Crimes

Even sexual assault or paedophilia cases are heard by US courts martial, using an obscure 1951 agreementA US fighter pilot strangled a woman in England. Why did it end in a ‘degrading’ military trial?A little-known system in which US military personnel are tried through a court martial for alleged crimes committed in the UK is under growing scrutiny.There are more than 12,000 US personnel stationed on at least 15 US military bases and facilities in the UK. With the exception of Lossiemouth in Scotland, all the bases are in England. Continue reading...

Images show Israeli military using six companies’ bulldozers and excavators to demolish south Lebanon villagesHuman rights experts have alleged that six multinational construction equipment conglomerates may be aiding and abetting war crimes by supplying excavators and bulldozers to Israel, after photos and videos showed the Israeli military using their equipment to demolish villages in south Lebanon. The Guardian geolocated and verified images showing the Israeli military using excavators made by six companies – Caterpillar, Volvo, Hyundai, Doosan, Hitachi and Komatsu – to destroy homes, public utilities, shops and other structures across southern Lebanon.Israel has levelled entire villages inside the “yellow line”, a 608 sq km area occupied by Israel along the Lebanese-Israeli border. At least 46 villages in south Lebanon have suffered heavy damage, most of it caused by demolitions carried out after the 17 April Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, according to a satellite analysis by Bellingcat. Continue reading...

• Senators Alex Padilla, Dick Durbin, and Sheldon Whitehouse have issued a warning regarding the Trump administration's potential use of election crimes prosecutions to interfere in the 2026 midterm elections. • The lawmakers are specifically criticizing the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the "quiet removal" of a long-standing manual that provides guidelines for election-related prosecutions. • This action is viewed as a significant risk to democratic integrity, as removing established protocols could allow for the selective or politically motivated prosecution of election officials and voters.

Government’s special investigator tells Senate estimates he was surprised journalists had prior knowledge of former SAS man’s arrestGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government’s special investigator for war crimes allegations and the Australian federal police have asked the anti-corruption commission to investigate media leaks about the arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith.Arrested at Sydney airport on 7 April, the Victoria Cross recipient faces five charges of war crime murder over allegations he killed unarmed civilians during his service with the Australian SAS in Afghanistan. Continue reading...

Ryan Nichols is the latest such person to face charges after he allegedly brandished a gun during an argumentThe number of president’s supporters accused of committing new crimes after Donald Trump pardoned them for their roles in the 6 January 2021 US Capitol attack recently increased to at least five.Ryan Nichols, 35, became the latest such Capitol attacker on 10 May, when authorities in Harleton, Texas, say he threateningly displayed a handgun to a person with whom he was arguing in a church parking lot. Continue reading...

Kawsar Ahmad, 53, and Zeinab Ahmad, 31, appear in Melbourne as Janai Safar, 32, due to face Sydney court on separate charges including joining a terrorist organisationTwo Australian women charged with committing crimes against humanity including slavery offences during the rule of Islamic State in Syria have faced a Melbourne court.Kawsar Ahmad, 53, also known as Abbas, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, were arrested by officers from the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team (JCTT) at Melbourne airport on Thursday. Continue reading...

Cryptocurrency ATMs also face ban, after public inquiry found Canada lacked anti-money-laundering strategyCanada is to establish a new and powerful law enforcement agency to investigate financial crime, in stark contrast to the US, where weakened federal investigators have struggled to pursue fraudsters and the White House has pardoned convicted money launderers.A bill to create the Financial Crimes Agency (FCA) completed its first reading in parliament this week. The legislation was introduced by the governing Liberals and with their parliamentary majority, the party is likely to move the it through both levels of government quickly. Continue reading...