After years of legal and ethical scandals swirling around Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state’s GOP-controlled House of Representatives has moved toward an impeachment vote that could quickly throw him from office

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Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware says he will not seek reelection to a fifth term in the U.S. Senate

A medical student suspected of killing three people on a shooting rampage in Rotterdam previously tortured animals and had Nazi material on his phone, it has been claimed. The 32-year-old suspect, named as Fouad L, opened fire on his neighbour’s home on Friday, killing a 14-year-old girl and her mother. He then stormed the Erasmus University Medical Center, where he was a student, and shot dead a university lecturer. Dutch media claim Fouad L’s neighbour had reported him for animal cruelty and the university had dropped his diploma. Prosecutors confirmed on Friday that they were previously concerned enough about his behaviour that they had sent a letter to his school, warning about his “psychotic behaviour” over his treatment of animals. Police also discovered Nazi-related and right-wing material, as well as images of people being stabbed, on the phone of the suspect two years ago, according to local media. The city of Rotterdam remained in shock on Friday morning after the deadly attacks by the lone gunman. The suspect first allegedly shot dead his neighbour, a 39-year-old woman, and her teenage daughter, who later died in hospital, before setting fire to their house. He then went to the nearby medical centre, where he is accused of shooting dead a 43-year-old lecturer, named locally as Jurgen Damen. Mr Damen had taught medical students at Erasmus University since 2013. Video on social media showed employees and students at the university fleeing the building while others put up signs in windows reading “we can’t get out”. Police marksmen then entered the building and the suspect was arrested inside. While the city now mourns the deaths of the three victims, many have questioned the suspect’s apparent motives with local news outlets suggesting it was a “personal revenge attack”. The neighbour shot dead was said to have filmed Fouad L torturing his rabbit and called police, who responded to find him drunk at his home. Officers found the animals in his house in a poor state and two crossbows in the property, it has been reported. It was also claimed that the suspect had shot a pigeon with a crossbow. Fouad L was prosecuted and convicted for abusing the rabbit in 2021 and given a 40-hour community service order. All the evidence was compiled in a letter from Rotterdam’s Public Prosecution Service and sent to Erasmus, it has emerged since Thursday’s attack. “I assume that the information contributes to your decision whether or not the person concerned is eligible for the basic medical diploma,” concluded the letter, which local media believe resulted in Fouad L not receiving his diploma. The prosecutors’ spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the letter, but declined to comment on the school’s decision not to award a disploma. However, he reportedly posted on social bulletin board 4Chan under the name motorAnon, apparently to confirm the school’s decision, and reveal a feud he had with academics there. “Med school exam committee says they refuse to issue my diploma now despite having all points from the curriculum,” he is said to have written. He also accused teachers of failing him. ”Never try to do anything in academics, especially if you’re not a cuck and insist on speaking your mind like a man,” he posted. Chief prosecutor Hugo Hillenaar said the suspect had a history of police run-ins and “in 2021 he was prosecuted and convicted for animal abuse”. The 32-year-old man is due to appear before a judge on 3 October. Prime minister Mark Rutte said on X, formerly Twitter: “My thoughts go out to the victims of the violence, their loved ones and to all the people who have been in great fear. “Many thanks to the people of the services for their actions and assistance on site.” Read More Three killed in Rotterdam as student in combat gear opens fire at university hospital Dutch police say 2 people are killed in shootings at a university hospital and home in Rotterdam Elite army unit storms ship to seize Ireland’s biggest drugs haul

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The notorious Delphi murders case has taken another shocking twist as accused killer Richard Allen made a bombshell claim about the killings of teenagers Libby German and Abby Williams. In court documents released on Monday, the 50-year-old local man maintained his innocence of the 2017 killings and instead claimed that the murders were carried out by a pagan cult hijacked by white nationalists. “Members of a pagan Norse religion, called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German,” his attorneys write in the documents seen by The Independent. Mr Allen’s attorneys said that “possible Odinism signatures” were left behind by the killers at the crime scene with the victims’ bodies staged by trees with branches and sticks laid across their bodies in the shape of pagan symbols. While Mr Allen has no known connection to any pagan cult, his defence attorneys also took the extraordinary step of naming four individuals they say are involved in Odinism as potential suspects. None of these individuals have ever been named by law enforcement as suspects or persons of interest in the case. What is Odinism? Odinism is a pagan Norse religion with origins in ancient Viking and Nordic beliefs and pre-Christian European culture. Sometimes referred to as Wotanism, it is seen as a “racist variant” of the pagan religious sect Asatru, according to the Anti-Defamation League. While Asatru itself is not racist, over the years Odinism has become increasingly tied to white supremacist and neo-Nazi beliefs in the US. Many followers – known as Odinites – are now said to exist among the white supremacist prison population. “The religion, which revives a pre-Christian pantheon of Norse gods, is appealing to white supremacists because it mythologizes the virtues of early northern European whites – seen as wandering barbarians, deeply involved in a mystical relationship with nature, struggling heroically against the elements,” the Southern Poverty Law Center explains. “It sings the virtues of the tribe, or folk, strongly emphasizing genetic closeness. And it credits whites with building civilization and an ethic of individual responsibility, even as they boldly slew wild boars, fought for their tribes and explored the far reaches of the known world.” Were Libby and Abby killed by Odinites? The murders of Libby and Abby have never been publicly linked to Odinism before now. But, according to Mr Allen’s attorneys, law enforcement officials did explore the cult’s possible involvement early on in the investigation – as far back as February 2018. On 13 February 2017, Libby and Abby disappeared after set off on a walk along the Monon High Bridge Trail in their hometown of Delphi. During the walk, Libby posted a photo of her best friend on Snapchat as they walked along the Monon High Bridge. Minutes later, Libby captured a video of a man – known as “bridge guy” – dressed in blue jeans, a blue jacket and a cap walking along the abandoned railroad bridge. In the footage – found on Libby’s phone following their murders – the man tells the two girls: “Guys, down the hill.” The next day – Valentine’s Day 2017 – the girls’ bodies were discovered in a wooded area less than half a mile off the trail along the side of Deer Creek. In the court documents, Mr Allen’s attorneys claim that there were “possible Odinism signatures left behind at the crime scene” including the staging of the bodies and branches displayed on the victims to create pagan symbols and shapes. Describing the scene as “ghoulish”, the documents also reveal never-before-known details about how Libby and Abby died. The teenage best friends both had their necks slashed, the documents reveal. Libby was found at the base of a tree with “four tree branches of varying sizes intentionally placed in a very specific and arranged pattern on her naked body” and blood spots and drippings all over her body. Abby meanwhile was fully clothed, including in Libby’s sweatshirt and jeans, the documents state. There was no blood on her clothing, indicating that she was likely murdered while naked and then dressed after she was killed. Tree branches and sticks had also been arranged on her body, the documents state. Both victims appeared to have been moved after they were murdered and positioned. According to Mr Allen’s attorneys, police on the case did investigate a link to Odinism but, after speaking to an expert, the theory was quickly “abandoned”. Several officials continued to believe an Odinist cult was behind the murders but the information was withheld from the defence, his attorneys claim. Now, the defence is seeking a Franks hearing in the case and to have Mr Allen moved to another facility. Read More Delphi murders suspect makes bombshell claim that victims were ‘sacrificed’ by white nationalist cult What we know about the Delphi murders of Abigail Williams and Libby German Delphi murders: What we know about suspect Richard Allen

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Two Russian soldiers have been jailed for refusing to return to the frontline in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. In an intelligence update posted on Twitter, the ministry said two Russian soldiers were sentenced to serve at least two years in a penal colony by a military court for refusing to obey orders to return to the front in Ukraine. It comes after Russian independent media outlet Mediazona reported that Russia was convicting close to 100 soldiers a week for refusing to fight. The defence ministry predicted “there will be approximately 5,200 convictions a year for refusing to fight” if the trend continues. The high rate of convictions demonstrates the “poor state of morale” and “reluctance” to fight in the Russian Army, the MoD said. The update continued: “Refusal to fight likely reflects the lack of training, motivation and high stress situations Russian forces face along the entire Ukrainian frontline.” However, the defence ministry said it is likely Russia mitigates losses in soldiers by “committing a mass of poorly trained soldiers to the frontline.” “Since Russia’s September 2022 partial mobilisation, Russia has adapted its approach to warfare by utilising sheer mass for offensive and defensive operations,” the update explained. In September 2022, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of 300,000 military reservists for the war in Ukraine. The call-up prompted hundreds of thousands of men to flee the country. Outbound flights were full and neighbouring countries received large influxes. Soon afterwards, Mr Putin toughened up penalties for desertion and refusal to fight, making the offences punishable by up to 10 years in prison, or 15 years for voluntary surrender to enemy forces. But first-time offenders may be exempted from criminal liability “if he took measures for his release, returned to his unit or place of service and did not commit other crimes while in captivity”, according to the new law. Within weeks of the boost to Russian numbers, UK defence chiefs concluded many of the newly mobilised soldiers were poorly equipped, possibly with weapons in a “barely usable” condition. Earlier this year, the MoD suggested Russian troops were using shovels for hand-to-hand combat in Ukraine because of an ammunition shortage. In the latest development in Putins’s war in Ukraine, at least four of Russia’s military transport planes were damaged after Ukraine launched its biggest drone attack on Russian soil since the beginning of the invasion. The Il-76 transport aircraft were damaged after drones hit an airport in the western Pskov region, located 660km north of the Ukrainian frontier and near the borders of Estonia and Latvia. Read More Ukraine: Largest drone attack on Russian territory since invasion began as cargo planes destroyed Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv’s huge drone attack as Putin floods frontline with ‘poorly trained troops’ Russian hard-line nationalist ordered to stay in prison after accusing Putin of weakness The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

BOSTON & MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 12, 2023--