Pope Francis refused to heed advice to slow down in his final few years, preferring to “die with his boots on”, according to a close aide. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister since 2014, said the Pope was driven to carry on because he knew he had…
A young South African girl who disappeared last year aged six was allegedly sought by a traditional healer for her eyes and fair complexion, a court has heard. This is among the allegations that have emerged at the ongoing trial of Joshlin Smith’s mother, Kelly Smith, who has been accused of orchestrating her kidnapping. Ms…
Authorities in India have arrested a cryptocurrency exchange administrator wanted by the US for allegedly helping cybercriminals launder money and violate sanctions. Aleksej Besciokov, a Lithuanian citizen and Russian resident, was arrested in the southern state of Kerala on Tuesday, India’s top investigative agency said. According to the US Justice Department (DOJ), he was one…
Former Olympic snowboarder and Canadian national Ryan Wedding, 43, has been placed on the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives list for allegedly running a violent transnational drug trafficking network. Wedding is wanted for allegedly shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and southern California, to Canada and US locations, and for orchestrating…
Dutch authorities say one of Europe’s most-wanted fugitives has been living in Sierra Leone for about six months. Jos Leijdekkers, 33, was sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison on 25 June last year by a Rotterdam court for smuggling more than seven tonnes of cocaine. Dutch prosecutor Wim de Bruin said the fugitive’s…
For President-elect Donald J. Trump, the Israeli-Gaza cease-fire deal was key for two reasons. It removed one of the most vexing international conflicts that hovered over the start of his second term, and it gave Mr. Trump, who was known during his real-estate developer days in New York City as a “deals guy,” something to…
