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Ex-Formula 1 driver arrested over ‘big joke’ explosion

AFP

Ex-Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi was taken into custody in Avignon after setting off a large firecracker against the window of his brother-in-law’s office, AFP learned from the prosecutor’s office on Tuesday.

“Jean Alesi was taken into custody on Monday around 4pm for damaging the property of others by means of an explosive device,” Nimes deputy prosecutor Antoine Wolff told AFP, confirming information from L’Equipe.

The incident occurred in Villeneuve-les-Avignon where the 57-year-old former Ferrari driver resides.

The police had been called Sunday around 10pm local time by neighbours, concerned about the sound of an explosion.

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A vehicle which was spotted by a neighbour at the site leaving with its lights off was traced to Alesi’s brother Jose who was arrested.

The former Ferrari driver went to the police station on Monday to clear his brother, explaining that he had been in the car with his son and a friend.

Alesi said he had stuck a “large firework bought in Italy” into the frame of a window of his brother-in-law’s architect’s office “without imagining causing such damage”, said the deputy prosecutor.

Alesi, who scored one victory in his 13-year career in F1, explained that he only wanted to play a “bad joke” on his brother-in-law, who is currently separated from Alesi’s sister.

The brother-in-law, who says he has “no problem” with Alesi, nonetheless filed a complaint for the damage to the windowframe, said Wolff.

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Alesi’s son and his friend were also taken into custody as police set about determining the extent of their complicity in the incident.

“I am quite sceptical about the notion of a ‘joke’ carried out at 10pm without the person concerned knowing who it is,” added Wolff.

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Tehran engulfed in toxic cloud after strikes on fuel facilities

Tehran woke up under a sky that shifted from gray to black following strikes on fuel infrastructure, as the city has become engulfed in a toxic cloud that is turning daily life into a public health and environmental emergency.

Residents warn that what is falling from the sky is no longer just rain, but a mixture of oil and pollutants. Attacks on fuel depots have triggered prolonged fires, releasing thick plumes of smoke that continue to spread across the العاصمة.

For several days, facilities have remained ablaze, while a dark layer has settled over streets, homes, and even water reserves. Authorities have urged the population—more than nine million people—to remain indoors, especially vulnerable groups.

The extreme toxicity is linked to mazut, a dense petroleum byproduct with high sulfur content still used in Iran due to industrial limitations and sanctions. When burned, it releases hazardous particles that, when combined with moisture, result in contaminated rainfall.

The situation is worsened by Tehran’s geography. Surrounded by mountains, the city is affected by a temperature inversion phenomenon that traps pollutants near the ground, preventing their dispersion and creating a stagnant layer of toxic air over the population.

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Residents have reported symptoms such as eye and skin irritation, headaches, and respiratory difficulties. Emergency agencies have also warned of potential chemical burns caused by acid rain.

Long-term concerns are mounting, as prolonged exposure to fine particles and heavy metals could lead to serious health conditions, including lung damage and cancer.

Contamination is also spreading to water sources and agricultural land, threatening the food supply in a country already facing water scarcity.

At a regional level, the environmental impact is expanding, with oil spills reported in the Persian Gulf, affecting marine ecosystems and fishing communities.

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FBI Most Wanted Fugitive Arrested in Mexico and Deported to U.S.

Authorities in Mexico announced Thursday that Samuel Ramírez Jr., a U.S. citizen accused of murdering two women and listed among the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, was arrested in the northern state of Sinaloa.

Ramírez Jr., 33, was detained Tuesday in Culiacán just 1 hour and 13 minutes after being added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Ten Most Wanted list, the agency said in a statement.

The suspect, who was born in California, has already been deported to the U.S. state of Washington, where he faces charges related to the fatal shooting of two women at a bar in Federal Way in May 2023.

A court issued an arrest warrant for Ramírez in November last year, and the FBI initially offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture, later increasing the amount to up to $1 million.

“To protect individuals’ privacy and ensure continued cooperation from the public, the FBI does not confirm the identity of those who provide information,” the agency said in its statement.

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UN experts warn Nicaragua runs vast transnational network to monitor exiled dissidents

Nicaragua maintains an “extensive” transnational network to monitor and intimidate opposition figures living in exile, affecting “hundreds of thousands” of people, the United Nations Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua warned on Tuesday.

In a statement, the experts said their report “details an extensive transnational architecture of surveillance and intelligence used to monitor, intimidate and attack the hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans living abroad.”

The report, which will be presented on March 16 to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, states that the structure maintained by the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo includes the army, the police, migration authorities and diplomatic missions.

According to the statement, “the government has arbitrarily stripped 452 Nicaraguans of their nationality, left thousands more exiled in a situation of de facto statelessness, and prevented many from returning to Nicaragua.”