▶️Texas police arrest mother and her son on terrorism charges

▶️Datum: 2025-05-21

▶️Wednesday, May 21,2025On Thursday, the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) announced they had arrested a 33 year-old woman and her teenager son on terrorism charges some days earlier. She had bought equipment such as ammunition and tactical gear in order to help him commit a violent attack against his school. On Sunday, May 11, upon entering his bedroom, the boy's grandmother had spotted him hammering a live bullet, and also discovered a homemade explosive device containing the name of Brenton Tarrant the perpetrator of the mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019 and a note listing the names of mass shooting perpetrators and their respective number of victims. The boy confessed to her that his mother, Ashley Rosalinda Pardo, had taken him to military surplus stores to purchase a tactical vest and helmet, along with magazines about handguns and rifles, on the condition that he took care of his younger siblings. The teenager's grandmother reported her findings to the police the following day. On Monday, the student arrived at Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School in tactical gear but left soon after. As he exited the school's campus, SAPD officers apprehended and arrested him alongside his mother. The teenager, whose name and identity have not been revealed, expressed a desire to become famous before leaving for school. Ashley Pardo was released on a USD75,000 bail while being placed under house arrest, and she is scheduled to appear before the court on July 17. Felismina Martinez, Rhodes Middle School Principal, stated that parents must "take all potential threats seriously and act immediately to protect everyone in our care. "Police were monitoring the student since January, when school officials became aware of his activities including violent drawings, a map of the school labeled "suicide route, " and a stated fascination with mass shooters and their manifestos. On April, the middle school suspended him after he used one of the facility's computers to search for past mass shootings; on that same day he seriously injured himself in an unsuccessful suicide attempt. He later returned to the school on May 8. Pardo was reportedly nonchalant about her son's behavior, going as far as to express support for his drawings.

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▶️Three UK neo-Nazis convicted of multiple terrorism offences

▶️Datum: 2025-05-21

▶️On Wednesday, May 14, at Sheffield Crown Court in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, jurors convicted three UK right-wing extremists of "planning an act of terrorism" and other related charges. Arrested in February 2024, Christopher Ringrose, 34 years old, and Marco Pitzettu and Brogan Stewart, both of them 25 years old, had a nine-week trial which began in early March, with the court given evidence including that about over 200 weapons, including crossbows, machetes, and swords found in raids in the residences of the accused in the Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire counties. Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, stated "Some of their defence in court was that it was all fantasy or just part of harmless chat, however all three took real world steps to plan and prepare for carrying out an attack on innocent citizens. " Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford told jurors "It was their belief that there must soon come a time when there would be a race war between the white and other races". The three men were communicating only online, such as, on Telegram, including channel "Einsatz 14", where the undercover officer was able to infiltrate the group which was led by Stewart. Besides planning an act of terrorism, each of them was also charged with two counts of "collecting information which may be useful to someone preparing an act of terrorism". Also, Ringrose was charged with manufacturing a prohibited weapon, as he had 3D-printed components for a FGC9 semi-automatic firearm and had almost completed it. At a previous hearing, Pitzettu pleaded guilty to obtaining an illegal "stun gun". The judge, Mrs Justice Cutts, told the convicted: "You must all expect substantial custodial sentences. " The sentencing was planned for July 17.

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▶️Drone strike kills civilians in Bilopillia, Ukraine

▶️Datum: 2025-05-20

▶️A minibus in Bilopillia, Ukraine was hit, with at least nine people dead and four others injured early on Saturday morning local time, said the regional military administration of Sumy. The bus was traveling toward Sumy near the border of Russia and was hit at around 6: 17 a. m. Emergency personnel and police have attended to provide assistance. Based on initial reports, Sumy region's leader, Oleh Hryhorov, stated that a Russian ZALA Lancet drone did the attack, and characterized the incident as "inhumane".

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▶️Trainmen and engineers go on statewide strike in New Jersey, first time in 42 years

▶️Datum: 2025-05-18

▶️On Friday, May 16, at 12: 01 a. m. , members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) union went on strike. The members stated there was lack of agreement with New Jersey (NJ) Transit officials on the terms and conditions of the new contract. NJ Transit commuter trains as well as the MTA Metro-North West of Hudson service have stopped running for the duration of the strike. The union announced that the strike was expected to last until Sunday, when, according to NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri, the two parties would meet again in Washington, D. C. , with federal mediators, the National Mediation Board. Engineers on strike picketed at the Hoboken Terminal and in front of transit headquarters in Newark, carrying signs that said "Locomotive Engineers on Strike" and "NJ Transit: Millions for Penthouse Views Nothing for Train Crews. " The penthouse views mention was a reference to the new headquarters of NJ Transit, as described in statement by the union's national president Mark Wallace in which he cited the excessive spending on the new building while the money could be at least partially be utilised towards pay increases for the workers. He said, "NJ Transit has a half-billion dollars for a swanky new headquarters and 53 million for decorating the interior of that unnecessary building. They gave away 20 million in revenue during a fare holiday last year. They have money for penthouse views and pet projects, just not for their front-line workers. Enough is enough. We will stay out until our members receive the fair pay that they deserve. "On Friday, Murphy and Kolluri said at a press conference that there is "no sense of panic" amongst NJ Transit officials and that they were "prepared" for the possibility of a strike. NJ Transit officials have estimated that the strike would "disrupt the lives of more than 350,000 commuters" and added "very limited capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and contracting with private carriers to operate bus service" as temporary replacement for trains; at the same time, NJ Transit canceled both bus and train services for the concerts of Shakira, a Colombian singer, which she was performing at MetLife Stadium on Thursday and Friday. Kolluri and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy held a press conference on Thursday evening, leaving negotiation table around 10pm, to forewarn travellers about the Friday strike and recommending for commuters to consider working from home, because, according to NJ Transit, even with the train replacement bus service, it predicted that they could only accommodate "approximately 20 of current rail customers". On the Sunday meeting, according to the NJ Transit CEO, the parties would aim to negotiate for engineers a pay raise that doesn't "bankrupt" the company and "put it in a death spiral". One of Kris's primary arguments was that NJ Transit going bankrupt would leave the engineers unemployed. Meanwhile, BLET union noted that NJ Transit engineers "make at least 10 less per hour" than Amtrak and Long Island Railroad employees, with the resulting attrition reducing number of NJT engineers from around 500 to around 400 within the last several months. This was the first statewide NJ Transit rail strike in 42 years. According to BLET union, its NJ Transit members had no pay raise during the last five years.

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▶️Australian Greens choose Queensland Senator Larissa Waters as new leader

▶️Datum: 2025-05-17

▶️Saturday, May 17,2025The Australian Greens chose Queensland Senator Larissa Waters as their new party leader during a two-hour meeting held Thursday in Melbourne. The decision followed the defeat of previous party leader Adam Bandt, who was unseated by a Labor candidate in Melbourne during the May 3 federal election. During the meeting, the Greens also elected Mehreen Faruqi as deputy and Sarah Hanson-Young as Manager of Business for the Greens in the Senate. In a press conference later in the day, Waters emphasized that the party should continue to work on issues such as climate change and affordability of accommodation, as well as justice and human rights in the IsraelPalestine conflict. The Greens lost three out of four seats in the Lower House, and retained their eleven seats in the Senate.

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▶️Thai officials seize 238 tons of illegal e-waste at Bangkok port

▶️Datum: 2025-05-16

▶️In a press conference on Wednesday, Thai officials said local authorities had seized 238 tons of electronic waste hidden in ten storage containers falsely declared as metal scrap. According to Theeraj Athanavanich, director-general of the Customs Department, the containers were inspected the day before at the port of Bangkok, during a search that one source described as routine and another as random. He said the shipment was allegedly imported illegally from the United States. According to Devdiscourse, it was one of the largest electronic waste (e-waste) imports Thai authorities have uncovered this year. The contents of the containers were declared to customs as "mixed metal scrap, " but also contained electronic circuit boards, said Athanavanich. He said Thai officials planned to bring charges for falsely declaring imports and illegally bringing e-waste into the country. The authorities planned to refuse the containers and return them to their sender. According to AP News, citing a 2024 United Nations report, e-waste is piling up globally, with 62 million tons generated in 2022 and only 22 properly collected and recycled.

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▶️Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reshuffles cabinet following re-election

▶️Datum: 2025-05-13

▶️Anthony Albanese announced on Monday he has reshuffled his cabinet following the 2025 Australian federal election. Many of the holders of the top jobs stayed the same, with Richard Marles, Jim Chalmers, Penny Wong, Don Farrell, Katy Gallagher, and Jason Clare staying in place. Former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and former Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic were removed from their positions; both are associated with the party's right faction. Albanese downplayed the demotions, stating on Thursday: "No individual is greater than the collective, and that includes myself. "New ministers include Anne Aly who was given the portfolio of small business, international development, and multicultural affairs and Michelle Rowland who was named the new attorney-general. The Labor government won a second term in office following the landslide election victory on May 3. In his victory speech Albanese said "We've seen the attempt to run American-style politics here of division and pitting Australians against each other and I think that's not the Australian way. "Peter Dutton, the Liberal Party leader lost his own seat to Labor candidate Ali France. The leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt also lost his seat.

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▶️2025 Khelo India Youth Games begins, first time in Bihar

▶️Datum: 2025-05-09

▶️Friday, May 9,2025Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 2025 Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) on Sunday, hailing India's overall progress in sport. This was the first time that the event is being held in the state of Bihar, with venues spread across five districts. Modi highlighted the importance of investing in sport to improve Indian youth's future and influence in the world. The country's promotion of its indigenous sports has been on display during the KIYG, with the kho kho competitions being spectated by hundreds of school children. The inclusion of eSports also added to the uniqueness of the event, with competitions taking place for video games such as Street Fighter 6 and eFootball.

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▶️Kenyan court fines four men for queen ant trafficking

▶️Datum: 2025-05-09

▶️On Wednesday, a Kenyan court fined four men USD7,700 each (equivalent to 1 million shillings) for attempting to smuggle about 5,440 giant queen ants to markets in Europe and Asia. They would otherwise face a minimum prison sentence of one year. Among the populations were Messor cephalotes, a species of harvester ant native to East Africa. Ants are actively sought by exotic pet enthusiasts for their complex eusocial behaviour that includes the building of colonies, being typically kept in large specialized devices known as formicaria. However, the unauthorized possession of any wildlife specimen (including ants) is prohibited in Kenya, and people partaking these activities may be subject to a fine of up to USD10,000 and at least five years in prison. The men had been arrested on April 5. Two Belgian teenagers, Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, 19, were caught at a guest house with about 5,000 queen ants contained in thousands of test tubes in Nakuru County, northwest of Nairobi; when inquired before the court, the teenagers said they acted out of naivety. Separately, a Vietnamese man named Duh Heng Nguyen and Kenyan national Dennis Nganga were found with 400 ants at the country's capital, in a meeting that senior magistrate Njeri Thuku said was an "elaborate scheme" that bore "the hallmarks of illegal wildlife trade and possibly biopiracy". They were all charged on April 15 in two related cases. "This is beyond a hobby", Thuku said, further comparing their actions to the slave trade: "Imagine being violently removed from your home and packed into a container with many others like you (. . . ) where the only source of nourishment for the foreseeable future is glucose water". The Belgians' lawyer Halima Nyakinyua agreed with the sentencing and said they would not appeal. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) welcomed the ruling, highlighting it as an example of Kenya's zero-tolerance policy on illegal wildlife trafficking. The agency also stated that the trafficking of ants could deprive the local communities from their putative ecological and economic benefits. Experts in Kenya said the case represented a broader trend of trafficking smaller and lesser known species.

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▶️United National Congress party wins elections, new government cabinet meets in Trinidad and Tobago

▶️Datum: 2025-05-09

▶️On Thursday, May 8, the new cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago met at the Red House in Port of Spain, the capital. The new government of Kamla Persad-Bissessar was sworn in after the United National Congress (UNC) party won the 2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election held on April 28. This is the second time Persad-Bissessar has served as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago as she previously held the premiership from 2010 to 2015. According to the subsequent media briefing on Thursday afternoon, during the meeting the cabinet discussed establishing an e-Cabinet platform, the TT Revenue Authority Act, establishing a committee to discuss stand your ground gun laws, and changes to the Children's Fund Act that would allow more people to apply for aid. The prime minister broke with tradition and took her oath with a hand on the constitution rather than a holy text, as is customary. The new cabinet includes both new and old members. In the election, the incumbent People's National Movement (PNM) was defeated after 10 years in government, and former prime minister Keith Rowley conceded defeat. After the results came in Persad-Bissessar proclaimed "when UNC wins, everybody wins. "

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