Headline
Canadian Rapper Sentenced To 10 Years For Shooting US Artist, Megan Thee Stallion

Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, convicted of shooting US artist Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during a drunken argument after a Hollywood party, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison.
A Los Angeles judge handed down the sentence after hearing how Lanez had ordered the hip-hop star to “Dance, bitch” as he shot at her several times while she stood on the road.
The sentencing follows Lanez’s conviction in December for assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharging a firearm with gross negligence, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
Prosecutors had requested a 13-year sentence, claiming Lanez had caused physical and emotional scarring to the “WAP” performer.
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Lanez’s attorneys had asked for him to be given probation or three years in prison, and mandatory rehab, including for alcohol addiction.
In a protracted sentencing hearing that began Monday, Judge David Herriford said he had received more than 70 letters on Lanez’s behalf, including from his celebrity friends.
One was from musician Iggy Azalea, whom he said had requested a sentence that was “transformational, not life-destroying.”
Another came from Lanez’s young son.
But the judge ordered Lanez — who has been in jail since his conviction — to serve a decade behind bars.
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He said the prosecution had proven two aggravating factors, involving the use of weapon and a particularly vulnerable victim, but had not proven that the crime involved a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness.
Megan Thee Stallion — whose real name is Megan Pete — had been in a car with Lanez, his bodyguard and her friend Kelsey Harris after a party at Kylie Jenner’s luxury home in July 2020.
She and Lanez — whose real name is Daystar Peterson — had developed an intimate relationship in the months before the incident.
Harris, who only learned of the sexual relationship that night, had a “crush” on Lanez, she told the court, and an argument then erupted in the car, with Megan Thee Stallion demanding to be let out of the vehicle.
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The “Savage” rapper said she saw Lanez pointing a gun at her and opening fire “after he said, ‘Dance, bitch.’”
Megan Thee Stallion told the court during the trial she felt she had “been turned into some kind of villain,” in the wake of the shooting, with the male-dominated rap world frequently seeming to be against her.
In a statement read in court Monday, she said she had not experienced “a single day of peace” since she was shot in July 2020.
“He not only shot me. He made a mockery of my trauma,” she said.
Headline
Netanyahu Asks Israeli President For Pardon From Corruption Charges
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has asked the country’s president for a pardon in his long-running corruption case, saying the criminal proceedings are hindering his ability to govern and that ending the trial would benefit the nation.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has denied the bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges.
His lawyers told the president’s office that he still believes the legal process will eventually lead to a complete acquittal.
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“My lawyers sent a request for pardon to the president of the country today. I expect that anyone who wishes for the good of the country support this step,” Netanyahu said in a brief video statement released by his Likud party.
The prime minister, who has been on trial for five years, has not admitted guilt, and neither have his lawyers. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu should not receive a pardon unless he admits wrongdoing, expresses remorse and immediately withdraws from political life.
Pardons in Israel are usually granted only after a conviction, but Netanyahu’s lawyers argued the president can step in when public interest is at stake, saying intervention could help heal national divisions and promote unity.
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President Isaac Herzog’s office described the request as “extraordinary” with “significant implications”. His office said the president “will responsibly and sincerely consider the request” after receiving the necessary opinions.
United States President, Donald Trump, recently wrote to Herzog urging him to consider approving the pardon, describing the case against Netanyahu as “a political, unjustified prosecution”.
Herzog’s office said the request will be sent to the justice ministry’s pardons department to gather assessments that will be forwarded to the president’s legal adviser, who will prepare a recommendation.
(Reuters)
Headline
US: Four Killed, 10 Others Wounded In California Shooting
Four people were confirmed dead and 10 others injured after a shooting at a family gathering in California, United States on Saturday night, according to US police, who described the attack as a “targeted incident.”
The incident occurred inside a banquet hall in Stockton, northeast of San Francisco, shortly before 6:00 pm, spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, Heather Brent, told reporters during a news briefing.
Brent said the victims, ranging from “juveniles to adults,” were rushed to nearby hospitals, noting that details about the shooting remained limited.
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“What we have confirmed at this time is that there was a banquet hall where a family was celebrating. We have 14 victims of this shooting. Four of those are deceased,” Brent said.
“Early indications suggest that this may be a targeted incident. Investigators are exploring all possibilities at this time.”
The sheriff’s office posted on social media that detectives were “working to determine the circumstances leading up to this tragedy.”
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“We are urging anyone with information, video footage, or who may have witnessed any part of this incident to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office immediately,” the post added.
Authorities said no suspect had been identified at the time of the report.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the development, his office said in a social media statement.
Data from the Gun Violence Archive shows there have been 504 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, including the Stockton attack.
(AFP)
Headline
FULL LIST: US To Review Green Cards From 19 ‘Countries Of Concern’ After Washington Shooting
The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.
U.S. officials identified the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting as a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked alongside American forces in Afghanistan.
The individual was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, an organisation that assists Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X.
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The review follows a June executive order from President Trump classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”
The order banned entry for nearly all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The full list of these countries is:
Afghanistan
Myanmar
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Haiti
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Iran
Libya
Somalia
Sudan
Yemen
A partial travel ban applies to seven additional countries, though some temporary work visas remain allowed: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
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