U.S. reaffirms Greenland's right to self-determination
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A French court on Thursday ordered the release of Lebanese activist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who has served 40 years in prison for attacks on American and Israeli diplomats in France.
The former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade (LARB) was sentenced to life in 1987 for his role in the 1982 murders in Paris of U.S. military attache Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov, and the attempted murder of U.S. Consul General Robert Homme in Strasbourg in 1984.
The Paris Appeals Court approved Abdallah’s release on 25 July on the condition that he leaves France, a judicial source said. A second source familiar with the case confirmed he would be deported to Lebanon.
In a February hearing, the Paris court said Abdallah should make an effort to compensate the families of his victims, according to a person familiar with the matter.
His lawyer said in June that about €16,000 ($18,546) had been deposited into his account, but the U.S. Department of Justice and France’s general prosecutor argued the sum was insufficient and did not come from Abdallah himself.
A source familiar with the case said on Thursday that Abdallah will not be required to pay compensation to the victims.
It was not immediately clear whether further appeals could be filed.
The U.S. Department of Justice and France's general prosecutor have for years vigorously opposed his release, and eight previous release requests had been rejected.
Neither Abdallah's lawyer nor the Lebanese and U.S. embassies were immediately available for comment.
Abdallah, 74, has remained a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause.
The Paris court described Abdallah’s conduct in prison as exemplary and said in November that he posed “no serious risk of committing further terrorist acts.”
However, the U.S. Department of Justice has asserted that his release would pose a threat to the safety of U.S. diplomats.
Washington has opposed Abdallah’s release, pointing to his past comments about returning to his hometown of Qobayyat near the Lebanese-Syrian border, given the recent clashes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Abdallah, the former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade (LARB), was sentenced to life in 1987 for his role in the 1982 murders of U.S. military attaché Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris.
He was also convicted of the attempted murder of U.S. Consul General Robert Homme in Strasbourg in 1984.
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According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
The U.S. has reaffirmed Greenland’s right to decide its own future after reports emerged that private Americans linked to Donald Trump tried to sway political sentiment in the Arctic territory.
The Trump administration is proposing new visa rules that could significantly shorten the stay of students, cultural exchange visitors, and journalists in the U.S.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will travel to China next week to attend a military parade marking Japan’s surrender in the Second World War, state media reported, in what is set to be the most significant multilateral diplomatic gathering he has ever joined.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads overseas on Thursday to meet the leaders of China, Japan and Russia, seeking to build closer diplomatic ties as New Delhi battles fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump's escalating tariff offensive.
Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing will travel to China to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, state media reported on Thursday, ahead of the country’s first election in almost five years-a vote backed by Beijing.
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