Day: May 24, 2024

President Ilham Aliyev received report from villages of Gazakh which were taken under control and flag of Azerbaijan …  APA

Samad Seyidov: The President demonstrates a new formula for peace – Aze.Media  Aze Media

(NewsNation) — The first of the five Americans who were detained and charged with carrying ammunition after Turks and Caicos authorities say they found left in their luggage will learn his fate Friday during a sentencing hearing.

In Turks and Caicos Islands — a British territory — no firearms, weapons, or stray bullets are allowed on the islands. Local authorities strictly enforce firearms and ammunition-related laws.

Turks and Caicos said in a statement that it is “the travelers’ responsibility to ensure their baggage is free of” weapons and ammunition, which is “strictly forbidden” without prior permission.

Even within the U.S., improperly secured and undeclared ammunition or firearms found by airport security can result in a fine and criminal referral.

‘A very simple, honest mistake’

Bryan Hagerich, 39, was on vacation with his wife and their two young children when stray hunting ammunition was discovered in his luggage in February. He was detained by authorities and spent eight days in prison before posting bail.

Since then, Hagerich has remained on the island. So far, he’s missed several life events back home in the States, including his children’s birthdays.

Hagerich previously told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that he’s “absolutely terrified” about the possibility of prison time.

According to the Turks and Caicos Islands government, Hagerich pleaded guilty to carrying 20 rifle rounds in his luggage.

On Friday, Hagerich will learn his fate, facing a sentencing that could land him a minimum of 12 years in prison.

Hagerich is not alone. Four others have been stuck on the tropical island as well for the same exact reason.

Ryan Watson, Tyler Wenrich, Michael Evans and Sharitta Shinise Grier were also detained and charged with carrying ammunition in Turks and Caicos.

Ryan Watson

Watson, 40, and his wife, Valerie, visited the islands for a birthday trip in early April. But on April 12, as they were about to head home, they were stopped by airport security and escorted to the police station.

Airport authorities claimed to have found ammunition in Ryan Watson’s carry-on luggage. He called it a “bonehead mistake” and one that was accidental. Locals helped him post bail and he said he appreciates the people he’s met, but he aims to return home.

Watson’s next court date is set for June 7.

Tyler Wenrich

Wenrich, 31, has been in Turks and Caicos since April 20. His father told NewsNation that Wenrich spent three days in jail and was moved to a prison, spending a total of 14 days behind bars. He was released on bond and has been with his father since awaiting sentencing.

Wenrich said the bullets were “unknowingly left in a duffel bag from a deer hunting trip” that went unnoticed by airport authorities when they left the United States. 

Michael Evans

Evans, 72, was also detained and charged after authorities said they found bullets in his luggage in December. He was released on a $20,000 bond and was allowed to return to the States for medical reasons, as he has has terminal cancer.

He pleaded guilty to illegal possession of ammunition and faces the same minimum sentence of 12 years in prison. His sentencing has been scheduled for June.

Sharitta Shinise Grier

Grier, 45, of Orlando, was arrested May 13 and charged with one count of possession of ammunition, according to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. She was traveling with her daughter, who was also arrested but later released. Grier was visiting her daughters for Mother’s Day the day she was detained.

Grier appeared in the Magistrate Court last week and was remanded, according to police. A sufficiency hearing is set for July 5.

Up to the judge to decide, Turks and Caicos says

The latest statement from the Turks and Caicos government says no American has ever been handed a 12-year sentence for illegally possessing ammunition, and that a judge can impose a lesser sentence with a fine.

But the possibility of more than a decade in prison remains daunting for all five families.

The governor of Oklahoma says he is working behind the scenes to help free the four Americans.

Gov. Kevin Stitt previously called the charges against the four men, which includes one Oklahoman, “absurd.”

“We have to put pressure on Turks and Caicos and maybe have a travel ban there because this is just really, really, really odd that they are trying to put this guy away, all of these guys away,” he said on “Morning in America.” 

Earlier this week, a delegation of U.S. congressmen and senators traveled to Turks and Caicos to try and bring these Americans home. However, they were unsuccessful.

“(I’m) baffled by the weakness and incompetence of your department and you can prove me wrong. Issue a ‘do not travel’ and bring them home,” Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Penn., said to Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a House hearing this week. Blinken, who represents the U.S. to foreign countries, has the power to influence the five Americans’ release.

Blinken responded to the call for action: “We’ve brought Americans home from all over the world. It’s our number one priority and so I will apologize to no one over the efforts that our people make every day to help Americans who are in jeopardy.”

The Turks and Caicos government says three of the Americans have entered guilty pleas and two more will enter pleas in the next two weeks.

Новости Радио Свобода: точность, оперативность, беспристрастность

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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

IRAN HELICOPTER CRASH

Iran’s military said the helicopter carrying late President Ebrahim Raisi caught fire soon after it crashed into a mountain, and there was no sign it was attacked. The statement from the general staff of the armed forces in charge of investigating the crash was broadcast on state television late yesterday. AP News reports. 

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

The International Court of Justice said it would deliver a ruling today on South Africa’s request that the court order Israel to cease military operations in Gaza, citing its offensive in Rafah. The Washington Post reports; Peter Beaumont and Robert Tait report for The Guardian.

The Israeli military said it recovered the bodies of three hostages overnight in northern Gaza, bringing the number of dead hostages recovered since last week to seven. The military said they were killed and abducted during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. The Washington Post reports; Sam Mednick reports for AP News.

Israeli forces are conducting operations in Rafah “in a targeted and precise way” with “accurate intelligence,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said. He described the operation as a “critical mission” to bring back all hostages and to ensure “an enduring defeat of Hamas.” Mohammed Tawfeeq reports for CNN; Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Aaron Boxerman report for the New York Times.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE 

CIA Director Bill Burns will meet with Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea in Europe this weekend to try to revive stalled ceasefire and hostage release talks, according to a U.S. official and another person briefed on the negotiations. It is unclear if Egyptian and Qatari negotiators will join them. Julian E. Barnes and Edward Wong report for the New York Times; Alex Marquardt reports for CNN.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced yesterday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress. Johnson told reporters he was working with Netanyahu to finalize a date and would send the formal invitation this week. Megan Lebowitz and Syedah Asghar report for NBC News.

Over 1 million pounds of humanitarian assistance has entered Gaza through the new U.S.-built temporary pier, the Pentagon said yesterday. Two-thirds of the total aid transferred has been distributed by the U.N. further into Gaza, CENTCOM’s deputy commander said. Sareen Habeshian reports for Axios.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE 

Israel yesterday slammed a statement from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s office that Berlin would arrest and deport Netanyahu if the International Criminal Court issues a warrant for his arrest. When asked on Wednesday whether Berlin would execute a potential ICC arrest order, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said, “Of course. Yes, we abide by the law.” The Times of Israel reports. 

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said he would prohibit the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from providing services to Palestinians from the West Bank. It follows Spain’s announcement that it will recognize an independent Palestinian state. The Times of Israel reports. 

All E.U. donors to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) “have now resumed their support to the Agency,” the E.U. ‘s top diplomat Josep Borrell said yesterday in a post on X.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS

A wave of Russian missile strikes hit several locations in Ukraine’s city of Kharkiv yesterday, killing seven civilians. Russian troops have advanced towards Kharkiv over the past two weeks, taking advantage of a weakened front line. Olga Voitovych, Sharon Braithwaite, and Sana Noor Haq report for CNN.

The United States is expected to announce an additional $275 million in military aid for Ukraine today as Kyiv struggles to hold off advances by Russian troops in the Kharkiv region, according to two U.S. officials. It would mark the fourth installment of military aid for Ukraine since Congress passed the foreign aid bill last month. Tara Copp and Matthew Lee report for AP News.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

President Biden has designated Kenya as a “major non-NATO ally,” making it the first sub-Saharan African country to receive that status. The move will allow Nairobi to engage in closer security cooperation with Washington and obtain more sophisticated U.S. weapons, and comes as Keyna prepares to lead a security mission in Haiti. Sam Cabral reports for BBC News; Michael D. Shear reports for the New York Times.

The European Parliament far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group expelled the Alternative for Germany (AfD) delegation yesterday. The group said in a statement it “no longer wants to be associated with the incidents involving Maximilian Krah, head of the AfD list for the European elections.” It follows Krah saying that Nazi SS officers were “not all criminals.” Reuters reports. 

The U.N. voted to declare July 11 an annual day of remembrance for victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. The proposal was submitted by Germany and Rwanda, and passed despite Serbia lobbying against the resolution. The vote passed with 84 in favor, 19 votes against, and 68 abstentions. Guy Delauney reports for BBC News.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Belarus yesterday for a two-day visit as part of several tours to kick off his fifth term in office. He is expected to travel to Uzbekistan on Sunday. Yuras Karamanau and Dasha Litvinova report for AP News.

China’s military drills around Taiwan are continuing for a second day today. Nectar Gan, Eric Cheung, and Brad Lendon report for CNN.

The United States and several of its allies, including Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany and Japan, issued a joint statement today calling for Taiwan to be allowed to take part in a key W.H.O. meeting next week. Taiwan is excluded from most international organizations due to China’s objections. Ben Blanchard reports for Reuters. 

The United States said it was reviewing its bilateral cooperation with Georgia over its controversial “foreign agent” law. In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was introducing visa restrictions for individuals responsible for “undermining democracy in Georgia.” While no officials were named, they are believed to be members of the governing Georgian Dream Party. Jaroslav Lukiv reports for BBC News.

Azerbaijan’s border service has taken control of four villages in the Gazakh district on the border with Armenia under an agreement struck with Yerevan, the country’s deputy prime minister said today. Reuters reports. 

Police shot dead a man in New Caledonia today, a day after French President Emmanuel Macron visited the semi-autonomous island in an effort to ease tensions. Reuters reports. 

DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

The Supreme Court yesterday voted 6-3 to preserve a Republican-held South Carolina congressional district, reversing a lower-court ruling that said the district discriminated against Black voters. Mark Sherman reports for AP News.

An Australian magistrate today found that ex-U.S. Marines pilot Daniel Duggan meets the conditions for extradition to face charges related to the alleged training of Chinese military pilots. Duggan’s fate now rests with Australia’s attorney general. Hilary Whiteman reports for CNN.

The post Early Edition: May 24, 2024 appeared first on Just Security.

We are over a month into former President Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial. The prosecution and defense have each presented their cases, and a Manhattan jury will soon decide whether Trump broke the law and interfered in the 2016 election by falsifying business records in an effort to cover up “hush money” payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

What has it been like inside the courtroom? What can we expect next from each side in closing arguments?

Joining the show to discuss the trial and what comes next are seasoned legal reporters Terri Austin and Adam Klasfeld.

Terri is an experienced lawyer and legal analyst and Adam is a veteran reporter and Journalism Fellow at Just Security. They’ve both covered Trump’s New York trial from inside the courtroom since day one.

Listen to the episode by clicking below.

The post The Just Security Podcast: Courtroom Views from Inside Trump’s New York Criminal Trial appeared first on Just Security.

До Филевского Парка планируют запустить речной электротранспорт.