■MEXICO
Gang leader killed: official
The head of a gang that killed 16 young partygoers in Ciudad Juarez at the weekend was killed shortly afterwards in a clash with soldiers, an official said on Wednesday. The man, called Ramon, died late on Monday during a shootout, according to the statement from one of his accomplices, Chihuahua State Attorney General Patricia Gonzalez said on Televisa TV. “He was the leader, the one who led the operation to exterminate the youths,” Gonzalez said. About 15 gunmen opened fire on a party packed with teenagers in the early hours of Sunday. Gonazalez said the suspected killers were hitmen from the Los Aztecas group working for the Juarez drug gang, which is fighting a bloody turf war against the Sinaloa gang.
■UNITED STATES
India agrees to IAEA watch
President Barack Obama on Wednesday certified that India has placed safeguards on its nuclear facilities, taking another step toward full implementation of a landmark cooperation deal. In a memorandum, Obama confirmed that India had formally agreed to provide access to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its civilian nuclear reactors. India gave a list of nuclear reactors to the IAEA, although it says its action is voluntary and does not include military facilities. Obama’s certification clears another hurdle for the agreement to come into force, but more steps remain. For the deal to take effect, the US and India need to complete an agreement on nuclear fuel reprocessing and New Delhi needs to approve liability protection for US companies.
■UNITED STATES
Jury weighs ‘hit man’ case
Jurors have begun deliberating in the trial of an alleged drug cartel hit man who prosecutors said brought “hell” to a Texas city. The jury is considering conspiracy, drug and weapons charges against Gerardo Castillo Chavez, known as “Cheeks.” Prosecutors accuse him of being a member of the Gulf Cartel’s hit squads that killed and kidnapped people in Laredo in 2005 and 2006. Federal prosecutor Jose Angel Moreno, told jurors that Castillo was part of a sophisticated cocaine and marijuana operation that killed to protect its business. Defense attorney Roberto Balli argued that prosecutors failed to show that Castillo did anything more than get caught with a few grams of cocaine when he was arrested in Houston.
■UNITED STATES
Self-help guru indicted
A self-help guru who organized an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony last year in which three people died was arrested on manslaughter charges on Wednesday, authorities said. James Ray, renowned for his best-selling books on spirituality, was arrested at a law office in Prescott, Arizona, close to the Sedona retreat where the fatal October ceremony was held, Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh said. He was indicted by a grand jury on manslaughter charges after a prolonged investigation during which police held hundreds of interviews.
■UNITED STATES
Teen pleads not guilty
A member of a group of accused burglars dubbed the “bling ring” who allegedly targeted the homes of high-profile and wealthy Los Angeles stars pleaded not guilty before a court on Wednesday. Rachel Lee, 19, faces charges of burglary and receiving stolen property, including a fur coat and assorted photographs. A preliminary court hearing for her was set next Wednesday. The other four members of the group have already appeared in court and all pleaded not guilty.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
A top Vietnamese property tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to death in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated US$27 billion in damages. A panel of three hand-picked jurors and two judges rejected all defense arguments by Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, who was found guilty of swindling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over a decade. “The defendant’s actions ... eroded people’s trust in the leadership of the [Communist] Party and state,” read the verdict at the trial in Ho Chi Minh City. After the five-week trial, 85 others were also sentenced on
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of