International

Sydney taekwondo instructor gets life sentence for murdering student, parents

Sydney taekwondo instructor Kwang Kyung Yoo was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for murdering a 7-year-old student and the boy’s parents. Jealousy over the family’s financial success motivated the crimes, which were described as senseless, violent, and cruel Sydney: A judge sentenced a Sydney taekwondo instructor on Tuesday to life in prison without possibility of release for murdering a 7-year-old student and the boy’s parents. Kwang Kyung Yoo, 51, sat with his head bowed as Justice Ian Harrison said he would never be eligible for parole. Harrison said Yoo has been motivated by the jealousy he felt for the family’s financial success. “I’m satisfied that the level of culpability in the commission of these offences is so extreme that the…

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24 endangered sea turtles recovering in Florida after cold stunning off Cape Cod

Twenty-four endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are being rehabilitated in Florida after cold-stunning in frigid Cape Cod waters. Suffering from frostbite and pneumonia, they are receiving intensive care and are expected to be released into the Atlantic by spring Juno Beach: Two dozen Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are rehabilitating in Florida after the frigid waters off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, left them struggling with frostbite, pneumonia and abrasions. The 24 endangered sea turtles arrived at the  Loggerhead Marinelife Centre in Juno Beach, Florida, on Dec. 9, thanks to the nonprofit organisation LightHawk. Last year, the centre welcomed another bunch of cold-stunned turtles that were released into the Atlantic months later. They are expected to remain at the facility until spring, when they’ll be…

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Thai authorities deport Luthra brothers to India

Thai authorities deported Goa nightclub co-owners Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra to India amid a probe into the December 6 fire that killed 25 people. Detained in Phuket after an Interpol notice, they will face further legal action on arrival Bangkok: Thailand authorities on Tuesday deported Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6, to India. The deportation comes amid an ongoing probe into the deadly blaze, which triggered widespread outrage and led to scrutiny over alleged safety violations and lapses by the nightclub management. The Luthras, co-owners of ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub located in Arpora in North Goa, left for Phuket in Thailand, shortly after the fire…

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15 injured after San Francisco cable car stops suddenly

At least 15 people were injured when a  San Francisco cable car abruptly stopped on Monday afternoon. Most suffered minor injuries, with two hospitalised. Authorities are investigating the incident, reaffirming passenger safety on the historic, tourist-popular  cable car system San Francisco: More than a dozen people were hurt when a San Francisco cable car abruptly stopped Monday afternoon. Fifteen people had injuries ranging from minor to moderate, the San Francisco Fire Department posted on social media. Two of them were immediately taken to hospitals and 11 others were treated for what the department described as “minor aches and pains”. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which runs the cable cars, said it was actively investigating the incident and gave no reason for the stop.…

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Bondi Beach mass shooting inspired by Islamic State, say Australian police

Australian police said the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that killed 15 people was inspired by Islamic State ideology. Evidence including IS flags was recovered, prompting authorities to classify the attack as terrorism. Sydney: A mass shooting in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State,” Australia’s federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett said Tuesday. The suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24, authorities have said. The older man was shot dead while his son was being treated at a hospital on Tuesday. Officials said at a news conference that they were making their first comments about the suspects’ ideologies because…

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Trump sues BBC for $10 billion over alleged defamation

US President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of defamation and misleading editing of his January 6 speech. The lawsuit claims the broadcast misrepresented his remarks to influence the 2024 election. Washington: President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Monday seeking USD 10 billion in damages from the BBC, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices. The 33-page lawsuit accuses the BBC of broadcasting a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump,” calling it “a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence” the 2024 US presidential election. It accused the BCC of “splicing together two entirely separate parts of President Trump’s speech on…

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Cuba sentences former economy minister to life in prison for espionage

Cuba’s Supreme Court sentenced former economy minister Alejandro Gil to life imprisonment for espionage and an additional 20 years for corruption-related crimes. Once a key ally of President Díaz-Canel, Gil was accused of abusing power, bribery and links with foreign firms Havana: Cuba’s top court on Monday said a former economy minister was sentenced to life in prison for espionage, in the highest-profile case against an ex-official in recent years on the island. The Supreme Popular Tribunal said in a statement that former Economy Minister Alejandro Gil Fernández also received a second sentence of 20 years in prison after being found guilty in a separate trial of other crimes including bribery, falsification of documents and tax evasion. Gil was economy minister…

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Hasina accuses unelected rivals of using courts to oust her, thanks PM Modi for support

Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina accused a small group of unelected politicians of seizing state power and using courts to eliminate her politically. In an exclusive interview, she termed the verdict against her biased, flagged foreign interference, and thanked Prime Minister Modi for support during her crisis. New Delhi: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that a group of small, self-serving, unelected politicians have seized the levers of state, who are using the court to remove a political rival. She also expressed gratitude to PM Modi, saying, “grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi” and the people of India for their support during her time of crisis. In an email interview with IANS, Hasina also strongly criticised the interim government…

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Mexican National Guardsman kills three colleagues at Michoacan barracks

A Mexican National Guardsman shot dead three fellow service members and injured another at a barracks in Michoacan, officials said, days after the state saw a deadly car bomb attack. The incident comes amid heightened federal security deployments following recent assassinations. Mexico City: A Mexican National Guardsmen shot and killed three fellow service members at a barracks over the weekend in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, where the government has surged security forces in the wake of recent high-profile killings. A federal official confirmed the shooting Monday to The Associated Press, requesting anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. The shooting, which wounded a fourth service member, was under investigation, the official said. The suspect was in…

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7.5-magnitude quake jolts northern Japan; 23 injured, small tsunami reported

A powerful 7.5 earthquake struck off northern Japan late Monday, injuring 23 people and triggering a small tsunami along the Pacific coast. Authorities warned of aftershocks and a slight rise in megaquake risk as trains halted and safety checks began at nuclear facilities. Tokyo: A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan late Monday, injuring 23 people and triggering a tsunami in Pacific coast communities, officials said. Authorities warned of possible aftershocks and an increased risk of a megaquake. The Japanese government was still assessing damages from the tsunami and late-evening quake, which struck at about 11:15 p.m. in the Pacific Ocean, around 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main Honshu island.…

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