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Paris synagogue bomber convicted after 43 years

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A court in Paris has convicted a Lebanese-Canadian university professor, Hassan Diab, of planting a motorcycle bomb that killed four people and wounded 38 others at a Paris synagogue in October 1980. Diab, who called his situation “Kafkaesque”, received a life sentence, but refused to attend the trial.

Prosecutors claimed that he was undoubtedly responsible for the bombing, which was the first attack on Jews in France since World War Two and became a model for many similar attacks carried out by militants in the Middle East. Supporters of Diab have criticized the trial as being “manifestly unfair”.

The investigation into the 1980 Paris synagogue bombing has been marked by confusion and persistence by a small group of magistrates. Hassan Diab, a Lebanese-Canadian university professor, was named as a suspect almost 20 years after the attack and was finally extradited from Canada in 2014.

In 2018, the case was closed due to lack of evidence, but an appeal to reopen the case was successful in 2021, leading to Diab’s recent trial and conviction in absentia. Diab has consistently maintained his innocence, and his conviction may lead to a second extradition request, although its success is uncertain. Diab expressed disappointment that “reason did not prevail”.

Responding to the verdict, the Hassan Diab Support Committee in Canada called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make it “absolutely clear” that no second extradition would be accepted.

They said 15 years of legal “nightmare… is now fully exposed in its overwhelming cruelty and injustice”.

At a news conference, Mr Trudeau said his government “will look carefully at next steps, at what the French government chooses to do, at what French tribunals choose to do”.

“But we will always be there to stand up for Canadians and their rights,” he added.

Over three weeks the court heard an account of the known facts of the case, plus arguments identifying Diab as the bomber and counter-evidence suggesting he was a victim of mistaken identity.

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Newcastle’s Farrell Centre explores if we can grow houses from fungus

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The Farrell Centre, a new architecture center in Newcastle that was partly funded by architect Sir Terry Farrell, is set to open with an exhibition showcasing innovative ways to reduce cities’ environmental impact. One of the exhibits features a structure made from mycelium, the root network of fungus, which has been grown on a knitted canopy made from sawdust and paper waste.

This approach creates walls that are strong, light, self-repairing, and fully compostable. The exhibition also includes visions from four architecture studios on how to make buildings more sustainable. The center cost £4.6 million to set up.

According to the director of the Farrell Centre, Owen Hopkins, the use of mycelium in building construction is quite different from the traditional approach that relies on concrete, steel, and glass. Buildings and construction contribute to around 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions, making it a significant contributor to climate change.

The Farrell Centre, which is part of Newcastle University, has created an exhibit showcasing a “living room” made from mycelium. Although mycelium is not yet a material that can be used in conventional building construction, it is not far off, says Mr Hopkins. The material has the ability to self-repair, making it a promising material for future construction. However, this new approach challenges the traditional idea of architecture as something that is finished and fixed.

The More With Less exhibition at the Farrell Centre includes innovative ideas for using insulation and common low-cost materials to make buildings more environmentally friendly. Despite being part of the problem, architecture and planning have the potential to be powerful solutions to climate change.

The exhibition also focuses on the impact of buildings on life in north-east England and how they can be improved. Sir Terry Farrell, who helped regenerate Newcastle’s quayside in the 1990s and designed landmarks such as the Centre For Life and the MI6 building in London, was instrumental in setting up the center. He also conducted the Farrell Review of Architecture and the Built Environment for the UK government in 2014.

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Alec Baldwin: Manslaughter charges dropped over shooting

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Actor Alec Baldwin’s criminal charges related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust” in October 2021 have been dropped. Baldwin had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, but the charges have been dropped due to new information that requires further investigation.

The decision to drop the charges does not absolve Baldwin of criminal responsibility, and charges may be refiled in the future. The investigation into the incident will continue to be active and ongoing. The decision comes just before the trial was set to begin.

A lawyer for Mr Baldwin praised the move by prosecutors.

“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” his lawyer, Luke Nikas, told the BBC in a statement.

During a practice session for firing a gun on the set of the movie “Rust” near Santa Fe, Alec Baldwin fired a shot that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Baldwin denied pulling the trigger, but an FBI report concluded that the gun could not have fired without the trigger being pulled.

Baldwin was due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing in May, but the charges against him have been dropped due to new information that requires further investigation. However, the charges against the film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter, remain unchanged. Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer expects her to be exonerated at the end of the legal process.

The LA Times reported that prosecutors had discovered that the gun used in the shooting had been modified with a new trigger that could have increased the chances of a misfire. However, the prosecutors’ statement released on Thursday did not mention the gun but stated that new information requires further investigation and forensic analysis. Alec Baldwin was accused of recklessly disregarding the safety of his colleagues, and his lawyer had previously criticized the initial decision to charge him as a “terrible miscarriage of justice”.

According to Variety magazine, Mr Baldwin is currently filming Rust on location in Montana.

Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, will be an executive producer. Baldwin last October reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by her family.

Rust Movie productions, which Baldwin is part of, said in February the scene that was being rehearsed when Hutchins was shot has now been rewritten.

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Ukraine war: Russian warplane accidentally bombs own city

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A Russian Sukhoi-34 fighter jet accidentally dropped a bomb on the city of Belgorod, which is near the Ukrainian border. The explosion caused extensive damage, including a 20m (60ft) crater, and blew a car onto the roof of a nearby shop. The regional governor ordered the evacuation of a damaged nine-storey block of flats as a precaution.

Three people were injured and several buildings were damaged. The Russian defence ministry acknowledged that one of its Su-34 fighter bombers had accidentally discharged aircraft ordnance at 22:15 local time on Thursday. Video footage on social media showed the blast’s impact, lifting a vehicle onto the roof of a supermarket while traffic was passing by.

The Russian defense ministry’s statement was a bureaucratic way of acknowledging that the fighter jet had accidentally fired a weapon, without specifying which one. The bomb landed at an intersection near the city center, next to residential buildings. Although two women were injured and taken to the hospital, the governor expressed relief that no one was killed in the incident, especially given the potential for greater harm with a bomber hitting a busy residential district. The governor conveyed his gratitude on social media for the absence of fatalities.

The CCTV footage of the incident indicates that local residents had a lucky escape. The video shows several cars passing a crossroads before an object falls to the ground nearby. Although there is no immediate explosion, the ordnance detonates approximately 18 seconds later, blowing up a section of the road and catching one of the passing cars, which sends a parked car flying into the air and landing on the roof of a supermarket.

Although the incident is embarrassing for the Russian military, the acknowledgement of an accident suggests that officials do not expect it to negatively impact public opinion of the Russian government’s ongoing military operations. In times of war and conflict, accidents can happen, sometimes with catastrophic consequences, as demonstrated by a Sukhoi fighter jet crash in the Russian city of Yeysk last October, which killed at least 13 people.

The military has initiated an investigation into the incident, according to reports. A former military pilot was quoted by pro-government news site Moskovsky Komsomolets, suggesting that the conclusions of the investigation would not be made public, but lessons would be learned.

Maintenance workers started repairing the damaged intersection in Belgorod by the morning, and the mayor stated that most of the repair work would occur over the weekend, with the road to be resurfaced on Monday. The regional governor acknowledged that Belgorod’s residents had a difficult night but would manage to get through it.

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News Trending War

Blinding flash over Kyiv was probably meteor, says Ukraine space agency

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There was a mysterious flash in the sky over Ukraine’s capital on Wednesday night, which led to various speculations. Initially, officials in Kyiv thought it might be a Nasa satellite falling to Earth, but Nasa denied it was still in orbit. Ukrainian space officials later speculated that it might be a meteor entering the atmosphere.

The air force ruled out a Russian air attack. The incident occurred at around 10 pm local time, and an air raid alert was activated, but no air defense measures were taken. The head of Kyiv’s military administration suggested it might be caused by a retired Nasa spacecraft that was supposed to re-enter the atmosphere that day.

According to Nasa’s Office of Communications, the RHESSI satellite, which was launched in 2002 and decommissioned in 2018, was still in orbit at the time of the flash and was expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later that night. Satellite-tracking website Satflare showed that RHESSI was not near Ukraine when the incident occurred.

Despite many theories and memes on social media, the Ukrainian air force spokesman and the country’s space agency suggested that the flash was probably caused by a cosmic body entering the atmosphere. Kyiv officials stated that the priority was the safety of the city, and it was for experts to determine the cause of the flash.

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Michael Schumacher: Seven-time F1 champion’s family plan legal action after AI-generated ‘interview’

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The family of Michael Schumacher is planning to take legal action against a magazine called Die Aktuelle, which published an article claiming to have an interview with the seven-time Formula 1 champion. The article featured a photo of Schumacher with a headline that read “Michael Schumacher, the first interview.”

However, it was later revealed that the quotes in the article were generated by an artificial intelligence program called character.ai. Schumacher’s family found the use of AI-generated quotes to be deceptive and are taking action against the magazine. Schumacher suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013 and has not been seen in public since then.

“I can with the help of my team actually stand by myself and even slowly walk a few steps,” read the Schumacher ‘quotes’.

“My wife and my children were a blessing to me and without them I would not have managed it. Naturally they are also very sad, how it has all happened.

“They support me and are standing firmly at my side.”

The family have confirmed to news agency Reuters that they are planning to pursue the matter legally.

Die Aktuelle’s publishers declined to comment on the legal action being taken against them by Michael Schumacher’s family. Schumacher, who won seven Formula 1 world drivers’ titles, suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident in 2013 and has not been seen in public since. His medical condition has been kept private by his family.

Schumacher’s son, Mick, is a reserve driver for Mercedes, and in a 2021 Netflix documentary, Schumacher’s wife revealed that the family is doing everything they can to make him feel comfortable and to strengthen their bond.

“We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.

“‘Private is private’, as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael.”

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News Trending War

Ukraine war: The Russian ships accused of North Sea sabotage

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According to a joint investigation by public broadcasters in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, Russia has allegedly developed a program to disrupt wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea. The investigation claims that Russia has deployed a fleet of vessels disguised as fishing trawlers and research vessels that carry underwater surveillance equipment to map out key sites for potential sabotage.

UK officials are reportedly aware of Russian vessels moving around UK waters as part of this program. The first of a series of reports on this matter is scheduled to be aired on Wednesday by DR in Denmark, NRK in Norway, SVT in Sweden, and Yle in Finland.

According to a Danish counter-intelligence officer, the plans for sabotaging wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea are being prepared by Russia in case of a full-scale conflict with the West. The head of Norwegian intelligence has also reportedly said that the program is considered highly important for Russia and controlled directly from Moscow.

The broadcasters claim to have analyzed intercepted Russian communications, which reveal the presence of “ghost ships” sailing in Nordic waters with their transmitters turned off to avoid detection. The report highlights a vessel named the Admiral Vladimirsky, officially designated as an underwater research vessel but alleged to be a Russian spy ship.

The documentary cites an anonymous former UK Royal Navy expert who tracked the vessel’s movements around seven wind farms located off the coasts of the UK and the Netherlands during one mission.

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Macron tries to escape French pension row with street song

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French President Emmanuel Macron faced a risky situation while attempting to persuade the country to accept an unpopular pension age increase. During a walk with his wife Brigitte, Macron joined a group of young Parisians who were singing a traditional song his grandmother used to sing.

The singers were part of a Parisian choir performing on a street in the sixth district of Paris, and one of them asked Macron to join in singing an old Pyrenees song called “Le Refuge.” However, the sing-song was reportedly shared by a far-right Facebook group.

The men were using a mobile phone app to read the lyrics of the song created by the Canto project. Macron had given a TV address expressing regret that no consensus could be found on the pension reform earlier that day.

Last October, a left-leaning newspaper called Libération revealed that the Canto project, which aimed to promote traditional songs, had been set up and run by far-right activists. Some of the songs included French classics and nursery rhymes, while others had a questionable past, including songs linked to the Spanish fascist Falange of the 1930s and Nazi Germany.

Macron and his team are aware of how viral videos can distract from important issues, particularly pension reforms. After his TV address, Macron joined a group of singers who were performing a Pyrenean song he knew and liked. His team said that he couldn’t have known the background of each individual singer. Last month, a viral video showed Macron’s watch disappearing during a TV interview, but it was later revealed to be a non-issue.

Similarly, the narrative that Macron was supporting the far right by singing with the Saint Longin choir has gained traction, but his team maintains that he simply joined in singing a song he knew and liked.

The only link between the choir Macron sang with and the far right is that the founder of the app they used to read the lyrics was close to the National Rally opposition party. The app was created to encourage communal singing and received funding from the culture ministry.

It included revolutionary songs, including ones dear to the far-left, such as “Ah ça ira,” which features the line “Aristocrats to the gallows!” The Saint Longin choir appears to be from the Catholic right, but one member stated that their only connection to the Canto project was that they shared an interest in the music it featured. The Élysée also noted that Macron could not control who he met while walking with his wife at night.

The video of Macron singing with the choir has given the story significant traction, particularly as his approval ratings are currently low. This situation only compounds his difficulties as he attempts to restore his reputation. Despite this, he signed the pension reforms into law, which increase the retirement age from 62 to 64, and has given the Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne the responsibility of leading a hundred days of action with a roadmap of significant projects aimed at benefitting France.

Following the reforms, Macron’s impromptu sing-song in Paris was his first public appearance, and he planned to relaunch his second term in office in the Alsace town of Muttersholtz. However, given the protests and criticism against his pension reforms, security was expected to be tight during his visit.

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News Trending War

Evan Gershkovich: US journalist arrested in Russia appears in court

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A US journalist named Evan Gershkovich, who was working for the Wall Street Journal, has had his appeal against pre-trial detention rejected by a court in Russia. Mr. Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg and charged with spying.

He appeared in court in Moscow for the first time, standing in a bullet-proof glass enclosure wearing jeans and a blue checked shirt, and gave a brief smile but did not address the reporters present. His lawyer and the US ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, were also in attendance. This was the first public sighting of Mr. Gershkovich since his arrest.

The same court in Russia that convicted and sentenced Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza for treason on Monday rejected the appeal of US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was detained on charges of spying while working for the Wall Street Journal.

Media was allowed to attend the hearing before being asked to leave and return later. The US ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, who was present at the hearing, said that she had met Mr. Gershkovich for the first time on Monday and that he was in good health and strong despite the circumstances. Ms. Tracy called for Mr. Gershkovich’s immediate release, describing the charges against him as baseless.

More than 40 countries, led by the US, issued a joint statement at the UN on Monday demanding Mr. Gershkovich’s release and condemning Moscow’s treatment of the media. Mr. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of espionage.

According to Russian authorities, Evan Gershkovich was attempting to obtain classified defence information for the US government, a charge that he denies. His arrest is the first time since the Soviet era that Moscow has accused a US journalist of espionage.

Gershkovich was reportedly covering the Russian mercenary group Wagner in Yekaterinburg when he was detained. The Wall Street Journal has been providing legal support to Gershkovich, and US officials, including President Joe Biden and bipartisan senators, have condemned his detention.

His case is now being handled by the US special envoy for hostage affairs. The James Foley Legacy Foundation reported in 2022 that at least 65 Americans were being unfairly detained abroad.

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News Trending War

Ukraine war: Putin visits occupied Kherson region in Ukraine

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Russian President Vladimir Putin recently made a surprise visit to the occupied regions of Kherson and Luhansk in Ukraine, attending a military meeting to hear reports from commanders. This is a rare move by the Russian leader, who made a similar visit to Mariupol in March.

Although the date of the visit to Kherson is unknown, in footage released of the trip, Putin mentions the upcoming Orthodox Easter holiday, which was last Sunday. The Kremlin stated that the visits were not pre-planned.

During his visit, Putin also enquired about the situation in the Zaporizhzhia region, which Russia has also claimed as part of its territory. The international community has condemned Putin’s visit to the occupied territories.

During the military meeting in Kherson, Putin emphasized the importance of hearing the opinions and exchanging information with the commanders while acknowledging that he did not want to distract them from their duties. Russian forces had retreated from the city of Kherson towards the end of last year, losing the only regional capital they had captured since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Nonetheless, Russia still controls some parts of the region. In a video released by the Kremlin, Putin is seen disembarking from a helicopter and being greeted by a man in military uniform, believed to be military commander Col Gen Oleg Makarevich.

Later in the video, Putin is shown sitting in a control room between Col Gen Makarevich and Col Gen Mikhail Teplinsky, the head of Russia’s airborne forces. Col Gen Teplinsky was reportedly removed in January but has now returned to the front line, as reported by American military experts and British intelligence.

“Teplinsky is likely one of the few senior Russian generals widely respected by the rank-and-file,” the UK Ministry of Defence wrote on social media on Sunday.

“His recent turbulent career suggests intense tensions between factions within the Russian General Staff about Russia’s military approach in Ukraine.”

In the video, Putin is also shown presenting what is claimed to be a copy of an icon belonging to one of the most successful defense ministers of the Russian Empire. The footage then shows a road sign with the words “see you later in the Kherson region” and aerial shots of a coastal village, followed by Putin getting off a helicopter once again.

In a subsequent scene, Putin is seen wearing different clothes as he is taken into a bunker and is shown speaking with Col Gen Alexander Lapin, chief of staff of Russia’s ground forces. The Kremlin stated that Putin also visited the Vostok headquarters, which is a part of Russia’s National Guard, in occupied Luhansk. As of now, there has been no comment from Ukrainian authorities on the footage.

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