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2023Prisoners
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March 21, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSkylar Meade: Idaho white supremacist and accomplice captured after prison breakPublished46 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Three officers were injured during the Wednesday hospital ambushBy Max MatzaBBC NewsIdaho police have captured two white supremacist gang members who have been linked to two homicides since a prison break on Wednesday.Fugitive inmate Skylar Meade and alleged accomplice Nicholas Umphenour were caught in Twin Falls, Idaho. Three officers were injured when Umphenour allegedly ambushed guards while they took Meade back to prison from a hospital.Police say both men are members of a prison gang – the Aryan Knights.They say it is unclear whether the escape was a “gang-sanctioned event”.Officials said the pair are suspected to have been involved in two homicides while on the run since Wednesday. Idaho State Police Lt Col Sheldon Kelley said prison shackles were found at the scene of one of the killings. Both victims were males in rural northern Idaho. Meade and Umphenour were taken into custody after a brief car chase on Thursday afternoon. Police say they were found driving a Honda Civic that belonged to one of the two victims. Meade escaped from the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise after being taken there for “self-injurious” behaviour, Josh Tewalt, director of the state’s Department of Correction, said in a news conference on Thursday.Umphenour ambushed prison staff early on Wednesday morning opening fire on them while Meade was being transported from hospital back to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.Umphenour was released earlier this year from the same prison. Investigators say the two men had lived in the same housing unit there. Mr Tewalt said it was unclear to what degree the escape was co-ordinated, and that prison officials were now taking steps “to mitigate the damage that gangs can do”.”Independent of their actions, we work hard every day to try and disrupt any organised criminal activity that happens in our facilities,” he said.Two correction officers were shot by the gunman during Meade’s escape. One had non-life-threatening injuries and another was in a critical but stable condition.A third prison guard was injured by gunfire when a responding police officer fired into the emergency department.Meade has been in prison since 2016 for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a firearm. He also has several previous convictions, including grand theft and felony possession of a controlled substance. He was scheduled to be released in 2036.Related TopicsPrison escapesIdahoUnited StatesMore on this storyCaptured US jail fugitive planned to flee to CanadaPublished14 September 2023Prisoners go missing hundreds of times in a decadePublished7 November 2023Top StoriesUS accuses Apple of monopolising smartphone marketPublished2 hours agoCalls for higher payout from women hit by pension age risePublished6 hours agoConcerns raised over Steve Barclay’s role in waste projectPublished1 hour agoFeatures’I want the £45,000 state pension that was stolen from me’A museum tried reverse misogyny. Now a man is suing’I go to bed with an empty stomach’ – Haiti hunger spreadsUK sees biggest increase in poverty for 30 yearsNew hope for sisters trapped in their bodiesThe new 28-year-old peer who wants to scrap the LordsThe boy killed by his ‘sadistic’ motherHow climate change made Easter eggs pricierDon Lemon on an Xtremely awkward Elon Musk interviewAttributionSoundsElsewhere on the BBC’It was a song that broke all the rules’The epic story behind Bohemian Rhapsody, featuring Brian May and Roger TaylorAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSounds’A few people laughed, a few cried, most were silent’The extraordinary story of the rise and fall of the inventor of the atomic bomb, J Robert OppenheimerAttributioniPlayerThe most famous waterway in the Americas is running dryThe Global Story explores the impact on the international shipping industryAttributionSoundsMost Read1Starmer urges Nike to change new England kit cross2Concerns raised over Steve Barclay’s role in waste project3Woman who ended life at Dignitas calls for law change4Terminally ill grandad scoops £1m lottery prize5UK sees biggest increase in poverty for 30 years6Women hit by pension age rise push for higher payout7New Gaza hospital raid sign of Hamas capabilities8US accuses Apple of monopolising smartphone market9’I want the £45,000 state pension that was stolen from me’10Holyrood staff banned from wearing rainbow lanyard

[ad_1] The pair are suspected to have been involved in two homicides while on the run since Wednesday.

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March 21, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaNew Gaza hospital raid sign of Hamas capabilitiesPublished4 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersImage caption, The fighting in Gaza has left few safe places for PalestiniansBy Yolande Knell and Rushdi AbualoufBBC News, in Jerusalem and IstanbulFour months after Israeli troops first stormed Gaza’s biggest hospital, al-Shifa, claiming it was a cover for a Hamas command and control centre, they have returned.The Israeli military said it had “concrete intelligence” that Hamas operatives had regrouped there. Palestinians have told the BBC of their fears at being trapped in fierce battles.While this week’s raid again highlights a desperate humanitarian situation, it is also a strong reminder that Hamas is far from a spent force. Some analysts suggest it shows the desperate need for a comprehensive strategy to deal with the Islamist armed group and a clear plan on the post-war governance of Gaza.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) now claim to have killed “over 140 terrorists” in ongoing fighting at al-Shifa and to have made some 600 arrests, including dozens of top Hamas commanders as well as some from Islamic Jihad. Two Israeli soldiers have also been killed.Israeli reports suggest that in recent weeks the army found that senior Hamas figures had resumed operations at al-Shifa and that some even took their families to the hospital. The IDF says it uncovered arms caches and a large quantity of cash at the site.Hamas has denied that its fighters were based there and claims that those killed were wounded patients and displaced people. Israeli forces raid Gaza’s al-Shifa hospitalPalestinian witnesses have told the BBC that gunfire and Israeli air strikes have been endangering patients, medics and hundreds of people still sheltering in the grounds.A local journalist has shared footage of smoke billowing from the complex.In another unverified video, shared on social media, dozens of women can be seen hunkering down in a building with their children. One says: “They took our men to an unknown place and now they’re asking women and children to leave. We don’t know where we’ll go”.In the background, an IDF officer says over loudspeaker: “Do not leave the buildings without instructions. We seek to evacuate civilians without harm, as we did in other hospitals in the past.”Since Wednesday evening, communications have been severely restricted, making it hard to contact medics and others at the scene.Image source, ReutersImage caption, The attacks on al-Shifa hospital have displaced Palestinians who were sheltering thereBack in November, there were accusations of possible violations of international law as Israeli tanks closed in on al-Shifa, in the heart of Gaza City. Premature babies were among those who died as conditions deteriorated in the besieged hospital.The IDF released surveillance camera footage which showed two hostages snatched from Israel being taken into the hospital. After an extensive search, Israeli troops blew up a large tunnel with rooms which ran under the site and later withdrew.The Israeli army went on to suggest that Hamas’s regional brigades and battalions in the north of the Gaza Strip had been disbanded. But soon reports emerged that small cells were regrouping.While Hamas has undoubtedly been severely weakened by the war, there have since been signs that it has been trying to restore its governing capability, including through policing and with some possible involvement in aid distribution.Washington has indicated that Israel’s renewed military action at al-Shifa Hospital illustrates its worry that its close ally does not have an adequate strategy to dismantle the organisation.”Israel cleared Shifa once. Hamas came back into Shifa, which raises questions about how to ensure a sustainable campaign against Hamas so that it cannot regenerate, cannot retake territory,” the US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said this week.The US has been pressing Israel to come up with a feasible alternative for Hamas rule in Gaza. Its plan has been to promote individuals linked to the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority (PA) and to work with Arab states to prevent a power vacuum.Blinken in Middle East to discuss post-war GazaIsrael previously said it was seeking to cooperate with clan leaders in Gaza without affiliation to the PA or Hamas.Now, the Wall Street Journal has reported that Israeli security officials are “quietly developing a plan to distribute aid”, working with Palestinian leaders and businessmen not linked to Hamas. The suggestion is that this “could eventually create a Palestinian-led governing authority”.Israeli media have suggested the operation at Shifa Hospital could last for several days. It is not being linked to the military operation in Rafah which Israel insists it must carry out to win the war with Hamas.There has been international concern over the impact such an offensive on the Egypt border could have as more than half of the 2.3m residents of Gaza are now displaced there.”It’s going to happen. And it will happen even if Israel is forced to fight alone,” the Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister, Ron Dermer, told the Call Me Back with Dan Senor podcast.While the IDF has formulated operational plans for Rafah and handed these to Israel’s government, no order has yet been given to execute them. It is seen as unlikely that such a move will take place during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which ends around 9 April. It would also take time for Israel to build up the necessary forces in Gaza.Despite declarations to the contrary, Israeli experts also believe that in order for a Rafah operation to be effective, ultimately coordination will be needed with Egypt and the US.”The Egyptians are on the other side of the border,” pointed out retired General Amos Gilad on Israel’s Kan Radio. “You can’t do anything in Rafah without coordinating with the Egyptians and the Americans.”Related TopicsMiddle EastIsrael & the PalestiniansIsrael-Gaza warIsraelPalestinian territoriesGazaHamasMore on this storyBlinken in Middle East to discuss post-war GazaPublished1 day agoTrapped by gunfire, people risked death to help injuredPublished7 days agoTop StoriesUS accuses Apple of monopolising smartphone marketPublished5 minutes agoCalls for higher payout from women hit by pension age risePublished3 hours agoWoman who ended life at Dignitas calls for assisted dying law changePublished3 hours agoFeatures’I want the £45,000 state pension that was stolen from me’A museum tried reverse misogyny. Now a man is suing’I go to bed with an empty stomach’ – Haiti hunger spreadsUK sees biggest increase in poverty for 30 yearsNew hope for sisters trapped in their bodiesThe new 28-year-old peer who wants to scrap the LordsThe boy killed by his ‘sadistic’ motherHow climate change made Easter eggs pricierDon Lemon on an Xtremely awkward Elon Musk interviewAttributionSoundsElsewhere on the BBC’It was a song that broke all the rules’The epic story behind Bohemian Rhapsody, featuring Brian May and Roger TaylorAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSounds’A few people laughed, a few cried, most were silent’The extraordinary story of the rise and fall of the inventor of the atomic bomb, J Robert OppenheimerAttributioniPlayerThe most famous waterway in the Americas is running dryThe Global Story explores the impact on the international shipping industryAttributionSoundsMost Read1Woman who ended life at Dignitas calls for law change2Appeal for clues in ‘Black Boy’ portrait mystery3Starmer urges Nike to change new England kit cross4Terminally ill grandad scoops £1m lottery prize5Women hit by pension age rise push for higher payout6Holyrood staff banned from wearing rainbow lanyard7’I want the £45,000 state pension that was stolen from me’8US accuses Apple of monopolising smartphone market9New Gaza hospital raid sign of Hamas capabilities10GMB staff to strike over sex harassment claims

[ad_1] “Israel cleared Shifa once. Hamas came back into Shifa, which raises questions about how to ensure a sustainable campaign against Hamas so that it cannot regenerate, cannot retake territory,”…

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2024The
28yearold
March 21, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsraeli government spokesman Eylon Levy reportedly suspendedPublished18 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, Getty ImagesBy David GrittenBBC NewsIsrael’s English-language government spokesman Eylon Levy has been suspended, Israeli media reports say.The Israeli prime minister’s office has not given a reason, according to the reports. But there is speculation that it is linked to an online row with the UK foreign secretary, Lord Cameron.Mr Levy has so far not commented.On 8 March, he wrote a now-deleted post on X responding to another one from Lord Cameron that urged Israel “to allow more [aid] trucks into Gaza”.”I hope you are also aware there are NO limits on the entry of food, water, medicine, or shelter equipment into Gaza, and in fact the crossings have EXCESS capacity,” Mr Levy replied.”Test us. Send another 100 trucks a day to Kerem Shalom and we’ll get them in,” he added, referring to an Israeli-controlled border crossing.Two days earlier, he wrote another post criticising a statement issued by Lord Cameron after a meeting with an Israeli minister in London. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on TwitterThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Skip twitter post by Eylon LevyAllow Twitter content?This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.Accept and continueThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.End of twitter post by Eylon LevyIsrael’s Channel 12 News reported on Tuesday that Mr Levy was suspended shortly after the UK Foreign Office wrote to Israel’s foreign ministry to express its “surprise” and seek clarification on whether Mr Levy’s posts represented the Israeli government’s official position.The Financial Times cited a person familiar with the matter as characterising the British query as: “Is this the way allies speak to each other?” On Wednesday, Israeli media said the prime minister’s office had confirmed that Mr Levy was suspended, but that it had not provided further details. There was no immediate response from Mr Levy. But he described himself as an Israeli government spokesman in several posts on X on Tuesday.Mr Levy, who is in his 30s, was born in the UK and emigrated to Israel in 2014. He served in Cogat, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees policy for the Palestinian territories, worked as a TV news anchor and was most recently international media adviser to President Isaac Herzog.He rose to international prominence after becoming a government spokesperson following Hamas’s 7 October attacks on Israel and the start of the war in Gaza, and frequently being interviewed by English-language broadcasters, including the BBC.On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made critical remarks about Israel’s English-language public diplomacy during a closed-door meeting with two parliamentary committees on Tuesday.Channel 12 quoted him as saying: “There simply are no people. You are surrounded by people who can’t put two words together [in English].”In response to that report, his office said he “deeply values the work of his team and of the Public Diplomacy Directorate that operates under him”.Related TopicsDavid CameronIsrael-Gaza warIsraelTop StoriesWomen’s state pension payout fight nears endPublished47 minutes agoLive. ‘I missed out on £47,000’: Pension report could recommend compensationLive. Bank of England to announce interest rates decisionFeaturesNew hope for sisters trapped in their bodiesPoland’s ‘Heart of the Garden’ named tree of 2024The new 28-year-old peer who wants to scrap the LordsThe Papers: Rwanda defeat in Lords and ‘rate cut hope’The ‘nerdy weird’ killer who fooled everyoneAnthony Mackie: We need more fun on our TVsUK start-up to beam 4K video from space stationInside story of a Nigerian ransom negotiatorA museum tried reverse misogyny. Now a man is suingElsewhere on the BBCHow do you create an Oscar-winning soundscape?Johnnie Burn explains how he used audio to re-create the horrors of the HolocaustAttributionSoundsHow can you avoid being scammed by AI?Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong take a deep dive into the world of AI voice clonesAttributionSoundsSuccess in the women’s gameManchester United’s Ella Toone gets candid with Eddie Hearn about fame, football and life in the spotlightAttributionSoundsIs our future underground?The Inquiry investigates the latest developments in underground living for surviving climate changeAttributionSoundsMost Read1Women’s state pension payout fight nears end2New hope for sisters trapped in their bodies3Post Office wanted expert witness to alter report4Newly discovered beetle almost mistaken for bird poo5NHS AI test spots tiny cancers missed by doctors6Rwanda defeat in Lords and ‘rate cut hope’7The new 28-year-old peer who wants to scrap the Lords8The ‘nerdy weird’ killer who fooled everyone9Bank of England expected to hold interest rates10A museum tried reverse misogyny. Now a man is suing

[ad_1] Israeli media say Eylon Levy was suspended over an online row with the UK foreign secretary.

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29yearold
February 19, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCape Town smell blamed on cattle ship docked in South African cityPublished37 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPImage caption, Animal rights campaigners want to ban the export of live animals by sea (file photo)By Danai Nesta KupembaBBC NewsA “nauseating” stench engulfing the South African city of Cape Town comes from a ship docked in the port carrying 19,000 cows, local officials say.”It was the worst stench I have ever come across in my life,” Lerato Bashing, a 29-year-old Cape Town resident, told the BBC. The smell has been traced to the Al Kuwait ship which has been anchored in Cape Town since Sunday evening.The City of Cape Town said on X the issue of the smell was being handled.The city’s official in charge of water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said the ship was due to leave on Monday night.The Al Kuwait is heading to Iraq from Brazil. It stopped in Cape Town to get feed for the cattle, according to anti-animal cruelty organisation, NSPCA.Its agents boarded the ship to asses the condition of the ship and said in a statement: “This smell is indicative of the awful conditions the animals endure, having already spent 2½ weeks on board, with a build-up of faeces and ammonia.””It ruined my day because even when I was indoors, every time the lift opened, the smell spilled over into the office and it stuck in the back of my throat like a bad aftertaste,” Ms Bashing said. Another resident, who works near the harbour, told the BBC the smell was “overwhelming” and they were forced to close their car windows, despite it being a hot day.”It smelled as bad as one you’d imagine and I was put off of breathing,” they said. However, residents say the stink has not reached the other side of Table Mountain or the southern suburbs.While residents in the port city were greatly affected, many wondered how the crew were faring as they had spent about two weeks with the cattle. “I feel sorry for the workers on that carrier who have to be around that every day and for the animals,” Ms Bashing said.The NSPCA took the moment to reiterate “its firm stance against the live export of animals by sea”. The group launched a campaign in 2019 to stop the the practice. The NSPCA says this method of trade causes “pain, suffering and distress to many animals”. Additional reporting by Flora DruryYou may also be interested in:’Brutal’ donkey skin trade banned across AfricaAnimals fear human voices more than lions – studyRelated TopicsSouth AfricaAfricaAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastTop StoriesLive. Alexei Navalny’s widow vows to continue his work in fight for ‘free Russia’Baby was among three children found dead Published6 minutes agoLive. Kemi Badenoch says Post Office payout delay claims ‘wild, baseless allegations’FeaturesWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutes. VideoWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutesMichael J Fox brings audience to tears at BaftasThe unprecedented case of a migrant manslaughter trial’Hearing my children’s laughter is like torture’Voters feel better about the economy. Will it help Biden?Who is Julian Assange and why is he facing extradition?Determination and despair in Ukraine front-line town‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’Matt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince Harry. VideoMatt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince HarryElsewhere on the BBCWhat is it really like to be a monk?’To be a monk is something very vast, very high and very beautiful’AttributioniPlayerCould Taylor Swift swing the US election?‘Swifties’ know the words to all her songs, but are they listening to her on politics?AttributionSoundsWhat holds us back from exercising as we age?James Gallagher explores the mental and physical barriers that may stop usAttributionSounds’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerMost Read1New controls on holiday lets to be introduced2Father tried to rescue son, 2, who fell into river3Constance Marten told to say baby died of cot death4Baby among three children found dead in house5Israeli PM ‘missed chance’ to cut off Hamas cash6Bafta taking Oppenheimer stage invasion ‘seriously’7Crew abandon cargo ship after attack off Yemen8Crystal Palace appoint Glasner as new managerAttributionSport9Michael J Fox brings audience to tears at Baftas10First jailing over intention to supply nitrous oxide

[ad_1] A “nauseating” stench engulfing the South African city comes from a ship carrying 19,000 cows, officials say.

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abandon
Abdulrahman
February 19, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael’s Rafah deadline raises stakes as Ramadan approachesPublished3 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, EPAImage caption, There are more than one million Palestinians crammed into Rafah, a city in southern GazaBy Lyse DoucetChief international correspondentIsrael’s sudden threat to unleash its controversial ground operation in the southern Gazan town of Rafah unless all hostages are freed by 10 March has ratcheted up the pressure on the tortuous talks to secure an elusive agreement. Even before Benny Gantz, a leading member of Israel’s war cabinet, threw down the gauntlet, Arab leaders were already anxiously focused on this start of the Islamic holy month – a time of communal fasting and prayer which can intensify a prevailing mood.”Ramadan is ahead of us and if the situation in Rafah evolves, it will be a very, very dangerous time in the region,” warned Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the annual Munich Security Conference over the weekend.The palpable apprehension by an Arab leader directly involved in the protracted negotiations to swap Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and reach a truce in this grievous war, is being forcefully echoed by other Arab officials. Their principal preoccupation is the highly combustible situation in the occupied West Bank, where tensions and violence have been steadily escalating.”The West Bank is a powder keg waiting to explode and, if it does, it is game over,” stressed Jordan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi in a BBC interview in Munich on Sunday, before Israel seemed to set a deadline. Conversations in Munich with several Arab and western officials with knowledge of these high-stake talks underscored a bleak prognosis. They all spoke off the record because of the sensitive nature of the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas involving US, Egyptian and Israeli spy chiefs, as well as Qatar.”The gaps are still wide,” regretted one source. Another described the process as “stuck”.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Humanitarian groups fear there could be dire consequences for civilians in Rafah if Israel launches an offensiveThe main stumbling blocks are said to include Hamas’s high price for the release of the hostages. A figure of 1,500 Palestinian prisoners for five Israeli female Israeli soldiers was cited by one source as one example. In the first swap in November during a one-week truce, 105 hostages – mainly elderly women and young children – were swapped for 240 Palestinians, many of them teenagers, detained in Israeli prisons. About 130 hostages are said to be still in captivity in Gaza, although a small number are believed to have been killed in this war. It was always known that Hamas would hike the price to release Israeli soldiers, who they see as one of its most valuable bargaining chips. Sources say negotiators have been trying to bring down these numbers by introducing other incentives such as increased deliveries of desperately needed humanitarian aid.Hamas’s broader demand for an end to this war and the pull-out of all Israeli troops are utterly unacceptable to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Hamas’s proposed plan as “delusional”.Negotiators have been searching for a less controversial form of words, including “restoring calm”.Israel indicates March deadline for Gaza ground offensive in Rafah’We leave patients to scream for hours and hours’WHO says Gaza hospital not functional after Israel raidsLatest ceasefire talks not very promising – QatarIsrael is also said to be adding new issues to the negotiating table, including its accusation that Hamas failed to deliver medicines to hostages as part of an earlier initiative mediated by Qatar and France. Mr Netanyahu has also been criticised for holding back on presenting any counterproposals until Hamas comes back with more acceptable offers.Hamas first put forward its own proposal in early February, which included a three-stage ceasefire and a phased release of hostages in exchange for prisoners and humanitarian aid over 135 days.”That’s why we have negotiations,” insisted Jordan’s Mr Safadi, who accused the Israeli leader of walking away from the talks. “There are a lot of people who are trying very hard to get a deal.”Beyond the details of any agreement, some players are vexed that Hamas will claim credit for hugely important Palestinian issues such as prisoner releases. It is yet another element complicating this highly charged crisis.Those who insist a deal is still doable point out that both Hamas and Israel would benefit from a truce – even if it is only temporary. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Hamas is thought to still be holding about 130 hostagesIsrael is under mounting pressure, especially from its staunchest ally the United States, to create a “credible plan” to evacuate more than a million Gazans now squeezed into Rafah. About half of Gaza’s population, displaced many times over during this punishing war, are now living in tents. In the midst of Israeli declarations it must send its troops into Rafah to complete its operation to “destroy Hamas”, Egypt has been strengthening defences along its border, including the construction of a walled enclosure. Satellite images showing an area of roughly eight sq miles fenced by seven m high walls have provoked speculation that Cairo is preparing for a worst case scenario – that thousands of Palestinians will have nowhere else to seek refuge except across the border. “The risk is speculative, but it exists,” Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry admitted to me in Munich while trying to downplay the significance of Egypt’s move. He reiterated the call being sounded with growing urgency by a chorus of Arab and western leaders, as well as aid organisations, for Israel to halt any plans for a Rafah ground operation which would create a “humanitarian catastrophe”.The US – which is playing a pivotal role in this process – has been pressing for a hostage deal and a humanitarian pause which it hopes can evolve into a more permanent ceasefire. Washington DC and its Arab allies also view it as a vital breathing space to focus on a highly ambitious plan for the “day after” the war ends. That vision – including a Palestinian state, a reformed Palestinian Authority and the normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia – would do nothing less than redraw the political map of the Middle East.For now, minds are concentrated on the growing urgency to find a way out of this mounting crisis in the next few weeks.Related TopicsMiddle EastIsrael-Gaza warIsraelPalestinian territoriesHamasMore on this storyIsrael-Gaza war: Death and Israel’s search for ‘total victory’Published11 FebruaryWhy are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Published6 days agoGaza Strip in maps: How life has changed in four monthsPublished9 FebruaryTop StoriesLive. Alexei Navalny’s widow vows to continue his work in fight for ‘free Russia’Baby was among three children found dead Published35 minutes agoLive. Kemi Badenoch says Post Office payout delays “wild, baseless allegations”FeaturesWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutes. VideoWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutesMichael J Fox brings audience to tears at BaftasThe unprecedented case of a migrant manslaughter trial’Hearing my children’s laughter is like torture’Voters feel better about the economy. Will it help Biden?Determination and despair in Ukraine front-line townWho is Julian Assange and why is he facing extradition?‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’Matt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince Harry. VideoMatt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince HarryElsewhere on the BBCWhat is it really like to be a monk?’To be a monk is something very vast, very high and very beautiful’AttributioniPlayerCould Taylor Swift swing the US election?‘Swifties’ know the words to all her songs, but are they listening to her on politics?AttributionSoundsWhat holds us back from exercising as we age?James Gallagher explores the mental and physical barriers that may stop usAttributionSounds’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerMost Read1New controls on holiday lets to be introduced2Constance Marten told to say baby died of cot death3Father tried to rescue son, 2, who fell into river4Baby among three children found dead in house5Hodgson steps down as Crystal Palace managerAttributionSport6Crew abandon cargo ship after attack off Yemen7Bafta taking Oppenheimer stage invasion ‘seriously’8Boat pilot guilty over Channel migrant deaths9First jailing over intention to supply nitrous oxide10Philip Schofield gave ‘six-figure sum’ to ex-lover

[ad_1] Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have not brought the war to an end – and a pivotal few weeks looms.

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1970s
February 17, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaKGB spy who rubbed shoulders with French elite for decadesPublished1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsCold WarImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, For decades, KGB spy Philippe Grumbach rubbed shoulders with countless political figures and celebritiesBy Laura GozziBBC NewsMajor French magazine L’Express has revealed that its prominent former editor, Philippe Grumbach, spied for the Soviet Union for 35 years. Grumbach was an exceptionally well plugged-in figure in French society for decades. He counted presidents, actors and literary giants as close friends. He was a legendary figure in journalism who shaped the editorial direction of one of France’s most successful publications. When he died in 2003, Minister of Culture Jean-Jacques Aillagon said Grumbach had been “one of the most memorable and respected figures in French media”.But he was also “Brok”, a spy for Russia’s KGB intelligence agency.Extensive proof of Grumbach’s duplicitous life can be found in the so-called Mitrokhin archives – named after the Soviet major who smuggled thousands of pages of documents out of Soviet archives and handed them to Britain in 1992. They were later compiled into a book by Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin himself.Among the thousands of pages of documents are profiles outlining the characteristics of Westerners who spied for the Soviet Union. Several months ago, a friend of Etienne Girard, the social affairs editor at L’Express and the co-author of the Grumbach exposé, informed him that an acquaintance who was researching the Mitrokhin files had come across mentions of L’Express. The documents said that an agent with the code-name of Brok worked for the KGB – and spelled out biographical details that matched Grumbach’s. Mr Girard’s interest was piqued immediately.”I started to dig into it and found Grumbach’s name written in Russian, and some photos,” Mr Girard told the BBC. “And then things got much more serious. I got in touch with the French secret service to confirm that Brok was indeed Grumbach – and things snowballed from there.”Born in Paris in 1924 into a Jewish family, Grumbach fled France with his mother and siblings in 1940 – the year Nazi Germany invaded and Marshal Philippe Pétain took power in Vichy with a collaborationist regime. Grumbach joined the US army almost immediately and fought alongside the resistance in Algeria in 1943. After the war, he joined the AFP news agency – but resigned soon after in protest at the French government’s actions in the war in Indochina. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Philippe Grumbach as a young journalistIn 1954, Grumbach was hired to work at L’Express by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, its founder. From then onwards, Grumbach began rubbing shoulders with some of France’s most prominent figures of the 20th Century. He helped rehabilitate the then-senator – and future president – Francois Mitterand’s reputation when he was accused of staging a fake assassination in 1960. He was close to the powerful Servan-Schreiber, President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and prominent statesman Pierre Mendès France, among others. Actors Alain Delon and Isabelle Adjani were guests at his 1980 wedding, where writer Francoise Sagan and Pierre Berge, co-founder of Yves Saint Laurent, were the legal witnesses. And Grumbach was a spy throughout.Some may view his decision to spy for the Soviet Union as a romantic tale of loyalty to a doomed regime. But Mitrokhin himself speculated that while it was probably ideology that initially attracted Grumbach to the KGB, after only a few years his reasons for staying on as a spy had less to do with wishing to advance the cause of communism in Europe, and more with his desire to make enough money to buy a flat in Paris. The financial incentives were certainly appealing. According to the Mitrokhin files, between 1976 and 1978 alone Grumbach was awarded the equivalent of today’s €250,000 (£214,000) for his services to the KGB. On three other occasions in the 1970s, he received an extra bonus for being one of the top 13 Soviet spies in France. Yet it is unclear what missions he carried out exactly. The Mitrokhin files show that during the 1974 presidential election the KGB gave him fabricated files which were meant to create tensions between right-wing presidential candidates. Although L’Express quotes documents as saying that Grumbach was entrusted with the mission of “settling delicate issues” and “liaising with representatives and leaders of political parties, and groups”, there are few other concrete examples of Grumbach actively helping the USSR.Maybe that is the reason why, in the early 1980s, the KGB severed ties with him. According to the Mitrokhin files book, KGB agents in Paris deemed Grumbach “insincere” and felt he exaggerated his abilities to gather information and the value of his intelligence. He was let go in 1981.We will never know whether Grumbach was relieved that his double life was no more, or how he felt about his years of service to the KGB. Whether because of shame or a lingering sense of loyalty, he rebuffed the only known attempt in 2000 by a journalist, Thierry Wolton, to find out more about his years as a spy. Grumbach initially appeared to obliquely admit to his past, but later rowed back, threatening to sue Wolton if he went ahead with the tell-all book he was planning. Wolton dropped the project, but it seems the incident sparked in Grumbach a desire to talk about his experience.His widow Nicole recently told L’Express that, soon after the Wolton visit, her late husband told her the truth. “He explained to me that he had worked for the KGB before we got married,” she told the magazine. She said he mentioned having been “revolted” by the racism he witnessed in Texas while he was in the US army, and implied this led him to seek a collaboration with the USSR instead. “He immediately added that he wanted to stop almost right away, but that he had been threatened,” Nicole told L’Express.Mr Girard says he had no problem unearthing the truth about its former editor-in-chief.”I definitely had the sense that I was doing my job. It’s up to us to do the investigation, because it concerns us – even if it means unearthing uncomfortable truths,” he said.Writing the piece took three months, but it has paid off. Almost every media outlet in France has picked up the story – possibly because many still remember Grumbach as a towering figure who dominated the French media landscape for decades.Some may be tempted to dust off their old copies of L’Express from the Grumbach years in search of subliminal pro-Soviet messaging. But they’re unlikely to find anything. In the 1950s, under Grumbach’s first stint as an editor-in-chief, L’Express leaned left without ever endorsing communism; in the 1970s, when Grumbach was again at the helm, L’Express moved to a resolutely moderate, liberal, centrist space. As the report in L’Express points out, Grumbach’s work as a spy was never to spread propaganda. “He was careful to keep his work as a spy separate from his work as magazine editor,” Mr Girard said. “But this is precisely why it all worked. The KGB wanted him to hold on to his cover of a centrist bourgeois to keep flying under the radar.””It was fully in the spirit of the KGB. It was a smart move. And it worked.”Related TopicsMediaFranceCold WarRussiaTop StoriesLive. 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[ad_1] His widow Nicole recently told L’Express that, soon after the Wolton visit, her late husband told her the truth. “He explained to me that he had worked for the…

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaWhat we know about reports of Alexei Navalny’s death in Arctic Circle prisonPublished13 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Navalny with his wife, before flying back to Russia and certain arrest after recovering from novichok poisoningBy Graeme BakerBBC NewsAccording to Russian accounts, Alexei Navalny took a short walk at his Siberian penal colony, said he felt unwell, then collapsed and never regained consciousness.He was 47 years old. His condition had deteriorated in his three years in prison, where he complained of being denied medical treatment and had spent almost 300 days in solitary confinement. By the time of his arrest in January 2021 he had spent months recovering from a nerve agent attack.Even so, he appeared to be in relatively good spirits and health in a court video a day before his death.The weight of international opinion does not appear to tally with Russia’s account of what happened to him at IK-3, or “Polar Wolf” – one of Russia’s northernmost and toughest prisons. Navalny was often asked: ‘Do you fear for your life?’French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said Navalny “paid with his life” for his “resistance to Russian oppression”, adding that his death was a reminder of the “reality of Vladimir Putin’s regime”. Navalny’s mother Lyudmila said her son was “alive, healthy and happy” when she last saw him on 12 February, in a Facebook post quoted by Novaya Gazeta newspaper. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Navalny jokes in court a day before his deathHis wife, Yulia, said, simply: “We can’t really believe Putin and his government.”What Russian reports say about his collapseRussia’s Interfax news agency reports that medics spent half an hour trying to resuscitate him. According to prison authorities, doctors were with him within two minutes and an ambulance was available within six.The state-run RT network – banned in many Western countries – raised the possibility that a blood clot killed him. Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin’s spokesman, said “medics must somehow figure this out”. There has been no post-mortem examination, so far. There have been attempts on Navalny’s life beforeWhether it was slow deterioration, a sudden catastrophe or a single incident that killed him, Navalny was aware people wanted him dead.In December 2020, Navalny accused agents from Russia’s security agency, the FSB, of poisoning him.He had fallen gravely ill and collapsed on a plane flying out of Tomsk, Siberia, forcing the plane into an emergency landing in Omsk as the crew sought medical aid. European labs would later confirm that Novichok, the Russian-made nerve agent also used to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury in the UK, was found on his body.In an extraordinary phone call, which Navalny recorded, he duped an FSB agent into admitting that the chemical weapon had been administered to Mr Navalny’s underwear at a hotel in Tomsk. The agent, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, said that had the plane not made an emergency landing, he would have died.After treatment in Germany, Navalny returned to Russia in January 2021 and was instantly arrested.His health worsened in prison In the months that followed after Navalny’s imprisonment on charges of “extremism” and “corruption”, various warnings from his allies and lawyers were issued that his condition was worsening, that he was gravely ill, or that his whereabouts were unknown.He complained of severe back pain, fevers and numbness in his legs. He spoke of sleep deprivation due to hourly “checks” by guards shining torches in his eyes, and was still not over the severe effects of the nerve agent attack.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Protesters call for Navalny’s release in a protest in Moscow in 2021Suspicious fate of Putin rivalsNavalny’s history of activism would mark him out as a primary threat to Putin’s power. For more than a decade, he exposed corruption within the regime, and his video investigations received hundreds of millions of views online.Then in 2021 his campaign team produced a viral video aiming to expose the building of a $1bn palace for Putin on the Black Sea funded by “the largest bribe in history”.Navalny said it was evidence of Vladimir Putin’s “feudal” regime of patronage and thievery from the Russian people. The video has been viewed almost 130 million times in three years.Mr Navalny was already in custody by the time the video was released. And now he is dead.He becomes the latest name on a long list of people to have suffered “sudden Russian death syndrome”, as some commentators have framed it.It includes not only out-and-out Putin critics, but allies who have turned threats – such as mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin – and those who have simply insulted the Kremlin.They include Pavel Antov, 65, a “sausage tycoon” and member of Putin’s United Russia party who fell to his death from a hotel window in India in 2022, shortly after denying he was the source of a WhatsApp message critical of the war in Ukraine. A friend on the same trip, Vladimir Budanov, also died in his hotel.Months earlier in September, the head of Russia’s oil giant Lukoil, Ravil Maganov, apparently fell from a hospital window in Moscow. He too had been critical of the war in Ukraine. Only three years before he had been presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Russian president.Image source, KremlinImage caption, Ravil Maganov was given a lifetime achievement award by President Vladimir Putin in 2019Boris Nemtsov, a charismatic opposition leader who had been deputy prime minister in the 1990s, was shot four times in the back within sight of the Kremlin in 2015.Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist who wrote books about Russia’s police state under Vladimir Putin, was murdered in 2006 by contract killers. They were paid, according to a judge in their trial, by “a person unknown”.One of her killers later fought in Ukraine, and is now pardoned.Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent and critic of Putin, died in London in 2006, three weeks after drinking a cup of tea that had been laced with deadly radioactive element, polonium-210.A British inquiry found that Litvinenko was poisoned by FSB agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, who were acting on orders that had “probably” been approved by Putin.The Kremlin either does not comment on these deaths, or denies any involvement.Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, on Friday described Navalny’s death as a “terrible tragedy” and the latest example of the “Russian government’s long and sordid history of doing harm to its opponents”.”It raises real and obvious questions about what happened here.”His death, whatever the cause, came while Navalny was an inmate in the care of the state.And it robs those who oppose Vladimir Putin’s rule of an internationally recognised alternative, and stands as perhaps the greatest warning to those who would seek to cross the Kremlin.Related TopicsRussiaAlexei NavalnyVladimir PutinMore on this storyPutin critic Navalny dies in Arctic Circle jail, says RussiaPublished12 hours agoWatch: Navalny seen in video link a day before his reported death. Video, 00:00:24Watch: Navalny seen in video link a day before his reported deathPublished17 hours ago0:24Top StoriesLive. ‘Putin is responsible’ – Biden speaks out after report of Navalny’s deathUkraine troops pull out of key eastern town AvdiivkaPublished5 hours agoIs Russia turning the tide in Ukraine?Published5 minutes agoFeaturesThe Papers: Putin ‘must pay for Navalny’ and Harry reaches outArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defiance. VideoArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defianceAlexei Navalny in his own words – dark humour during dark times’Zombie Fires’ burning at an alarming rate in CanadaHow the fantasy world of D&D can be a home for everyoneGay woman aims to found LGBT-accepting churchI made my Chewbacca suit from 45 bags of hair extensionsChris Mason: Tory gloom deepens after double poll blowTwo by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutes. 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[ad_1] Many believe the opposition leader paid the ultimate price for opposing Putin – what do we know?

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaKey takeaways from Donald Trump’s ‘overwhelming’ fraud trial defeatPublished5 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesImage caption, Donald Trump leaves the New York fraud trial.By Kayla EpsteinBBC New, New YorkIn a stunning blow to his business empire, Donald Trump has been found liable for almost $355m (£281m) in penalties by Justice Arthur Engoron, in a long-awaited conclusion to the billionaire’s fraud trial. The judge issued a further shock to the real estate personality once synonymous with Manhattan’s skyline, barring him from doing business in New York for three years. Justice Engoron broadly sided with Attorney General Letitia James’ argument that the Trump Organization should pay a steep price for fraudulently misrepresenting their assets in order to get more favourable loans and interest rates over the course of years.While the judge backtracked on an earlier, controversial decision that threatened to dissolve many of Mr Trump’s businesses in New York, his judgement still represents a serious setback for the 77-year-old.Here are the key things to know about Justice Engoron’s decision and its impact.1. A crushing financial penalty for TrumpMr Trump and his real estate organisation were ordered to pay $354,868,768 (£281m) in fines, just short of the amount Ms James had requested. This is an enormous sum, even for a billionaire.Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, the former president’s two sons who currently run the Trump Organization, must pay $4m each in fines. Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, must pay $1m.The defendants may also have to pay heavy interest on their fines, potentially adding millions more to the total. Ms James estimated that the sum Mr Trump owes could eventually come to $463.9m. “It is an overwhelming defeat for the former president on all counts,” said Mitchell Epner, a white-collar attorney in New York.Mr Trump will likely appeal Justice Engoron’s decision. But to stay the verdict pending the appeal, he will have to put up the entirety of the fine within 30 days. And the penalties come hot on the heels of the $83.3m a jury recently ordered him to pay the writer E Jean Carroll for defaming her. Combined, the two might represent more cash that Mr Trump has free.There are a few ways he could find the money, and all those routes might face complications. “He’s got to think about what to do with his assets, how to perhaps liquidate businesses to come up with that money,” Sarah Krissoff, a former federal prosecutor, said ahead of the ruling. 2. Trumps barred from doing business in New York, but not foreverJustice Engoron barred Donald Trump from doing business in New York for three years. His sons, Eric and Donald Jr, are barred for two years.Ms James had asked for a lifetime ban for Mr Trump, but Justice Engoron opted for a shorter length of time.Image source, Pool via Getty ImagesImage caption, Justice Arthur Engoron oversees Trump’s New York fraud trial.These days, Mr Trump does not spend much time in the city where he built his empire, and most of his recent visits have been for court dates. Instead, he has established himself firmly in Florida, a far more favourable political climate.And the order will not apply outside the state. Mr Trump has other business and properties around the country and the world, and Justice Engoran’s order would not stop him from being involved with them. Nonetheless, the ruling seriously curtails his ability to do business in a city home to some of his most valuable assets, Steve Cohen, a professor at New York Law School, told the BBC.The verdict “does everything in this court’s power to eliminate the ability of Donald Trump, and those who operate on behalf of Donald Trump to do business in the jurisdiction over which this court has authority: New York state,” said Mr Cohen.3. Judge walks back a controversial initial ruling and Trump Organization will still existOne of the biggest questions ahead of the decision was whether Justice Engoron would stick with an initial ruling from September, which ordered the dissolution of Mr Trump’s businesses in New York.Legal experts had serious questions about whether the sweeping anti-fraud statute Ms James used to bring the case applied to Mr Trump’s businesses that took the form of limited liability companies (LLCs). Judge Engoron’s earlier ruling had covered those businesses, but today, he walked that back.Instead, he subjected those companies and the Trump Organization to strict oversight, and any decisions about the “restructuring and dissolution” of Mr Trump’s LLCs will fall to an overseer.This revision will make it less likely for Justice Engoron’s decision to be overturned on appeal.”Self-correction is always wiser than being reversed,” Mr Cohen observed. The Trump Organization will continue to exist in a modified, and heavily scrutinized form, he explained. But even though the worst outcome – the dissolution of Mr Trump’s New York businesses – was avoided, the ruling was still an incredibly broad interpretation of the anti-fraud law, Mr Cohen added.4. Court monitor will keep company under a microscopeEven though the ruling was very detrimental to Mr Trump, he got a slight reprieve when Justice Engoron decided to keep an independent monitor in place for at least three years. Justice Engoron could have also appointed a receiver to oversee Mr Trump’s businesses, which would have had even more control over their operations, Mr Cohen explained. An independent monitor, while still a serious oversight, is a slightly less severe option.”Instead of being placed in a straitjacket, in a locked room, under guard, they’re being put in handcuffs, in a locked room, under guard,” Mr Cohen observed.Image source, Michael M. SantiagoImage caption, Trump attends his New York fraud trial.Still, the independent monitor will have broad authority to keep Mr Trump’s businesses in line. The monitor, Barbara Jones, will get to appoint an independent director of compliance to work under her, and the Trump Organization will have to pay them. “By installing this additional layer, this compliance director, it’s a person who’s literally sitting at Trump Organization, and nothing can go out, nothing can be issued without that person approving,” said Diana Florence, a former federal prosecutor.”It’s a big deal and it’s certainly should have the impact of stopping any misstatements on financial records.”5. Ruling lays bare Trump’s controversial business practicesJustice Engoron cited extensive evidence from throughout the trial to underscore his ultimate decision.And he did not hold back when laying out his justification for such a harsh ruling. At one point he quoted the British poet Alexander Pope: “To err is human, to forgive is divine.””Defendants,” Justice Engoron wrote, were “apparently are of a different mind”.”Their complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological,” he said. “Yet, defendants are incapable of admitting the error of their ways. Instead, they adopt a ‘See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’ posture that the evidence belies.””This trial has made clear just how sloppily the Trump Organization is run as a business when it comes to its financial practices,” said Will Thomas, a professor at University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.With additional reporting from Madeline Halpert in New York City. Related TopicsNew York CityDonald TrumpFraudMore on this storyTrump must pay $354m. How could he do it?Published7 hours agoTrump ordered to pay $354m in New York fraud casePublished4 hours agoThe billion-dollar question at heart of Trump trialPublished11 December 2023Top StoriesLive. ‘Putin is responsible’ – Biden speaks out after report of Navalny’s deathUkraine troops pull out of key eastern town AvdiivkaPublished3 hours agoNavalny was often asked: ‘Do you fear for your life?’Published10 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Putin ‘must pay for Navalny’ and Harry reaches outArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defiance. VideoArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defianceAlexei Navalny in his own words – dark humour during dark times’Zombie Fires’ burning at an alarming rate in CanadaHow the fantasy world of D&D can be a home for everyoneGay woman aims to found LGBT-accepting churchI made my Chewbacca suit from 45 bags of hair extensionsChris Mason: Tory gloom deepens after double poll blowTwo by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutes. VideoTwo by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutesElsewhere on the BBCThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerWhat is it really like to be a monk?’To be a monk is something very vast, very high and very beautiful’AttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerFancy a film tonight?There’s something for everyone on BBC iPlayerAttributioniPlayerMost Read1The day I found out I had special ‘neo’ blood2Putin ‘must pay for Navalny’ and Harry reaches out3Is it even possible to do 28 A-levels – and what’s the cost?4Trump ordered to pay $354m in New York fraud case5Ukraine troops pull out of key eastern town Avdiivka6£10k payout ‘cruel’, says bankrupt Post Office victim7Six-time Olympic champion Hoy reveals cancer diagnosisAttributionSport8Fans get rare chance to see Big Yin’s ‘Big Banana Feet’9New Parkinson’s drug to be rolled out on NHS10Two teenagers charged over Super Bowl parade shooting

[ad_1] Donald Trump was hit with a crushing $354m fine, but averted the worst outcome for his business empire.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaTrump ordered to pay $354m to New York for lying to banksPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Trump promises to appeal after $354m rulingBy Lisa Lambert & Holly HonderichWashington DC Former President Donald Trump must pay nearly $355m (£281m) to New York state for lying about the values of his properties, a judge has ruled.Judge Arthur Engoron also banned him from serving as a company director or taking out loans from banks in the state for three years.The New York real estate mogul escaped having some of his companies dissolved, which could have meant bankruptcy.Speaking from his Florida estate, Mr Trump said he would appeal the ruling.”A crooked New York state judge just ruled I have to pay a fine for $350m for having built a perfect company,” the former president said from Mar-a-Lago on Friday, calling the ruling a political witch hunt. “It’s a very sad day for – in my opinion – the country.” In the ruling on Friday, Judge Engoron referred to previous allegations of wrongdoing in justifying the large amounts he ordered the defendants to pay, writing that they “are likely to continue their fraudulent ways” unless he imposed a “significant” penalty.He made specific reference to the Trump Organization’s conviction in a criminal tax fraud case in 2022, where a jury found it had enriched its top executives with off-the books benefits for more than a decade.Key findings in Trump’s ‘overwhelming’ fraud trial loss”Their complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological,” Judge Engoron wrote in an at times scathing 92-page decision. Later he said: “The frauds found here leap off the page and shock the conscience.”Still, Mr Trump’s empire was spared from one of the worst potential outcomes – the cancellation of its business licenses, known as the corporate death penalty.Instead, the judge ordered two tiers of oversight – an independent monitor to report to the court for up to three years and a separate independent director of compliance to be installed. The judge is also requiring Mr Trump pay interest on the profits he made by committing the fraud (known as “prejudgment interest”), which could bring the final amount penalty total to around $450m. Along with what Mr Trump has been ordered to pay, his two adult sons and co-defendants, Donald Jr and Eric, must each pay $4m. They are barred for two years from doing business in New York, while another co-defendant, Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, has been ordered to pay $1m.Additionally, Mr Trump, his company, and its affiliates cannot apply for loans in New York for three years.Both of Mr Trump’s sons denounced the ruling on social media, with Donald Jr claiming the judgment was politically motivated and Eric calling the judge “a cruel man”. Donald Trump must pay $354m in fraud damages. How could he do it?Mar-a-Lago: The billion-dollar question at heart of Trump fraud trialIn her civil case, New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, had accused all four defendants and the wider Trump Organization of massively inflating property values and lying on financial statements so they could borrow large sums of money at favourable interest rates. She had asked for a fine of $370m.Speaking on Friday, she said: “There cannot be different rules for different people in this country, and former presidents are no exception.””Donald Trump may have authored the art of the deal, but he perfected the art of the steal,” she told a news conference.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Letitia James says ‘no one above law’ after Trump rulingIn September, Judge Engoron ruled Mr Trump was liable for business fraud, finding he had misrepresented his wealth by hundreds of millions of dollars.In one instance, the judge found Mr Trump’s financial statements had wrongly claimed that his Trump Tower penthouse was almost three times its actual size.The subsequent 43-day trial that took place late last year and included testimony from 40 witnesses, focused mostly on determining penalties against Mr Trump.Judge Ergoron’s ruling lays out in detail his reasoning, often diving deep into finance and accounting practices and directly addressing testimony from experts and witnesses.”In order to borrow more and at lower rates, defendants submitted blatantly false financial data to the accountants, resulting in fraudulent financial statements,” he wrote. “When confronted at trial with the statements, defendants’ fact and expert witnesses simply denied reality, and defendants failed to accept responsibility.”Judge Engoron may have made a thorough record expecting that Mr Trump would appeal, legal experts told the BBC.Mr Trump vehemently denied wrongdoing throughout the trial. In a six-minute speech during closing arguments in January, Mr Trump declared himself an “innocent man” and called the case a “fraud on me”. And the former president said repeatedly that he paid his lenders, which meant there was no crime. While in his ruling Judge Engoron acknowledged that no banks were hurt, he added that “the next group of lenders to receive bogus statements might not be so lucky”.The latest penalty comes on top of the $83.3m Mr Trump owes writer E Jean Carroll in a separate defamation case. But while the amount is high, it is not expected to bankrupt a man whose total net worth has been estimated at $2.6bn.Related TopicsNew YorkDonald TrumpUnited StatesTop StoriesLive. ‘Putin is responsible’ – Biden speaks out after report of Navalny’s deathUkraine troops pull out of key eastern town AvdiivkaPublished2 hours agoNavalny was often asked: ‘Do you fear for your life?’Published9 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Putin ‘must pay for Navalny’ and Harry reaches outAlexei Navalny: What we know about reports of his deathArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defiance. VideoArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defiance’Zombie Fires’ burning at an alarming rate in CanadaHow the fantasy world of D&D can be a home for everyoneGay woman aims to found LGBT-accepting churchI made my Chewbacca suit from 45 bags of hair extensionsChris Mason: Tory gloom deepens after double poll blowTwo by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutes. VideoTwo by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutesElsewhere on the BBCThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerWhat is it really like to be a monk?’To be a monk is something very vast, very high and very beautiful’AttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerFancy a film tonight?There’s something for everyone on BBC iPlayerAttributioniPlayerMost Read1The day I found out I had special ‘neo’ blood2Putin ‘must pay for Navalny’ and Harry reaches out3Is it even possible to do 28 A-levels – and what’s the cost?4Ukraine troops pull out of key eastern town Avdiivka5Trump ordered to pay $354m in New York fraud case6Six-time Olympic champion Hoy reveals cancer diagnosisAttributionSport7£10k payout ‘cruel’, says bankrupt Post Office victim8Two teenagers charged over Super Bowl parade shooting9Fans get rare chance to see Big Yin’s ‘Big Banana Feet’10New Parkinson’s drug to be rolled out on NHS

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSenegal election: What next after block on President Macky Sall’s bid to delay poll?Published36 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPImage caption, The president’s plans to delay the election have sparked widespread protestsBy Mayeni JonesBBC West Africa correspondentAfter more than two weeks of uncertainty, it seems Senegal’s checks and balances have kicked in. President Macky Sall has pledged to organise presidential elections “as soon as possible” after the country’s top court, the Constitutional Council, blocked his plans to postpone this month’s polls until mid-December. When Mr Sall initially announced the delay of the election on 3 February – just a few hours before campaigning was due to start – he cited alleged corruption within the Constitutional Council as one of the reasons elections couldn’t be held on 25 February, as scheduled.Mr Sall’s party – along with that of one his main opponents, Karim Wade – had levelled accusations of corruption against the Constitutional Court a few days before. They were responding to the exclusion of Mr Wade from the electoral list on the basis that he had dual French and Senegalese nationality when he announced his candidacy, something Mr Wade denies. Some have argued that the current political uncertainty in Senegal started with the Constitutional Council’s decision to exclude Mr Wade, and other opposition candidates, from the ballot. But the fact that the court has ruled against the president suggests that, despite fears that Senegal might be sliding towards authoritarianism, the rule of law still works. Mr Sall had been under huge pressure – both at home and abroad – to reverse his decision to delay the polls. Violent, widespread protests have gripped the country. Opposition figures condemned the move, along with influential Muslim leaders. Senegalese people are proud of their country’s reputation as a stable democracy and many felt betrayed by his decision. In a West African region where four countries are currently under military rule, Senegal is seen by the international community as one of the few examples of a functioning democracy. Image source, ReutersImage caption, President Macky Sall has been accused of rowing back on basic rights, including freedom of expression and assemblyWith a growing population, increased threats from terror groups and widespread economic hardship, analysts believe strong institutions are needed in West Africa for its citizens to prosper. As such, many international governments and organisations have a vested interest in promoting good governance and stability in the region.If Senegal were to become another authoritarian state, many fear the instability that would ensue would threaten regional security at a time when Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, all run by military juntas, are pulling away from their neighbours and wanting to form their own federation. Although this latest decision by the Constitutional Council has been welcomed by the opposition and activists alike, the court itself has not always been so popular. In January 2012 it ruled that then-president Abdoulaye Wade (father of Karim Wade) could run for a third term, despite the country’s two-term limit. At the time it argued that Mr Wade’s first term in office fell under a previous version of the constitution, which didn’t have presidential term limits.The decision led to weeks of protests, which only ended when President Sall was elected the following month. Ironically, at the time Mr Sall argued that it was impossible for Mr Wade to run for a third term.”A president cannot extend his term of office, it’s not possible,” he said during his campaign.”He can’t extend his term even by one day, otherwise the country will be plunged into chaos, because then people would not recognise his legitimacy and there would be no longer any authority in the country.”Mr Sall’s critics reminded him of those words in the past two weeks, saying that by delaying elections until the end of the year he had basically given himself a third term.He strongly denied these charges, saying the delay was intended to calm tensions caused by the exclusion of the opposition candidates.But there has been suspicion about his intentions for some time, with widespread speculation that he would try and seek a third term in office.He only confirmed that he wouldn’t stand in July last year. Despite the Constitutional Court’s ruling, many Senegalese voters will still be frustrated by the fact that another of Mr Sall’s main opponents, Ousmane Sonko, will not be on the ballot. Mr Sonko was convicted of libel in December, a ruling that disqualified him from running in this year’s election. In January the Supreme Court rejected Mr Sonko’s appeal against the conviction, making him ineligible to contest the upcoming elections. Image source, AFPImage caption, Supporters of detained opposition leader Ousmane Sonko will not be satisfied by this rulingA separate, earlier conviction against Mr Sonko led to widespread protests last summer in Senegal, where he is popular with young people who see him as an anti-establishment candidate. Mr Sonko remains in jail and so does his second-in-command, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who is nevertheless on the ballot in his stead. Their party, Pastef, has been banned.Mr Sonko’s supporters are unlikely to be satisfied with the Constitutional Council’s latest ruling because it makes no provision for the politician to be put back onto the ballot. Despite Senegal’s reputation as a relatively stable democracy, Mr Sall’s tenure has been marred with accusations he has rowed back on basic rights, including freedom of expression and assembly. But with this latest court ruling, Senegal has showed that it can still serve as an example to other West African countries of how to hold their leaders to account. More about the unrest in Senegal:’We feel betrayed’ – why anger has engulfed SenegalOusmane Sonko – youth hero or rabble-rouser?Why West Africa’s united front is in tattersRelated TopicsMacky SallSenegalAround the BBCBBC Focus on Africa podcastTop StoriesLive. ‘Putin is responsible’ – Biden speaks out after report of Navalny’s deathUkraine troops pull out of key eastern town AvdiivkaPublished1 hour agoNavalny was often asked: ‘Do you fear for your life?’Published8 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Putin ‘must pay for Navalny’ and Harry reaches outAlexei Navalny: What we know about reports of his deathArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defiance. VideoArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defiance’Zombie Fires’ burning at an alarming rate in CanadaHow the fantasy world of D&D can be a home for everyoneGay woman aims to found LGBT-accepting churchI made my Chewbacca suit from 45 bags of hair extensionsChris Mason: Tory gloom deepens after double poll blowTwo by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutes. VideoTwo by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutesElsewhere on the BBCHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayer’No one was treating me seriously’The woman who went for viral for claiming to be Madeleine McCann explains her motivesAttributionSoundsTime-travelling back to 1984 through the BBC archivesHits from Wham!, U2, Madonna, Lionel Richie and moreAttributioniPlayerThe Swedish furniture king’s billionaire lifestyleDeconstructing IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad and his eccentric way of livingAttributionSoundsMost Read1The day I found out I had special ‘neo’ blood2Putin ‘must pay for Navalny’ and Harry reaches out3Is it even possible to do 28 A-levels – and what’s the cost?4Ukraine troops pull out of key eastern town Avdiivka5Trump ordered to pay $354m in New York fraud case6Six-time Olympic champion Hoy reveals cancer diagnosisAttributionSport7£10k payout ‘cruel’, says bankrupt Post Office victim8Fans get rare chance to see Big Yin’s ‘Big Banana Feet’9Two teenagers charged over Super Bowl parade shooting10New Parkinson’s drug to be rolled out on NHS

[ad_1] Mr Sall’s party – along with that of one his main opponents, Karim Wade – had levelled accusations of corruption against the Constitutional Court a few days before. They…