- Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death by Syrian court for war crimes
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- 111 confirmed dead following 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia
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- Seventy years after South Africa’s women’s march, challenges persist for women
Hunt for Tube hero who gave blind man his shoes after he lost one through the gap The hunt is on find an ‘absolute hero’
Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death by Syrian court for war crimes
In a dramatic escalation of global political tensions, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia by a court in Koblenz, Germany, for war crimes committed during the Syrian civil war. This landmark ruling reflects growing international efforts to hold leaders accountable for atrocities, with the court stating it wants to ensure that “the suffering of the victims is acknowledged” in a case linked to the regime’s brutal actions against civilians. The verdict has significant implications for international justice, as calls for similar actions grow against other officials involved in these crimes.
The ruling is expected to further complicate Syria’s fragile political landscape. Economically, the situation remains precarious, with ongoing sanctions impacting resources and reconstruction efforts. Analysts will be closely watching future negotiations involving Syrian governance and peace processes, particularly as international pressure mounts on the Assad regime amid these judicial developments.
Key developments across the world
Bashar al-Assad, Atef Najib sentenced to death in landmark Syria trial
GLOBAL SECURITY — Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes. This unprecedented ruling comes from a Syrian court and marks a significant moment in the ongoing struggle for accountability amid the ongoing Syrian conflict.
The judgment focuses on crimes against humanity committed during the Syrian civil war. This decision may have broader implications for international legal precedents concerning war crimes and accountability for state leaders.
Bashar al Assad sentenced to death in absentia by Syrian court for war crimes
INTERNATIONAL LAW — An unprecedented death sentence was issued against Bashar al-Assad by a Syrian court for war crimes. This landmark ruling reinforces growing international calls for accountability regarding actions taken during the Syrian conflict.
Trump hidden in catering truck in secret plane swap over Iran threat, reports say
GLOBAL SECURITY — Donald Trump was secretly flown out of Turkey in a catering truck due to Iranian security threats. This incident highlights major security concerns for international delegations amidst escalating tensions in the region.
Spain’s migrant amnesty a ‘very bad idea’, says Swedish PM
DIPLOMACY — Swedish Prime Minister has strongly opposed Spain’s recent migrant amnesty initiative. This political stance reflects growing tensions among EU member states regarding migration policies.
The debate over Spain’s amnesty could have significant repercussions for EU-wide migration strategies and the collaborative approach to handling migrant crises across Europe.
Netanyahu’s veto and the limits of American power
WORLD POLITICS — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vetoed a peace plan proposed by the Trump administration concerning Gaza. This act illustrates the complexities of Middle Eastern diplomacy and the intricate balance of power in the region.
Netanyahu’s action may further complicate US-Israel relations and hinder potential peace negotiations, affecting stability in Gaza and surrounding territories.
What to watch — The international response to the Assad ruling could reshape future accountability mechanisms for war crimes.
Further reading from global news sources
BBC News
Trump hidden in catering truck in secret plane swap over Iran threat, reports say
The Washington Post
Contradicting public statements, Trump took secret flight from Turkey amid Iranian threat
The Guardian
Trump reportedly hid in catering container to board secret flight in Turkey amid Iran threat
Al Jazeera
Bashar al-Assad, Atef Najib sentenced to death in landmark Syria trial
Financial Times
Spain’s migrant amnesty a ‘very bad idea’, says Swedish PM
‘Cheer up, you caught the bad guy,’ says killer Virginia McCullough as she is arrested for murdering her parents
A woman who murdered her parents “in cold blood” before hiding them in makeshift tombs for four years told officers to “cheer up, you caught the bad guy” as she was arrested in her home.
Virginia McCullough, 36, poisoned her father John McCullough, 70, with prescription medication and fatally stabbed her mother Lois McCullough, 71, shortly afterwards in 2019.
She ran up large debts on credit cards in her parents’ names and after their deaths, she continued to spend their pensions until she was finally caught in 2023.
In body-worn video footage released by police, a handcuffed – and eerily calm – McCullough told officers: “I did know that this would kind of come eventually.
“It’s proper that I serve my punishment.”
She said she had slipped something into her father’s drink then put his body under a bed on the ground floor, and put her mother’s body in an upstairs wardrobe.
McCullough, having been arrested on suspicion of double murder, told an officer: “Cheer up, at least you’ve caught the bad guy.”
She added: “I know I don’t seem 100% evil.”
At the police station, she told officers where a kitchen knife was, which she described as a “murder weapon”, and a hammer which she said “will still have blood on it”.
McCullough, of Pump Hill, Chelmsford, Essex, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday with a minimum term of 36 years at Chelmsford Crown Court, after she admitted to their murders between 17 and 20 June 2019 at an earlier hearing at the same court.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard how she hid their bodies in makeshift tombs at the family home in Great Baddow in Essex, then told persistent lies to cover her tracks.
The court heard she cancelled family arrangements and frequently told doctors and relatives her parents were unwell, on holiday or away on lengthy trips.
But concerns over Mr and Mrs McCullough’s welfare were raised in September 2023 by a GP at their registered practice, and Essex County Council’s safeguarding team referred these to police.
The GP had not seen the couple for some time and said Mr McCullough had failed to collect medication and attend scheduled appointments. It was found McCullough had frequently cancelled appointments, using a range of excuses to explain her father’s absence.
Police said a missing persons investigation was initially launched and McCullough lied to officers, claiming her parents were travelling and would be returning in October.
It became a murder investigation, and when officers forced entry to the house in Pump Hill on September 15 2023, McCullough confessed that her parents’ bodies were in the house and that she had killed them.
Nicola Rice, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “McCullough callously and viciously killed both of her parents before concealing their bodies in makeshift tombs within their home address.
“She spent the next four years manipulating and lying to family members, medical staff, financial institutions, and the police, spending her parents’ money and accruing large debts in their name.”
She added: “This was a truly disturbing case, which has left behind it a trail of devastation, and I can only hope that the sentence passed today will help those who loved and cared for Lois and John begin to heal.”
G20 waters down support for Ukraine amid pressure for peace talks
FT.com Tweet
The Tech Titan Who Led His Company From a 68-Square-Foot Jail Cell
WSJ Business Tweet
Defense alliance NATO chief Mark Rutte has met US President-elect Donald Trump to discuss global security issues, according to a NATO spokesperson.
The meeting took place in Palm Beach, Florida.
During his first term as US president, 2017-2020, Trump pushed for European NATO countries to spend more on defense and described the alliance’s cost-sharing as unfair to the US.
Rutte took over as NATO chief from Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg in November.
Before taking office in January, Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth for the post of defense secretary, which has raised eyebrows among many allies.
Hegseth, 44, has served as an infantry captain in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has no senior military or government officer experience.
Multiple missiles were fired in an airstrike towards a densely populated part of Lebanon’s capital early on Saturday.
The huge airstrike targeted Beirut’s Basta neighbourhood, and no prior warnings were given by the Israeli military. The largely residential area was struck last month.
At least one violent explosion was heard across the city, Reuters witnesses said, and plumes of smoke could be seen. Scenes of massive destruction at the site were shared online, including a massive crater in the ground.
“Beirut, the capital, woke up to a horrific massacre, as the Israeli enemy’s air force completely destroyed an eight-story residential building with five missiles on Al-Mamoun Street in Basta,” the state-run National News Agency reported.
The health ministry put the initial death toll at four, with 23 wounded. The number is expected to climb in the coming hours as search and rescue efforts continue.
It came after a long day of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which have been non-stop since last week.
The cross-border fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group escalated into a full-blown war in mid-September.
Israel has bombed southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs and the eastern Beqaa region, and has sent ground troops across the border. Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets deeper into Israel.
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