Danish far-right leader banned from UK over threat to burn Quran

A Danish far-right politician has been barred from the UK after threatening to burn a copy of the Quran in Wakefield. Security minister Tom Tugendhat said Rasmus Paludan, founder of the anti-Islam party Stram Kurs, had been added to the UK’s immigration watchlist. Mr Paludan had said he planned to burn the religious text in a public square in the West Yorkshire city this week. It comes after four pupils at a Wakefield school were suspended over damage to a copy of the Quran. In a video posted to Twitter on Sunday, Mr Paludan said he would travel to the city … Continue reading Danish far-right leader banned from UK over threat to burn Quran

Three men found guilty of killing US rapper XXXTentacion in 2018

Three men accused of killing 20-year-old rapper XXXTentacion during a 2018 ambush robbery have been found guilty. A Florida jury convicted Michael Boatwright, 27, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24 on Monday after deliberating for more than a week. All three were charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of the controversial rapper. Another man, Robert Allen, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder. The three face a possible sentence of life behind bars. Rapper XXXTentacion, real name Jahseh Onfroy, was shot and killed in broad daylight in Florida in June 2018. He was visiting a motorcycle … Continue reading Three men found guilty of killing US rapper XXXTentacion in 2018

EU gives Ukraine €2bn of ammunition after shell plea

More than a dozen European Union member states have agreed to supply Ukraine with at least one million artillery shells over the next year. The plan, worth €2bn in total, was agreed in Brussels on Monday. Ukraine had told the EU it needed 350,000 shells a month to hold back advancing Russian troops and launch a counter-offensive this year. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hailed the “game-changing decision” from the EU. “Exactly what is needed,” he wrote on twitter. “Urgent delivery and sustainable joint procurement.” The deal comes as Russia grows concerned at a Ukrainian counter-offensive near Bakhmut or in southern … Continue reading EU gives Ukraine €2bn of ammunition after shell plea

Two banks with connections to convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein to face sex trafficking case

Two banks connected with the late Jeffrey Epstein will face lawsuits over claims they enabled his sex trafficking, a US court has ruled. Two women who say the financier sexually abused them brought the case against JP Morgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. Judge Jed Rakoff also gave the go-ahead to a case against JP Morgan from the US Virgin Islands. The banks deny being aware of Epstein’s abuses. In a four-page order Judge Rakoff wrote that the women and Virgin Islands government could try to make the case the banks had “knowingly benefited from participating in a sex trafficking venture”. … Continue reading Two banks with connections to convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein to face sex trafficking case

Saad Ibrahim Almadi: Saudi Arabia releases US man jailed over tweets

Saudi Arabia has released a US citizen from prison more than a year on from his conviction over tweets critical of the government. Saad Ibrahim Almadi, 72, who also has Saudi citizenship, was arrested in November 2021 when he arrived in Riyadh to visit his family. He was sentenced last year to 16 years in prison for tweets he posted while in the US. Neither the US nor Saudi authorities have commented on Mr Almadi’s release. His son, Ibrahim, confirmed his father was at a family residence in Riyadh but it was not clear when he might return to his … Continue reading Saad Ibrahim Almadi: Saudi Arabia releases US man jailed over tweets

Update: Investor fears appear to ease as UK and US share prices rise

Fears in financial markets appeared to ease, a day after regulators agreed a rescue deal for troubled lending giant Credit Suisse. The bank was bought by rival UBS on Sunday after regulators worked around the clock to secure the takeover. Along with the collapse of two smaller US banks, its struggles had sparked fears over the global financial system. Hope that the deal would help contain the crisis helped lift shares in Europe and the US. London’s FTSE 100 closed up roughly 0.9%, recovering ground after early losses. Major indexes in Europe also ended higher, with UBS climbing roughly 1.5% … Continue reading Update: Investor fears appear to ease as UK and US share prices rise

US police forces on alert ahead of possible Trump arrest

Police in major US cities are preparing for potential unrest in case ex-President Donald Trump is arrested this week as part of a hush-money inquiry. Authorities in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles are ramping up their law enforcement presence. A Manhattan prosecutor may charge Mr Trump over claims that he paid a porn star to keep quiet about the affair they allegedly had. It would be the first criminal case brought against a former US president. Steel barricades were being erected on Monday outside the Manhattan Criminal Court, where Mr Trump could be charged, fingerprinted and photographed if … Continue reading US police forces on alert ahead of possible Trump arrest

Chinese regulator accuses chip tycoon of corruption

China’s anti-fraud watchdog has accused chip tycoon Zhao Weiguo of corruption, in the latest sign of trouble faced by the country’s semiconductor industry. Mr Zhao is the former chairman of computer chipmaker Tsinghua Unigroup. Key players in the sector were investigated for corruption last year after the government poured billions of dollars into projects which stalled or failed. In a statement, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection alleges that Mr Zhao “took the state-owned company he managed as his private fiefdom.” The regulator says he handed profitable businesses to his relatives and friends, and purchased goods and services from companies managed … Continue reading Chinese regulator accuses chip tycoon of corruption

Rupert Murdoch set to marry for fifth time at 92

Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has announced his engagement to his partner Ann Lesley Smith, a former police chaplain. Mr Murdoch, 92, and Ms Smith, 66, met in September at an event at his vineyard in California. The businessman told the New York Post, one of his own publications: “I dreaded falling in love – but I knew this would be my last. It better be. I’m happy.” He split with fourth wife Jerry Hall last year. Mr Murdoch added that he proposed to Ms Smith on St Patrick’s Day, noting that he was “one fourth Irish” and had been “very … Continue reading Rupert Murdoch set to marry for fifth time at 92

Sri Lanka secures $3bn IMF bailout amid struggling economy

Sri Lanka has secured a $3bn bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it faces its worst economic crisis since independence. The deal has been nearly a year in the making and a lifeline for the country that has billions of dollars in loans. Foreign minister Ali Sabry told the BBC the government will raise funds by restructuring state-owned enterprises and privatising the national airline. However, analysts warned Sri Lanka still faces a tough road ahead. The country’s economy has been hit hard by the pandemic, rising energy prices, populist tax cuts and inflation of more than 50%. A … Continue reading Sri Lanka secures $3bn IMF bailout amid struggling economy

6.7 magnitude earthquake kills at least 15 people in Ecuador

At least 15 people have died and more than 400 are injured after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador’s southern coast. Buildings were damaged in several cities when the earthquake hit at around midday. The southern province of El Oro was the worst affected and 12 people died there, authorities said. Northern Peru felt the quake and a 14-year-old girl died in Tumbes, a border province, when her home collapsed. In Ecuador, Machala and Cuenca were among the cities that suffered damage to buildings and vehicles, as emergency services rushed to help people. The epicentre was near Balao, about 80km (50 … Continue reading 6.7 magnitude earthquake kills at least 15 people in Ecuador

Australian former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz held over alleged war crime in Afghanistan

A former Australian SAS soldier has been charged with murder, following an investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. Oliver Schulz, 41, is the first Australian serviceman or veteran to be charged with a war crime under Australian law. The offence carries a maximum sentence of life in jail. He was arrested on Monday in regional New South Wales (NSW), and will face a court on Tuesday. The Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) says Mr Schulz is the person referred to as Soldier C in a 2020 ABC Four Corners documentary exposing alleged war crimes. Footage showed Soldier C shooting an … Continue reading Australian former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz held over alleged war crime in Afghanistan