In a landmark ruling, a German court has sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment for committing crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, during Syria’s brutal civil war. The case marks one of the most significant applications of the international legal principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing prosecution for war crimes committed abroad. Dr. Alaa Mousa, 40, was found guilty by Frankfurt’s higher regional court of two counts of murder and eight counts of severe torture while serving as a junior doctor in military hospitals and intelligence prisons in the Syrian cities of Homs and Damascus between 2011 and 2012.…
Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso
French President Emmanuel Macron has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s threats to forcibly annex Greenland, during a landmark six-hour visit that made him the first foreign head of state to set foot on the territory since the US president began issuing provocative statements about taking control of the Arctic island. “I don’t think that’s what allies do,” Macron said upon arriving in the Danish autonomous territory, a visit described by the Élysée Palace as “a signal in itself”. His trip, made en route to the G7 summit in Canada, was framed as a demonstration of “France’s and the EU’s solidarity” with…
Israel has launched major attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure and defence ministry for a third consecutive day.
China is considering lifting the sanctions it imposed on a group of UK parliamentarians and other individuals in 2021, in what appears to be the latest sign of warming diplomatic relations between Beijing and London.
As tanks rumbled through the streets of Washington on Saturday in a show of military might, millions of Americans across all 50 states staged mass demonstrations against what organisers described as the authoritarian excesses of Donald Trump’s administration. The nationwide protests, branded “No Kings”, took place at around 2,100 locations, from major cities to rural communities. The demonstrations were spearheaded by a coalition of more than 100 groups committed to nonviolent resistance, in stark contrast to the heavily militarised response seen in several Republican-led states. Interest in the protest surged following Trump’s deployment of US Marines and National Guard troops…
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been officially stripped of the Legion of Honour, the nation’s highest distinction, following the confirmation of his corruption conviction last year.
A British man has been confirmed as the sole survivor of the devastating Air India Flight AI171 crash, which killed 290 people after the jet went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. The Boeing aircraft, en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members when it reportedly lost control seconds after departure and crashed into a nearby building, a hostel housing medical professionals. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Air India confirmed the tragedy and noted that a single passenger had miraculously survived. The airline described him only as…
A Russian researcher at Harvard Medical School was released from federal custody Thursday after spending nearly four months behind bars on a biological smuggling charge. Kseniia Petrova, a scientist at Harvard’s Kirschner Lab, was arrested in February at Boston’s Logan International Airport after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents allegedly discovered undeclared frog embryos and other embryonic samples in her luggage upon arrival from Paris. The Justice Department said Petrova initially denied possessing any biological materials but later admitted to carrying the samples. Prosecutors cited text messages from a colleague suggesting she had been advised to declare the materials before…
Japan has issued a stern warning to China after a near collision between a Chinese fighter jet and a Japanese patrol plane over the Pacific Ocean, calling the encounter “seriously concerning” and warning of the potential for a dangerous escalation. According to Japan’s defense ministry, a Chinese J-15 fighter jet took off from the aircraft carrier Shandong and flew within just 45 meters of a Japanese Self-Defence Forces (SDF) surveillance aircraft last weekend. The ministry said the incident, which took place over international waters, could have led to a catastrophic accident. The J-15 reportedly also passed directly in front of…
The United States has ordered the departure of non-essential diplomatic staff and their families from several embassies across the Middle East, citing escalating tensions with Iran and growing fears of a broader regional conflict. The U.S. State Department confirmed Wednesday that it had instructed non-essential personnel to leave the embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, as a precautionary measure. “This decision reflects our commitment to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad,” a department spokesperson said. Although the Baghdad embassy was already operating with limited staffing, the move underscores the seriousness of the situation. Similar voluntary departures have been authorized for…
