International
Argentine prosecutor seeks life for eight rugby players over murder
January 26 | By AFP |
Prosecutors in Argentina on Wednesday asked for life imprisonment for eight rugby players on trial over the killing of a teenager outside a nightclub three years ago, a crime that shocked the nation.
The defendants, aged between 21 and 23, have been in pre-trial detention since the attack.
“I ask that they be sentenced to life in prison as co-authors of doubly aggravated homicide” as it was not committed in self-defense and was “premeditated,” prosecutor Juan Manuel Davila said at court in Dolores, a city 220 kilometers (136 miles) south of Buenos Aires.
Following an argument between two groups of people inside a nightclub in the popular seaside resort of Villa Gesell on January 18, 2020, the eight defendants allegedly attacked Fernando Baez, an 18-year-old law student, after they had been ejected by door staff.
The players from a small provincial club in Zarate, north of Buenos Aires, allegedly attacked Baez from behind and then beat him to death on the ground.
Images of the attack were caught on surveillance cameras, and by the telephone of one of the defendants.
“They formed a circle around (Baez). They all struck him and when they didn’t, they stopped anyone coming to help him,” said Davila.
The prosecutor added that witnesses had heard the players shout racist insults at the victim as they beat him.
Baez family lawyer Fernando Burlando agreed with the prosecution’s request, saying it was “enough to sentence the defendants to life” behind bars.
The assailants preyed on Baez’s “defenselessness, with no risk to the pack,” according to the prosecution.
“They killed for killing’s sake, it is truly inexplicable. They didn’t care who,” Burlando said. “Their plan was to take (Baez) as a trophy. The synchronization of actions allowed them to build an impenetrable wall” around their victim.
The attack struck a chord in Argentina. It sparked protests in several cities, and prompted the South American country’s rugby authorities to institute behavioral courses for almost 4,000 players of the game.
In a nation marked by wide social inequality, rugby is traditionally played and watched by the wealthy. Baez was the son of a bricklayer and a caregiver, both Paraguayan immigrants.
A verdict in the trial is expected on January 31.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
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U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
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