Edward Daleng

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,…

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…

US govt

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”…

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…

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…

American congressman Riley Moore has cautioned the Nigerian government against downplaying President Donald Trump’s readiness to intervene over the persistent killings of Christians in the country. In a statement posted on his X handle on Saturday, Moore said President Trump would not hesitate to act decisively if the violence continues. “Do not test President Trump’s resolve – he is serious about ending the ongoing slaughter of Christians in Nigeria,” Moore…

Russia has said it is closely monitoring developments in Nigeria following comments by United States President Donald Trump suggesting possible American military intervention in the country. Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said her government was “closely observing the situation” and urged all sides to act responsibly and within the bounds of international law. “We are closely monitoring this issue and…

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,…

Two British nationals convicted of drug offences in Indonesia, including death row prisoner Lindsay Sandiford, have been repatriated to the United Kingdom under a bilateral agreement reached on humanitarian grounds. Sandiford, 69, was sentenced to death in 2013 after being found guilty of trafficking cocaine into Bali. She was transferred alongside Shahab Shahabadi, 36, who had been serving a life sentence for drug offences following his arrest in 2014. Both…

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a state of national calamity after Typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 114 people dead and nearly 130 missing in the country’s central provinces, in what officials have described as the deadliest natural disaster to strike the Philippines this year. The majority of fatalities were caused by drowning in flash floods, with Cebu province suffering the heaviest toll. At least 71 people died there, while…