Author: Press Room

A Somali migrant serving life in prison for people smuggling appeared in court on Monday to appeal his sentence, in a case backed by a group of European Parliament members who say he was wrongfully convicted.Mohammad Hanad Abdi was sentenced to 142 years in prison in 2021 after being convicted following a deadly crossing in a dinghy from Turkey to the nearby Greek island of Lesbos the previous year.Abdi said he had only steered the dinghy after it had been abandoned by a Turkish smuggler during the crossing. Two people drowned when the vessel took on water while 33 others…

Cape Town Reuters  —  South African power utility Eskom on Sunday said police were investigating whether an attempt was made to poison its outgoing chief executive officer, Andre de Ruyter. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan also told Reuters on Sunday the alleged incident “will be thoroughly investigated” and anyone responsible charged. Without giving any details, Gordhan said an intense battle was taking place “between those who want South Africa to work and thrive and those who want to corruptly enrich themselves”. Faced with political pressure, De Ruyter resigned on December 14 after failing to solve a crisis in Eskom that…

The Houston Texans came under fire Sunday night when the team decided to part ways with head coach Lovie Smith after just one season at the helm.The dismissal came hours after the Texans defeated the Indianapolis Colts and lost the No. 1 draft pick to the Chicago Bears. “Nick Caserio and I spoke with Lovie Smith tonight and informed him that we will be moving in a different direction as an organization,” Texans chair and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. “I appreciate Coach Smith and his entire family for their contributions over the last two seasons. We are…

An armed masked robber who stormed a Texas taqueria demanding money was stopped by a patron who brandished his own gun, fatally shot the suspect, and handed the cash back to shaken diners, police said. Houston police are seeking to speak with that patron who foiled the robbery on Thursday. The incident took place at the El Ranchito #4 taqueria in the 6000 block of South Gessner Road in Houston around 11:30 p.m. Officers were called to the restaurant for a shooting and found the robbery suspect, wearing all black clothing, a black ski mask and gloves, “shot multiple times inside the…

Did Aaron Rodgers play his last NFL game? After Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Lions, the veteran quarterback did something that has stirred speculation about his playing future. NBC cameras caught Lions rookie receiver Jameson Williams asking Rodgers for his jersey after the game, to which the quarterback replied: “I’m gonna hold on to this one.” Williams seemed surprised, appearing to say, “You told me,” before Rodgers moved on and shared a moment with Lions running back and former Packer Jamaal Williams. The logical conclusion is that Rodgers wanted to keep the jersey in case that Packers defeat was the…

GRAPHIC IMAGES WARNING Kelly Young had the ‘cheapest’ breast enlargement surgery in Turkey in September, but months later she was left with a gashing hole that was oozing pus, forcing her to go on antidepressants A mum has revealed that she felt like ‘jumping off cliff’ after her boob job shockingly exploded out of her chest. She has now revealed that she feels “like a different person” after they popped out following the botched surgery in Turkey, as she is urging others to properly research the complications of having such an operation. Kelly Young had surgery to boost her cup…

Workers at a Chinese factory making Covid-19 test kits clashed with police over the weekend after their managers apparently told them to go on vacation early, a move that effectively terminated their employment without notice, according to social media posts and videos reviewed by CNN. Online footage showed workers protesting at a facility belonging to Zybio Inc, a Chinese pharmaceutical company, in the mega city of Chongqing in the country’s southwest. Social media users said the workers, who produced rapid antigen test kits, had either been unpaid or not paid the full amount promised by Zybio. The company did not…

Head of the Catholic Church slams Russia’s war in Ukraine and Iran’s treatment of protesters.In his yearly address to diplomats, Pope Francis has denounced Russia’s war in Ukraine, Iran’s treatment of protesters and the damaging of government buildings in Brazil by followers of the country’s far-right ex-president. The speech on Monday to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican is known informally as the pope’s “state of the world” address. Typically, it outlines the areas of greatest concern for the Holy See. Here are some key remarks from the head of the Catholic Church: Ukraine: Any act of war ‘is a crime against…

The Swiss national flag hangs from the Federal Palace, Switzerland’s parliament building, in Bern, Switzerland, on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. The Swiss National Bank cut its inflation forecast and showed no inclination of moving off its crisis-era settings, citing the francs strength and mounting global risks. Photographer: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Swiss National Bank on Monday reported a loss of 132 billion Swiss francs ($143 billion) for the 2022 financial year, citing preliminary figures.It represents the biggest loss in the central bank’s 116-year history and equates to roughly 18% of Switzerland’s projected gross domestic product of…

A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link. Stocks soared on Friday to their best day in more than a month. The Dow gained 700 points and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose by 2.3% and 2.6% respectively, as traders bet that a slowdown in wage growth could mean that inflation may finally be cooling off. But the big turnaround story during the short first week of the year isn’t just…