देश-विदेश

Following a retrial at the Old Bailey, 19-year-old Norwegian national Johannes Kongsnes Natland has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. Natland had travelled from Stavanger to Huddersfield in March last year after accepting a €25,000 (£21,500) contract to assassinate an unidentified target in the UK. Counter-terrorism officers arrested Natland in a hotel room two days after his arrival, recovering a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and ammunition concealed under his bed. The plot was orchestrated by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organised crime group linked to the Iranian government, and directed by an unidentified controller using the moniker “Agent 47”. While Natland claimed during the trial that he viewed the plot as a “joke” and intended to shoot himself in the foot to avoid executing the hit, prosecutors presented evidence of text messages and bragging that demonstrated his full awareness of the plan. Natland, who previously pleaded guilty to firearms possession, was remanded in custody by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb and is scheduled for sentencing in October.

The United States Senate has unanimously passed a non-binding resolution expressing formal opposition to any potential presidential pardon or clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a twenty-year prison sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation. Introduced by Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada, the measure asserts that granting executive clemency to Maxwell would run contrary to the interests of justice and accountability regarding crimes involving the sexual exploitation and abuse of minors. The vote occurred alongside congressional deliberation over the permanent nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously conducted an interview with Maxwell and stated to lawmakers that he would not recommend her for a pardon. The bipartisan action follows Maxwell exhausting her judicial appeals after the US Supreme Court declined to hear her petition last October, and her subsequent refusal to testify before a House oversight committee without a guarantee of immunity or clemency. Survivors and legal advocates have strongly condemned any prospect of executive intervention, maintaining that offering leniency to an individual convicted of facilitating child exploitation undermines the fundamental integrity of the justice system.

The Ugandan government has initiated a large-scale emergency relief operation across the eastern Karamoja region following at least nineteen hunger-related deaths caused by prolonged drought and devastating crop failures. With approximately 1.5 million residents confronting acute food shortages and rising rates of malnutrition, parliament approved a emergency funding allocation of forty-five billion Ugandan shillings to procure and distribute over nine thousand tonnes of food aid over the coming two months. Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Sam Engola personally launched the distribution efforts in Kaabong district, assuring local communities that the state would oversee the delivery to ensure no starving household is left behind. The current environmental crisis marks the most severe dry spell to strike Karamoja in recent years, with the crucial rains failing completely since the start of the planting season in April. Health facilities across the region report a surge in children suffering from severe malnutrition, forcing desperate residents to seek low-paying, grueling work in informal gold-mining operations simply to purchase basic staples like maize and beans. The disaster comes amidst significant international aid reductions, particularly following severe budget cuts from donors such as USAID, which forced organisations like the World Food Programme to scale back assistance to over one million refugees in the country. In response, Ugandan officials and civil rights advocates emphasise that while emergency food distribution provides immediate life-saving relief, the government must prioritise long-term climate resilience, drought-resistant crops, and proper water infrastructure to permanently prevent recurring starvation in the region.

Seven emergency personnel were killed after a firefighting helicopter crashed in Argentina’s western San Juan province while responding to a forest fire, authorities said. The Bell 412 helicopter had been deployed for wildfire response operations and was travelling to neighbouring La Rioja province to assist in controlling a major forest fire when the accident occurred. Officials said the aircraft lost contact with its base shortly after take-off on Wednesday morning, prompting an emergency response. San Juan Governor Marcelo Orrego confirmed that all seven people on board lost their lives in the crash. The victims included members of the civil protection department, firefighters and senior police officials who were involved in emergency response operations. The governor expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and extended condolences to the families of those who died while serving in the line of duty. Emergency teams were dispatched to the crash site, while authorities secured the area and began recovery operations. Officials have launched an investigation to determine what caused the helicopter to crash. No official findings have yet been released. The Bell 412 helicopter was part of the province’s aerial firefighting fleet and was regularly used to support operations against wildfires in the region. The incident has shocked emergency services across Argentina, with tributes pouring in for the personnel who lost their lives during the mission.