Headline

UK Police Appeal To Underworld After Girl, 9, Shot Dead

Published

3 years ago

August 25, 2022

Police in Liverpool, northwest England, on Wednesday urged criminals to give up a gunman after a nine-year-old girl was shot dead in the crossfire of a suspected gang war.

Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed on Monday night when the shooter’s intended target, a 35-year-old man, burst into her house to try to escape his attacker.

Merseyside Police said the man was arrested for breaching the terms of his early release from prison.

The force said he was detained in hospital where he was being treated for gunshot wounds and would be questioned about the young girl’s murder.

He will then be returned to prison to serve the rest of his sentence.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy called the killing “shocking” and appealed to the “criminal fraternity” for information about the gunman.

“This is not the time for anyone who knows who was responsible to stay silent,” added Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Kameen.

Locals in the Dovecot area of Liverpool have blamed rival gangs for the shooting.

Olivia’s death was the third fatal shooting in the nearby area in a week and follows growing concern about gun crime in the city.

It happened on the 15th anniversary of the death of an 11-year-old boy, who was shot dead on the way home from football practice in nearby Croxteth.

Gun crime in England and Wales fell by 14 percent in the year ending March 31, with 5,709 recorded offences. Of those, 35 were homicides, according to a parliamentary research paper published this month.

Concern is high about knife crime, particularly in London, where on August 16, an 87-year-old man was stabbed to death on his mobility scooter.

Detectives said Olivia was standing behind her mother who had opened the door of their home after hearing gunshots in the street outside.

Her mother, Cheryl, tried to close the door when the intended victim forced his way in pursued by his attacker, who then opened fire at the man.

Cheryl was hit in the wrist and Olivia in the chest. As the young girl lay dying, friends picked up the man and took him to hospital for treatment to gunshot wounds to his upper body.

Headline

Netanyahu Asks Israeli President For Pardon From Corruption Charges

Published

17 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Editor

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.

“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.

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

Published

1 day ago

November 30, 2025

Editor

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.

“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.”

“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

Published

3 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

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.

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

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.