Police officers detain a demonstrator in Pushkinskaya Square in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 4, 2023. Imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny has voiced hope for a better future in Russia as his supporters held demonstrations to mark his birthday. Risking their own prison terms, some Navalny supporters in Russia marked his birthday by holding individual pickets, and other painted graffiti. Police quickly detained many for questioning. (AP Photo)
Russian authorities have initiated a manhunt after six convicts escaped from a correctional facility in the western Lipetsk region through a secret underground tunnel.
The prisoners’ disappearance was discovered during a routine inspection by prison guards, who found the concealed tunnel on the premises.
“In general regime penal colony No. 2, an underground tunnel was discovered during a patrol of the premises,” the regional prison service stated. “Immediately a count of convicts got underway, which revealed the absence of six inmates.”
Police officers detain a demonstrator in Pushkinskaya Square in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 4, 2023. Imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny has voiced hope for a better future in Russia as his supporters held demonstrations to mark his birthday. Risking their own prison terms, some Navalny supporters in Russia marked his birthday by holding individual pickets, and other painted graffiti. Police quickly detained many for questioning. (AP Photo)
While authorities did not disclose the identities of the escaped prisoners, they confirmed in a statement that the individuals were “from Central Asia.”
In response to the jailbreak, temporary search posts have been established, and local law enforcement agencies have been notified and are actively searching for the fugitives.
“Measures are currently being taken to track down the escaped persons. The perpetrators will be brought to justice,” prison authorities assured.
The incident has raised concerns about security measures and oversight at the correctional facility, as well as the potential risk to public safety posed by the escaped convicts.
Russian law enforcement agencies are known for their extensive resources and capabilities, and it is expected that a significant effort will be made to apprehend the fugitives as quickly as possible.
The manhunt is likely to involve a combination of ground searches, surveillance, and intelligence gathering, with authorities working closely with local communities to gather information and leads.
As the search continues, residents in the Lipetsk region and surrounding areas have been urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or sightings of the escaped prisoners to the authorities.
A Florida woman, Sarah Boone, 47, was found guilty of second-degree murder on Friday for zipping her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr., 42, in a suitcase and leaving him to die in 2020.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Boone told authorities that Torres got trapped in the suitcase and died during a game of hide-and-seek after the couple had been drinking chardonnay and doing puzzles in their Winter Park apartment. They thought “it would be funny” for Torres to hop in the suitcase as part of the game.
When Boone zipped Torres into the blue suitcase, two of his fingers stuck out, leading her to assume he could open it. She went to bed, expecting him to get himself out and join her, only to wake up and find him still in the suitcase, not breathing.
During the 10-day trial, prosecutors presented evidence that included videos found on Boone’s phone, in which Torres could be heard frantically pleading to be released while Boone laughed and taunted him. “In the videos she recorded, the victim could be heard telling the defendant he could not breathe and asking to be let out of the suitcase,” a release from State Attorney Andrew Bain’s office said. “Boone responded with, ‘That’s what you get,’ ‘That’s what I feel like when you cheat on me’ and other taunts.”
Boone’s defense argued that she was suffering from “Battered Spouse Syndrome” and was in fear for her life, according to CNN affiliate WFTV. Boone also testified that she thought Torres could get out of the suitcase on his own.
After the verdict, Boone’s attorney, James Owens, expressed disappointment, stating, “Just shock. She’s shocked, you know. She felt like, you know, she had a defense, as you know.” The family of Torres was emotional and declined to speak with the media, CNN affiliate WESH reported.
Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2 at 1:30 p.m., according to the release from the state attorney’s office. The case has garnered significant attention due to the unusual circumstances surrounding Torres’ death and the disturbing evidence presented during the trial.
The number of dead and missing in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Trami’s massive flooding and landslides in the Philippines has reached nearly 130, with President Ferdinand Marcos stating that many areas remain isolated and in need of rescue.
According to the government’s disaster-response agency, Trami left at least 85 people dead and 41 others missing as it blew away from the northwestern Philippines on Friday, making it one of the deadliest and most destructive storms to hit the Southeast Asian archipelago this year. The death toll is expected to rise as reports come in from previously isolated areas.
In the lakeside town of Talisay in Batangas province, dozens of emergency personnel, supported by backhoes and sniffer dogs, dug up one of the last two missing villagers on Saturday. A father, awaiting word on his missing 14-year-old daughter, wept as rescuers placed the remains in a black body bag.
President Marcos inspected another hard-hit region southeast of Manila on Saturday and noted that the unusually large volume of rainfall dumped by the storm overwhelmed flood controls in the affected provinces. Some areas received one to two months’ worth of rainfall in just 24 hours.
“The water was just too much,” Marcos told reporters. “We’re not done yet with our rescue work. Our problem here, there are still many areas that remained flooded and could not be accessed.”
Marcos emphasized the need for his administration to start work on a major flood control project that can meet the unprecedented threats posed by climate change.
More than 5 million people were in the path of the storm, with nearly half a million mostly seeking shelter in over 6,300 emergency shelters across several provinces.
During an emergency Cabinet meeting, Marcos raised concerns over reports by government forecasters that the storm could make a U-turn next week as it is pushed back by high-pressure winds in the South China Sea. The storm was forecast to batter Vietnam over the weekend if it does not veer off course.
Schools and government offices were shut down for the third day on Friday to keep millions of people safe on the main northern island of Luzon, and inter-island ferry services were suspended, stranding thousands.
Weather has cleared in many areas on Saturday, allowing cleanup work to begin in most regions.
The Philippines, a Southeast Asian archipelago situated between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, is battered by about 20 storms and typhoons each year. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones, left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and flattened entire villages.
A suicide bomber attacked a security checkpoint in Pakistan’s volatile North Waziristan district near the Afghan border on Saturday, killing at least eight people and injuring several others, Pakistani officials reported.
The blast occurred in the town of Mir Ali when the bomber detonated a motorbike rickshaw laden with explosives at the checkpoint. Among the dead were at least two soldiers, four police officers, and two civilians, according to multiple area security officials.
Five security personnel were also injured in the explosion, with local hospital sources describing the condition of some of them as “critical.”
Militants allied with the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) reportedly claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing. The attack followed fierce clashes with militants in districts surrounding North Waziristan on Friday, which killed at least 16 Pakistani security force members and injured many others.
Pakistani officials have reported a dramatic increase in TTP-led gun attacks and suicide bombings in the country, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border province, where North Waziristan is located. The violence has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Pakistanis, including 500 security forces, in the first 10 months of this year, according to independent research reports.
Islamabad has accused the TTP of operating out of sanctuaries in Afghanistan, alleging that the group has intensified cross-border attacks since the Islamist Taliban regained power in the neighboring country. However, the Taliban government in Kabul has consistently denied allegations that the TTP or any other transnational militant groups are present on Afghan soil.
The TTP, commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban, is listed as a global terrorist organization by the United Nations and the United States. The group had previously sheltered leaders of the Afghan Taliban in Pakistani border areas and joined them in staging years of insurgent attacks on U.S.-led international forces in Afghanistan until their departure in August 2021.
The recent surge in militant violence has raised concerns about the stability of the region and the capacity of Pakistani security forces to counter the growing threat posed by the TTP and its allies. As the situation continues to evolve, the international community is closely monitoring developments and urging both Pakistan and Afghanistan to take decisive action against terrorist groups operating within their borders.
As Botswana heads to the polls on Wednesday, the governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has held power for almost 60 years, is promising change to address the country’s pressing economic challenges.
In his manifesto introduction, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who has led the country since 2018, writes, “Let’s change together and build prosperity for all.” This acknowledgment that things need to be done differently is a departure from the party’s usual campaign message of stability and continuity.
Botswana has long been hailed as a success story in Africa, with the BDP credited for overseeing a peaceful transformation from a poor country at independence in 1966 to one with among the highest living standards on the continent. This growth has been largely driven by Botswana’s vast diamond reserves, which make it the world’s largest producer of the gemstone by value.
However, the country now faces significant economic hurdles. More than 25% of the working population is unemployed, with even higher rates among youth, according to the World Bank. University of Botswana politics professor Zibani Maundeni described it as a “jobless economy,” telling the BBC, “We are producing graduates every year and the economy is not producing enough jobs for them.”
Moreover, Botswana’s wealth is not evenly distributed, with researchers ranking it as one of the most unequal countries in the world based on the Gini index. The diamond industry, the backbone of the economy, is also under pressure as global demand has been falling.
Despite these challenges, Masisi and the BDP project confidence. At a recent campaign rally in an opposition stronghold, the president arrived in an electric vehicle assembled in Botswana, dancing towards the stage and greeting supporters with humor and charisma.
The area had elected three opposition MPs in 2019 after former President Ian Khama defected from the BDP to help form the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). Khama, who picked Masisi as his successor, later accused the government of trying to poison him and was charged with money laundering, which he denies.
Masisi pleaded with voters to return to the BDP, and some rally attendees seemed convinced. Hair-salon owner Thandiwe Potso, 32, said, “Masisi truly understands our challenges and brought better programmes to fund our businesses.”
However, an Afrobarometer poll earlier this year found that many Botswanans have a negative view of the government, believing there are high levels of corruption. BDP spokesperson Kagelelo Banks Kentse questioned the poll’s credibility but admitted the party is not overconfident, saying, “You never win before the actual vote.”
Opposition parties argue that the BDP is not the right agent for change. Dumelang Saleshando, leader of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), said the government has merely copied others’ ideas and deployed the slogan “Save Botswana.”
Duma Boko, leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), which secured the second-largest vote share in 2019, alleged attempts to rig the poll and urged supporters to remain vigilant.
While the government faces problems that could dent its support, divisions among the opposition could enable the BDP to maintain power. Botswana’s first-past-the-post electoral system means the BDP only needs the largest number of votes in a constituency to win a seat, potentially allowing it to benefit from a split opposition vote.
Political analyst Lesole Machacha told the BBC that the election is closely fought and unpredictable, with both the opposition and the ruling party facing internal issues.
As one of Africa’s most successful political parties seeks to extend its long tenure, the question is whether enough Botswanans believe it can deliver the change the country needs in the face of significant economic challenges.
At least 10 police officers were killed in an attack on a convoy in Iran’s restive southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan on Saturday, authorities said.
The attack occurred in Gohar Kuh, approximately 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) southeast of the Iranian capital, Tehran. Initial reports described an assault by “miscreants” without providing further details.
HalVash, an advocacy group for the Baluch people of Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, shared photos and video of what appeared to be a disabled truck with the green stripe used by Iranian police vehicles. One graphic photo showed the apparent corpses of two police officers in the front seat of the truck. HalVash said the attack seemed to target two security force vehicles, with all occupants killed. The truck appeared to have only bullet damage, rather than any explosive being used.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni ordered an investigation into the incident, which it described as causing the “martyrdom of a number of police.”
No immediate suspects were identified, and no group claimed responsibility for the attack, which came after Israel launched a major assault across Iran earlier on Saturday.
The Baluch regions across the three nations have faced a low-level insurgency by Baluch nationalists for more than two decades. Verifying information in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, long home to violence involving heroin traffickers, remains challenging.
Relations between the predominantly Sunni Muslim residents of the region and Iran’s Shiite theocracy have been strained. Typical attacks involve hit-and-run assaults by militants, like the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl, that kill a few security officials at a time. However, mass casualty attacks by militants have occurred in the past, with incidents in April and December of last year resulting in the deaths of several security personnel.
Meanwhile, the Taliban said they are investigating reports that Iranian security forces killed Afghan migrants in the region earlier in October, an incident that threatened to further strain relations between the two nations.
Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak issued an unusual apology Thursday over the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) state fund “under my watch,” while maintaining his innocence in the scandal.
Najib, who established 1MDB shortly after taking office in 2009, said in a statement that it “pains me every day to know that the 1MDB debacle happened under my watch” and offered an unreserved apology to the Malaysian people. However, he added that he was “still in deep shock knowing now the extent of the wretched and unconscionable shenanigans, and illegal things that happened in 1MDB.”
The former prime minister, who was defeated in the 2018 election and began serving time in 2022 after losing his final appeal in his first graft case, acknowledged that he should have “acted differently” but claimed he was misled. Najib also reiterated that he did not collaborate with Malaysian fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, identified by investigators as the mastermind behind the pilfering of the fund.
Investigators allege that more than $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB and laundered by Najib’s associates to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases. Najib argued that being held legally responsible for things he did not initiate or knowingly enable is unfair and expressed hope that the judicial process will ultimately prove his innocence.
The apology comes ahead of a crucial court decision on Wednesday that will either acquit Najib or order him to enter his defense in his second main graft trial. In this trial, Najib faces four charges of abusing his power to obtain over $700 million from 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
Prosecutors allege that Najib embezzled billions of dollars from 1MDB through an “elaborate charade” and then sought to cover his tracks, while Najib maintains that he was fooled into believing it was a donation from the Saudi Arabian royal family.
Najib faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of abuse of power and up to five years for each of the money laundering charges. He also has a pending case involving a criminal breach of trust and another money laundering trial. His wife and other senior government officials are also facing corruption charges related to the 1MDB scandal.
The 1MDB scandal has prompted investigations in the United States and several other countries, with the embezzlement of state funds under Najib’s watch being a major factor in his political downfall and subsequent legal troubles.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reaffirmed his commitment to lead the Liberal Party into the next election, despite a group of party lawmakers urging him not to seek a fourth term.
After a three-hour meeting with his Liberal members of Parliament on Wednesday, Trudeau acknowledged the “robust conversations” about the party’s future but maintained that he would remain leader going into the next election.
More than 20 Liberal lawmakers had signed a letter requesting Trudeau to step down before the next election, a move that has not been seen for a sitting Canadian prime minister in over a century.
However, Trudeau’s Cabinet ministers have expressed their support for the prime minister, stating that he has the backing of the vast majority of the 153 Liberal Party members in the House of Commons.
Sean Casey, one of the signatories of the letter, expressed disappointment that Trudeau did not take time to reflect on the request but said he now considers the matter closed. Casey acknowledged that Trudeau had the right to make the decision and said he would focus on winning his seat in the upcoming election.
The Liberals currently trail the Conservatives by 38% to 25% in the latest Nanos poll, which has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The party has also recently suffered upsets in special elections for seats in Toronto and Montreal that they have held for years.
The federal election could take place anytime between this fall and next October, with the Liberals relying on the support of at least one major party in Parliament, as they do not hold an outright majority.
The leader of the opposition Bloc Québécois has threatened to work with the Conservatives and the New Democratic Party (NDP) to bring down the Liberals and force an election if the government does not boost pensions.
Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, noted that while pressure is building on Trudeau, some of his unhappy lawmakers have limited power to force him out due to party rules revised in 2016 that make the party leader immune to challenges while serving as prime minister.
Trudeau, the son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, led the Liberals to victory in 2015 but has faced growing frustration from Canadians over rising costs of living and other issues like immigration increases following the country’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert Lewandowski scored twice and teenager Lamine Yamal made history as Barcelona inflicted a humiliating 4-0 defeat on Real Madrid in El Clasico on Saturday night, opening up a six-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Lewandowski, who has now scored 17 goals in 14 appearances this season, struck twice in quick succession early in the second half to put Barcelona in control. Yamal, aged just 17 years and 106 days, then became the youngest player to score in El Clasico when he added a third, before Raphinha completed the rout with a clever finish.
Real Madrid, who had Kylian Mbappe’s first-half goal disallowed for offside, suffered their first league defeat since September 2023, ending a long unbeaten run.
The first half was evenly contested, with Vinicius Junior and Mbappe threatening for Real Madrid, while Barcelona’s high defensive line caught their opponents offside on eight occasions.
However, Barcelona took control after the break, with Lewandowski making it 1-0 in the 54th minute after latching onto a pass from Marc Casado. Less than two minutes later, the Poland international doubled the lead, heading home Alejandro Balde’s cross.
Yamal then wrote his name into the history books in the 77th minute, collecting Raphinha’s pass before smashing the ball past Andriy Lunin in the Real Madrid goal. Raphinha added further gloss to the scoreline six minutes from time, lifting the ball over the onrushing Lunin.
Lewandowski was named man of the match for his two-goal display, overshadowing the likes of Vinicius, Mbappe, and Jude Bellingham, although Yamal and Raphinha also impressed.
The result puts Barcelona in a commanding position at the top of La Liga, six points clear of their fierce rivals. They will look to extend their winning run to six games in all competitions when they face Espanyol in the Catalan derby next Sunday.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, will aim to bounce back from this chastening defeat when they travel to struggling Valencia next Saturday.
The match stats underlined Barcelona’s dominance, with the Catalan side enjoying 58% possession and outshooting their opponents 15-9, with seven of those efforts on target compared to Real Madrid’s four.
The win is a major statement from Barcelona, who have now firmly established themselves as the team to beat in La Liga this season under the guidance of head coach Hansi Flick.
A tragic incident at Obada Idi-Emi High School in the Imeko Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria, has left a student dead and a teacher facing scrutiny. The student, identified simply as Ariyo, allegedly died after being punished by a teacher for breaking a dustbin.
According to activist Adetoun, who shared the incident on Instagram, the teacher had brought a dustbin to Ariyo’s class, instructing students not to break it. Ariyo reportedly joked that the dustbin was bought with the students’ money, angering the teacher, who then reported the matter to the principal.
Acting on the principal’s orders, the teacher allegedly punished Ariyo with 162 frog jumps and 24 strokes of the cane. During the punishment, Ariyo collapsed, and the teacher and other school staff reportedly delayed in taking him to the hospital for medical attention. By the time they did, Ariyo had passed away.
Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, confirmed the incident, stating that Ariyo was confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta on October 25, 2024. She clarified that contrary to initial reports, Ariyo was made to perform 162 frog jumps and was beaten with 24 strokes of the cane, not 162.
Odutola added that the deceased’s body had been deposited at the Ayetoro mortuary for autopsy and that an investigation was ongoing.
The incident has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the use of corporal punishment in Nigerian schools. A senior police officer, who confirmed the incident but was not authorized to speak with the media, stated that the police had intervened to control the tension that arose in the area following the student’s death.
As the investigation continues, the tragic incident has reignited the debate on the need for better regulation and monitoring of disciplinary practices in educational institutions to prevent such devastating consequences.
The Ogun State government and education authorities are expected to take swift action to address the incident and ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to protect students from excessive and potentially harmful forms of punishment.
