LONDON: A UK teenager who killed three family members and planned to outdo notorious US massacres to become “the world’s most famous school shooter of the 21st century” was on Wednesday jailed for a minimum of 49 years.
Nicholas Prosper, 18 at the time of the killings, used a shotgun to kill his mother Juliana Falcon, 48, sister Giselle, 13, and brother Kyle, 16, who also received more than 100 knife wounds, at their home in Luton, southern England, in September 2024.
“Your ambition was notoriety. You wanted to be known posthumously as the world’s most famous school shooter of the 21st century,” judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said on Wednesday as she sentenced the now 19-year-old Prosper.
Prosper told police upon his arrest of his “Friday the 13th” plan to kill four-year-old pupils and two teachers at a nearby primary school, and then himself.
He said his aim was to conduct an attack more deadly than the US Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech massacres, but the plan was interrupted when his mother woke up before he could kill his family in their sleep.
The noisy struggle alerted neighbors, who called the police.
“You explicitly sought to emulate and outdo Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old American who shot dead 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut in 2012,” the judge said.
“You aimed for 34 deaths, one more than the deadliest school shooting of recent times in the United States of America, at Virginia Tech in 2007,” she added.
Prosper, who experts said showed symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), was handed a life sentence, with a minimum term of 49 years. Taking into account the time already served, he will serve a minimum of 48 years and 177 days.
UK teen who planned school massacre jailed for minimum 49 years
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UK teen who planned school massacre jailed for minimum 49 years
- “You wanted to be known posthumously as the world’s most famous school shooter of the 21st century,” judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said
- The noisy struggle alerted neighbors, who called the police
Afghans both hopeful, disappointed after Russia’s Taliban recognition
- Russia became the first country to acknowledge the Taliban authorities on Thursday
- Move hailed as an opening for deeper cooperation, notably in economic and security arenas
Russia became the first country to acknowledge the Taliban authorities on Thursday, after a gradual building of ties that included removing their “terrorist organization” designation and accepting an ambassador in recent months.
The Taliban authorities had not been recognized by any state in the nearly four years since sweeping to power in 2021, ousting the foreign-backed government as US-led troops withdrew after a two-decade war.
Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world and in a fragile recovery from four decades of conflict.
“With the current situation in Afghanistan, with all the challenges, everyone is worried. If the world recognizes Afghanistan, we will be happy, currently, even the tiniest thing matters,” Gul Mohammad, 58, said on Friday in the capital Kabul.
Despite having bitter memories of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, when he “lost everything” and became a refugee in Pakistan, he acknowledges that “the priorities are different now.”
Jamaluddin Sayar, 67, predicted that “trade and economic prosperity will now blossom.”
The retired pilot said other countries, “both western and eastern,” should recognize the government and “stop spreading propaganda against the Islamic Emirate,” using the Taliban authorities’ name for their administration.
Russian and Afghan officials praised the move as an opening for deeper cooperation, notably in economic and security arenas.
Security concerns have been a key avenue for coordination between the Taliban authorities and the international community, amid fears Afghanistan would become fertile ground for increased militant activity.
The authorities have prioritized security and made repeated assurances that Afghan soil would not be used by any group to plan attacks on other nations.
However, Pakistan’s ties with the Taliban authorities have been strained over a surge in militant activity since their takeover and last year, an attack claimed by the Daesh group’s branch in Afghanistan killed 137 people in a Moscow concert hall.
In a country where dissent and protest is tightly controlled, some Kabul residents were afraid to openly criticize the Taliban authorities.
Atef, not his real name, was unconvinced better relations between Afghanistan and Russia would improve the livelihoods of ordinary Afghans.
“I think Afghanistan will fall into the traps of the Russians again, the issues and challenges will increase, and there is nothing that can help ordinary people,” the unemployed 25-year-old said.
“People are struggling, and they will still struggle with or without the recognition.”
For Afghan women’s rights activists, particularly those who have advocated for isolating the Taliban government, the recognition was seen as a setback that “legitimizes” restrictions on women.
The Taliban authorities, who also ruled the country between 1996 and 2001, have again imposed an austere version of Islamic law.
Norway-based Afghan women’s rights activist Hoda Khamosh was defiant against the impact of the Russian move.
“Human rights organizations right now are trying to recognize gender apartheid in Afghanistan because the Taliban are a repressive regime against women,” she said.
“Therefore, these recognitions will not lead to anything.”
Search continues after Pakistan building collapse kills 14
- Residential block in the impoverished Lyari neighborhood of Karachi crumbled Friday morning
- Area was once plagued by gang violence and considered one of the most dangerous areas in Pakistan
KARACHI: Rescue teams pulled more bodies from the rubble of a five-story building collapse in Pakistan overnight, taking the toll on Saturday to 14 as the recovery operation continued for a second day.
The residential block crumbled shortly after 10:00 a.m. on Friday in the impoverished Lyari neighborhood of Karachi, which was once plagued by gang violence and considered one of the most dangerous areas in Pakistan.
Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh, leading the government’s 1122 rescue service at the scene, said the operation continued through the night “without interruption.”
“It may take eight to 12 hours more to complete,” he said.
Police official Summiaya Syed, at a Karachi hospital where the bodies were received, said that the death toll on Saturday morning stood at 14, half of them women, with 13 injured.
Up to 100 people had been living in the building, senior police officer Arif Aziz said.
All six members of 70-year-old Jumho Maheshwari’s family were at his flat on the first floor when he left for work early in the morning.
“Nothing is left for me now – my family is all trapped and all I can do is pray for their safe recovery,” he said on Friday afternoon.
Another resident, Maya Sham Jee, said her brother’s family was also trapped under the rubble.
“It’s a tragedy for us. The world has been changed for our family,” she said.
“We are helpless and just looking at the rescue workers to bring our loved ones back safely.”
Shankar Kamho, 30, a resident of the building who was out at the time, said around 20 families were living inside.
He described how his wife called him in a panic that the building was cracking.
I told her to get out immediately,” he said at the scene.
“She went to warn the neighbors, but one woman told her ‘this building will stand for at least 10 more years’,” he said.
“Still, my wife took our daughter and left. About 20 minutes later, the building collapsed.”
Congregation flees after arsonist sets fire to an Australian synagogue door
- A man doused the double front doors of the downtown East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and set it alight around 8 p.m.
- Also in downtown Melbourne on Friday night, around 20 masked protesters harassed diners in an Israeli-owned restaurant
MELBOURNE: An arsonist set fire to the door of a Melbourne synagogue and forced the congregation to flee on Friday, seven months after criminals destroyed a synagogue in the same Australian city with an accelerant-fueled blaze that left a worshipper injured.
A man doused the double front doors of the downtown East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and set it alight around 8 p.m., a police statement said on Saturday. Around 20 worshippers sharing a meal to mark the Shabbat Jewish day of rest evacuated through a rear door and no one was injured, police said.
Fire fighters extinguished the blaze which was contained to the front entrance, police.
Antisemitic attacks roil Australia since 2023
A wave of antisemitic attacks has roiled Australia since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel triggered the war in Gaza.
Jewish and Muslim organizations and hate researchers have recorded drastic spikes in hate-fueled incidents on both groups. The Australian government last year appointed special envoys to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia in the community.
Last December, two masked men struck the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne’s southeast. They caused extensive damage by spreading a liquid accelerant with brooms throughout the building before igniting it. A worshipper sustained minor burns.
No charges have been laid for that attack, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed on antisemitism.
The Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which includes Victoria state police, federal police and Australia’s main domestic spy agency, said the fire was likely a politically-motivated attack.
Police say synagogue attack is a serious crime
Acting Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan described the latest synagogue fire as a serious crime. Police released a CCTV image of a suspect.
“I’d like to make it very clear that we do recognize that these crimes are disgusting and abhorrent. But at this stage, we are not declaring this a terrorist incident,” Dunstan told reporters.
“In the course of our investigation, we will examine the intent and the ideology of the persons involved, or person, to determine if this is in fact terrorism. At the moment, we are categorizing it as a serious criminal incident and responding accordingly,” she added.
A terrorism declaration opens the investigation to more resourcing and can result in charges that carry longer prison sentences.
The synagogue’s president, Danny Segal, called for the wider Australian community to stand with his congregation.
“We’re here to be in peace, you know, we’re here for everybody to live together and we’ve got a fresh start in Australia, such a beautiful country, and what they’re doing is just not fair and not right, and as Australians, we should stand up and everybody should stand up,” Segal told reporters.
Protesters harass diners in Israeli-owned restaurant
Also in downtown Melbourne on Friday night, around 20 masked protesters harassed diners in an Israeli-owned restaurant. A Miznon restaurant window was broken. A 28-year-old woman was arrested for hindering police.
Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich, a leading opponent of antisemitism in Australia, said diners were terrorized as the group chanted “Death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
“Melbourne, for one night, stopped being a safe place for Jews,” Abramovich said.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece condemned both the synagogue and restaurant incidents.
“These criminal acts against a Melbourne synagogue and an Israeli business are absolutely shocking,” Reece said. “All of us as a community need to stand up against it.”
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said both incidents were designed to “traumatize Jewish families.”
“Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of antisemitism,” she said in a statement.
Trump says Putin understands US sanctions may be coming
- Trump on Friday discussed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the possibility of sending Patriot air defense missiles to Kyiv
- Russia had earlier stepped up its attacks on Ukraine on the day Putin and Trump discussed talked by phone about a ceasefire
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has discussed sanctions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is worried about them and understands they might be forthcoming.
Trump, who spoke on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, also told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had discussed the possibility of sending Patriot air defense missiles to Kyiv.
Trump spoke with Zelensky a day Russia stepped up its attack on Ukraine, sending waves of drones and missiles on Kyiv overnight in what Ukrainian officials described as the largest aerial assault since Russia’s invasion began more than three years ago. One person was killed and at least 26 others, including a child, were wounded.
Asked Friday night by reporters about the call, Trump said, “We had a very good call, I think.”
The two leaders how Ukrainian air defenses might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the US and Ukraine, and broader US-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Zelenksy.
When asked about finding a way to end the fighting, Trump said: “I don’t know. I can’t tell you whether or not that’s going to happen.”
The US has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraine’s main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelensky says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine’s domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time.
‘I’m very disappointed’
The attack on Kyiv began the same day a phone call took place between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Asked if he made any progress during his call with Putin on a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, Trump said: “No, I didn’t make any progress with him today at all.”
“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin because I don’t think he’s there. I don’t think he’s looking to stop (the fighting), and that’s too bad,” Trump said.
According to Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, the Russian leader emphasized that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the “root causes” of the conflict.
“Russia will not back down from these goals,” Ushakov told reporters after the call.
Russia’s army crossed the border on Feb. 24, 2022, in an all-out invasion that Putin sought to justify by falsely saying it was needed to protect Russian-speaking civilians in eastern Ukraine and prevent the country from joining NATO.
Zelensky has repeatedly called out Russian disinformation efforts.
Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago, Russia launched what was then the largest aerial assault of the war. That strategy has coincided with a concerted Russian effort to break through parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure.
Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine during the night, the country’s air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, but Russia also launched 11 missiles in the attack.
Alya Shahlai, a 23-year-old Kyiv wedding photographer, said that her home was destroyed in the attack.
“We were all in the (basement) shelter because it was so loud, staying home would have been suicidal,” she told The Associated Press. “We went down 10 minutes before and then there was a loud explosion and the lights went out in the shelter, people were panicking.”
Five ambulances were damaged while responding to calls, officials said, and emergency services removed more than 300 tons of rubble.
Trump, Zelensky talks
In Friday’s call, Zelensky said he congratulated Trump and the American people on Independence Day and thanked the United States for its continued support.
They discussed a possible future meeting between their teams to explore ways of enhancing Ukraine’s protection against air attacks, Zelensky said.
He added that they talked in detail about defense industry capabilities and direct joint projects with the US, particularly in drone technology. They also exchanged views on mutual procurement, investment, and diplomatic cooperation with international partners, Zelensky said.
Peace efforts have been fruitless so far. Recent direct peace talks have led only to sporadic exchanges of prisoners of war, wounded troops and the bodies of fallen soldiers. No date has been set for further negotiations.
Ukrainian officials and the Russian Defense Ministry said another prisoner swap took place Friday, though neither side said how many soldiers were involved. Zelensky said most of the Ukrainians had been in Russian captivity since 2022. The Ukrainian soldiers were classified as “wounded and seriously ill.”
Constant buzzing of drones
The Ukrainian response needs to be speedy as Russia escalates its aerial attacks. Russia launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine in June, a new monthly record, according to official data collated by The Associated Press. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier this week that Russia also launched more than 330 missiles, including nearly 80 ballistic missiles, at Ukrainian towns and cities that month.
Throughout the night, AP journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gun fire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault.
“Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on social media platform X. “One of the worst so far.”
Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described “families running into metro stations, basements, underground parking garages, mass destruction in the heart of our capital.”
“What Kyiv endured last night, cannot be called anything but a deliberate act of terror,” she wrote on X.
Kyiv was the primary target of the countrywide attack. At least 14 people were hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Zelensky called the Kyiv attack “cynical.” In Moscow, the Defense Ministry claimed its forces targeted factories producing drones and other military equipment in Kyiv.
Russia strikes 5 Ukrainian regions
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 270 targets, including two cruise missiles. Another 208 targets were lost from radar and presumed jammed.
Russia successfully hit eight locations with nine missiles and 63 drones. Debris from intercepted drones fell across at least 33 sites.
In addition to the capital, the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Kyiv regions also sustained damage, Zelensky said.
Emergency services reported damage in at least five of Kyiv’s 10 districts.
BRICS nations to denounce Trump tariffs for causing economic uncertainty
- Emerging nations representing about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output are set to unite over what they see as unfair US import tariffs
- Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive tariffs
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry Donald Trump’s hard-line trade policies, but are struggling to bridge divides over crises roiling the Middle East.
Emerging nations representing about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output are set to unite over what they see as unfair US import tariffs, according to sources familiar with summit negotiations.
Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive tariffs.
His latest salvo comes in the form of letters due to be sent starting Friday informing trading partners of new tariff rates expected next week on July 9.
Diplomats from 11 emerging nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have been busy drafting a statement condemning the economic uncertainty.
Any final summit declaration is not expected to mention the United States or its president by name. But it is expected to be a clear political shot directed at Washington.
“We’re anticipating a summit with a cautious tone: it will be difficult to mention the United States by name in the final declaration,” Marta Fernandez, director of the BRICS Policy Center at Rio’s Pontifical Catholic University said.
This is particularly the case for China, which has only recently negotiated with the US to lower steep tit-for-tat levies.
“This doesn’t seem to be the right time to provoke further friction” between the world’s two leading economies, Fernandez said.
China leader to skip annual meeting
Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power.
But the summit’s political punch will be depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who is skipping the annual meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.
“I expect there will be speculation about the reasons for Xi’s absence,” said Ryan Hass, a former China director at the US National Security Council who is now with the Brookings Institution think tank.
“The simplest explanation may hold the most explanatory power. Xi recently hosted Lula in Beijing,” said Hass.
The Chinese leader will not be the only notable absentee. War crime-indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin is also opting to stay away, but will participate via video link, according to the Kremlin.
Hass said Putin’s non-attendance and the fact that India’s prime minister will be a guest of honor in Brazil could also be factors in Xi’s absence.
“Xi does not want to appear upstaged by Modi,” who will receive a state lunch, he said.
“I expect Xi’s decision to delegate attendance to Premier Li (Qiang) rests amidst these factors.”
Still, the Xi no-show is a blow to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage.
In the year to November 2025, Brazil will have hosted a G20 summit, a BRICS summit, and COP30 international climate talks, all before heading into fiercely contested presidential elections next year, in which he is expected to run.
No consensus on response to Gaza, Iran wars
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel is also skipping the meeting.
A source familiar with the negotiations said the BRICS countries were still in disagreement over how to respond to the wars in Gaza and between Iran and Israel.
Iranian negotiators are pushing for a tougher collective stance that goes beyond referencing the need for the creation of a Palestinian state and for disputes to be resolved peacefully.
Artificial intelligence and health will also be on the agenda at the summit.
Original members of the bloc Brazil, Russia, India, and China have been joined by South Africa and, more recently, by Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia.
Analysts say that it has given the grouping more potential international punch.
But it has also opened many new fault lines.
Brazil hopes that countries can take a common stand at the summit, including on the most sensitive issues.
“BRICS (countries), throughout their history, have managed to speak with one voice on major international issues, and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t be the case this time on the subject of the Middle East,” Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told AFP.
