A man has gone on trial in London, accused of plotting to kill a Pakistani blogger living in the Netherlands. A court heard that 31-year-old Muhammad Gohir Khan was hired as a “hitman” by figures said to be based in Pakistan. He was arrested last June and pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to murder. Lawyers said the intended victim, Ahmad Waqass Goraya, had set up a blog on Facebook making fun of the Pakistani military and detailing alleged human rights violations. Kingston Crown Court heard that Mr Goraya, who was living in Rotterdam at the time, “was known for speaking … Continue reading Man on trial over plot to kill Pakistani activist

An Italian mafia boss who has been on the run for decades has been arrested after he was spotted on Google Maps. Gioacchino Gammino, 61, was found in Galapagar, Spain, where he was living under the name Manuel. A Google Street View shot showing a man resembling Gammino standing in front of a grocery shop was key to tracking the fugitive, investigators say. Gammino escaped a Rome prison in 2002 and was sentenced to life in jail the following year for murder. He was a member of a Sicilian mafia group known as Stidda and was one of Italy’s most … Continue reading LOL: Italian mafia boss caught after Google Maps sighting in Spain

A man has been arrested after a large fire severely damaged the Houses of Parliament in the South African city of Cape Town. A police spokesperson said the man was facing charges of arson, housebreaking and theft, and would appear in court on Tuesday. Firefighters have been working for hours to extinguish the blaze. President Cyril Ramaphosa called it a “terrible and devastating event”, as he vowed parliament’s work would continue. Footage from the scene on Sunday showed a plume of black smoke filling the sky, with huge flames coming out from the roof of the building. The parliament is … Continue reading Update: Man arrested over massive fire at South African parliament

Ghislaine Maxwell has been found guilty of recruiting and trafficking young girls to be sexually abused by the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein. The 60-year-old was found guilty on five of the six counts she faced – including the most serious charge, that of sex trafficking a minor. The verdict was reached after five full days of deliberation by a 12-person jury in New York. It means the British socialite could spend the rest of her life behind bars. Maxwell showed no visible sign of emotion as the verdict was read out on Wednesday, only pouring herself a glass of … Continue reading Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of helping Jeffrey Epstein abuse girls

A US congresswoman has had her car and possessions snatched from her at gunpoint in a daylight carjacking in the city of Philadelphia. Mary Gay Scanlon’s government phone and ID were among belongings that the two robbers took. The Democrat was not injured, her office said. The FBI is assisting in the hunt for the attackers. Like many US cities, Philadelphia has seen an uptick in violent crime over the past year. In a statement, the city’s Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, called the robbery, which occurred at 14:45 local time (19:45 GMT) on Wednesday, “appalling”. The two male attackers … Continue reading No Brotherly Love: Philadelphia congresswoman carjacked at gunpoint in broad daylight

A son of Panama’s former president, Ricardo Martinelli, pleaded guilty Tuesday in New York to laundering $28 million in connection with a massive bribery scheme involving a global construction conglomerate. Ricardo Martinelli Linares, 42, was extradited to the U.S. last week from Guatemala in a case involving the Brazil-based company Odebrecht S.A. Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares (left) Odebrecht’s scheme involved the payment of more than $700 million in bribes to government officials, public servants, political parties and others in Panama and other countries. The company pleaded guilty in 2016 to conspiracy to violate anti-bribery provisions of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt … Continue reading Son of Panama ex-president pleads guilty to money laundering

Toronto police have asked for the public’s help in identifying a suspect in the high-profile murders of a Canadian billionaire and his wife. Barry Sherman, 75, and Honey Sherman, 70, were found strangled in their Toronto home in December 2017. Police released a short clip of an individual walking near the Sherman’s home on the night they were killed. This is the only person captured on footage nearby that day who police have been unable to identify. On Tuesday, the lead detective in the investigation, Sgt Brandon Price, said the individual entered a “well-defined area, tight around the Sherman property” … Continue reading Toronto police release video of ‘suspect’ in billionaires’ 2017 murders

Indian police say they have foiled a plot by a man who tried to fake his own death to avoid being returned to jail. Officers in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh say Sudesh Kumar, 36, murdered a man and tried to pass the body off as his own with the aid of his wife. But police found CCTV footage of him carrying the body on a bike. Kumar was reportedly released on parole during the Covid-19 pandemic after being charged with the murder of his 13-year-old daughter in 2018. Some Indian states have paroled some detainees in an attempt … Continue reading Indian police ‘foil man’s attempt to fake death’

French prosecutors have released a Saudi man held in connection with Jamal Khashoggi’s murder after concluding he was a victim of mistaken identity. Khaled Alotaibi, 33, was arrested at an airport in Paris on Tuesday on the basis of a warrant issued by Turkey. A Saudi Royal Guard with the same name and age is listed in US sanctions as a suspect in the 2018 killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Khashoggi, a US-based Saudi journalist, was a critic of the Saudi government. Saudi prosecutors said he was killed in a “rogue operation” by a team of agents … Continue reading Update: France releases Saudi man held over journalist’s murder in mistaken identity

A New Zealand man has been sentenced to life in jail for the murder of a policeman that horrified the nation last year. Constable Matthew Hunt, 28, was killed in June 2020 when he and his partner approached gang member Eli Epiha after he crashed his car in Auckland. Epiha, who had been speeding away from traffic police, opened fire as the officers approached to help. He shot and injured the other policeman before gunning down Constable Hunt. The officers were unarmed at the time. The murder of Constable Hunt marked the first time a New Zealand officer had died … Continue reading Killer of New Zealand policeman sentenced to life in jail

A Saudi man suspected of involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been arrested in France, police say. Khaled Aedh Alotaibi was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on Tuesday, a police source said. He is believed to be one of 26 Saudis wanted by Turkey over the killing. A Saudi official later said the arrest was a case of mistaken identity, and that those involved in the murder had been convicted in Saudi Arabia. Mr Alotaibi, a 33-year-old former Saudi royal guard, was travelling under his own name and was placed in judicial detention, RTL … Continue reading Suspect in murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi arrested in Paris

Australian serial conman Peter Foster has been arrested, six months after he failed to appear in a Sydney court over an alleged Bitcoin fraud. Mr Foster, 59, is accused of defrauding a Hong Kong man of A$1.7m (£900,000; $1,2m) in the cryptocurrency. Last year he was arrested in Queensland and extradited to New South Wales, where he allegedly went on the run after being given bail. He was arrested in the state of Victoria on Tuesday. Mr Foster is accused of posing as a man called William “Bill” Dawson as part of an online scam. Police have alleged he received … Continue reading Career Conman: Peter Foster arrested after manhunt in Australia