List of All Articles with Tag 'americas'

Three senators who serve on the Committee on Armed Forces have reportedly sent a letter to the Department of Defence (DoD) expressing concern over allegations that Elon Musk controlled Ukrainian soldiers’ ability to access satellite communications via Starlink. Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth have asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide clarification over an incident from last year in a letter sent on Friday according to NBC News. The incident, laid out in Walter Isaacson’s biography of Mr Musk, claims that the billionaire tech entrepreneur stopped the Ukrainian armed forces from accessing satellite communications via Starlink near the Crimean Peninsula thus thwarting a potential assault on Russian ships. Mr Musk clarified on X that he did not discontinue Starlink connectivity but refused a request by Ukraine to provide it there out of fear of escalating war. The three senators said the “confusion over what actually happened” demands answers and expressed great concern about Mr Musk’s role in the incident. “The reports raise serious concerns about whether Mr Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key US partner at a critical juncture,” a portion of the reported letter said. Several officials, including the three senators, have shared similar worries that commercial satellite companies similar to Starlink could cause issues by intervening on significant decisions like this one. Senator Jack Reed who serves as the chairman of the Committee on Armed Forces, said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg, that the situation with Mr Musk raised concerns about national security. “Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to US national security,” Mr Reed said. “We’ve got to look at the broader satellite markets and the role of government outsourcing, the outsized role Mr Musk and his company have taken on here, and the Pentagon’s actions and contractual arrangements,” Mr Reed added. At the time of the incident, Starlink had no contract with the Pentagon and therefore no directive from US officials. Mr Musk said had he received an order from President Joe Biden to extend services to Ukrainians in Crimea he would have done so. In June, the Pentagon and Starlink signed a contract in which the DoD agreed to buy its services for Ukraine. Now, the three senators are imploring leaders to consider the implications of Mr Musk’s actions and look to prevent situations like this from arising in the future. “We are deeply concerned with the ability and willingness of SpaceX to interrupt their service at Mr Musk’s whim and for the purpose of handcuffing a sovereign country’s self-defense, effectively defending Russian interests,” the letter said according to NBC News. The senators requested Mr Austin provide answers by the end of October. The Independent has reached out to the offices of Ms Duckworth, Ms Shaheen and Ms Warren for comment. Read More Putin praises Musk as ‘outstanding person’ days after report Tesla boss stopped Ukrainian attack Elon Musk's refusal to have Starlink support Ukraine attack in Crimea raises questions for Pentagon Elon Musk ignores reporter after claims he stopped Ukrainian attack on Russia

A man has been charged with assault after he allegedly shoved a passenger onto subway tracks in Manhattan. Derrick Mills, 49, was arrested on Thursday in connection with the attack on 74-year-old Trevor Crawford. The assault, which New York City transit officials have described as “disgusting” and unprovoked, took place at the 68th Street-Hunter College station on the Upper East Side on Tuesday. Mr Mills allegedly shoved Mr Crawford off the downtown platform after making eye contact with him. The victim landed on his back and suffered a broken spine as well as five fractured ribs and pelvis. “He was so fast, he came around the other side, he opened his eyes wide. I wasn’t scared, I was just more nervous,” Mr Crawford recounted in an interview with PIX11. “[He yelled,] ‘Didn’t I tell you not to say anything to me?’” Following the attack, Mr Crawford was pulled from the tracks by an MTA employee. The suspect then fled before authorities arrived at the scene. Mr Crawford was returning home from work when the assault unfolded. He was transported to a hospital, where he was briefly treated in the intensive care unit. “I must worry because I work at night, but I never expected it to happen to me,” Mr Crawford told PIX11. “ ...anyone would be happy. There’s one less troublemaker on the street.” The incident was captured in surveillance footage that the NYPD released to the public. A person who recognised Mr Mills, who is reportedly homeless, tipped authorities. The NYPD had offered a reward of up to $3,500 for information that led to an arrest. He was then arrested near West 80th Street on Thursday night and has since confessed to the crime, the New York Post reports. “We’ve said over and over that if you commit a crime in the New York City subway system, your picture will be taken, the NYPD will find you, and we will press for maximum prosecution,” NYC Transit President Richard Davey said in a statement after the arrest. “This was a disgusting incident that understandably unsettled riders, and we appreciate the rapid arrest that was assisted by a New Yorker who saw a photo of the perpetrator that was taken by a station platform camera.” Read More NYPD release pictures of man and woman suspected of repeatedly stabbing subway passenger on train Citibank workers clash with climate activists outside New York office in protest over fossil fuel funding Rudy Giuliani goes on unhinged rant claiming Mike Pence’s wife leads him around on a leash

A mother has been arrested after allegedly abandoning her young child on the side of a California street. Early Tuesday morning — in the middle of the night at 2.50am — a person walking in Larchmont Village in Central Los Angeles found a 3-year-old girl alone inside a stroller. The youngster, found on the 100 block of North Larchmont Boulevard, was taken to hospital to be examined. She was found to be in good health. The police searched the stroller and found an identification card belonging to Targie Alexandre, 24. After this, police were able to locate the father of the child, but Ms Alexandre’s location was unknown. "We’ve had a lot of resources devoted to this over the past day, from officers, detectives, we’ve had our bloodhounds out there," said Lt. Brian Churchill of the Los Angeles Police Department. "We’ve had no luck finding the mother so we’re asking for the public’s help right now." However, Ms Alexandre was arrested on Wednesday night after police were waiting for her at her workplace, police said. She has been charged with a felony of child endangerment and is being held on $105,000 bail. The felony punishment for child endangerment is up to six years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Earlier this year, a Georgia woman was arrested for the 2019 abandonment of her newborn baby after it was found alive in a plastic bag. The mother, Karima Jiwani, was charged with criminal intent to commit murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated assault and reckless abandonment. Read More Mother of ‘Baby India’, left to die in a plastic bag in Georgia woods four years ago, is finally arrested Man sentenced for abandoning baby after MLB pitcher Dennis Eckersley's daughter gave birth in woods Family suspect murder after getting alerts from dead LA woman’s Apple products

A family, including two children and an elderly woman, endured a terrifying ordeal when they were held at gunpoint by masked burglars. The beyond-scary home invasion happened on Monday in Orange County, California, at around 10.40pm when the disguised intruders entered the family’s home on a quiet residential street. When the invaders entered the home, one of the masked men used a stun gun on an adult male in the family, forcing him onto the ground, the City of Westminster Police said in a statement. The man, an elderly woman and two children — a 14-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl — were all tied up in the living room. The suspects then demanded to know where they kept their valuables. In one alarming photo released by police, two robbers in masks can be seen gesturing for the family to get on the floor. The 7-year-old is pictured flat out by the suspect’s feet. The burglars then ransacked their property looking for anything of value, the New York Post reported A fifth victim, an adult female, was able to hide inside a closet while the home invasion was taking place. She called 911 and whispered down the phone that she needed help. As the officers arrived within three minutes, they saw four burglars sprint from the front door of the residence. One of the suspects, identified by police as Danny Sommay, was caught outside after he threw his handgun over a brick wall. The police recovered the firearm and found it to be a loaded 9mm pistol that had been reported as stolen. The Huntingdon Beach Police Department dispatched a helicopter to try and locate the missing three suspects, but were unable to locate them. Authorities did not say whether any of the victims needed medical attention or if the man hit with the stun gun was injured. Mr Sommay has been booked into Orange County Jail on charges of kidnapping, robbery, burglary, conspiracy to commit a felony, possession of a loaded and stolen firearm and armed criminal action on a $1 million bail. Read More Woman agrees to plead guilty to murder of college student who stopped to help her near off-the-grid encampment Man killed for asking robbers to return his ‘blinging’ gold chains, court told California lawmakers sign off on ballot measure to reform mental health care system

Shanna Gardner, the ex-wife accused of orchestrating the death of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, appeared in a Washington court on Thursday to dispute her extradition to Florida. Ms Gardner appeared in Benton County Superior Court after Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed an extradition order, the Jacksonville State Attorney’s Office told News4Jax. The extradition hearing was an attempt by Ms Gardner’s attorneys to prevent her extradition to Duval County where she faces charges of first-degree murder, solicitation to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and child abuse. The ex-wife of Bridegan is accused of hatching a murder-for-hire plot with her second husband, Mario Fernandez, to kill Bridegan by hiring Henry Tenon to shoot him. Bridegan was dropping off his two children at Ms Gardner’s home in Jacksonville Beach when he was ambushed and fatally shot. One of his other children was in the car at the time. Ms Gardner, who resides in Washington state, was arrested on 17 August – more than a year after Bridegan was killed. The Independent has reached out to Jacksonville State Attorney for comment. Read More Ex-wife charged with murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan was shot dead in a chilling ambush. Did his ex wife arrange it?

The office of Special Counsel Jack Smith has argued in a motion that there’s “no valid basis” for Judge Tanya Chutkan to recuse herself after Donald Trump’s legal team argued that she should leave the case because of statements she made when sentencing January 6 rioters. “There is no valid basis, under the relevant law and facts, for the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan, United States District Judge for the District of Columbia, to disqualify herself in this proceeding,” the special counsel’s office wrote in a 20-page filing on Thursday. “In service of his motion (ECF No. 50) seeking the Court’s recusal, the defendant both takes out of context the Court’s words from prior judicial proceedings and misstates the proper legal standards governing judicial recusals.” The special counsel added that Mr Trump “has failed to identify anything approaching the clear and convincing evidence necessary to overcome the presumption of impartiality”. The office argued that Mr Trump was using “suggestion and innuendo to insinuate something sinister in the Court simply doing its job by addressing sentencing arguments”. More follows...

Five adults and a teenager were arrested on murder charges after the decomposing body of a female was discovered in the trunk of a car outside a Korean spa called Jeju Sauna in Duluth, Georgia. Investigators say that the victim had been starved and beaten for weeks and was in such bad condition that detectives initially had a difficult time determining the victim’s gender. Police say that the shocking discovery was made after one of the suspects, who was in hospital, asked a family member to collect something from the car when the grim discovery was made and the police were called. The discovery sparked a homicide investigation and detectives believe the victim moved to the US from South Korea over the summer to join a religious group called Soldiers of Christ. Here’s what we know. How was the body discovered? Investigators claim that Eric Hyun, 26, parked a silver Jaguar sedan outside of Jeju Sauna on 12 September before calling a family member to pick him up, police said. That family member then drove the 26-year-old to an Atlanta area hospital “due to unrelated injuries.” While he was in the hospital, Mr Hyun asked his relative to retrieve something for him from the car; that’s when the family member noticed “what appeared to be a deceased body in the trunk,” prompting the relative to call 911. This 911 report launched an investigation. Gwinnett County detectives then searched a home “associated with” Mr Hyun in Lawrenceville, allegedly finding evidence to suggest the basement of the home was where the crime took place, officials wrote. Police are now investigating the death as a homicide. Who are the suspects? Six people have been arrested and charged in connection to the death, police said on Thursday 14 September. Five adults — Eric Hyun, 26, Juoonhyum Lee, 22, Joonho Lee, 26, Hyunji Lee, 25, and Gawon Lee, 26 — have been arrested and charged with felony murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing a death, according to police. A 15-year-old minor was also arrested. Police added that the suspects “referred to themselves as belonging to ‘Soldiers of Christ.’” “Detectives believe all suspects are currently in custody, and there are no outstanding individuals,” officials added. Who was the victim? Due to the body’s decomposed state, investigators couldn’t initially identify the victim’s gender, police previously told WSB-TV. Police have said the victim is a female, but her identity has not been released yet as her next of kin lives outside of the US and have not yet been officially notified. The victim, investigators discovered, seemed to have moved from South Korea to the US over the summer for the “purpose of joining a religious organization.” She appeared to have been starved and beaten for weeks, police added. As the victim weighed only 70 pounds at the time of her death, the Medical Examiner’s Office believes malnourishment could be a contributing factor, officials wrote. Still, her exact cause of death is being investigated. Police previously said they believed that the victim could have known or been related to the suspects. Where was the body found? Although the body was found in the parking lot outside of Jeju Sauna, the business appears to be completely unrelated to the incident. The owner of Jeju Sauna told Fox 5 about the surveillance video; the footage captured a man pulling up to the spa in the Jaguar alongside a Mercedes on Tuesday morning. The owner added that the man looked in the Jaguar trunk before getting into the Mercedes and taking off. Later that night, the owner told the outlet, the video showed the Mercedes returning — just as police arrived at the scene. There was a foul odour from the trunk, the owner added, suggesting that the body had been there for a while. Jeju Sauna said in a statement that the incident had “absolutely nothing to do with” the business, but merely happened in the parking lot outside it. “The safety and well-being of our customers have always been our utmost priority,” the statement said. “We are fully cooperating with local law enforcement authorities who are currently investigating the matter. We are confident that they will bring those responsible to justice swiftly.” Read More Five people arrested on murder charges after body found in trunk of car linked to ‘house of horrors’ Alex Murdaugh’s financial trial date set as he appears in court for first time since murder conviction – live Danelo Cavalcante planned carjacking to flee to Canada before capture - latest updates

A smiling Alex Murdaugh appeared in court on Thursday to face a string of financial fraud charges – in what marks his first court appearance since he was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul. The convicted killer attended a status conference before Judge Clifton Newman in Beaufort County on Thursday morning where his financial crimes trial date was set for 27 November. The case will focus on the millions of dollars he stole from the family of his dead housekeeper Gloria Satterfield – part of the 101 state charges over his alleged financial crimes. Two former friends and alleged co-conspirators in his financial crimes also appeared in court on Thursday – former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte and former attorney Cory Fleming The court appearance comes as the deadline is looming for the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office to respond to a bombshell motion filed by Murdaugh’s attorneys last week in which they demanded a new trial and accused Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill of pressuring jurors to return a guilty verdict. The AG’s office had 10 days to respond to this motion – giving them until Friday. Read More Smiling Alex Murdaugh appears in court in shackles as trial date set in financial fraud case An Alex Murdaugh juror gained infamy with a dozen eggs. Now she’s at the centre of his bid for a new trial Will Alex Murdaugh be granted a new trial? Legal expert weighs in Alex Murdaugh accuses ‘fame seeking’ court clerk of jury tampering at his murder trial

Former attorney Corey Fleming was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges that he conspired with his longtime friend Alex Murdaugh to steal millions of dollars from trusting clients. Fleming previously pleaded guilty to the financial fraud charges that stem from Murdaugh’s alleged scheme to steal money from the estate of his dead housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. Satterfield died in a fall on the Murdaugh property in 2018. He was also involved in stealing money from the family of Hakeem Pinckney – a man whose family Murdaugh represented after he was killed in a car crash in 2009. While Fleming knew Murdaugh was asking him to do wrong, he previously said he didn’t realise the depth of his old friend’s depravity. The sentencing was handed down on the same day Fleming’s longtime friend Murdaugh appeared in court for his own hearing on financial fraud charges for the first time since he was sentenced to life in prison in the murders of of his wife Maggie and son Paul. Judge Clifton Newman set a trial date for 27 November. On 15 August, Fleming pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges and was sentenced to nearly four years (46 months) in federal prison. He is housed at the Charleston County jail awaiting a prison assignment. On 23 August, he pleaded guilty to all state charges. Judge Newman scheduled Fleming’s sentencing for today in Beaufort so that the court could hear from friends and family members, as well as victims. At the hearing on Thursday, prosecutor Creighton Waters urged the judge to not be fooled by Fleming’s claims that he was “recruited” by Murdaugh into stealing from the families of Satterfield and Pinckney. Mr Waters argued that Fleming, who was an attorney at the time, was hired to represent the families but then “behind the scenes colluded with the defendant”. “What Mr Fleming wants the court to believe is… that he was tricked and fooled by Mr Murdaugh like everyone else,” Mr Waters said. The prosecutor then pointed to the fake Forge scheme in which Murdaugh allegedly set up a firm called Forge - a fake company with the name of a real one, which was used to siphon off money from clients. Murduagh and Fleming are accused of securing payouts from insurance companies in Satterfield’s case and then sending nearly $4m in stolen money to the fake company. “It was a shakedown, plain and simple,” Mr Waters said of Fleming and Murdaugh’s treatment of the Satterfield family. At the hearing on Thursday, several people addressed the court on behalf of the victims. Tony Satterfield, the son of Gloria Satterfield, told the court, “I still forgive Mr Fleming.” Satterfield’s sister also addressed the court and said that the family forgives Fleming. “Gloria did not die in vain as her case brought out other corruption and dishonest misdeeds being done to others,” she said, adding that it brought corruption “to light”. Attorney Eric Bland, who represents the Satterfield family, spoke at the hearing and said the law profession is “stained” by Fleming’s crimes. Fleming surrendered his license to practice law in both Georgia and South Carolina, saying he dishonored the profession. “The profession we love has been stained,” he said. “Mr Fleming knew exactly what he was doing. He is a plaintiff lawyer... it is impossible.” He said the debacle involving Murdaugh, Fleming and Laffitte, has “stained our state.” Mr Bland said the judge and court will hear how Fleming is a good guy, but that “good guys can still do criminal things.” “I’ve been suing other lawyers for 30 years. Never seen a case where the lawyers took every single dollar. But that’s what Fleming and Murdaugh did. Every single dollar.” Mr Bland also went over several examples of violations and irregularities in how Fleming handled and filed the Satterfield case to show the depth of the conspiracy and the criminal behaviour. He says Fleming and Murdaugh sat on the $4.3m settlements knowing that Gloria Satterfield’s son Brian, a vulnerable adult, was being put out on the street because his mom’s trailer was being foreclosed on. Mr Bland called it “blatant thievery”. Fleming is the second Murdaugh associate ordered to prison since investigators began scrutinising every aspect of Murdaugh’s life in June 2021 after his wife and son were shot to death at their South Carolina home. Russell Laffitte, who was convicted of federal charges in November, appeared for a status conference on Thursday in his state case. One of his attorneys, South Carolina State Rep Todd Rutherford, asked the judge to delay a trial until the fall of 2024. Judge Newman said that he would make a ruling at a later date. Last month, Laffitte was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to helping Murdaugh steal money from settlements for clients after vehicle wrecks or work injuries. Laffitte is appealing his conviction and sentence. Read More Smiling Alex Murdaugh appears in court in shackles as trial date set in financial fraud case Outrage as South Carolina lawmaker stands to shake hands with convicted killer Alex Murdaugh in court Alex Murdaugh’s friend pleads guilty to helping steal from dead maid’s family

Federal prosecutors have indicted President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden on three charges stemming from allegedly false statements in the purchase of a firearm following a special counsel investigation. The indictment – the first ever against a sitting president’s son – follows a failed plea agreement on tax and gun charges that collapsed in July under scrutiny from a federal judge. Charges announced on 14 September follow a multi-year investigation from David Weiss, who was appointed by Donald Trump and remained as US attorney for Delaware under the current administration in an apparent effort to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. Mr Weiss, whose investigation preceded the Biden administration and Biden campaign, was appointed as special counsel in August. Hunter Biden was set to plead guilty to misdemeanour tax charges and enter a diversion agreement related to a felony gun charge in July, but the agreement appeared to hit a snag during a federal court hearing, and the judge presiding over the case ultimately rejected the arrangement. Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, continue to investigate the younger Biden and prepare an impeachment inquiry against the president, fuelled by GOP allegations that he was involved with and profited from his son’s business dealings. House Republicans have not provided any evidence that the president was influenced by or profited from such dealings while in office. A Delaware grand jury’s indictment charges Hunter Biden with illegally owning a gun as a drug user, and for allegedly lying on a form when he bought the firearm. The charges are expected to draw right-wing outrage and fuel Republican campaigns against the Biden family, as the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination for president faces four criminal indictments spanning dozens of charges, including for crimes allegedly committed while in office. The day before the indictment was announced, attorneys for Hunter Biden sued a former Trump-era White House official accused of launching a “sustained, unhinged and obsessed campaign” against him and the Biden family, including hacking the alleged contents of a laptop that were central to political campaigns surrounding the 2020 presidential election, federal investigations and Republican-led congressional probes. This is a developing story Read More Why Trump’s DOJ could help Biden with House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry Hunter Biden sues former Trump aide tied to laptop hack Why do Republicans want to impeach Joe Biden?

Donald Trump and 16 other co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case will be tried separately from lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, the judge in the case has ruled. “Defendants Chesebro and Powell will join each other at trial, however, the other 17 defendants are severed from these two. Additional severances may follow. All pretrial deadlines will proceed as scheduled without a stay of proceedings,” Judge Scott McAfee at the Superior Court of Fulton County wrote in a ruling issued on Thursday. The trial for Mr Chesebro and Ms Powell is set to go ahead on 23 October. The move comes after Mr Chesebro and Ms Powell invoked their right to a speedy trial, the judge noted. Their motions to severance their cases from each other were denied but the court found that “severing the remaining 17 co-defendants is simply a procedural and logistical inevitability,” leading to the motions to sever from Mr Chesebro and Ms Powell being “granted in part”. The judge wrote that joint trials are “generally favoured” because they “promote judicial efficiency and prevent inconsistent verdicts”. He added that any defendant who doesn’t waive their right to a speedy trial before 23 October, as Mr Trump has, will “immediately” be added to that trial. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis attempted to get all 19 defendants in the case, including the former president, to be tried together, citing the “enormous strain on the judicial resources” separate trials would create. But Judge McAfee wrote in his order that “the precarious ability of the Court to safeguard each defendant’s due process rights and preparation ensure adequate pretrial preparation on the current accelerated track weights heavily, if not decisively, in favor of severance”. More follows...

Alex Murdaugh appeared before a judge in a South Carolina courtroom on Thursday for the first time since he was hauled away after being sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul earlier this year. The disgraced attorney was shackled and handcuffed but smiled as he entered the courtroom in Beaufort County and shuffled to the defence table wearing a bright orange jumpsuit. He once again stands before Judge Clifton Newman, who oversaw his murder trial back in March, but now faces a slew of financial fraud charges. Judge Newman is expected to set a date for Murdaugh to stand trial on charges for stealing from the estate of his dead housekeeper Gloria Satterfield and from his family friend Jordan Jinks. Murdaugh is accused of stealing insurance payments meant for the family of his housekeeper, Satterfield, who died after a fall at the Murdaugh family property in 2018. Former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte and former attorney Cory Fleming – both former friends of Murdaugh’s and alleged co-conspirators in his financial crimes – are also due in court on the same day. Fleming is expected to be sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty to 23 counts, which included conspiring and working with Murdaugh to steal from clients and friends. Laffitte – who was convicted of federal charges in November – is also appearing for a status conference in his state case. Murdaugh is facing more than 100 state and federal charges over his alleged financial crimes – many of which he admitted to on the witness stand at his murder trial. The hearing on Thursday will focus on the state charges. A court hearing on the federal charges is scheduled for 21 September. Murdaugh previously agreed to plead guilty to federal charges he stole millions of dollars from clients, according to court records. The court appearance comes just over a week after Murdaugh’s defence attorneys filed a bombshell motion requesting a new trial based on allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill. Read More Alex Murdaugh to face court for first time since murder trial sentencing as jury tampering update looms – live Another twist in the Alex Murdaugh double murder case. Did the clerk tamper with the jury? Alex Murdaugh’s friend pleads guilty to helping steal from dead maid’s family