force.
After talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump also said he would soon decide whether to approve an $11bn ($8bn) package of weapons to be sold to Taiwan.
The US administration is bound by law to provide Taiwan with a means of self-defence, but has frequently had to square this alliance with maintaining a diplomatic relationship with China.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has previously stated that Taiwan does not need to declare formal independence because it already sees itself as a sovereign nation.
On Saturday, presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said it was "self-evident" that Taiwan was "a sovereign, independent democratic country".
She added, however, that Taiwan was committed to maintaining the status quo with China - in which Taiwan neither declares independence from China nor unites with it.
Many Taiwanese consider themselves to be part of a separate nation, though most are in favour of maintaining their current status.
MIDDLE EAST
Quote:A Hamas official has confirmed to the BBC that Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, commander of the group's armed wing, was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Friday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that Haddad had been "responsible for the murder, kidnapping and injury of thousands of Israeli civilians and IDF [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers".
Israel described him as "one of the architects of the October 7 massacre".
The strike is the latest launched by Israel on Gaza despite a ceasefire with Hamas.
Three eyewitnesses told the BBC that a residential building known as Al-Mu'taz was struck by three missiles launched simultaneously from two separate directions, before a fleeing car was hit.
The air strike, targeting the apartment block in the centre of Gaza City, sparked a large fire.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene but faced significant difficulties evacuating the wounded, witnesses said.
One eyewitness told the BBC that a body and several injured people had been removed from the building.
A second air strike, targeting a car seen leaving the scene, killed three people, according to eyewitnesses and a local source.
Sources said the vehicle may have been carrying Haddad after he had been seriously injured in the initial strike.
Eyewitnesses and a local source said armed members of Hamas dressed in civilian clothing evacuated a severely wounded person through a side entrance and placed him in a vehicle.
Witnesses said the car was hit around 1.5km (0.9 miles) from the apartment block.
A senior Israeli security official said preliminary information indicated that Haddad had been successfully targeted.
Quote:The United Arab Emirates said a drone strike had triggered a fire near its nuclear power station on Sunday, calling the incident a "dangerous escalation".
Officials are investigating the source of the strike. The country's defence ministry said three drones had entered the UAE from the "western border direction".
While two were intercepted, the third drone struck an electrical generator "outside the inner perimeter" of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, sparking a fire.
No injuries were reported and there was no impact on radiological safety levels, local authorities said.
The UAE's foreign ministry called the strike an "unacceptable act of aggression" and said it had the right to respond to any hostilities.
It added that "the targeting of peaceful nuclear energy facilities is a flagrant violation of international law, the UN charter, and the principles of humanitarian law".
The country's defence ministry meanwhile said it would "firmly confront any attempts to undermine the country's security".
Officials have not said from where the drone was launched. The UAE has previously accused Iran of being behind attacks on its energy and economic infrastructure since war broke out in the region in February.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office said the fire "broke out in an electric generator" and confirmed precautionary measures had been taken at the plant, which is operating as normal.
The UN's nuclear watchdog said it was monitoring the situation closely and that its director general Rafael Grossi expressed "grave concern" about the incident.
Grossi said "military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable", according to a statement shared by the International Atomic Energy Agency on X, and called for "maximum military restraint".
Also on Sunday, Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said it had intercepted and destroyed three drones which had entered its airspace from Iraq.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
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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
