Crime

A highway bomb attack in southwestern Colombia has killed 19 people and injured at least 38, the latest spate of violence ahead of next month’s presidential election.

Buses and vans were left mangled in the blast Saturday on the Pan-American Highway, in the restive southwestern Cauca department.

Several cars were flipped over by the force of the explosion and a large crater was blown out of the roadway.

The department’s governor on Saturday evening provided a death toll of 14, with more than 38 injured, but the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences said Sunday morning it had begun the examination of 19 bodies.

Military chief Hugo Lopez told a news conference on Saturday that the bomb had exploded after assailants stopped traffic by blocking the road with a bus and another vehicle.

The attack comes just over one month ahead of national elections, in which voters will pick a successor to President Gustavo Petro.

Petro blamed the bombing on Ivan Mordisco, the South American country’s most-wanted criminal, whom the president has compared to late cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar.

The violence came after a bomb attack on Friday on a military base in Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, injured two people and set off a string of attacks in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments.

According to Lopez, 26 attacks have been recorded in the two departments over the past two days.

Authorities have boosted military and police presence in the areas, Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said.

Security is one of the central issues of the May 31 presidential election. Political violence was brought into sharp focus last June, when young conservative presidential frontrunner Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot in broad daylight while campaigning in the capital Bogota and later died from his wounds.

Leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, an architect of Petro’s controversial policy of negotiating with armed groups, is ahead in polls.

He is trailed by right-wing candidates Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia, both of whom have pledged to take a hard line against rebel groups.

All three have reported receiving death threats and are campaigning under heavy security.

Prey has finally landed on Netflix with the hit two-season ITV drama now ready to stream.

Prey season two is filled with recognisable faces from the worlds of The Witcher, Unforgotten and Emmerdale.

Eleven years have gone by since British crime thriller Prey was last airing on ITV and now fans can re-live both epic seasons which sees DS Susan Reinhart (played by Rosie Cavaliero) investigate criminal cases around Manchester.

While the first outing revolved around a police officer trying to clear his name after the murder of his family, series two sees a prison officer forced to help an inmate escape after his pregnant daughter is kidnapped.

As fans start binge-watching Prey, here’s everything there is to know about the cast of Prey season two.

Inside Prey season 2 cast

DS Susan Reinhardt – Rosie Cavaliero

DS Susan Reinhardt connects both seasons of Prey as she struggles to deal with her inner demons while investigating officers at the heart of each series.

She is brought to life by actress Rosie Cavaliero who was Marion Kelsey in ITV’s Unforgotten season two, Elizabeth Cordingley in Gentleman Jack and Edwina, Countess of Dunvale in Channel 5’s A Woman of Substance.

David Murdoch – Philip Glenister

David is a widowed prison officer whose life is turned upside down when his pregnant daughter is kidnapped and he is blackmailed into helping an inmate escape.

He is brought to life by actor Philip Glenister who is famed for starring in Life on Mars, its spin-off Ashes to Ashes, Belgravia, After the Flood and, most recently, ITV’s The Lady.

Jules Hope – MyAnna Buring

Actress MyAnna Buring will be best remembered for playing Tissaia in Netflix ’s The Witcher, but also starred in The Twilight Saga as Tanya and Unforgotten season six as Melinda Ricci.

She is behind Jules Hope, the prisoner that David is forced to help escape.

DC Richard Iddon – Nathan Stewart-Jarrett

Quick-witted rookie police officer DC Richard Iddon is partnered up with DS Reinhardt to try and track down David Murdoch.

He is played by actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett who was Curtis Donovan in E4’s Misfits and Ian in the Channel 4 series Utopia.

Lucy Murdoch – Sammy Winward

Taking on the role of David’s kidnapped pregnant daughter Lucy Murdoch is actress Sammy Winward.

She is by far best known for starring as Katie Sugden, a role she took on as a teenager, in ITV’s iconic soap Emmerdale.

She has also had smaller roles in shows such as Fearless, The Long Shadow and Brassic.

DCI Mike Ward – Ralph Ineson

Rounding off the main cast of Prey season two is actor Ralph Ineson who plays Amycus Carrow in the Harry Potter franchise, Professor Krempe in Netflix’s Frankenstein and General Tarakanov in Chernobyl.

Ineson portrays DCI Mike Ward who is DS Susan Reindhardt’s superior officer.

Prey is available to watch on Netflix.

An Israeli settler was filmed throwing rocks and trying to break into the home of Palestinian activist Issa Amro while an Israeli soldier watched. The settler was briefly arrested and then released.

President Donald Trump says suspect wrote an anti-Christian declaration and is ‘sick guy’.

United States authorities believe a gunman who is accused of trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was targeting US President Donald Trump and members of his administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says.

Blanche said on Sunday that authorities believe the suspect travelled from California to Washington, DC, by train via Chicago.

Shots were fired on Saturday evening near the ballroom where the dinner was being held as Secret Service agents subdued the gunman and as Trump, top government officials and hundreds of journalists attended the event.

Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but multiple US media outlets have identified him as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California.

Trump told Fox News that the family of the suspect raised concerns about him to local police before the event. The president also told the TV news channel that the accused man had written an anti-Christian declaration.

“The guy is a sick guy,” he told Fox News. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians.”

Law enforcement officials who made initial examinations of the suspect’s electronic devices and his writings believe he intended to target Trump administration members in attendance at the dinner.

“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told the NBC TV network.

The suspect is believed to have bought the two firearms he carried with him on Saturday night in the past couple of years, the attorney general said. He is not being cooperative with law enforcement and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday, Blanche said.

Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer with multiple degrees in computer science and mechanical engineering.

Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran towards him. One officer in a bullet-resistant vest was shot but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured but was taken to hospital to be evaluated, police said.

Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.

Trump used the incident to push his plans to construct a large ballroom next to the White House, a plan that has faced legal challenges and that polls indicate most Americans oppose.

“What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.

The $400m ballroom has become a passion project for Trump during his second term.

Trump was unusually conciliatory after what he saw as a third attempt on his life in less than two years, calling for unity and bipartisan healing.

If you’re looking for something binge-worthy to watch right now, look no further than this “brilliant” series that is “excellent from start to finish”.

After nearly four years of anticipation, The Capture has made a return to screens last month, bringing back the highly praised BBC conspiracy thriller drama for its third season. The show, created by Ben Chanan, features Holliday Grainger as Rachel Carey, an inspector who has climbed the ranks.

As the third season begins, Rachel has taken on the role of acting commander of Counter Terrorism Command.

The latest storyline depicts her efforts to restore public confidence through a new surveillance system, but it quickly faces scrutiny when Rachel becomes involved in a terrorist act in London.

The description for the third series reads: “How do you protect the truth in a world where lies are daily currency? And with the proliferation of deepfakes, how can we trust what we see?”

The series has been praised with an impressive approval rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and eight out of 10 on IMDb. Many viewers too

Many viewers took to IMDb to share their love for the “mind-blowing” drama. One user said: “Six parts of complex, intriguing and baffling drama.

“This isn’t your average six-part mystery series, this will have you scratching your head, questioning everything you see, and doubting the things you’ve seen with your own eyes. It’s excellent from start to finish.”

Another wrote, “A strong and solid storyline and sequence of scenes and events form the basis of edge-of-seat thriller. Oh my, how a simple camera footage can be the root of gripping thriller!

“No fancy gimmicks, dialogues, shoot-out scenes, computer coding thingies, CGI scenes and whatnot. It’s all about how the storyline is delivered. It’s delivered to perfection!”

A third commented: “Wow, the whole series keeps you on your toes; big twist, truly amazing. A very cleverly written piece of drama, the best thing on current TV.”

A fourth said: “One of the best BBC shows ever! Great script, loving the twists and turns! Haven’t watched something this gripping in a long time; it’s really pushing the boundaries.”

All three series that consist of 18 episodes are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

It’s unclear yet whether there will be a fourth season of The Capture, but Ben told Radio Times: “I’d think to myself, as I was writing it, ‘this is going to be the last series’, Now, is that true? I don’t know.

“Never say never, right? But I think it’s really healthy to just write each series as if it’s going to be the last, that you’re not just hanging on to people for the sake of it.”

Authorities in Cauca region demand ‘decisive’ government action after deadly explosion on Pan-American Highway.

At least seven people were killed, and 20 were wounded following a suspected explosive attack in the southwestern province of Cauca, Colombia, according to regional authorities.

Governor Octavio Guzman said that an explosive was detonated on the Pan-American Highway in the El Tunel sector of Cajibio on Saturday. He condemned what he called an “indiscriminate attack” against the civilian population.

“There are not sufficient words for the pain we feel,” Guzman said in a social media post, demanding a “decisive, sustained” response from the government against the “terrorist escalation”.

A video shared by the governor appeared to show the aftermath of the bombing, with ambulances on site and mangled vehicles and debris covering the road.

“Cauca cannot continue facing this barbarity alone,” he added, stating that other actions had also been carried out in El Tambo, Caloto, Popayan, Guachene, Mercaderes, and Miranda.

The deadly incident comes after a series of attacks on Friday, attributed to criminal groups formed by dissident members of the FARC rebel group, who split with the group following a landmark peace agreement with the government in 2016.

On Saturday, Minister of Defence Pedro Sanchez was convening a security council in Cali to assess the regional security situation when the latest attack occurred.

President Gustavo Petro responded to the deadly explosion by saying that powerful criminal groups are seeking to control the population through fear.

While details of the attack are still emerging, Petro appeared to blame a drug trafficker and FARC dissident leader known by the alias Ivan Mordisco.

“I want the maximum worldwide pursuit against this narco-terrorist group,” Petro said.

Terrorists have attacked at various locations and soldiers are ‘currently engaged in eliminating the attackers’

The Foreign Office this afternoon said people should not travel to Mali after a sderies of attacks today. Officials co-ordinated attacks have struck the country.

Gunmen attacked several locations in Mali’s capital and other cities early on Saturday in a possible co-ordinated assault, residents and authorities said. Mali’s army said in a statement “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks in the capital”. It added that soldiers were “currently engaged in eliminating the attackers”.

The Foreign Office told British citizens today: “A series of coordinated attacks occurred in multiple locations including Kidal, Gao, Kati, Sevare and in the vicinity of Bamako International Airport on 25th April, which has temporarily closed.

“If you are in Mali, you should stay indoors where possible, avoid crowded places and areas of military or police activity, and follow guidance issued by local authorities. We continue to advise against all travel to Mali.”

Previously the Foreign Office told people to only leave via the airport as overland routes are ‘too dangerous.’ It added: “This is due to terrorist attacks along national highways.

“Terrorist group Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) has implemented blockades on key routes throughout Southern and Western Mali, including the capital city of Bamako. These blockades are targeting fuel trucks and are enforcing checkpoints for individuals attempting to pass through them. Attacks can occur at any time.

“There is a high threat of kidnapping and criminal activity across Mali, including in the capital, Bamako. If you choose to remain in Mali, you do so at your own risk. You should have a personal emergency plan that does not rely on the UK government.

Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by affiliates of al Qaida and the so-called Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north.

An Associated Press journalist in the capital Bamako heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle gunfire coming from Modibo Keita International Airport, around 15km (nine miles) from the city centre, and saw a helicopter over nearby neighbourhoods.

The airport is adjacent to an air base used by Mali’s air force. A resident living near the airport also reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.

Residents in other cities in Mali reported gunfire and blasts on Saturday morning, suggesting a possible co-ordinated attack by armed groups.

Gunmen entered the northeastern city of Kidal, taking control of some neighbourhoods and leading to gunfire exchanges with the army, a former mayor of Kidal told AP over the phone.

The Azawad separatist movement has been fighting for years to create the state of Azawad in northern Mali. They once drove security forces from the region, before a 2015 peace deal that has since collapsed paved the way for some ex-rebels to be integrated into the Malian military.

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesman for the Azawad Liberation Front, said on Facebook its forces had taken control of several areas of Kidal and Gao, another northeastern city. The AP could not independently verify his claim.

A resident of Gao said gunfire and explosions started in the early hours of Saturday and could still be heard in the late morning.

“The force of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my house shake. I’m scared out of my wits,” the resident told AP by phone. He spoke on condition of anonymity. The resident said the gunfire came from the army camp and the airport, which are next to each other.

A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that is home to Mali’s main military base, also said he was woken up early in the morning by the sounds of gunfire and explosions.

General Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military junta, lives in Kati.

In 2024, an al Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako’s airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.

Mali, alongside neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, has long been battling armed groups affiliated with al Qaida and the Islamic State group, a fight that has escalated over the past decade.

Following military coups, the juntas in the three countries have turned from Western allies to Russia for help combating Islamic militants.

But the security situation in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has worsened in recent times, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by militants. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.

Tech firm suspended mass shooter’s ChatGPT account before attacks, but did not inform law enforcement.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has apologised over his company’s failure to warn authorities about the concerning online activities of a teen who went on to commit one of Canada’s worst mass shootings.

Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, went on a shooting spree in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on February 10, killing eight people.

The victims included Rootselaar’s mother and half-brother, and five students at the remote community’s secondary school.

Rootselaar, who was born male but identified as female, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

OpenAI said after the attacks that Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account had been flagged internally the previous June for misuse “in furtherance of violent activities”, resulting in its suspension.

The San Francisco-based AI company said at the time that it had not informed authorities, as Rootselaar’s usage of the chatbot had not met the threshold of posing a credible or imminent threat of harm to others.

In a letter shared on Friday by the Tumbler RidgeLines news site and British Columbia Premier David Eby, Altman acknowledged that OpenAI should have alerted law enforcement to Rootselaar’s suspension.

“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June. While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered,” Altman wrote.

“I reaffirm the commitment I made to the Mayor and the Premier to find ways to prevent tragedies like this in the future,” Altman added.

“Going forward, our focus will continue to be on working with all levels of government to help ensure something like this never happens again.”

Altman’s statement of regret came after Eby said last month that the tech CEO had agreed to apologise to the Tumbler Ridge community over OpenAI’s failure to flag Rootselaar as a threat.

In his letter, Altman said Eby and Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka had conveyed “the anger, sadness, and concern” being felt in the community in their discussions.

“We agreed a public apology was necessary, but that time was also needed to respect the community as you grieved. I share this letter with the understanding that everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time,” Altman wrote.

“I want to express my deepest condolences to the entire community. No one should ever have to endure a tragedy like this. I cannot imagine anything worse in this world than losing a child.”

April 23 (Asia Today) — Economic hardship among young people in South Korea is reshaping crime patterns, with more youths turning to high-profit illegal activities disguised as part-time jobs, experts warn.

The shift marks a departure from traditional survival-driven crimes such as theft toward organized fraud, digital financial crime and so-called “crime-for-hire” schemes promising quick cash.

Economists have long noted the link between opportunity and crime. Gary Becker argued that individuals weigh expected criminal gains against legal income opportunities when deciding whether to commit offenses.

Recent data suggest that calculation is changing for young Koreans.

According to government employment data, the youth employment rate for those ages 15 to 29 fell to 43.6% in March, well below the overall rate of 69.7%. Youth employment declined for 41 consecutive months, with 147,000 fewer young workers compared with a year earlier.

In contrast, employment among older age groups increased, deepening what analysts describe as a “K-shaped” divide in the labor market.

At the same time, youth crime is rising. Prosecutors’ data show the number of young offenders per 100,000 people increased from 3,130 in 2021 to 3,363 in 2024. Fraud is particularly prevalent, with people in their 20s accounting for 23.7% of cases – the highest share among all age groups.

Researchers say unemployment and crime are closely linked. A 2023 study found that a 1 percentage point increase in unemployment leads to a 1.5% rise in theft-related crime.

Experts argue the issue is not just an increase in crime, but a structural shift.

“Young people are no longer committing crimes out of necessity alone, but increasingly pursuing one-time, high-reward opportunities,” one analyst said.

The appeal is stark. While unstable jobs may pay about 2 million won (about $1,480) a month, illegal activities can promise hourly earnings exceeding 500,000 won (about $370), widening the perceived gap between legal and illegal income.

Underlying the trend is growing relative poverty – a sense of falling behind others despite overall economic development. Rising real estate and financial asset values have deepened wealth disparities, reinforcing frustration among young people who see limited chances for upward mobility.

Some openly acknowledge the temptation.

“Sometimes it feels better to go to prison than live in this kind of hardship,” a 27-year-old job seeker said. “I know it’s wrong, but it’s hard just to get by.”

Digital platforms are accelerating the problem.

Recruitment for illegal work now spreads through social media and messaging apps, lowering barriers to entry. Schemes such as “yamibaito,” which advertise high-paying short-term jobs, often involve tasks like money transfers, account lending or acting as intermediaries in voice phishing scams.

Many participants are first-time offenders in their early 20s.

Authorities say similar “crime outsourcing” operations are increasingly coordinated through encrypted platforms such as Telegram, making them difficult to trace due to their decentralized structure.

Young people’s familiarity with online tools, cryptocurrencies and non-face-to-face transactions makes them especially suited to the technical roles required in such operations, further concentrating recruitment within the demographic.

Experts caution that the consequences can be lasting.

“Some young people treat these illegal jobs as simple labor and underestimate the risks,” said criminal profiler Bae Sang-hoon. “Even minor involvement can lead to a criminal record that affects the rest of their lives.”

Analysts stress that the problem cannot be addressed through policing alone.

“Poverty is the mother of crime,” said Kim Yoon-tae, a professor of public sociology at Korea University. “We need to examine structural factors such as employment, education and housing, rather than framing this purely as an issue of personal responsibility.”

He added that stable jobs, fair access to education and stronger housing support are essential to reducing the appeal of illegal income opportunities.

Without such changes, experts warn, more young people could be drawn into a cycle where economic hardship leads to crime – and a criminal record further limits future opportunities.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260422010007027

A cellphone belonging to David Anthony Burke, better known as the singer D4vd, contained “a significant amount of child pornography,” a prosecutor said in court Thursday morning.

Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman made the claim during a court proceeding to schedule a preliminary hearing on murder charges in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The images were uncovered as part of a broad series of search warrants executed on Burke’s phone and iCloud account, Silverman said.

Burke’s attorneys have insisted he is innocent and are demanding his preliminary hearing begin next week, meaning evidence in the closely followed case could become public as soon as May 1. He appeared in court Thursday in an orange jail jumpsuit and walked into court with his hands in his pockets.

A status hearing was set for April 29. Silverman and a district attorney’s office spokesperson declined to comment outside the courtroom. The singer’s attorney, Blair Berk, also declined to comment.

The D.A.’s office spokesperson declined to say if the child sex abuse material allegedly found on Burke’s phone was related to Hernandez or another victim.

Burke was arrested by Los Angeles police last week and charged Monday with murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child and corpse mutilation, according to a criminal complaint. He has pleaded not guilty.

Defendants have a right to have a preliminary hearing, in which a judge determines whether prosecutors have enough evidence to bring a case to trial, within 10 business days. But Berk’s push to move quickly is unorthodox. She has publicly grilled Silverman about needing access to more discovery materials, and the medical examiner’s report detailing how Hernandez died was not made public until Wednesday.

Joshua Ritter, a former L.A. County prosecutor, said Berk was playing a “hell of a game of chicken” but she may be aiming to pressure test the prosecution’s case.

“The defense might want to put the D.A. on their heels if they feel for some reason there was a rush to make an arrest. But this case is nearly the opposite of that,” he said. “They’ve had more than adequate time … this does not seem like a situation where the D.A. made a hasty decision to file.”

Silverman said police amassed “40 terabytes” of digital evidence in the case, which has made uploading and transmitting materials to the defense difficult. Silverman also said police had conducted a wiretap operation in the case, but did not disclose the nature of it. The veteran prosecutor said even she had “not received anything” related to that operation.

She also confirmed prosecutors convened three secret grand jury hearings after Hernandez’s death — two in November and December in 2025 and one in February. Those were investigative grand jury hearings, meaning prosecutors could use them to enshrine testimony against Burke, but could not use the proceedings to secure an indictment against Burke. Transcripts from all three hearings will also need to be unsealed.

L.A. County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo also warned Berk that if she does push for the immediate preliminary hearing, she may not have access to the entire compendium of evidence before May 1.

Ritter also mused that Burke could be pushing his attorneys to fight the case without delay. Beyond that, he said, the approach “makes no sense.”

“The defense is seven months behind the eight ball on this. They not only have the grand jury transcripts to catch up on but who knows what kind of digital forensics and wiretaps and everything else,” he said.

Silverman also seems intent on bringing the case to trial as soon as possible. Silverman noted Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of the date prosecutors believe Hernandez was killed, and said she intended to put the case before a jury within 60 days of the completion of a preliminary hearing.

The singer allegedly began sexually abusing Hernandez in September 2023, when she was just 13. Burke’s attorneys have said the case cannot stand up to scrutiny and pushed for the immediate preliminary hearing.

Hernandez was reported missing from her family’s Lake Elsinore neighborhood three times in 2024, and she was spotted at some of D4vd’s concerts during that time frame.

Prosecutors allege Hernandez was last seen at Burke’s Hollywood Hills residence on April 23. She “threatened to expose his criminal conduct and devastate his musical career,” according to L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman, though the prosecutor has not answered questions about whether Hernandez was going to report Burke to police.

Burke surged in popularity after one of his tracks was included in the wildly popular video game “Fortnite,” and he has also collaborated with artists like 21 Savage. He was beginning to tour in support of his debut album, “Withered,” when reports surfaced linking him to Hernandez’s death. He quickly canceled all shows.

The details of the crime echoed some of the violent imagery associated with Burke’s songs. The Queens-born vocalist has appeared in a music video filled with violent imagery: a young woman with an apparent chest wound lies on a bed as the singer hovers over her, blindfolded, his white shirt spattered with blood. In another video, “One More Dance,” D4vd drags a person — who bears the singer’s likeness — to a car, where a couple stuffs the person into the trunk.

Hernandez’s badly decomposed body was found in the trunk of a Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard last September. An autopsy report made public this week revealed she died from a pair of stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. When police arrived on the scene, they found Hernandez’s body was “dismembered” and two of her fingers had been amputated, according to the medical examiner’s report.

Prosecutors charged Burke with murder with special circumstances, including allegations that Hernandez was a witness to a crime — her own sexual abuse — and that Burke killed her for financial gain to protect his ascendant music career. If convicted as charged, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors have yet to decide if they will seek capital punishment in the case.

WASHINGTON, April 22 (UPI) — The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday whether immigration officers can place permanent residents charged with a crime on parole if they leave and then re-enter the country.

In immigration, parole is a temporary, discretionary permission granted by the Department of Homeland Security that allows a person to enter or remain in the United States, even though they are not formally admitted.

Parole does not cancel a person’s green card, but essentially gives the Department of Homeland Security time to decide whether the person should be admitted or deported based on how the issue is resolved.

The court is poised to hear oral arguments in Blanche vs. Lau, which would determine when immigration officers can demote a permanent resident’s status to parole, a temporary status that can be revoked and result in deportation.

Lau is Chinese immigrant Muk Lau, a permanent resident with a green card. Blanche is Todd Blanche, the acting U.S. attorney general and named defendant in the case.

Typically, permanent residents are allowed to leave and re-enter the United States as they wish, with a few exceptions. If these immigrants have committed certain kinds of crimes, for example, officers can have them placed on parole when they return to the country after going abroad.

The case stems from an event on June 15, 2012, when 69-year-old Lau, who had gained permanent residency five years earlier, landed in a New York-area airport after traveling to China.

He presented his green card and passport to border control. His entry triggered an FBI match because a month earlier, Lau was charged with third-degree trademark counterfeiting for selling nearly $300,000 of fake designer shorts.

“I was arrested at a warehouse that contained some merchandise I had stored there,” Lau told the Customs and Border Protection agent, according to court documents. “I went to the warehouse to retrieve the merchandise because I had not paid rent, and when I got there, the cops were there and arrested me.”

The agent declared Lau inadmissible as a returning permanent resident due to the crime exception, and decided to let him in on parole, instead. A year later, Lau pled guilty to the counterfeiting, and in 2014, the Department of Homeland Security began deportation proceedings against him.

At the time, the Customs and Border Patrol agent did not know whether Lau was guilty — just that he had been charged with a crime. The crux of Lau’s case is whether the CBP agent needed “clear and convincing” evidence of a crime when placing him on parole or whether just charges were enough without such evidence.

Immigrant advocates argue the agent erred.

“Mr. Lau was absolutely, unequivocally, at that time, admissible,” said Jonathan Weinberg, who worked on the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s brief to the court. “He just was. He hadn’t been convicted of a crime. There was nothing else that would render him inadmissible.”

After an immigration judge and the Board of Immigration Appeals sided with the government, Lau appealed to the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. The appellate court, agreeing with Weinberg’s reasoning, granted Lau’s petition in March 2025.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform, a nonprofit advocating for lower immigration rates, also submitted a brief to the court. It argued that the border patrol officer did the right thing by paroling Lau into the country, and that the clear and convincing standard was too high.

“If you’re going to say that the officer in an airport is supposed to have all this information, you’re assigning that individual with an impossible task,” FAIR spokesman Ira Mehlman said. “You have thousands of people coming through the airports every day, and these are decisions that have to be made on the spot.”

Mehlman also said that the decision “shouldn’t be a problem” for green-card holders without any criminal history.

“When you come to the United States as a non-citizen, you are here on a conditional basis,” Mehlman said. “Even if you’re a green card holder, you’re subject to removal if you violate the terms of your presence here in the United States.”

There are nearly 13 million legal permanent residents in the United States. Legal immigrants, including green card holders, commit crimes at lower rates than natural-born citizens, according to research by the Migration Policy Institute. However, Weinberg said the ultimate decision would impact all legal permanent residents, including those who have not been convicted of any crime.

“If the government can admit Lau on parole, then the government can basically admit any returning green card holder on parole if it chooses to,” Weinberg said.

Lau’s case joins several immigration-related issues, including birthright citizenship and temporary protected status, which have made their way to the Supreme Court this spring.

“The immigrant advocacy community is, I think, fighting an uphill battle,” Weinberg said. “But that doesn’t mean you don’t give it your best shot.”

Singer faces first-degree murder and additional charges that could lead to life without parole or the death penalty.

Singer D4vd has been charged in the United States with murder in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl who was last seen alive nearly a year ago.

The 21-year-old musician, whose legal name is David Burke, ⁠faces first-degree murder and additional charges, including lewd acts with a minor and mutilation of a body. D4vd pleaded not guilty on Monday.

The prosecutor said Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered and decomposed body was discovered in September inside an apparently abandoned Tesla linked to the singer.

Authorities said the case includes special circumstances – lying in wait, committing crime for financial gain and the alleged killing of the witness in an investigation – making Burke eligible for life without parole or the death penalty.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said prosecutors would decide later whether to seek the ‌death penalty.

Burke was arrested at a home in Hollywood on Thursday and was being held without bail.

The witness he is alleged to have killed is Rivas Hernandez, who could have given testimony about the sex crime allegations.

Rivas Hernandez had disappeared in 2024, when she was 13. That was her age when, according to an allegation in a criminal complaint, the singer engaged in continuous sexual abuse of her for at least a year from September 2023 to September 2024.

Hochman said authorities believed the girl went to D4vd’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, and “was never heard from again”.

Burke’s lawyers said on Monday that the evidence would show he is innocent.

“The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” they said. “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

Court documents outline secret probe

The singer had been under investigation by a Los Angeles County grand jury looking into the death.

The probe was officially secret, but its existence, and his designation as its target, was revealed in February when his mother, father and brother objected in a Texas court to subpoenas demanding they testify.

The 2023 Tesla Model Y was registered in the singer’s name at their address, according to court filings. Authorities did not publicly acknowledge him as a suspect until his arrest.

Police investigators searching the Tesla in a tow yard found a cadaver bag “covered with insects and a strong odor of decay”, court documents said.

Detectives partially unzipped a bag and found a head and torso.

Investigators from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office removed the bag and “discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body”, according to court documents.

A second black bag was found under the first, and dismembered body parts were inside it. No cause of death has been publicly revealed, and police got a judge to block the release of details of the autopsy.

The court order was expected to be lifted after the charges.

Rising to fame

D4vd gained popularity among Gen Z for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit Romantic Homicide, which peaked at number 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.

He then signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records, and released his debut EP, Petals to Thorns and a follow-up, The Lost Petals, in 2023.

When the body was discovered, the singer continued his North American tour, but when reports of his possible involvement spread widely, he cancelled the final two shows and a European tour that was to follow.

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Louisiana community in shock as domestic violence incident leaves eight children dead and two others injured.

Eight children have been killed in a shooting spree in the southern US state of Louisiana, in what police said appears to have been an incident of domestic violence.

The gunman, who was not immediately identified, was fatally shot by police after a car chase early Sunday, officials said.

The incident occurred in Shreveport, northwestern Louisiana.

“This is a rather extensive crime scene spanning between two residences,” Shreveport Police Corporal Chris Bordelon told a press conference, adding that a third residence was also part of the scene being combed by investigators.

The victims ranged in age from one to 14, Bordelon said.

“Some of the children inside were his descendants,” he added.

Two other people were struck by gunfire, but their conditions were not immediately known.

Officials said they were still gathering details about the crime scene, which extended across three locations. Police Chief Wayne Smith said the suspected shooter was fatally shot by police during a vehicle chase.

“This is an extensive scene, unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” Smith added.

Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.

State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.

April 17 (UPI) — An Irish man who allegedly laundered money and trafficked drugs and firearms throughout Europe was arrested in Dubai after officials in Ireland tracked him around the world.

Law enforcement officials in the United Arab Emirates said in a statement that Daniel Joseph Kinahan was arrested on Wednesday after a joint international criminal investigation, The Guardian and The Washington Post reported.

Officials from both Ireland and the UAE noted that the arrest comes after work in recent years to rein in “serious and organized crime.”

“The arrest comes as part of efforts to combat cross-border crime,” Dubai police said in a statement.

“The arrest followed the receipt of a judicial file from Irish authorities detailing the suspect’s alleged crimes and his involvement in an international criminal organization,” they said.

Kinehan is one of the leaders of the Kinahan Organized Crime Group and the founder of the MTK Global boxing management company.

In addition to Irish authorities, he was also being pursued by U.S. law enforcement because he was “believed to run the day-to-day operations” of the cartel, the Biden administration said when it announced sanctions against the group in 2022.

Officials in Dubai issued an arrest warrant after getting word from Irish authorities as part of a larger operation between Ireland and the UAE to stem criminal enterprises that operated in or through the two nations.

The report from Irish law enforcement had traced in him around the globe, including the use of fake names and other methods of avoiding arrest, and Kinehan was arrested within 48 hours of the the UAE warrant being issued.

Christopher Meloni has a message for Elliot Stabler fans: “Thank you … for sticking with him and welcoming him back.”

The “Law & Order: Organized Crime” star took to Instagram on Thursday to convey his appreciation for his character’s long run in the franchise after it was revealed that the NBC show had been canceled after five seasons.

“I just saw that they announced … ‘Organized Crime’ won’t be coming back,” Meloni said in his video post. “So I wanted to take this moment to say thank you to the fans who not only helped give the character of Elliot Stabler life and longevity, but for sticking with him and welcoming him back.”

Meloni’s run as the seasoned detective began in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” which debuted in 1999. Stabler investigated New York’s “especially heinous” sex-based crimes with partner Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and other detectives in his unit for the show’s first 12 seasons. (The character was written off the show in advance of the Season 13 premiere because Meloni and NBC could not come to an agreement on a new contract.)

Stabler returned to “SVU” in 2021 for a crossover event that helped launch “Organized Crime,” a “Law & Order” spinoff focused on NYPD officers who track down “vicious and violent members of the underworld.” While the character has occasionally appeared in “SVU” episodes since his return, the end of “Organized Crime” likely means Meloni is done playing Stabler full time, at least for now. “Law & Order: SVU,” meanwhile, has been renewed for a 28th season.

“I had a great time playing him,” Meloni said in his Instagram message. “It was a great ride. Thank you. You helped give me a career that I never dreamed of. Nearly 17 odd years.”

Arrest comes after police found the body of Celeste Rivas in a car registered to the musician last year.

American rapper David Anthony Burke, known by his stage name d4vd, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 14-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found in a car registered to him.

Los Angeles police took the 21-year-old singer into custody on Thursday “for the murder of Celeste Rivas”, the city’s police department said in a statement. He is being held without bail.

Burke’s arrest comes seven months after police uncovered Rivas’s badly decomposed body in the trunk of an impounded Tesla registered in his name.

Investigators found two black bags in the vehicle – one holding a decomposed head and torso and the other containing other body parts, according to a court filing. An autopsy revealed that Rivas “appeared to have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found”. The discovery occurred one day before Rivas would have turned 15.

The LA County District Attorney’s office will review the case against Burke on Monday for formal charges, according to police.

Burke’s lawyers issued a statement saying they would “vigorously defend” his “innocence”.

“Let us be clear – the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said in a statement quoted by NBC News.

Burke, from Queens, New York, shot to internet fame in 2022 when his Romantic Homicide became a breakout hit on TikTok.

Last year, the musician cancelled the last part of his US and European tours amid growing fallout from the investigation into Rivas’s death.

Mahmoud Khader Abed Adra, sought for over four decades, was surrendered by Palestinian authorities

A man suspected of organising a deadly attack on a Jewish restaurant in Paris has been arrested and placed in custody in France after being handed over by Palestinian authorities.

Mahmoud Khader Abed Adra, also known as Hicham Harb, arrived in France on Thursday after Palestinian officials surrendered him to French authorities, a handover that French President Emmanuel Macron linked directly to France’s recent recognition of Palestinian statehood.

On August 9, 1982, three to five men threw a grenade into Jo Goldenberg, a Jewish-owned restaurant in the Rue des Rosiers, in Paris’s historic Marais district, before opening fire on the street outside.

Six people were killed and 22 wounded in the incident.

The attack was blamed on the Fatah-Revolutionary Council, a Palestinian armed faction that had split from the mainstream Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Adra was arrested in the West Bank by Palestinian security forces in September last year.

French antiterrorism prosecutors filed an extradition request days later, and he was flown to the Villacoublay military airbase outside Paris on Thursday, where he was taken into custody.

His lawyer described the extradition as “a serious violation of Palestinian fundamental law”.

“Forty-four years is too long,” said David Pere, a lawyer representing several families.

Two other suspects are already in French custody, and in February, France’s highest court confirmed that a trial will proceed, a ruling that had been challenged by the defendants.

Macron praised the Palestinian Authority’s cooperation, saying it reflected a commitment by President Mahmoud Abbas to work with France on counterterrorism.

Abbas had told French newspaper Le Figaro late last year that France’s recognition of Palestinian statehood in September 2025 had “created an appropriate framework” for the extradition request.

Netflix fans have been raving about a lesser-known comedy crime show starring, as they beg for a second series of the ‘cosy’ White House murder mystery to be made

Netflix fans have praised one lesser-known comedy crime programme available on the streaming service, left desperate for more as they plead for a second series to be commissioned.

With an enormous number of TV programmes and films accessible on streaming platforms, it can be overwhelming to settle on what to watch. As a result, many people frequently turn to recommendations from friends, family, or even strangers online to determine their next viewing choice. This was precisely the situation for one Reddit user, who headed to the Netflix forum seeking a suggestion for their next watch, but stipulated it had to be a bingeable programme with only one series.

“Best Series on Netflix (Only One Season) Like a Must Watch Binging Series,” they wrote in the headline of the post.

They continued: “Please drop the best one season series down below. I mean like I’d want to watch it all in one sitting because of how good it is. Like suspenseful, action, cliff-hangers. Maybe a really sad part where I get very attached to the characters! Anything!!”

Fellow Netflix enthusiasts promptly descended on the comments section to share their top picks across a variety of genres. However, one programme stood out from the crowd, as fans lauded its characters and overall storyline.

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“Really liked the comedy The Residence,” one person shared. To this, someone else added: “So pi**ed they aren’t doing more. It was gold!

“Such a fun show,” another person said, while another wrote: “I freaking LOVED this one. So much. Great rec.”

The Residence is an American mystery comedy drama TV series exclusive to Netflix. The debut and only series launched in 2025, and centres on an eccentric detective named Cordelia Cupp as she attempts to solve a murder that took place in the White House during a state dinner for the Australian Prime Minister.

As the investigation unfolds, interpersonal tensions amongst the residence’s staff come to light, with both personnel and dinner guests emerging as potential suspects.

The programme has earned an impressive 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a rating of 7.7 out of 10 on IMDb. Viewers frequently rave about the endearing central character and the captivating storyline.

“A fantastic “cosy”-style mystery: light, wickedly clever, and keeps you guessing to the very hand,” one viewer wrote in their IMDb review.

They went on to say: “Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cup is a great lead. The supporting cast has additional strong characters as well, though some of these portrayals are less even. As much as I enjoyed the first season and wish for more, I find it hard to imagine how a second season could live-up to the first: further developing the Cup character (so that she is not just a repetition of the Cup we already know) will be hard.”

Another viewer remarked: “For those who find this series too long consider this, the plot, the mystery and all the plot twists are not nearly as important as the comedy and the wonderful performances in this fun story. It was smart without being pedantic, funny without being crude or silly, and engaging without pandering.”

The acclaimed crime drama starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman won three BAFTAs and has a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers comparing it to ‘Shakespeare writes a detective story’

One of Britain’s most beloved drama series of all time has just landed on Netflix. This gripping crime show scooped three Baftas and has been celebrated as one of the finest productions ever to grace our television screens. The iconic 2013 series Broadchurch has finally made its way to the streaming giant.

The show is a police drama which opens with the murder of 11 year old Danny Latimer, whose body is discovered at the foot of the cliffs.

The tragedy tears apart the tight-knit Dorset community, forcing DS Ellie Miller ( Olivia Colman ) to join forces with newcomer Alec Hardy ( David Tennant ) – despite him having stolen the DI role that was rightfully hers – as they attempt to crack the heartbreaking case.

What follows is a twisting tale of betrayal, suspicion and the dark underbelly of a small coastal town. Unlike conventional cop dramas, this isn’t about high-speed car chases and gun-wielding heroes sprinting through tower blocks.

Rather, it delves into the profound flaws we all harbour, the quiet moments of anguish that accompany unimaginable grief, and the perils of public opinion.

It features one of the most stunning plot twists I’ve ever encountered – and I watch an enormous amount of television. The series is truly an extraordinary experience, with performances that are nothing short of outstanding, reports the Express.

There isn’t a single weak link in the entire cast, and despite being over a decade old, it remains as compelling as ever.

And I’m far from alone in my admiration. Broadchurch boasts a remarkable 94% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating alongside an 8.3 out of 10 on IMDB.

One viewer posted on IMDB: “This is ‘Shakespeare writes a detective story’. It was beautifully done. In no way has he [writer Chris Chibnall] broken the cardinal rule of show, don’t tell.

“Nor has he made the horrible mistake of creating any perfect character. All of them, from youngest to oldest, are wonderfully imperfect human beings.”

A second remarked: “The locations are gorgeous and so atmospheric, and the series is beautifully photographed, fluid and brooding. The music is both haunting and tragic.”

A third added: “Standing out also is the writing. It’s rare to find on television recently to have a series so intelligently written and be so layered and meaty.

“While the pacing is deliberate in places, a lot happens to keep one gripped and ensure that the tension and mystery never slips.”