Pictures provided by Kurdish media network Rudaw TV show the aftermath near a site where missiles hit. Image: RUDAW TV Attacks on Iraq, the US Condemns Iran. Iran’s missile attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Irbil have drawn criticism from the US, which described them as “a reckless and imprecise set of strikes”. The Revolutionary Guards of Iran claimed to have used ballistic missiles to destroy what they believed to be an Israeli “spy headquarters” in northern Iraq. The incident on Monday left four people dead and six wounded, according to the Kurdistan Security Council of Iraq. Declaring the strikes to be an affront to its sovereignty, Iraq condemned them. The strikes coincide with escalating regional tensions following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7. The violence has begun to spread, with Iranian-allied militias already active in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. According to preliminary indications, this was a careless and imprecise set of strikes, but we will continue to examine the situation,” said Adrienne Watson, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council. She declared, “The United States supports the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Iraq,” stressing that neither US people nor US infrastructure were attacked. Previously, the Revolutionary Guards of Iran declared that “ballistic missiles destroyed one of the main Mossad espionage headquarters in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.” It was “in response to the recent atrocities of the Zionist regime,” according to a statement. Iran has attacked Kurdistan in Iraq in the past, saying the territory is utilised by Israeli spies and Iranian separatist organisations. Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani denounced the attack on Irbil as a “crime against the Kurdish people” in a statement released from his office. According to the Kurdistan Democratic Party, prominent businessman Peshraw Dizayee was one of the four civilians slain. The positions of the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria were reportedly hit by the Revolutionary Guards as well. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, reported that “at least four missiles that came from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea” fell in Aleppo and its area, where explosions were heard. The force said that it was in reprisal for the suicide attack that occurred this month on gatherings commemorating the anniversary of the US assassination of Iranian spymaster Qasem Soleimani. At least 84 people were murdered and numerous others were injured in an attack in Kerman, southern Iran.
Junior Culture Minister Vittorio Sgarbi is also a renowned art critic, historian and TV personality. Image: GETTY IMAGES Italian cultural minister probed. A junior culture minister from Italy has been charged with having and displaying a pilfered 17th-century picture, a charge he refutes. Vittorio Sgarbi, a well-known art critic, is the target of the most recent accusations made against an Italian government official. After displaying the picture at a 2021 show, Mr. Sgarbi has been placed under investigation for the possible laundering of stolen goods. In 2013, “The Capture of Saint Peter” was said to have been taken. Once on exhibit in a castle in Piedmont, northern Italy, is this picture by Rutilio Manetti, a disciple of the Baroque master Caravaggio. In addition, Mr. Sgarbi—a well-known TV personality with a history of profanity and slander convictions—is charged with tampering with the artwork by adding a candle to the […]
The Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva has more than 9,000 artefacts of Japanese and Chinese culture. Image: BBC Two British Brothers “should be banned from Switzerland.” The prosecution has demanded a five-year ban from Switzerland for two British brothers due to their involvement in the theft of famous Chinese Ming Dynasty relics […]
Image: GETTY IMAGES US-owned container ship gets struck by a Houthi missile The US claims that ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen have struck a cargo ship owned by the US. The United States military headquarters for the Middle East (Centcom) stated that the ship Gibraltar Eagle reported “no injuries or significant damage”. The ship, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, is still travelling through the Gulf of Aden backed by Iran. Since November, Houthis have begun assaulting ships in opposition to Israel’s conflict with Hamas. Shipping business Eagle Bulk Shipping claimed the bulk cargo was carrying steel products and was around 160km (100 miles) offshore in the Gulf of Aden when it was hit. The ship was reported to have “suffered limited damage to a cargo hold but is stable and is heading out of the area” . Hours earlier Centcom stated that another missile, […]
Josef Fritzl kept his daughter in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children with her.Image: GETTY IMAGES Josef Fritzl might be placed in an assisted living facility. According to local media, Josef Fritzl, the Austrian sex offender who fathered seven children with his daughter while keeping her locked in a dungeon for 24 years, may be released from a high-security jail. The world was horrified in 2009 when Fritzl, now eighty-eight, was sentenced to life in prison. According to a fresh psychiatric study, Fritzl, who suffers from dementia, is no longer considered a danger to the public, according to the Austrian public broadcaster ORF. This implies that a judge could now determine whether to transfer him to a regular jail. Fritzl is being detained at Stein Prison, in the town of Krems a der Donau, in a maximum security facility for mentally ill criminals. According to Austrian legislation, a person serving a 15-year sentence to life in prison is entitled for conditional release; Fritzl is eligible for parole this year. According to legal experts, Fritzl—who has now changed his name—may also be placed in a care facility under conditional release. Alois Birklbauer, a criminal law professor at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, told ORF that it is “quite obvious that a dismissal will be announced”. Fritzl was declared “no longer a danger” by a regional court in 2022 and was allowed to be transferred to a regular jail; however, the ruling was subsequently overturned by the Higher Regional Court in Vienna. One of the worst criminal cases in Austrian history is the Fritzl case, which surfaced in the municipality of Amstetten in 2008. He was found guilty of rape, incest, and enslaving his daughter in addition to killing one of his children via neglect. Since then, Fritzl’s daughter and her kids have changed who they are.
Jehezkel was hailed by supporters at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport. Image: REUTERS Israel’s Sagiv Jehezkel departs Turkey. An Israeli football player who caused a stir during a game in Turkey by showing his support for the hostages in Gaza has returned home. Sagiv Jehezkel was temporarily held in the southern city of Antalya following Sunday’s match and charged with inciting. If he goes back to Turkey, it’s uncertain if he will be prosecuted. He was fired by Antalyaspor, his club. An intense verbal spat broke out between the Turkish and Israeli governments following Jehezkel’s arrest. The 28-year old player, who joined Antalyaspor in September, was showing off his bandaged hand with the words “100 days. 7/10” while celebrating an equaliser in a Turkish Super Lig game. […]
An A-50 aircraft during a military parade (file photo). Image: REUTERS Ukraine claims to have downed a Russian A-50 surveillance plane. Ukraine’s military says it has shot down a Russian military spy plane over the Sea of Azov, in what observers think would be a setback to Moscow’s air power. High Command General Valerii Zaluzhnyi of the Army said that the air force had “destroyed” an Il-22 air control centre and an A-50 long range radar detection aircraft. Russian jet target coordination […]
The Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva has more than 9,000 artefacts of Japanese and Chinese culture. Image: BBC British brothers broke into a Swiss museum. In order to “clear a debt,” two British brothers admitted to breaking into a Swiss museum and taking famous Chinese Ming period treasures valued at millions of dollars, the court heard. A trio of thieves broke through the main door of the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva in June 2019, according to the prosecution. They used tools. The theft included two bowls and two vases from the fourteenth century. In a Geneva court, Stewart and Louis Ahearne acknowledged their involvement. The two, who are from South East London, went before a panel of three judges on Monday at the Palais de Justice in Geneva to answer to allegations of trespassing, stealing, and property damage. Although they resisted being extradited from the UK, the Home Secretary authorised it in 2022. A last-minute request for the trial to […]
By Akinsuroju Olubunmi EFCC nabs Ex-minister over alleged N3.6bn loan fraud The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended Charles Ugwu, a former Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Chief Geoffrey Ekenma on charges of conspiracy and loan fraud amounting to N3.6 billion. Ugwu, appointed by late President Umaru Yar’Adua and later dismissed during […]
By Akinsuroju Olubunmi FUTA students rally against soaring tuition fees. Students at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo, took to the streets on Monday in protest against the school management’s decision to hike fees. The students claim the fees have been raised by more than 300 percent, and they vehemently demand a return to […]