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Oregon elementary school shooting: what we know so far

The rural Oregon city of Bend was rocked by a mass shooting at an elementary school that killed three students and a teacher. Here’s what we know about the tragedy

A 16-year-old gunman opened fire at the Silver Rail elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher.

The student victims were aged five, eight and 11. All of the victims were shot in the same classroom.

On Friday, the youngest victim was identified as Rhoam Summer, age five. His family said he was a fast runner and fearless climber who loved reading and his stuffed animals. “He never met a stuffie that he didn’t think needed to be rescued and cared for,” said his aunt, Swan Sheridan, who described him as “a little ball of energy from the moment he was born”. The names of the other student victims have not been released.

The teacher who was killed has been identified as 25-year-old Megan Lambert. In a statement read by officials on Friday, her family said she grew up in Bend, graduated from Boise State University and had a passion for sports, especially volleyball, and was a local coach. They said she was funny and opinionated, and “fought for the underdog” and “those with special needs”. “Meg loved those children,” the family said.

The 16-year-old shooter has been identified as Griffin J John II, a former student at the school. Griffin was killed at the scene. Police have yet to offer a motive.

Police said that an armed bystander pursued the suspect and shot him inside the school shortly before officers arrived. On Friday, that bystander was identified by his family as Kaylub Giamanco, a lifelong resident of Bend with two daughters at Silver Rail elementary. His family and others have called him a “hero”.

Two other victims, a seven-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher, remain hospitalized. As of Friday afternoon, authorities said the student was receiving “life-saving care”, while the teacher was described as having “significant” but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The wounded teacher was identified by family as Becky Drury. Her mother-in-law, Yvonne Drury, said on Facebook that she had injuries to her left arm and right hand and was recovering from surgery.

Police arrived at the school at 1.02pm local time after receiving multiple reports of a shooting. One 911 caller reported an individual armed with a long gun firing upon their car. At a news conference on Friday, police said the shooter climbed over a fence and onto the school’s property, before shooting through a set of locked doors and forcing entry into the building. He fired as many as 15 shots from a 12-gauge shotgun before he was stopped, police said.

The attack has rocked the small city of Bend, which is home to 100,000 residents and is located on the Deschutes River, about 170 miles (275km) south-east of Portland. All public schools in the district, and the campuses of Oregon State University-Cascades and Central Oregon Community College, were closed on Friday.

Hundreds of people gathered at nearby Drake Park on Thursday night at a somber candlelight ceremony to remember the victims. Some attenders called on authorities to harden gun laws in Oregon, already some of the tightest in the nation.

Officials have praised the swift actions of law enforcement officers and of the community member who intervened. The Oregon governor, Tina Kotek, praised the intervention as heroic and extended her thoughts to the bystander. “Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden,” she said on Thursday evening.

The FBI is helping local authorities investigate the shooting, according to the agency’s director, Kash Patel.

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© Photograph: Joe Kline/AP

© Photograph: Joe Kline/AP

© Photograph: Joe Kline/AP

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Police reveal identity of man found in a barrel in drought-stricken Lake Mead

The remains of Edward Lelburian Jackson were first discovered in 2022, and an initial autopsy revealed he was killed decades ago

After four years, a piece of the haunting mystery uncovered in the waning waters of drought-stricken Lake Mead has been solved.

Since the remains of an unknown homicide victim were discovered stuffed inside a barrel in 2022, Las Vegas investigators have been searching not for his killer – but for his identity. At a press conference on Thursday, Clark county coroner Melanie Rouse shared his name publicly for the first time: Edward Lelburian Jackson.

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© Photograph: John Locher/AP

© Photograph: John Locher/AP

© Photograph: John Locher/AP

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Shooter kills three children and one teacher at Oregon elementary school

Two people critical in hospital as officials in Bend say 16-year-old suspect shot dead by bystander

Schools in Bend, Oregon, will be closed on Friday after a 16-year-old shooter opened fire at an elementary school in the city on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher before he was shot dead by a community member.

The children killed at Silver Rail elementary school were aged five, eight and 11, officials said.

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© Photograph: Joe Kline/AP

© Photograph: Joe Kline/AP

© Photograph: Joe Kline/AP

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Woman resentenced to life in prison for death of Kansas City reporter

Par : Maya Yang

Prosecutors say Adan Manzano was victim of Danette Colbert’s operation targeting New Orleans tourists

A woman involved in a New Orleans criminal enterprise that targeted tourists and led to the death of a reporter has been resentenced to life.

On Wednesday, a Jefferson Parish judge resentenced 49-year old Danette Colbert to life in prison plus 75 years under Louisiana’s habitual offender law. In September, Colbert was sentenced to a total of 60 years in prison, 50 years for racketeering and a consecutive 10 years for negligent homicide in the death of Adan Manzano, a journalist for the Spanish-language news outlet Telemundo Kansas City.

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© Photograph: AP

© Photograph: AP

© Photograph: AP

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Matt Gaetz accused in suit of sex trafficking two women in Florida

Jane Does allege ex-congressman and two others coordinated ‘payments, drugs and travel’ for sexual acts

The Republican former congressman Matt Gaetz has been accused of participating in the sex trafficking of two young women in a civil lawsuit filed on Thursday in district court in Florida.

The allegations, which Gaetz denied in a statement to the Guardian, are the latest developments in a long-running sexual abuse scandal involving the politician who resigned from Congress in November 2024.

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© Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/AP

© Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/AP

© Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/AP

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Trump cancels plan to livestream execution after global condemnation

Soldier who killed 13 people in 2009 will still be executed, but president said ‘people would rather not watch him die’

Donald Trump has shelved a widely condemned plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people at a military base at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009.

In a social media post on Thursday, Trump argued that broadcasting such an execution “might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan” but said that “many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device”.

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© Photograph: Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters

© Photograph: Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters

© Photograph: Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters

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Illinois man arrested over alleged plot to attack Hindu place of worship, police say

Par : Reuters

Authorities say suspect, 19, was allegedly planning a mass shooting and had shared a white supremacist manifesto

A man arrested in a Chicago suburb had shared a ⁠document expressing white supremacist views and outlined an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship, police ⁠said on Wednesday.

Alexandros Paporakis, 19, was ​arrested on Sunday after an individual reported receiving concerning electronic communications from him, Palatine police said. It was not immediately clear if he had ⁠legal representation.

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© Photograph: Social Media

© Photograph: Social Media

© Photograph: Social Media

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Sexual assault reported at frat house near University of Chicago

Alleged assault follows report of gang-rape at frat house at Cornell, which ignited national uproar and criticism online

A 21-year-old woman reported being sexually assaulted last weekend at a fraternity house near the University of Chicago, as Greek life nationwide faces renewed scrutiny for recurrent misconduct.

The incident allegedly took place on Sunday at about 1.50am at the off-campus Alpha Epsilon Pi residence, according to a university daily crime log.

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© Photograph: Nam Y Huh/AP

© Photograph: Nam Y Huh/AP

© Photograph: Nam Y Huh/AP

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Ex-fiance of Nancy Mace and two others charged with sex crimes she detailed in House speech

Republican representative described the assault in a nearly hourlong speech in February 2025 that named the men

Nancy Mace’s former fiance and two of his business associates were charged with sex crimes and voyeurism on Wednesday over an episode the South Carolina representative described in detail during a speech last year on the House floor, about how crimes against women are not investigated thoroughly.

John Douglas Osborne committed sex acts on a 23-year-old incapacitated and intoxicated woman while Mace’s ex-fiance Patrick Bryant and Eric Bernard Bowman watched, according to sworn statements by agents from the state law enforcement division, which brought the charges.

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© Photograph: Allison Joyce/Getty Images

© Photograph: Allison Joyce/Getty Images

© Photograph: Allison Joyce/Getty Images

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Minnesota professor linked to series of bizarre incidents involving urine at university

Investigators determined professor responsible for urine found on a backpack, in trash cans and in water bottles

A former professor at Macalester College in the Minnesota city of St Paul is facing a felony charge for allegedly spilling his urine on a student’s backpack while he still worked at the school, costing more than $2,000 in damages, according to a state criminal court document.

Paul Fischer, 55, is at the center of the bizarre, alleged workplace misconduct case that led to his being cited for first-degree damage to property – and linked to at least a half dozen such incidents involving urine at the liberal arts college over the course of a year.

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© Photograph: Ken Wolter/Alamy

© Photograph: Ken Wolter/Alamy

© Photograph: Ken Wolter/Alamy

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Florida carries out execution amid scrutiny over botched Tennessee attempt

James Robertson was the state’s 17th execution this year, amid scrutiny over failed lethal injection of Christa Pike

Florida put to death a convicted murderer in the state’s first execution since September’s botched attempt involving Christa Pike in Tennessee, on Tuesday.

Officials said James Robertson, 63, was pronounced dead after he received a three-shot series of lethal injections at a Florida state prison in Raiford.

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© Photograph: Douglas R Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Douglas R Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Douglas R Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

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Jury selection begins in hate crimes trial for Buffalo supermarket gunman

Trial could see white supremacist who killed 10 people in New York state store get the death penalty

Jury selection is set to begin on Tuesday in the trial that could see the white supremacist who killed 10 people in a 2022 Buffalo supermarket get the death penalty.

The attack is believed to be the deadliest shooting targeting Black people in modern history.

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© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

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Ex-Chicago detective identified as killing child in 65-year cold case

Police used recently discovered DNA to pin murder of eight-year-old girl on Thomas McInerney, who died in 2006

Chicago police on Monday said they recently used newly discovered DNA evidence to tie the 1960 murder of an eight-year-old girl to one of its own former homicide detectives.

Thomas McInerney had been dead for 20 years by the time authorities issued a statement identifying him as the killer of Gloria Kowalewicz – well after retiring from the Chicago police department (CPD) and two federal public defender’s offices in Nevada where he worked as an investigator.

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© Photograph: Matt Gush/Alamy

© Photograph: Matt Gush/Alamy

© Photograph: Matt Gush/Alamy

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Fugitive businessman taken into US custody in Venezuela bribery case

A businessman wanted in the US for allegedly bribing top Venezuelan officials has been taken into custody

A businessman wanted for years in the US for allegedly paying bribes to top Venezuelan officials in exchange for lucrative state contracts in Venezuela has been taken into custody.

Alvaro Pulido was indicted in Miami federal court in 2019 and again in 2021 as part of an investigation into his longtime business partner, Alex Saab, a one-time ally of ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the state department had been offering a reward of up to $10m for information leading to his arrest.

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© Photograph: Tom Brenner/AP

© Photograph: Tom Brenner/AP

© Photograph: Tom Brenner/AP

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Pennsylvania shooter who killed eight was a grandfather, says slain child’s dad

Father of toddler killed in Erie mass shooting says reported gunman never seemed distressed or out of the ordinary

The man who killed eight people, before turning the gun on himself, in a mass shooting in a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday was a grandfather who had not shown signs that he was capable of such violence, according to people who knew the shooter.

A man whose toddler was among those killed said on Sunday that the man never seemed distressed or out of the ordinary, the Associated Press reports.

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© Photograph: Ted Shaffrey/AP

© Photograph: Ted Shaffrey/AP

© Photograph: Ted Shaffrey/AP

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Man accused of child rape set to become police chief in small Louisiana town

Republican Christopher Paul is running unopposed for seat despite allegations he raped two girls 20 years ago

A candidate for police chief in a small Louisiana town candidate is on course to be elected unopposed despite two charges of child rape pending against him, leaving his community to weigh whether to convert the position into an appointed office rather than one determined at the ballot box.

Christopher Paul, a Republican who on 6 August signed up to run for chief of police in the south-western Louisiana village of Elizabeth, was arrested on 8 September on allegations that he raped two girls in 2005 and 2006.

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© Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

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Five people shot and killed in apparent murder-suicide, Georgia police say

Deceased were all members of the same family, officials say, and one of victims placed the initial emergency call

Five people were shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide at a residence in Georgia on Friday, authorities say.

The deceased were family members who lived at the home in Douglas, a city in south Georgia.

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© Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images

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Man with gun kills one Philadelphia police officer and injures another

10-year police veteran Shane Seiber was killed after responding to a report of a man with a gun

A Philadelphia police officer was fatally shot and another was wounded on Saturday after responding to a report of a man with a gun, authorities said.

Shane Seiber, 40, was killed early on Saturday morning in West Philadelphia, according to the city’s police commissioner, Kevin Bethel.

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© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

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US man shoots off-duty ICE agent who allegedly attacked him and daughter

ICE official, who was sleeping on man’s lawn and appeared ‘intoxicated’, faces felony charges, California police say

A 72-year-old man shot an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official in California early on Friday morning after the “intoxicated and agitated” official assaulted him and his daughter on their property, local authorities allege.

The Fresno police department said that the ICE official was receiving medical care after being shot in the midsection. The official, identified as David Gonzalez, is facing felony charges for assaulting the father-daughter duo, Fresno police said.

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© Photograph: Blake Fagan/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Blake Fagan/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Blake Fagan/AFP/Getty Images

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Nine people, including children, dead after mass shooting in Pennsylvania

Authorities say suspect among dead in house after standoff with police in Erie and there is no ongoing threat

A man fatally shot eight people, including a pregnant woman and children, at a Pennsylvania residence on Friday before killing himself, police say.

The victims have not been publicly identified, but seven relatives and a family friend died in the rampage.

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© Photograph: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

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One person killed and nine injured in chain-reaction crash in New York City

Motorist, reportedly trying to beat a traffic light, barrels through busy intersection and slams into pedestrians

At least one person was killed and nine injured in New York City’s eastern Bronx when a motorist barreled through a busy intersection, slammed into pedestrians and triggered a chain-reaction crash involving several vehicles, according to authorities and media reports.

The horrifying collision happened shortly after 2pm in the Bronx’s Allerton neighborhood, with the driver at the center of the crash reportedly saying he was trying to beat a traffic light.

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© Photograph: Kyle Mazza/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Kyle Mazza/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Kyle Mazza/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

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Pretty Little Liars’ Keegan Allen attacked by masked assailants in LA

Actor was robbed of his watch after being struck in the head by two attackers wielding a gun and a knife

The Pretty Little Liars actor Keegan Allen was battered and robbed by attackers wielding a knife and gun in West Hollywood, he said on Thursday in a social media video showing him bloodied and alarmed.

The Los Angeles county sheriff’s department confirmed in a statement shared with news outlets that it was investigating a violent robbery matching the weapons, block and time described by Allen on social media, where users responded with shock and supportive comments.

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© Photograph: JC Olivera/Getty Images

© Photograph: JC Olivera/Getty Images

© Photograph: JC Olivera/Getty Images

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‘Medieval’ and ‘disturbing’: US plan to livestream execution elicits global condemnation

Pentagon said execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, would be broadcast live

The US is facing worldwide condemnation over a “barbaric” plan to execute a disabled man by firing squad and livestream it to the public, with critics comparing the Trump administration to dictatorships in Iran and Afghanistan.

The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people at a military base at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009, would be livestreamed on 3 December.

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© Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

© Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

© Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Curtis Flowers, US man wrongfully imprisoned for 22 years, dies aged 56

Flowers, tried six times over 1996 murders of four people, faced execution before supreme court tossed his conviction

Curtis Flowers, a Black man who spent more than 22 years in prison and was on death row in Mississippi before the US supreme court threw out his conviction and death sentence, has died. He was 56.

Flowers’ family confirmed that he died on Wednesday at his home in Mississippi, attorney Rob McDuff told the Associated Press on Thursday.

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© Photograph: Rogelio V Solis/AP

© Photograph: Rogelio V Solis/AP

© Photograph: Rogelio V Solis/AP

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Christa Pike is ‘up and walking’ for first time after failed execution, lawyer says

Recovery marks a dramatic turnaround for Pike, who remains in hospital after a botched execution in Tennessee

Christa Pike is “up and walking” in hospital, her lawyer said, just more than a week after she survived two lethal injections during a botched execution in Tennessee.

The recovery marks a dramatic turnaround after Pike was declared brain dead on Monday, before waking up and beginning to speak on Tuesday. Her ordeal has shocked many in the US and overseas and galvanized critics of the death penalty.

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© Photograph: J Miles Cary/Reuters

© Photograph: J Miles Cary/Reuters

© Photograph: J Miles Cary/Reuters

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FBI says it thwarted terrorist attack in Minnesota by an 18-year-old it supplied with an AK-47

Authorities say they arrested an 18-year-old who was planning a shooting attack at the Mall of America

FBI officials stopped a potential terrorist attack on the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, authorities announced Wednesday. An 18-year-old was arrested on one count of obtaining a firearm to carry out an act of terrorism.

Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud had been investigated over the last nearly two years by the FBI. He was arrested Tuesday in a public park after he paid $600 to an undercover FBI employee posing as a member of the Islamic State for an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition, according to the criminal complaint.

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© Photograph: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

© Photograph: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

© Photograph: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

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Christa Pike 'angry and confused' after waking from botched execution, says lawyer – video

Lawyers for Christa Pike, who survived two lethal injections, gave updates on her condition, saying she is severely unwell, and ‘angry and confused about everything right now’. Following a court hearing on Wednesday, a judge ordered Tennessee officials to preserve all evidence from the botched execution

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© Photograph: AP

© Photograph: AP

© Photograph: AP

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Arizona congressional candidate says she was raped while trying to repair campaign sign

Bernadette Greene-Placentia says she is sharing her story in order to fight for victims of sexual assault

This article contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault.

A congressional candidate in Arizona says she was attacked and raped in August while trying to repair one of her damaged campaign signs.

Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

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© Photograph: Diannie Chavez/The Republic/USA TODAY Network/Reuters Connect

© Photograph: Diannie Chavez/The Republic/USA TODAY Network/Reuters Connect

© Photograph: Diannie Chavez/The Republic/USA TODAY Network/Reuters Connect

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Christa Pike ‘angry, confused’ and unable to move arms after failed execution, lawyers say

Attorneys say Pike was set to be taken off life support before she woke up, as judge orders officials to preserve evidence

Christa Pike awoke “angry and confused” after surviving two lethal injections, her attorneys said on Wednesday, as a judge ordered Tennessee state officials to preserve all evidence related to the failed execution.

Pike, 50, was taken to hospital unconscious but alive from Tennessee’s execution chamber last Wednesday after two supposedly lethal doses of the barbiturate pentobarbital.

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© Photograph: Dipti Vaidya/IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters Connect

© Photograph: Dipti Vaidya/IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters Connect

© Photograph: Dipti Vaidya/IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters Connect

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Christa Pike severely unwell, ‘angry and confused’, says lawyer, after judge orders all execution evidence preserved – latest

Par : Maya Yang

This blog is now closed. You can read our full story here:

Christa Pike’s lawyers said that Pike remains shackled to her hospital bed.

“Based on our understanding, medical staff have asked that the shackles be removed and have been denied that request by [the Tennessee corrections department],” they said, adding: “We would also amend our request and ask for that relief.”

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© Photograph: J Miles Cary/Reuters

© Photograph: J Miles Cary/Reuters

© Photograph: J Miles Cary/Reuters

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Christa Pike is conscious and speaking after botched execution attempt, lawyers say

Lawyers seek preservation of evidence after prisoner received two doses of pentobarbital on 30 September

Christa Pike, a Tennessee prisoner who survived the state’s attempt to execute her, is awake and speaking as she receives treatment at a hospital, her attorneys said, as they head to court on Wednesday seeking a court order requiring preservation of all evidence relating to the botched exercise by the state.

Pike, 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital, a sedative, as Tennessee officials attempted to put her to death last Wednesday in a case that shocked many in America and created headlines around the world. She was set to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

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© Photograph: J Miles Cary/Reuters

© Photograph: J Miles Cary/Reuters

© Photograph: J Miles Cary/Reuters

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Ex-CIA official pleads guilty to using position and government funds to enrich himself

David J Rush used his job at spy agency to acquire Florida real estate and gold bars worth tens of millions of dollars

A former senior CIA official pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Virginia to a charge that he abused his position and government funds to enrich himself by acquiring Florida real estate and hundreds of gold bars worth tens of millions of dollars, according to court records.

David J Rush fabricated a “highly classified” government program to justify the acquisition of luxury property in south Florida that he intended to resell for personal profit, according to a court filing. Rush separately concocted a bogus “sensitive government activity” to obtain the gold bars, the filing also says.

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© Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

© Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

© Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

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New York City med spa owner admits to giving client botulism with bootleg Botox

Klara Shuster said in court she imported mislabeled Botox illegally and dispensed it to clients

The owner of a New York City med spa has admitted to illegally administering bootleg Botox, which authorities say led one client to develop botulism.

Klara Shuster, also known as Klara Chrzuszcz, made those admissions in the course of pleading guilty in federal court recently to conspiracy to commit smuggling, among other charges.

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© Photograph: BSIP/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

© Photograph: BSIP/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

© Photograph: BSIP/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

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US justice department moves to strip citizenship of 40 naturalized citizens

Officials file ‘denaturalization actions’ against people accused of crimes in what they call ‘largest’ such initiative

Donald Trump’s justice department has moved to strip the citizenship of 40 naturalized citizens accused of crimes in what authorities describe as “the largest” such initiative over a single period during his administration.

US justice department officials on Monday announced the filing of “denaturalization actions” against more than three dozen people alleged to have committed such offenses as “acting as an agent for a foreign government, committing voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated sodomy against a special‑needs man”.

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© Photograph: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

© Photograph: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

© Photograph: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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Trump wants control of South America. If Bolsonaro Jr wins in Brazil, that could become a reality | Steve Bloomfield

The US president has taken credit for far-right victories across Latin America, but those wins have had more to do with fears of gang crime than his meddling

Donald Trump has enjoyed very few foreign policy victories since returning to power. From failed wars to failed peace processes, his second term in office has been marked by one costly blunder on the world stage after another. In Latin America, though, the US president has a different story to tell.

His administration’s national security strategy outlined how the US wanted to “restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere”. It was a brazen document, laying out how his government would interfere in the political life of countries it considered part of its sphere of influence, rewarding governments and movements that are “broadly aligned with our principles and strategy”.

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© Photograph: Bruna Prado/AP

© Photograph: Bruna Prado/AP

© Photograph: Bruna Prado/AP

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What We Saw in One Venezuelan Gold Town

With U.S. support, traders arrived and cut deals. That investment has so far failed to improve the bleak conditions in the mining industry.

© Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times

El Callao, the town at the heart of Venezuela’s gold mining industry.
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Three men convicted in London arson plot tied to Russia's Wagner Group

Three men convicted in London arson plot tied to Russia's Wagner Group

Three men were found guilty on July 8 in connection with an arson attack on Ukraine-linked businesses in London, which British authorities say was orchestrated by Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Reuters reported.

The alleged ringleader, Dylan Earl, 21, had already pleaded guilty to aggravated arson over the 2024 blaze targeting companies that were supplying Elon Musk's Starlink satellite equipment to Ukraine, according to Reuters.

The systems are considered vital to Ukraine's communications and defense against Russia's ongoing invasion.

Earl also became the first person convicted under the U.K.'s National Security Act after admitting to a separate plot to attack a wine shop and restaurant in London’s upscale Mayfair district and to kidnap its owner, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Two others, Jake Reeves, 23, and Earl’s associate, also pleaded guilty to aggravated arson, with Reeves admitting to a charge under the National Security Act for receiving a material benefit from a foreign intelligence agency.

A jury at London's Old Bailey court convicted three additional men, Nii Kojo Mensah, 23, Jakeem Rose, 23, and Ugnius Asmena, 20, of aggravated arson. They had denied the charges. A fourth man, Paul English, 61, was acquitted.

Two other defendants, Ashton Evans, 20, and Dmitrijus Paulauskas, 23, were charged with failing to disclose knowledge of terrorist activity. Evans was convicted on one count and cleared of another. Paulauskas was acquitted of both charges and reportedly broke down in tears as the verdict was read.

Commander Dominic Murphy of the London Metropolitan Police reportedly said he was confident the Wagner Group and the Russian state were behind the attacks.

The U.K. has designated the Wagner Group as a terrorist organization.

Earl had exchanged hundreds of encrypted messages with a supposed Wagner handler using the alias "Privet Bot" on Telegram. According to reporting by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the account was previously advertised by Grey Zone, a Wagner-affiliated channel.

Prosecutors said Earl expressed interest in fighting for Wagner and was encouraged to recruit contacts from British soccer hooligan networks, Irish republican groups, and organized crime circles, Reuters reported. He and Evans also admitted to unrelated charges of dealing cocaine.

The Russian Embassy in London has denied any involvement in the warehouse attack and accused the British government of blaming Russia for domestic issues.

The Kremlin has consistently rejected accusations of sabotage and espionage, despite growing evidence and convictions tied to Russian-linked operations across Europe.

‘Neither side wasted time’ — Ukraine’s economy minister on minerals deal negotiations with Trump’s ‘business-oriented’ administration
Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko says her task is simple — to get the investment fund behind the closely watched minerals deal with the U.S. off the ground, and prove its detractors wrong. “There are so many criticisms from different parties that this fund is just a piece of paper we can put on the shelves — that it won’t be operational,” Svyrydenko, who is also Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister, tells the Kyiv Independent at Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers on July 4, the morning
Three men convicted in London arson plot tied to Russia's Wagner GroupThe Kyiv IndependentLiliane Bivings
Three men convicted in London arson plot tied to Russia's Wagner Group
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5 suspects charged over deadly explosion in Ukraine's Zhytomyr Oblast

5 suspects charged over deadly explosion in Ukraine's Zhytomyr Oblast

Ukrainian prosecutors have charged five individuals in connection with a massive explosion at an industrial site in the Zhytomyr Oblast that killed two people and injured more than 80, including eight children, the Prosecutor General's Office said on July 7.

The blast occurred on July 2 at a warehouse facility in the village of Berezyna, near the highway outside the city of Zhytomyr. The explosion damaged over 100 homes, three gas stations, and around 20 vehicles, local officials said.

Two company directors and three employees have been formally charged with violating safety rules regarding explosives and other related crimes. The charges include illegal handling of explosives and violations leading to severe consequences under several articles of Ukraine's criminal code.

According to prosecutors, one of the company directors had established illegal production of explosive materials and involved unqualified personnel without the necessary training or certification. The business reportedly operated without permits, licenses, or regulatory oversight, and in close proximity to residential housing.

Investigators said the explosion followed a fire sparked by improper handling and storage of explosives, which led to a series of powerful detonations.

Law enforcement officials are conducting searches at the homes of company executives and founders of the businesses believed to be involved.

The prosecutor's office has filed motions requesting that all five suspects be held in pre-trial detention.

Ukraine’s new interceptor UAVs are starting to knock Russia’s long-range Shahed drones out of the sky
Russia’s Shahed drone swarms are pummeling Ukraine on a nightly basis, inflicting ever more death and destruction in cities that had managed to carve out some sense of normalcy amid wartime. Civilian alarm has grown. With traditional air defense stockpiles running low, the government is banking on newly created
5 suspects charged over deadly explosion in Ukraine's Zhytomyr OblastThe Kyiv IndependentKollen Post
5 suspects charged over deadly explosion in Ukraine's Zhytomyr Oblast
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Ukrainian woman, baby daughter found murdered in Germany, 16-year-old arrested, police say

Ukrainian woman, baby daughter found murdered in Germany, 16-year-old arrested, police say

A 32-year-old Ukrainian woman and her 1-year-old daughter were found dead near their home in the German city of Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia, on June 29, according to a joint statement from the Essen Public Prosecutor's Office and the Recklinghausen Police.

According to the statement released on June 30, the autopsy results confirmed that both victims died from violent causes. The bodies were discovered in the Holsterhausen district of Dorsten in Germany.

Later that same evening, a 16-year-old Ukrainian boy who also resides in Dorsten appeared at the crime scene and admitted to involvement in the killings, German authorities said. He was arrested on the spot, and a criminal investigation is ongoing.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry confirmed to RBK-Ukraine that the Ukrainian woman and her daughter were murdered in Germany.

Ukraine's Consulate in Dusseldorf said it had contacted German law enforcement agencies for more information and was working to reach the relatives of both the victims and the detained teenager. The consulate reportedly confirmed that the case is under special supervision by the diplomatic mission.

German authorities said the crime scene was cordoned off for collecting evidence until the evening hours of June 29. They are now analyzing multiple tips and pieces of evidence submitted by the public.

The relationship between the teenage suspect and the victims has not yet been confirmed by investigators.

Earlier in June, a 46-year-old Ukrainian woman and her 6-year-old daughter were found murdered in the city of Leuven, Belgium. Both victims were found in the fire and had previously suffered stab wounds.

The 16-year-old son of the Ukrainian woman has confessed to fatally injuring his family and setting their home on fire. The Leven prosecutor's office said the boy admitted to the crimes after five hours of questioning.

China unveils its new ‘graphite bomb’ — here’s how they work
China’s state TV broadcaster has revealed details of a new “graphite bomb” that can cause a “complete loss of electricity” across an area of 10,000 square meters, or knock out entire power stations, the South China Morning Post reported on June 29. An animated video released by China’s CCTV showed a missile being launched from a ground-based launcher and then flying to a target where it releases 90 small submunitions. They then bounce on the ground before exploding amid a mock-up of an electri
Ukrainian woman, baby daughter found murdered in Germany, 16-year-old arrested, police sayThe Kyiv IndependentChris York
Ukrainian woman, baby daughter found murdered in Germany, 16-year-old arrested, police say
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US citizen wanted for child sex crimes arrested in Ukraine after 30 years on the run

US citizen wanted for child sex crimes arrested in Ukraine after 30 years on the run

Ukrainian authorities have arrested a 66-year-old U.S. citizen who had been on the run for more than three decades, wanted for multiple child sex crimes committed in Arizona in the 1980s and early 1990s, Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General said on June 25.

The man — who has not been named — was detained in Kyiv Oblast in a joint operation coordinated by Ukrainian prosecutors in cooperation with Ukraine's Cyber Police Department, the FBI, and Ukraine's Ministry of Justice. He had been living in Ukraine under a false identity, using forged documents under the name of a Mexican citizen.

According to U.S. law enforcement, the suspect worked as the director of a preschool in Pima County, Arizona, and committed a series of sexual offenses against four children aged 4 to 9 between 1984 and 1991. Before sentencing by the Arizona Superior Court, he reportedly fled the U.S. and avoided prosecution for more than 30 years.

Ukrainian authorities located him using digital tools, including open-source intelligence analysis. He was found living in a house in Kyiv Oblast.

Following his identification, law enforcement carried out a search and arrested him at his residence. Prosecutors are currently preparing a request to a Ukrainian court for temporary arrest pending extradition.

According to U.S. officials, the man faces 15 counts under criminal law related to the sexual abuse of children.

Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General said it remains committed to international cooperation in criminal justice, particularly in extraditing individuals accused of grave crimes, including those involving the sexual exploitation of children.

‘Something unknown’ hits key Russian drone facility in Taganrog, Ukrainian official says
“Something unknown flew into the Atlant-Aero plant in Taganrog,” Andrii Kovalenko, head of the counter-disinformation center, said. “This is an important node in the Russian military-industrial complex, specializing in components for combat drones and control systems.”
US citizen wanted for child sex crimes arrested in Ukraine after 30 years on the runThe Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir
US citizen wanted for child sex crimes arrested in Ukraine after 30 years on the run
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