World
Shangai Court Sentences Former Vice Mayor To 17 Years Imprisonment For Bribery & Embezzlement
A Zhangzhou Intermediate People’s Court on Friday sentenced former Vice Mayor of Shanghai Ai Baojun to 17 years in prison for bribery and embezzlement of public funds.
The court in Fujian said personal assets worth 841,421 dollars which was held by has been re confiscated.
The court ruled that his illicit gains through bribe-taking shall be turned over to the state treasury and those through embezzlement returned to Baosteel Group and to the Shanghai municipal government.
He was found to have accepted bribes worth more than 43.2 million yuan while holding a series of offices in Shanghai between 2000 and 2014.
The court said Ai abused his positions as vice general manager of Baosteel Group and vice mayor of Shanghai to embezzle public assets worth more millions of dollars from 2001 to 2009.
Ai had been given relatively lenient treatment as he cooperated with investigators, surrendered all his illicit gains, admitted his guilt and repented.
World
10 dead, 30 injured after vehicle drives into crowd in US
At least 10 people have been killed after a vehicle drove into a large crowd in New Orleans, a city in Louisiana, United States.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the French Quarter, a popular tourist area, when a car sped down Bourbon Street.
Witnesses told CBS News that the driver reportedly got out and began shooting at pedestrians. Police returned fire, and two officers were injured in the exchange.
Anne Kirkpatrick, the city’s police superintendent, described the attack as “very intentional”.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” she said.
Kirkpatrick said attack began at 15:15 local time (21:15 GMT), adding that most of the victims appeared to be local residents, but the identities of those killed or injured are still being determined.
She said numbers could change, but confirmed 10 people were killed and at least 35 others injured.
She said it is unclear how many victims are tourists and how many are locals but added that she believed that the majority are local to New Orleans.
The superintendent said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will take over the investigation into the incident.
Althea Duncan, FBI agent, clarified that the shooting was not a terrorist incident, but noted that “improvised explosive devices” were found on scene.
Duncan said the FBI is working to find out if they are “viable” devices and urged the public to stay away from the area.
Jeff Landry, governor of Louisiana, described the incident as a “horrific act of violence”.
Landry said he is praying for all the victims and first responders at the scene.
World
South Korean court issues arrest warrant for impeached president
A Seoul western district court has issued an arrest warrant against impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol following his botched martial law declaration.
It is the first time authorities have sought to detain a sitting South Korean president.
It is unclear when authorities would attempt to take Yeol into custody. January 6 was given as the deadline to execute the warrant.
“The arrest warrant and search warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, requested by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, were issued this morning,” the Joint Investigation Headquarters, which includes officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), police, and the defence ministry, said in a statement on Tuesday.
The warrant comes after Yeol, who is being investigated for power abuse and inciting an insurrection, ignored three summons in the last fortnight.
The president’s legal team has called the warrant “illegal and invalid” and said they would challenge it in court.
World
Biden declares January 9 national mourning day for Jimmy Carter
United States President Joe Biden has declared January 9, 2025 as a national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter.
Carter, the 39th US president, died on Sunday at 100. He was the first ex-US president to become a centenarian.
Biden described Carter as an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian.
“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us,” Biden said in a statement following Carter’s death.
“He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.
“He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together,” he added, referencing Carter’s wife of 77 years who died in November 2023.
Biden ordered that flags be displayed at half-staff at the White House, all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels for a period of 30 days from Carter’s death.
The president said similar arrangements applied to US representatives in foreign countries at embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad.
“I do further appoint January 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States,” Biden added.
The president urged Americans and people around the world who share in the grief to honour Carter’s memory on the said day.
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