charges

French prosecutors have charged 10 men in connection with the alleged rape of a five-year-old boy who authorities say was drugged during a “chemsex” gathering in Lille, a case that has jolted France with its severity and rarity. The Lille prosecutor’s office said an investigation opened on Feb. 15, 2025, followed a report of a drug-fueled party the previous night in the northern city. The case has been referred to an investigating judge for alleged acts committed between November 2024 and Feb. 14, 2025, including “rape and…

OSLO — The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not guilty to rape and domestic violence but admitted to lesser offenses Monday as his closely watched trial opened in the capital, laying bare the most serious crisis to face the country’s royal family in peacetime. Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson to Crown Prince Haakon, faces 38 counts in total and could receive multiple years in prison if convicted of the most serious charges. He does not hold a royal title and is outside the line…

SYDNEY — One of two men suspected of carrying out Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in three decades will be charged within hours, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday, as funerals began for Jewish victims of Sunday’s attack at Bondi Beach. The father-and-son pair allegedly opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration at the iconic Sydney waterfront, in an assault that shocked the country and intensified concerns about rising antisemitism and violent extremism. Police shot dead the elder suspect, identified as…

HONG KONG — Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was found guilty Monday on two counts of foreign collusion and one count of seditious publication, a landmark verdict under Hong Kong’s national security law that could send the 78-year-old founder of the shuttered Apple Daily newspaper to prison for life. Lai, who has been jailed since 2020, listened impassively with folded arms as a panel of national security judges delivered the verdict in one of the Chinese territory’s most closely watched trials since Beijing imposed the…

Nnamdi Kanu Convicted of Terrorism and Treason in Nigeria Separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu has been convicted of terrorism, treason, and other charges in Nigeria after a decade-long trial. He has been sentenced to four life sentences, along with additional terms to be served concurrently. The prosecution had sought the death penalty; however, Judge James Omotosho stated that executions are now "frowned upon." Omotosho’s ruling emphasized that Kanu used a series of broadcasts to incite violence and killings in support of his…

Prominent Zimbabwean pastor Walter Magaya granted bail amid fraud and rape allegations HARARE — A Harare judge on Monday allowed prominent pastor Walter Magaya to be released on bail as he faces a tangle of criminal accusations that have roiled Zimbabwe’s religious and civic life. Magaya, the charismatic founder of the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries, and his wife, Tendai, remain under investigation on fraud charges tied to a multimillion-dollar church housing project that prosecutors say never materialised. He…

How a U.S. child‑nutrition fraud stretched from Minnesota to Nairobi — and what it reveals about pandemic-era crimes The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent indictment of two Kenyan brothers accused of laundering millions tied to a multimillion‑dollar scheme to steal federal child‑nutrition money reads like a study in how local corruption can quickly become transnational. At stake were dollars intended to feed children in American schools; according to prosecutors, some of that money ended up in apartments near Nairobi…

The head of Ethiopia Electric Power, Asheber Balcha, recently expressed concerns over Egypt's actions regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the largest hydroelectric project in Africa. Balcha accused Egypt of "scrambling to create hurdles" just as the dam nears its operational launch—a project deeply tied to the Nile River, a vital water source for Egypt and its neighbors. This statement comes at a time of escalating diplomatic tensions in the region. While visiting Uganda, the Egyptian foreign minister…

Amid a backdrop of controversy, top brass in Kenya's government, including President William Ruto, staunchly defended controversial accords with the Adani Group . However, the tide has turned. President Ruto decided to annul the procurement process poised to hand the keys of Kenya's primary airport to India’s corporate heavyweight, Adani Group, following the indictment of its founder in the U.S. This dramatic revelation came on Thursday as part of Ruto’s address to the nation. The original agreement, a hefty $2 billion…

Human Rights Watch has raised alarm bells in its latest report, asserting that Israel's ongoing evacuation orders in Gaza constitute what can be classified as the "war crime of forcible transfer." The organization boldly characterizes some of these actions as "ethnic cleansing" within various parts of the Palestinian territories. This stark depiction is not merely a casual observation; it's grounded in extensive research and firsthand accounts. In the words of the report, “Human Rights Watch has gathered compelling evidence…