Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

British billionaire and former owner of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, Joe Lewis, is to be pardoned by President Donald Trump following his 2024 conviction for insider trading. Lewis, 88, was fined $5 million (£3.8 million) and handed three years’ probation by a New York judge last year after admitting his role in what prosecutors described as a “brazen” scheme to benefit friends, employees and associates. He avoided a custodial sentence after entering a guilty plea, though his company Broad Bay was separately fined $44 million. Initially, Lewis’s legal team argued that prosecutors had made an “egregious” error in charging him…

Hundreds of residents in Weatherford, Oklahoma, were forced to evacuate their homes late on Wednesday evening after a tanker truck began leaking anhydrous ammonia in a hotel car park, releasing a dangerous plume of gas into the surrounding area. Authorities confirmed that the incident left dozens of people suffering from respiratory distress and prompted widespread emergency measures across the town. The leak was first reported shortly before 10pm, when emergency services were called to the scene. City officials stated at a press conference on Thursday morning that at least 36 individuals had been taken to hospital for treatment, while many…

Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former United States President John F Kennedy, has declared his intention to run for Congress, seeking to represent New York’s 12th District in the House of Representatives. His announcement on Tuesday comes as veteran Democrat Jerry Nadler prepares to step down after more than three decades in office. In a campaign video released on social media, Schlossberg emphasised the need for fresh leadership in the district, which encompasses Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Upper East Side and midtown. “This district should have a representative who can harness the creativity, energy and drive of this district and translate…

A dramatic police pursuit unfolded in southern California this week after a woman residing at a sobriety home allegedly stole a minivan and led officers on a high-speed chase that ended at the United States–Mexico border. Authorities confirmed that Alyssa Wilson, a resident of Diana’s House Sober Living in Thousand Oaks, took a 2004 grey Toyota Sienna belonging to Nicolle Walters, the operator of two women’s sober living homes in Ventura County. Walters, 45, reported the vehicle missing on Monday, along with its keys, which she said had been taken from her house manager’s purse. “I happened to pull up…

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been released from prison after a Paris Appeal Court ruled that he could serve the remainder of his sentence under strict judicial supervision at home. The decision comes three weeks after Sarkozy entered La Santé prison in Paris, following his conviction for criminal conspiracy in connection with alleged campaign financing from the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy, who led France between 2007 and 2012, was sentenced to five years in prison last month. Judges had initially ordered him to serve time behind bars due to the “exceptional gravity” of the conviction, despite his appeal…

A member of the Vatican’s Swiss Guards, the small but historic corps charged with protecting the pope, is under investigation following allegations that he directed a spitting gesture towards two Jewish women during a papal audience at St Peter’s Square. The incident is said to have occurred on 29 October at one of the side entrances to the square, where crowds had gathered for Pope Leo’s general audience. The occasion marked the 60th anniversary of Nostra aetate, the landmark declaration that reshaped the Catholic Church’s relations with non-Christian religions, particularly Judaism. Michal Govrin, a Tel Aviv-based author and theatre director,…

Britain is deploying Royal Air Force specialists to Belgium to assist in countering drone incursions that disrupted flights at Brussels and Liège airports last week. The move follows a formal request for help from Belgian authorities after sightings of unidentified drones near airports, military bases and nuclear facilities. Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of the UK’s armed forces, confirmed the deployment, stating that Britain would provide “our people, our equipment” to support Belgium. He cautioned, however, that the origin of the drones remained unclear. “We don’t yet know” who was responsible, Knighton said, though Russia has been widely identified as…

Syria has announced a series of nationwide operations against Islamic State cells, coinciding with President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s arrival in Washington for talks with United States President Donald Trump. A spokesperson for the Syrian interior ministry confirmed on Saturday that security forces had carried out 61 raids across the country, resulting in the arrest of 71 individuals. Explosives and weapons were also seized during the operations, which were broadcast on state-run Al Ekhbariya television. The timing of the raids was notable, coming just a day after Washington removed Sharaa from its terrorism blacklist. His visit to the US capital marks the…

Authorities in Illinois are investigating a video that appears to show a woman livestreaming on TikTok at the moment she struck and killed a pedestrian in the Chicago suburb of Zion earlier this week. The incident occurred on Monday evening at approximately 5.30pm. Police confirmed that Darren Lucas, 59, of Beach Park, was hit by a vehicle and later pronounced dead at a local hospital from blunt force injuries sustained in the collision. A screen recording of a TikTok live broadcast, published on the platform on Friday morning, has since surfaced. The footage shows a woman identified by the username…

Tesla shareholders have approved a compensation plan worth $1 trillion for Chief Executive Elon Musk, in what would be the largest corporate payout in history if the ambitious targets attached to it are met. The vote, held at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Austin, Texas, saw more than 75 per cent of investors back the proposal, despite vocal opposition from several high-profile stakeholders.   The package, structured in 12 tranches, ties Musk’s reward to a series of demanding milestones that would transform Tesla’s scale and market position. Should Musk succeed, he would not only secure the payout but also cement…