International
US man charged over mid-air door and stabbing rampage
A man has been arrested and charged after he allegedly disarmed an aircraft door mid-flight and attempted to stab a flight attendant, US officials said.
Francisco Severo Torres, 33, sparked panic on the Los Angeles to Boston flight after he was seen pacing near an aircraft door before crew were alerted it had been disarmed.
Mr Torres was then said to have used a broken spoon to attack a crew member.
He was arrested at Boston’s Logan International Airport on Sunday.
The United Airlines flight was due to land in less than an hour when flight crew in the cockpit saw an alert that a door had been “disarmed”, charging documents said.
A flight attendant was asked to investigate and discovered the door’s lock handle had been moved from the fully locked position and its emergency slide disarmed.
Cabin crew quickly suspected Mr Torres had moved the handle as he had been seen loitering by the door earlier.
When an attendant confronted him, Mr Torres allegedly asked if there were cameras in the area around the door.
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Following the interaction, the attendant is said to have told the captain the passenger “posed a threat to the aircraft and that the captain needed to land the aircraft as soon as possible”, according to charging documents summarised by the Department of Justice (DoJ).
Soon after, Mr Torres got out of his seat and began walking towards the flight attendants before lunging at one “with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times”, the summary said.
Passengers on-board tackled Mr Torres after he attacked the flight attendant, it added.
Mr Torres had apparently been acting oddly, even asking a fellow passenger where the emergency exit was located during take-off.
According to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, Mr Torres told police he thought the flight attendant had been going to kill him.
The flight was able to land safely and United Airlines thanked the “quick action” of crew and customers.
Mr Torres has been banned from flying on United.
The DoJ says the “interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000”.
Mr Torres, the DoJ added, “is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law”.
BBC NEWS
International
American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel
American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel
A 30 year old American man whose name was not given by security officials, has been arrested for beating up a 60 year old tourist to death at the Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Laois, Ireland.
The Irish police force commonly known as ‘Garda Síochána’ announced that the incident occurred in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12.
Ballyfin Demesne hotel, is a popular luxury five-star hotel located in Laois, Ireland and special guests such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, George Clooney e.t.c had made use of the hotel in times past.
The victim was discovered unconscious in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12 and was then rushed to the hospital were he died due to severe beating inflicted on him by the culprit.
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Independent local councilor James Kelly stated that nearby communities were ‘stunned’ upon learning about the incident at the renowned hotel.
He said, “There would be a lot of staff from the area and they’re totally shocked by what has happened here.
“It’s something we didn’t think we’d be waking up to this morning.”
The police also noted that a senior officer has been assigned to lead the investigation and an incident room has been set up at Portlaoise Garda Station, Ireland.
Furthermore, a family liaison officer will be designated to assist the family of the deceased.
International
FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win
FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out a raid at the home of Shayne Coplan, CEO of cryptocurrency prediction outlet Polymarket.
Authorities seized Mr Coplan’s phone during the raid, according to New York Post which first reported the incident.
Mr Coplan, 26, has been running the famous platform for bets throughout the 2024 presidential election in the United States.
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It wasn’t immediately clear why the search was conducted, but Polymarket promptly said it might be due to its activities during the election. Users on the platform had correctly predicted Donald Trump was going to defeat Kamala Harris. The company paid out a substantial amount to winners following the election.
“This is obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election,” a spokesperson for Polymarket said in a statement from its headquarters in New York. “Polymarket is a fully transparent prediction market that helps everyday people better understand the events that matter most to them, including elections.”
It was unclear whether or not the FBI would be filing charges after the raid.
FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win
International
Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion
Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion
Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.
The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.
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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.
He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.
Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion
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