Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

A 31-year-old South Korean singer and former member of the popular K-pop band NCT, Taeil, has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison after admitting to raping a Chinese tourist alongside two accomplices. The Seoul district court heard that Taeil, whose full name is Moon Tae-il, and his co-defendants, identified in South Korean media only by their surnames Lee and Hong, took turns sexually assaulting the woman after a night of drinking in the capital’s Itaewon district. The incident, described by the court as “extremely grave”, occurred after the victim became “heavily intoxicated” during a night out.…

A North Korean defector has launched a landmark legal challenge in South Korea against Kim Jong-un, accusing the regime of torture and sexual violence in its detention facilities. Choi Min-kyung, 53, filed a civil lawsuit at Seoul Central District Court on Friday, seeking 50 million won (£29,000) in damages from the North Korean state, naming Kim and six other officials as responsible parties. Simultaneously, she submitted a criminal complaint to the prosecutors’ office, calling for an investigation into crimes against humanity committed by the regime. This marks what supporters are calling the first time a North Korean defector has pursued…

US President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping 35% tariff on all imports from Canada, due to take effect on 1 August. The move marks a significant escalation in his trade war and includes threats of further blanket tariffs of 15% to 20% on most other global trade partners. In a letter released on his social media platform on Thursday, Trump informed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of the new tariff, warning that the rate could increase further if Canada retaliates. Carney responded on X, stating that his government would “continue to defend Canadian workers and businesses” as negotiations with…

Six Secret Service agents have been suspended without pay following a damning internal review of the security failures that led to the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024. The disciplinary action comes nearly a year after the 13 July 2024 shooting at the Butler Farm Show grounds, where 20 year 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired multiple rounds from an unsecured rooftop. Trump, then a presidential candidate, was grazed in the ear while a local firefighter, Corey Comperatore, was fatally shot. Two other attendees were also injured. Matt Quinn, the agency’s deputy…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accepted an invitation to meet with US President Donald Trump during the American leader’s anticipated visit to Scotland later this month, according to a report by Reuters. Although the precise date and full itinerary of the visit are yet to be confirmed, preparations are under way. The White House has declined to comment on the reported plans. This meeting would follow the signing of a trade agreement between the two countries on the sidelines of last month’s G7 summit in Canada. The deal, seen as a breakthrough in US-UK relations, formally reduced a number of…

A federal judge in New Hampshire has issued a nationwide block on US President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, dealing a significant blow to the policy. US District Judge Joseph Laplante, ruling from the bench on Thursday, granted a request from immigration rights lawyers to certify a nationwide class comprising children, both born and unborn, who would be stripped of their citizenship under Trump’s order. He simultaneously issued a preliminary injunction, indefinitely halting enforcement of the policy. “This preliminary injunction is not a close call,” Laplante said during the hearing. “The deprivation of US citizenship…

People most at risk of HIV infection, including gay men, transgender people, and those who inject drugs, are facing an alarming rise in criminalisation around the world, according to a new report by UNAids. For the first time in over a decade of monitoring global laws, the UN agency reports an increase in countries enforcing punitive legislation against same-sex relations and gender expression. The shift threatens to undermine decades of progress in the fight against HIV/Aids, especially in the wake of significant US funding cuts. Mali recently introduced legislation criminalising homosexuality and transgender identity, where previously only “public indecency” was…

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to axe more than 2,100 high-ranking National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) employees, most of whom hold specialised technical roles or senior management positions. Internal documents obtained by Politico suggest the cuts are part of a broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government through early retirements, voluntary buyouts, and deferred resignations. NASA is a United States government agency responsible for the civilian space program, aeronautics research, and space research. Founded on October 1, 1958, it was established in response to the Soviet Union’s Sputnik launch and the growing “Space Race”. Its mission…

Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are set to unveil a landmark “one in, one out” asylum agreement on Thursday, under which the UK will accept some migrants arriving via the Channel in exchange for returning others to France. The deal, which will be announced during a joint press conference in London, is the centrepiece of President Macron’s three-day state visit to the UK, the first by a European leader since Brexit. The visit has included meetings with King Charles and a speech to MPs and peers in the Royal Gallery of the House of Commons. While the full details of…

Glaciers across northern Pakistan are melting at an alarming rate following record-high summer temperatures, unleashing deadly flash floods and landslides that have devastated communities and claimed dozens of lives.