Former official under Belarus President Lukashenko to face Swiss trial over enforced disappearances
A former member of Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko’s special security forces is to face trial in Switzerland next month for the forced disappearances of political opponents in the late 1990s
2023-08-31 00:51
The only defendant in the Georgia election indictment to spend time in jail is released on bond
The only person who spent time behind bars as a result of the indictment related to efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia has been released from jail
2023-08-31 00:24
Judge enters default judgment against Giuliani in defamation lawsuit from Georgia election workers
A federal judge has entered a default judgment against Rudy Giuliani in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers who say they were falsely accused of participating in fraud during the 2020 election
2023-08-30 23:57
White House says Putin and Kim Jong Un traded letters as Russia looks for munitions from North Korea
The White House says it has new intelligence that shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have swapped letters as Russia looks to North Korea for additional munitions for the Ukraine war
2023-08-30 23:52
'I stand by my opinion': Russian on trial for critical Ukraine interview
A Russian man prosecuted for giving a spontaneous street comment criticising the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive to foreign media said he stood by his words during his trial Wednesday, despite facing...
2023-08-30 23:23
Former US Cardinal McCarrick not competent to face sex abuse trial, judge says
DEDHAM, Mass. A Massachusetts judge on Wednesday dismissed a criminal case charging former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick
2023-08-30 23:20
Sentencing of two ex-Proud Boys leaders postponed
By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON The sentencing hearings for two former leaders of the right-wing Proud Boys who
2023-08-30 22:57
Gabon's wealthy, dynastic leader thought he could resist Africa's trend of coups. He might be wrong
The president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, knew well the threat of military coups in his part of the world
2023-08-30 21:58
Putin jails Russian soldiers for refusing to return to Ukraine
Two Russian soldiers have been jailed for refusing to return to the frontline in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. In an intelligence update posted on Twitter, the ministry said two Russian soldiers were sentenced to serve at least two years in a penal colony by a military court for refusing to obey orders to return to the front in Ukraine. It comes after Russian independent media outlet Mediazona reported that Russia was convicting close to 100 soldiers a week for refusing to fight. The defence ministry predicted “there will be approximately 5,200 convictions a year for refusing to fight” if the trend continues. The high rate of convictions demonstrates the “poor state of morale” and “reluctance” to fight in the Russian Army, the MoD said. The update continued: “Refusal to fight likely reflects the lack of training, motivation and high stress situations Russian forces face along the entire Ukrainian frontline.” However, the defence ministry said it is likely Russia mitigates losses in soldiers by “committing a mass of poorly trained soldiers to the frontline.” “Since Russia’s September 2022 partial mobilisation, Russia has adapted its approach to warfare by utilising sheer mass for offensive and defensive operations,” the update explained. In September 2022, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of 300,000 military reservists for the war in Ukraine. The call-up prompted hundreds of thousands of men to flee the country. Outbound flights were full and neighbouring countries received large influxes. Soon afterwards, Mr Putin toughened up penalties for desertion and refusal to fight, making the offences punishable by up to 10 years in prison, or 15 years for voluntary surrender to enemy forces. But first-time offenders may be exempted from criminal liability “if he took measures for his release, returned to his unit or place of service and did not commit other crimes while in captivity”, according to the new law. Within weeks of the boost to Russian numbers, UK defence chiefs concluded many of the newly mobilised soldiers were poorly equipped, possibly with weapons in a “barely usable” condition. Earlier this year, the MoD suggested Russian troops were using shovels for hand-to-hand combat in Ukraine because of an ammunition shortage. In the latest development in Putins’s war in Ukraine, at least four of Russia’s military transport planes were damaged after Ukraine launched its biggest drone attack on Russian soil since the beginning of the invasion. The Il-76 transport aircraft were damaged after drones hit an airport in the western Pskov region, located 660km north of the Ukrainian frontier and near the borders of Estonia and Latvia. Read More Ukraine: Largest drone attack on Russian territory since invasion began as cargo planes destroyed Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv’s huge drone attack as Putin floods frontline with ‘poorly trained troops’ Russian hard-line nationalist ordered to stay in prison after accusing Putin of weakness The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-08-30 21:54
Russia earns less from oil and spends more on war. So far, sanctions are working like a slow poison
The Russian currency has stabilized after dipping below 100 rubles to the U.S. dollar — but that doesn't mean the pressure is off Russia's economy
2023-08-30 21:53
Proud Boys sentencing hearings canceled ‘due to emergency’
Federal prison sentencing hearings for former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and prominent member Ethan Nordean have been canceled due to an emergency, the US Department of Justice has announced. It was not immediately clear why the hearing was postponed, though it does not appear to involve the parties. Tarrio, the former leader of the neo-fascist gang, was scheduled to appear for a sentencing hearing in Washington DC at 10am ET on 30 August after Tarrio and three other members of the group were found guilty of seditious conspiracy earlier this year for their roles in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, among the most serious crimes facing the hundreds of people arrested in connection with the mob’s assault. Prosecutors are seeking 33 years for Tarrio. Tarrio, Nordean, Joe Biggs, Dominic Pezzola and Zachary Rehl were also found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding. Four of the men – all but Pezzola – were also found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, civil disorder and destruction of government property. The jury found Tarrio, Biggs, Nordean and Rehl guilty of seditious conspiracy after conspiring to forcefully oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power. This is a developing story Read More Proud Boys sentencing – live: Ex-leader Enrique Tarrio faces record Jan 6 prison time on conspiracy charges Who is Enrique Tarrio? Ex-Proud Boys leader faces longest prison sentence yet for January 6 ‘Donald Trump’s army’: Proud Boys members face decades in prison for January 6 sedition
2023-08-30 21:53
Who is Donna Vekic's boyfriend? Tennis star rumored to be dating Borna Coric after being spotted at one of his matches
In 2017, Nick Kyrgios accused Donna Vekic of cheating on her then-boyfriend Stan Wawrinka
2023-08-30 21:15