London — Prosecutors have launched a High Court appeal to revive a terrorism-related case against Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, arguing that a chief magistrate erred in ruling the proceedings were “instituted unlawfully.” Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, was accused of displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terror organization Hezbollah during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November 2024. The case was thrown out on technical grounds in September last year by chief magistrate Paul…

BBC moves to dismiss Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit over Panorama edit The BBC will ask a Florida court to dismiss US President Donald Trump’s $10 billion (€8.5 billion) defamation lawsuit over a Panorama episode edit, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction, the venue is improper and the complaint fails to state a claim, according to court filings made late Monday UK time. The broadcaster’s motion says it neither created, produced nor broadcast the documentary in Florida and disputes Trump’s assertion that the program…

A Swiss court has ordered that the co-owner of a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana that caught fire on New Year’s Day, killing 40 people, must remain in custody as the criminal investigation proceeds. In a statement, the court said Jacques Moretti will be held for a provisional period of three months. The order can be reviewed if measures are taken to reduce the risk of flight, including the possibility of a security deposit. Prosecutors in the Valais canton initially ordered Moretti’s detention on Friday after a…

Maduro brought to New York federal court for arraignment NEW YORK — Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was brought to federal court in Manhattan for arraignment, a dramatic turn in a yearslong U.S. criminal case that has accused him of helping steer a state-backed cocaine trafficking enterprise. Details of the proceeding, including the specific charges to be read in court and any initial decisions on detention or bail, were not immediately available. An arraignment typically marks a defendant’s first appearance before a judge,…

Israel urges Supreme Court to keep Gaza media ban, citing security risks Israeli authorities have asked the country’s Supreme Court to keep a ban on independent international media access to Gaza in place, arguing that unescorted reporting would pose unacceptable security risks, according to a government submission filed by the public prosecutor and obtained by AFP. The prohibition has stood since the war in Gaza erupted in October 2023. In that time, Israel has permitted only a limited number of foreign reporters to enter…

WASHINGTON — Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is expected to appear in a U.S. court on drug charges after his capture by American forces, even as President Donald Trump signaled the possibility of further incursions and broader regional action if Washington’s demands on Venezuela’s interim government are not met. Maduro, 63, is being held in a New York detention center following a Saturday military raid in Caracas that jolted the country’s political order and set off international alarm. Trump administration…

U.S. Justice Department releases thousands of Jeffrey Epstein files, heavy redactions, Clinton photos, scant mention of Trump The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday released thousands of heavily redacted documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein, offering new images and records that featured former President Bill Clinton while making scant reference to President Donald Trump. The partial disclosure, mandated by a law Congress passed last month over White House objections, arrived after months of resistance from the administration…

Ghislaine Maxwell has asked a U.S. federal judge to throw out her sex trafficking conviction and free her from a 20-year sentence, arguing in a habeas corpus petition that “substantial new evidence” and constitutional violations undermined the fairness of her 2021 trial. Filed in Manhattan federal court, the petition asserts that material that could have led to Maxwell’s acquittal was withheld while false evidence reached the jury, resulting in what her lawyers describe as a “complete miscarriage of justice.” In the filing,…

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…

Utah — The man accused of killing right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk made his first in-person appearance in a Utah courtroom, a case that has riveted national attention for its political overtones and possible death-penalty stakes. Tyler Robinson, 22, appeared calm as attorneys for both sides conferred over procedural matters expected to shape what observers say could become one of the most closely watched trials in recent years. Robinson wore a light shirt and tie. A judge had previously ruled he did not have to…