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Andrew stripped of ‘Prince’ title, ordered to vacate Royal Lodge amid Epstein scandal

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LONDON (BN24) — Prince Andrew will no longer be known as a prince and is to leave Royal Lodge, Buckingham Palace confirmed in a bombshell statement released tonight.

The palace said he will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor with immediate effect. The announcement comes as the palace said the “censures are deemed necessary” amid the ongoing scandal over Jeffrey Epstein, whom Andrew lied about cutting ties with.

“His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,” the statement said. “Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.”

“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the statement continued. “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”

In the wake of the announcement, a number of cars were seen going through the gate to Windsor’s Great Park on Bishopsgate Road, near to Royal Lodge.

It is understood King Charles III is in the process of sending royal warrants to the Lord Chancellor to remove his brother’s titles and honours. Andrew is said to have not objected.

Although the former duke has been stripped of all his remaining titles, those of his daughters, Princess Beatrice, thirty-seven, and Princess Eugenie, thirty-five, will remain. Amid the controversy it was previously understood that His Majesty Charles was very keen to “protect” his nieces who remain Her Royal Highnesses as granddaughters of Queen Elizabeth.

“He wouldn’t have wanted to sign off on anything that would impact them,” a source told the Daily Mail.

It is understood Prince William and the Royal Family fully support the King’s leadership on the recent move.

Andrew’s departure from the Royal Lodge, where he paid “peppercorn rent” over twenty years, comes amid an ongoing row over the residence since his dukedom title was stripped earlier this month. As of today, it is understood Andrew has been served notice to surrender the lease at the thirty-bedroom mansion and will move out of the residence as soon as practically possible.

The younger brother of the King will be moved to a property on the Sandringham estate but the specifics regarding the relocation are unknown. Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will make her own living arrangements after moving out of the royal grounds of Windsor Castle.

The move was entirely down to the King and his advisers, without pressure from the government or other family members such as Prince William, sources told the Daily Mail. “The process has been under way for some while but there was a need to get it right in the face of some very big challenges,” an insider said.

Notice was not served on Prince Andrew to move. It was his lease, so it was up to the former Duke of York to serve notice himself, suggesting that he is not fighting the process.

The former duke has lived at the Grade II-listed mansion on the grounds of Windsor Castle for over two decades with Fergie, despite their divorce in 1996.

It comes as His Majesty had made it clear he would not hesitate to take “further action” if his younger brother continued to cling on to his dukedom and other honours after he lied about cutting ties with paedophile financier Epstein, the Daily Mail previously revealed.

Despite the tsunami of growing evidence mounting against him, the sixty-five-year-old was understood to still be “digging his heels in” with a “startling lack of contrition,” in a situation the King deemed “intolerable,” sources previously said.

Last week, the row over the Royal Lodge continued to grow amid damning revelations in a posthumous memoir from Andrew’s sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life this year, aged forty-one.

Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice was released this month, with the manuscript having been completed before she died. The explosive book revolves around her years spent as a sex slave to Epstein and his British madam Ghislaine Maxwell.

Extracts published by The Guardian show Ms Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein three times for sex with Andrew, called the ex-duke “entitled” and viewing sex as his “birthright.”

Within the four-hundred-page autobiography, she also alleged the ex-duke said “thank you” in a “clipped British accent” after their alleged first encounter when she was seventeen. She also recalled how Ghislaine Maxwell praised her following the encounter, saying, “You did well, the prince had fun.”

Andrew denied having sex with Ms Giuffre but forked out millions in an out of court settlement in February 2022.

The Royal Family had been prepared for the further scandal the book would likely cause, knowing it was to be published this month.

In the wake of the Giuffre scandal, Andrew is facing a private prosecution over allegations of sexual assault, corruption and misconduct in public office. Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic said it has instructed lawyers to investigate the prince and, if appropriate, press ahead with legal proceedings.

The Daily Mail understands the allegations it is focusing on relate to claims he sexually assaulted Giuffre, that he asked a royal protection officer to look into her background and impropriety when he served as an official UK trade envoy.

Republic said it is mounting its own bid to take him to court because the legal and political response to the claims has been “weak and inadequate” to date. It said it has made a “powerful, principled argument for justice to be done for the victims of sexual abuse, and for those who corrupt public office to be held accountable.”

“If not us, then who?” asked Graham Smith, CEO of the anti-monarchy group. “It’s a devastating indictment on the UK’s criminal justice system, police and politicians – not to mention the king and heir – that we must resort to a private prosecution.”

A private prosecution brought by Republic would not involve a statutory prosecutor such as Crown Prosecution Service, which brings cases on behalf of the Crown. They are commonly brought by organisations such as the RSPCA but can be brought by private individuals.

Earlier this evening Ms Giuffre’s family spoke out after the former duke was stripped of his remaining titles. Her brother Skye and sister-in-law Amanda said: “Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her. Today, she declares victory.”

It is understood earlier this month the Metropolitan Police was “actively” looking into the claims Andrew had asked his personal protection officer to investigate Ms Giuffre, and that he was interviewed by detectives at home last week.

A bombshell email published by the Mail on Sunday earlier this month revealed how Andrew asked his taxpayer-funded protection officer to dig into her past two months after the infamous photo of him with Giuffre and Maxwell came to light.

Scandalous correspondence from Andrew to Epstein emerged, with the former duke telling the paedophile “we are in this together” a day after the infamous picture of the royal with his alleged then-teenage sex victim Ms Giuffre was released.

The correspondence was sent to Epstein twelve weeks after Andrew had supposedly ceased all contact with the convicted sex offender. The leaked email provides definitive proof the Prince lied in his car-crash interview with BBC’s Newsnight when he claimed he “never had any contact” with the disgraced financier after the pair were famously pictured walking together in New York’s Central Park in December 2010.

Democratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who has previously called for Prince Andrew to testify before a US Congressional committee about his links to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, has again urged Andrew to give evidence.

Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife, will now be known as plain Sarah Ferguson. Following revelation of emails to Epstein, Sarah was dropped by seven charities after “humbly apologising” to Epstein after disavowing him amid his conviction for child sexual abuse offences.

After Andrew and his ex-wife agreed to relinquish their titles, Buckingham Palace released a statement on the Prince’s behalf. It marked the first time it had spoken for him since his car crash Newsnight interview in 2019.

The statement read: “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life. With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

Politicians from across the aisle supported King Charles’ decision. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said His Majesty is “absolutely right” to strip Andrew of titles, while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch remarked how the decision must have been “very difficult” for the King.

“It’s clear that Andrew’s position had become totally untenable, having disgraced his office and embarrassed the country,” Sir Davey said. “This is an important step towards rebuilding trust in our institutions and drawing a line under this whole sorry saga.”

Original story by: dailymail

 70-year-old man dies as helicopter crashes near Doncaster; 3 others injured

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DONCASTER, England (BN24) — A 70-year-old man has died after a private helicopter crashed in a field near Doncaster on Thursday morning, authorities said. Three others, including a 10-year-old boy, suffered minor injuries in what investigators have described as a “tragic incident.”

South Yorkshire Police said emergency crews were called to the scene off Ings Lane in Bentley shortly after 10 a.m. The aircraft, a Robinson R44 Raven II, had taken off minutes earlier from Gamston Airport near Retford before coming down in a nearby field.

The victim, who sustained serious injuries, was pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts from emergency responders. His family has been informed and is being supported by police.

The helicopter’s pilot, a 41-year-old man, and two passengers — a 58-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy — were treated for minor injuries. Police said all three are expected to recover.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Magnay, Silver Commander for the operation, expressed condolences to the victim’s family. “Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the man who sadly died in this tragic incident,” he said. “We and our emergency services colleagues remain at the scene and have launched a full joint investigation alongside the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.”

Witnesses said the helicopter narrowly missed nearby homes before crashing. One resident told Yorkshire Live that she initially thought a train had derailed due to the large number of emergency vehicles rushing to the scene. “It’s just missed our house,” she said. “At first we all thought it was a train crash because of all the sirens.”

Photographs from the crash site showed the helicopter on its side with debris scattered across a plowed field. A large police cordon was established around the area, and authorities urged residents to avoid Ings Lane and use alternative routes while investigations continue.

A spokesperson for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed that a team had been deployed. “The AAIB has been made aware of an accident near Doncaster and has sent investigators to commence an inquiry,” the spokesperson said.

Retford Gamston Airport confirmed that the aircraft was based at the facility and operated by an onsite tenant. “We can confirm an aircraft based here operated by an onsite tenant has been involved in an incident. We have no further information at this time,” the airport said in a statement.

Local MP Ed Miliband, who represents Doncaster North, expressed his condolences to the victim’s loved ones. “This is devastating news, and my thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim of this terrible incident,” Miliband said. “The whole of Doncaster will be united in keeping them in their thoughts today.”

Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash, with police appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or captured footage of the helicopter prior to the crash to come forward.

Trump sets record-low refugee cap at 7,500, prioritizing White South Africans

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President Donald Trump has slashed the U.S. refugee admissions ceiling to a record low of 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year, marking the most restrictive policy in the nation’s modern history and signaling a dramatic pivot toward selective refugee intake focused primarily on white South Africans.

The new cap, published Thursday in the Federal Register, represents a sweeping reduction from the 125,000-refugee ceiling set under President Joe Biden and underscores Trump’s broader effort to overhaul America’s refugee and asylum policies. The White House document stated that the limited admissions were “justified by humanitarian concerns or otherwise in the national interest,” but offered no further explanation.

The Trump administration’s plan, confirmed by multiple government officials, centers on admitting predominantly white South Africans from the country’s Afrikaner minority. Trump has repeatedly claimed that Afrikaners face racial persecution in South Africa, an allegation strongly denied by Pretoria.

The 7,500-person cap marks a stunning reversal from previous decades, when the U.S. routinely resettled tens of thousands fleeing war and oppression across the globe. When Trump took office, he paused all refugee admissions, declaring they could resume only if proven to be in America’s best interest. The current determination builds upon that stance, suggesting the administration will also consider admitting “other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”

Refugee advocates reacted with outrage. “By privileging Afrikaners while continuing to block thousands of refugees already vetted and approved, the administration is once again politicizing a humanitarian program,” said Sharif Aly, president of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Global Refuge, said the decision “undermines the program’s purpose as well as its credibility.”

Human Rights First condemned the cut as a “new low point” for U.S. foreign policy. “This decision will further destabilize front-line states that host most of the world’s refugees, undermining U.S. national security in tandem,” said Uzra Zeya, the group’s president.

The administration’s move comes amid a global effort by Trump officials to reshape post-World War II asylum frameworks. During last month’s United Nations General Assembly, top U.S. officials called on world governments to join a campaign to “redefine” international refugee obligations—aiming to curb asylum protections worldwide.

According to Reuters, internal U.S. documents from April suggested the administration could also prioritize European refugees who face discrimination for holding nationalist or anti-immigration views. Those proposals were not included in the public determination but align with Trump’s stated desire to refocus refugee admissions toward “Western values.”

Critics say the reduction will cripple humanitarian programs that historically reflected American leadership in global resettlement. “Refugees strengthen the workforce and contribute to the U.S. economy,” said Gideon Maltz, CEO of the Tent Partnership for Refugees. “Dismantling this program today is not putting America first.”

In a related shift, the White House said oversight of refugee support programs will move from the State Department to the Department of Health and Human Services—a reorganization likely to further centralize control under Trump’s domestic policy agenda.

The United States, once a global leader in refugee resettlement, admitted about 100,000 refugees under Biden in 2024. Trump’s ceiling of 7,500 marks a historic low, redefining America’s role as a destination for the world’s displaced.

Trump orders resumption of U.S. nuclear weapons testing after 30-year freeze

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SEOUL, South Korea (BN24) — President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. military to resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in more than three decades, a move that marks a sharp shift in long-standing American defense policy and raises global concerns about a new nuclear arms race.

In a social media post late Wednesday, just before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, Trump announced that he had instructed the Department of War to begin testing nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” with Russia and China.

“Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote. He added that the process would “begin immediately.”

The United States, which has not conducted a nuclear weapons test since 1992, possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, followed by Russia and then China, which Trump called a “distant third.” The announcement came only days after Trump condemned Russia for testing a nuclear-powered missile reportedly capable of unlimited range.

Trump acknowledged the “tremendous destructive power” of nuclear arms but said he had “no choice” but to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal during his first term to ensure military parity with global rivals. “China’s nuclear program will be even within five years,” Trump warned, suggesting an urgent need to strengthen deterrence.

The timing of the announcement—issued as Trump was en route aboard Marine One to meet Xi at Gimhae International Airport—underscored the geopolitical stakes. After their meeting, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the locations of upcoming U.S. nuclear tests had not yet been determined but insisted such measures were “appropriate” to match other nations’ testing efforts.

The United States last tested a nuclear bomb on September 23, 1992, at an underground site in Nevada. That experiment, known as “Divider,” marked the country’s 1,054th nuclear weapons test. Former President George H.W. Bush issued a moratorium on testing later that year as the Cold War came to a close.

Russia announced over the weekend that it had successfully tested two new delivery systems capable of carrying nuclear warheads, including a missile designed to evade U.S. defenses and an underwater drone known as Poseidon. While neither test involved an actual nuclear detonation, the developments heightened global tensions.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, China has nearly doubled its nuclear arsenal over the past five years and could surpass 1,000 warheads by 2030. The U.S. currently maintains an estimated 5,225 warheads, while Russia’s stockpile sits at roughly 5,580, according to the Arms Control Association.

Trump’s directive also comes roughly 100 days before the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the U.S. and Russia is set to expire in February 2026. The treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the two nations, caps each side at 1,550 deployed warheads capable of crossing continents.

The Nevada Test Site, located about 65 miles north of Las Vegas, remains operational and could be reactivated if authorized, according to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.

The U.S. first entered the nuclear age with the Trinity test in July 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico, before dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki later that year—actions that ended World War II but ushered in the nuclear era.

 5 more arrested in $102 million Louvre jewel heist as stolen French Crown Jewels remain missing

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French authorities have arrested five additional suspects in connection with the daring theft of French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, intensifying one of France’s most sensational art heist investigations in recent history. Despite the arrests, the priceless treasures remain missing.

Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced Thursday that the suspects were detained late Wednesday night in Paris and its surrounding region. Their identities have not been released. One of the detainees is believed to be part of the four-person crew that stormed the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery in broad daylight on Oct. 19, escaping with jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million).

The heist, which lasted less than eight minutes, stunned France and the global art world. Thieves reportedly forced open a window, cut through glass display cases with power tools, and fled with eight ornate pieces from the historic French crown jewel collection before security could intervene.

Two other members of the robbery team were previously arrested on Sunday and formally charged Wednesday with criminal conspiracy and theft committed by an organized gang. Prosecutor Beccuau said both suspects partially admitted their roles in the crime during questioning.

“Searches last night and overnight did not allow us to find the goods,” Beccuau told RTL radio Thursday morning, confirming that investigators are still working to trace the missing jewels.

The Louvre Museum, home to some of the world’s most celebrated masterpieces, has not publicly commented on the arrests. Security measures at the institution have reportedly been reviewed and reinforced since the incident.

The heist has revived memories of previous high-profile European art thefts and renewed debate over the vulnerability of even the most secure museums.

Associated Press story

 Hurricane Melissa leaves trail of death and destruction across the Caribbean, killing nearly 30 in Haiti

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Hurricane Melissa barreled through the Caribbean on Wednesday, leaving behind a trail of death and devastation that stretched from Cuba to Haiti. Authorities confirmed that at least 25 people were killed in Haiti alone, while the total regional death toll approached 30 as rescue operations continued in Jamaica and Cuba.

Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as the strongest hurricane ever to strike the island, packing sustained winds of 185 mph (298 kph). The Category 5 storm flattened communities, shredded power lines, and left more than three-quarters of the country without electricity.

By Wednesday evening, Melissa had weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moved northeast through the Bahamas, where authorities completed the evacuation of nearly 1,500 residents from low-lying islands.

Haiti Flooded and Devastated

Though Melissa’s core did not directly hit Haiti, the country endured days of relentless rain and flooding that caused widespread destruction. Officials said at least 25 people died in the coastal town of Petit-Goave, where a river overflowed its banks, sweeping away homes and families. Among the dead were at least 10 children, and another 12 people remained missing.

Haiti’s disaster management agency reported that over 1,000 homes were submerged, leaving thousands displaced. With ongoing gang violence and more than 1.3 million already homeless, the storm compounded what was already one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

“The flooding made it impossible to sleep or sit,” said Fortune Vital, a displaced resident in Les Cayes. “If the hurricane comes on top of all the problems we already have, we’ll simply die.”

Jamaica’s Worst Hurricane in History

In Jamaica, the destruction was catastrophic. U.S. forecaster AccuWeather estimated that Melissa caused $22 billion in damages and economic losses — a blow that could take a decade to recover from.

Floodwaters swept through St. Elizabeth, an agricultural hub, where authorities reported at least four deaths. In Kingston, officials said 77% of the island remained without power as of Wednesday.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness visited the storm-ravaged Black River Hospital, where staff described working by flashlight to treat patients as windows shattered around them.

“It was the most terrifying experience of my life,” one hospital worker said. “It was as if missiles were blowing through the glass.”

The government opened more than 25,000 emergency shelters and urged residents to stay inside until conditions improved.

Cuba’s Eastern Coast Cut Off

Melissa hit Cuba’s southeastern coast overnight as a Category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph (193 kph), striking near Guama, about 25 miles west of Santiago de Cuba. At least 241 rural communities were left isolated, and communications were severed across much of Santiago province, affecting more than 140,000 people.

Cuban authorities evacuated over 735,000 residents before the storm’s arrival. While no deaths were immediately reported, the government said damage to crops, power infrastructure, and housing was extensive.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged citizens to remain alert, warning that heavy rains and landslides could still cause additional harm. “A major hurricane landfall in the dark is incredibly dangerous,” said AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert, Alex DaSilva.

Scientists Warn of Climate-Driven Intensification

Meteorologists said Hurricane Melissa ranks as the third-most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Caribbean, behind Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Scientists say such storms are becoming stronger and more frequent due to warming ocean temperatures driven by greenhouse gas emissions.

The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre said Melissa’s “rapid intensification” underscored the need for greater international funding through the U.N.’s Loss and Damage Fund — a mechanism designed to help developing nations recover from extreme weather disasters.

“The devastation of Melissa is a clear warning that the Caribbean is on the front lines of the climate crisis,” the center said.

Global Response and Aid

Relief efforts are now underway across the region. Several nations have pledged emergency funds, food aid, and rescue teams. In Jamaica’s Montego Bay, residents described being trapped by floodwaters before rescuers broke into homes to save them.

“All the trees that my dad planted — all of them are gone,” one survivor said.

As the Caribbean begins to assess the full extent of Melissa’s damage, the storm stands as a grim reminder of the growing human cost of climate-fueled disasters.

Reuters story

Bodies flood Rio streets after Brazil’s deadliest police raid leaves over 100 dead

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RIO DE JANEIRO (BN24) — Residents of Rio de Janeiro’s Penha neighborhood lined a main street with dozens of corpses after Brazil’s deadliest police operation left at least 119 people dead, authorities confirmed Wednesday, triggering international condemnation and grief across the city.

The large-scale raid, which police said targeted the powerful Comando Vermelho drug gang, unfolded over several days and culminated in scenes of horror as families searched for loved ones among the dead. Witnesses described hearing gunfire echoing from the forested hillside where special forces ambushed fleeing suspects.

State security chief Victor Santos told reporters that the “elevated lethality of the operation was expected but not desired,” insisting the mission had been planned for over two months. Public defenders said the actual death toll may reach 132, making it Brazil’s most violent police action on record.

Officials said the raid was unrelated to upcoming global climate events in Rio, including meetings tied to the United Nations COP30 and the C40 Summit, which will host leaders such as Prince William.

Overnight, residents dragged dozens of bodies from the nearby forest, lining them across the asphalt under makeshift coverings of sheets and plastic bags. “I just want to take my son out of here and bury him,” said Taua Brito, a grieving mother who stood beside the body of her teenage son, surrounded by mourners and stunned onlookers.

By afternoon, hundreds joined a motorcycle caravan from Penha to the governor’s palace, waving Brazilian flags smeared with red palm prints — a haunting symbol of protest against state violence.

The death toll has already eclipsed the 2021 Jacarezinho raid, in which 28 people were killed, and the infamous 1992 Carandiru prison massacre in São Paulo, when police shot dead 111 inmates during a riot.

The United Nations Human Rights Office urged Brazil to conduct an immediate and impartial investigation, calling the operation part of a “disturbing pattern of extremely lethal police raids in marginalized communities.”

Relatives and human rights lawyers said many of the victims bore signs of torture and execution-style killings. “Several families reported bound limbs, knife wounds, and gunshots to the face and neck,” said attorney Guilherme Pimentel, who is assisting victims’ families at the Rio police morgue.

Rio Governor Claudio Castro defended the operation, claiming all those killed were “criminals firing guns from the forest.” He rejected allegations of abuse, calling the dead “narcoterrorists.”

“I don’t think anyone would be walking in the forest on the day of the conflict,” Castro said, insisting the only true victims were the four police officers killed.

Authorities said 113 suspects were arrested and 118 firearms seized, describing the operation as the largest in Rio’s history.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was reportedly caught off guard by the scale of the violence. Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski said the federal government had not been informed beforehand and would meet with state officials to discuss possible federal intervention.

Lula returned to Brasilia late Tuesday from a trip to Malaysia and convened an emergency meeting with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and senior cabinet members to address the crisis, his office confirmed.

As Rio de Janeiro prepares to host international leaders for climate events next week, the massacre has cast a long shadow over Brazil’s security forces — raising new fears about impunity and the escalating militarization of policing in the country’s poorest neighborhoods.

St. Petersburg street musician jailed again over viral anti-Putin performance

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A Russian court has again sentenced 18-year-old street musician Diana Loginova to 13 days in jail over her viral anti-Kremlin performances in St. Petersburg — marking her second arrest this month.

Loginova, the vocalist of the street band Stoptime, was detained Tuesday after performing songs critical of President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. The court accused her of organizing an unsanctioned gathering and engaging in “petty hooliganism.” According to RusNews, she received two 13-day sentences to be served concurrently.

The young artist, known by her stage name Naoko, had just completed her previous 13-day detention last week following similar charges. Her bandmates, guitarist Alexander Orlov and drummer Vladislav Leontyev, were also arrested repeatedly, with Orlov receiving 13 days and Leontyev 15 days on separate administrative counts.

Earlier Tuesday, the Leninsky District Court fined Loginova 30,000 rubles ($375) for allegedly “discrediting” the Russian military after performing “Ty Soldat” (“You’re a Soldier”), a song written by exiled musician Monetochka — whom the Kremlin has labeled a “foreign agent.”

Loginova defended herself in court, saying her music was not political but emotional, meant to share art she loved. “My activity as a street musician is aimed at sharing music I love,” she said. “I don’t pursue political goals.”

Her lawyer argued that prosecutors never specified which lyrics were deemed offensive and that the case lacked evidence of intent. The courtroom was filled with supporters and journalists who applauded as the visibly tired singer smiled after nearly two weeks in detention.

Shortly after the hearing, Loginova was taken in an unmarked vehicle to a police station, where she reportedly began feeling unwell from stress. Paramedics were called to treat her but decided she did not require hospitalization, her mother Irina Loginova told local media.

Despite her repeated arrests, Loginova’s mother said her daughter would continue performing. “It’s her life,” she said.

The musician faces an additional charge of discrediting the army for another anti-war song, which could escalate to criminal prosecution carrying a potential prison sentence of several years.

Her defiance has gained wide attention on Russian social media, with many viewing her as a symbol of artistic resistance against the Kremlin’s crackdown on dissent.

During her latest detention, Orlov proposed to Loginova inside a police van — a gesture that has since gone viral, underscoring both the repression and resilience of Russia’s new generation of anti-war artists.

themoscowtimes report

Sudan’s paramilitary killed over 600 at a hospital in Darfur, residents and aid workers say

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EL-FASHER, Sudan (AP) — Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed more than 600 people, including patients and medical staff, during a brutal assault on a hospital in North Darfur, witnesses and aid agencies said Wednesday, describing one of the deadliest atrocities since the country’s civil war began two years ago.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that 460 patients and their companions were massacred inside Saudi Hospital in the provincial capital of El-Fasher on Tuesday after RSF fighters overran the city. “The attack was a massacre,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who condemned the violence as a violation of international humanitarian law.

Survivors and aid workers told The Associated Press that RSF gunmen went door-to-door, shooting civilians, including women and children, and executing hospital patients in their beds. Witnesses described corpses scattered in the streets and around the hospital. “It was like a killing field,” said Tajal-Rahman, a man who fled the city. “Bodies everywhere, people bleeding, and no one to help them.”

The assault came after RSF forces seized El-Fasher, the Sudanese army’s last major stronghold in Darfur, following a 500-day siege. The capture raises fears that Sudan, already fractured by ethnic and political divisions, may splinter again more than a decade after South Sudan’s independence.

Humanitarian agencies say the massacre is part of a systematic campaign of terror. The Sudan Doctors Network, which has tracked violence since the conflict began, said RSF fighters “cold-bloodedly killed everyone they found inside the hospital,” showing no mercy to the wounded or medical staff.

Umm Amena, a mother of four who escaped after being detained by RSF fighters, said the attackers “beat and tortured” civilians before shooting those who tried to flee. “The Janjaweed showed no mercy for anyone,” she said, using the local term for the RSF.

RSF commander Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, sanctioned by the United States, acknowledged “abuses” by his forces and said an internal investigation had begun, though he provided no details.

Footage shared online by Darfur Governor Mini Minawi appeared to show bodies strewn across the hospital floor, pools of blood surrounding patients and medical staff. In one clip, an RSF fighter fired into a wounded man who collapsed after the shot. The Associated Press could not independently verify the video but confirmed that mass graves are visible in recent satellite images analyzed by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab.

The Yale report said satellite evidence “corroborates claims of mass executions” near Saudi Hospital and the city’s former Children’s Hospital, where dozens of detainees were reportedly killed. Aid groups say the true toll could be far higher, with communication blackouts and ongoing violence hindering rescue efforts.

The United Nations migration agency said more than 36,000 people have fled El-Fasher since Sunday, seeking refuge in rural areas or overcrowded camps. Doctors Without Borders reported treating scores of gunshot victims and receiving dozens of orphaned or malnourished children, including infants whose parents were killed. “Now it’s hell on Earth with lots of guns,” said UNICEF representative Sheldon Yett.

Before the massacre, the U.N. had already documented nearly 2,000 civilian deaths in North Darfur this year. International outrage over the hospital killings grew on Wednesday, with France, Germany, the U.K., and the European Union condemning the RSF’s actions. U.S. Senator Jim Risch called on Washington to designate the group a foreign terrorist organization.

Human Rights Watch researcher Mohamed Osman said the footage from El-Fasher “reveals a horrifying truth: the Rapid Support Forces feel free to carry out mass atrocities with little fear of consequences.”

As Sudan’s civil war enters its third year, aid groups warn that the world’s worst humanitarian crisis is deteriorating rapidly — and that the international community’s failure to act could embolden further atrocities.

3 US Air Force members found dead in Ohio in suspected murder-suicide

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DAYTON, Ohio (BN24)— The military community in Ohio is reeling after three U.S. Air Force members were found dead in a suspected murder-suicide. The bodies of Jacob Prichard, 34, his wife Jaymee Prichard, 33, and Lieutenant Jaime Gustitus, 25, were discovered in separate locations on Saturday morning, prompting an investigation into the tragic deaths.

The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base confirmed the deaths, with police and local authorities reporting that the incident was a murder-suicide. Authorities believe Jacob Prichard killed his wife and her colleague, Lieutenant Gustitus, before turning the weapon on himself. The investigation into the events is ongoing, but details have begun to emerge about the chilling sequence of events that led to the deaths.

According to police, the first signs of trouble came early Saturday morning when a witness in Sugarcreek Township called 911 after hearing a loud bang coming from a nearby home. The witness, who was located near the Prichard residence, reported hearing what sounded like a glass door shattering at around 2 a.m.

“I think they shattered her door,” the caller said, according to WHIOTV. The witness later saw a man, identified by authorities as Jacob Prichard, leaving the area. The witness said Jacob had threatened them at gunpoint, telling them to return inside their home. The man then left the scene, according to the police account.

At the time of the call, Jacob Prichard had already killed Lieutenant Gustitus in her apartment, police said. Gustitus, who was a member of the 711th Human Performance Wing at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson, was discovered dead at the scene. Authorities later revealed that Jacob had also killed his wife, Jaymee, although they did not specify how or where her death occurred.

Hours after the initial events, Jacob Prichard drove to his workplace, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, at around 4 a.m. He parked his car outside and, in a final act of desperation, shot himself. Security cameras at the base recorded the moment, capturing his death on video. Police later found Jaymee Prichard’s body in the trunk of the car, confirming that her husband had intentionally placed her there before taking his life.

Jacob and Jaymee Prichard, who lived in Huber Heights, just north of Dayton, were well-known in their local community. The couple had three children, who have been left devastated by the loss of their mother and father. Local authorities confirmed that the children were not witnesses to the murders and are now in the care of family members.

Lieutenant Gustitus, who was stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, worked in the 711th Human Performance Wing, which is part of the Air Force Research Laboratory. The wing focuses on human performance research, including mental and physical health initiatives for military personnel. Gustitus had joined the Air Force to serve her country and was considered a promising young officer. Authorities have yet to clarify her relationship with the Prichards, though she was described by police as a colleague of the couple.

The deaths have sent shockwaves through the local community and the military personnel at Wright-Patterson, where the victims worked. The Air Force Materiel Command released a statement expressing deep sorrow over the tragedy. Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry, Deputy Commander of the Air Force Materiel Command, said, “We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones affected. We stand with them as they navigate this unimaginable pain, and we offer our sincerest condolences to all impacted by this heartbreaking loss.”

The Air Force also confirmed that both the Air Force and local authorities are providing counseling services to help those affected by the deaths, including coworkers, family members, and friends. In addition, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has taken over the case, and authorities are working diligently to piece together the events leading up to the killings.

Jaymee Prichard’s family has launched a fundraiser to assist her three children, who are now without both parents. The family has set up an online donation campaign to help provide meals and support for the grieving children. The fundraiser’s description reads, “The Rock/Pritchard family is grieving the heartbreaking loss of their daughter and her three children, the loss of their mother. As they navigate this unimaginable time, we’d like to ease a small part of their burden by organizing meals for the family. If you’re able, please consider signing up to provide a meal. Your support and kindness mean more than words can express.”

While the motive behind the killings remains unclear, investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Authorities have not disclosed whether they believe the deaths were related to domestic issues, work-related tensions, or other factors.

As the investigation progresses, local authorities and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are focusing on gathering further evidence from the scene. The Air Force and local law enforcement continue to work closely together to understand what led to the tragic deaths of these three Air Force members.

The Air Force has promised to continue offering support to all affected individuals, particularly those who worked closely with the victims at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The deaths have left a hole in the local military community, and the full scope of the tragedy is still unfolding as investigators work to uncover the facts.

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