Badiraguato, Mexico | AFP | The downfall of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has done little to diminish his drug cartel’s power, but locals say it has had a devastating effect in one place: his remote and lawless hometown, Badiraguato. “El Chapo” was born 61 years ago in this small, dusty …
Read More »Nearly $1million in cash stolen from Mugabe’s house, court told
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Nearly a million dollars in cash was stolen from a suitcase owned by ousted Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, state media reported Friday, as three suspects including a relative of the former leader face trial for the theft. According to updated court papers Mugabe had filled …
Read More »US ex-priest sentenced to up to 14 years in prison for child sex abuse
New York, United States | AFP | A former Catholic priest who had admitted to sexually abusing children in the US state of Pennsylvania was sentenced Friday to up to 14 years in prison — the second clergyman to be jailed in the wake of a damning statewide grand jury …
Read More »Massive data leak targets German officials including Merkel
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Private data stolen from hundreds of German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, have been released online, the government said Friday. The information, which comprised home addresses, mobile phone numbers, letters, invoices and copies of identity documents, was published via Twitter in December but inexplicably only …
Read More »Seven Chinese nationals in Zimbabwe court over rhino horn stash
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe | AFP | Seven Chinese nationals appeared in a Zimbabwe court on Thursday after they were arrested last month with rhino horn pieces worth nearly a million dollars. They are facing charges of breaching the country’s wildlife laws. Zeng Dengui, 35; Peicon Jang, 35; Chen Zhiangfu, 30; …
Read More »Thai man guns down six family members, including kids at New Year party
Bangkok, Thailand | AFP | A Thai man who felt slighted by his in-laws shot dead six family members including his two young children at a New Year’s Eve party before turning the gun on himself, police said Tuesday. The mass shooting took place 10 minutes after midnight as Sucheep …
Read More »Indian woman chops off stalker’s penis
Mumbai, India | AFP | An Indian woman cut off the penis of a man who had been stalking her, before rushing him to hospital to save his life, police said Thursday. The 47-year-old woman and two men lured her neighbour to an isolated spot in Mumbai before hacking off …
Read More »Eight killed in China as hijacked bus crashes into pedestrians
Beijing, China | AFP | Eight people were killed and 22 injured after a hijacked bus crashed into pedestrians in east China’s Fujian province on Tuesday afternoon, state media reported. A hijacker carrying a knife has been detained and is being investigated by local police, state television CGTN said. The …
Read More »London tries to treat knife crime surge as public health epidemic
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Faced with spiralling youth violence and knife crime, authorities in London have decided to treat the issues as a public health problem, deploying similar tactics from the fight against disease epidemics. The strategy follows pioneering projects credited with bringing down murder rates in Chicago …
Read More »Sex abuse claims brought against 700 Catholic clergy in Illinois
Chicago, United States | AFP | Almost 700 clergymen in Illinois have been accused of child sexual assault, a far greater number than the Catholic Church had previously disclosed, the Midwestern US state’s top prosecutor revealed Wednesday. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the Church’s revelations that 185 clergy members …
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