A Russian court sentenced prominent lawyer Dmitry Talantov to seven years in prison Thursday for criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on social media, marking another prosecution under wartime censorship laws.
Talantov, 64, the former head of the Udmurtia Bar Association, was arrested in July 2022 after comparing Russian military actions in the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Bucha to “Nazi practices.” Prosecutors charged him under censorship legislation enacted shortly after the invasion began, accusing him of spreading “fake” information about the Russian army and inciting hatred.
“I am 64, and it is hard for me to imagine coming out of prison alive,” Talantov said in a recorded court statement published by rights group Perviy Otdel, maintaining his criticism of the war despite doubts about surviving his sentence.
Before his arrest, Talantov represented Ivan Safronov, a military affairs journalist whose 22-year treason sentence in 2021 shocked Russia’s media community.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested 25-year-old Nigerian national Oluyomi Omobolanle Bombata, known as “Bobo Chicago” or “Bola Flexx,” in connection with an alleged $2.8 million fraud scheme targeting multiple companies and individuals.
Bombata was apprehended November 20 in Illinois on an Oklahoma arrest warrant and faces five federal charges stemming from activities between June and October 2023: wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.
FBI investigators traced $2.8 million in fraudulent funds allegedly obtained through company and individual account hacking in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The investigation revealed transfers exceeding $300,000 to a liquor store, leading to the store owner’s implication in the scheme.
Judge Beth Jantz of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois authorized Bombata’s transfer to Oklahoma following his arrest. Authorities report Bombata initially targeted Houston’s Nigerian community before fleeing to Chicago. A co-conspirator has also been detained.
The case joins a growing list of major fraud schemes involving Nigerian nationals prosecuted by U.S. authorities. Notable cases include Ramon Abbas, known as “Hushpuppi,” sentenced to 11 years in 2022 by U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II following his Dubai arrest. Olalekan Ponle, “Mr. Woodberry,” received an eight-year, three-month sentence in July 2023 from Judge Robert Gettleman after pleading guilty to one fraud count in exchange for dropping seven other charges.
Bombata has been assigned a public defender after declaring insufficient funds for private counsel. His case will proceed in Oklahoma, where authorities continue investigating the extent of the alleged fraud network.
Colombian naval forces intercepted a cocaine-laden semi-submersible vessel in the Pacific Ocean headed for Australia, revealing what officials say is a new trafficking route exploiting the world’s highest-paying cocaine market.
The wooden and fiberglass vessel, stopped 1,200 miles southwest of Clipperton Island, had sufficient fuel to reach Australia, where cocaine commands up to $240,000 per kilogram — six times its U.S. street value, according to Colombian security forces.
Vice-Admiral Orlando Enrique Grisales said this marks the third such vessel intercepted on the Australia route, suggesting traffickers have established direct maritime paths to the country, which leads global per-capita cocaine consumption ahead of Britain, according to OECD data.
“The first was discovered in Colombian waters, and thanks to the maps it carried, we identified the route,” Grisales told reporters. “That’s when we began working with Australian authorities.”
The interception came during Operation Orion, a multinational naval effort that seized 225 tonnes of cocaine and arrested more than 400 people across several countries in six weeks. The vessel had departed from Colombia’s port of Tumaco before its interception.
“They are organised crime networks joined together,” Grisales said, describing connections between South American and Oceanian trafficking organizations uncovered during the operation. Colombian President Gustavo Petro commended the navy for the successful operation.
Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure Thursday, cutting power to more than a million people across the country’s west, south, and center as President Vladimir Putin threatened further escalation.
Ukrainian officials reported Russia deployed 91 missiles and 97 drones in its 11th major strike on the energy system since March, damaging facilities across nine regions. Ukraine’s air force claimed it intercepted 79 missiles and 35 drones, with 62 others “lost” to electronic warfare.
Putin said the assault responded to Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles against Russian territory, warning future strikes could target “decision-making centers” in Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of using cruise missiles with cluster munitions in what he called a “despicable escalation.”
The western Lviv region reported 523,000 people lost power, with nearly 500,000 more affected in Volyn and Rivne regions. The attack forced Ukraine to disconnect several nuclear power units, which provide more than half the country’s electricity, while state energy firm Naftogaz confirmed damage to its facilities.
The strikes intensify concerns about prolonged winter blackouts as temperatures hover around freezing. Russia has destroyed about half of Ukraine’s generating capacity during the war, prompting officials nationwide to deploy emergency generators for hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure.
The assault comes as Russian ground forces advance at their fastest pace this year in eastern Donetsk region, 33 months into the invasion. Earlier this month, Russia used a new hypersonic missile against Ukraine after Western allies allowed Kyiv to strike Russian territory with advanced missiles.
“Putin does not want peace. We must force him into peace through strength,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, urging Western allies to provide more air defense and long-range weapons.
Israel and Hezbollah exchanged accusations of breaking their ceasefire Thursday, just one day after the U.S.-French brokered truce took effect, with Israeli tanks firing on six Lebanese border areas and disputes erupting over civilian returns.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah claimed Israel attacked “those returning to the border villages,” while Israeli forces reported ceasefire violations by suspects approaching the southern zone. Lebanese security sources confirmed Israeli tank fire struck six locations within two kilometers of the border, wounding two people in Markaba.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to prevent Lebanese residents from returning to border villages, contradicting Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s announcement authorizing civilian returns. Israeli troops remain in Lebanese territory with surveillance drones patrolling the region.
The ceasefire agreement allows Israel 60 days to withdraw while prohibiting offensive operations from either side. The deal halted fighting that killed 3,823 people in Lebanon and 118 on the Israeli side, including 73 soldiers, according to official figures.
Hezbollah, which lost its leader Hassan Nasrallah to Israeli strikes, warned its fighters remain “fully equipped” to respond to Israeli actions and will monitor the withdrawal “with their hands on the trigger.”
Pakistani police filed multiple terrorism charges Thursday against imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi after protests demanding his release turned violent, leaving six dead and prompting nearly 1,000 arrests.
The charges, filed under anti-terrorism laws in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, followed days of unrest sparked by Bibi leading thousands from northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province toward the capital. Authorities accuse the couple of inciting attacks on security forces and disrupting peace.
At least six people, including four security personnel, died when a vehicle rammed into them, according to Islamabad police, who blame Khan’s supporters. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told international media that protesters “wanted to take over the capital” and were carrying weapons seized during a midnight raid Tuesday that dispersed thousands of demonstrators.
Bibi, a spiritual healer out on bail in a separate graft case, fled during the raid. Khan, imprisoned since August 2023, already faces more than 150 cases that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party claims are politically motivated.
The political tensions contributed to market uncertainty, with Pakistan’s Stock Exchange losing $1.7 billion Tuesday before rebounding Thursday to surpass 100,000 points for the first time. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif characterized the recovery as evidence of economic improvement.
The turmoil coincides with sectarian violence in the northwestern Kurram district, where eight people died Thursday in new clashes following earlier attacks that killed 42 Shiites and prompted deadly reprisals.
Separately, authorities filed terrorism charges against journalist Matiullah Jan following his reported abduction. Police claim he refused to stop at a checkpoint and grabbed an officer’s weapon, allegations Jan denies.
The Australian Senate passed groundbreaking legislation Thursday banning social media access for children under 16, making Australia the first country to impose such restrictions on platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram.
The bill, approved 34-19 in the Senate following a 102-13 House vote, will impose fines up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) on platforms that systematically fail to prevent underage accounts. Companies have one year to develop implementation methods before penalties begin.
Senate amendments strengthen privacy protections by prohibiting platforms from requiring government-issued identification documents or digital verification through government systems. The House is expected to endorse these amendments Friday.
“The core focus of this legislation is simple: It demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms,” Opposition Sen. Maria Kovacic told the Senate. “This is a responsibility these companies should have been fulfilling long ago, but for too long they have shirked these responsibilities in favor of profit.”
The law has divided child welfare advocates. Sonya Ryan, whose 15-year-old daughter was murdered by an online predator, called it a “monumental moment in protecting our children from horrendous harms online.” Wayne Holdsworth, who lost his teenage son to an online sextortion scam, also praised the legislation.
However, critics including Greens party Sen. David Shoebridge warn the ban could isolate vulnerable youth, particularly LGBTQI individuals and those in regional communities who rely on social media for support. Christopher Stone, executive director of Suicide Prevention Australia, criticized the government for “rushing this legislation” without considering social media’s positive aspects for youth mental health.
Social media platforms opposed the law as unworkable, requesting delay until a government-commissioned evaluation of age verification technologies reports next year. Critics suggest the legislation, coming months before a general election, aims to win parent voters concerned about children’s social media addiction.
Additional concerns include privacy risks for all users, undermined parental authority, potential isolation of children from positive online experiences, and reduced platform incentives for improving online safety.
India’s Parliament faced a third day of disruption Thursday as opposition parties protested the government’s silence over U.S. fraud charges against billionaire Gautam Adani, with lawmakers demanding investigation into the coal magnate’s business empire.
Opposition members crowded parliamentary aisles shouting anti-government slogans as Speaker Om Birla attempted to convene the lower house. The Congress party and other opposition groups accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of protecting Adani, leading to repeated adjournments in both houses of Parliament.
U.S. prosecutors in New York recently charged Adani, 62, and seven associates with securities fraud and conspiracy, alleging they orchestrated $265 million in bribes to Indian officials to facilitate a massive solar project. The Adani Group called the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission allegations “baseless.”
The controversy has impacted Adani’s international operations, with Kenya’s president canceling multimillion-dollar airport modernization and energy deals. Sri Lanka is reviewing $440 million in planned Adani Group investments for wind power and port development, while Bangladesh is examining an electricity supply agreement.
Amit Malviya, head of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT department, echoed the Adani Group’s defense on social media platform X, stating the U.S. charges are “allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” Critics interpreted this as unofficial government support for Gautam.
The opposition has called for a joint parliamentary committee to investigate Adani’s companies, which span agriculture, renewable energy, coal, and infrastructure sectors. “The foreign ministry and the finance ministry are inquiring into it. We will take the decision according to the reports of both ministries,” said Sri Lankan government spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa, addressing his country’s review of Adani projects.
A controversial American live-streamer known as “Johnny Somali” faces up to five years in prison in South Korea for causing public disturbances, as authorities crack down on social media personalities who provoke outrage for online attention.
Ramsey Khalid Ismael, 24, has been indicted for causing a “commotion” at a convenience store, Seoul prosecutors confirmed. Authorities have imposed a departure ban on Ismael while the investigation continues, according to local broadcaster MBC News.
The case has intensified after Ismael recently apologized for allegedly desecrating a monument to World War II sexual slavery victims, sparking widespread outrage. The incident led to confrontations, with footage from JTBC showing Ismael being kicked by pursuers. Seoul police reported one man’s arrest for allegedly punching the streamer.
Ismael, who maintains a modest following across Instagram, TikTok and Rumble, has faced platform bans following accusations of harassing locals across Asia for viewership. His provocative behavior extends beyond Korea – Japanese media reported his arrest in Osaka last year for alleged trespassing, along with controversy over videos mocking atomic bombing victims.
The streamer’s conduct reflects growing regional tensions over disruptive social media personalities. Japan has reported multiple incidents involving foreign content creators, from fare evasion to shrine desecration, amid record tourism and increasing complaints about visitor behavior.
“There’s nothing significant there save his provocateur persona: a garden-variety character in today’s social mediascape,” said John Lie, sociology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, suggesting Ismael’s actions stem from a “quest to be a social media celebrity.”
Recent incidents in Japan underscore the trend, with authorities arresting an American tourist for allegedly carving letters into a shrine gate and an Austrian man for sexual conduct at a religious site.
London’s Metropolitan Police announced Wednesday it has identified 90 alleged victims in a sexual assault investigation of late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, with more than 400 women and witnesses coming forward following a BBC documentary aired in September.
The Met has established a dedicated unit to “review all reports and pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry” after the documentary detailed multiple claims of rape and sexual assault against the Egyptian billionaire, who died in August 2022 at age 94. The number of potential victims has increased from the 60 previously identified by police.
Detectives are investigating “a number of individuals associated with” Al Fayed, examining their potential roles in “assisting and facilitating” any offenses while reviewing more than 50,000 pages of evidence, including victim statements.
“This investigation is about giving survivors a voice, despite the fact that Mohamed Al Fayed is no longer alive to face prosecution,” said Commander Stephen Clayman of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command. “However, we are now pursuing any individuals suspected to have been complicit in his offending.”
The investigation has led to broader scrutiny of historical complaints, with the Met referring itself to the UK police watchdog after two women complained about previous handling of Al Fayed abuse allegations. Recent weeks have seen accusations emerge against his late brother Salah Fayed, who died in 2010, while The New York Times published claims that another brother, Ali, 80, knew about alleged “trafficking” of women.
