Kenyan cult leader found guilty over 190 children starved to death in the hope of ‘meeting Jesus’
The leader of a Kenyan “Christian” cult has been found guilty of the murder of 190 children through an organized system of enforced fasting and abuse.
Paul Mackenzie was on Monday convicted along with about 30 other suspects at Mombasa High Court over the deaths of 191 people, all but one of them children in Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya. Prosecutors have dubbed the trial one of Kenya’s “most consequential” criminal cases ever.
The court found the deaths resulted from an “organised system in which religious teachings and an established hierarchy were used to direct and enforce deadly fasting among Mackenzie’s followers,” the office of the director of public prosecutions in Kenya said.
Trump says Iran has killed 75,000 protesters, argues US could end war immediately
President Donald Trump accused Iran’s Islamic regime of killing at least 75,000 protesters over the past eight months, while declaring that the United States could withdraw from its military campaign against Tehran immediately because Iranian forces have been devastated and the country will not be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Park City, Kansas, on Monday, Trump described the scale of the Iranian government’s crackdown on dissent and argued that its use of deadly force had made it nearly impossible for ordinary Iranians to challenge the regime.
“They did a lot of killing. And by the way, in the last eight months, they’ve killed 75,000 minimum protesters,” Trump told supporters.
Houthi attack kills 73 at Yemen government training camp, governor says
Seventy-three people were killed, and more than 200 were injured after an attack on Monday by the Iran-aligned Houthis on a government security forces training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province, Governor Awad al-Wazir said, as fighting in the impoverished country intensifies.
Video verified by Reuters from Shabwa province showed injured people and bloodied bodies scattered across the ground. Wazir also said that 14 other people remained missing after the Houthi bombardment of the Al-Alam camp.
The Houthis and the internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been trading attacks since the group advanced in September towards territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a shipping chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea.
Kim Jong-un death rumours: North Korean leader seen at expo after claims of his death, sister taking over power
Kim Jong-un death rumours have been challenged by fresh images released by North Korea showing the country’s leader attending a garment and footwear exhibition. The images emerged after Wanjun Xie, chairman of the China Democracy Party (CDP), made unverified social media claims that Kim had died from a brain haemorrhage and that his sister, Kim Yo-jong, had taken control of the regime instead of his daughter, Kim Ju-ae. Xie’s post also alleged that 9,000 Chinese troops had been sent to Pyongyang, but these claims have not been independently verified.
Drone attack near market kills 80 in Sudan
A drone strike near a market in southern Sudan on Sunday evening killed 80 people, mostly commuters catching rides home.
Ahmed Wadi, a witness, said the attack in the town of al-Dibab in West Kordofan state left “50 bodies who I helped bury, one of them my own brother Mohamed”.
Using a satellite internet connection to circumvent a communications blackout, Wadi also said 47 other people were transported to the nearest town, al-Mujlad. A medical source, requesting anonymity for his safety, said 30 of them died from their injuries.
The medic said: “A total of 80 people were killed in the drone strike on al-Dibab, and another drone strike on al-Mujlad injured four who are currently being treated.”
Ukraine Launches One of Its Largest Drone Attacks on Russia, Setting Oil Facilities Ablaze in St. Petersburg
Residents in various parts of St. Petersburg were awakened by thunderous sounds, the Fontanka news site reports. Others were kept awake by a persistent buzzing sound. Some sought shelter in their bathtubs.
Drones or drone debris crashed into several apartment buildings in the city overnight. Large fires broke out in several areas, including parking lots. Thousands of homes lost power, and windows were shattered in many buildings.
One person was killed, according to a social media post by St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov. There were also reports of people suffering burns and smoke inhalation.
Images showed flames shooting from a large oil terminal in the city - one of the largest of its kind in the Baltic Sea region. Beglov confirmed that fires broke out there and at an oil depot elsewhere.
UK to fly RAF missions defending Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks
Britain will fly Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets on defensive missions to help protect Saudi cities and critical national infrastructure from Houthi aerial attacks, the UK Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry said the aircraft would operate only in a defensive role and would not conduct offensive strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis, whose attacks Britain says threaten regional stability and risk disrupting energy supplies and trade routes.
“The continuing attacks from the Houthis on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable. The targeting of the airport in Riyadh in particular shows the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region,” UK Defense Minister Wes Streeting said in a statement.
Israel to establish military Space Brigade as Katz unveils ‘Star Wars’ ambitions
Israel is establishing a dedicated military space brigade to develop satellite-based intelligence systems and future space warfare capabilities, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Tuesday, describing the initiative as part of an ambitious effort to transform the Jewish state into a leading military power beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
The new brigade, which will operate under the IDF Planning Directorate, is expected to be established in the coming months as part of the military’s multiyear Hoshen modernization program. It will oversee the development and operational use of military space technologies, including surveillance systems, space-based sensors and capabilities designed for future warfare.
“I welcome the IDF’s decision to establish a Space Brigade,” Katz said, describing the initiative as “blue-and-white Star Wars.”
‘Mouth of Hell’ volcano refills with lava near hub of 2 million people
A volatile volcano in Nicaragua is refilling with magma, sparking fears of a cataclysmic event that could affect the nearby population center, per a study in Geophysical Research Letters.
The Masaya volcano is an active caldera near Managua that attracts thousands of monthly visitors to its hellacious-looking lava lake dubbed the “Mouth of Hell,” Science Alert reported.
Due to the tourist stream and its proximity to 2 million people, volcanologists fear that an eruption could prove catastrophic, given Mayasa’s penchant from waffling between effusive, Hawaii-like lava flows and more explosive events.