World2 min(s) read
Published 14:59 07 Jul 2021 GMT
The President of Haiti has been assassinated in his own home.
Per BBC News, President Jovenel Moïse and his wife, First Lady Martine Moïse, were shot by an unidentified group of individuals at their private residence in Port-au-Prince at approximately 01:00 AM local time.
Moïse was killed outright, while reports say that his wife has been hospitalized and is allegedly in a critical condition.
The Haitian embassy in Canada broke the news on Twitter in an official statement, tweeting: "It is with great sadness that we confirm the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, during an attack on his residence by mercenaries.
"The First Lady, injured, receives the necessary care. Our hearts go out to the presidential family and to the whole nation."
Per Sky News, acting Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph called the attack "hateful, inhumane and barbaric", adding: "Measures are being taken in order to ensure the continuity of the state and to protect the nation."
Joseph added that the attackers had spoken English and Spanish and that Haiti's National Police and other authorities had the situation under control with officers deployed to the National Palace and of Petion-Ville.
BBC News reports that the president has faced accusations of corruption from his opposition during his tenure, with widespread protests throughout the country over poor living conditions and a lack of infrastructure.
The opposition has insisted that Moïse was supposed to step down from his position earlier this year. Meanwhile, parliamentary elections originally scheduled to take place back in 2019 have been continually delayed.
Back in February, President Moïse claimed that his administration had foiled an attempt on his life, which led to the arrests of 23 people, including a top judge and a senior police office.
Moïse had originally assumed office back in 2016, and ruled by decree for more than two years after Parliament was dissolved.
Sky News reports that crime has surged in the Caribbean nation's capital city, while inflation has spiraled at the same time as food, fuel, and other necessities have become scarce.
5 min(s) read
2 min(s) read
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
4 min(s) read
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
3 min(s) read
us5 min(s) read
Published 10:20 14 Jul 2024 GMT
us2 min(s) read
Published 16:13 16 Jul 2024 GMT
us4 min(s) read
Published 16:30 26 Jan 2026 GMT
President Trump has shared an update after Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, was killed by ICE.
The 37-year-old man was fatally shot during a confrontation with federal immigration officers while protesting against a crackdown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The shooting took place around 9:05 AM near Nicollet Avenue, just over a mile from where Renee Good, a mother of three, was killed by an ICE agent earlier this month.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed that Pretti was carrying a 9mm handgun and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested that he had come to the protest with “weapons and ammunition” and that the situation escalated when he attempted to harm law enforcement officers.
“This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” Noem said, per The Guardian.
However, eyewitness accounts, video footage, and Pretti’s family have strongly disputed these claims.
Videos from the scene show Pretti holding a phone, not a weapon, and being pinned to the ground and pepper-sprayed by officers before being shot. Local authorities and the late nurse's family have also asserted that he was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
In his initial statement, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that his administration is “reviewing everything” related to the shooting.
Despite video evidence contradicting the government’s narrative, the 79-year-old defended the actions of federal officers, stating: “I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it."
"But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either," he added.
In a new update today (January 26), the president acknowledged the growing tensions in Minneapolis, where protests have erupted in response to Pretti’s death, and announced that Tom Homan, whom he referred to as his “border tsar”, would be sent to Minnesota to investigate, per BBC News.
He described Homan as “tough but fair” and emphasized that a “major investigation” was underway. Trump also referenced an alleged “$20 billion welfare fraud” in the state, which he claimed was partially responsible for the protests.
Pretti’s family has vehemently rejected the government’s version of events.
The late man's father shared an emotional statement, slamming the allegations that his son was involved in violent behavior.
“He cared about people deeply,” he said. “He was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset. He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street.”
The family also denied that Pretti was carrying a gun when he was shot, insisting that he was holding his phone and was trying to document the incident.
“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” they said. “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”
The aftermath of Pretti’s death has sparked protests not only in Minneapolis but also in cities across the United States.
Governor Tim Walz warned that the nation is at an “inflection point,” and expressed concerns about the escalating situation in Minnesota.
At the same time, former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama criticized the ongoing crackdown in Minneapolis, describing the situation as “horrible scenes” that “I never thought would take place in America," per BBC News.
Prominent Republicans have also voiced worries about the situation. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) called the incident “incredibly disturbing,” and urged a wide-ranging investigation involving both federal and state officials.
Governor Kevin Stitt (R-OK) stated that federal tactics and accountability have become a growing concern among voters, and Congressman James Comer, a Trump ally, suggested that the president should consider withdrawing immigration agents from Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress have threatened to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless a thorough investigation is conducted.
This raised the possibility of another government shutdown if the matter is not addressed.
world3 min(s) read
Published 16:12 05 Nov 2023 GMT
A radio host was shot dead during a live stream from his home studio by a gunman who was pretending to be a listener.
The assailant, disguised as a listener, entered the home studio of 57-year-old news broadcaster Juan Jumalon, unleashing a devastating attack that has left the Philippines in shock, per the Daily Mail.
The horrifying incident took place during a morning broadcast in Calamba town, located in the Misamis Occidental province, as reported by local authorities.
Startling video footage of the attack captured the moment when Jumalon glanced away from the camera just before the shots rang out, causing him to slump back in his chair, all while the broadcast continued with background music.
Tragically, he was pronounced dead while en route to a nearby hospital.
The attacker, whose identity remains concealed, was seen grabbing Jumalon's gold necklace before making a hasty escape on a motorbike, where an accomplice was waiting outside the radio presenter's home.
Law enforcement has wasted no time in launching a thorough investigation to uncover the identity of the assailant and determine the motives behind this violent act.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has strongly condemned the shooting, asserting that he has instructed the national police to track down, apprehend, and prosecute the individuals responsible.
In a firm statement, he declared: "Attacks on journalists will not be tolerated in our democracy, and those who threaten the freedom of the press will face the full consequences of their actions."
The Philippines has long been known as one of the most perilous places for journalists worldwide, the Mail reports.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, a prominent press freedom watchdog, revealed that Mr. Jumalon is the 199th journalist to have lost their life in the country since 1986 - the year when democracy was restored, following the "People Power" uprising that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos and led to his family's exile in the United States.
The watchdog further emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating: "The attack is even more condemnable since it happened at Jumalon's own home, which also served as the radio station."
While the attacker was not captured on the Facebook livestream, the police are reviewing potential security camera footage from the house and neighboring residences in an effort to shed light on the incident.
This tragic incident is similar to a horrific event in 2009 when members of a powerful political clan, along with their associates, executed 58 people, including 32 media workers, in a violent and meticulously planned attack in the southern Maguindanao province.
This brutal act stands as the deadliest single attack on journalists in recent history and serves as a stark reminder of the perils faced by journalists in the Philippines, as reported by Al Jazeera.
A proliferation of unlicensed firearms and private armies under the control of influential clans, coupled with weak law enforcement in rural areas, are among the pressing security concerns faced by journalists.
world2 min(s) read
Published 14:46 15 May 2024 GMT
.webp_lli6Ty?tr=cr-74.9.445.380,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_lli6Ty?tr=cr-74.9.445.380,f-webp,q-70,w-100)