“Prosecutors in Minnesota on Monday charged a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent with assault in connection with the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis in January during US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city. Christian Castro, 53, was charged with four felony counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and a misdemeanour of falsely reporting a crime, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told a press conference. Castro was the second federal agent to be charged by Minneapolis officials in connection with Trump’s immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis, during which Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg, and two US citizens were [murdered] by federal agents.” (05/19/26)
“Surrey Police says it is investigating two separate allegations of ‘non-recent child sexual abuse’ following the US release of the files related to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The force says that one relates to locations in Surrey and Berkshire in the mid 1990s to 2000. The other relates to the mid to late 1980s in west Surrey. No arrests have been made, it added. In a statement, police said it took ‘all reports of sexual offending seriously and will work to identify any reasonable lines of enquiry to verify information or establish corroborating evidence.’ In February, Surrey Police said it was seeking information on an allegation of human trafficking and sexual assault dating back to the mid-1990s. It said it has become aware of a redacted report which alleged ‘non-recent human trafficking and sexual assaults on a minor in Virginia Water, Surrey between 1994-1996.'” (05/19/26)
“A Pakistani court on Tuesday sentenced a man to death for killing a teenage social media influencer outside her home last year when she rejected his offer of friendship. Islamabad Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka announced the conviction and verdict for Umar Hayat, who was arrested in June after the killing of 17-year-old Sana Yousuf. … Yousuf had a wide following in Pakistan. After her death, hundreds of thousands of users began following her account on TikTok, among the country’s most popular social media platforms. Originally from the scenic northern region of Chitral, she was known for promoting traditional Chitrali music and dress through her videos. She also advocated for girls’ education. Hours before her murder, she posted a photo celebrating her birthday with friends.” (05/19/26)
“Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is appearing on Capitol Hill for his first congressional testimony since taking the reins at the Justice Department, as the agency faces intense scrutiny over its plans to create a $1.776 billion fund to pay allies of President Donald Trump who believe they were targeted politically. … Republicans pressed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about violent crime, drug enforcement and other conventional Justice Department topics. But for the most part, they’re steering clear of the Justice Department’s creation of a new $1.776 fund created to compensate allies of President Trump who say they’ve been mistreated by the criminal justice system and Democrats. That’s in contrast to their Democratic counterparts, who routinely pressed Blanche on the fund.” (05/19/26)
“The Trump administration on Monday intensified its pressure campaign against Cuba’s government, issuing sanctions on three government agencies and 11 top officials. Those targeted included three generals and communist party officials associated with the Cuban security apparatus. Such sanctions, usually used against accused drug traffickers, human-rights violators and terrorists, freeze any property and bank accounts they may have in the United States. While it is unlikely that any of the Cubans targeted have U.S. assets, the move is an important escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign to force the communist government to overhaul is economic and political system.” [editor’s note: If it has no effect, how is it “important” in “forcing” anything? – TLK] (05/18/26)
“Israeli [pirates] have raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, with video showing numerous vessels being boarded and crews [abducted] despite being in international waters. The Global Sumud Flotilla, the international movement heading the mission, said Israeli military personnel boarded several boats off Cyprus on Monday, as the convoy tried to reach the besieged Gaza Strip. … More than 50 vessels sailed from the Turkish port city of Marmaris last week, in what organisers described as the final stage of a journey aimed at challenging Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian enclave.” (05/18/26)
“A Russian air attack damaged port infrastructure in Ukraine’s Izmail city in the early hours of Tuesday, while Russian authorities said they had downed four drones launched by Ukraine that were headed towards Moscow. Izmail, in the southern Odesa region and home to the largest Ukrainian port on the Danube River, is a frequently hit strategic location. … Elsewhere in Ukraine, two people were rescued and one person may still be trapped under rubble after a Russian drone attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram. There also were drone attacks in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia, local authorities said on Telegram. … Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram that four drones heading for the capital had been downed and that emergency services had been deployed, but provided no further details.” (05/18/26)
“Two teenage gunmen opened fire on Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, killing a security guard and two other men outside the mosque before the suspects were found dead …. Scores of law enforcement officers called to the scene encountered the bodies of the three men affiliated with the mosque shot dead. Officials credited the slain security guard as likely having helped prevent further bloodshed. A short time later, police discovered the bodies of two teenage males, aged 17 and 18, in a vehicle in the middle of a street, dead from apparently self-inflicted gunshot wounds.” (05/18/26)
“The Philippine Senate convened as an impeachment court Monday for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte over criminal charges, in a time of deep divisions that erupted into an exchange of gunfire last week in the chamber. The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Duterte last Monday over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds and a public threat to have the president assassinated if she herself were killed due to their political disputes. The vice president, who has announced her plan to seek the presidency in 2028, has denied the charges but has refused to answer the allegations in detail.” (05/18/26)
“President Trump has dismissed his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for an apology and the establishment of a $1,776,000,000 billion [sic] fund to compensate victims of federal government weaponization. Anyone who believes they have been unfairly targeted by any administration could apply for compensation from the the Justice Department’s new Anti-Weaponization Fund — including those charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and even disgraced former first son Hunter Biden, a senior administration official told The Post. … President Trump, his sons Don Jr. and Eric and the Trump Organization — all of whom were plaintiffs in the IRS suit — are not entitled to any compensation from the fund, but will receive a formal apology.” (05/18/26)
